tushanshu_logs | I will not bow, I will not break

Entry tags:

I will not bow, I will not break | June Catchall

Characters: Pepper Potts, Devin Parker and you!
Date: Throughout June
Location: Keeliai
Situation: Pepper is busy with police work, Devin is being Devin.
Warnings/Rating: Mentions of blood because vampire. Others will be added as needed.

A. [Pepper] KPD | Throughout June | Open

Pepper is busy. Very, very busy. After the attacks, she seems to spend more time away from home than ever. She can't just go full tilt the whole time on her own, though. There's a department to run and people are turning to them for assistance, so when she's not helping with recovery she's organizing shifts and crews and coordinating logistics with some of the gangs that have called a truce and offered their help, as well as other groups across the city.

She doesn't sleep as much as she probably should, and it may occasionally be possible to spot her snoozing at her desk.

B. [Pepper] Jade Dojo | Early June | Bakura

Despite positively throwing herself into work, Pepper still made a point to visit the dojo when she could manage it. The last week in May and the first week of June don't give her much time to practice, but she would drop by to see Bakura and maybe help with weapons maintenance if she was there around sunset. There had been enough scolding attempts that Pepper had in fact gotten a few hours of sleep every night, but at some point even that wasn't enough. She reached the dojo a bit after dark, intent on curling up next to her favorite thief and unwinding over dinner, but only made it as far as the couch before she fell asleep almost immediately.

C. [Devin] Water Sector | June 1 | Heather

While Devin was not exactly thrilled by the arrangement that he'd made with Heather, but having multiple donors in a city where Foreigners have a tendency to vanish at the drop of a hat is the smart choice. There are a great many things and a great many people more important than his ego. The Healers Guild seemed the safest place for the experiment, and after an initial taste test doesn't send him careening into a frenzy, he's satisfied that her blood will do.

As requested, Devin goes to meet with her not long after. Unlike their previous meeting he's not quite so composed; there's something wild at the edges of him, and a sharpness in his gaze when he spots her and crosses to where she's sitting.

D. [Devin] Metal Sector | Mid June | Open

Keeliai isn't huge, but it's large enough that it's going to take some time for Devin to learn every street and alleyway. The act of memorization gives him something to do when he'd not at the police headquarters and keeps him busy enough that he doesn't stay at the Hotel much. Eventually, he'll move out, but he needs enough money for things like furniture. The Metal Sector has his interest currently, and the vampire winds up and down each street, occasionally stopping to take notes in a small journal. He looks pensive most of the time, and can usually be convinced to chat.

E. [Pepper] Turtle's Head | Mid June | Valdis/Gene

So, the past month or so has kind of sucked, and Pepper rarely found herself needing peace and quiet but... well, she needed some now. Jade Dojo and Bakura usually fit the bill there, but the serenity that the turtle's head offered was tempting enough that she took a hike out there a few times. Pepper brought her deck with her, as had become her custom, and was working with Vee to summon her in a smaller size. It wasn't too difficult, but getting into a habit of it seemed like a smart idea. The ka also consented to sit with Pepper after a certain point, sans much of her armor, and discuss deck orientation and strategies, remarking that the calm of the turtle was evident to her as well. It was a little easier to breathe here.

F. [Devin] Sky Sector | Early June | Valdis

In anticipation of her home becoming a potential cultist target, Devin had warded Valdis' house so that only she could come and go. Recent events - namely Valdis getting mildly possessed - suggested that having access to her home in the event of a similar emergency might be wise. The sword, Revelations, could have been useful to assist her and instead he ended up warding her into a room at the Healers Guild (although that might have been necessary anyway). All told, it's made him realize that he might want to alter the wards at her house somewhat; Devin has zero interest in handling Revelations ever again, but he can't deny that if he needs to use it, he ought to be able to reach it.

The vampire arrived at Valdis' house a little before sunset and knocked sharply on her door to announce his presence.

G. [Pepper] Earth Sector | Early June | Raine

Pepper has been working really hard since the attacks, and has had to be reminded to slow down (which she doesn't always listen to), and she knows that Raine and the other healers undoubtedly have been going near non-stop as well. Raine in particular has a way of spreading herself thin at times like these. So, if Pepper is going to get nudged by those around her to take a break, she's going to pass the nagging on. It's not as though she hasn't already made a habit of appearing at Raine's apartment or work with treats in hand, and today is much the same. The difference this time is that some of her tiredness is showing, even though she's smiling broadly when she knocks on Raine's door.

OOC note: let me know if you want a specific starter or add your own!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Devin supposed he had walked into that one, given his reaction to seeing her in disguise. She was answered by silence at first as he thought about what to tell her.

"The story is a redhead," he said at length, tension strung through everything but his voice. Devin continued to work. "Specifically, a stunning and manipulative one." Which he had told her before; it wasn't just the red hair of the disguise that had bothered him, but the unfortunate similarities between Valdis and her.

A beat, two, and then: "Or at least she appears to be when pretending to be human."

The story behind the cold reaction to her mention of demons, was a redhead. Alright, she could accept that, except there was far more to the story and, from the tension in the air, he didn't seem to want to tell it.

"A daughter of Lucifer then."

It only made sense. Demons were a manipulative bunch, able to take on whatever form they saw fit. Though being able to fool Devin was probably no small feat.

"When you say pretend...you mean she suppressed her power, don't you?"

Devin had an angel inside of him, if nothing else, he should have sensed something was off.

That angel was well and truly dormant, and provided him with no benefits whatsoever, as far as he could tell. All it had ever brought was trouble.

"As completely as she was capable, yes, or she'd have been blasted from the earth before she took a breath," Devin answered, leaning back far enough to examine the sigils again.

"Your God must be more involved than mine if he'd blast a demon off of earth. On my world, Demons and Angels can roam Earth as they please, only Heaven and Hell are exclusive."

She rested her chin in the palm of her hand, watching him as he examined the sigils.

The corners of Devin's mouth twitched up into a cold smile. "I'm what you might call a special case." Not special enough, however, to avoid the pain she'd inflicted on him, and the scars she had left. "The Spirit has yet to explain why in full detail; I usually tell it to piss off, in any case."

"I'm not entirely convinced that God is as powerful as the mortals believe. Well, actually, I know he isn't."

She laughed, "Not many would have the guts to tell the Creator to 'piss off'."

She might, if she ever met him, but she hoped that wouldn't ever happen.

"I've used several other choice words as well." Devin regularly cursed at the Spirit whenever they met, although profanity was usually only met with mild smiles. "I used to be a terribly angry teenager."

He was still angry, but now he had restraint.

"That's hard to imagine."

The sarcasm was light, but there nonetheless. In a way, Devin reminded her of Bruce Banner, always in some sort of emotionally angry state. Valdis uncrossed her legs, considered standing up, but decided to stay put.

"Do you speak with the Spirit often?"

The comparison was not without some merit.

"No, thankfully. I asked to be left alone, and by and large it has held to that, aside from keeping an unwelcome eye on me," he answered, sparing her a glance before returning to the carvings. "But we've spoken enough that now such conversations only give me horrendous migraines rather than nearly putting me in a coma."

That sounded very unpleasant, but the presence of a God in your head would leave its mark. That sort of light would probably cause massive problems for her, good thing God seemed to have little interest in her. The Angels were of a different mindset.

"Gods like to meddle, so I'm surprised the Spirit actually listened."

"That makes two of us, but I've never been inclined to question the distance it's allowed me. Not that actual distance matters," Devin said, rolling his eyes. "Seeing as it can find me wherever I am. Aside from here, I imagine. In any case, aside from the very fact of my existence, it's meddling is usually more subtle."

Notably, while there was anger and frustration layered beneath his carefully crafted demeanor, there was no hatred for the Spirit. It had treated him better than most people in his life, and he could grudgingly admit that it had also kept him safe most of the time.

For a God, distance didn't seem to be an issue, but Michael wasn't God and he always seemed to be able to find her. Though she had no idea how.

"My brother has a similar skill set. Though subtly is perhaps not his strongest trait."

But he was a still a stranger to her, no matter what he said, she didn't remember much about him, or anything before becoming a Hellhound.

"But as Commander of the Heavenly hosts, he's been able to keep the Angels off of me, so I suppose I have to appreciate that."

"Family members are supposed to protect each other," Devin remarked tonelessly. "He must see it as more important, if he's willing to flaunt his duty. Either that, or he's spineless."

Devin doubted that Michael could reach the position he held if he were truly lacking in that regard.

Valdis settled her gaze on him, that simple remark hid a deeper story, a story she would pursue, but not outright.

"He never told me why he didn't kill me that night." She released a short sigh. "Though I suppose being my brother would explain that...I've seen enough families to know how they are supposed to be, but not all of them are loving, are they?"

"Far fewer than ought to be," Devin agreed. "Sparing you had some meaning, I'm sure. Not knowing your eminent sibling, I couldn't say exactly what, but you never gave me the impression that your life was simple."

Valdis was going to have to try harder if she wanted to know about this particular story.

"Your life isn't any simpler than mine," Valdis pointed out, "But in the interest of not revisiting the earlier nerves...You must have had a family?"

Though she guessed from his earlier tone that it wasn't a happy family.

"I wasn't born yesterday, but I was born," he confirmed, deepening one of the grooves. There were nerves to strike here, too, although older and at least... somewhat less painful. "Two parents, five siblings. They were family in name and nothing else."

Sometimes, old wounds ran deeper than more recent ones, but Valdis was trying to not push any of them too hard, that would just make him clam up.

"Were they vampires too?"

Perhaps it was a dumb question, but legends in her world were more of the vampires are turned and not born variety.

These were, in fact, some of his deepest wounds, although he didn't allow himself to think it. Too much of what he is and what he does, how he thinks, was the result of people who should have treated him kindly doing exactly the opposite.

And all under the watchful eye of his maker.

"Unfortunately. Like I told you before, an exceptionally small number of us are born this way. Having six vampire children was no small feat.

"I see."

And she did, more than he might think. If his parents were so prolific, they must have had a certain ranking among the rest of their kind. His distaste for talking about them, and his comment about being blood and nothing more, told her that he hadn't cared for his family in the slightest.

"What happened to them?"

Here, Devin paused in his work long enough to look Valdis in the eye, not smiling so much as baring his teeth. The expression was far too sharp to be anything but predatory satisfaction.

"I did. They treated me like a monster, and so I became one. I killed them before my twelfth birthday," he answered.

Valdis met his gaze steadily, thoughtfully even. It wasn't entirely a surprise that his hatred for his own kind had stemmed from a childhood injury.

"So that was the beginning then."

It wasn't a question.

"Have you considered that there might be others like you?"

Injuries, plural.

"There is no one like me." No other bearers of angelic fragments. "But if you're referring to those who might be less horrible than my family? Of course. I'd be a real idiot if I hadn't," Devin replied. "But it's not exactly something that I or they can advertise, nor does it change the fact that all vampires are puppets to demons."

"I suppose you are unique."

Just like she was, but that didn't mean she wished all of her kind dead, only Fenrir.

"But you are blaming all vampires for something they cannot control. If they truly are the puppets of demons, then couldn't they be considered victims?"

Genocide had never made sense to her, even as a soulless Hound. But death was death, and how souls were gained didn't matter.

Little more than a shake of his head, and Devin went back to working on the door frame.

"They are victims regardless, whether by my hand or by another, or by the slow march of time. Killing them today or a hundred or even a thousand years from now is nothing in the face of an eternity of torment, which is all they have to look forward to," he explained calmly. None of these were questions he hadn't himself considered, when the wildfire of his anger had been restrained. "I'm not exempt either, in case you were wondering."

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cw: murder

CW:

just continuing that again

Always

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