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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/13/2017 4:54 AM

Oliver cracked an eye open when Leo began speaking, taking a survey of the other's reactions. None of them seemed to be even remotely concerned that Brian was on the phone with a literal hell spawn. Half demon. Whatever. Jay had informed him that Leo seemed like a nice enough dude, but he was hesitant to take that on its face. The Cardinal would be pissed just to know that he was considering associating with someone like Leo.

Brian held no such reservations, despite his shock. He leaned forward so that Leo could hear his voice over the tinny microphone. "Uh... Yeah, whatever you need." Oliver tried to signal him to say no in the rearview mirror. Brian met his eyes and then quickly averted his gaze, pretending that he hadn't seen. "We can meet you. Did you have any particular place in mind?"

Oliver thunked his head back against the seat and tried to remember that he'd taken a vow of non-violence.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/13/2017 5:03 AM

The voice over the phone was hesitant, but Brian didn't refuse him. Leo found that he was relieved, despite his lack of faith in how much they could really do for him. Anything was better than nothing, and he didn't like being so out of his element. He didn't like that he was relieved for what amounted to merely scraps of hope.

As for a place to meet... He ran his thumb along the edge of the smartphone, thinking. "Anywhere is fine, as long as it's confidential. Whatever works for you." Hopefully being on home ground would set them a little more at ease.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/13/2017 6:15 AM

Brian shifted around in the driver's seat until he was sitting the right way. "We can meet you at the park in about twenty minutes, if that's good with you?" It wasn't really the ideal meeting place in a professional sense, but it was the best he could offer. The park was normally devoid of life this time of day, with the majority of kids in school. They would at least have some semblance of privacy. They'd learned from experience that matters such as these weren't really ones that you discussed in a public setting.

Jay reached for Oliver's seat belt, prepared to help him with buckling it since his dominant hand had limited mobility. Oliver slapped him away. "I'm perfectly capable of buckling my own seatbelt, Joshua." He wrestled with it and tried not to feel bad over the kicked puppy look he received in return.

Brian started the van, turning off speakerphone and putting the device to his ear. The van turned over a few times before roaring to life. Oliver sent a betrayed look in his direction that he didn't even see.

"See you there."

Brian ended the call and pulled the van out into the street. "Are you really sure we should be going to help this guy, Brian?" Oliver felt guilty as soon as he said it. He'd taken an oath to help those in need, regardless of who they were. Jay and Lero's voucher should have been more than enough to assuage any doubt as towards the guy's motives. He fiddled with the white collar at his throat, but didn't take the question back.

"I don't know. He seemed like an okay dude. A bit stuck up but," Brian shrugged. "He's a lawyer." His eyes stayed pinned to the road. Somehow it didn't make Oliver feel any better. The rest of the drive was silent. When they pulled into the parking lot, Oliver struggled out of his seat. He heavily contemplated just leaving, but he couldn't make himself ditch the rest of the guys at the park. He leaned back agains the van and did his best not to seem as though he were going to hyperventilate.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/13/2017 6:36 AM

"I'll be there," said Leo. He was about to ask which park, specifically, but evidently he wasn't fast enough. Brian hung up before he could, leaving Leo to sigh over his own oversight.

The only logical solution available to him was to search for parks near the church they'd taken him to. There was no other significant geographical location he could tie them to. There were ways to GPS track a call, but the ones he knew required the call to be live, and at any rate were too expensive and time-consuming to consider.

... Or he could call them again. There was that. But he decided to search for the church anyway. It was mostly a pride thing, if he was being honest with himself. Somehow it felt like it would seem less stupid if he didn't immediately call them again.

Twenty minutes later saw his car parked at the lot in the park, and Leo seated on a picnic bench with a small package at his side. He was dressed down, though for him this mostly meant trading his suit jacket for a sweater and his slacks for a pair of jeans. The jeans were black. The effect wasn't really that much more casual. Still, he wasn't about to ruin his good clothes, and this was his second-least-favorite collared button-up. He'd considered wearing his absolute least favorite, but it had been a gift from his sister, and so thoroughly garish that he'd only ever worn it once, under blackmail.

The thought of his sister sobered him, and he scanned the road again for any sign of the van.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/14/2017 3:10 AM

Oliver was beginning to doubt whether Leo was actually going to show by the time Brian spotted the guy sitting at one of the picnic tables a little ways up. He sulked behind the others as they approached, tugging at the ends of his scarf. He didn't look up as they came to a halt in front of the table.

Jay and Frankie both slid into the seats on the opposite side from Leo. Brian remained standing, Bob a looming figure a ways behind him. Oliver stopped just to Brian's side, unwilling to get any closer and too prideful to hang back near Bob. He shoved the rosary in his coat pocket but kept it wrapped around his fingers.

Brian waved awkwardly in greeting. "How's it going?" It was possibly the most informally Oliver had ever heard him greet a prospective client. "You said you had something to discuss with us?" With any luck it wouldn't be a subpoena or a bill for damages. The last thing they needed on top of their failure to solve this case was a notice to appear in court.

Oliver shoved the toe of his shoe into the gravel. Thus far Leo hadn't tried to pull any kind of demonic voodoo bullshit - but they had only just arrived. Jay cast a concerned glance at him over his shoulder, doing something complicated with his eyebrows that conveyed his question of Oliver's wellbeing. The priest shook his head, an almost imperceptible movement that did more than enough to get his point across. He was fine. He just... didn't trust Leo's motives here.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/14/2017 3:41 AM

Leo had forgotten just how many of them there were. Not in the numerical sense, of course--- though it was true that last time, he hadn't really counted Oliver among their number because of the possession--- but he had underestimated how surrounded they could make him feel. He stiffened slightly as two of them took their seats, one on either side, realizing their intent too late to move himself to one end of the bench.

He reminded himself that it wasn't a confrontation. He was here to ask them for help, and thus far they'd been obliging.

"I've been fine. Thank you for agreeing to meet me so quickly," he said, smiling his bland professional smile. It was hard to muster up anything more at the moment. He had registered, again, the way the priest lingered behind, and his gaze swept over the rest of them more carefully now, searching their faces for something similar.

He had thought to give them the package first, a box of herbal medicine that his mother favored. He had learned a little more about the after-effects of possession these last three weeks, and the damage they wrought on the body. However, now he reconsidered, feeling it wouldn't be well received. Instead, he cut right to the chase.

"I contacted you because I have a friend involved with the cult," he said. "I don't know how exactly she got in touch with them, and I'm not absolutely certain she is involved, but if she is, I'd like to get her out." Taking out his phone, he flipped through his photo gallery to a picture of the two of them together. It had been new years; she had insisted on him taking her downtown to see the countdown. She had an arm around his neck, dragging him down, and it had been her taking the photo, grinning cheekily at the camera. Leo's face was caught in the moment when his look of surprise shifted into a frown of annoyance.

His own eyes lingered on her face a moment, before he turned the screen to them.

"Her name is Vivian, though it's possible she goes by aliases too. You haven't... seen her, have you?" It was too much to hope for, probably, but he couldn't help asking, all the same.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/14/2017 6:12 AM

Jay leaned forward, inspecting the woman in the picture. She didn't look particularly familiar. Frankie leaned in, peering at the photo over his shoulder before shaking his head. "Doesn't look familiar, no." Brian crowded in closer, trying to commit the face to memory, and Oliver followed - albeit reluctantly.

"You said this is a friend of yours?" Brian asked. "We haven't seen her around, but that doesn't mean she isn't involved. These guys are kind of notoriously difficult to track down." He moved so that Oliver wasn't pressing so tightly against his side, giving him a strange look. Oliver fiddled with his scarf a little more, pulling the ends down and then moving to his throat to loosen it. The crisp white of his clerical collar peaked over the soft knitted fabric for just a moment before the scarf was pulled tighter against his neck once more. He really ought to be more helpful here.

His voice was high and nervous when he managed to speak. "What makes you think she may be involved?" He finally pulled his gaze from the dirt, daring to look up at Leo from across the table.  He looked so normal - like someone he may pass in a grocery store, or at his favorite coffee shop. If Leo could disguise himself so easily, then who was Oliver to say he wasn't constantly surrounded by demons? His grip tightened on the end of his scarf, fingernails digging into the palm of his hand. He felt a little light-headed all of the sudden, but he tried to press through it. It wasn't Leo's fault, he seemed like a nice enough guy. He was concerned for his friend, and he'd reached out to them for help. He hadn't been waiting to ambush them and hijack his consciousness, he was legitimately concerned. Guilt began crawling along his insides, adding to his discomfort.

How was he supposed to help anyone at all like this? He was weak, too easily influenced and taken over. He was a monster dressed as a priest, harming his friends and lashing out with his words. No amount of prayer could earn him forgiveness for the way he'd spoken to them, and nothing could wash out the taint of being invaded by something so vile as whatever being had possessed him. Even now he felt cold inside. He wasn't even sure if he qualified as a priest anymore. He did at least owe it to Leo, as someone seeking help, to listen to his case. Preconceived notions about someone's worthiness were precisely what he'd been trained not to have in the seminary.

"Has she been acting strangely, or something? Hanging out with a weird crowd?" He kind of felt like he needed to sit down, but sitting down meant getting closer to Leo, and he didn't know if he was strong enough to bridge that sort of gap. It was circular thinking; holding such thoughts made him feel even more guilty, which made his insides turn and made him want to sit down even more, which caused his fearful instinct to act up.  He itched at the edges of his cast and just prayed he wasn't coming off as rude.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/14/2017 7:07 AM

"Yeah, a friend," said Leo. He was reluctant to introduce Vivi as his sister for a lot of reasons, but chief among them was the fact that it would obviously mark her out as a half-demon too, and he didn't know how willing they'd be to help someone in the cult if they were known to have infernal heritage. Maybe they would have considered that sufficiently damning grounds, and told him there was nothing for it but to... exorcise her, or whatever it was they did.

He wanted Vivi out, not dead. If the truth came out later, he'd address it then. For now, he put his phone away and focused on answering their questions.

"Strange, huh?" He smiled a little, though there was nothing funny about it. "That's... a good word for it. Actually, I recognized one of the cultists who attacked the office, though it took me a while to figure out why." He shoved his hands in his pockets, deliberately staring off to the side, away from everyone. The empty park had nothing to offer him. "Vivi dated him for a little bit, if you could call it dating." Almost involuntarily, his nose scrunched up in a grimace at the memory. "And since then, she's been going for guys she never would've looked at before. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I don't think it's a coincidence."

He made the mistake of looking up at Oliver then, and immediately regretted it. Oliver looked like he was going to be sick. Leo frowned, caught between concern and his own defensive unease. "I could... try and consult someone else, if that would make it easier," he said. "If you could refer me to anyone, I'd appreciate it."
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/14/2017 7:53 AM

Oliver nodded along, though really he was only half listening. The majority of his effort was being expended in remaining upright and not throwing up over Brian's shoes. He couldn't recall if he'd ever felt this terrible save for the moment he'd woken up in the chapel three weeks ago. Perhaps it was just a fortnight of poor nutrition and lack of sleep combining with his shitty body trying to recover from a stressful encounter. More likely it was his culpability compounding the issue. He felt achey and sick and he just wanted to go home, but they closest they had at the moment was their shitty van parked across the park, and he kind of missed having his own place where Jay couldn't barge in right when he'd finally managed to fall asleep.

Hopefully Brian would be willing to fill him in on the details later. He seemed much more intrigued now that he was aware of a connection with the case they'd been slowly losing hair over for the past couple of weeks. He picked up easily where Oliver left off, eager to pursue the lead.

"There's a few things we'd need to know before we'd take the case, of course." Brian talked with his hands, and Oliver was just a little jealous of how much energy Brian seemed to have. "The last place you saw her with one of these guys would be helpful, as well as anything that they may have said that indicated a possible meeting place. Suspecting involvement doesn't really do a lot when we don't have any way to track her down, so I'm not entirely sure if we would be of any help if-"

Oliver cut him off, distinctly pale but speaking with much more conviction than he'd held previously. "We'll do it." The others turned to him, surprised by his eagerness to agree without more information. Normally Oliver was a very detail oriented person when it came to these things. "We'll help you get your friend out." He was just so.... tired of feeling as though he needed to make things up to everyone he'd come into contact with over the past month. Anything to feel even a little less weight pressing down on him seemed a godsend.

"Okaaaay." Brian eyed Oliver over, wrapping a hand around the elbow of his good arm when he noticed him swaying just a bit. He kept it there, letting the priest lean into him just a little as he spoke. "I guess the main question then is just where you think she may be? We can try and tail her around and see who all she's talking to and where she's going and get back to you."
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/15/2017 1:13 AM

Leo watched Oliver, the furrow between his brows deepening, until he finally made a decision and offered the box he'd been keeping at his side. "This is for you," he said. "It's Chinese herbal medicine. It's supposed to help with fatigue and healing. I thought it might help." Oliver looked like he needed all the help he could get at the moment.

All that aside, he nodded slowly as Brian spoke. "Of course," he said. They hadn't refused him, which was frankly more than he was hoping for at this point, and what he said made sense. He was just thinking about what was safe to say when Oliver broke in and agreed to take the job. Leo's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't say anything; he wasn't stupid enough to question someone who was steering things his way.

He rocked forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees and letting his wrists hang limp. "I don't know where she is now," he said, "but I can probably track her down later today. I'll give you a call, but on one condition." His eyes snapped up to meet Brian's, since he seemed to be the one in charge thus far. "I want to go with you, when you tail her. I need to make sure she doesn't get hurt."
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/15/2017 7:23 AM

Oliver hesitated, shifting back and forth for a moment before reaching out with trembling hands. It was rude to reject a gift, his mother had taught him that much. It really had been a nice gesture - well thought out and with a clear intent to give it to Oliver specifically. His fingers closed around the package and he stood, stunned for a breathless moment before the realization that he'd been wrong to assume Leo's intent folded around him. The simmering guilt broiled against his ribs, charring his insides and leaving a sour taste in the back of his throat.

"Thank you." He said, sincere if not a little pitchy. He pulled the package close to his chest in a mirror of their first legitimate meeting, though it was less out of defense and more of a lack of anything else to do with it at the moment. Brian's hand closed once more around his elbow, tight enough to hurt. Oliver wasn't sure if he was just trying to be supportive in his mediocre way or if he was simply unaware of his own strength.

Brian exchanged glances with the rest of the party - one which Oliver didn't deign to bother meeting. He was more than aware of the man's thought process; they'd never allowed civilians to accompany them on their outings. It was dangerous, as clearly evidenced by Oliver's broken shoulder and the ever increasing amounts of property damage left in their wake. They weren't precisely the most practical of companions.

However, this was an unprecedented circumstance. Leo was only casually flirting with the line between civilian bystander and inevitable involvement. It seemed unlikely he would release any more details unless they agreed to allow him to tag along. Leo was at least nominally useful, if his display in the office had been any indication. He could be their only chance to put this matter to rest. Oliver could tell Brian would cave without looking at him, so he didn't bother. If Leo wanted to risk his safety over this friend of his, then that was on his own conscious.

The lawyer must have cared a great deal for the girl, Oliver thought. There was quite a difference in saying that you would risk your life and safety for another person and actually going through with it. Perhaps it was his girlfriend. The priest was forcibly reminded of being tied down in the van, his own voice and thoughts but not his own words as they claimed an interest in Leo's body. His own dirty secret lain out for anyone to hear disguised under the silken tongue of a demon - and he hadn't been able to deny it. He hoped that Leo hadn't taken it to heart; particularly given that he was likely seeing someone. A heady sprinkling of embarrassment topped the cocktail of his emotions, a bitter elixir of reality.  His cheeks colored in stark contrast to the pallor of his cheeks. With any luck it would be written off as the cold. He shouldn't have to be embarrassed over this; who he would figuratively have relations with when he was incapable of having those relations was as pointless a conversation as any, and a pretty face did not necessarily mean a trustworthy one. Even if it did come bearing gifts.

His own inner monologue stilled as Brian spoke. "We can take you with us, but know it may be a little... dangerous." He relented, just as Oliver had guessed he would. "We'll try to get her out without anyone getting hurt, but there's only so much control we have here." Ever the business man, he offered his hand out for Leo to shake - sealing the deal. "I guess you'll be giving us a call?"
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/15/2017 7:57 AM

Leo's smile was mostly tired, but there was something a little wolfish in it this time, something almost dangerous behind his eyes. "I figured," he said. "I've been practicing, actually." The smile disappeared as quickly as it had come, however, replaced by a more sober expression. "Though I have to admit, I hope it won't come to that. At any rate, I won't slow you down." Not unless his sister's safety was involved, anyway.

But these people were, at the end of the day, still just a means to an end. He bore them no ill will, and he was thankful for their help, but he didn't know them. He knew Vivi. And he knew that she didn't know what she was getting herself into, though of course she would never admit it, maybe even to herself.

Leo searched their faces one last time before he took Brian's hand, though he didn't really know what he was looking for. The only thing he came away with was the fact that Oliver was starting to look sick again, possibly with the beginnings of a fever. Leo's heart went out to him, but it wasn't his place to do more than he had already done.

He shook Brian's hand firmly. "I'll let you know," he said.




Vivi came home at around five in the afternoon, and from the speed she was moving, she expected to immediately be out again.

Leo leaned back so he could see her as she ditched her shoes by the door. "Not staying for dinner?" he asked. He flipped the stir-fry he had going in his pan, stirring with the cooking chopsticks to make sure it wouldn't burn. "I thought we'd eat together today. I made your favorite." The braised duck sat in an earthenware pot on the table already.

Vivi didn't even look up. "No," she said. "Can't. I have a party to go to." Translation: she just came home to get changed, maybe take a shower, and also, who ate dinner at home with their baby brother anymore anyway? He was probably cramping her style.

If Leo hadn't half expected this, he might have felt worse about it. As it was, it was a shame that everything was going to go cold an turn into leftovers, but he'd made it as much to throw off her suspicions as anything. Cooking a full dinner on a day he expected to go out tailing her was pretty excessive, even if he was unemployed these days.

For now, he had to play the part of the sullen sibling. "Oh yeah?" he said. "Is Howard going to be there?" Howard was the name of her latest 'catch'. "Or how about John? Or what's-his-name--- Vernon?"

"Shut up, Zhu-zhu," she said, which meant, yes, of course, why would she be going if they weren't going to be there?

Well. That was a start.

He finished the stir-fry, plated it, and set it on the table. While Vivi swapped one outfit for another, he fixed his gaze on the spread before him: egg drop soup, the braised duck, a vegetable stir-fry, stewed eggplant. He sat down on one of the two chairs he'd set out, and helped himself to a bite of rice.

Vivi eyed him as she came out of her room, and he raised an eyebrow at her, inclining his head towards the feast. She rolled her eyes, slipped on a pair of heels, and sauntered out the door.

He waited thirty seconds, listening for any sign of her coming back. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed Brian again. "It's Leo," he said. "Vivi just left her house. I think she's going to meet them. I'll stay on the line; do you think you can track my coordinates?"
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 10/16/2017 11:28 PM

Oliver shivered as something predatory lit in Leo's eyes. His own gaze quickly met the dirt once more, suddenly rather fascinated with his shoes. There was an animalistic intent in the other man's smile that made him nervous, instinct telling him to flea before the carnage. Hardly an option in this instance. He held the package over his chest like a shield, though he doubted it would protect him. And no harm was being threatened in his direction anyway, right? They were on the same side however temporarily.

Their deal made, they said their goodbyes and piled themselves back into the van. Oliver flopped down in his seat at the back, curling himself up against the window and placing an open book in his lap so that people would leave him alone.

---


"I think you should stay here tonight." Jay settled onto the bed they were sharing, his sprawling limbs threatening to push Oliver's books off the edges. Oliver was apt to agree with him.He wasn't particularly useful in his current condition unless someone needed to have the Last Rites prayed over them - and he sincerely hoped it never came to that. He was nonviolent, both in nature and through profession, so if it ended in a fight he what would he ever do?

He was beginning to come to the conclusion that he actually may not have been useful even before he got them wound up in this mess. His moral compass strongly disapproved of the idea of sticking around at the ratty hotel in favor of his own safety. His friends were risking a lot to finish what was really his job. The church wasn't exactly paying anyone else's bills.

"You know I can't do that." He replied at last. Oliver rubbed at his face with his good hand. He was feeling a little better physically; despite nearly the entire group's protest and his own better judgement, the concept of relief had been too tempting. He was weak willed. He had snuck into the bathroom in the lobby while Brian had haggled for their rooms and opened the box that Leo had gifted. The priest had fought hard with his own paranoia for long enough that Jay had come knocking on the door, but in the end decided to take the medicine and hope for the best. Whatever long term effects it may have were yet to be seen, but his headache had faded to a dull throb at the base of his skull. His stomach had settled for now - though it still threatened to rebel any time he looked anyone in the face for too long.

"Why not? You haven't taken a day off that didn't involve hospitalization in years. Surely you've racked up a few Vatican Vacation Points."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "It doesn't work like that." He said, exasperated. He pointedly flipped to the next page of his Bible and wished that Jay would get the message.

"What, you don't get like, brownie points for saving souls? You really think they'd mind if you needed a little time to recover from almost dying?" Jay pushed the book back down, demanding his attention. Oliver scowled.

"Just... Fuck off, alright? I'm trying to read. Go bother Frankie." He shoved at Jay's hands until he could pull the tome up in front his face. Jay stared him down, but eventually gave to his demands and left the room to go find the others.

---


Brian had the most annoying ringtone on the face of the planet. Oliver groaned, shoving his head beneath the pillows and trying to doze back off. When no one grabbed for it despite his muffled yells to get the phone, he sat up and peered around to find that he was still alone. Brian's smartphone was lit up on its charger across the room, jingling out some god awful noise.

Oliver huffed and mourned his fitful sleep as he fell out of bed to answer. "Hello?" His voice was sleep addled. Having neglected to check the caller ID, he was unrightfully shocked to hear Leo on the other end. He froze, unsure how to proceed with the situation and not awake enough to consider it properly. "Leo? Uhm... Yeah, I think I can do that, just... hang on a minute."

He tried to smooth out the wrinkles in his slept-in shirt as he shoved his feet in his shoes. Swinging the door open, he was relieved to find the others on the other side of it. Brian stilled with the key card still raised, clearly surprised by Oliver's sudden appearance.

Oliver threw the phone into Brian's outstretched hand. "Here's Leo, he wants you to track his location." He squeaked. His heart beat rapid fire in his chest. This much adrenaline over a phone call?

"How the hell am I supposed to-"

Lero interrupted them. "I can do that!" The group turned as one to look at him. "What? I lose my phone a lot, okay? Gimme." He grabbed the phone from Brian and pulled up the call settings menu, fiddling with parameters until he seemed satisfied. "Got him."

Frankie raised the phone to his ear. "Leo? Hey, we got you and we're headed that way." He elbowed his way through the others and moved towards the lobby. "Are you losers coming or am I gonna have to bash some heads by myself?" He called behind him.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby crow » 10/22/2017 7:45 AM

Leo had expected Brian. What he hadn't expected was the low, sleepy voice he heard on the other end of the line. For a moment he stopped, moving the phone away from his ear so he could stare at the screen. Yes, this was the number he'd dialed before. What...?

But then Oliver spoke his name, and Leo recognized who it was. The realization made him wonder at Oliver's health, but he forced the thought aside. That was a consideration for another time; his sister was getting away, and he had to follow if he didn't want to lose her. To that end, he focused on picking her out as he emerged from the door of their building, onto the street. It was busy, being just a little past rush hour proper in the heart of the city, but fortunately Leo was tall enough, and he knew his target well.

There was some sort of commotion audible through the phone, but it was too indistinct for him to pay much attention to it. Dodging his way through the other pedestrians while keeping an eye on Vivi was already enough of a task in its own right. Fortunately she wasn't walking very quickly, and he was able to fall into step with the foot traffic. After a couple of blocks, she greeted a man standing outside a bar, who embraced her with open arms. He was tall, balding and paunchy, and his hands traveled a bit too low on Vivi's back when they hugged, but that was to be expected. Leo had learned early on that defending his sister's honor was both an unwanted and a futile endeavor.

The complication arose when he led her into a car. Cursing under his breath, Leo hailed down the nearest cab he could, shoving a tourist couple out of the way to get to it. Not something he would have done under normal circumstances, but these weren't exactly normal circumstances.

"Follow the car--- that one there, the black one," he said to the driver. The woman gave him an odd look, but did as he asked, so he ignored her in favor of focusing back on the call. "Alright," he said. "She got into a car with someone, and I'm following them now. If you can't keep up while you're driving, wait until my signal stops moving, and meet me there." He felt something tight clenching in his gut. He didn't like this--- not knowing where he was going, or what he'd do when he got there. But worrying about it wasn't going to do him any good either, so all he could do was wait and see what happened.
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Re: Thoughts That Breathe [L]

Postby Night » 11/24/2017 7:24 AM

Brian drove, the rest of them piling into the van with Frankie in the passenger seat. Oliver leaned himself into the cool glass of the window and ignored the general chatter of the van as they followed Leo's signal. He drew his legs up against his chest, resting his chin on his knees and staring out at the blurred scenery. Their hotel was on the outskirts of town - the only place they'd been able to easily afford given they were running on one person's salary and the charity of anyone that wanted to pay them for their assistance. The priest took some comfort in knowing that they may not even get there in time to be of any aid to whatever it was that Leo may have had planned.

The memory of Leo's raptorial grin made him shiver. A lecherous voice, one he'd become far too accustomed to hearing, asked him whether it was fear or anticipation. You'd like to have that look turned on you, wouldn't you? It breathed, ghosting against his thoughts and making him squeeze his eyes shut against it. It was a silly thing to think, particularly given that he didn't know Leo whatsoever and the look had been decidedly not sexy. Then there was the whole infernal being bit, which was definitely something that he was none-too-keen on. He couldn't help that the guy was attractive, though he could certainly shove the intrusive reminder into the darkest part of his mind and slam the door closed behind it.

Jay elbowed him and quirked one of his perfectly manicured eyebrows towards his hairline in question. Oliver forced his eyes open to look at him. "Everything alright, dude? You're really quiet." Jay pitched his voice low enough that the others likely couldn't hear. Oliver drew his legs tighter to his chest, wincing at the awkward way they pressed against the cast-bound arm cradled there.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine, I'm just... tired." He was reaching for an excuse, but anything was better than bringing up the direction his thoughts had turned. Some things just didn't necessitate discussion, and his convoluted sex life or lack thereof was definitely one of them. There were far more important things to be concerned over, and his fickle mental state was honestly the least of their problems. Jay hummed, rubbing a hand along the top of his back in what was likely supposed to be a comforting motion. It hardly worked, but Oliver did appreciate the thought - even if it made him feel worse about lying to his brother.

"Left here, and then I think he may have come to a stop." Lero pointed out a slim street mostly hidden from view by the trees lining it on either side. Brian parked the car a block or so down, both to preserve secrecy and because there was simply no where else to go - there were a phenomenal amount of vehicles packed into a relatively small and quiet neighborhood. Oliver struggled with his seatbelt, hoping to prolong the inevitable, but Lero leaned over and yanked it around his cast and he had no choice but to spill himself out onto the pavement.

"Where is Leo?" Brian shut the driver's side door as quietly as he could manage, shoving his hip into it to get it to latch.
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