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[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

Time: October 21st. 2000, evening
Place: Lobby (for now)
Status: Semi-Private (War, Pollution) - Complete
Summary: Catching up

War was coming down the stairs, a few steps from the bottom, when she saw the lobby doors swing open and a familiar form walk in. She grinned, and with one hand on the banister, swung herself over the banister and landed on the floor in front of him.

Straightening, she quirked her eyebrow and said, “Evenin’, stranger.” Her grin grew wider. “Fancy a drink?”

Comments

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

Pollution glanced at War lazily. She was not much changed since he had last seen her. He supposed it was to be expected. They adapted, but never really changed. He had been moping, again, and was disgusted with himself, again. Since when did he care if he had company or not? But just now, he craved it. His grin was slick. "I'd love one," he said, sliding towards the bar.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War followed at his shoulder.

"Been a while since I've seen you around," she said, trying to think how long it had been. Had she really not seen him since before her long trip away? No wonder she had caught herself missing the others on occasion, she thought ruefully.

"How have you been?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

"Good," he said vaugely, moving behind the counter to help himself to a drink. The glass he came back with was filled with something that looked more like sludge then anything drinkable. Pollution didn't seem to have any trouble getting down though, when he downed it in a few gulps. When he looked up at War again, his eyes were a little fuzzy, though it was hard to tell if this was a new development. "Very good for a while..." He muttered, mind straying to slick kisses and sharp cheekbones. "Where were you? Middle East again? I don't suppose they needed much encouragement to tear eachother apart," he said, rememebering with a smile oil fields on fire.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

Grinning at his choice of beverage - though she certainly wasn't going to drink it, it was nice to know things didn't change too much - she helped herself to a whiskey.

"Middle East, and all over, really. Last trip was out to East Timor, though I'd been back for a while before that - since midsummer. Took the chance to check in on a few places, stir things up, see things were still ticking over - you know how it is."

She wondered at his voice belying his words when he answered her question as to how things were. Surely he and Famine...? She shrugged, mentally - it was none of her business. But still, she was curious, and War did tend to end up causing trouble...

"Seen much of the other two?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

"Not for a while..." Pollution murmered softly, only his eyes betraying his sadness. The rest of his face showed only mild intrest as he found another glass and poured him self something slick and warm. "Pestillence was here for a while... Did you know?" He said, rather unwilling to get into that mess. "We went on a vaction, but I lost them on the way... They haven't been back yet." His shoulders slumped forward slightly.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Pestilence? Yes, I knew he'd been here." And she still didn't know why he'd disappeared, or what had happened while he was here, she reminded herself, thinking back to her conversations with Mictain about Uriel. She realised it had been a while since she had seen the demon around, and made a mental note to try to track him down - some point.

She wondered quite how he had managed to lose the others, but the look in Pollution's eyes stopped her asking, however. She was sure she wasn't supposed to mention it, but she noted silently that things must have gone wrong between Famine and Pollution - was it really nearly a year (http://community.livejournal.com/neutral_omens/32971.html) since they had been having celebratory drinks with the couple?

"When did you head off on vacation?" she asked. "I would get picky that you didn't invite me, but odds are I was probably already on the other side of the world anyway."

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

Pollution nodded, "You were gone, yes. So was DEATH. Or we would have invited you. It was this summer... July. We were going to see Africa and Russia and America. Were ever we felt like. We got as far as Rwanda before I lost them. I searched around a little... Visited Japan for a little bit..." Polluion faded off for a moment. The island held a great deal of nesalga for him, but they kept everything so clean now a days. It was depressing. "But when I came back here, they hadn't shown up yet."

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

*nostalgia
because I can't spell worth a damn.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War shrugged. "Haven't seen hide nor hair of them. Like I say, you're the first one of us lot I've seen in months. Not that this place is lacking in company, mind, but still."

She reached over the bar and retrieved the bottle of whiskey, pouring herself another generous measure. "You got plans to be sticking around here for a while, then, or are you wanting to be off, setting the wrapping paper-and-plastic-and-cardboard explosion ready in time for Christmas?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

"I'm staying, just for a while, anyway," he didn't want to risk missing them. Couldn't risk missing him. "After Christmas, I should get back to work," Pollution added, reluctantly, which was very out of character. He had never been known to be reluctant in his work. He was an artist and it was his life, but ... he was loath to miss them, if they came back. Pollution hated being dependent, but he missed Famine a great deal.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War nodded. "You know, even if you have to go for a bit to work, you can always keep a base here and come back. That's what I do," she suggested.

Feeling that he needed some reassurance, she said, "If the others did come back while you were gone, I could tell them you'd be back, if you wanted. After all, if we can't look out for each other..."

She flashed him a grin.

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

Pollution smiled slowly. He rather liked that idea, both the ideas, and they put him at ease, something he hadn't thought War capable of. "Thank you," he sighed, "If there's anything..." He wanted to give back some how, for this step that was rather out of character. "But after christmas." His eyes slid to a shelf at the back of the bar, unfouced and dreaming.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

War smiled back. It was uncharacteristic, she knew - but then, she thought, not for the first time, everything's a bit different when we're in this place.

"Not a problem," she said. "As I say, if we can't stick together, who can?" They came as a grouped conception, after all.

"Are you planning anything particular for Christmas? Can't say I'm hugely bothered, as long as we don't have a repeat of 1914..." she scowled at the memory.

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

At this, Pollution smiled faintly. "I've been working with the politians in the US. Plans for expanding the pipeline in Alaska. And oil tanker will over turn near South America around Chirstmas. It's my present to myself." His eyes got even more glazed over as he thought about the distruction and lives lost. "They'll be picking it out of the rocks and beaches for years"

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Sounds promising," War agreed. "I might head on over to see if I can't stir up some infighting over the inevitable blame game they'll try to play afterwards. Who knows, they might even get the snipers out." War grinned, and whilst she was thinking about it, several local rebels in a dusty valley somewhere on the other side of the world got twitchy fingers and started shooting anything that moved.

"Will you be heading over to watch first hand, then, or just enjoying the view from here?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

"From here," he said softly, letting the worlds trail off. He didn't want to miss anything, but didn't want it to admit it to himself. He wasn't dependent... Oh, who was he kidding. Of course he was. But it was getting a bit trying being so sad and lethargic all the time. Maybe... if he wasn't back by Christmas, he would get out a travel again. "Oh, well, I don't know. I may go visit."

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Don't feel you have to, you know," she said. "After all, we're.. well, what we are, things happen without us being there, you know? We represent things, it doesn't mean we have to run them, all the time." She grinned. "Even if it is fun."

She drummed her fingernails lightly on the table top, and looked over at him. "I don't suppose you've got your bike around here, have you?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

Pollution nodded, it was fun to see their work ... well, work. But sometimes, even they needed a break. He nodded again. "Yes, I do. It's in the back somewhere." Probably rusting and leaking oil, but that went without saying. The last one had died on him, some time back around when Famine was still here and he had never bothered to get it fixed (as much as that broke his heart). Sharing a bike was so much more fun than riding around by yourself.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

"Same as mine then - it's out in the garages somewhere, but it's been a while since I went for a ride."

Back before I left for the summer, she thought. Time to feel the wind in her hair again... she grinned wickedly.

"Fancy a ride out somewhere sometime, then?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

Pollution grinned like an oil slick and nodded. "I think it's long past due. I'll go see if I can salvage my bike." All four of them found a common love of motorcycles. The whole horses thing was before time, a fact which Pollution was infinitely greatful for. He didn't get along with animals.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

It had been far too long since she'd been out on her bike, War though, especially with any of the others. Things might be different here, but there was no harm keeping up some of the old things they enjoyed.

"Well - give me a few days to check mine over too, we can always get parts if we need them. Let's see... 21st today, shall we say the 26th?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

Pollution thought about it for a moment, then nodded, giving her a vauge grin. "That's more than enough time," especially if he had to go out and get a new bike, rather than just new parts, which was very likely.

[swords-love-me.livejournal.com]

Looking pointedly at her empty glass, as though it was a personal insult, War got to her feet.

"'Til lunchtime on the 26th, then - see you outside, say 2pm?"

[corroded-crown.livejournal.com]

"Perfect," Pollution says, catching the look War throws at her drink. He grins and moves behind the bar, pourning her a new one. It's violently orange and looks like it will burn all the way down. He throws a cheeky look at her and starts walking to the door. "See you then."