Participants:
Scene Title | Intervention |
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Synopsis | Two girls and a shadow attempt to talk Magnes out of his heroic martyrdom. |
Date | March 26, 2009 |
The interior of the Green Dragon is cramped, at best. No larger then eighteen by thirty in total, the space has been divided in half by the presence of an ornate blanket hung on clothes line. Upon stepping through the door, clients find themselves in a modest waiting area, the walls and ceiling all decorated with samples of the artist's work, the majority of the work displayed from Chinese myth and legends. A low slung, dark blue loveseat is arranged before the picture window to the left of the door. A view of the street, however, has been blocked by a rendering of a massive Chinese dragon. Over head, the single bulb lending light to the area has been draped with a red scarf, creating an almost eerie crimson glow that just barely manages to penetrate the room. Needless to say, numerous shadows haunt the nooks, crannies and corners. To the right of the door, an end table boasts a coffee pot, styrofoam cups and a basket with creamer, sugar packets and stirrers.
Beyond the hung curtain, the space is even more cramped, boasting just enough room for a reclining tattoo chair and the shelves of inks, needles, guns and cleansers required for safe working conditions. Upon the far wall, rickety bookshelves paly host to numerous bodywork texts and magazines, a goodly portion of those in Chinese. While the workspace is most assuredly cramped it is still immaculately clean. Of course that could just be because of health regulations, hard to say.
It may've been an unexpected visit, and request; Cardinal isn't usually this social, preferring to keep to himself and to business. After stopping by Old Lucy's, though, he invited Abigail to come along with him to where he was getting a tattoo - a friend of Magnes's, apparently, the tattooist.
"I figured you could use some time out," notes the criminal, walking through the late-afternoon crowds of Chinatown — the sky getting dimmer, lights flicking on in windows and the street although they're not entirely necessary yet. The day-time crowd is starting to thin out, and the evening crowd hasn't quite formed yet, so it's less chaotic than usual. Hands tucked into his pockets, the man keeps close to the healer, pausing at one door to glance up at the sign. He squints. It's in Mandarin. Well, there's a green dragon on it, so this is probably it. The door's pushed open, and he holds it ever so chivalrously.
Fortunately, it is the right shop, that much is made clear when the sound of the door opening is met with Xiulan offering a quietly accented greeted. "I'd thought you might have forgotten your appointment, Richard." As she emerges from behind the curtain, she pauses momentarily, a flicker of surprise crossing her features upon finding him not alone. "You brought a friend?" Of course, the fact that she doesn't mind is made clear when gestures them both inside with a smile and the offer of, "Coffee?"
Said friend is one blonde woman, fresh from work with a messenger bag over shoulder. Today there had been class. But the request was granted. She owe'd him and when he'd mentioned it was a friend of Magnes's and that it was a tattoo parlor, it had perked her interest. That and it was Cardinal. She'd be safe and fine with Cardinal. Xiulan gets a dip of the thin woman's head out of respect as she dips into the store under Cardinal's arm and preceeds him. "Abigail, and no, thank you but Ia ppreciate the offer" Southern comfort in the form of her accent that permeates her voice. "I could. Work and school and.. friends" Her hands are sunk into the pockets of her jeans that cover her rear, looking around.
The door swings closed behind Cardinal as he steps along within, a low chuckle tumbling past his lips. "She's Magnes's friend that I mentioned… maybe she can talk him into not getting his dumb ass killed," he allows wryly, offering with a sweep of his hand, "Abigail, Xiulan, tattooistt — Xiulan, Abigail, bartender."
"Xiulan," is offered in return of the woman's name, her lips turning up in an easy smile that falters mildly in response to Richard's words. "Oh. /Oh/." Abigial. Abby. Got it. Sweeping her gaze back to Abby's face, her smile softens again, a sigh spilling past her lips. "It would be so much better if you could convince him of the value of wisdom and caution." Pausing a beat, she adds in obviously concerned tones. "He is very sweet and very gallant, but he has no understanding of when to be silent."
Thats an odd look to get from someone you've never met before. Good oh? Bad oh? There's a worried glance slung Cardinal's way as she's now more than a little unsure as to whether she should be there or not. "I think, convincing him to do anything of the sort, is like trying to get water to run uphill. A month in a cage didn't seem to do the trick from the sounds of it" Her knuckles are white where they grasp the strap of her messenger bag.
"Yeah, well, he walked into the Rookery's weekly poker game and told Deckard that he'd better be 'going straight' before announcing to the whole room that he was there to single-handedly throw all the criminals in Staten on an island. Fortunately, a hooker wandered in and he started drooling," Cardinal replies in wry tones, his head shaking a bit before he offers Abby a faint, wry smile, "Relax. Xiu's good people. She's just worried 'bout the kid. Anyway!" He clears his throat, "Abigail was interested in the whole tattooing process, I think."
"I was afraid that might be the case," Xiulan admits with a sigh. "I had still hoped that either you or Mister Nakamura would have some impact, however." Wrinkling her nose, she gives a faint shake of her head, banishing the tension with the gesture. "Please," she adds with a dip of her chin toward the couch. "Make yourselves comfortable?" As Cardinal speaks, Xiu sweeps her gaze upward, a smile crinkling the corners of her eyes as she promptly looks back at Abigail. "Oh, yes, I meant no offense, at all," she assures in reassuring tones. "As Richard has said, my concern was for his safety, nothing more." At the mention of Abby's curiousity, Xiulan nods faintly, her head tilting as she cants her head to oneside. "Are you interested in getting a tattoo, as well?" She has, after all, very few opportunitys to work on women.
Magnes did what?! And there's Mr. Nakamura's name again. He someone new to Pheonix that she doesn't know about? "I'll.. see about talking to him but, he's.. He's avoiding me right now, I don't know where he is. We.. went through some bad stuff this lat month together I think he thinks, that I don't think highly of him anymore" if that makes any sense at all. Her knuckles get some color back in them a little.
That gaze wanders the place again, looking around and to the couch before the blue eyes settle on Xiulan "No, no" There's a shake of Abigails head at the question of her getting one. "I don't like Dr. Bianco poking me with a needle for some blood, I'm not going to enjoy someone else poking me with many needles to put ink in my skin. Richard just thought I could use a break from the bar and everything, and just.. " Just something. Time out of the apartment that wasn't work or school. "I just, I have alot of friends with tattoo and I get curious"
"I'd just rather not have to shoot him because he's endangering you, or other people," Cardinal says rather bluntly, his head shaking just a little, "So hopefully somebody can shut him the hell up. Anyway— " He offers a wry smile to Xiulan, one brow lifting, "I hope you don't mind me bringing 'er along."
"I am very sorry that the two of had to experience unpleasantness," Xiulan provides. "Hopefully it is a matter that can be avoided in the future." At the mention of needles and the aversion there to, her lips twitch in a barely suppressed smile, a hint of amusement more then apparent in her eyes. "If it is any consolation, I am told that my work is far less painful then that of my peers." Glancing over at Richard, she smiles a bit and shakes her head, reaching back to draw the curtain open. "It is your torso, Richard," Xiulan points out. "If you don't mind sharing it with others, I am hardly going to object." At that, she inclines her head toward the black leather chair standing empty. "We could get started immediately, if you prefer?" Fortunately, tattoo is the sort of thing that easy to do while chatting. She does, however, look back at Abby. "Are you certain you do not want anything to drink? I do have tea if you prefer…"
"Richard.. is he running his mouth off about me? What I do? Please tell me he didn't talk about me or what I can do.. at the … card game" There's that fear he's seen before that usually for now, lingers in the far back. Was that how Xiulan knew about her. "I have drinks in my bag, it's okay. But thank you, again" Sonny'd kill her if she had coffee, and she'd alread had one cup today before class. V8 was the precription drink, or so she'd been told by the evolved Doctor when she'd woken up when all was said and done. Onto the couch though, that comfortable one that's calling to her, goes Abigail.
The jacket's shrugged free of Richard's shoulders, and he drops it to the arm of the couch — slanting a look over to Abigail, expression serious, "No specifics. Although he did rant on for a bit about things that Logan had done to you," he says quietly, "If he'd gone any further, I'd have shut him up forcibly. I'm pretty sure Deckard would've, too." Then, up with the shirt, dragged up and over his head shamelessly. Green, thorny vines faded with time wrap about his upper left arm, a serpent coils around the lower right. There's an old gun-shot wound in his shoulder — both sides — silvery-pink scar tissue blossoming there. Fairly fresh, a few months at most.
Glancing between the two, Xiulan's expression is guarded, her brows twitching faintly as she turns away to go about the business of pretending to fuss with her tattoo gun and inks. It is only after a moment of reflection that she offers quietly. "The only thing he mentioned about you to me was that he was hoping to ask you out. Or wanting to, rather. At least," she adds as she glances over her shoulder. "I assume that it was you he was talking about. At any rate, you've nothing to worry about from me, I might not be a medical professional, but I do know enough not to share other people's secrets indiscreetly." Gesturing to the chair, she glances over at Richard and takes a moment to regard his chest before clearing her throat and noting, "Have a seat?"
"That sounds about right. He keeps wanting to. I keep refusing. I have no want to. I need to focus on other things and he's.. he's not for me. He thinks he is, but he's not" She knows this. He's a good friend materils, though frankly at this rate, he's about to get a boot to the head. Away she looks when Cardinal's in the process of taking off his shirt, her cheeks flushing red as they are want to do when it's someone who's half dressed. "I don't want someone who will change themselves to make themselves perfect for me. It means down the road, they won't be happy and they'll resent me" She catches his reflection though, and turns to look at the man's back with as probably a critical eye as Xiulan, though likely not for the same reasons as she. "Do you want the bullet wound gone Richard? Or do you want to keep it?"
While he's no bodybuilder, Richard's in good shape; well-toned, athletic lines to his body, abdominals and traps particularly well defined. No tan, though. He tries to avoid the sun. The leather chair's taken, and as he settles in he glances back to Abby bemusedly, "Hm? Oh— " A pause, "— well, it's already healed, isn't it?"
Xiulan doesn't know what to say. She thought she had something concerning the first, but it was gone a moment later. It is in the wake of Abby's last, however, that she glances up and looks between the two. And, there is, without a doubt, more then a hint of wariness that has entered eyes. Wariness that is coupled with silence, until she finally sets the tattoo gun down, brushes imaginary dust off her slacks and looks quite pointedly at Abby. And, again, she looks about ready to say -something- but apparently rethinks it when Richard speaks. Caution is, after all, the better part of valor. Instead, she turns her attention to going through a stack of drawings arranged on the counter.
Well, yes, it's healed. But she can make it really healed, or make it that it never existed in the first place. "It's healed yes and no. It's okay. Jsut, forget I asked" Cause Xiulan's looking at her again and she doens't know whether she likes it or not. "Sorry, just, i'll sit here and watch you get your tattoo" Awkwardness has quite possibly settled into the room and likely that's not good for getting a tattoo.
The shades are finally pulled off— a slight wince at the light— and Cardinal rests them folded in his lap, looking over to Abby again. His gaze tracks to Xiulan, then back, but… well, Abby brought the subject up first. "I wouldn't mind," he admits, after a moment, "It hurts now'n again, I didn't exactly get a hospital treatment."
"So, you are both evolved?" As the question, that is not really a question, is asked, Xiulan passes Richard two sheets of paper, one with thirty-five in Cantonese and one with Thirty-five in Mandarin. Drawing back a half step, she folds her arms over chest, her hips leaning against the nearbye counter as dark eyes continue to look from one to the other and back.
"I have a piece of paper that says I am" And Xiulan's about to get a first hand look at what that piece of paper says she does as she pulls herself up from the couch so that she can grac a stool, some other stool or chair other than what the tattooist is going to use. It's parked beside Cardinal and sunk into so that she doesn't have to worry about standing and so she can frnakly alos, maybe, get a closer look at the whole process of inking. "God gave me a gift" There's a motion for Cardinal to sit up just enough so that she can slip her palm over the rear bullet wound. The lords prayer spoken under her breath, Cardinal feels the change, but Xiulan gets to see it. The look of the wound healing further, as if it's been there for years instead of months and then finally the skin smoothing out, the pucker leaving till it's as if it was never there, all in the span of maybe 3 minutes. With it goes anything else that's minorly bugging the Cardinal.
"That's what the fascists downtown told me after they gave me their little blood-test," Cardinal mutters a bit darkly under his breath, "Fuckin' cops— " The two sheets of paper are considered, and then he reaches out to tap the Cantonese one with the pad of his fingertip. Then the other woman's there beside him, and he hesitates for a moment as she reaches over, tensing a bit. He's never been healed before, and isn't entirely certain what it'll be like. A blink — and another — and then he rotates his shoulder with a bit of surprise, "Shit. That's amazing, Abigail."
Taking the piece of paper from Richard, Xiulan dips her chin in a nod both to his choice and to the answers given. It is as she sets the page aside and turns back to regard Richard's chest, that she notes. "In China, if you are evolved, you are taken from your family and forced into military service. Most of us," she adds as she places one hand over Richard's chest to right of his heart. "Are certain that when they are done with you, it is made certain that you can no longer be a problem for the government." Shaking her head, Xiulan falls silent, obviously less then pleased with the thought. And, while Richard is checking out his newly healed flesh, there is a pointed warmth and a very light prickling beneath the palm on his chest. It is not until Xiulan removes her hand and reveals the completed tattoo, however, that she notes frankly to Abby. "I have never actually used needles in my life."
And lo… Even the tattoo artist is evolved. And… that's an awefully handy ability to boot. And it's over, just like that. No long process that she's heard it takes, days for large ornate tattoo's. It's just the press of the woman's palm to Cardinal's chest. There's a look of disappointment on the womans face, just a little. "That, i'm sure, makes a great many happy. No pain" Her blue eyes lift to Cardinal, expectant. "That was pretty amazing too" A gesture to the ink now in his skin. Or is it ink. "You change the color of his skin? Or is there really ink in there?" Okay, maybe this was interesting. If there's one thing that just as interesting if not more, it's Abilities. There's so many and they all work in different ways.
As that hand presses to his chest, Cardinal looks down at it… and a blink flickers over light-reddened eyes. One hand brushes over the newly-birthed marking, looking surprised, and then a slight grin crooks to his lips, "Shit. That's… pretty cool."
"The pigmentation of his flesh has been altered," Xiulan explains. "There are no inks involved, at all. It is, however, permanent, unless I remove it myself." Or someone else with a similiar power removes it, of course. "I could," she notes as an after thought. "Change the color of his hair, his eyes, his flesh…" She could make Richard a black man, or a purple man, for that matter. "Of course, it has other uses… I would," she adds quickly. "Prefer that you be very careful to whom you mention it. I shudder to think what uses the Flying Dragons would make of me, should they learn of my ability." She'd rather not be locked in a room making counterfeit money for the rest of her days… Really. Course, Richard's comment earns a pleased smile and Xiulan dips her chin in a nod of agreement. "I count myself quite fortunate, really." She likes her skill, it is terribly fun, after all, to be able to change you hair, eyes, adornments or clothing on a whim. "It makes," she adds with a wink. "Convienent camoflage for getting out of dangerous places late at night." Like, oh, say…. the card game for instance.
What anyone would take the young woman for. Abby's not stranger ot being used for ill gains and made to do what someone else wishes. Flying dragons she has not a clue who the woman is referring to, really. For all that she's supposedly in bed deep with the terrorists and vigilante's, Abby's fairly ignorant of factions. "Don't advertise what I can do, I won't breath a word of what you can do. I swear on the bible" Abby pushes her chair back a fraction, still studying the newly changed flesh. All the color, without the pain. "Does the color fade over time? Or does it stay vibrant like that, years down the road" Cardinal's free to get dressed again, and surprisingly, he's been spared a chiding about his language.
Cardinal brushes a finger down along the tattoo, amazed at the lack of texture of it. Just a part of his skin, now. Appropriate, given what he wanted it for. He sits up a bit, not reaching for his clothes just yet, looking up to Xiulan with a shake of his head, "I'm not about to tell anybody. Secrets, I can keep."
"Oh," Xiulan assures quickly. "I would never breath a word of what you can do, Abigail. Particularly not with all the violence I have heard about going on." Her budding grimace, however, is transformed into a brilliant smile at the question about colors, dark eyes twinkling with more then a hint of pride. "They will stay as vibrant and glorious, as the day they were made, forever. Even if Richard were to get scarred over the tattoo, the color would remain. Of course," she reassures him quickly. "Should ever decide to remove it, just come to me." Scooting back her stool a fraction as he sits up, she rests her hands upon her knees, a flicker of concern darting through her gaze. "Which is my concern with Magnes. He knows what I can do, and if he were to say anything around Bao-Wei or any of the Dragons? I would be in a very… very bad position." Pausing a beat, she nibbles a corner of her lip before finally asking. "Would either of you know how I can ahold of his comic book friend? Mister Nakamura? I am certain that he can make certain that Magnes understands not to be irresponsible with the knowledge." At least, she hopes so.
Pausing a beat, she adds quickly. "And you do know he is friendly with an evolved serial killer, yes?"
"He's not friends With Mr. Gray. Only a few select people are. He's.. " Anby looks to the tattoo, her momentary awe fading as well. "Magnes believes the world has super hero's like superman, spiderman, comic book hero's. That he world is just like that and that everything is balcka nd white, good always wins, bad get it's just desserts" That he's the mary jane to her spiderman. "He got a dose of reality. We were taken a month and some ago. They put him in a fighting ring, he got hurt so many times, I almost thought I couldn't save him the last one. I thoguht maybe, maybe he'd realize that it's not a comic book, that skating around and delivering pizzas and casuallyt alking about gifts from god, are not .. okay" But it seems not and Cardinal's willing to shoot him in the head to protect her. "He's.. I'd say touched, but my mother would shake a finger at me. As for Mr. Nakamura, I don't even know who that is. I can try and find out though. I have… friends"
But friends with Gabriel Gray. "Mr. gray wants my ability and has come close twice to taking my faith from me. Magnes thought he could talk to him and convince him to leave me alone. he doesn't know that he failed that. That Mr. gray leave me alone bcause we had an agreement that he wouldn't touch me for a certain amount of time"
"I don't know who Nakamura is," admits Cardinal, quietly; a purse of his lips as he looks between the pair, brow furrowing, "Who's this serial killer? Gray? I haven't heard of him…"
"That isn't the name he used," Xiulan informs Abby with a slow shake of her head. "It was Skyler, or.. No, Sylar. But, yes, he told about speaking with him, that he gave him comic books about Galactus to read." And yes, Xiulan is mortified about that bit. She does, however, sigh, slipping to her feet to fetch herself a cup of coffee. "Mister Nakamura is his hero." Pause. Laugh. "Hiro. He -is- from a comic," she adds as she pads back toward the two with styrofoam cup in hand. "Well, from a comic book in the future, I think. It was very hard to tell what was real and what was teasing. I do know that Hiro told Magnes he had a friend who could get in touch with him and that he would kill Sylar if he ever laid eyes on him." Glancing over at Richard, she adds wryly. "You couldn't forget Mister Nakamura, a small japanese man in black with a sword." Pause. "And a smoothie." Don't ask. Really.
"Richard.. there was.. there was a guy witha s word.. on the helicopter yes?" She remembers this and that of the night htey broke her out, most of it, she remembers, is cardinal making sure she got out and didn't bleed to death. "Sylar. Midtown Man. He didn't actually blow up the middle of the city but he's the scapegoat. There… is good in him. He's trying but.. it can be a long road to redemption and that doesn't make him any the less dangerous." Abby shifts her chair back to grab a v8 from her bag and shake it before the lid is popped off. "He's worse than I was when I moved from Louisianna." But Hiro Nakamura. "I think I know how to find Mr. Nakamura and i'll find Manges, have a talk with him. Try to have a talk with him"
"There was a guy with a sword, yeah, I remember seeing him that night…" Cardinal's brow furrows a little as he tries to recall, "…the pussy might know how to find him, in that case. And— " Then thief breaks off, staring at Abigail for a moment, "— the Midtown Man? Are you fucking crazy? Jesus Christ…" He rubs a hand against his face, "— I don't know how you people live thinking everyone's good deep down. I really don't."
"Mister Nakamura insists that that isn't the case, Abby." Taking a sip of her coffee, Xiulan notes on a sigh. "He said he watched Sylar kill his own mother and that he is dangerous and has nothing good inside him." Glancing between the two, she briefly toys with the idea of telling them what Magnes said about the bomb and President Petrelli, but thinks better of it, for now. "I do not think that Mister Nakamura was crazy and I got the distinct impression that he was more then passingly familiar with Sylar. Admittedly, I have never met the man." Pause. "Sylar, that is. But, really? I hope to keep that streak up in earnest." Glancing over at Richard, she exhales a quiet laugh, noting wryly. "I know better then to think everyone is good inside, Richard."
"I believe that in most, there's a seed of good. It's not in everyone, lord I know that plain enough, and sometimes.. there's no helping that seed to grow. I'll still treat Sylar like I should, keep as much distance between him and I. But we have an agreement and he will keep it, if only because he wants my faith" But enough of Sylar because really, that's just dregging up lots of bad things and there's a glance to her palm where there's no longer a scar followed by a glance to her bag and where her pills are. Sylar had a part in freeing her, whether Cardinal knows it or not. "There's a seed of good in you Richard Cardinal. You've done things to live, because it's how you do it, and that's considered less than stellar. But here I am, believing in you depsite you telling me not to hmm?"
"If half've what I've heard of the Midtown Man is true, I'd recommend everyone stay away from him. Anyway. I never made any claim to bein' the spawn of evil, Abigail," Cardinal replies with a slight grimace, sitting up further and resting one hand on his knee, "I'm a few steps further over that line than some, maybe, but there's lines even I won't cross. The fascist sons of bitches in charge of things have, though."
Glancing between the two, Xiulan is obviously debating on commenting further. It is in response to Richard's last, however, that she sets down her cup and glances at his tattoo. "Just be careful what you get yourself into Richard. It has been made abundantly clear that the government doesn't care how many people they have to make disappear, or kill, to get thier way. I would /hate/ to even think that something like that might happen to you."
"No, your not anywhere near like him Richard" Abby agree's, another nod after Xiu gives her words. "Do you have a bathroom?"
"If I'm disappearing," Cardinal says in quiet, dark tones, "I'll be doing it myself. They've killed enough kids." He rubs a hand against the side of his face, eyes closing, "…and don't worry about Logan, Abigail. He'll get his."
Glancing at Abby, Xiulan nods, reaching for a set of keys and passing them to the woman. "My apartment is next door. 104, help yourself." Looking over at Richard, she grimaces faintly, asking point blank. "What are you going to do, Richard?"
"Absolutely nothing," Cardinal replies, in the sort of voice that indicates he's lying and doesn't even expect to be believed. Then he leans back in the chair, arms folding behind his head and legs stretching out before him. "Y'know, this is actually pretty comfortable," he observes, peering down at his feet.
"It is very comfortable," Xiulan agrees. "Course, it is more comfortable when one is being honest. In fact, I am willing to bet it would seat two comfortably, if they both very, very honest with one another." Canting her head faintly, dark eyes regard Richard frankly, her lips pursing marginally. "Fortunately for you, I am not the sort to indulge in unfair tactics to get my way." Or unfortunately for him, depending on one's point of view.
A low, husky chuckle spills past the man's lips, and he cants his head just a bit to look up to where she's standing; a smile tugging up at the corner of his lips, one brow lifting as he asks rather bluntly, "…and would you expect the Doctor to be so honest with you if you asked what he were planning, Xiulan?"
"I wouldn't ask Doctor Cong what he was doing, Richard. Frankly speaking, I try very hard to limit my dealings with the Flying Dragons to pretending to stick needles in thier flesh." Smirking wryly, Xiulan rolls her shoulders in a faint shrug, stepping over to perch on the chair. "Honestly, I just want to help. I realize on the surface my ability my seem less then combat effective, but I have more uses then simply adorning the flesh." Drawing in a slow breath, she wrinkles her nose as she slants a glance at his face. "I am sick of reading the paper and feeling like I have no recourse but to hide in my shop."
An arm curls itself about her waist as she perches upon the chair, and Cardinal sits up just a bit to more easily talk to her. One thumb curls through the silver-linked belt wrapped about her waist as he settles in there comfortable - and shamelessly - looking up at her with a faint, wry smile. "Well," he muses, "If I could think of any use for that power've yours…"
And just as quickly as he utters it, he finds himself blind. Course, blind comes with Xiulan's hand resting reassuringly on his chest and a hint of laughter lacing her tones. "Would it be terribly cruel of me if I were to flash you while you couldn't see it?" Her comment, however, is joined with the return of his vision, her lips turned up in a wryly teasing smile as she drapes her arm around his shoulder. "Your driver's license could be FBI credentials with very little effort, Richard." Imagine what she could do with a dollar bill.
As the world descends to black, Cardinal tenses up— at least until there's that laughing voice and that hand pressed against his bare chest, heart felt racing beneath the skin. "Bitch," he replies wryly to the tease about flashing him, and when he can see again he blinks a few times, brow furrowing. A look up to her, a brow lifting, and he exhales a low chuckle, "Oh, really now. Well, that could be useful… I'll talk to the Chief."
"I would appreciate that, Richard." So much so, apparently, that Xiulan leans in to brush a kiss over the tip of his nose. When she leans back, it is with another smile that borders on impish. "I can do camoflage very well, as well. Of course, there is always the finacial aspects of my power…" Drawing back slowly, she winks lightly her palm stretching out to present a warm weight against his shoulder. "If you are really going to do something about the recent unpleasantness, I want in. My -only- requirement is that Doctor Cong and the Dragons not get wind of it."
"I've got an idea that you can disguise yourself pretty well," Cardinal replies with a roguish smile, a brow lifting, "Might want to start yourself up an alternate identity there to use, for this sort've thing…" At the kiss to his nose, it wrinkles lightly, and he reaches up a hand to brush a fingertip up the length of her neck and off her chin, smile widening, "…I'll see if we might have some use for you, Colors."
Back from the bathroom comes Abigail, needing more than a few minutes to tend to her needs. A couple to down her pill, and another few to try and find her equilibrium once more. So once she's back down, it's a mostly relaxed Abigail, having consumed her chemicals and finished her V8 and glancing to the two as she enters. Should have given them warning, yup. Her cheeks color faintly and the keys are held loosely in one hand. 'Do I need to go outside?"
And in response, Xiulan flashes a smile that really tends to make her look entirely too young. "Wonderful. And yes, I can pretty much be any color you can imagine." Which could be fun under the right circumstances. Course, she cannot resist teasing Richard with a murmured, "Perhaps something chickens involved, so you feel more comfortable?" At the touch to her neck, her expression softens, jean clad legs swinging over to rest the heels of her boots on the arm of the chair opposite the one upon which she is currently perch. Aha! He is trapped. "At the very least, I can help with setting up new identities and paperwork for those who might need it." Course, when Abby steps inside, Xiulan smiles and shakes her head. "Not at all, Abby."
That hand drops down from her chin as the healer returns, resting lightly on the chinese woman's leg as Cardinal leans back in the chair with a low chuckle, head tilting to look to her. "Relax, it's not like we're naked or I'm exploring her tonsils with my tongue, Abigail," he observes wryly, "You okay?"
Not like he's exploring her tonsil's with her tongue. There's a murmur about maybe he needs ot teach Xiulan the swirl, but it's maybe barely heard. It still doens't kill the heat in her cheeks. "I just needed a few minutes. Things were a bit much" The southern blonde slinks over to the couch to sit in it.
"I have a feeling I do not want to know what that is, Abigail." Flashing the woman a warm smile, Xiulan slants a glance at Richard before looking back at the healer. "You know, if you would like a tattoo, I can promise you it will not hurt."
"What was that?" Cardinal's brow furrows a little, having not caught it completely. Then he shrugs, "It's cool, don't worry about it. You've been through a lot've shit, Abigail. More'n anyone should have to."
"I frankly, wouldn't know where on my body to put it Xiulan, much less what I would get. Something religious" of course it would be something religious. Tattoo, without the pain, wonder of wonders. "Swirl. You forgot oour conversation on the swinging bench, after you free'd me. Charity taught me the swirl and no, you wouldn't want to know it. It's.. " lewd, daring, not for a W.A.S.P. to ever perform. Good christian girls don't do stuff like that.
"I frankly, wouldn't know where on my body to put it Xiulan, much less what I would get. Something religious" of course it would be something religious. Tattoo, without the pain, wonder of wonders. "Swirl. You forgot oour conversation on the swinging bench, after you free'd me. Charity taught me the swirl and no, you wouldn't want to know it. It's.. " lewd, daring, not for a W.A.S.P. to ever perform. Good christian girls don't do stuff like that.
"Now you've peeked my interest," Xiulan admits wryly. "I won't press, however." No, she'll just wait and invite Abby on a girl's night out to find out. Remaining comfortably perched with Richard trapped in the chair beneath her, the tiny Chinese woman leans forward and folds her arms atop her knees, her chin resting atop her arms. Flexible girl, really. "Think about it," she advises. "When you decide, let me know. It's on the house."
"Oh, me too…" A grin curves to Cardinal's lips as he twists half-way on the chair to regard her, both brows arching upwards a bit as he turns his slightly-reddened gaze to Abigail, "…I remember, now. Now I wanna know. C'mon, c'mon, spill."
It's the drugs. She'll forever blame it on th drugs. In fact, she can blame most of her bahavior on the drugs. There's a fraction of her that would neve rhave even uttered even the world swirl in connotation with anything of a non prim and proper nature. "It's when.. you know.." her hands come up, space apart, palms facin each other horizontally. "heavens, I can't believe i'm even… saying.. this" I fher cheeks were flushe dbefore, they're downright scarlet. "He goes.. but then she.. you know.. down.. and you twist… as your… jesus help me why am I talking"
Xiulan blinks once, blinks twice, then resorts to using her ability to keep from letting het flush show. "Twist…." Slanting a glance at Richard, she brow twitches before looking back at Abby. It is the redness in the woman's face, not to mention the stammering that nudges her to urge, "Breath, Abby… Please remember to breath."
ORDER: It is now your pose.
"We're all adults here, Abigail," Cardinal reassures her. Although given the blushes in the room, he may well be the only one that's not a virgin. He scratches at his chin a bit, looking thoughtful for a moment, "So, wait, I get the twist part, I think — what position are we starting from, here?"
Nooope, not going to answer that. IT really shouldn't have come to a surprise to Cardinal. But then again, he had found her first beneath a brothel. What, did he think they came down to recite flowery prose to her with her meal? "I'm pretty sure you can figure that out for yourself Richard. Without me needing to flee the shop again. I'll keep.. the tattoo thought in mind. If I can think of something i'll visit again" It's a promise made by the blonde, who's snapped her hands back down to her lap with fingers interlaced.
Slanting a glance at Richard, Xiulan flashes a wry smile before noting. "If he can't figure it out, I'm sure he will happily experiment until he gets it exactly right." Course, that is about all she has to say about that, for the moment. Instead, she looks back at Abby. "When you talk to Magnes, you will be gentle, yes? I know he needs to be brought to his senses, but his heart is good and he really does just want to help people."
The shade of the healer's face is observed with good humor from Cardinal, her words bringing a quiet laugh, shoulders shaking as he flops back into the chair—arms folding behind his head once more, he observes easily, "She can always remove it just as easily, I presume, if you change your mind…"
"I'll use a spoon Xiulan, instead of a hammer first" Another Solemn promise, her cheeks still colored. 'And she could, it's better to plan twice, and strike once when it comes to things. Just because you know I can heal, doens't mean you're going ot be any the less careful about what you do in the future, and just ebcause I know that I can have one and not faint at the feeling, doesn't mean that I shouldn't think long and hard upon what art I want to adorn my body with"
"Absolutely," Xiulan assures. "Or change it. I occassionally want tattoos and add them or remove them on the fly." She does, however, dip her chin in a nod in response to Abby's words, dark eyes crinkling at the corners as she twists to reach for her cup of coffee. "It might help if you can find Mister Nakamura, as well. Magnes seems to idolize him because he is a comic book character come to life. Mind you," she adds as she brings the cup to her lips and takes a sip. "Mister Nakamura pretty much thinks Magnes is crazy, so."
"Suddenly," Cardinal drawls out, "This Nakamura character is seeming more and more like a sensible character. I think I'd like to meet him." He lifts his head, then, looking up to Xiulan with furrowed brow to inquire, "What exactly do you mean by the comic book thing, though…?"
'He does sound like a sensible person. I'll see about getting Mr. nakamura's help in talking to him. Maybe he can do it. And I can be there to… temper Magnes.. DO you have any pictures? Of crosses?" This from Abby who's maybe got an idea of what she wants.
"He is a comic book character," Xiulan repeats. Resting the coffee cup atop her knee, she half twists to regard Richard and rolls her shoulders in a slow shrug. "I know it sounds crazy, but Magnes showed me the comic book." Nibbling her lip, she shakes her head as she tries to remember. "World wonders, or ninth wonders… Something like that. Any way, we were looking at the book and the next thing I know Hiro is standing behind us staring at the back of Magnes' head. Apparently, the book is prophetic.. Crazy, I know." Looking back at Abby, she shakes her head and smiles apologetically. "I do not, but I know where I can some for you."
"I suppose that's one way to get him out here," Cardinal admits with a slightly sour note to his voice, reaching out to slide his fingers over the side of Xiulan's coffee cup in an attempt to sneakily steal it. He's a thief, he can do these things. "A prophetic comic book, though, fuck— " A quiet chuckle, "— I don't even know what to say to that."
"We could…" Abby glances to Cardinal. Up for an intervention? Might as well while she's get mood drugs swimming through her system and she's capable of doing it. "Do you have paper and pencil? We could.. figure something out while waiting for the pizza… and Ricahrd. Anything can happen. Would you believe me if I told you that I killed someone?" And she's standing here to tell you about it and not locked up
"I have tons of paper and pencils," Xiulan answers easily. Rolling to her feet, she presses the coffee cup into Richard's hand, stepping over to the shelves to fish up a sketch pad and a box of pencils. "Here you go, Abby." Passing both to the blond, she tugs her phone out of her pocket and dials the pizza place. A few moments, and a pair of large pizzas later, and she's hanging up, tucking the phone in her back pocket and going for a second cup of coffee. "Shouldn't be too terribly long before the pizza gets here," she informs. "I hope everyone likes cheese."
"I could, Abigail," Cardinal says quietly, regarding her rather seriously over the edge of the coffee cup he's holding, the steam half-obscuring his face, "I saw your handiwork with Logan. You can do what needs to be done, if you have to. I respect that." He doesn't ask for the details. If she wants to tell him, she will."
Then the phone's picked up, and he grimaces. "Aw, hell," he mutters under his breath, "Don't tell him who I am, eh? He's got a loose tongue." That said? The chair where he was sitting darkens slowly over the next few moments, until he's entirely black. Then he melts away into nothing but a shadow, slipping down to the floor.
There's a bird perched on Abby's shoulder, now. Well, her -shadow- shows one, anyway.
So it is while they're waiting for Magnes to show up with the pizza's, Abby had plunked some money down to help with the pizza, she sat with Xiulan and her shadow, sketching out a design. she had the time, why not. There's a smile at the 'Bird' and that Cardinal remembered how she likes seeing him in shadow. In the end it's a simple, sytlized cross, with two circle at the center, a aura of yellow and blue. Palm width and length, on her shoulderblade.
Watching Richard melt away into shadow, Xiulan blinks once before, coffee in hand, she pads over to the recently abandoned chair and plops down. "Now that is a handy trick…" It is in the wake of a sip of coffee that she dips her chin in a nod and adds. "I won't say a word, Richard." That is, after all, his secret to share, or not. Instead, she slings a leg over the arm of the chair, her tilting as she watches Abby with the sketch pad. It is the final result that brings a smile to Xiu's lips and a firm dip of her chin in a nod. "Now that suits you perfectly," she admits. This time, the coffee cup is set on the floor as the Chinese woman rolls to her feet and steps over to Abby's side. "You want to leave the shirt on? I'm pretty sure it won't interfere, if you are feeling shy and all."
"I won't even look," promise the shadows, in a whispery, hollow echo of voice.
It doesn't take long to make a pizza, and there's an even shorter time delivering it, at least for Magnes J. Varlane: Delivery Boy. A few minutes of Incredible Hulk leaps, getting blown by the wind a few times and almost thrown off course, he finally arrives in front of the parlor. He knocks a few times, then just opens the door, wearing his silver-framed oval work glasses. "Panucci's Pizza!" he cheerfully announces.
Maybe, if it had JUST been cardinal, she would have done it, asked for a sheet, to cover the front of herself up. But it's as shecarefully easing her arms out of her tank top, she had come from work, that Magnes is entering. SO it's just one strap that's down, the blonde healer turned around int he seat, knee's up, the free arm down, palm on the surface of the chair and the other hugging her shirt close to her. "That should do, just pull the back down if you need to" Abby's voice soft in the tattoo parlor.
Glancing up as the door opens, Xiulan offers Magnes a smile and cants her chin toward the counter, next to the coffee pot the money for the pizza is already waiting. "That was quicker then normal, Magnes," she offers with a smile. At Abby's words, the Chinese woman looks down, eyeing the blond's scapula. "More then enough like that, Abby." It is as she rests her palm against the healer's back, that she murmurs quietly. "It isn't going to hurt, you'll feel a little warmth, some tingling and that's about it." Pause. "Ready?"
Just ignore the shadow. Sure, it suggests there's a bird on Abby's shoulder, but how many people look at shadows?
The pizza is rested on the counter, money taken and stuffed in his pocket, then his eyes dart to Abby. "Abby! Y-you're getting a tattoo? I was gonna ask you if it was morally alright to get a tattoo… I guess it is." He looks between Xiulan and Abby, cheeks flushed, then he straightens his glasses. "W-well, since it's alright, after you're done with Abby, can you move my tattoo somewhere else?"
"I don't mind that it hurts, if it did, it's the.. needles" but there's not needles, so Abby nods as she's asked if she's ready. "Good to go" Curious really of whether it's the same feeling that she gives when healing people or not. "Nothing wrong with a tattooo magnes, not in the good lrods eyes, unless your doing it of other idols and gods, then he has issues" Okay, maybe magnes isn't that upset with her or trying to avoid her.
"How about one that says 'I am completely insane, do not listen to anything I say' right across your forehead," opins the shadows. The low, whispering, echoy voice a hollow stir from the wall where that out-of-place avian shadow lingers.
"Morally alright?" Blinking once, Xiulan looks up from her hand on Abby's back, one brow twitching faintly as she offers Magnes a wry smile. "You realize that that implies you might have thought I was devoid of morals, Magnes?" Course, she's just teasing, that much is clear from her smile and the fact that she dips her chin in an easy nod. "I can move it for you easily. Where did you want it to go?" Even as she speaks, mind you, a subtle warmth is kissing Abby's shoulder, a faint tingling, as promised coming hand in hand with the sensation. Pausing a beat at the shadow's whisper, Xiu slants a glance toward the out-of-place avian and tsks.
"Oh, I always thought it was like, an obscure law in the bible that we can't have tattoos, that's why I wanted to ask." Magnes elaborates, looking down at his wrist, then rapidly shakes his head at Xiulan's joke. "A-ah, sorry about that…" he apologizes, even though she's clearly joking. He bashfully lifts his shirt, showing subtle skater abs that he's usually too shy to expose in public, then he rubs the middle of his stomach, his 'center'. "I want you to move the tattoo to my center, since I'm a gravity guy, you—What was that?" He looks around for the voice, startled.
OKay, it's not quite the same but it's there, and Abby tenses, slightly, only to relax a moment or two later. Cardinal's voice, ringing out from nowhere, she's used to it. "Just your concience Magnes" It's a mean joke to play, really, it is, but Abby speaks t, then clamps her lips shut to look behind her and wait for the tattooist to be done.
As Xiulan withdraws her hand, the delicate cross is left behind on Abby's flesh, the yellow and blue circles emblazoned in subtle, pastel hues that give the impression of a misty, softly glowing aura of color. Dark eyes remain on Magnes, however, as he lifts his shirt, a smile tracing her lips at the bashfulness. "I can do that," she assures. Before she steps away from Abby, however, she draws a hand mirror off the counter and extends it to the blond so that she can see the new tattoo. "I think that suits you perfectly, Abigail."
"The voice of reason," the shadow replies with a raspy sound of irritation, "Trying to keep you from getting killed, because God knows you're certainly waltzing towards the grave already."
"Is this some weird trick…? And I'm not gonna get killed, I haven't done anything too dangerous! And jumping across the city isn't dangerous for me." Magnes defends, walking over to look at Abby's tattoo, though he keeps a five foot distance from the girls and squints. "That's a really nice tattoo!" Because, he can totally see it well, from this distance… Yup.
Also, his shirt is down now, sorry ladies.
"No, not a weird trick. Jsut a moment" The hand mirror is taken, angling it so that she can get a glimpse of the cross on her shoudlerblade. The smile on her face, not a beaming one, but more one of awe, is present. "Thank you Xiulan. It's.. beautiful" the blonde murmurs, before he's carefully getting her shirt back to how it should be. That darn bird in her shadow never moves.
"Have a seat, Magnes." Pointing to the black leather adjustable chair, Xiulan leaves the mirror in Abby's care and adds. "And off with the shirt." Fortunately, she isn't terribly body shy. Considering the fact that she works primarily for the Flying Dragons? Well, she's given more then a few full body tattoos in her day. "Oh! Did you want to keep the same colors?" Is added belatedly.
At Abby's compliment, Xiu smiles, dark eyes crinkling at the corners. "I am glad you like it, it suits you." Looking back at Magnes expectantly, she dips her chin toward the waiting chair in indication while noting. "You were less then cautious at the poker game, Magnes."
"You're leaping around the city," observes the shadow, that hollow voice flat, "Less than cautious my ass, Xiulan. Magnes, you're telling everyone you meet how you're going to 'defeat the bad guys' and smite criminal activity. Even worse, you're doing this in the /Rookery/, while talking about the vengeance you're going to wreak on Logan and Muldoon for what they did to Abigail. In front of criminals. Some of whom may have personal contact or alliances with those people. This is not a fucking game. People can, and will, die if you keep doing this. If not you, then Abby, or someone else you mention offhandedly. Or they'll just pick you up, lock you down, and cut off fingers until you tell them about everyone you know. You're endangering everyone who fucking saved you, you idiot."
"But… I mean…" Magnes almost thinks of a defense, an excuse, but he just stops and stares at Abby and Xiulan. "I'm sorry, I'll stop. I usually have Abby around to tell me what I'm doing is stupid, but I was trying to give her space." he explains, walking to the chair, then looking at Abby and Xiulan. "I-if I have to take off my shirt, will you two close your eyes? And um, can that voice see me?"
"Magnes, don't talk about me. Period. Don't talk about what happened to me on that.. place" Okay, the smiles gone. "Don't talk about Xiulan and what she can do. In fact, Magnes, it's proper not to talk about anyones aility to anyone else. Period. Unless they're the one saying "Hey, I can fly" SHe closes her eyes, looking away from him, the mirror resting onher lap "It will get me hurt. I already had, I think a stranger come into the bar hurt, and sit at my end. How am I to know now it wasn't a random woman, or someone who had heard you talking?"
"Magnes," Xiulan assures. "I've tattooed completely naked men, believe me, I'll be fine. Besides," she adds reasonably. "You really don't want a tattoo from an artist who isn't looking at you." Nevermind that she could do that, really. She does, however, offer him a gentle smile as she notes. "I promise only to look long enough to do the tattoo. As for the other, she nibbles her lip for a moment, finally exhaling a sigh. "For my part, Magnes? It is very, very, /very/ important that neither Bao-Wei, nor the Flying Dragons, find out I am evolved." As Abby speaks, Xiulan glances her way, a hint of wince tracing over her features as she gently reaches out to brush her fingers over the blond's shoulder.
"I can see everything," replies the voice, an annoyed whisper from the shadows of the room, "It's rather what I do. You need to grow up, Magnes. Stop being a child. You're not one, anymore."
Magnes stands, frowning, completely scolded by the healer… Or at least that's how he takes it. "I'm sorry, I won't mention you anymore, I won't mention what you guys can do, I'm sorry. I'm gonna get back to the shop." He waves to everyone, forcing a smile, but the air of embarrassment and shame is quite apparent. "I'll try and see you guys around."
"Spoon, not a hammer" Xiulan's touch this time causes the woman to flinch, unexpected. "Magnes, you stay. Just.. be more subtle. more subtle than.. a tow truck slamming into a building." There's an apologetic lookt hrown Magnes way. She 's not upset with him, she jsut needs him to understand.
"Magnes," Xiulan offers quietly. "You are taking this the wrong way. Honestly, you have have potential to be able to help a great many people. You just have to learn caution." Moistening her lips, she takes a step after him, hoping to keep him from running off. "Listen to what Abby has to say? She's not yelling at you, or trying to make you feel badly. We all just want to see you survive all the horrible things that are going on out there."
There's no further response from the shadow. He's the bad cop. They're the good cop.
Magnes sighs, nodding at both Abby and Xiulan, turning around and heading for his chair again. "I'm sorry, it's just that I already deep down feel like what happened to Abby is my fault. I know you don't blame me, you've told me already, but I mean deep down, it's just how I feel. And I guess that came up just now." he explains, starting to take his shirt off now. "Please don't laugh or anything…" Then he reveals a subtly defined torso, since he is technically an athlete, but he's still embarrassed as hell for God knows what reason.
'Magnes, it's not your fault. I could have had Brian with me and they woudl have till taken me. Maybe if I had had Ivanov I wouldn't have. But if I hadn't had registered either, maybe it wouldn't have, maybe it would. But it's not your fault and I don't blame you." It was punishment anyways. That's what she told Dr. Yee. Punishment for killing a man, for sending his soul to wherever it is that Kazimir Volken was destined to go.
Since Magnes is in the chair and his shirt is off, Xiulan remains silent, letting pair talk to each other. While she is listening, she is also curling one hand around Magnes' wrist, dark lashes sweeping down to a half lidden expression as she concentrates on removing the tattoo adorning his inner wrist. It is in the wake of a wash of tingling warmth that the Chinese woman withdraws her hand and steps around to the side of the chair. Hands warmed from the use of her power are pressed flat against Magnes' torso, a strand of dark hair spilling over her shoulder as she focuses her attention on 'redrawing' the tattoo on the bared flesh of his abdomen. This time, however, the dragon is slightly larger and coiled around his navel.
"If you really want to protect people, Magnes," the shadow says, more quietly, stirring from the wall with a flex of incorporeal wings, "You need to learn to accept the world how it really is, before you face it on your own terms."
"I may not be my fault, but seeing you that way, I just don't know what to say. It's like, if there was a hell just for me, it'd be having to see you that way forever." Magnes explains, clearly bothered by it, unable to resolve it, dark, brooding, depress—Xiulan's hand is on his stomach… "Oh God, what…" He starts breathing heavily, panicking, looking down at her hand. "That's my stomach, you're touching my stomach with your hand!" he points out, as if she has absolutely no idea. Cardinal is lost in his whirl of panic and confusion.
"It is hard to do a tattoo without touching you, Magnes." As she glances up, Xiulan blinks once, doing her level best not to laugh. Instead, she notes in deadpan tones. "Breath, Magnes." Even as she says it, she straightens from leaning over him, a toss of her head sending dark hair over her shoulder and her hands withdrawing slowly from his flesh. "Are you going to be alright? Do you need to throw up?"
"Oh, Jesus Christ," the shadow mutters quietly, "Someone get this guy a hooker, stat."
Now it's abby who sputter and chokes. Magnes, with a hooker. Before she can stop herself "Too bad he wasn't the one in the brothel basement" spills out of her mouth. Shortly after, a hand clamps over her mouth.
Magnes doesn't breath, in fact, he stops breathing completely, shooting his gaze over at Abby with wide eyes. "W-what? Brothel basement? What the hell happened? I'll throw him into the fucking atmosphere!" he exclaims, 'him' being Logan, shocked since he'd never actually heard of the brothel part.
He's remaining surprisingly still though.
"Magnes, I am fairly that mouth to mouth would give you a heart attack, so… Unless you /want/ to have a heart attack, you will breath." And from the look on Xuilan's face, she's pretty serious about that. She does, however, aside wryly to the shadow. "You are rotten, you know that, don't you?"
"No." The voice of the shadows is flat, cold, serious. "Leave Logan to me. Trust me. He'll get the ending he deserves." Then a faint, echoing chuckle, "I've been told."
"No magnes, you won't go after him" Because people are already doing such a thing. The blonde frowns, rising from her seat so she can make fo rhte couch and her sweater, pull it on.
"What did they do to you?" Magnes asks, he has to know, he has to know just how motivated to throw this guy into the sky he needs to be. Cardinal is ignored again, blood is in the delivery boy's eyes. But, he does finally take a breath, even if it's a shaky one.
Pizza is gonna send for Logan.
Glancing between Magnes and Abby, Xiulan purses her lips and shakes her head. She could blind him, but really? That might not actually stop Magnes from trying something dangerously foolish. Instead, she lets Abby deal with the matter, stepping back to lean against the wall. She is, however, watching the healer for a sign. Hey, she'd rather have Magnes pissed off at her and alive then dead. Go figure.
A sigh hisses through the shadows, but nothing more.
"Nothing. he didn't do anything" He did everything to her or had someone else do it. But Magnes isn't about to be told. "I don't need another white Knight magnes, so don't try anything, don't hunt him down, don't anything." Next comes her jacket, arms slid in to each sleeve then her messenger bag around her shoulders. "I have to get home" She doesn't want to talk about it. It'll jsut end up with her a crying mess on Xiulan's floor and that's just rude.
"I need to get the hell out of here, this is too much, just do the tattoo later!" Magnes moves to try and push Xiulan away, not caring if it screws up the tattooing process or not. "Fuck that white night bullshit! I'm gonna find him and kill him!" Apparently he has a dirty mouth when he's absolutely pissed off. "He cut your tongue out, he had you staying in a brothel, how stupid do you think I am?!"
Fortunately, the tattoo is already finished and Xiulan is quick to step out of the way before she can be pushed. She does, however, arch a brow at Magnes a faint frown tracing over her lips. Rather then address him, however, she glances over at Abby and offers. "If you would like I can call you a cab, Abigail? Or I am certain I could one of the dragons to run you home." It's an offer, at any rate.
"Idiot." A fierce, echoing snarl in the shadows, "This isn't about you, Magnes. Stop acting like it is."
She's not going to need a cab, she can get it herself, but angry magnes, stating he's going after logan. Most people, they see perky blonde, religious, harmless. She was raised in the woods, she's a damn good shot with a shotgun and she's no stranger after 2+ years of living in NY and working at the diner and the bar, of knowing how to grab a guy and push him against a wall (or drag him halfway over the bar for that matter) "Magnes J Varlane. He hurt me. He touched me. He cut off my tongue and had me shot" Her hands are wrapped around the front of his clothes, keeping him there against Xiulan's wall. "Stop it. Just.. blankety blank, just stop it. Stop being my white knight, like you promised. Stop swearing to avenge me, stop all of it. It's not going to help em. He raped me Magnes. Not in the physicial sense, but he touched me and he made use my gift or I would have been good as dead. So stop it. Stop saying your going to ask me out, stop trying to be my hero, stop trying to avenge me, because there's nothing to avenge. What's done is done. It's the Past. He'll get his, the good lord will see to it. Not Magnes J Varlane" Then jsut as quick as the blonde grabbed him, she lets him go, heading off for the door with tears in her eyes.
Magnes just stands there, listening, almost hyperventilating as small cracks start to form in the floor around the wheels of his skates. He just stares, face struck with horror and shock at every word, even the parts he already knows being repeated. "I'm sorry, I keep reminding you, even when I tried to hug you I reminded you, I'm sorry. I'm not mature enough to be near you, I can't keep hurting you like this and bringing memories back. Maybe it would be easier if I stayed away." he says as she's leaving, trying to move his legs so he can go out too, but he appears to be stuck where he's standing, shins and feet too heavy to lift.
Watching the exchange, despite the fact that she feels like she shouldn't be, Xiulan opts to remain silent. There are, after all, some situations where there is really nothing you can say that won't come out wrongly. So, instead of speaking, she picks up the hand mirror, the sketches and the drawings from the tattoo she had done earlier in the evening.
"I'll stop back in later," whispers the shadow as it slides across the back of Xiulan's shoulders briefly, down her side, across the floor in a flicker to lay claim to Abigail's own and ride it behind her as she storms teary-eyed for the door.
"I'm leaving, you're not gonna see me again, Xiulan. Abby won't either. I need to avoid her and her friends, it's for her own good." Magnes would be dramtically exiting, but he's still tugging at his legs, visibly struggling to move them, but the wheels won't even roll. Poor Xiulan's floor. "She's right, I am too immature, I just can't be her friend. I don't even care about being her boyfriend, I am I do, but not that much. I'm just not even fit to be her friend, I just keep hurting her! Fuck, move, legs, just move!" he yells down at his legs in frustration, tears starting to fall down to the floor as he hunches over, tugging his pants.
Sighing, Xiulan sets down the mirror and papers and crosses the room to stand a few feet from where Magnes is tugging on his feet. For a moment, she just watches him before shaking her head and folding her arms over her chest. "Has it occured to you, I wonder, to just take a deep breath and watch the people around you? People make mistakes, Magnes, all the time. You are no different in that regard." Pausing a beat, she shakes her head, drawing in a slow breath before speaking again. "You have to follow your own path and I will not try to stop you from doing so. I will, however, remind that Hiro has offered to talk with you. It might prove to be worth your while to do that before you write off everyone who cares about you."
"Abby's done with me, you saw what I did to her, you saw how she was when she left! I fucked up, I got selfish and wanted to get revenge because I felt bad, and now look, I probably messed her head up even more, she might have been feeling better!" Magnes can't seem to calm down, he can't get a grip, even the chain around his neck is starting to float weightlessly as his legs stay pinned to the floor. "She probably hates me now, and I don't blame her. Her friends are gonna hate me if they don't already, Isabelle, Huruma. And now you can see me, like this, you can see how I am, when I can't pretend to be brave and put together and in control. I don't even wanna think about Hiro right now.
The chain floats up and Xiulan arches a brow, her lips pursing mildly. "Are you listening to yourself, Magnes? Do you honestly think that Abby has it in her to hold a grudge against you? You had an arguement, people have arguements all the time. You went to far, it happens, Magnes. You got upset and you lost it for a bit. Well, stop now before it spirals out of reasonable control. Seriously, I cannot see Abigail hating anyone, let alone you. And frankly, the fact that she doesn't want you to run out and get yourself hurt means that she does care what happens to you." Unfolding her arms from her chest, she braces her hands on her hips and notes frankly. "Be the man you could be instead of the boy they think you are and you'll see a vast difference in how things turn out for you. But you have to choose the path you'll take. You can learn to be the protector," Pause. "The hero, you want to be. Or you can run off haphazardly into the night leaving the people who -do- care about you behind. You tell /me/ which is the cowardly choice."
Magnes frowns, just suddenly falling forward, weightlessly, moving to wrap his arms around her waist, sobbing lightly. "If Batman can cry, I can cry. I wanna do the right thing, whatever that is, but I just wanna close my eyes and forget for a few minutes…" If he does actually touch her, she won't become weightless, he's not in control right now… His power is being mostly unpredictable and mood-dependant. There's no embarrassment or awkwardness, he just wants comfort.
"It will be alright, Magnes," Xiulan reassures gently. Brushing a hand over his hair, she lets him vent his pain, her hand drifting down to lightly rub his back. "Just give yourself time to work it all out." And really, it's a good thing he's weightless, cause she just barely weighs ninty pounds herself.
Magnes takes a deep breath when she strokes his back, staying that way for a few moments, then his feet gently touch the floor and he stands up straight. "This is embarrassing, I don't have a shirt on…" he says with a light smile, wiping his eyes on his arm. His cheeks are red again, but he's far too beat to panic again.
"Pfft," Xiulan responds. "I do tattoos, Magnes, I see bare chests all day." Once he's safetly on his own feet, Xiulan smiles and gently pats his cheek before stepping away to get his shirt. "You have nothing to be embarassed about, at all." Extending the shirt to him, she waits until he takes before stepping over to her work station to pick up the half full cups of coffee. It is as she does, that she glances over her shoulder and adds gently. "Get in touch with Hiro? Promise me, please. At the very least, he can give you suggestions about learning self-defense and how to proceed in your chosen profession." And no, she does not mean pizza delivery.
"Why would Hiro teach me about delivering pizza?" Magnes didn't get the memo. He takes his shirt, pulling it over his head, then takes another deep breath when he sticks his arms out. "But I'll look for Hiro. Tell Abby I'm sorry, I am gonna stay away from her, if not for her own good, then for mine. I hate how I feel when I accidentally hurt her."
"Silly. I meant being a hero, not pizza delivery." Exhaling a quiet, Xiulan flashes a smile that fades in response to his last. "I will tell her you are sorry, Magnes. Give yourself some time to figure things out, work it out for you, before making any lasting decisions, okay?" Tossing the empty cups in the trash can, she starts getting things ready to lock up, the hour being as late as it is. "Maybe take some martial arts classes or something?"
"Maybe Hiro will teach me martial arts." Magnes suggests, then starts to slowly roll to the door. "I'm really sorry you had to get in the middle of this. It was probably a bad idea to call me here."
"Stop being sorry, Magnes." Honestly. Affording him a smile, Xiulan stretches as she follows him to the door. "And I am willing to bet that Hiro would be a splendid martial arts instructor. As for the rest, that's what friends do. They support each other even things are out of control. So relax, we're friends, that isn't going to change because a bad days happens."
Magnes grabs the door handle, looking over at Xiulan. "I was happy, my life was great before Logan came along, now everything's a mess, it's all ruined. I feel like being happy and relaxing and not having to worry every hour of the day is just a distant memory." He opens the door, looking up at the sky. "I feel like I died, and I can't face the few friends I made."
"Do not let that man do that to you or your friends, Magnes. Refuse to allow his evil to impact your life in that fashion and work on preparing yourself for being able to face such threats in the future." Holding the door in one hand and the frame in the other, Xiulan notes with quite reason. "He only has as much power to hurt you as you give him. So give him no more, he's not worth it."
"Maybe some parts of life can't be repaired, maybe they can, I don't know. Right now I just wanna forget." Magnes says as he crouches down, clearly getting ready to jump, despite all the people around.
"Just be careful and think things through," Xiulan advises. She doesn't atttempt to stop him from making his jump, he delivers his pizza that way after all. "Take some time, find Hiro." Drawing back a step, she waits for him to take off before closing the door and heading home for the night.
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