Blood, Death, and Friendship (2)

Starring...


 * Kane as Shax!


 * Grafsburg as Tirin Moor!


 * VelociRapper as Henry Keene!

 The Shady Sands Cemetary had started as a nice place in Shantytown. Making use of the natrual environment, it was a field of dusty dirt and sand, pebbled paths leading between the graves, with a few hardy trees intersperced between rock gardens. In recent decades, it had fallen into a somewhat sad state of repair, and was frequently used for shallower, unmarked graves the unsavory side of life tended to make. There were more than a few ghost stories about the place, and many had a spark of truth in them somewhere. Nearby residents tended to only visit, if they wanted to at all, during the day. At night, like it was now, they avoided it almost at all costs. Tonight was supposed to be especially bad, something about how the stars were right for the barrier between the mortal realm and the spirit world being thin. The voice singing a semi-mournful tune, just on the edge of hearing, was not helping matters. Of course, there was a logical explination for the voice; it was Shax. "Say hallelujah, throw up your hands. The bucket is kicked, the body is gone..." He sung idly, passing the time before cold or blood loss finally finished him. "Close your eyes, and bow your head, to rest your soul, and to praise the dead." He was hanging by his arms, which were tied behind his back, from one of the desert trees that grew in the graveyard. "Say Hallelujah, throw up your hands. The bucket is kicked, the body is gone... Dry your eyes, and stand upright. Put a smile on your face, he wouldn't want us to cry." A myriad of fresh cuts adorned his body, along with a bloody nose and a black eye. "The sun will rise, the stars will shine, turning day to dusk and night to dawn. We'll pass on, but until that time, say Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Say Hallelujah. Hallelujah." His tail had been, in a show of distressing forethought, nailed to the tree itself by one of his smaller daggers. So he couldn't use the appendage to get free in any way.

 Tirin knew of the old legends surrounding Shady Sands, and he was as cautious as any Drifter could be. After all, his kind had their own superstitions and myths. Never reuse the same gasmask filter for two different places, always throw something through a dark doorway before entering, and sleep with your feet facing the sunset. Ghost stories, on the one hand, struck him as superstitious nonsense even when compared to other superstitions. On the other hand, every story had some truth to it... So when he heard singing near the cemetary, part of him wanted to simply cut and run. But his inner lemur, his curious half, it told him to investigate. And so he did... And he was fortunate enough (or not) to find Shax, apparently having been tortured and left to die. "By the saints!" he breathed, rushing to the iguana's side. "Shax! What happened to you?!" he demanded to know. Without even thinking he removed the knife from the tree (and his friend's tail) and used it to cut the rope that bound his friend.

 "Oh, hello Tirin." Shax seemed... oddly happy. As if he weren't hanging from a tree, beaten and bloody. As if this were somehow normal. Then again, considering this was Shax... "I was hoping someone would- Ow!" The knife being pulled from his tail put an odd look of pain on the iguana's face, and he hadn't really recovered by the time Tirin went to work on the ropes holding him in the air. Comfortably numb, and then suddenly not, can do that to a person. He landed heavily, and while he did keep his feet under him, he couldn't quite bring himself to stand up. That, and his shoulders looked... odd. "Oh fuck... I was afraid of that." Shax grimaced when he finally noticed his shoulders. Kind of hard to miss, except by him. If Tirin was familiar with the problem at all, he would notice they were badly dislocated. "I think I may need your help on these... If you wouldn't mind cutting the binds, then just pull my left arm out... Yeah, just like..." There was a sickening grind-pop that Tirin could -hear-, not just feel, and the iguana gasped. "SunovaBITCH. Ah shit. Ow. Ok... Next one, please..."

 "Saints above Shax, we've got to stop meeting like this. Didn't know I'd be rescuing your scaley ass every time I turn around," he said, trying to mask his fear with humor with middling success. He cut the binds on the iguana, and then pulled his arm to re-locate it, doing so as quickly and painlessly as he possibly could (which wasn't really saying much since it would hurt like hell either way). "So what happened this time?" he asked his friend before going to the next arm and doing the same to it. He could only imagine what degenerates the lizard had managed to piss off for them to leave him to die like this. And he was going to have to take him somewhere to get his wounds treated too. "Come on. Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?" Despite the potential for sarcasm there, he was being completely serious; he'd carry Shax if his friend needed him to.

 "I could have handled those first three..." Shax mumbled in mock-protest, still waiting for the pain of his re-set joints to fade. "Oh, recognized some young punk from Scorch... He and his buddies decided they didn't like me hunting down their crew one by one." The iguana shrugged, instantly regretting the gesture. "Ah, carry? Tirin, I didn't know you were such a stud." He teased, the glint in his eye more humorous and kindly than murderous or bloodthirsty. "I should be OK. Just need to get circulation back in everything..." He tried to stand, only managing to get up a bit farther before he had to go back down, this time going to a knee instead of resting on his toes. "Ah shit... I fuck'n hate the cold..." He grumbled, still not quite able to move his arms. "On second thought, you wouldn't happen to live nearby, would you?"

 Tirin sighed. Well that made sense. Shax had picked a fight he couldn't win it seemed. The iguana was tough, he knew that much. But invincible? No, unfortunately... "Yeah, make nothing of it," he replied in a deadpan voice. Looking around, the lemur sighed yet again. "Yeah, I've got a place. Come on. Just... mind your manners alright? Don't go scaring the shit out of Henry." God, he didn't want these two to meet. It would not end well. Not at all. But he didn't want Shax to die, and he had nowhere else to take him... So Tirin helped his friend walk to the apartment where he was staying, a dinky little place that looked more like a hotel than anything else. Through the front doors he went, until he came to the room where he lived. Slowly, hesistantly, he knocked on the door.

 A knock. The frilled lizard tensed up a bit. Henry stood in the bathroom, his face and shoulders wet. He stood without a shirt on, splashing himself with water just moments before. It was soothing, in a way. It was as if this could wash away some sort of invisible taint. But this cleansing was interrupted. By who? "U-uhm, one minute," a quiet voice croaks out. The lizard quickly wiped down the front of his face and shoulders, and put on the spindly shirt he wore. He went to the door, cracking it open and looking through. "Y-you're back," Henry said cracking the door wider until he could fully see Shax. He immediately halted. "U-uhm..."

 "At the moment, I'm sort of limited to bark only." Shax chuckled, finally managing to stand with Tirins help. But fuck, did his arms hurt. He hadn't felt this kind of pain since... well, since Scorch. Fitting, all told. It was bastards from Scorch that put him up there. "I honestly would have been fine." He explained along the way, as the night grew colder. "Nobody thinks my tail is dextrous enough to undo knots. But, I guess one of the guys I killed the leader really liked. Or something. Decided to go for extra. Think he broke a few ribs..." Shax did a quick self-check, analyzing every bit of pain that was throbbing. There was a lot, but Shax had gotten used to pain. "Yup. Got a couple. Was tempted to take an eye with him too, but they decided to leave that until after I had expired up on that tree..." He got quiet as they neared the door, letting Tirin do the talking. He grinned, a bit weaker than usual, as he finally got to see this Henry Tirin was enamored with. "Heya." He greeted, attempting a wave. Arm didn't get very high.

 "Well, looks like you're going to be resting for the next while now. Bloody hell Shax, you need to stop picking fights like this." The lemur shook his head as he waited for the door to be answered. Sure enough, Henry answered it, and Tirin couldn't have put on a better shit-eating grin if he'd tried. "Hey Henry. Um... My friend here... Kind of got the shit kicked out of him. We need to clean him up, mend him up as best we can." He gave the frilled lizard a look and a quiet shake of his head, hoping Henry'd get the message there... Whatever it was. Then he carried Shax on inside.

 Henry stared at Shax for a moment in response to the limp wave. When Tirin spoke, though, he had the frilled lizard's near-rapt attention. "I, I see. Yes, alright." Henry stepped back and swung the door open fully, as if Tirin could just say magic words that got him to do things. "So, uh, what happened?" he asked looking over Shax, noticing the bloody tail right off the bat.

 "Aww, that's sweet of you guys. Honestly, I just need..." An accidental bump into the door-frame shut the iguana up in his claims of not needing as much help. He didn't exactly accept help well, but in this case he was more and more willing to make a slight exception. "Oh, the usual for me." He answered to Henrys question. "Dead Slavers. Misjudged numbers. Bolted doors. Angry surviving Slavers..." He wave a hand dismissively, somewhere about his thigh. He did have to ease himself down once they were inside to whatever couch they got him to, utterly limp. "I can assure you both, though, that they deserved everything they got. Guess I kinda did too, but eh; semantics, right?"

 "He got attacked. Beat up," Tirin explained in case Shax's explanation wasn't clear enough. "Found him hanging from a tree in Shady Sands Cemetary nearby... Probably would've died if I hadn't cut him down." He carred Shax over to the bed and had him sit down. "Just lay there. Henry, fill me a glass or tub or whatever full of water and bring me a rag." He was going to have to clean the cuts first and foremost.

 Henry began wringing his hands. Slavers. Trouble. Tirin had this nasty property of just bringing danger wherever he went. Maybe he was cursed. "R-right," he said rather meekly, his expression a strange mixture of fear and curiosity. The frilled lizard returned shortly with two glasses of water and a rag draped over his shoulder. "Here."

 "Ooof... I'm not going anywhere... Not quickly anyway." The iguana chuckled again, laying on the bed with more than a little gratefullness. Ah, softness and comfort. Joyous. "Probably gonna have to unstrap some of the armor." He spoke, looking up at the ceiling mostly. "Or all of it. Hope that doesn't bother you too much. Oh, and alchohol. Ya'll need some of that too, if you really want to get those clean." He'd wanted to look at Tirin while speaking, but even slightly recouperated from his attack as he was, he couldn't lift his head at all, for some reason. "You guys have a nice place..." He spoke somewhat suddenly. Primarily trying to get his mind off the thought of Tirin stripping him. Not that he could act upon those impulses at the moment anyway...

 Tirin sighed. "Yeah, come on then." He started to remove the leather armor the iguana wore, though he really didn't want to render him completely naked. He only took off what he needed to to clean Shax's wounds, nothing more. Saints this was awkward. "Thank you Henry," he said, taking the glasses and the rag. He wetted the rag and used it to wipe any blood off of Shax and to generally just clean him up as best as he could. "See if there's any tequila left in the fridge."

 Henry complied. He opened the fridge after briefly walking to it. A quarter bottle. Tirin must have been in it again. With some hesitance, the tequila found its way to Shax and Tirin. "So, uh..." it occurred to the frilled lizard he didn't know Shax's name, "...uh, where does it hurt? You might, need a splint..."

<Kane> "Oh, arms are the worst right now. Hanging by them kinda pulls 'em out of the sockets..." The chill and blood-loss had not made things better in the slightest. "But work on the bleeding first, I think. Not much you can do for the rest aside from morphine. Or some other seriously heavy-duty pain-killers." He resisted none, moved as needed. He hissed a bit once the alchohol hit, but he didn't tell them to stop. Better it hurt now than got infected later. "Ya know, if it weren't for what others might consider agonizing or crippling pain, a guy could get used to this." He chuckled, finally managing to raise his head a bit to watch how the two were doing. He watched for a bit, evidently finding nothing to comment on, before turning an eye to Henry. "So you must be Henry. Tirin's mentioned you a couple of times. Says you're a really great sorta guy." He grinned. "Sorry we didn't meet under better circumstances."

<Grafsburg> "Uh... Yeah. Better circumstances..." Tirin just cleared his throat and continued to clean the iguana's wounds. All in all, the lemur was nervous as all hell. Still, despite his fears, the two lizards were seemingly getting along well enough. Well... They weren't fighting. That was the important part at least. "Just promise you won't go picking fights with people for a while Shax. You're going to need time to rest and heal from whatever damage they've done."

<VelociRapper> "...yes..." The lizard glanced at Shax, his nervous black eyes unfocused. It was as if he saw something else there entirely, staring at the broken body. Henry ran a clawed hand over his face, a stray thought in his mind. It gave him an idea. "A-are you, uh... are you, familiar, with acupressure... uh... I'm sorry..."

<Kane> "Only if they really, really deserve it." The iguana chuckled in response to Tirins' psuedo command. "Acupressure..." Shax rolled the word around a bit, seeing if it clicked with anything in his brain. "Can't say I have. I'm pretty open to suggestion though." He grinned, once again staring at the ceiling for lack of anything better to do. "Just because I got a high pain tolerance doesn't mean I like it. Pain, that is."

<Grafsburg> "Not even then, preferably," Tirin was quick to retort. Picking fights with everyone you ran into was sure to get you killed in a hurry. If it hadn't been for sheer dumb luck, Shax probably would've died there in that cemetary tonight. He took a drink from the bottle of tequila - not a big one, but a drink all the same - and put it down on the nightstand. He gave Henry a questioning look, as if asking for him to 'work his magic'.

<VelociRapper> Good. This would be easy then. "It's, well, it's basically, uh, there are points on the body, and, applying pressure, to them, in certain ways, will, uhm, make the body heal quicker..." Henry looked at Tirin a moment before continuing. "S-so, uh, it might... help, at least for, a while..." One of the frilled lizard's claws shook for a half second. "I can, uh, try it, if you'd like..." Henry took a ginger step forward.

<Kane> "Sure man. Independant spirit like me, kinda sucks to be tied down somewhere. Even if it is for good reason." He grinned again. Independant indeed... Still, Shax wasn't sure if Tirin had objections to him attacking slavers, or if it was just people in general. The lemur probably hadn't ever been in Scorch... Also probably for the best, but it did mean he didn't quite understand just why anyone who called themselves a Slaver deserved a good shanking. With knives. "Go for it, my friend. Not like I could stop ya easily anyways, even if I wanted too."

<Grafsburg> "You're gonna find yourself buried six feet beneath the fucking ground if you don't learn to behave." A warning, not a threat; Tirin hoped it sounded that way at least. "I'm just looking out for you, Shax. I don't want to see you get killed. More importantly, I don't want to get killed saving your ass for the third or fourth time." He'd helped the iguana with those thugs outside that bar, and then there was this. But then again, Shax had definitely helped him that one time he'd accidentally imbibed... NO. Shax couldn't mention that. He felt a chill up his spine and hoped the iguana would keep his mouth shut about that incident.

<VelociRapper> "A-alright." Henry brought up his hands in front of him, and clasped his hands together like a monk holding prayers beads, and walked up to Shax. The frilled lizard brought his clawed hands to Shax's shoulders, the fingers pulling backwards so that only the palms would touch. Upon contact, Shax would feel the pain of shifting limbs, but after a few moments of rubbing he would find his shoulders becoming numb, the only sensation being the feeling of most his blood surging towards where the frilled lizard touched. "Feels... dislocated." Henry then began to slowly pull Shax's shoulders back into their sockets, a surprisingly painless experience.

<Kane> Shax rolled his eyes a bit at Tirin's warning. It was well ment, he knew, but... "Tirin, sweety, I appreciate that you care about me. I really do. But I have no plans whatsoever to live to an old aaaaahahhhhaaaaa..." His comment was cut off completely when Henry began. He felt the touch, thought nothing of it, and then suddenly... It was hard to describe, and suffice to say was making it difficult to concentrate. He'd has massages before, but this was something else. Utterly new, almost alien even. "Oh ffffuuuuuhhhhhuh... That... What are... How... Oooohhh don't stop..." Shax's mind, for the moment, was blown.

<Grafsburg> Tirin spared a glance toward Henry and just shrugged his shoulders. But at least the frilled lizard's healing methods were working, if only to make Shax feel better at the moment. But he'd seen Henry work his magic before on far worse wounds... He knew that his companion could fix up whatever was ailing the iguana. Except for maybe the wounds in his head, at least...

<VelociRapper> With a couple of pops, Shax's shoulders were back in place, ready to heal properly. The way the injured iguana spoke was off-putting to say the least. Henry stopped, and removed his hands. Feeling would return to Shax's shoulders, which would be in significantly less pain. Still not entirely mobile, but they could certainly move much more than before. Even so, strain could undo the healing. "You'll still, need to, uh, rest..." The frilled lizard began wringing his hands again, imagining a sink. He felt the urge to wash his hands. Touching strangers was weird.

<Kane> "Uh... Rest. Yeah. No problem." Shax was still trying to work out how that had happened. And failing. It was unique. Special. Mysterious. If ever Shax had an experiance that prooved, to him, the existance of spirits, this would be it. Henry, despite being possibly one of the shyest and socially awkward people Shax had ever met, had quite a power to him. Of course, that same power could also have picked up on any number of things. Five to six years of heavy drug and alchohol use? It was a surprise Shax hadn't keeled over dead yet.

<Grafsburg> "Do you have a place to stay Shax?" Tirin asked. There were two beds in the apartment; after all, it more resembled a hotel room than an actual apartment. But Tirin wasn't sure if Shax staying with them would've been a good idea or not. "If you have nowhere else to go we can uh... Clear off a bed for you and I can sleep in the floor..."

<VelociRapper> Henry had turned away from Shax, to face Tirin. He had almost cringed. This stranger, born of trouble, staying here for the night! The frilled lizard clasped his claws like a monk again, to quell the trembling in his arms. He looked uneasily at Tirin, thankful that with his back towards Shax his uneasy expression is not visible.

<Kane> Stay? Shax blinked, regaining his senses. He managed to lift an arm enough to make a dismissing gesture. "No, I don't have anywhere to stay, but like fuck are you gonna give up a bed for me." Shax snorted, as if the idea were rediculous. Which, at least to him, it was. "Just gimme a bit of carpet, I'll be fine. Trust me; I've slept in worse places." As if to proove his point on that fact, the iguana pulled himself up so he was at least sitting. "Just a quick rest..." He grunted, "Then I'll be out of your folks hair."

<Grafsburg> "Are you sure? I don't mind giving up my bed," Tirin was quick to say. He looked Henry in the eyes and made a face that said... something. Something hard to understand at least. Whatever point he was trying to get across, he quickly looked back at Shax. "If you want. At the very least let us get you a blanket and a pillow." And he set about to do just that.

<VelociRapper> Henry's lips pulled downward, his eyebrows rising a little. Something about Shax bothered the frilled lizard. It was like... there was some sort of twisted aura the iguana emanated, like something had been damaged and replaced? He couldn't quite get a handle on it. However, Shax had not done anything threatening... and Tirin said to help. Henry walked into the bathroom again, careful to make sure he looked like he usually did: mildly nervous, slightly paranoid. He eased himself onto the sink, turning on the faucet so that a small trickle of water poured out. After letting the little stream run over his claws for several moments, he took his wet hands and ran them over his face again.

<Kane> "That'll be plenty." Shax managed another grin, and even managed to make it to a bit of carpeting after collecting the bits of his armor by the time Tirin returned. Sleep and rest were good. Well... rest was, certainly. "Hey, Tirin..." He put a hand on the lemur's shoulder, once he had the opportunity, speaking softly. "Why are you doing this, if you don't mind me asking. I mean, sure I can understand cutting me down, but this... all this..." He tilted his head, looking at Tirin oddly. As if he was trying to figure out some kind of puzzle. "What's your angle?"

<Grafsburg> "What do you mean what's my angle? I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart..." the lemur mumbled. And that was true; Shax was his friend, and he was helping the iguana out because that was what friends did. He didn't expect a reward or payback for his help. He just didn't want Shax to die was all. "So get some rest. And if you leave, let one of us know first," he said before heading to go see if Henry was alright. "Hey... uh... How're you doing?"

<VelociRapper> "I'll... be fine," Henry says almost whispering. He looked at the mirror, at Tirin's reflection over his shoulder. He didn't want to say anything while this strange iguana was around. That'd be rude, and would possibly provoke an undesirable response. "What's... his name?" Henry asked, whisper quiet once again.

<Kane> Out of the kindness of his heart? The heart was just a muscle, wasn't it? Well, there was meaning there, but still. You never did anything for anyone just because. There was always a reason. Something to gain, or influence. You couldn't do something for no reason other than wanting. Could you? Come to think of it, Shax did an awful lot of that. But this was different. Tirin had been ready to give up his own bed for the iguana. You didn't sacrifice for no reason. And yet... Utterly confused, Shax finally pulled the rest of his gear off and gingerly lay himself down. He had some serious thinking to do. You never did anything for someone else without a reason. That just wasn't how it worked. And the question that kept poping up, like a bad weed in his head was, 'Are you sure?'

<Grafsburg> "Shax. Ran into him in a bar once. Seemed like an alright guy. Sort of." Tirin flopped his hand back and forth. He liked Shax, and didn't want to say anything bad about him... "He helped me out once when I was in a bind, so I'm helping him now. Besides, he's my friend. I don't have many of those left..."

<VelociRapper> "And... what happened?" Henry turned himself around, the water on his face glistening on his black scales from the ceiling light. "What kind of trouble were you in?" The frilled lizard leaned forward, resting his head on the lemur's shoulder.

<Kane> Shax was starting to become intimately familiar with the look of Tirin's ceiling. Or would be anyway, if he was actually looking at it. Instead he was having an inner monologue. Or, debate might be a better term. Could someone be selfless? Was it possible? Everything Shax knew said one couldn't. And, having no one else to go on, he was inclined to agree. You either had something in mind for repayment, or you were stupid. But Tirin wasn't the latter, most certainly. So, it must be the former. But what did he want? It gave Shax's normal, care-free, psychotic look a new face. One of deep, almost concerned, concentration.

<Grafsburg> Despite Shax's wondrous journey of self-discovery a room over, Tirin was trying his damndest to not lie but not piss Henry off about how Shax had helped him out. "I was uh... Suffering from a momentary lapse of sanity, and he kept me from making a fool of myself or getting killed." That was a good explanation, right?

<VelociRapper> Now it just plain obvious the lemur was trying to hide something. "And... you don't trust me enough to tell me what happened." Was this how it was always going to be? Just how many things did Tirin keep to himself? His stint as a hit man, his origins, and whatever this was? Henry turned around, leaning onto the sink once more as he stared into the drain. He watched the thin trickle of water spiral, wondering for a moment if that's where everything ended up.

<Grafsburg> "What? No, of course not. That's not the issue here. At all," he said, shaking his head. "It just never came up. It wasn't something you needed to worry about." Oh Saints above, they couldn't have a fight here, right next to Shax standing outside now, could they?

<VelociRapper> Henry's expression turned into a frown, and he turned up the sink. "If it's nothing... to worry about, then it's nothing worth hiding..." The frilled lizard let the water blast his left hand, before turning off the faucet. "What exactly are you expecting? You just... arrived with a beaten up guy.  I'm not supposed to worry about why you're helping him?"

<Grafsburg> Tirin motioned to Shax. "I told you why I'm helping him. He's my friend. He helped me once because I accidentally drank some kind of drug that made me hallucinate..." He scratched the back of his head nervously, though he was trying to pass it off as if it wasn't any big deal. People did that all the time offworld right?!

<Kane> Shax eventually gave up on trying to figure things out himself. He'd need to talk about it. Probably not an easy conversation, given their various backgrounds, but... He stood stiffly, not bothering to put anything back on, and made his way towards where the bathroom was. Of course, he paused as he heard their voices at last. He listened in, not exactly intentionally, entrapped by the by-play. He wanted to get involved, but... This was between Henry and Tirin, one. And two, he didn't rightly know why Tirin was helping him either. So, for now... He listened. And tried not to get caught.

<VelociRapper>  Henry began to turn around. "'Accidentally' drank some hallucinogen? H-how did you 'accidentally' do that?" Just what the hell happened? It couldn't be that bad, could it? Fully facing Tirin, he shot a classic 'what-the-hell?' look. "You didn't think I'd want to hear about that?"

<Grafsburg> "I didn't... Didn't know there was anything in it. I thought it was a shot of normal alcohol..." he admitted with a frown. Big bad hitman and Drifter extraordinaire was looking a little less confident of himself all of the sudden. "Look, calm down. I fucked up there, yeah. I should've told you... I just... didn't."

<Kane> Again, Shax almost wanted to interject. Truth be told, there was no 'almost' about it. But he refrained. Same reasons as before. Is this what it was like to have a companion? A lover? He'd always figured it was just dangerous; if anyone found out, it was just another way to get at you. And apparently it wasn't as cracked up as it was made out to be. And yet people did it. Another puzzle...

<VelociRapper> "So, wait, someone drugged you then?" At least, that's how Henry took it, the way Tirin said it. Paranoid thoughts began to course like lightning in the frilled lizard's head. A former mark seeking revenge? Winston? There was another question too. "Just how did Shax help you? What'd he... stop you from doing, specifically?"

<Grafsburg> "No. It was a club, like a bar right? And there were drugs there. But I didn't know they were drugs. I saw a glass of bright-colored liquid on a serving tray, thought it was a fruity cocktail drink like spine wine, and drank it. And it was spiked with something else." Rubbing the back of his head again, Tirin shrugged. "I started to think it was snowing everywhere and that the world had turned into a rainbow. And I started screaming. And he took me somewhere private where I wouldn't get hurt."

<Kane> Shax smiled at that memory. He left out the part about the stripping... Probably a good move, all things considered, not that anything had happened anyway. But it was a fond memory, and Shax didn't have a lot of those. Still, Shax was just lucky he didn't giggle. One, he'd be caught if he did. And two, giggling, chuckling, or bending or breathing kind of hurt.

<VelociRapper> "...Huh." Henry scratched the back of his head, looking aside in thought. Really? That was it? He suspected not. Shax just seemed too weird for that to be the whole story. "Look," the frilled lizard said staring straight into Tirin's eyes, "I... I worry about you. A lot.  You... you just seem to draw trouble like a magnet, and..." A frown, caused by being unable to find the words he wants, creeps onto his face. He looks away for a moment, shifting closer to the lemur. "I'm not sure what I'd do if something happened to you. Especially something avoidable.  And... W-well... we, we got this far by being honest and forgiving with each other, right?" If Tirin let him, Henry would gently grip Tirin's hands, his face softening, his posture looking vulnerable. "I'd like to think, that, uh, we can keep that going between us. Maybe something dumb happens, but we can... get past it anyway, you know?"

<Grafsburg> "What can I say?" Tirin replied with a shrug. "I'm unlucky... Cursed maybe..." He laughed a bit... But this was serious! Despite being watched, he took hold of Henry's hands and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry if I come across as a little... mysterious sometimes. I promise I'll try and improve that." The lemur closed his eyes and gave a sincere nod. "Exactly. We can get past it. No harm done in the long term anyway right? But you're right. I shouldn't make you worry."

<Kane> Well, show looked to be over for now. As much as it was a show. There was a strange, nagging sensation Shax hadn't felt in a long time. A mist from some barely remembered memory, what was it? Ah, yes; emberassment. Limping his way back to his pile of bedding, the iguana hoped to make it in time before the two emerged again. Although, now he was thinking again. He never put much stock in relationships personally. Just an avenue for someone to get at you, easily exploited. But while he refrained from keeping any for himself, that never did seem to stop other people. And Tirin, at least, was a friend. A friend who'd made a mistake in Shax's eyes, but sometimes you had to indulge friends. Or, something like that. And like a lightbulb, he figured out what Tirin wanted from him. He hadn't asked, probably didn't even know. But Shax knew how he'd repay the lemur. And his reptilian companion. Protection.

<VelociRapper> "I mean, not too long ago..." The whole hitman situation, that awkwardness lasted for a week, at least. "It's just... I don't know. Stupider, worse things have happened.  Just play things even with me, okay?" Henry put his forehead to Tirin's for a moment.

<Grafsburg> Tirin hadn't the slightest idea that Shax was dropping eaves on them. Then again, he was too preoccupied with Henry to pay much attention to anything else. "Alright, I will. You've got my word on that." He gripped Henry's hand and returned the gesture, free hand on the frilled lizard's shoulder. How touching and romantic!

<Kane> Listening hard enough, Shax could still hear the pair. Although, not exactly distinctly. Fortunately, they seemed to finish up as he was settling in. Lucky him; they might not notice anything. Still, he figured it was polite to wait for them to actually leave the bathroom, do whatever it was they did for bed; it was getting late after all. Of course, sleep for him was right out of the question at the moment. Far too much plotting, planning, and scheaming to do.

<VelociRapper> Henry let go, peering awkwardly out of the room. "You... should probably check on Shax. I'm gonna... finish up in here." The frilled lizard would turn around, letting his hands rest on the cold porcelain sink, starkly contrasted against the black scales and claws on his hand.

<Grafsburg> Tirin nodded and turned away from Henry, heading back outside. "Shax? You still awake?" he asked the iguana, looking around for his friend. Sure enough, he had no idea Shax had been listening to them at all. "Feeling any better now?" he asked.

<Kane> "Yeah I'm here." He spoke up from the floor, looking all the world like he'd crawled under the covers and was now resting, arms back and hands under his head. He looked sideways at Tirin, raising an eye-ridge. "Everything all right in there? I was about to come look'n for ya." He grinned, although made no move to stand. At least not yet. And besides; he was naked. At least the blanked covered him, up to the sternum. If it weren't for the angry red of the fresh scars on top of the uncountable number of old ones, and the knowledge of what had transpired not but a couple of hours previous, Shax might well have been perfectly at home where he was.

<VelociRapper> The faucet turned on again, sputtering water as it started up. With calmer hands, Henry washed his face again. Tirin trusted Shax. But who was Shax, really? Getting in trouble with slavers, that weird response to the healing... that strange vibe when he first came in. There was a story here, one that Tirin probably knew.

<Grafsburg> Tirin sat down on the edge of the bed, taking his shoes off first of all, then the thick jacket he wore to keep warm in the cold Shantytown air. "Yeah, everything's just fine," he said, smiling. It seemed things were alright to him anyway; they certainly weren't bad. Or at least the lemur didn't perceive them to be. What Henry was really thinking was anyone's guess.

<Kane> "Good, good." Shax went back to looking at the ceiling. If he said everything was all right... The iguana dismissed it with metaphysical wave, and resumed his own considerations. He didn't notice, of course, but the look of concentration was etched into his face like stone. Brows furrowed, eyes straight ahead but gaze turned inward, and he was gently chewing on the inside of his lip. A feat that took some practice, given his sharpened teeth.

<VelociRapper> Shantytown... it was a troubled place. A bucket that gathered up the sludge of destroyed lives, dumped in without a care by shuttles from space. Henry shivered, finally noticing the cold amplified by his soaked face. He reached for the rag, realizing that he had brought it out to treat Shax, so instead the frilled lizard just used his sleeve to dry off. Henry returned to the room, hovering close to the wall, keeping a lowered but watchful eye on Shax.

<Grafsburg> "Thinking hard or hardly thinking?" Tirin asked the iguana with a brow raised; he looked like he was deep in conversation, and Tirin couldn't help but be curious about what was on his friend's mind! He looked toward the bathroom, waiting for Henry to come out, though he couldn't help but think his companion was scared of Shax... Or at least wasn't too fond of him.

<Kane> "Mmm..." It wasn't that Shax hadn't heard him. No, he was just thinking. He didn't want Tirin to worry, didn't want his pity or concern. But, he also didn't pull his punches. Not regularly, anyway. "I'm gonna have to kill 'em." He finally responded, almost like a drawl. Calmly stated, as if he were announcing that it was dark outside. "I mean, I'd kind of planned on doing it anyway. I do owe them for the death by helpless exposure attempt. But that was just personal stuff; could be ignored if necessary. Now it's, like, a requirement."

<Grafsburg> Tirin sighed. "Shax... You can't go around doing stuff like that," he said, frowning. "You're going to get yourself killed. Or you're going to get myself or Henry hurt or killed too. And would you really want that?" Mind, he wasn't scared for his own life; he was a Drifter and could look after himself. But Henry he worried for. Even still, he was mostly only throwing that out to try and discourage Shax from doing anything stupid.

<Kane> Shax just shook his head. "That's the point though. Come sunrise, those Slavers are going to come looking for a Shaxicle. And when they don't find one, they're not going to just shrug and go 'Oh well, I guess he got away'." He looked over at Tirin, his expression... grim. Intense. It looked rather out-of-place, compared to his normal manic grin. "They'll start hunting. And maybe that hunt will lead them here. To you, to Henry. And Tirin; I'm good at killing people. I spent ten years being trained to do almost nothing but. These Slavers didn't trap me on dumb luck alone. Their leader isn't some bandit looking to make some quick cash; he's experianced, and smart." He turned his gaze back towards the ceiling, letting out something of a sigh. "Have you ever been to Scorch, out of curiosity?"

<VelociRapper> Shaxicle... heh. But the iguana reveals a little factoid about himself. A decade of killing. A killer like Tirin. Maybe there was more to the friendship than the lemur let on. Former co-workers? Henry continued hovering silently by the wall, his gaze flicking back and forth between Shax and Tirin.

<Grafsburg> "Of course I've been to Scorch. It's an awful place, and I'd burn it to the ground if given half the opportunity," Tirin said, anger creeping into his voice. He did not like Scorch or the people who lived and worked there. "Okay, so you've got a point. Well what are you going to do then? Kill them all by yourself or something?" he asked. He looked toward Henry, frowning. It was starting to look like the lemur was going to have to pick up his guns again...

<Kane> "Having spent the 'training' in there, as a slave, I can agree with that sentiment." A bit of Shax's old smile returned, remembering... something. "Maybe somday I'll tell you the whole story. But, business first. Yes, I will be killing every last one of those Slavers. I don't exactly work well with team-mates, so yeah; I'll probably do it by myself. You though, you get the hard job." He glanced back at Tirin again. "You get to stay here and guard your friend. No offense Henry, but you don't strike me as the type who could stand up to that particular embodyment of vileness that is a real Slaver." Of course, Shax snorted a second later. "Embodyment of vileness... As if I have room to talk... But still, if I don't get these guys before they come knocking, someone is gonna have to be willing to deal with 'em. And I don't play defense."

<VelociRapper> There was something dark in the way Henry looked at Shax. One more complication, a dangerous one. Something about the way Shax carried himself that just grated on the frilled lizard. "Gonna run out there and get crucified again?" Finally, the meekness gave way to venom.

<Grafsburg> Tirin looked between the two. "Well, I don't want to see you get killed..." Tirin was quick to say. He gazed at Henry, frowning. But he didn't want to put either of them in danger either... Essentially, he was asking for Henry's permission to help Shax out. "The two of us can do better than just one but..." But then Henry would be in danger. What if both Shax and Tirin were killed, after all?

<Kane> "Not exactly the plan." Shax snickered in response to Henry. Either he missed the acid in the remark, or had chosen to ignore it. Probably the latter. "But really, would you guys rather I just ignored them? Let them hunt me down, leave a trail of bodies all over Shantytown, most-likely including yours? Or worse..." Shax shook his head. "No, you really, -really-, do not want to know what life as a Scorch slave is like. Fortunately, Slavers dislike each other almost as much as they dislike people who go after them. Once I kill off this bunch, you two are safe. Well, as safe as you were before hand." He almost shrugged, then decided against it. Best not to tempt fate too much.

<VelociRapper> "And just how were you, discovered, in the first place? It's not like it's, it's hard to become invisible, in this... place." For all of Shax's talk of being discovered and brutally eviscerated, he hadn't given them reason to believe they actually would be found. "But then, I-I don't think you're the kind of g-guy that could keep a low profile." Tirin, for now, is ignored.

<Grafsburg> Tirin took a step back then, letting the two of them work things out by themselves for now. Though he didn't want it to come to blows (or even harsh words), so he was prepared to step in and try to mediate if they seemed like they were getting ready for a fight.

<Kane> "I can be hard to track down, high-profile as I am." He grinned. "The secret is, no permanent address. Never buy, never rent. Hotels and motels are comfy enough to crash in." He grinned wider, before waving a dismissing hand. "But, that's not the point. They didn't track me down; they caught me in a trap when I was hunting them. But, Tirin. How many people saw you at the graveyard? Do you know? Or how about walking down the road? How many other late commuters did we pass on our way here? Do you know? 'Cause spirits know I didn't keep a tally, but it was more than one. For a determined Slaver, that'd be enough of a trail. Now, I won't say it'd be easy for 'em, and even if I left here tomorrow and forgot about the Slavers entirely, it would take 'em a while most certainly. But sooner or later they'd pick up where I've been, who I've been with. Trick is to head 'em off before then, which I intend to be doing."

<VelociRapper> "And just what makes you so worthy of, of being hunted?" Shax, talking up these slavers as master trackers capable of following someone to the other fucking side of the galaxy! Henry folded his arms. "And as injured as you are, you, you really think it's a good idea, to fight anyways?"

<Kane> "That's simple enough to answer; I killed their buddies." Shax chuckled again. "Good fighters too. I'm why there's only five of this particular band left." The comfort with which the iguana stated the fact was distressing. He was proud of it, even. Although, proud wasn't quite the word. It was more like how a boxer might have regarded a draw, or a close victory. "As much as I'm sure you folks want me out of here as soon as physically possible, I know my own limits. I ain't gonna be able to take on all five at once tomorrow morning. Maybe one on one, if I'm lucky and careful. So, yeah. I will have to rest up a bit. I will be moving on though, tomorrow. Should be good enough to find my own nest to recover in by then."

<VelociRapper> So, they would have to worry about some slaver types shaking them down for info in the near future? Great. Fantastic. As if worrying about potentially dying in the future was needed. "Are you still smarting anywhere badly, Shax?" The quicker Shax either got himself killed or killed them all, the better.

<Grafsburg> Tirin stood finally. "That's why I'm saying I should help you Shax. Because together we have a better chance of taking them out." He looked to Henry. "I know you don't want me to help, because you're afraid I'll get hurt. But if we nip this problem in the bud right now then we won't have to worry about it a month or two down the road. I made that mistake with Winston. I'm not going to do it again."

<Kane> The iguana had a strange expression as he looked back to Tirin. It was a mix of annoyance, exhasperation, and surprise. "You're really serious about coming with me to take these fuckers on, aren't you?" He snorted, sounding more amused than anything, settling back to look at the ceiling again. "Whelp, guess I won't stop you then, if you're really sure. Probably best to stay close by, in that case..." He mused for a few moments, before remembering Henry had asked him something. "Oh, right. Nothing a bit of time won't fix, Henry. I won't stay or impose any longer than I have to." Shax chuckled a bit. "Which I'm sure you're all too happy to hear."

<VelociRapper> Yes, throw yourself into danger Tirin, it worked so well before. Just like it will all the times Winston got the drop on you. Henry had enough, and glared at the both of them. "Fine, you guys go have fun planning your kills." Henry picked up his poncho from a nearby dresser, and threw it on. "I'm going to the usual spot." Was Tirin going to listen? Probably not. And neither was Henry, most likely. He was angry, after all. The frilled lizard went to the exit and quietly opened the door, about to step out.

<Grafsburg> "Henry, wait." Tirin moved over to the frilled lizard, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm doing this because I think it's what's best for us. Look... Don't be angry with me. If you really don't want me to go and fight these guys off, I won't. We're a team right? So we decide this as a team. Me and you."

<Kane> Shax, at the very least, had enough presense of mind not to make any comments here. Point of fact, he was trying to ignore the by-play. Although, not out of politeness. More, he didn't want to listen in on a lovers quarrel. He'd seen enough soap operas (all two episodes that he had watched in a motel one night, mostly by accident) to know this was going to end one of two ways. Either with Henry storming off and everyone going to bed in a bad mood, or them two reconciling, at least temporarily.

<VelociRapper> Henry stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Don't be angry?" Might as well have said 'calm down.' "Tirin, you dragged here this guy I barely know, patched him up, and now are offering to go help him kill people!  All because he just said that whoever is after him might come after us." Several objections flew around in Henry's skull, but it seemed so difficult to grab onto one. The frilled lizard could feel his throat clenching, his vision becoming blurry. "Did... did you just forget last week entirely?" When you promised to avoid killing people unless you had to? "Do, do you... do you really need to make more enemies?" Henry looked forward, orienting his face away from Shax and Tirin, shaking a little. All this talk about him needing protection, staying out of the fight... They were the ones charging out into danger!

<Grafsburg> Tirin chewed on his lip for a moment. "You're right... You're right." He turned to look toward Shax, shaking his head. "I won't be able to help you here Shax. This is just... Something I can't get embroiled in." He wanted to help, he really did. But he didn't want to upset Henry or put him in danger.

<Kane> "However you wanna do it, my friend." Shax commented, utterly un-concerned with this turn of events. "Like I said, I never did do well in groups anyway. But, lemme correct one little misconception here." Having had enough of this particular issue, with a grit of the teeth, the iguana forced himself to his feet. "You, Henry my darling, seem to be operating under the assumption that a Slaver is just an occupation. This would be incorrect." Now standing, in full glory, so to speak, was Shax. And his myriad of scars. His plethora of scars. His Picasso, his Motzart, his Mona Lisa of scars. Whip cuts, knife wounds, bullet holes, burns... He even did a little spin, to show nothing of his body was free from the signs of abuse. "This is what Slavers do to you if they decide you're worth keeping. Imagine, my friend, what they do if they decide you aren't. And most slaves? Aren't. So before you get all angry about me plotting to kill people again, pause for a moment and reflect on just who it is I'm planning to kill." He was staring at Henry now. Daring him to defend his quarry, even indirectly, one more time.

<VelociRapper> Henry turned around, to stare at Shax. The damage to his body, he had already seen it when tending to him. And it was nothing compared to the exploded apartment. The frilled lizard glared again, lip quivering and revealing gritted teeth. "Yes, you were so worth keeping alive that they decided to try and turn you into a fucking 'Shaxicle' by nailing you to a damn tree! They only wanted you to suffer before you died!  You're only worth keeping alive for the pain they can inflict to you!" Henry paused for a moment, trying to regain some composure. "I don't care if you have a vendetta; by all means, go and pursue it. But I'm not just gonna let Tirin just wander off and try to kill more people because you asked!"

<Grafsburg> "I'm not doing it because he asked, Henry. I'm doing it because they're scum. Evil men with black hearts who would do the same to anyone else if given half the chance. They've caused all kinds of pain and suffering to people who have suffered enough in their life. They're fucking monsters. Cockroaches that need to be stepped on," he growled, looking at the frilled lizard.

<Kane> "I don't recall asking for a damn thing. 'Sides for a place to spend the night." Shax wasn't quite finished yet either, meeting Henry's glare with one that was... oddly calm. Patient even. Like he was talking to a particularly stubborn child. A fire lit in his eyes as he talked, though. The beginnings of what could quickly turn to psychotic rage. "And two; the Slavers I was hunting yesterday are not the same slavers that wiped the village I was born in off the face of this blood-drenched, miserable speck of a planet, and worked my biological parents to death. The Slavers that did that, I killed most of them when I was..." Here, the reptile paused, blinking. A moments confusion crossed his face, and he stepped back from his forward, agressive posture. "Now what year was that again? ... Ah, right. Fifteen. Plus or minus anyway. They don't keep track of birthdays for slaves." With a shrug, the anger he'd had a moment ago was gone now, vanished as he took a quick trip down memory lane. Of course, if he'd been trained for a decade, and escaped when he was fifteen... Shax, meanwhile, continued on with his anger dispelled. "In any case, you two do as you like. I am simply informing you of what I will be doing, once I can actually bend over without my ribs protesting violently." <VelociRapper> Henry wasn't quite sure how to feel about Tirin switching sides on him. Betrayed. Ignored. The lemur wasn't entirely unjustified. But it was like everything Henry said didn't matter when this vigilante justice crap came up. And then Shax, with his story about slavery. So what if they weren't the first slavers? The whole story was a non-fucking-sequitur anyways, and it didn't even address Henry's point. Shax's motive was pretty clear before, and ultimately not the one Henry cared about. Either way, Henry wasn't going to win this battle. "Go and crush some cockroaches then, Tirin." The frilled lizard pushed his way through out the door, and quickly upped his pace once in the hall. "Go ahead and turn into a monster," he muttered under his breath as his vision became blurry once more.

<Grafsburg> Tirin was speechless at Henry's last sentence. Did the lizard really think that of him? That he'd turn into a monster? He couldn't believe what he'd just heard... After Henry left, the lemur stood there quietly for a moment, stunned. There were tears in his eyes too. Looking over at Shax, Tirin said quietly, "I want to help you but... I can't. I'm sorry." He wandered out the door himself, heading the opposite direction from Henry; he needed to find a place to hide and clear his head.

<Kane> Shax, for his part, was torn between exhasperation and anger. Just who was this Henry to sneer down at him like that? Just how had this sniviling coward won Tirins devotion? He watched both of them leave, not saying a word. Eventually he just snorted, and shook his head. "And -I'm- supposed to be the crazy one..." Well, that conversation was over. Looks like Shax was off on his own. Nothing unusual there. Guess everything was normal after all.