InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "20, 19, 18...17"

Artan Stillman (tatsandwaffles) wrote in utr_logs,
@ 2012-12-06 22:15:00

Entry tags:

artan stillman, petit lapan lebeau

Who: Petit & Artan
What: Meeting for the first time, again, once more.
Where: Guildhall, NOLA
Warnings: Snark, cussin'.

Artan decided to trade in the BMW the morning after he landed in. He got himself a BMW bike instead of a car, because fuck cars, man. It was with that, that he pulled up into the backwards-ass Guildhall, and hopped off, tucking the helmet under his arm. He whistled low, shaking his head. "She ain't kiddin'," he said under his breath, before starting up the steps.

It had been about seven years since he'd seen Petit. The last time he'd seen her, he was hopping onto a boat to get off the tiny island of Tortuga. He'd told her how he felt about her, and she'd laughed in his face. He hadn't had any other reason but Petit to stay on the island. He had to find a foothold on his own, without the help of the Guild or the pirates. And he had. He'd made a name for himself on the touring tattoo circuit. He had spent five years slinging ink across the country, and had done a damned good job carving out a place in the world.

And then he got dumped in this world. He hadn't even thought about Petit for a couple years. His memories of her were bittersweet; she was one of the best friends he'd ever had, but on the other hand... Well, she broke his heart. There was that. He stood in the front of the large front door, and stared at it. He hesitated - Fuck, he didn't want to go through a bunch of bullshit, but on the other hand, he had a burning curiosity to see what Petit looked like now. She was a pretty chick before, but they were just kids back then. Now... who the hell even knew.

That, and she had his van.

He knocked and the door swung open. In front of him was a kid that could very easily have been him back in the day. "You're knocking like you don't live here," Ronan huffed a chuckle and nodded. "Good to see you back, or... whatever. Petit's in the parlor." He nodded towards the room, and Artan nodded. "Thanks, kid," he muttered and slicked his hair back as he set the helmet down on a side table, walking in.

And there was Artan. The scruffy little gutter rat, in his leather jacket and workman's boots, with a gaudy belt buckle and a pair of well-worn jeans, in the doorway. "You'd think that we'd be used to fucked up shit by now," He said with a huff, his smile gone lopsided.

"How you doin', squirt?"

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prettylilbunny
2012-12-07 05:51 am UTC (link)

"You'd think that, yeah." She said, "Did you see the short one or the taller one?" She'd seen both Henry and Ronan at that point, and still didn't quite believe any of this. And clearly this question was more important than how she was doing. Which was not well. Not badly either, but definitely her usual quietly contained freaking out.

For her part she'd spent another year on the island after he'd left, more or less waiting for a sign, and then she'd gone to Europe to steal some stuff and to put some stuff back, just because she could, and it would do her good to learn the old ways even if the new ways usually worked just fine.

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tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 05:56 am UTC (link)

"The me-sized one," Artan said as he gave another glance over his shoulder before walking in and taking a seat. "Met a guy who knew the other me who was around before. Said I had a couple kids." And that was one of them, he figured.

He couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was way more impressively attractive than he'd remembered. Her voice was darker and lower than he'd recalled, and she'd cut her hair short since he'd seen her last. And he noticed the well-hidden freakout. "Come get some eats with me," He suggested. "We can pretend the world isn't weird. I'm sure they've got waffles here."

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prettylilbunny
2012-12-07 06:18 am UTC (link)

"No, they don't. This is clearly the world without waffles." She even managed to keep a straight face, "And that's the short one. The taller one's ... well, taller, and he's got my hair. And eyes."

She did unfold from her chair, though, scrubbing a hand through her hair, "Bill's here too, if you hadn't seen, from the future even. And according to basically everybody, we've been here before too."

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tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 06:23 am UTC (link)

"Then what do they eat with fried chicken?" Pondered Artan with a grin, standing again and putting his hands in his jacket pockets. "Yeah, I saw Bill. Didn't have much to say to him. Guy at the bar said those kids are yours too. I laughed my fucking ass off. No seriously. It's gone. Left in London." He looked over his shoulder and down with a raised eyebrow. "Yep. Gone." That said, he started towards the door. "Come on, if this is anything like the other world, I know a place here in town."

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 06:36 am UTC (link)
	"You say that as if you even had one to start with." She said with a sigh, shaking her head and still managing to keep a straight face. Of course, it helped that she didn't quite believe any of this was happening yet. "Food's a good idea, though, and I should hope that people are sensible and eat mashed potatoes and biscuits with their fried chicken." (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 06:43 am UTC (link)

"Only if it's out of a red and white bucket," he smiled faintly and looked over at her. "Want to take the Aston Martin?" He felt kind of weird asking her to take the van, and double-awkward with taking the bike. "I bet you'd look glamorous as hell driving that around." Not that she didn't always have an inherently glamorous look to her, but he figured that'd seal the deal.

He shook his head and looked down. "Sorry I'm staring, though. You've gotten... really gorgeous." He chuckled and rubbed his face, "Not that you weren't before, but damn. Caleb's still the luckiest sonofabitch."

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 07:04 am UTC (link)
	"Hell yes we're taking the Aston." She replied, finally smiling, "I'll even let you drive." There was no response to the rest of the statement, at least not until they got to the garage and she said: "You're allowed to stare. For now." After all, she had promised no stabbing. She figured that earned him approximately 24 hours of being stab-free. (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 07:08 am UTC (link)

"Oh good, because I sure as hell can't stop," was the snappy reply, as he walked over to the Aston and took the driver's side. The keys were in the ignition and the seat was adjusted to how he liked, and that weirded him out vaguely. "So before this all went down, what were you doing? I can't imagine you picking up some normal life. Waiting tables or whatever." He started the engine once they were both buckled in, and they started on their way.

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 07:32 am UTC (link)
	"Right before? I was casing the Louvre." She was, in fact, dead serious about this, "Mostly for fun. One of those 'I could actually do this if I got bored enough' kinds of things." She shrugged, settling herself easily into the seat, buckling in and ruffling a hand through her hair again, "Other than that? This, that and the next, just keeping busy, the usual sorts of odd jobs." (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 07:40 am UTC (link)

"Sounds like one hell of a time," Artan took the wheel with one hand while he fished out his pack of cigarettes from his jacket. "Henri tossed me a job from time to time, if I was in the area that something needed a lift, but mostly I was just on the road, working for a traveling body art show. It was good. Really free." He lit a smoke and rolled down his window, looking up the road. At least the city was for the most part the same - some store names were different, but it was generally just the same as always.

"I kept in touch with Anne, couple'a times a year I'd call her and just shoot the shit. Other than that, though, I really haven't been in the loop. It's a trip seeing Bill again. Never thought I'd see him without the Captain."

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 07:44 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, me either. Always kind of figured Bill was Jack's Shadow, y'know?" She shrugged, "Not many of those guys here, by the way, and the ones that are are runty, but they seem okay." She scratched at an ear, it was one of her not-quite nervous tells, "I pretty much cut contact, 'cept for Henri. He's the one who figured Europe would be good for me." (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 07:51 am UTC (link)

He always figured that the two pirates were one entity, just somehow split into two bodies, like an ancient Greek story or something. He got onto the freeway to get them to the southern edge of town faster. "Did you ever get placed in the other Guild? I know you took the trials, I just... don't remember if you got initiated. That always fit you better, anyhow." His tone was more serious, and a little less brash. He knew that Petit would have made the best Assassin, and had a sneaking suspicion that she'd wanted to have that life far more than one of a Thief. Hell, she grew up knowing all the shit that took him years to figure out. She was a natural thief. There was no challenge in it for her.

And he knew that she got bored without a challenge. That was something he wouldn't ever forget.

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 08:00 am UTC (link)
	"Yep." She nodded, "That was part of why Europe, there's always more work over there for that side of things." A shrug then, "No idea why, just the way it goes. Old World Business, I guess." To be fair, she was as much of a natural Assassin as she was a Thief, it had just been more complicated to actually prove that one was all. (Reply to this)

	tatsandwaffles 2012-12-07 08:08 am UTC (link)
	"Makes sense." He took another drag of his cigarette and smiled faintly. He'd only been to Europe on business, himself, which was why being thrust into London was such a weird thing for him. "I'm sure as hell not moving into Guildhall," He muttered, more to himself than anything. "That'd be too weird. I'll need to get my shit together, figure something out." (Reply to this)

	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 08:13 am UTC (link)
	"I'll probably stick around the place, at least for a while, it's as good a base of operations as any, and, y'know, there's files there. Not always a fan of the files, but if there's still stuff that needs doing, I'm good at keeping busy." A shrug, "Besides, kind of nice to be stateside again, it's been... uh, since leaving for the Island, I think." (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 08:17 am UTC (link)

"That long? Damn." He grinned a little. "I couldn't quit the States, I'm way too much of a redneck for all the other countries. Can you imagine me in Venice? I sure as hell can't." He got onto an off-ramp, and started towards the outskirts. It wasn't long until they would get to the one place in all of Louisiana that, no lie, had the very best jambalaya. Ever. Anywhere.

With another drag of his cigarette, he looked over at her. "I don't think I could live there with a couple of dudes that share genetics with me. That'd be weird as hell."

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 08:21 am UTC (link)
	"I'm used to having approximately a billion cousins around." And it was easier on her brain to just decide that they were cousins even when she logically knew otherwise. A bare flicker of a smile, "But you know me, never stay in one place for long. Probably end up changing addresses at least once a month." (Reply to this)

	tatsandwaffles 2012-12-07 08:24 am UTC (link)
	"Addresses are for losers and people with money. Once I get my van back, I'll probably wind up finding the first touring company that'll take me, and get back to work." He pulled into the parking lot and killed the engine, before looking over at her fully. "Unless I get an engraved invite to stay. Notorized. In triplicate." (Reply to this)

	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 09:10 am UTC (link)
	"Well I am a notary in four states and seven counties. Though I bet the butler's got that beat. I mean, did you see the guy? He's got Notary Public written all over him." She tilted her head from side to side, weighing this out, "Pretty sure he's also got 'contract killer' written all over him too, but I dunno, hard to say for sure, he might just be a hobbyist." (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 06:18 pm UTC (link)

"I didn't see him, but I'm sure I'll know who you're talking about when I do," he assured as he flicked the butt of the cigarette out the half-opened car door, and slipped out. "I'm not taking that as an invite, sugar, by the way." He closed his door and came around to open hers, if only because he felt like it. Usually, he'd leave that up to her, but he figured it'd keep the conversation going.

"Anyway, it's not comfortable for me to be in a house. You know that."

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prettylilbunny
2012-12-07 06:47 pm UTC (link)

She arched a brow at the unexpected almost-chivalry, but let it slide, for the time being, it wasn't worth fussing over. What she said though, was: "Yeah, I know, you're more of a nomad than I am. And that takes some serious skill, just so you know."

She'd always just figured that wanderlust was part of the LeBeau gene structure and had just been exacerbated in her due to the Roma blood.

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tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 06:51 pm UTC (link)

"Houses are all... big and... full of halls and crap. I don't know. Something about not having everything where I can see it freaks me out a little," Artan said with a shrug, and then his smile tilted again at her near-compliment. "It's better to be one step and three states ahead of everyone looking for you, I figure. Keeps things uncomplicated." He shouldered the door to the restaurant open, and the smell of cajun spices and seafood wafted through. He grinned - at least THIS was the same.

"I don't know if you've ever been here. I'd think you would have been, you grew up in this city and Henri was the one who turned me onto this place. But they really do make the best damn jambalaya."

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	prettylilbunny 2012-12-07 07:05 pm UTC (link)
	"Hell yes I've been here." She replied, having relaxed just a little at the familiar smell, "Job went wrong? Recoup and dinner here. Job went right? Dinner and dessert here. Nothing else to do for the day? Lunch here." A shrug followed, "And mostly I just pretend I'm living in a museum, and considering how often I equate the Guild to the Addams family, it kind of works." (Reply to this)

tatsandwaffles
2012-12-07 07:16 pm UTC (link)

"Figures," he chuckled, and took a seat at the table to which the hostess led them. Settling in, he put his arms across the wide back of the booth, and took in the scent with a deep breath. "Addams family, huh? Sure, I can get behind that mentality. All we'd need was a crazy old lady in the kitchen, and someone exponentially taller than us to get the door."

He looked over at her again, and chuckled. "Maybe I'll grow my hair out and buy a bowler hat."

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prettylilbunny
2012-12-07 08:24 pm UTC (link)

"Wait, there were times that we didn't have a crazy old lady in the kitchen?" She settled herself easily and in her usual manner of equal parts completely at ease and ready to bolt at a moment's notice.

Which was another LeBeau trait, all in all.

"Still not sure what I think about this place, I mean, I'm still kind of expecting that I'm going to wake up back in my hotel in Paris and go: 'well fuck that, not eating clafoutis before bed again."

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