<> <> * Vera doesn't think that. She thinks Vera would be a much better name, although maybe it's better suited to the mafia. Anyhow, she comes in dressed like she always is. * Rochelle is on the fourth floor, as is her wont, and people are passed out, as is their wont. She's very good at providing blissful drunken comas. * Vera finds the bar and takes a seat. "Yo," she says as she lights up a cigarette. * Rochelle doesn't seem particularly surprised. Does she ever? "Hey Vera." Today's outfit consists of a short black skirt, high boots with zippers, and a kind of shimmery, translucent long-sleeved shirt with a tighter, black halter top underneath. She must have painted her nails at some point, too, as they're red now. Fun night? * Rochelle shrugs. "Fun as ever. Want somethin'?" Nah. I wanna go home conscious tonight. * Rochelle snerks, faintly. "Something light, then?" Scotch on the rocks. 'S light enough. * Rochelle nods and deftly mixes that for Vera, setting it before her. She's been getting better. * Vera drinks it straight down. * Rochelle watches and doesn't raise an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't wanna pass out." 'S just one shot. I'll be fine. Okay. * Rochelle takes the glass from Vera and goes about cleaning it, since she drank the whole thing. ( I'm assuming it was a shot glass ^^ ) (Well, yes. She didn't give you a whole mug. ;P) So, uh... Got some stuff to say. You didn't come here for the drinking. Go ahead. * Vera puts out her cigarette in a nearby ashtray and folds her hands under her chin. "It's about Deme. And Edward." Yeah? What about them? * Rochelle puts the glass away. Deme doesn't want Edward along. I think that was pretty obvious, but still. * Rochelle nods. "I know." Right. So I'm sure Deme would hate me if she knew I was here talking about this for her, but he shouldn't come along. If you care about that, she doesn't have to know. I won't tell. * Rochelle walks over and leans on the counter, looking directly at Vera. "And why not?" Because Deme doesn't want him along. * Rochelle shrugs. "All right." * Vera blinks. "Huh. You seemed adamant about him coming, before." That's 'cause I am. Still am. But if she doesn't want him to come, I don't need to come, too. It's pretty easy. Hang on a sec. * Rochelle goes to another part of the bar to mix a drink for a fourty-something who looks like he's crying. * Vera leans back. "It's not that easy." * Rochelle returns and blinks at Vera. "What?" Here's what's going to happen. I'll say Edward should stay behind. Deme will agree with me. You'll say you'll stay behind. Kat will do whatever it takes to get you to come. Likely, Thren and Ian will try to help her, maybe Roy too. Either you'll break down and come or Kat will say if you're not going, she's not either, and then nobody will. Bottom line is, it's not going to be good for Deme. Then what's good for Deme? You tell me, 'cause I must not get it. Deme said it herself, after you took off: She needs to do this on her own. Then let her do it on her own. You're not letting her. If you were, you'd leave Edward behind. * Rochelle shakes her head. I'll tell ya a secret, Vera. Mm? * Rochelle leans forward, on the counter, and says, almost conspirationally, "I don't care. I spent my whole damn life not caring, and I don't really wanna start now." I tried doing something nice, you know? I actually tried a couple times, for her. Oh, is that all. But you do. * Vera looks up at the ceiling. "Yeah." * Vera looks back down. "Yeah, I do." There's nothing wrong with it. Most people care about stuff. I dunno why. But if you don't want to go without Edward, that's okay by me. * Rochelle gives a small smile. "Cool. I don't want you to shoot me or somethin'." Nah, I wouldn't do that. Never know, right? Why Deme, anyway? I dunno. She reminds me a lot of... Well, of someone. * Rochelle tilts her head. "Yeah?" Yeah. Who? You? That and I seem to be the only one who grasps the pain she's going through right now. Or the only one who cares, anyhow. Hell, someone's got to. Nah, I think the others care... Thren, probably. He cares about everybody. Maybe Kat. Roy? I dunno. Thren bullshits. He doesn't care about Deme. He just wants to pretend he does. Why'd ya say that? For his own... ego? Psyche? Hell, I don't know. I ain't a psychoanalyist, or whatever. The point is, he cares about other people so that he can give the impression that he's a nice guy, not so that he can actually help them. Oh. If he can help them, hey, that makes him seem all the more nicer. If he can't he'll shed a few tears and lament it. And I ain't saying they're not real tears... But it's like, he'll cry because he can't help Deme, not because he synthizes. Uh, Sympathasizes. Christ, they need smaller words. * Rochelle snickers. "Yeah, they do." * Rochelle seems to think about that for a moment. "Well, uh..." Most of us don't forget who we are and who our families are or anything. So it'd be hard to really know where she's coming from. * Vera shrugs. "Maybe that's why I feel I understand her better. 'Course, I could be completely wrong about her." Most of us aren't that different from other people, either. Not like a full-cyborg or something. I mean, shit. That's my point * Vera holds up her right hand. "You got Deme, the world's first and only android cyborg-whatever, created by her, for lack of a better word, 'parents', before they died." She's the only one in the whole world like this. * Vera holds up her left hand. "Only she's not, because there's this other guy her parents made that they never told her about." And then you find another kid just like her? She's not special anymore? How come you don't feel for Edward, too? Edward isn't the one who crumples into a ball on the floor when Deme gets near. Pain doesn't have to be obvious. Maybe. Maybe not. But I know that Deme doesn't like it when Edward is around." I think she needs to figure out the answers she needs on her own. Then send her to Red Sweden on her own. * Vera rubs her head. "You know what I mean." Ain't gonna do me any good if I find the answers before she does; I'm not her cyborg-sister. But if Edward finds them first, it'll just hurt her even more. Not really. She's acting like a little girl who's throwing a temper tantrum 'cause she doesn't wanna share with her brother. I know; I've been there. Kinda. But you and your bro ain't the only two cyborgs on Mars. Everyone thinks they're special. If she really wants those answers, she'll find them whether he's there or not. See, I don't believe that. I think he'd just be a hinderance to her. But he deserves to know as much as she does, right? I suppose, but hey, who says the answer's even in Red Sweeden anyhow? All we got to go on is Deme feels like going there. I don't think you're going twice. Probably not. * Vera lights up a cigarette. "I'm spending enough time meddling in other peoples' business as it is. I need to get back to my work." * Rochelle nods, almost to herself. She doesn't mind the smoke. "Bounty hunting, right?" Yeah. What's that like, anyway? Shoot people, get shot, drag 'em in, get money.... Ain't so different from what we been doing. 'Cept I get to work alone. * Rochelle nods. "Makes sense, I guess." Maybe you can catch a bounty in Red Sweden or something. I mean, while you're out there. * Vera nods. "I like it that way." Yeah, maybe. I would, too. If I were one anyway. * Vera nods. "It's a lot easier. You make a mistake, it's your own damn fault, sure. But you don't have to worry about anyone else screwing up, either." * Rochelle glances around the bar, then back to Vera. "And you don't have to worry about anyone else gettin' hurt." That too. Which reminds me. Yeah? * Vera lets out a puff of smoke and looks Roch in the eye. "What really happened that night when I got my artifact gun?" * Rochelle blinks. "What?" That night I got that gun that changes shape and shoots a freakin' big energy blast. Oh. I think you got all the action there, unless a lot of stuff happened after I left. Well, yeah, we did the whole infiltration bit. But I mean, what happened with you? * Vera puts out her cigarette. "Kat says you went home tired. That true?" * Rochelle rubs at the back of her head. She almost looks embarrassed. "Great grandmother of all headaches. You have no idea." I almost collapsed just getting on the subway. That happen often? * Rochelle shakes her head. You're right, I really don't have any idea. Or maybe I do, but now's not the time or place to get into that. Point is, that's all it was? No weird 24 power or cybernetics or something on the fritz? * Rochelle lets out a sigh. I don't know. Really? I asked you. I think one of the artifacts has something to do with it, but I'm not gonna start messing with them to find out. I think you should. Find out what's causing it, at least. Why, you get headaches a lot? Yeah, actually. Freakin' bad ones. But that's not why I ask. Then why? Simple reason. I don't wanna wind up dead because the person we put on lookout decided to go home. Sure. That makes more sense than caring about someone who doesn't care about you. The fuck's that supposed to mean? * Rochelle looks past Vera for a moment, then runs a hand through her hair. "Want another drink?" No. Told ya, I ain't getting drunk tonight. Okay. I don't know your limit. It means I don't understand people. Alright. We put you, Kat and Deme on lookout. No, I get it. * Rochelle waves for Vera to stop. "Seriously, I get it." Now you got a headache and went home. Kat escorted you, and Deme blanked out. That left a period where we could've been attacked. Yeah, I know. Wasn't my idea to get a headache, and I didn't expect Deme to blank out. Well, it happened. We got out fine this time, sure, but we can't count on that. Can't always get lucky. I know. So then you see my point? * Vera shakes her head. "Look, I know all about having severe headaches at the worst possible time. You had one, one time. Count yourself lucky. My last one earned me a bullet in my arm." All I'm looking for here is an answer: Can I rely on you or not?" Depends on what you want me to do, but yeah. * Rochelle almost looks amused. "I'm used to gunfights, at least. Not good in them, but used to them." Yeah, me too kid. * Rochelle puts her chin on her hand. "But enough crazy shit's been happening as is. I hope it makes sense if I don't want a hunk of metal messing with my head." You should've called us, told us you were leaving. Although... We were probably busy dodging bullets by then. Yup. * Vera sighs, considering going for another drink. "Anyway.... It's nice to know these things before going in, you know? So we don't wind up dead. I know you don't care and all, but I'd hate to get shot again." She winks. * Rochelle grins, just a little. "I'll try to keep ya from gettin' shot, then. Short of throwing myself in front of the bullet, 'cause that'd be fucking stupid." Yeah. That's for people like me to do. * Rochelle almost seems to look through Vera for a moment, then straightens. "Y'know?" Hm? You're a pretty good person. Better watch it, or people might start to find out. * Vera boggles at this, 'cause she thought she was being downright mean. Hell, I ain't good. I'm just me. * Rochelle snickers at Vera's response. "Yeah, okay. Just you." She goes about appeasing a customer who's been waiting for his drink for a while. * Vera shrugs and lights up a cigarette. <> <>