Calvary I Perhaps a little bit shakier than usual. Yes, but only a little bit. (heads all around him turn to take a look at the wildeyed blacksuited shaggyhaired man walking down the veryvery middle of the sidewalk eyes fixed on the twitching lefthand held up in front of his face) Almost walked into someone, there. Step around, look up, pretty eyes pointed at his own. Smile at her, watch those pretty eyes widen in surprise and dart off to find another target. People are always doing that, it seems, always staring at you and acting like Apocalypse if you have the audacity to look back. Only they have the right, don't you know. (beads of sweat popping up liquid insects on broadbrow under hothot JuneSun over eyes darting leftright leftright over faces over nose sweat there same as brow over ips parted justabit justabit now in shadowmotions mouthing the words to a song notknown to be remembered walking wipes brow with righthand reaches into breastpocket for crumplenecked cigarette to add t those lips to silence thier motions silence the screams of a song he doesn't want to remember) Drank too much coffee sitting on that chair, he did. Need to stop buying those soft packs, always ruined by the time you get to the last five. Take it black, no sugar, next time. takes longer to cool of, can't drink it so fast, have less of it before you get sick of the place. Need to refill the lighter, took three strokes to catch. Stone in the shoe? No, sock balling up again. Laundry tomorrow, if it can be remembered. No short term memory, never really did have any either. (car stops brakesquealing hornscreeching to let him live who does he think he is Moses parting the RedSea or BusyStreet shouldhave hit him a few broken bones'd do him some good if he learns to look where he's going stops as he steps up onto curb staring off to his right should have hit him probably crazyordrunk) Was that her? Heard that she died a few months ago. Her hair was longer and her clothing not quite so nice, perhaps a bit heavier too. Never can trust those rumors, though, especially about death. Car accident, was it? Normal enough, happens all the time, that. Rumors usually tend towards the fantastic, could have been true after all. No, she turned a bit more towards for a moment, that was her. Have to see if by any chance she's free for dinner, could use a bit himself. No, it was that friend of hers that was vegetarian, good. In the mood for roast beef or maybe a burger. "Kali?" Shouted, but still a question. She spins around sharply, clearly wasn't expecting that. She looks about nervously, finally sees him smiling, smiles herself. Starts walking back towards him. "Marduk," she says when a bit closer, "it's god to see you again." Sounds like she means it, hope she really does. Always did want to fuck her, but best not tothink about that during reintroduction. "My dear, I can certainly say the same about you." Puts a hand on her shoulder to guide her into a friendly hug; catches her a bit off guard, but she reciprocates. "I hope I haven't caught you at a bad time - I am entirely without plans for the evening, but I was thinking that dinner with an old friend would fit the bill nicely." "It's always a bad time for me." Takes a step back, raises an eyebrow at her. Overplayed reaction, the comment was clearly not meant to offend. She raises an eyebrow right back his way. (couple of strangeones there lancing each other rightintheeye space between them vortex of sexualemotionalintellectual energy but both pretending to notnotice clearly so the other can see pretending to notnotice continue to question keep up that fouced feeling of mystery) She drops the eyebrow smiles again. "Dinner sounds lovely." Good, good, knew that was coming. "I don't have any plans, either. I was actually just on my way home from work." "Oh. So, you work for a living now." Hears her breath catch in her throat, just for a moment. Wrong question, perhaps. Hope he didn't upset her. Far too early for that. "Not exactly, no. Not for a living, anyways. I guess I couldn't really call it work, either." "I see." Don't really see, but that certainly was an explanation becoming of the namesake of Kali. "What is it, then, that you do?" "I'll show you. I think you'll approve." "Right now? I was under the impression that we were about to go eat." "I didn't know you meant right away. that's okay, though, we can do it afterwards. Or tomorrow, if you're up for it." Something to do tomorrow, wasn't there? Always happens like this, remembering just enough of something to know that it's there to be remembered. Ah, well, couldn't be too terribly pressing if it won't just out and reveal itself to him. "Tomorrow sounds utterly lovely." (hisvoice like a pint of stout not quite deep but resonates like it smokegravel on top of it too forced into pedagogue hervoice floating back light but something under allthat like poisoned meringue daggers in her eyes too but hitting thisone only with the flat of the blade teasinghinting at the edge hervoice got that smokegravel too) "Cool. So, where do we go to eat?" "I think that it would be best to leave that up to you. I imagine that you are, after all, better acquainted with the area than I." "Okay, you have a point. Let's see... how are you an greasy dives?" "An afficianado, to be sure." Shakes her head at that. Eyes close, can hear a bit of breath out the nose. "All right, Joe's it is, then." "Joe's? As in 'eat at'?" "Hey, was that an attempt at a joke? I think our Marduk's been improving!" "It's only your charm, I'm sure, bringing out the best in me." "Bite me. Let's go." Grins, walks past the way he came from, shoulder brushes his. Good sign, that, shows a sense of comfort. Perhaps a bit flirtatious, too, alway hard to tell with this one. Like that about her, though, some people just too easy to read, two-dimensional. Pull up that sock, next opportunity. (just one brief moment of impact cessation transfiguration reset beginanew of all morphogeneis of two into one flesh and flesh into one great shoulder to shoulder cotton to wool don't give a damn because I'm stone dead already sparks ground out from soft flesh covered thinly all that liew between them now clothing and pretense) Turn to follow, let her control for now. Good illusion, that, control. Illusion is Marduk's territory, certainly, but does she understand that? Know control for what it is? Know just what his name belies? Will have control, in the end. As an ilusion. The name demands it. Another illusion, there... "I take it, then, they you're not dead after all." "Excuse me?" "It was, apparently, a car accident." "Like I drive! According to whom, anyways?" "I believe that the rumor in question made its way into our little circle by way of Lillith." Difference between Lillith and himself, there. She never knew it to be illusion. "I'm not surprised." Laughs. "I guess some people just have trouble telling the difference between moving to another city and a car wreck." "I suppose that to those in isolation there really is very little difference between absence and death." Silence. (pass through a park always strange that parkinthecity almost manifestation of irony in between concrete iron stell sewage car vomit fumes noise murder theft cops ratrace crowds fear apathy hatred pain loss loneliness desperation venomtongues deafears talonhands here you have anattemptat peace air grass trees calmness soil clearwater horses picnics romance lovtonues openeyes believingears caressfingers connection to humanity but only asphault running through it sewage in water buildingsof concrete iron stell so the know notanimals nonotthem fumes smog vomit noise carnoise horseshit butonly intheend more murder theft cops crowds fear apathy hatred pain loss loneliness desperation venomtongues blindeyes defears talonhands but here they canpretend) Up the hill and through the park to grandmother's house? No, Joe's! Steeper than it looks, wasn't counting on a workout. Build a nice appetite, anyways. Men on the bench there, aggressive air, try to just walk past, look unconcerned. Two look like housepainters, one without the shirt particularly, other two just degenerate. Hear a bit of conversation, going by - "You <i>not</i> rape, I am <i>serious</i>..." No, didn't. Couldn't have. Just didn't. No one could posibly. No. And sound completely serious. How..? Turn to look at Kali, see her reaction, share that yes, he did. she looks back, grimacing, face tinged with panic, disbelief. Can't uderstand. Neither can he. Silence.