who_is_she (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
who_is_she) wrote2015-05-26 12:45 am
who_is_she) wrote2015-05-26 12:45 am
(no subject)
"But why do they have to get paired with me? I don't need a partner! Pike doesn't have a partner!" Bullet exclaims, throwing his hands up in the air. Angela just gives him a pointed look, and he sighs and slumps into the chair in front of her desk.
"Pike doesn't get drunk and lead a group of researchers into a lake! You know who does do that? You know who did that last week?" she says, raising her eyebrows, daring him to argue with her or deny it, and he grimaces. He should have know that would have gotten back to her, no matter how much silver he doled out to keep the researchers quiet. He glances away, not bothering to deny it, and instead of Angela jumping down his throat, her expression softens and she sighs.
"Look, Bullet, I like you. You know that. I know you've always been something of a... wild card, but you never used to let it effect the job, before. You're a mess, now. ...Messier than you usually are, I mean, and it's affecting jobs. Word is getting around, I've had a couple of people specifically say they didn't want you, and it's got to stop. If it doesn't, then... You'll be looking for another line of work. Get it?"
Angela's expression is firm again for a moment, until Bullet nods slowly, and her expression softens again.
"The kid's name is Xo. He's green," she pauses, a little smirk on her lips, "Well, actually, he's blue, but I meant he's new." Bullet blinks, and it takes him a moment to realize what she means.
"He's a Sylvari?" he asks, his expression twisting, and she nods.
"Yeah. They're young, too, less than a year I think. They're very serious still, no-nonsense kind of kid, and I think he'll be able to keep you on a short leash."
Bullet's expression twists even more, and Angela's just seems to brighten.
"Anyway, I've told him you'll be at the bar at 8:00 sharp, and if you're not then you're fired," she says, smiling sugary-sweet, and Bullet winces.
"...Fine," he says, frowning, and then he leaves before she can insult him anymore.
He does make it to the bar on time, earlier even than Angela told him to be there, early enough that he has time for a couple of drinks before it's time to meet this Sylvari kid. Honestly, part of him needs the disconnect that a buzz will give him, because he's not sure he will be able to keep it together if this Xoett walks in full of accusations. They were new, though, Angela said. Maybe they don't know about the accident.
By the time 8:00 rolls around Bullet is seated at the bar, his chin in his hands, frowning and staring down into his whisky, lost in his thoughts.
"Pike doesn't get drunk and lead a group of researchers into a lake! You know who does do that? You know who did that last week?" she says, raising her eyebrows, daring him to argue with her or deny it, and he grimaces. He should have know that would have gotten back to her, no matter how much silver he doled out to keep the researchers quiet. He glances away, not bothering to deny it, and instead of Angela jumping down his throat, her expression softens and she sighs.
"Look, Bullet, I like you. You know that. I know you've always been something of a... wild card, but you never used to let it effect the job, before. You're a mess, now. ...Messier than you usually are, I mean, and it's affecting jobs. Word is getting around, I've had a couple of people specifically say they didn't want you, and it's got to stop. If it doesn't, then... You'll be looking for another line of work. Get it?"
Angela's expression is firm again for a moment, until Bullet nods slowly, and her expression softens again.
"The kid's name is Xo. He's green," she pauses, a little smirk on her lips, "Well, actually, he's blue, but I meant he's new." Bullet blinks, and it takes him a moment to realize what she means.
"He's a Sylvari?" he asks, his expression twisting, and she nods.
"Yeah. They're young, too, less than a year I think. They're very serious still, no-nonsense kind of kid, and I think he'll be able to keep you on a short leash."
Bullet's expression twists even more, and Angela's just seems to brighten.
"Anyway, I've told him you'll be at the bar at 8:00 sharp, and if you're not then you're fired," she says, smiling sugary-sweet, and Bullet winces.
"...Fine," he says, frowning, and then he leaves before she can insult him anymore.
He does make it to the bar on time, earlier even than Angela told him to be there, early enough that he has time for a couple of drinks before it's time to meet this Sylvari kid. Honestly, part of him needs the disconnect that a buzz will give him, because he's not sure he will be able to keep it together if this Xoett walks in full of accusations. They were new, though, Angela said. Maybe they don't know about the accident.
By the time 8:00 rolls around Bullet is seated at the bar, his chin in his hands, frowning and staring down into his whisky, lost in his thoughts.
stop saying i look like chicken little
His jaw drops, and he blinks several times and makes a small rasping sound before he finds himself able to form words.
"You're...him," they stammer, raising an unsteady hand to point at the human, "You're him. You're him!"
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
Bullet startles when the person at the bar next to him starts exclaiming and waving their hand around, jerking back and nearly falls off his barstool.
"No I'm not," he says automatically, even though he has no idea what the sylvari is talking about. Then he sees that this sylvari is blue, and something in his memory goes click.
"Oh," he says, understanding now though he doesn't know why the yelling and pointing is necessary, unless this kid is really excited to be a mercenary. Bullet can't imagine why he would be, "Yeah, I guess I'm him. So you're my new partner?" he asks blearily, his vision swimming as he squints at Xoett.
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
His mouth was running out of control, and after floundering for another couple of seconds he shuts his mouth, until he can piece everything together.
"Your partner," he repeats, "I'm...your partner, I...you mean...you work here? Not here, but with the mercenary band? I--I'm so sorry, this is...a lot to take in, I --"
They clear their throat and take a deep breath before extending their hand to him.
"I'm sorry, it's just, I -- I know you, from my dream. You were -- you were my dream, everything in my dream was about you. I don't know why or what it means yet, I know we have a lot of work to do today b-but I'd really like to talk about this more, I know this must be a lot to spring on you like this but --"
He squints, tilting his head to the side so that strands of the vines growing on the top of his head fall into his eyes.
"I'm -- sorry, are you...drunk?"
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
"I'm..." Bullet pauses, thinking hard, and then frowns, "Yeah, I'm drunk." He blinks blearily at Xo, his words sinking in belatedly.
"...Wait, you dreamed about me?" he repeats incredulously, then starts to laugh, unkindly, "Must have been a shitty one, then. Sorry about that. The Pale Tree's got some sense of humor, huh?" He smile curls down at the corners into a grimace, and he turns away, disgusted at himself, at what this poor Sylvari must think of him, having seen his whole life before he was even born.
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
Different, they almost say, but they stop themselves as the human's nose wrinkles in disgust, and when he turns away from Xo a small thread of anger weaves itself in with their excitement and confusion. They try not to read too much into the look just yet, but with the hatred that had been growing for his kind in light of recent events, they couldn't help but worry that the man they'd been searching for their whole life would turn out to think they were no better than an animal.
"Why the hell are you drunk?" they blurt out, rather than asking one of the million other questions they'd always thought they would open with when they met, "We're -- we're supposed to be on the job, right? Why are you -- you look really, really drunk."
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
"I'm Bullet, by the way, I know the dream can be a little spotty on the details, sometimes," he says, moving to get up from his stool and stumbling rather badly, and wonders if he'd maybe overdone it with the Charr whisky, "How old are you, anyways? A couple of months?" he slurs, steadying himself with both hands on the bar.
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
"I'm five years, thanks," he huffs, his tiny body nearly crushed by his weight, "And you really are drunk, look at you, you're not in any shape to do the job, our client is -- Fuck! Mother, this can't be happening."
He looks helplessly around the bar, not sure what he's even looking for. He leans Bullet precariously against the bar, and tries to get the attention of the bartender.
"Hey, sir?" he says several times before the bartender turns to look at him, "Sir, how much for a room? Not even for the night, just a couple hours, this guy is --"
"Hey," the bartender snaps, "I don't care what he is, I care what you are. You can drink here, but I don't rent my rooms to Mordremoth's pets. It's bad for business."
Xo's brow furrows, and he grits his teeth in rage and frustration, but holds his tongue.
"Right," he growls, barely holding himself back, and he returns to the end of the bar where he'd left Bullet, slinging Bullet's arm back over his shoulder and dragging him out of the bar.
"All right," he says, letting out a loud sigh and fighting back pathetic tears that were building in the corners of his eyes, "We're gonna find you an inn and then I'm going to the client. I'll come back when I'm done."
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
"I guess being a racist dickhead is good for business, though, huh?" he snarls, almost yelling, and the bartender blinks at him in surprise for a moment, then frowns, "You don't know one Goddamn thing about Sylvari, about how any one of them is better than ten of you! You have no idea what it's like!" He doesn't care that he's not making sense, he's just suddenly furious about the treatment innocent Sylvari like Xo get.
"Get the hell out of my bar! Both of you!" the bartender yells back, pointing to the door, and a big guy comes out of nowhere and ushers them out the door. Bullet stumbles into the street, almost falling on his ass but catching himself on the brick wall next to him. He bows over, waiting for the wave of dizziness to pass, and when he can think again he hits the wall, still furious.
"That asshole," he grumbles, then rights himself and starts down the street, "Come on, we don't need an inn, I live nearby," he says, remarkably coherent for how much he's stumbling.
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
"...Yeah," he says quietly, "Right. I'll...make sure you get there." He still isn't sure that this guy wasn't some kind of sick joke the dream had played on him, but he at least knew now that he didn't hate him for being of the tree.
"...Thanks for that," he says, after a minute or two has passed, "I...would have done that if I could."
Re: stop saying i look like chicken little
"They think they can say whatever they want, they think... They think I'm one of them, and that's the big joke, isn't it?" Bullet leans heavily on Xo, walking together the block or two up to his apartment, "I'm not one of them, but I'm not one of you, either, so it's like... What's that phrase? It's like, the worst of both worlds." Bullet laughs at his own joke, almost falling on the stair up to his apartment. He lets them in without much incident, incredibly enough, and there's a certain familiarity with which he stumbles home drunk, like he's done it many times before.
"I'm fine," he says at the door, waving vaguely at Xo, "You can go, I'll be fine for tomorrow."