the name's greed (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
nestingdevil) wrote2014-11-10 09:21 pm
nestingdevil) wrote2014-11-10 09:21 pm
(no subject)
WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, avaricious. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 012.07.333.07 *** avaricious has joined 018.07.154.55 <avaricious> ithsihoitiwrks ? <BANNED USER> SCREENED MESSAGE. UNSCREEN? Y/N -- <avaricious>thdvllsnst <avaricious> vdndrere | ||||
CONTACTS
0.0.0.0 ♦ "MASON" | Heather
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ STOCKE
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ AOBA
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ "JUSTINE"
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ KILLUA
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ ZOLF J. KIMBLEY
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ EDWARD ELRIC
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
0.0.0.0 ♦ "XANDER" | SANDRATH
TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.
[action]
Because Dante has no manners whatsoever.
He knocks on the devil's door once, loudly, before announcing:]
Greed! You up? I'm coming in.
[Before doing just that. Unless it's locked in which case he'll be super disappointed. And possibly kick the door.]
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[There'll be no need for door-icide today.]
[The loose knob twists. While the day's still young and morning's just another visitor, the room in question hangs in a limbo(ing) dark. A peer of sunlight droops in from the back window. Its access is restricted - the only allowance being a thin slice cutting from one end of the room to the next. A few clumps dust float by, their brief moment in the lime-light turning them a'sparkle before they disappear again. Back, back, back to the dark from whence-they-came.]
[A fitting lair.]
Ah- [Greed's voice curls. At first, it's hard to make out just where he is. It's the sharp sound of his boots that give him away: their signature click-click-clicks parting the thick layer of charcoal in a lengthy drawl. He wraps one hand along the base of his neck, allowing his skull to hang like a corpse on the end of a rope. But with one tip, one roll, the bones down his spine give a pitiful crunch - the resulting sigh as pleasant as a late-night aftermath.]
[Truth is, he's used to these types of interruptions. He shouldn't be so surprised. And considering the nature of everything, he doesn't think he'll have to wait too long.]
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Without invitation he moves further into the room, arms folding over his chest as he does. Much as he'd like to stop being the one to bring bad news, well...
Dante wears scarlet for a reason.]
So I don't know if you've seen the news, but the doctors over at the labs have come up with a way to get rid of our little pest problem.
[Certainly Greed remembers the parasites, those sickening crawling bugs inhabiting the bodies of their loved ones. Changing them, their behavior, everything... And the inevitable outcome.]
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[Besides, this is something they both have an interest in. And oh yes, he's heard the news.]
[Greed lines his index up to the side his thigh. He taps it once, the feel of his claw on leather as artificial as he is. All the while, Dante's words pass by in a drift: "...the doctors over at the labs .. " "-way to get rid of-". They mingle in a blur and it's his own avarice that picks out what it wants. Not the who, not the what, but the solution. A flicker passes by the devil's face: a chip in his armor that's almost violent. That's almost wrat-]
[The Sin's jaw cracks, exposing his teeth in a sidewinder's smile.] That so. [Without his vest, the tattoo kissed into the side of his neck vibrates in blue. He touches it mindlessly; a distant thought or two floating between his viper-slit glance. Greed waves them away not a second later; two fingers hurriedly twiddling in the dark.]
[The issue with the parasites has just been one more thorn in his side and as time passed, as the days drew out to months, the scratch had grown infected. Toxic. Enough to bring his core screaming in protest; a terrible back-fire against its host. Though really, he's just one in the same.]
[Avarice incarnate, sin in the flesh. And Lord have fucking mercy - ]
[Greed saunters across the room. He pauses by the dresser at the back, his nails playing with one of the drawers.] Who's doing the operations? There are some 'docs in town that're reliable. But I don't think I have to tell you that some will have another agenda. [He turns his head upward, effectively meeting Dante in the mirror. He waits for a second. Even with all his selfishness, he knows there's more than just Stocke on the line. Greed lifts his shoulders and with a sink, he pulls himself from the reflection.]
She's there, isn't she.
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This is the first break he's heard in a long time, and it couldn't have come sooner.
He waits while the devil absorbs the news, both silent in the oily, smoking darkness. Only the sound of greed's claws on leather, and Dante's gently swishing tail to break the heavy stillness. He's agitated, understandably, nothing about this has been easy and it's getting far past the point of being reasonable to ignore. Dante doesn't like a problem he can't kick to death.]
No idea, my contact says they're reliable. Lot of success so far. [Still there's always that chance that something will go wrong. Hence why he's bringing it to Greed's attention now.]
She's going in later this week. Been feeling the call back to Kulen, we're running out of time.
[He doesn't need to say it, either she takes this one shot and has a chance, or they keep playing the ignore it and hope it goes away game until she ends up ripped apart from the inside. Either way, things are looking grim.]
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[Laboratories. Bad blood born of another life - of a time far away from here. He doubts it's the same thing. This world is a little more open - its secrets blurted on the network as easy as a keystroke. Still, history: it has a way of leaving a wound or two.]
[And while it hadn't been him there, the situation's not so different.]
[The Sin coils his fingers around the ring.] Not too surprising. That's where the colony was, right? [The details elude him. He remembers Dante referring to a swarm; sentient bugs with a hive mind mentality burrowed under the surface. The priests in the village up North had something to do with it, though now? Now, not much of that remains.]
[Greed's tail gives a petulant flick. Running out of time - ] The labs are in Bavan, right? Pretty convenient - [Soot furls out of his jaw, a lofty note. He's got business in Bavan, anyway.]
[A little detour won't hurt.]
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Glad to see we're on the same page.
[Dante's no more a fan of it than Greed, though likely for different reasons. In this case he's just paranoid without a solid cause for a change. Still, relying on one's gut instincts has kept him alive, better not to ignore an anxious twist.]
Right, and with everything else the bugs have changed I don't think it's unreasonable to assume they're ready to go home to mother.
[And leave the spoiled remains of their former hosts like so much discarded refuse. Their job's done, no need to worry about them anymore. There are still plenty of human attendants, the monsters didn't trash the town like whatever happened in Rota. It still stands as whole as it was the night of the infection.
Maybe they should have burned the whole hive to the ground, but how do you burn creatures immune to the heat of lava that live inside stone? No, they'll need a bigger fly swatter.]
So I've heard, couldn't tell you where but I think we'll find our way easy enough.
[With Dante's innate ability to navigate any maze they'll find their way eventually.]
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[They're definitely on the same page.]
[Greed straightens and his hand gently closes around the frames of his sunglasses.] Sounds like they've got it all planned out, then. [A slight hitch teases on the end of his words. A loathsome hiss, a snide regard. He pries his thumb between the earpieces and with a flip of his nail, they peel open. He's never had to worry about an infection before. Maybe with some of his own at one time, but that had been the usual: common colds, a bit of the flu. The former homunculus leans forward and with a press of his hand, his sunglasses slip onto the bridge of his nose.]
[Point, click, and oh, is he ready.]
Ah, that's right - that ability of yours is pretty useful. Might come in handy - [The edge of his talon clicks against the nose piece. With his signature pair in place, the mirror's reflection becomes suddenly dark. No more red to save its name, no more purple to chase it. Just the impossible black: hollow and socket(ed) like that of a sneering skull. Greed lowers his hand to his side.] - but first, I think you and I have some other business to take care of.
[Mainly, the Toyotomi. Of which, Dante has made himself pretty clear. It's admirable, in a way - expected, considering the Minotaur's nature, but also appreciated. A light touch of a smile plays on the devil's features, his index coasting along the side of his thigh a second time. Thoughtful, perhaps. All the gears a turning, turning, turning. He tests his tongue to the back of his teeth and with a shrug, the gem in his ear drops to a spinning-still.] We'll be a couple of days. Bring what you want, but try to be a little polite, hmn? They're our big guests - [He tilts his head up, locking glance for glance in the one-way mirror. The insinuation is as crude as it is clear.]
[Whatever agreement they had, there's no love lost: between himself or the group's new, self-appointed figurehead.]
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And he didn't even need to offer the question directly.]
Sounds like it, [He drawls.] But I suppose it couldn't hurt to do a little homework of our own. [Neither has Dante. He doesn't get sick, nor his twin, certainly he's aware of the various illnesses that can affect humans but for him they are merely a thing to be observed from the outside. Sure, he's managed to give himself something of a hangover before, but that's really the worst of it. And even then they were nothing like the real thing.]
[An infestation though, this is something far worse. He's only seen something like this in particularly bad demonic infestations. Surgery was never an option with those.]
[Greed's words pull him back into reality, the wandering ears and gaze snap back to the devil, tail once again giving a matter-of-fact flick.] Right, that little deal with our friends.
[Friends who seem to be having some difficulty remembering past agreements. He gestures vaguely as if somehow that alone should assuage any concerns Greed has as to Dante's behavior. In fact, the flippancy should really only be concerning.]
No promises, but I'll try not to put his head through a table as soon as he opens his mouth.
[Which is about as much guarantee as you can really expect out of Dante, to be fair. Mostly because he isn't especially violent until provoked. Antagonistic all day long? Absolutely, but he won't raise a hoof in defense until someone starts something first.]
[It's fortunate that they're on the same page in that regard as well. The old Toyotomi Dante never met and has no opinions on, but this Kouen guy, well... He remembers when he first rolled into town and started making demands. It's no surprise his habits haven't changed thus far. He won't stop at Vandare, and he certainly won't be content to let them live their happy little lives left in peace.]
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[All of it with the new, high-hatted company.]
[Greed pulls away from the dresser.] At least the General had been a bit reasonable - [While he talks, a waft of soot floats along the bureau's surface. It sighs through its splintering cracks - dropping, falling. Until the edges become too steep, allowing gravity to take hold. The Sin makes a soft nose in the back of his throat, then. Thoughtful and snide. A tilt of his chin lifts his head towards the ceiling and the upper part of his lip curls with a jagged sneer.] - little bit of a pissant, isn't he? [He chirps. Hideyoshi had been forward and brash, but at least he knew how to play his cards and play them well.]
[Kouen, on the other hand - ]
[Greed lifts his arm. His carbon-cold fingers claw through the air, their pricked-points snaring the collar of his vest as he passes. Fur feathers between his knuckles in a stark contrast; white to black, black to white, and a frame of gray to set it just right.] Keep your eye on them. I know Stocke's around, but with our current problem, I don't expect him to hang around too long. [The Sin shoves one arm through the vest, then the other.] Ah -
[His wings tilt and twist. They flatten against one another an inch at a time - squeezing, contorting. Like that of an octopus at the crossroads of a thin crack. Though by some miracle though, and no doubt some practice, the edges slip through: the vertical slits on the vest's backside just enough to let them pass. Greed gently touches the trim to right it and with a few, buzzard(ly) pecks at the collar, the fur fans out.] Don't let the others know just yet. I want to see what they're planning to do first.
[Because, if Kouen's as bullheaded as he's come out to be, then they'll need another plan.]
[Greed rocks his shoulder back and with the edge of his boot, he peels the door open. Yes, they're definitely need another plan. But if the new Toyotomi think he's about to leave Vandare.]
[Oh, oh, how wrong they are.]
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[Dante snorts derisively at the statement.] A little? Guy's a huge tool.
[He's made it clear how he feels about Kouen time and time again, and he'll continue to do so because he doesn't play nice with pieces of shit and he's not making exceptions for this little parasite on the network.] Guy swoops in, nabs power at the first opportunity then tries to see how far he can get away with throwing it around right off the bat? Talk about poor taste.
[He shifts on his hooves, scraping and tapping in irritation. He's always been better at holding down his temper, but the minotaur just makes everything so much more aggressive. Especially lately with shot nerves, high tensions, and no reprieve in sight. And to top it all off he's been trying to cut back on drinking? Something's bound to break eventually.]
Yeah, I'll keep an ear to the ground. I don't think he's stupid enough to try something fishy right off the bat, but he's going to screw us in the end. His type doesn't give a shit who he steps on so long as he gets what he's after.
[Power. Pfeh, what a waste. Funny how many people are willing to destroy their way into it.
Watching Greed play contortionist with his wings is a bit of an amusing show, and Dante would offer to help but it's more funny from the angle he's standing. So instead he just watches, a vaguely amused smirk planted on his face. Damn, boss, he didn't know you could bend like that.]
You got it. My lips are sealed.
[Couldn't have picked a better person. No one gets anything out of Dante unless he wants them to.]
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[Because this isn't the first coup. A veteran to the art and a conductor once upon a time. Though that had been some years ago; his last defiance on the same, steadfast grin. And then, well - ]
[Then's now history.]
No, they don't. But I can't say that I blame them - pretty ambitious. [How he answers is almost sung. A high note teases in the back of his throat, a trill vibrates on his tongue. He doesn't know everything about Dante and he doesn't have to. He's an outsider just the same: a bridge between the mortal lot and the decidedly not.]
[Even in a world full of them, monsters would always find monsters.]
[The former homunculus pauses when he hears the familiar scratch of hooves. One of his elbows knocks along the door frame in response - a metaphorical last call before he heads into the hallway. Dante's impatience can only hold out so long; he'd rather not push it.] I've been doing this a long time and he's not the first. He can try all he wants - it won't work.
[Which is true, in some regard. Ryslig's taken a lot from him, sure. But where it's taken, it's also given. Equivalent exchange at its finest. Greed pockets his hands, his smog stretching out in front of him like some sort of wicked, red-rolled carpet. Except it isn't red at all: it's black, gray. A shade well suited for things like him.]
[The creatures in the dark.] Just try to keep that temper of yours in check; they're still our guests, y'know. [But by how he says it? Dante's feelings on the Toyotomi are entirely mutual. Greed's mouth twists; the expression tilting on the smug side of knowing.]
[They won't make it easy, that much is sure. As for the company - ]
[The Sin plants one foot on the iron steps heading to the bar below. The screws bang unevenly as he does; the structure crooked yet oh so fitting.]
[Only time could tell how much the new Toyotomi would accept the idea.]
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[It'll be a lot more than they bargained for.]
Tch, ambitious. Reckless if you ask me.
[Destroy everything in their path, rebuild the rubble you yourself created? Not exactly an efficient governance model. And yes, he realizes the irony of himself saying that but Dante has never said he wasn't a hypocrite. Difference is he tries to keep his recklessness to self-destruction, and maybe some property damage.
Greed's right on the money though, he's an outsider and always has been. By choice or otherwise, monsters will indeed always find monsters.]
Good to know you're ready for this, it's not going to be pretty.
[If things get violent it'll be real nasty, because Dante's pretty sure Greed has no intentions of taking over any real political power. That's not his style. Which, in turn, would leave an inconvenient vacuum only to be filled with more annoyance.
Dante really didn't like politics.]
Don't worry about me any, I won't throw the first swing.
[He will throw the last, and he may still antagonize until punches are being thrown. There's really no putting a cork in that mouth of his. However, with Greed's tone and the silent understanding between them that the feeling is mutual he does relax some. At least he's not the only one that distrusts them, and isn't the only one waiting for the shit to fly.
That's a switch he's not entirely sure he knows how to handle. But it's reassuring, nonetheless.]
[Dante follows not far behind, his own shadow joining Greed's on the stairs. When things do go south there will be hell to pay. And oh, the Toyotomi don't know what they're getting into.]