Spike and Tucker's talk.

[summoner_tucker]

"What?! Is Warren...? No. Nononono-oh-hoh, mate. 'Fraid you've got me wrong. I'm, uh... I don't do that sort of thing, 'specially not with someone like Dickie Dictator."I snorted into my wine glass, pulling the cigarette from my lips with my index and middle finger and exhaling deeply, blowing smoke into the air in front of me with a heavy sigh of

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[always_been_bad]

"He like, lords his power over you, like he's so much better, you know? Like just because maybe he figured out how to take over the world in two years, that makes you a fucking worm. He's such a bitch."

I rolled my eyes at that one.

"Bloody tell me about it, mate. The sod was tryin' to get me to attack him earlier just so he could laugh when I got zapped by his damn chip. I think he gets off on it or somethin'."

My anger was still boilin' in me, and I'd have given anythin' to have some random demon around that I could pound the holy hell out of. Of course, aside from seemin' to be my kinda guy, the bloke next to me was human as well, so I wouldn't be able to turn to him for the much-needed fist fight I craved.

"Caleb? I barely know him. He helped me out a little while ago, and wanted an audience with Warren. So I brought him here. He's not a bad guy, I think.""Not bad, eh? I'd think twice 'bout that one. Couldn't quite put my finger on what it was 'bout him that got the hairs on the back of my neck standin' on end, but I wouldn't

[summoner_tucker]

"Bloody tell me about it, mate. The sod was tryin' to get me to attack him earlier just so he could laugh when I got zapped by his damn chip. I think he gets off on it or somethin'."I shuddered slightly

[always_been_bad]

"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Warren and Andrew are pretty damn devoted to each other and all that shit. But don't tell him I told you that, it's supposed to be this big secret. Warren's afraid of assassins or some crazy shit like that."

I raised an eyebrow at this. So Warren cared about the little twink, did he? Well that was always good to know for future reference I s'pose. A weak point perhaps? Though from the way this guy was talkin', it sounded like Warren wouldn't really abide by anyone so much as lookin' cross-eyed at Andrew. Still, somethin' to at least consider. At the very least it meant that Warren was, in fact, capable of some sort of love, right? He's not a complete monster.

"So, Warren's got your balls to the wall, huh? He's good at that. Gotta hand it to him, the fucking bastard.""No. Let's not hand him anythin', shall we? The bastard's got enough as it is. You know, he's wrong if he thinks he can manipulate me like this forever. I'm not gonna stay his bitch forever. Just as soon as I figure out a way to

[bible_beater]

The two men (ah, excuse me, one addict and one fell demon with a fancy hairdo) were still seated at the table when I walked back in, smoking and looking downright disagreeable. Aside from my immediate repulsion to their smoking (filthy habit), I smiled to see them with such unpleasant looks on their faces. If they were that poopoo face with me present in the room, I reckoned that they weren't chatting about me. I could only guess at what two men who'd never met before, but were meeting at the house of the "emperor," could have to be disgruntled about.

"Hope I aint interruptin' anything, gents?" I winked at Tucker and took my seat again. "Unless you were discussing my three favorite topics: bluegrass, the slant six engine and the coming of a righteous and horrible reckoning... but I don't suppose there's any chance of that. Any word on more wine coming our way?"

[summoner_tucker]

"So... don't s'pose you'd happen to know where Warren might keep his little projects, would you? And by projects I mean others like myself that he somehow knocked out for the past two years. Still not sure how he did it..."

I shrugged over at Spike. "I don't know anything more than you do. Warren wouldn't tell me anything, and I rarely get to talk to my own brother anymore, so he's not throwing down any trade secrets either"

"Hope I aint interruptin' anything, gents?"Caleb's hearty southern drawl interrupted whatever I'd been about to say next, and as I turned in my chair to watch him enter the room he winked at me. I felt a cold, uneasy shudder pass through my body, though I wasn't sure why. He seemed okay, if a little insane, but who the hell was I to judge? Still, there was something about him that was just...discomforting

[bible_beater]

"No, we were just bitching about Warren," Tucker responded. And then added, "Caleb, this is Spike. Spike, Caleb."

Before I got a chance to reply, there was wine being poured.

"Will there be anything else, Sir?", the wine wench said brightly, dabbing at the mouth of the wine bottle with her white linen serving towel. I'll be damned. I mean, more damned. Her dirty feminine tricks must have caught me off guard, because I swear to The Lady -- the way she wiped the last droplets of wine from the top of the bottle, keeping the liquid from running down the neck, was bordering on obscene. Oh, she was a dirty one, wasn't she? Looking at me in the eye like that as she

[always_been_bad]

I had to agree with this Tucker fellow - the little tart in the skirt made my mouth water more than any of the food I'd seen that night. You know, all that food I couldn't eat. Well, arguably I couldn't eat her either, but... no, strike that. I couldn't drink from her, but I could certainly have my fill of a lass like her. Nothin' like a set o' full curves to bring me back to the old days. And there ain't nothin' sexier than the particular nostalgia that I was privy to.

'Course, any thoughts on the subject were useless with Mr. Holy White Collar in the room. Sure, maybe I was just bein' paranoid, but I swear there was somethin' not right with that one. Just couldn't put my finger on it, but I would! Oh, I'd figure out what his deal was.

I hadn't noticed my eyes had narrowed 'till Tucker gave me his short 'n sweet introduction to Caleb. I nodded, waitin' for him to do some more talkin' so I'd have more time to size him up all proper-like.

"Yessir. Spike! Believe we all toasted to you earlier. Looking forward to getting to know more