if she'd been covered with glitter

[maleficum]

Comments

[maxxx]

( Has he eaten today at all? )

Is large a size here or do you take more after Starbucks?

( He reads the sign in case he missed any special vocabulary. )

You don't have to supersize it.

[an_honestword]

We prefer to keep it simple.

[So "large" is definitely a thing. He grabs one of the cups off the stacks and picks up one of the pots to start pouring.]

So what brings you into town?

[Just super causal, no reason for asking. Making small talk with the customers is a good way to build business.]

[maxxx]

( Max tries his best to sense this stranger's motive (2) but Rusty is built to withstand anything as feeble as a Malraux wanting to know what he's up to and why.

He drops a folded twenty into the tip jar while he waits. )

Working off a friend's tip. Said I couldn't miss it. Something's here I had to see for myself.

[an_honestword]

Chocolate World? Because I do agree it's worth taking at least once. And probably the best smelling tour you'll ever take too.

[Who doesn't want to spend their afternoon inhaling chocolate fumes? Not people Rusty wants to know, clearly.

He places the coffee cup down in front of him with a lid and goes to get him the sandwich.]

[maxxx]

He buried that lead

( And Max's sweet tooth is relegated to dessert with dinner, but that comes with the formality he grew up with. )

but, if it smells anything like it smells in here, I'll source a ticket.

( Or, buy it for that matter. He waits as "DAVE" grabs a sandwich for him. )

Anyone live around here? Like - attached apartment above? Duplex out back? Is it just you - Dave?

[an_honestword]

[Rusty shrugs as he places the sandwich down in front of him.]

Just me right now. But no, I'm not sure if anyone lives around here. Boss might rent out the upstairs, but he never told me.

[He says, like he's not the boss (4). The lie does come off pretty confidently, but his eyes are darting around the room behind him, counting the couple of regulars that are lingering behind him, wondering how much collateral damage he might have to worry about.]

[maxxx]

( He sees through something (14), but doesn't know what he's looking for, only who. Something tells him this guy lives upstairs. Something also tells him this guy is the boss. )

Most people do. In my experience, anywhere a guy can get a few extra bucks here and there.

[an_honestword]

Way of the world, isn't it?

[Capitalism. It is is what it is.]

But if you want to leave a note or something I can make sure it gets passed along.

[maxxx]

To the boss.

( What would he even put on it? He's gotta lay something on the line, doesn't he, if he's going to get any answers? )

Any reason why I would've been given this address, in reference to someone I'm looking for?

[an_honestword]

Guess that would depend on who you're looking for.

[Though the way he's just dancing around it is not making him feel more comfortable about his prospects here. At the same time, most of the Colony drones coming to take him out just come right out and kill him - they're not so careful about who kill in the process.

So what does this Malreaux want?]

Can't really help you there unless you give me a name.

[maxxx]

( Simply put. You. Hallewell's voice is in his head. Deal in facts. )

Why did you choose the name Dave? Is that because it's innocuous or biblical, or both? Nobody would search for a Dave or a Jason, or a Bill. Or, is it because it has no letters in common with your first name. Your real name?

( He narrows his gaze. )

I expected someone with a grudge, someone ready for a fight, not --- a barista. Or, are you the owner who barists? Rusty?

[an_honestword]

[His eyes dart around to the various customers that are still present. At the moment, it's only the one regular, so he offers her an apologetic smile.]

Hey, Angie - we're going to have to close up early today. Do you mind?

["Oh, no problem, doll. I'll see you tomorrow."

He makes his way out from behind the bar and follows her to the door, locking it behind her. He then turns back to face Max, eyeing him curiously.]

I like Dave. It's a good, salt of the earth kind of name. No one looks twice at a Dave. Rusty, on the other hand? Nobody really gets named Rusty anymore. People take notice. And as for why I'm behind the bar - after the morning rush, days aren't usually that busy. Later in the afternoon, I have employees to help handle the rush but most of them are teenagers at school, so I cover the morning shift.

[maxxx]

( He watches Angie gather her bag, head on out, a sweet goodbye follows and then it's just the two of them. )

Wholesome. To play devil's advocate, everyone gets named everything these days. Like, anything. But, going by Rusty wouldn't make it easy to lay low. Here. Or anywhere so I get it.

( So, this is the guy. )

I got the cliff notes version and it actually made me angry on your behalf. I like a punishment to fit the crime. Granted, I keep my disagreements to myself, but that was before I found out I was disagreeing with someone who possessed my parents - for all intents and purposes anyway. Permanently. I guess possess assumes it's temporary. There was a ritual, me and my sister and our - friends - are still playing catch-up.

[an_honestword]

So you've had the curtain pulled back and didn't like what you saw. Been there.

[It's refreshing, to have this be the conversation and not something much more dire.]

But that doesn't exactly make it clear in terms of what you want with me. If you're not here to kill me to prove your worth, then why are you here?

[maxxx]

We want to take them down. All of them. We know it reaches further than our parents. And you're the only one alive who knows enough to help us get the whole job done. Aren't you?

( And, he has a horse in the race. )

[an_honestword]

[There's a part of Rusty that wants to believe him, but as much as he trusts his own instincts (14), he knows that he needs to be careful. This could very well be a trap. But is it a trap worth walking into? He'll die, start the cycle all over again if it is. But if it isn't ... if this is actually a way out?

That certainly would be worth at least a little bit of exploration. Maybe a bit of a test run.]

Probably. I won't say your wrong in that respect. But I'm not going to do all your work for you. If we're doing this, you're going to get your hands dirty just as much as me.

[maxxx]

We're not asking you to take care of it for us. We are folding you into the proceedings. Dirty hands and all.

( And all, Rusty. It's not just him. It's their detente. And their network beyond that. )

[an_honestword]

Really?

[That is interesting. So there's a whole coalition who didn't like what they found on the other side of the rainbow. Maybe the Inner Circle really was losing their handle on their heirs.]

And who is this "we," exactly?

[maxxx]

The other heirs. Pawns in a Gauntlet we don't want thrown.

( Never mind that they will be the ones to throw it officially and knock everyone on their asses. )

I had it on good authority you wanted to ice the Inner Circle. Was I given bad intel?

[an_honestword]

Oh, no, I very much want them dead.

[He tips his head to the side.]

But this also isn't the first time I've been conned by an heir trying to cut their teeth and suck up to the Inner Circle. So forgive me if I'm not quick to trust that you're actually here for the reason you say.

[maxxx]

Suck up to - what - give my body away? I like my body. I like autonomy. We all do. If there's anything to prove to the people we thought were our parents, it's that we've been underestimated. And lied to. And we don't like either.

( But, talk is cheap, isn't it? )

This happened before? Heirs learning about their parentage? Because I can't see another outcome.

[an_honestword]

Oh, no. The ones who came before had no idea what was waiting for them on the other side. Which is the reason why we're having this nice conversation and no one's gotten stabbed yet.

[Rusty takes a deep breath, and shifts to lean back against the front counter.]

But tell you what. I'll help you take out Kirsanov. He's a member that no one will miss. If we make it through that without you stabbing me in the back, then we'll talk about the rest.

[maxxx]

( Is that a threat? And is that a threat. )

Is this where we exchange friendship bracelets?

[an_honestword]

[Assume that if you turn on him, everything is a threat.]

No. This is the part where you try and find a supernatural creature rare and powerful enough for us to use as a boon to get in Kirsanov's front door.

[maxxx]

( No friendship bracelets. )

You're giving us homework.