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Post by Miss Jack on Feb 11, 2009 1:56:40 GMT -5
He rolled his eyes under the shadow of his hat. "Joy," he corrected, only a hint of impatience coming through his voice, "Not Hope."
A familiar heat --the intense disliking of Nightmares and their arrogant, ignorant attitudes-- pricked his lower spine, but he ignored it.
"I'll match whatever fear you bring in. Considering your current exports... it won't be hard." His demeanor had grown increasingly colder the longer the two bickered. It was annoying him.
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Post by Princess Katie on Feb 12, 2009 0:25:24 GMT -5
Cherry wanted to say 'There is a difference between maintaining a buzz from morning to night every day of your life and getting slobbering drunk in the morning and stumbling through the rest of the day. I do the prior, which is far better because I can still function like the average Nightmare and it keeps me from going homicidal or manic-depressive and reaching for harder drugs than tobbaccy and liquor.'
So instead she glared and said nothing and refilled and re-emptied her glass.
After sucking air through her teeth to combat the burn of the whiskey, Cherry asked, "So we should 'spect yas soon, then?"
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Post by Jules on Feb 12, 2009 0:33:36 GMT -5
Cal's eyes flashed dangerously and he put the jar down on the bar. "And yet I'm filthy rich." He grinned. "And I wouldn't be so sure. The first few times, it's easy, but it does start to wear. I do fine, but I can hardly expect that of someone else. Don't kill yourself."
No one could pull off condescending schmuck quite like Calcifer.
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 1, 2009 22:50:43 GMT -5
Beneath the coverage of his bandanna, Donovan's scarred lips twitched in amusement as Cherry downed another glass in direct response to Calcifer's comment.
His gaze shifted to the devil incarnate in question, not very amused. "I'll be sure and pace myself," he replied coldly.
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Post by Jules on Mar 1, 2009 23:32:56 GMT -5
"Grand."
He just barely stopped himself from clapping Donovan on the back. He might not be frightened of the Dream, but he didn't want to piss their supplier off. He was about to say something else when he was cut off by an explosion of glitter.
Camilla was not looking her normal self, but in a entrance like that it hardly mattered. She came to Cherry first, smiling at the woman and asking after her wellbeing demurely before spinning to face Donovan. "And I assume you're James Donovan, hmm?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 1, 2009 23:41:31 GMT -5
Donovan blinked, stunned into actually showing his surprise at her (literally) explosive arrival. He gave the glitter on his sleeve a look of utter distaste before brushing it off.
Glancing back at her, debating on the merits of honesty at the moment, he at last replied, "I am."
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Post by Princess Katie on Mar 1, 2009 23:57:40 GMT -5
Cherry jumped a little, but got a hold of herself rather quickly. The alcohol really took the edge off; things were much easier to take with that extra cushion.
"Oh, hi Camilla," she greeted, wiggling a few fingers in her direction. "You just got glitter all over my bar." It was an angerless accusation. But still. Someone was going to have to clean this up.
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Post by Jules on Mar 2, 2009 0:17:30 GMT -5
His identity confirmed, slapped him clean across the face. "You selfish little prick. People are dying out there, children, little babies who need Joy there parents can't provide and you were hoping to make a quick buck off of people's horrid situation?" She turned to Calcifer and Cherry, "You're just lucky I'm not desperate for fear." Focusing on James again, she continued her tirade.
"I'm one of the few Dreams who can still make it through and I hear you are too and how dare you deprive people. If it's money you want, I'll give it to you, you sick bastard, but you'll work hard and squeeze every last ounce of energy from your being into keeping the needy alive because so help me if you don't I will make sure your life is a living hell. Mark my words."
Even Calicifer didn't say anything, edging a little away from the woman he might've found attractive if she wasn't so scary.
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 2, 2009 0:39:30 GMT -5
A shot of white-hot, electric pain exploded across his face as the woman's hand connected with his old wound. His own fingers automatically shot up to press against the bandanna, panicked she might have ripped it loose, but it stayed in place. Ignoring the throbbing ache rippling through every cell of the snarled flesh on his cheek, he raised his eyes to meet hers, his entire body quivering with rage. The breath he took was heavy and rattled against the muffling coverage of the bandanna.
He didn't say anything, though, he even appeared to listen to what she had to say, his eyes flat and the atmosphere around him chilly and hateful. By the end of her speech, he had regained his composure.
Mark my words.
He stared at her after she'd finished, one eyebrow lifting. And then, realization clicked. "Jasper Grey, that bastard." It was spoken without any true malice however. Those who shed blood together were never truly enemies.
"Are you threatening me into doing charity?" he asked, with the barest hint of amusement.
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Post by Princess Katie on Mar 2, 2009 0:49:36 GMT -5
Cherry grinned. She knew she liked Camilla for a reason. "Owww, get it Cammie," she cat-called from behind the bar, even though she was causing the Straight and Narrow to lose a lot of her income.
She would've been threatened, except even if they were having a Fear shortage, there would've been nothing that Cherry could have done about it. It's not like she was actually collecting any fear, as Calcifer was more than eager to remind her.
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Post by Jules on Mar 2, 2009 0:53:10 GMT -5
"Yes. And if you don't I promise I will explode with glitter all over you at the most inopportune moments until you die of shame for being known as "That man who's always glittering." It may have been the first time Camilla ever tried to use the embarrassment of her glitter to her advantage.
"You'll work with me at the hospital, I'll pay you if I must, but maybe I'm just mistaken about you being absolute scum."
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 2, 2009 1:05:20 GMT -5
His chin lifted slightly. "You're not mistaken. And I don't come cheap."
Which was, in a round about way, an agreement to do as she asked. It wasn't really that he was that scared of getting glitter on him-- though it would be unpleasant, but it did feel stupid to gather all this joy and not use it. By the time the famine was over, he'd probably have a nice little nest egg.
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Post by Jules on Mar 2, 2009 1:17:25 GMT -5
****
Having said her goodbyes to Cherry and a cold farewell to Calcifer, Camilla had poofed James and herself to the hospital. The waiting room, as always, was packed to the brim with hungry Dreams and Nightmares, while nurses and volunteers alike moved through them, doling out what they could.
Camilla slipped out her vial to reinfect herself. Although she missed Jasper like a amputated limb, she'd been avoiding him since she was taking even worse care of herself before he'd made her rest for a day and she didn't want to deal with his anger.
"I've been feeding the Dream population on my own." She said, with more than an hint of an edge to her voice. "Your help will do a lot, paid for or not."
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Post by Miss Jack on Mar 2, 2009 1:22:38 GMT -5
"Whatever," he replied curtly. The service he provided, the good part of his actions, held little interest to him. It was so crowded. He felt himself start to panic, but he curbed his unease and forced himself to follow her, though every limb was as rigid as stone. He unconsciously touched the edge of his bandanna.
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Post by Princess Katie on Mar 2, 2009 1:39:39 GMT -5
Everyone had a little hobby, a little security blanket that kept them sane during times of high-stress. Her mother prevented herself from going homicidal through extra-hot bubble baths and expensive champagne. Aunt Illie stress-baked enough pies to feed all of urban Chimera in times like this. Genevieve had nothing. When she got too stressed to lose herself in a book, she had nothing. When she was stressed, all she could do was think about the thing that was causing her stress: in this case, her inability to help. She was the princess of the whole damn Isle, but all she could do was take up a portion of their food supplies. She was definitely not missing any Fear, indeed, she had pretty much first choice on it. She was living in the lap of luxury in a time of national crisis, and was not able to contribute a scrap of anything to her people, and it was killing her.
So she decided, if her people could not eat, she would not either. Well, not more than absolutely necessary. Of course, she had to start taking her meals in private, since her parents could not find out about her little hunger strike. She ferreted most of her rations away, under her bed, and until quite recently, she had been doing a rather good job hiding that she was starving herself. It had become necessary to wear more makeup than usual since her skin and hair had started loosing most of its natural luster. The worst part was trying to hide her obvious lack of energy from her family; after all, just a simple walk up a flight of stairs winded her nowadays.
But it was worth it, she reminded herself, as she hauled (with much difficulty) all her saved Fear out of the carriage and into the hospital. “Hello, Camilla!” Genn called, navigating her way through the crowded waiting room. “Alex was going to bring this today, but I told him I was going to come over here to volunteer, so I’d bring it for him.” She smiled charmingly and tried to put the box of jars on the table, but she did not have enough strength to do so. Shitshitshit. Genn took a deep breath and tried again. She made it, but only barely. Quickly, to try and distract Camilla, she asked, “So, what can I do ‘round here?”
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