Post by Alex Vipond on Apr 20, 2015 18:35:59 GMT -8
ViIe Serpent: Sebastian had been scarce since being returned to the land of the non-death like, non-decrepit, and almost human in appearance by the blood of miss fancy sneakers. He'd become reclusive in a sense, having had avoided almost any social interactions save for Helena and the offerings of blood she'd brought to him throughout the week. He seemed himself again, yet it had taken him the better part of almost two weeks to dare to venture outside Helena's office. When he was not skulking about her office, pacing like a caged tiger, he was plotting, and then remembering that it was plotting that had gotten him into the little predicament in the first place. All the same he could not, would not live under Helena's roof in hiding forever. True a lot of his US based assets had been seized. A lot of fucking money, a lot of things that had cost him a lot of fucking money, and his property. Never mind the art. Did that mean he was out? Dead ass broke? No. It just made things more complicated for him. Helena had for some awful reason or another kept a cache of his old clothes at the club. He felt so... 2009, the posh duds of yesteryear and beyond, but the two piece Brioni suit that shone like woven silver and all the trimmings was better than the hobo look he'd been rocking last, or the bathrobe he'd been wearing since his recovery. He'd informed Helena that he was going 'out', which earned him a sort of cross look from her but fortunately she decided not to meddle or impede. He did tell her where he intended to go, that was off to track down Alex the old fashioned way since he did not quite trust that he was no longer America's most wanted, or the Harlequins, if the assumption that he'd been killed in the strike on his manor was still to stand. Even if he'd had his phone... it would be among many things those eyes of the wrong kind would be watching and waiting for perhaps, or at least that it would get their attentions. Helena loaned out one of her staff to function as his driver, and one of the company cars to haul his pretty-again undead ass to wherever he wanted to go looking. "AMV Records"... Sebastian told the driver from the backseat of the tinted out white Denali. It was as good a place as any to start? Sebastian knew enough of Alex's haunts and habits that he did not doubt his ability in tracking the man down. Within twenty minutes? That Denali would be rolling up to the front of AMV, not quite blasting or bumping Kanye - All Day though loud enough considering the windows were cracked. Sebastian would cautiously emerge from the rear driver’s side door still smoking a clove cigarette, glancing around at the ground as if afraid to gaze skyward.
Alex Vipond: Alex was working on some last minute preparations before the trip to Germany: things that needed to be taken care of in his absence, instructions to be left for his staff, both at home and at work, and Alex was glad at this point that he'd not booked any venues as of yet. He had no clue how long they'd be in Europe. He was hoping it wouldn't have to be long, but these things did tend to be like a loose thread in a knit sweater. Once you start pulling, you never know when it's going to stop and you may well end up naked with a pile of yarn at your feet. The front door of the office was unlocked, though there was no such 'open' sign, or even a listing of hours, since regular hours were rarely kept. One simply tried the door and if it opened, one would then simply walk in. Alex finished sending out emails to people whose projects he was working on, letting them know that, although he would be out of the office, his engineer was in fact present and working and that they would be in constant communication while he was out of the office. Once that was done he rose from his chair and headed for the kitchen, in dire need of a 'drink' that didn't include booze... Yet.
ViIe Serpent: "Wait here"... Sebastian said to his driver, who'd nodded then rolled up all the windows. Seb skulked towards the front of the building then, smoking down the rest of his clove. On in he went! after he'd put the clove out by dropping it in front of him and stepping on it. He almost nervously peered about looking for sign of life as if half expecting to be shot in the face.
Alex Vipond: When Alex heard the door, he paused, foot on the step that would take him upstairs and then he reversed direction, heading for the front office and when he saw Sebastian, to say he was relieved would have been a gross understatement. "Dude, about time." He looked past him, then back at him, before stepping in and taking his hand in that reverse grip as he pulled him in and clapped him on the back. "I was about to warm a bottle, you want one?" And with that he let the man go and locked the door, pulling the drape to prevent outside eyes from looking in.
ViIe Serpent: Sebastian offered a sort of uneasy smile then, glancing every which way as if he was still unsure of his safety. He almost jumped out of his skin when he was drawn in with that clap on the back but managed to not look like a totally paranoid creepo. "Thank you, I will have what you are having kind sir"... Seb was peering then over Alex's shoulder suspiciously as if expecting ninjas. "I have been"... How did one put it? "Convalescing"?... Hiding in Helen’s office like a troll was more like it. "I should have come sooner".
Alex Vipond: "No, laying low is probably a good thing." he paused, then tipped his head up. "I'm glad you got here when you did, I'm about to head to Paris by way of Frankfurt. Charter, my jet's in the sand box at the moment, waiting for Mars to get done with his deal..." Long story that, well not really considering how little Alex knew. Turning Alex headed for the back and the stairs that would take him up to the apartment above the studio.
ViIe Serpent: Sebastian nodded. "Well, your friend Casti..el? Convinced me that I should probably explore more conventional measures before considering his offer. As tempting as the idea of crawling back when is... even I have some small measure of common sense. I'd probably fuck something up intentionally or otherwise, and the way he laid it all out"... He shook his head. "I think while on the table all of that is going to be a last resort option"... He followed Alex up the stairs. "Sandbox? Mars"?... Was that like a cats litterbox but for wolves? This he did not think likely, in all his years of knowing the habits of the wolfish creatures, but he was clueless then as to what Alex had spoken of. He was thinking about how he wanted to ask Alex about hitching along to Paris. That would solve many of his problems, mainly his cash flow problem.
Alex Vipond: Moving to the kitchen, Alex pulled a couple of bottles out of the fridge and dropped them into the warmer. Turning he leaned against the counter, and then levered himself up to sit on it as he regarded Sebastian. "Iraq, Afghanistan, somewhere in the Middle East, something to do with his Marine buddies. Alex regarded him a long moment while the warmer did its thing. "You know, it might not be a bad thing for you to get out of Seattle for a few days. If you want to come along, we could actually use the help."
ViIe Serpent: Sebastian looked almost bewildered for a moment as he watched the bottles go into the warmer as Alex explained the Mar's thing. "Oh"... "I'd totally forgot that he was one of those types"... Chin scratch. That was right! He remembered it then! He'd always figured the lurch sized fucker, Mars, for being some sort of goon and then remembered why. Of course he'd been told all about it, or enough about it, once upon a time but Sebastian was ... also... sort of aloof enough of the time even if he generally did not forget things. "Is he allowed to be out in the world without a handler"?... Sebastian’s expression lit up at that, and then he sort of chuckled and teetered his head side to side a moment with the apparent realization of something. "Not I should be myself, but just saying. The angry wolfish sort... all of them that I've known since forever... tend to get into trouble"... Was that Sebastian concern? In his own way he was actually concerned about Marsten time to time. "Seattle has not been good to me lately, and since the U.S. Government, apparently, and apparently in concert with my 'fan-club', has seized all of my riches in this part of the world... it just so happens that I am not only up for a trip to Paris, but! That I am in dire need of a trip to Paris! Though"... "I'm in your debt, so of course I will help, but what is going down in Paris?"
Alex Vipond: "At the Gator a few days ago, this kid comes in, around eight or night, just popped his head in the door and turned and left. He looked like he'd been crying, and I told the girls to stay put, and headed out after him." he paused, the bottles pulled from the warmer, a towel used to wipe them down and one offered out to Sebastian. The other he popped the bail on, leaving the ceramic stopper to dangle off to the side as he tipped it up for a drink. He shook his head and then continued. "Knowing Nadia the way I do, I know this would be just the kind of bait she'd use to lure someone out and turn them into a sippy cup. So I went after the kid on my own, and he was out in the lot standing under a street lamp. I realized right off that he was in fact very much human and scared shitless over something. He asked about Callie. I told him she was inside and I could take him to her..." He paused once more, another sip taken before continuing again. "There's been some shit going on at the Gator, holes in time kind of shit, stuff from the future falling through them, one of which was Callie's arm..." He shuddered, then went on, "Anyway, the kid didn't want to go inside so I took him out to the Benz and settled him into the seat. It was cold out, didn't want the kid catching a chill, and I called Callie, told her about the kid and ... that I suspected at that point that he may well be her future son. He had a picture of her, taken from some Paris hotel.. She comes out, I start back inside, the kid screams he's sorry and I hear this beep...." Alex looked up from the floor that he'd been staring out. "I tackled Callie to the ground in time to keep the worst of the blast away from her. The kid was set up on some proximity alert thing maybe or maybe someone was watching, I don't know but as soon as Callie got close the kid went off like a living IED."
ViIe Serpent: Sebastian took a seat, taking the bottle offered and for the moment remaining content in stealing its warmth. He'd nod. Luring suckers out of places, hundreds of variations of, was nothing new to him. Callie? Nadia? Names he was not familiar with, but he wouldn’t interrupt - then opening up his bottle and slowly draining it. Once open and put to lips it would not leave his lips until utterly drained. The tale seemed... innocuous enough? Though his brow sort of twitched at the mentions of holes or ripples in time. He would be staying away from the Gator bar. Future children come back to days past? Things got interesting after that but Sebastian's apparent focus in its totality remained on chugging down the bottles contents. Much preferred fresh, but so soon after living not knowing where he'd find his next meal he would take what he could when and where he could. "Wow". He'd said lowering the empty bottle from his lips, then licking them clean. "So this Callie woman, don't know her, but that’s pretty intense. Though what I'd want to know is how - on the time travel end, and if this suicider is / was her son... from the future... why someone would think it appropriate to compel him to come back to blow up mommy? Assuming his sorry' was genuine or barring some other variables there. All the same, thankfully some sorts still build beepy and blinky bombs"?... Sebastian glanced slowly to the left, then the right, and then back to Alex. "Wait"... "The bomb was IN this kid"?
Alex Vipond: "The kid being her son was pretty much debunked. Apparently she pissed some dude off several years back, and he's a real bastard. Callie it would seem was a dead ringer for his daughter... which, perhaps ironically is in fact dead. The dude had her kidnapped and tried to brainwash her into thinking she was in fact his dead daughter, and her boyfriend at the time, who rescued her... was killed in the process. But now the dude according to the letter he left under the kid's skin..." Alex's shoulders rolled as the chill coursed down his spine, "Wants her to meet him in Paris, alone... Which is why we're sneaking in from Germany, or the death count will rise and yeah. The bomb was IN the kid. And what's worse..." Alex tipped his bottle up and drank deep. The stuff was fresh, not from the vein obviously but taste wise, even better. It was cloned. And as such it carried no free radicals. it was pure. It was rather like drinking the blood of a child, and the only real difference... was the lack of tactile sensation. Of fang sinking into flesh, before the blood hit the tongue. "Not only was the bomb in the kid... but the kid knew it. Knew it was coming. And for some reason, whatever reason he'd been given... he never said a word other than I'm sorry, right before he blew to hell."