Vicious_Cycle (vicious_cycle) wrote,
@ 2013-01-08 00:28:00

The Spire is Hot
Normally, Nick's sacrilege only goes so far.
Some days, some things are just necessary.

He's been talking for a while with an individual in an otherwise empty church, aside from the occasional movements of the functionary keeping the place up and keeping an eye on things, who leave the pair to talk. Until the tall blond man rises and goes his own way, leaving Nick sitting alone in the open church, looking contemplative.

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	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 06:22 am UTC (link)
	Corey goes in churches sometimes, mostly to admire the artwork and architecture. So it's not a completely alien landscape as he tracks Nick down. He even finds his arms reflexively in the 'shrine hands' position. "Hey, man," he says quietly. "What's up?" (Reply to this)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 06:26 am UTC (link)
	Nick shrugs off whatever had him so thoughtful, giving Corey a reflexive, if slightly insincere grin. "I'm in a church. So odds are, the Apocalypse." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 06:35 am UTC (link)
	Corey smirks back, crossing his arms. "You know all that really means is 'the disclosure'." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 06:38 am UTC (link)
	"Never know. I take hellfire and brimstone very seriously." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 06:43 am UTC (link)
	"And we're sitting in here." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 06:49 am UTC (link)
	"I don't see the contradiction." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 06:50 am UTC (link)
	"I'm just a little confused as to the reason." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 06:53 am UTC (link)
	"Had to take a meeting, and in certain circles, sanctified ground is neutral territory. Its sort of like Highlander, with less swords." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 06:54 am UTC (link)
	"Was it serious? Should I tell Argo and the girls if something's up?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 06:59 am UTC (link)
	He shakes his head. "This isn't their kind of business. This was a heads up for the Rider. And I don't ever want Irina to see that kind of business again if it can be helped easily." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 07:02 am UTC (link)
	Corey swallows. "Right. Understandable. Um... if you don't mind my asking, Nick, who gives a heads-up to the Rider?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 07:04 am UTC (link)
	"In this case, an angel. They don't come around the mortal plane much, but they do, every now and then." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 07:15 am UTC (link)
	"Well, good for them for being professional." Pause. "I think." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 07:18 am UTC (link)
	"Very. Obviously, not many of them care for the Rider's tasks, but sometimes its necessary. But best if Zarathos has little to do with the business meetings." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 07:27 am UTC (link)
	Corey listened, and nodded. "So they're talking to you, not him ... and they're all business?" Corey frowned, then shook his head a little. "Sorry, never mind." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 07:29 am UTC (link)
	Nick nods. "You have nothing to be sorry about, other than probably not really wanting to know. But yes, they're talking to me." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 07:33 am UTC (link)
	Corey frowned again, then, softly, "Look, I hate to complain about people in their own house, and I know I take after the 'wrong' grandfather so this isn't my cosmology, but shouldn't it be somewhere in their job description that situations like yours don't happen?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 07:40 am UTC (link)
	"Pretty specifically isn't. My soul doesn't belong to anyone on their side of the fence, so they're not supposed to interfere with it." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

sandcastlegod
2013-01-08 07:50 am UTC (link)

"Yeah," Corey says, still whispering but still frowning. "But that's because somebody cheated when you were a baby. Sorry to get too personal, I just... I mean, if babies started getting earmarked for Tartarus, I think most of the gods worth having would do something. Argo in particular would probably do something incredibly stupid, but he'd try. What use are deities that won't even stand up to their opposite number and then feel comfortable just calling a meeting with the people who got screwed by it?"

A pause. A thought. Then, drily. "Dude. I totally out-sacrileged your being in a church."

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vicious_cycle
2013-01-08 07:58 am UTC (link)

Nick just smiles. No humor in it, but its there.

"You think there weren't babies sent to Tartarus? That most of your gods paid any attention until someone did something worthy of their attention, good or bad, or did something in large enough numbers as to limit their influence? My paternal sperm donor didn't make up what he did. It existed from ancient times... and old tales from all over the world are full of sacrifices, rituals... the value of the pure souls of children when put to dark purposes. Argo's heart is always in the right place - and that's admirable, and a great reason to follow him in preference to a lot of gods whose hearts aren't.

But tell me, honestly, what do you think his ratio is of having a good time... wine, women, song, all of the above solo or in combination to trying to right the injustices for all the children of New Orleans? Because there's a lot of them.

When people talk about acts of God... they usually mean hurricanes, earthquakes, dying of natural causes... because that's when people have been taught, since ancient times, that they're truly closest to the gods... or, you know, at least that the gods are paying attention.

The fact that he does good deeds when he is paying attention makes Argo better than most."

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 08:09 am UTC (link)
	Corery's quiet for a minute. He realizes Nick probably isn't wrong. And he supposes, therefore, he really had that coming. "Point taken." Pause. "You need anything, before you get on with... whatever the latest job is?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

vicious_cycle
2013-01-08 08:14 am UTC (link)

Nick wishes he was wrong.
Nick wishes he believed in happy endings.
Nick wishes he had any comfort for Corey. Or Anyone.
Nick wishes Irina had a father, instead of the thing she saw in Alexi's eyes.

Nick rarely gets what he wishes for.

"Yeah, let Irina and folks know I'll be out late. And if you cook, maybe keep something warm out for me?" Because its a very cold world he lives in - so they don't have to.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 08:16 am UTC (link)
	"'Kay. It'll be in the oven." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vicious_cycle 2013-01-08 08:20 am UTC (link)
	Nick stands, putting a hand on Corey's shoulder. "And... Corey... keep it up. You've got a good soul. And its because of people like you, not gods, not people like me, that things will get better." He's not sure if he believes it, but he wants to. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	sandcastlegod 2013-01-08 08:27 am UTC (link)
	Corey sets a hand on his arm, oldschoolishly, though not with anything even remotely approaching his usual cheerful enthusiasm. "Thanks, Nick. Good luck with your night." And he'll, being Corey, sort of nod politely to the statues as he leaves the church. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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