sixwordstories | (no subject)

[he steps out of the shadows.]

Now what? I thought I was alone out here.

[Snake turns, eyeing Lex impatiently. He's not sure who he had expected to run into, but certainly not the wraith.]

Well, obviously you aren't. Why are you hiding here?

I don't. Hide.

[He sounds stand-offish, but may be smirking slightly under the facial covering.] I clear my head sometimes though, and I like the city at night.

Yeah, I forgot that's kinda the default mode of you guys. Why else the hood all the time?

[Enjoying the city at night might be one of the rare things they have in common, but Snake is hardly in the mood for bonding over it.]

The hood, Snake. Is a thing. Alright?

[Tetchy bloody vampire.]

A thing, right. [He probably should just leave and find another quiet place, but, well, messing with Lex helps at least a bit.]

Would probably make clearing your head easier if you lifted it from time to time though.

[He looks around, and being certain that they're well and truly alone, Lex does push back the hood and loosen the scarf.]

Pain in the bloody ass, you are.

[Snake raises an eyebrow, not having expected the wraith to actually take the hood off just because of his comments.]

Did you expect anything else? At least one can see your face now, annoying as it is.

[Lex has always had issues with his face. Even if he and Phoenix are on friendlier terms recently. Frankly, it's nice to remove stupid hood for a short time.]

That's the point isn't it? Not seeing my face. I'd appreciate your not mentioning it too. We used it in the last war, one never knows when a decoy will come in useful.

[It's also nice not having to talk with a hood, as far as Snake is concerned.]

One should think after using the trick once it's spoiled. But no worries. Your secret is safe with me. Who am I supposed to tell anyway?

It hasn't been used here on Earth, and not with an enemy from another universe.

[He blinks at Snake.] And up until today, Ravenhead didn't know I was present.

[Snake grimaces at the mention of Vahl, the memory still being fresh.]

I won't tell him anything, rest assured. Not even if he gets into my head again. As a matter of principle.

[He's aware that Snake was on Ravenhead's interrogation list, but not the details of what was done.]

I wasn't going to bring that up, but now you mention it ... did it involve those things with tentacles that dropped from the trees?

[He looks as little surprised at the wild guess Lex seems to be making, or that he would care to ask at all, but shakes his head.]

There weren't any tentacle things. What makes you think otherwise? Did they give you nightmares?

[Clearly Snake is stupid. He will get the look reserved for stupid people.]

Some of us took our meds. Remember that time when we went for Caleb? You cut me free then promptly squashed me into the mud.

Giving you that haircut? I'd regret it too, sweetie.

[Snake inhales deeply, trying to bring up at least some patience.]

Of course I remember those things, I had to save you from them, as you just pointed out. They would have been easy to fight.

What, you don't like it?
Ouch, that hurts.

[Lex shakes his head, now annoyed at himself.] I misunderstood you. I thought you were asking if I'd been interrogated.

Yes. Yes. You saved my neck. And yes they did give me nightmares, for a while. Until Caleb went snitching to Ravenhead about it. He sort of .. fixed me.

[Snake waves dismissively, as he already has found out most of the others have taken those damn pills. Fine, so everyone can feel smart now.]

He fixed you? You let him into your head willingly? Because of silly nightmares of tentacles? [... alright, maybe not that smart.]

Vahl's my friend. I never knew him as he was when he was possessed. We've gotten along from when we first met. [Not strictly true, there was affair amount of snark from Lex from the first.]

And they weren't silly. He's a healer, it's what he does.

Regret what?

Well, I did. I was working with him and even I considered him pretty freaky. [Most of all because at one point there had been two of him.]

Nightmares are silly. It's just your subconscious coming up with images, that's all. Unless someone sneaks in, of course.

Messing with me.

Who messed with you?

Some madman who got into my head. And I mean that literally.

A psychic or a brain surgeon?

I've since learned he can be pretty freaky. Can't deny that. [He shrugs wryly.]

[Lex has suffered recurring PTSD for most of his long life. He's not going to share that with Snake though.] I lashed out at Caleb once or twice, in my sleep. He felt he had to do something. He was right.

And still you let him ... oh well. Your choice.

[That's probably for the best because Snake would have laughed at that, too.]

Matter of self-control, it is. [He shrugs ... even if he had experienced that sort of thing, he wouldn't have admitted to it.]

The former. Some sort of at least.

Are you under a thrall now?

He did help. He's good at what he does.

[That only irritates Lex.] Wait until it happens to you. Then I'll remind you of what you just said.

[That was more or less the point of it. Irritating others at least helps a bit with Snake's own foul mood, and he's feeling better already.]

It's not going to happen. Speaking from experience.

What? Of course not. I told him to screw himself and left.

Is your name Snake?

I'd forgotten what a conceited ass you are.

Eternity's a long time, Snake. Terrible things happen.

... and who exactly may you be?

Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it. [He grins, not feeling insulted in the slightest. Lex will have to try harder than that.]

That remains to be seen.

...It doesn't matter. I've seen Rai around but my Map app isn't working.

... What? Are you a friend of hers?

No. She was where I used to live. She's scary.

Scary, huh. That probably depends on the perspective.

And where was that place?

Detroit. She's getting people to work with her.

Care to go into a bit more detail?

The people I live with promised me to her if they could get in good with Solus. They were trying to convince her when I left.

Shes got groups of people everywhere.

Nice folks.

So you're scared of them, and of Rai? I can help with that. You just have to tell me where to look.

Yeah. [She gives him an address]

They're not very nice people.

[He takes the address with a rather unpleasant grin.]

I know. It's more fun this way.