You're Heartsick and Soakin' Wet with Your Tongue Hangin' Out for Some Irish Rose

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

The River
Afternoon, Sunday 30 August

Rain. Wind.

The sky is tinged green.

I'm reminded of Éire. My land. My home. I wander into town, following the bank of the river. A smile touches my lips. A sad expression of nostalgia. Of longing and wanting and heartache. I've spent too much time in the form of man. I miss the power of being myself for long lengths of time.

My thoughts are broken by what is in front of me. A man who isn't a man. The Night Wind, as Lu called him. There's business with him that I haven't dealt with. That I've let fall by the wayside for other pursuits. For other things that right now feel as useless and worthless as colors to a blind man.

I stop a handful of meters away and simply stare at him, my rain-soaked shirt hangs heavy on my shoulders and water drips off the brim of the hat I wear.

Staring.

Now what?


[OPEN to Tez]

[CLOSED]

Comments

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

I've managed to clean Lucien's apartment up a bit after Lilith's little visit, but I reckon that blood's not ever coming out of the couch. Least I can do is replace the poor bastard's kettle, though. Need to get out, too - still feeling too large for my skin, for little rooms and human things. Drunk half a bottle of whiskey and I'm still not quite seeing the world through human eyes.

Finding it hard to regret a fucking minute of the other night. I haven't felt the need to sleep, and even drinking's seemed more habit than necessity. Every time I try to eat, all I can taste is his blood. And -

- and there's some guy standing there in the rain, staring at me and dripping. Hat but no coat, probably drunk or high from the look of him. And blocking the path.

Raise my eyebrows at him when he doesn't step out of the way. "Can I help you?"

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

He keeps walking towards me. Must figure I'll move out of the center of the path or off the path or just move. I don't.

"Can I help you?"

"T'was a shitty thing yeh did t'me friend not all that long ago, Night Wind."

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

"T'was a shitty thing yeh did t'me friend not all that long ago, Night Wind."

Odd harmonics in his voice, and I turn my head a little, look at him sidelong. From the corner of my eye I can see something shadowy crawling through him. You're not human, are you, my friend? And you know that I'm not.

Fucked if I'm going to let some entity with a grudge kill my good mood. "Which friend, which shitty thing? There's a few options." Say it cheerfully enough.

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

"Which friend, which shitty thing? There's a few options."

He's cheerful. And choices? You've been busy, haven't you?

"Li'l red-head school teacher. You an' a friend o' yours 'ad some fun with her behind the cafè."

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

"Li'l red-head school teacher. You an' a friend o' yours 'ad some fun with her behind the cafè."

Oh. Right. And that would make this Lucien's Liar God, the one with the paper. The one who's fucking with his woman, the one who got thugs on the lot burning tents down. Right. That changes things a bit, then.

"Remember her. Creamy tits, bit of a screamer. That the one?" Remember how Syl looked cutting on her, vicious and focused, how we fucked in the alley afterwards covered in my blood. "You're right, that was fun." Nothing against the girl now - done's done, and she learned her lesson - but this Lugh...him I have something against.

Give him a friendly enough smile. "Hear you've been having a bit of fun of that stripe with her yourself. So the doc tells me, anyway. And here I thought she was one of your own."

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

"Remember her. Creamy tits, bit of a screamer. That the one?" He knows who I am now. I can hear it in his voice. "You're right, that was fun." A muscle in my jaw tenses as he displays an almost-friendly grin. "Hear you've been having a bit of fun of that stripe with her yourself. So the doc tells me, anyway. And here I thought she was one of your own."

Shadow slides off me, stretching outward. No. It swirls angrily around me, wanting his blood. No. It settles but doesn't withdraw.

"A worshiper chooses t'worship 'owever she wants. Maybe her way's more intimate 'an what yours give yeh. An' what 'ave yeh got? That li'l witch with a blade? The painter?"

Haven't spoken to either of them but I've lurked the Carnival enough now to know who is who is what is who.

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

Oh, he doesn't like that. Boil of greyness around him, and his face goes hard. Well and good.

""A worshiper chooses t'worship 'owever she wants. Maybe her way's more intimate 'an what yours give yeh. An' what 'ave yeh got? That li'l witch with a blade? The painter?"

"What've I got?" My voice is slow, easy, deliberately provoking. "For chrissake, man, they're not trading cards. I'll trade you a schoolteacher for a painter.... And at least I don't take my fists to my own people. 'Threw her around like a ragdoll', I think he said. Something about 'almost dead', too.

"And Syl...Syl doesn't worship me. Not at all." More likely to find me on my knees to her, all told, than the other way around. Feel my smile turn lascivious around the edges.

Got to wonder how the hell he knows about Genny, though. Kaeli could've told him about Syl, but - oh, surely not Zann. No. Lilith, perhaps: she was fishing for information the other night.

"Intimacy, now...intimacy I get quite well elsewhere. As I'm sure you know."

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

Testing, poking, prodding, trying to get me to react react.

"What've I got? For chrissake, man, they're not trading cards. I'll trade you a schoolteacher for a painter.... And at least I don't take my fists to my own people. 'Threw her around like a ragdoll', I think he said. Something about 'almost dead', too."

"Sounds almost like a fair trade, but I think yeh'd not be able t'deal wit' Kaeli 'less yeh were two-on-one." I smile. Not nice. Not friendly. Full of shade.

"And Syl...Syl doesn't worship me. Not at all."

Not a worshiper... a lover? On his level? Like Kaeli is now, not how she was then. He doesn't know that. Won't let him in on that.

"Intimacy, now...intimacy I get quite well elsewhere. As I'm sure you know."

My smile turns smirk, all amused ha-ha. "Oh, I know all righ'. He came runnin' t'save the Carnival. Unfortunate, that. Had I known yeh'd been run out by your own, I'da not bothered 'em."

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

"Sounds almost like a fair trade, but I think yeh'd not be able t'deal wit' Kaeli 'less yeh were two-on-one."

Tilt my head back and look up at him - and it is up, he's a big bastard - and smile at his tone. Now, that's not very friendly, is it? And here we were having such a pleasant conversation.... Something roiling around him again, power rising. Flexing our muscles? I flash him a smile full of needle-slivers of obsidian. "You, on the other hand, managed to do her enough damage all on your own, didn't you?" I wonder why he's avoiding the subject. Shame? I rather hope so.

And now he's smirking at me: "Oh, I know all righ'. He came runnin' t'save the Carnival. Unfortunate, that. Had I known yeh'd been run out by your own, I'da not bothered 'em."

--He did? Well, Iblis, bless you for that, or some more appropriate sentiment. I'm sure you had your reasons, but - "I'll have to find a way to thank him for that." Leave it to Lugh to think about how. Don't touch the part about run out by your own, not now. More important is the fact that it was him, not some town thugs, him who set the fire, and if it wasn't for Iblis.... The irony there.

"And that's how you work, is it?" My voice has turned soft, curious. "Punishing the innocent, endangering those who've never hurt you or yours? There're families on the living lot, you know. Don't imagine you thought about that for a moment."

It's a human concern, perhaps, but more than anything else it brings that rush up my spine, the shimmer at the edge of my sight. Oh, be careful. A vicious little battle of words is one thing, but I'm not interested in fighting him now. Town on a Sunday afternoon, bad as the Saturday night midway.

Thank fuck I'm in a good mood. "So, now that you've got that off your chest, would you mind standing aside? I have a kettle to buy."

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

It's like a jab, sort of, maybe. But at the same time, it's a compliment to my strength, whether he knows it or not. The sting of guilt doesn't rise again. Not now. Not after reconciling with her.

"You, on the other hand, managed to do her enough damage all on your own, didn't you?"

"Oh, I certainly did."

"I'll have to find a way to thank him for that."

I laugh, harsh and blunt. Bowing to another being. How pathetic.

"And that's how you work, is it? Punishing the innocent, endangering those who've never hurt you or yours? There're families on the living lot, you know. Don't imagine you thought about that for a moment."

"Families an' innocents that went unharmed. Didn't even torch one o'the tents bein' occupied by a person. I was nah there t'endanger anyone. I was there t'send a message."

This god in front of me may not have answered it, but the answer I got was far more satisfying.

"So, now that you've got that off your chest, would you mind standing aside? I have a kettle to buy."

My head tilts to the side. My nose wrinkles. I sniff once. He doesn't want to fight, but not out of fear. Narrowly narrow my eyes to slits. Tongue licks my lips.

"Of course," I say softly and step off the path. "Carry on with your errands, housewife."

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I certainly did."

My lip curls a little at that, despite myself. Proud of damaging something so much more fragile than himself? Such petty little pride. Meat for Iblis, this one, I think, and soon.

He makes his excuses, and then... "Carry on with your errands, housewife."

I imagine that was meant to be an insult. Looking at the form he wears, looming over me, it doesn't surprise me. As if a woman were the worst thing that one could be.... Oh, Lugh, do you have so very little idea of who I am, for all your bravado?

"Housewife? Oh, not yet. We thought perhaps a Fall wedding would be...thematically appropriate. Did you want an invitation? I suspect he'll be somewhat precious over the seating plans, but I'm sure we can fit you in." Give him a smile, ripple and change, and damn, but he's tall when seen from Citlali's lesser height.

Tug my belt tighter, kick off my boots and pick them up. Ground's cold and wet, but it's worth it to make a point. "You take care, now."

[lugh-thecelt.livejournal.com]

He throws back amusement. Obviously, he thinks I'm a simple-minded god impressed with myself and with petty things. Sometimes, yes. Not usually, though, no.

"Housewife? Oh, not yet. We thought perhaps a Fall wedding would be...thematically appropriate. Did you want an invitation? I suspect he'll be somewhat precious over the seating plans, but I'm sure we can fit you in."

He changes to a she, smaller, frailer, but the sharpness of his teeth, the darkness surrounding him, all remains. It is still Tezcatlipoca there. He might be spreading his legs for the Prince of Lies but I see through it all just as easily. Making a point to me, no doubt about that.

"Doubt I'll be needin' one. Maybe yeh should put m'wife on the list, though. She's got a thin' for shite like that."

"You take care, now."

I flick my fingers against the brim of my cap and turn away from him, letting Shadow gather up around me and pull me down to its lands. I need to be free of this fucking mortality for a while.

[tezcatl-ipoca.livejournal.com]

"Doubt I'll be needin' one. Maybe yeh should put m'wife on the list, though. She's got a thin' for shite like that."

And with a swirl of that curious greyness he's gone. Blink for a moment at the space where he was - useful trick - and just quickly check behind me, remembering Gaueko. Fool me once....

No, he's quite gone. Now that *was* an interesting little exchange. I think I'll be looking up that redheaded teacher of his sometime soon, I surely do. And letting Syl know, too, that someone's talking off the lot - don't think she'll like news about her girls being spread around by townies. And one of them the newspaper man at that.

But my good mood's still with me, and I scarcely notice the wind and rain as I head on through town. Most interesting indeed.