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You know things are bad when you lose track of time. When you no longer have any idea what the day of the week is. Domino's only partly coherent as she makes the drive back to Dop's Scrap Yard. Even the car drives with lethargic motions, the proverbial Sunday Driver who's one day late.
The sky is still lead grey, a light fog following a chilly October shower. The pale woman, still dressed in black road leathers with the lower edge of the jacket ragged and covered in dried blood, winces as she gingerly pushes the door closed. When it fails to latch all of the way her shoulders hang, staring and sighing at the heavy sheet steel construction.
"Yeah. Fuck you, too."
Today she's going to steer well clear of the Demon Caddy, her only desire being to get indoors, grab a bottle full of stiff drink, and flop down onto whatever is both comfortable and close. Something is forgotten about however, a short sound catching in the back of her throat as she carefully leans forward and starts pulling various weapons off of her person. Those get set out on a table, in a surprisingly organized fashion. As if she's presenting them to a potential customer or something.
*
It isn't Duke who comes to see who's turned up. It isn't even Coz. No, it's that armored amazonian woman that pokes her head into garage a few moments after Domino's arrived.
Liv considers it a moment before she steps fully inside, a wry smile on her face as she wanders towards the icebox. "You look like you've had a very long day," she says by way of greeting. "Which is somewhat impressive, given it's still early. Do you want a drink?"
*
Inside Domino is thanking some random deity that it isn't Coz who greets her first. Getting pounced by more than a hundred pounds of -anything- is among the very last experiences she wishes to encounter today.
Her reaction starts out as a frown but ends up in a weakened smile. The battered albino holds up the bottle which she had already found but still replies with "Can always use more. Bring it on."
Then the frown returns, just a little. "Do you ever take that armor off?" Then "Wait, better question. Could you help -me- get some of that? As it turns out the stuff meant to defend against road rash doesn't serve very well against the forces of Hell. They should really put that in a disclaimer somewhere. 'Warning: Not to be used in case of fire, electrocution, or demonic invasion.'"
*
"It just seems like the right choice of attire if I'm going to be in this neighborhood," Liv says with a tired sigh, fishing — let her think about it — three bottles out of the icebox. That should do. "Hopefully I can spend a little more time dressed down soon."
She crosses the room, setting two of the three bottles down within easy reach before she drops down to sit with the albino. Liv even kicks her feet up onto the edge of the table. Either Duke won't yell at her for it, or she doesn't care. "I don't know that I could help you find anything quite like this," she says apologetically, lightly thumping a fist against her chest. "But there's bound to be something we can do. Mention it to Duke," she suggests, raising her bottle slightly. "He might have something you can coat your current gear in."
*
"Yeah. That's the smart play," Domino agrees. She'll happily switch out from the warm bottle she had to a chilled one now being offered, accepting it and using it to pass a tired salute back to Liv.
Sheitting here now, as relaxed as she's ever likely to get beside another person who isn't going to turn on her the instant a pricetag gets slapped down upon white skin… This is as close as she's ever had to having a normal life. Maybe this is why she's still not completely comfortable with the situation, but this place has offered food and shelter for days, already.
"Is there anything that guy -can't- do? 'Just ask Duke.' I'm gonna do just that." Eventually. When she gets around to it.
One long drink from the bottle later and she turns to regard the other lady, grimacing slightly as the fluid burns against a rather sore throat. "What's your story, anyway? I've been trying to place you two ever since I got here but it's just ..not happening. Everything's just a little off-center. Then there's the sword. Not that I have a problem with rockin' it oldschool but you have to admit that's not exactly common anymore."
*
"Oh, Duke's not perfect. His memory's awful. But he's a good guy. If he doesn't know how to do something, he can probably at least recommend somebody," Liv says thoughtfully, wrapping both hands around her bottle. "He does like to help."
When the questions turn towards her own story, Liv can't help but grin, briefly looking down at herself. She hums thoughtfully. "I suppose that depends on what you mean by placing us. And it probably depends on who's asking, too," she allows, letting her eyes slide back over to Domino.
Liv's tone is still warm and casual, despite the question that follows: "You are one of the people Max told me about finding in our apartment, aren't you?"
*
The description of Duke is sure accurate enough… The amount of silver that he helped melt down to turn into bullets could have let anyone retire in their choice of exotic locales. In fact, Dom's already been considering how she could 'spend' any of those rounds which don't end up seeing use in their efforts to take the city back from various unwelcomed creatures. Always carry more than you need, make every shot count. And she's a pretty good shot!
That means that there's potentially going to be a whole lot of silver left over.
She's all set to press her own questions when another one is leveled at her. Just as nonchalantly as she can she takes another drink, buying herself a couple more seconds to think.
"Yes."
Good to see that she made the most of those extra few seconds!
"I was kinda hoping we had all moved past that point."
*
The blonde rocks her hand from side to side, one eye squinting slightly as she regards the woman next to her. "I'd be a very poor roommate if I didn't take at least a moment to acknowledge it," Liv replies, her tone still light.
The blonde's posture still seems quite relaxed, the bottle resting lightly against her knee — but there is more of an attentiveness to Liv's eyes, now. "It's just strange. I don't recall giving the paper our address," she explains, lazily drumming her fingers against her drink. "Just a telephone number and an invitation to call."
*
"Aah..yeah," Domino hesitantly starts back in while her free hand scratches at the back of her neck. "About that. So, we tried calling the number but no one was answering and we were kind of pressed for time and all..? So. I've got a couple of tricks, too. I didn't give that information to anyone else and I'm sure Fred's already forgotten and Cain couldn't have cared any less, so you aren't going to be getting an influx of insurance salesmen because of us."
(Please don't ask me to comp Fred's lunch bill…)
"We were just looking for you. Nothing more."
*
"I can certainly understand the urgency," Liv replies slowly. Tap, tap, tap go her fingers against the bottle. "But I'm sure you can also understand my predicament. My roommates deserve their privacy." After a beat, she smiles. "And so do I. I'm still surprised Max didn't send the lot of you out the window," she admits, thoughtfully rubbing the side of her nose. "If Jack had been home, we probably wouldn't be speaking at all."
Her lips twist to the side as she thinks. Finally, Liv just sighs and waves her hand dismissively. "We're probably going to be moving anyway. Next time, wait in the damn hallway," she says with a roll of her eyes. "And when an add says 'BYOB,' don't help yourself to our entire kitchen. You know how much it cost to restock the fridge?"
*
The path of least resistance here is pretty obvious. Unfortunately, Dom's not always the best choice for taking the easy way out. "If we would have waited out in the hall I suspect we would have concerned your neighbors, and I really didn't feel like having the cops called on us just because we were waiting for you to come home. Keep in mind that -I'm- the reasonable one out of us three," she declares with a showing of an open palm held up in the air. "I still have some resemblance of impulse control."
Which probably isn't saying much.
Then..the albino's expression looks rather pained, covering part of her face with a hand. "Yeah…" she starts yet again. "Sorry about that. He's not quite so good at that whole 'impulse control' thing."
She could just leave it there. Path of least resistance! Staring her right in the damn face. But, there's something itching at the back of her damn thoughts…
"Listen. I'm broke as hell lately. There some other way I could make it up to you?"
Either instinct is telling her to stay on good terms with these people, ooor..the worst possible outcome could be happening.
She could be growing a -conscience.-
*
Perish the thought.
"Aside from the whole breaking-into-my-place thing, you've been entirely pleasant company," Liv tells Domino with a laugh, reaching over to lightly clink her bottle against the albino's. "Believe me, this conversation could have been a lot different."
Now Liv finally takes a drink of her own beer, and just as Domino had done, it's to buy herself a moment to think. In their line of work — lines of work, really — offers like the one Domino's making can be invaluable. Liv knows this.
When she finally lowers her bottle again, Liv cracks a smile. "Suppose I could hold out for a favor," she muses. "Drives me nuts when people use that one on me. If I ever called it in, though, I can promise it would come with drinks afterward."
*
And wouldn't it have just been Domino's luck for the conversation to have turned out poorly after the morning she just went through… 'Defenseless,' comes to mind. It's a successful play of the cards she's been dealt, clinking her bottle back with another thin smirk.
Once again it doesn't last.
"Heeeeey, now…" she quickly protests. "I know how this turns out, that's just -completely-…" … Sigh. "Just make sure you bring the good stuff," she relents in a defeated tone.
(And this is why we never offer things free of charge.)
Now she just has to figure out how to take all of this out of Fred's massive hide. Bad things roll downhill and she is -not- going to be at the bottom looking up. With this now lurking in the back of her mind, she inquires "In the meantime what's our next play? Saddle up the ol' Caddy and go vampire-wrangling?" Even though she soooo does not look like she should be getting involved in another fight so soon.
*
"I promise to bring the very good stuff," Liv says with a twinkle in her eye, already making a mental note to ask Prince Loki if she might swipe a keg from the embassy when she next visits. Duke's alcohol is very good, but Asgardian booze… that's a whole 'nother thing.
Smiling, she reaches over to try and lightly pat Domino on the shoulder. "Your next play is to drink your beer, maybe catch a nap. Once you're fed and rested, though…" She trails off, thinking over options.
"We could always go for a walk in the Park?"
*
"Alright," Domino says with some hesitation. "That's a deal. I'm not making a habit of this, though. You guys have done alright by me." Though she does kind of wonder why some of that silver and gold Duke has squirreled away couldn't have gone into restocking the fridge. Do -none- of these people realize the fortune they're sitting on around here?!
A shoulder-pat works. Her shoulder doesn't hurt. Once more she looks at Liv. Once more she's reminded of how ..peculiar that other lady is. Considering Dom did just walk away from the recovery bed post-surgical encounter to drive herself back here and drink herself stupid, she's having a hard time arguing against Liv's recommendation.
"Well doesn't that just sound lovely," she replies with a good-natured grin. "It's a date."