Caritas, Saturday

[hatesmoststuff.livejournal.com]

There was no April at Caritas today. She hadn't even called to tell Tino why. Just no April at all.

Which meant that poor Tino, who might or might not be the amnesiac long-lost twin of the heir to the throne of some country that was pronounced differently every time, was stuck tending bar. Poor guy. He just couldn't figure out what was up with that weird fancy-looking ring on his hand.

Strange.

[[mod tino night, yo!]]

Comments

[solo_sword]

It was the night before Jaina's wedding (again) and baby Howie had been given to someone or another to take care of offscreen while she went to the bar to meet with her soon-to-be husband.

She tried not to think too much of Charles and lost love, but there were just so many memories here.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Jaina," 'Benedict' said with a smile, leaning in to give his beautiful fiance a kiss. Nothing evil going on here.

[solo_sword]

"Benedict," she said, smiling at him. "You're late."

Not that she kept track of things like that.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I was distracted buying you this," he said, pulling out a random clearly fake rose for her. Because the prop people were on point for once.

[solo_sword]

"Then a little bit of lateness is acceptable," Jaina decided. "Twelve might have been better."

She was totally joking. Really. Look, she supported a stolen baby, that took a lot out of a girl.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"Soon we'll be married and I can buy you roses for every occasion." Like her ruin. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[solo_sword]

"I can't wait, love." Especially once he found out that she'd had a prenup forged on his behalf. "And soon Howie will have a father, which is what he's always really needed."

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

"We'll be the happy family that everyone is jealous of. The happy family he should have always had..."

[solo_sword]

"It'll be nice," Jaina said, "to be happy for once? I think I forgot what it's like."

Because she was a giant manipulative whore.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

It was true. But he was also an insane, vengeance driven sociopath. If they couldn't make it work, who could?

"I'll make you happy," he said, taking her into his arms. "I promise."

[solo_sword]

"I've heard that before," she said, eyes filling with tears. "I've been burned so many times..."

See above, re: manipulative whore.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"This will be different," 'Benedict' replied. "Right?"

[solo_sword]

"It will. I... trust you."

She liiiiied.

[hoorayimrich.livejournal.com]

"I trust you too..." It would have been a touching moment if they hadn't been lying so much.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

At the end of the bar was a surly faced man that seemed to be alternately glaring at everyone in the room and then getting a hazy look on his face like he was reminiscing about the place and the people in it. This would occasionally be broken up by bouts of pulling out a mirror and frowning at the scar on his face.

Seriously, he was going to kill that doctor. Complete reconstructive surgery, including extra money to make him taller and actually have muscle mass and the guy messes up right on his face. Such incompetence will not be tolerated when you were...who he was.

It couldn't be revealed yet.

[solo_sword]

At the other end of the bar, Jaina glanced up and... frowned. She thought she saw something in him... she didn't know what, but something.

But no. It wasn't him. She knew it couldn't be him. This was just the hopeful part of her that wanted someone to interrupt her wedding tomorrow and stop her from making a mistake.

She sighed, wistfully.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

That's right, Jaina, it wasn't who you thought it was. It couldn't possibly be. It was just some scarred fellow that kept glancing over at you while drinking the most expensive scotch in the bar.

He sighed wistfully too. It just seemed like the thing to do.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Percy was depressed. But, that seemed to be his default state. He'd been depressed since the horrible accident that had left him confined to a wheelchair without the use of his legs.

He was half a man. He was full of bitterness and rage at the world for everything. It should have been someone else! He had so much to live for and so much to do and now he was sitting in a bar, drowning his sorrow in a bottle of booze.

His legs were useless. He was useless. And it was all his identical twin's fault. His identical twin had gotten off without any harm. With nary a scratch on him.

And Percy was half a man. With a yell, Percy tossed the bottle of booze against the floor in a fit of anger.

He'd clean it up later. Maybe.

[He's open for bothering, though.]

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Hey, clean that up." Funny how he was saying that like he owned the place.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Or what?" Percy snapped, not even looking up. "Gonna beat me up? Go ahead, I won't feel it."

Unless Luke hit him in the arms. Or the head.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"No, I'll get someone else to beat you up." Because attempting to beat people up never ended well for him. Also he had just gotten a manicure and he wasn't about to break a nail over a cripple. "I highly doubt you're numb everywhere."

Huh. That could be construed as a come on. Oh well, he'd roll with it.

Heh. Roll with it. Cripple.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"So, do it," Percy said, sounding hollow. "Take away what little I have left. I'm sure it's gonna happen to me anyway."

Percy was depressed. And depressing.

"I feel numb everywhere. It just won't end!"

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Am I supposed to feel bad for you?" Maybe he'd start feeling bad when you were as horribly disfigured as he was, Percy!

Seriously he was going to have that hack surgeon killed and buried under this bar.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"No, you're supposed to utterly pity me," Percy griped, shaking his head and trying to order another drink. He needed to be intoxicated beyond help. It was the only way he could sleep these days.

"I feel bad for me." He was a ray of sunshine, yeah.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"This is pathetic." And he knew pathetic! Because of his background! That was not to be revealed yet!

He supposed he could have just walked away and left Percy to mope but that wouldn't be any fun. So he kicked a leg out and swept it to try to knock Percy out of his wheelchair. "Whoops."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Percy wasn't prepared for that level of cruelty. With nary a sound, Percy tumbled to the floor, legs flailing uselessly underneath him. He landed on the glass and in the spilled alcohol.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, on the verge of crying. "What have I ever done to you? I'm already broken!"

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"I said whoops," he said, grabbing his glass of scotch and drinking it calmly while watching Percy struggle.

Maybe Percy wouldn't be surprised by this sort of behavior if he knew who he was really talking to.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"And that's supposed to help?" Percy asked harshly. "That doesn't excuse your behavior. Hasn't the world screwed me enough?"

He pushed himself up to a sitting position and wondered what his twin was up to right now. If he was having fun and enjoying him where Percy wasn't.

"Why did you do that to me? Why?"

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Because I'm Ch---" Oooooooh no, hold it back, don't say it! He choked a little on his words, finishing off his scotch before his catchphrase could get free. "Oh you almost got me there, Wheels."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

Percy picked up some of the broken bits of glass and flung them at Luke.

"You wouldn't do this if I wasn't in a wheelchair!" he said mournfully. "You'd be eating your words. I used to be great!"

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Hey, hey! No sharp objects near me!" He had enough trouble with surgeon's knives and swords in the past. "I could buy and sell you! Well, attempt to sell you I'm not sure who would take you. Maybe there's some freaky need on in the Whorehouse District..."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"You're not wealthy enough to fix that thing on your face," Percy fired back hotly. It was that or just be crushed underneath his own sorrow.

He tried to pull himself back towards his chair, the only thing that gave him independence.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Need a little help?" Not that he was gonna give it.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"No," Percy snapped, shaking his head. "Would you give it anyway? Or is your heart really that black that you'd just ask that and laugh?"

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"The last one." Duh.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Thought so," Percy grumbled, pulling himself up into his wheelchair and moving his legs to settle comfortably again. Not that he could feel them.

"I have powerful friends, you know," Percy said, trying to sound threatening. "I could have you eliminated."

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"I've heard that one before. Lived that one before." Three or four times, even! "Too bad for you I keep coming back."

"Besides I could just put you phone up on a high shelf and you won't be able to call any of your so-called powerful friends."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

That touched something feral in Percy's mind and he reached for his newest bottle of booze and slung it harshly at Luke's face.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Not the face!" Good thing he was used to ducking objects that were thrown at him. Poor Tino, however, was not so lucky.

"You're a complete psycho," he said, glaring. "I should have you fired."

Oh wait he didn't work for him.

"Fired from life."

That was better.

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Maybe that would teach you to mind your own business," Percy snapped, shaking his head. "And you can't fire me from anything."

Life had already dealt him an ugly blow. "So, try it. Anything you do to me won't touch what's already happened!"

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

...

"What if your arms didn't work too?"

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Even you're not cruel enough to do that!" Percy accused shrilly.

[trickydemigod.livejournal.com]

"Don't tempt me," he said, picking up his glass of scotch. "Now keep your self-pitying down or I'll have you thrown out."

[seaweed-demigod.livejournal.com]

"Whatever," Percy whined, using his working arms to wheel himself away from the jerk at the bar.

He had enough of his own troubles to worry about. He didn't need this. He didn't need it!