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Midnight - Colonial Park - Harlem
JP wasn't saying much about that deal that went south in New Orleans. Well… souther.All he really told Severin was it was bad. Really bad and he just was happy to give NYC a go and really couldn't go back home right now cause things were hot. Sure, standard procedure in these things.
As Elmo found out at the underground dance hall the other night? JP really fucking undersold what 'went south' meant in this case by not saying, there are pissed off Angels who were now very, very interested parties.
Well whoops okay?
JP had instructions to 'call him' since he knew his true name, might as well use it like a Bat Signal, but he wasn't going alone. He owed Elmo an explanation and frankly? Sev deserved one and he wasn't about to get his ass handed to him without his brother there as witness to at least be able to tell their mother why JP may not make it to dinner.
The safe cracker chose a park in Harlem not saying a whole lot on the way there. All senses on high alert. Finally convinced this was as remote as one can find in New York he spoke the name of the Elohim in a phrase not meant to be known by mortal man; half promise-half song. He looked to Severin and Elmo and waited.
Angels, dude. JP swears he was waiting for a real, literally Honest-to-God Angel and no he didn't accidentally drink paint thinner.
Elmo is ready for confrontation, armed with various bits of junk that he's made anew into channels for his electricity. It won't do a single lick of good, but it helps him feel better. The speaking of the Name makes him nervous. "Sure feel like I shouldn'ta heard that," he mutters, eyeing the sky.
It worked. Not quite like a bat signal, but close. Because he does fly down out of the afternoon sky on wings that are as gray as stormclouds. Gliding to a landing, really, touching down on the toes of battered paratrooper's boots. Appropriate, really. The angel folds his wings behind him, neat as a falcon on a ledge, and looks between them. No greeting, and for all the apparently human shell, the pale eyes are distant, full of that terrible light.
Severin is just staning around in a park waiting for an angel. His momma might be proud as long as she didn't know quite how J.P. came about needing to call on one. What momma didn't know.. He just stands around with his hands in his pockets, jacket pulled tight because it's cold, and kicking a bit at the snow with the toe of his boot. It's not that he didn't believe that his brother saw an angel, but he wasn't really quite prepared to see one himself. "Huh," he says, "Wouldya look at that."
JP would be totally more excited and amazed if he wasn't in deep shit with said Angel. He didn't think it got worse than disappointing mama… This was either barely worse or a very close second. Like his brother the Southern boy was bundled up in his leather jacket and scarf he shopped for in Central Park.
Idly he noted to Severin with a faint nod, "Yeah… well… I don' like to exaggerate." Which was actually fair. He murmured, "Hell you could prolly pull that off, Sev." Which also wasn't entirely untrue perhaps? The truth was he was stalling for time. Dark brown eyes looked from Elmo and Severin to the Angel not quite looking him in the eyes and gestured between. "Archangel Michael… ummm mon frere, Severin, and you, um, you met Elmo." He tried to zap you or somethin? He left that part off.
Elmo supplies it himself. "Sorry for, you know. Shocking you and all." He's not really that sorry. Michael was dragging off JP, what else was he supposed to do? "Lindon says you're a real nice guy."
The creature bows, spreading his wings not ostentatiously, but merely for balance's sake. They prove to have an odd, subtle iridescence, sunset shades of rose and gold and deep crimson. Then he straightens….and at the mention of Lindon, he smiles. "Lindon is seeing me through the lens of his own kind soul, but it's nice to know he says such things," he replies. "And I forgive you. Powers can be hard to control." A polite inclination of his head to Severin…and then he's turning that expectant look on JP himself. Not bundled up in the least - the cold doesn't even really seem to register.
Severin shoots JP a glance at his comment but then just shakes his head a bit. Instead, his attention shifts back to Michael. He gives the angel a nod of his head in turn in greeting, but this is JP's show, and so he finds a tree to lean up against, and there he leans for the time being, just watching the interactions of those who have already met.
JP was buying time. One black boot toed at a clump of ice that froze, thawed, refroze and was now being kicked. JP sighed and finally said, "I dunno…a lot. These guys hire us a few months back. Tell us someone owes em somethin an want em brought in." The leather covered shoulders shrugged and he admitted, "I don' do those kinda jobs. I get in, get out, open a box? Maybe take a car? I Ain' really put noone in no trunk sort, ya know?"
There was some hesitation before he continued on in brief. "So he say go t'this house, get in, This guy's got a safe thing, an' in the safe is somethin bring it back." He shrugged and sighed, "Was… enough cash t'set me up an' get a lawyer t'try and get my lil girl back." Not that he stood a snowball's chance in hell, but he was going to try. Taking a deep breath he looked at the ground. "I go in, real religious place. Some stuff I ain' seen but ya know, look like any ol' lady's place. I fin' the safe, spin er up, make it open and saw this…"
He was having trouble identifying it, "Like this journal thing with like a billionty bookmarks in it. Really ornate an' I open it like what the hell is this about some book and …"He took a deep breath and shook his head, "I don'.t… know… what it was but I knew tha' was somethin I shouldn' have and anyone askin for it? They definitely don' be needin it. Alsobooks shouln' talk to you. I put it back, and left an' tol em it was a bust. He said try again. I packed things and left. The two guys with me on teh job? Same. Now? Now I dunno where they are but I don' think is lookin good. All I know I read it and there were … names… like teh one I knew and is fuckin with my sleep and these cats? They wan' it and I wan' no part of it."
Elmo finds himself returning Michael's smile. They're on the same page here about Lindon. After hearing JP's story, he shakes his head, mouth pulled sympathetically. "Only you, JP," he murmurs, without ire.
The angel is grave and still, as he listens. That's the eerie thing - when he's not bothering to pretend he's human, when he doesn't do little things like blink or breathe or shift his weight, it's just plain weird. His gaze remains fixed on the unfortunate thieves. "So, you were sent to steal this book, as a way of repaying the debt you owe. And you went and broke in to where it was kept, but you did not take it. You did read it, though? It spoke to you and gave you names?" He does glance at the other two humans, but for the most part, the weight of that alien regard is JP's to bear.
Severin folds his arms in front of him, looking between Michael and JP. Michael's a bit on the eerie side, what with that not blinking and not breathing thing, but Severin seems more interested in studying his wings at the moment. There's a slight frown and a glance over at JP, concern flickering across his expression. He glances back toward the angel then. He has nothing to contribute for the time being, just listening to the story and the angel's response.
JP held up a finger tilting his head, "I didn' owe them nothin. I needed the money. I don' need the money so bad for eternal fuckin' damnation f' sure." DId… did he jsut swear at an angel? Merde. "I flipped through it an' put it back where I foun' it. I swear to you I don' have it." he snapped his fingers and shook his head, "You wanna know where to find it I can get you an address?"
"He's telling you the truth," Elmo speaks up. "This guy don't own nothin', much less a giant fancy book that talks." He's helping.
More silent musing from the angel, as the winter wind teases the occasional stray feather, though none come loose. "That is what I want, yes," he says, finally. "It must not be left on this planet, if it is what I suspect."
There's a vaguely suspicious look between the angel and JP and then back again and he squints slightly. "So, JP tells you where to find it, you go get it, take it.. off the planet.. and we're cool? Jus' like that?" Severin has heard many deals too good to be true and this one sounds like one. He glances over at Elmo and JP.
JP shifted his weight and paused being nervous to give Elmo a flat look. "Thaaaaaanks, Sparkplug." Stop doing me favours! He took a deep breath and looked to Severin. This is why Sev was his favourite sibling: strong business snese. He thought about it trying not to pace. He had to agree with his brother, "Yeah those guys'll be none too happy, but not our problem, hmm?"
Elmo stuffs his hands into his pockets, uneasy with how very inhuman Michael acts. It was easy to pretend he was another winged mutant like Jay, before. Now…it's hard to imagine he's anything other than an alien, ancient creature. This does not prevent him from grousing, "What?" at JP under his breath.
"Yes. Why would we not be?" Michael's voice is puzzled, as he turns that look on Severin. "Or do you have advice? Who is it who wanted this book? Who sent you to take it?" Turned back to JP, as he speaks.
Severin shrugs his shoulders and says, "No reason. Guess most folks I know would be bigger dicks about it. But then, you're divine an' shit, right? So I guess that explains it." He shakes his head and says, "I dunno anythin' about it. T his is my first time hearin' the story. I was out of town."
JP shrugged and hated giving out names of employers. Still when an angel asks you something what are you going to do, say no? Somewhere there was an exorcist insisting that is always the correct answer. Elmo got a squint and he offered by tone of slight apology which sounded nothing like 'I'm sorry' and more informative than anything else telling Severin "Eh, I wasn't going to make it your issue less shit hit the fan." He squint at Mighael and shrugged to Sev, "I think tha's a big enough fan." Pretty much. "Elgin Moss, an Kit Ashton's all I know. One spoke to us to set up the deal, other pay us out. We meet in Jackson Square."
"Where is Jackson Square?" This particular angel has never sampled New Orleans, it seems. His tone is distant. "And how did you know these men - Elgin Moss, Kit Ashton?" Repeating the names back with that cold tone - not angry or disgusted, but utterly distant, and all the creepier thereby. This is a being that's caused the destruction of untold lives, human and not. Two mortals…..of very little account to him, it seems.
Severin is quiet for the time being. He's got nothing to add, his attention just shifting from one to the other as they talk.
JP corrected with a finger up in teh air, "Kit's a lady and they fin' me." He paused an corrected that too, "Well specifically they fin' out who we were throughDanny. He tell em sure he's got a guy who can get tha' box open." He considered and shrugged, "Wasn' wrong." Yes he was still proud of himself on that. He was not, however just going to stare Michael in the eye. That was really freaky and uncomfortable. So in short, That was information beyond that he didn't have. He looked to Severin and Elmo and winced looking back, "Look 's all I know. But… like hey if there's a way t'help so we can end this and make his go away faster? I'm fuckin on board."
"You could take me to this place, introduce me to those people." What a benign way to phrase it. "And then your responsibility will be absolved." The way Mike delivers it, like he's pronouncing a sentence….quite likely he is.
Severin shrugs his shoulders and says, "Hey, I doubt ma would be upset to see us if we wanna duck in and out. Grab a couple of beignets. Bet Vitale would enjoy seein' home."
JP did miss his mama. JP kicked a rock with his toe and nodded in slow agreement offering to Severin, "Yeah I try t'explain what a beignet was t'Elmo… ya know when we get a kitchen we need t'go nuts jsut makin some of those." He turned to Michael and held out a hand like this was part of the negotiation, "You ain' been to N'awlins then you don' know beignets. We take care of this." He looked to Sev and shrugged, "So looks like we goin home." Well it would definiately get him closer to do so. He perked up considering something else, "Can check in on Amalie too. Ain' seen her in too long. Sure." He looked to Michael with a nod, "We' go."
"….what is a beignet?" Michael is curious, and some of that terrible remoteness abates a little. "I will need to see a map to find this New Orleans," he adds, looking thoughtful. "The name rings a bell….something about an infant country, I…." He shakes his head, more as if to clear it than in negation. "Are you ready to go now or do you need to get luggage?"
"Yeah, gonna need at least a little time to grab a few things," Severin says as he studies Michael. "Gonna grab a bag and our fourth guy. Then we're good to go." He looks over to JP, unless his brother has any objections. He has nothing better to do and it seems that this will get JP out of hot water, so..
JP ran a hand along the side of his head keeping his hair smoothed back giving it some thought. "Yeah I mean if we' gon' go we'll def' want Vitale." Because healer? Not even, "Don' wan' him t'feel left out and they can see what food was intended t' taste like." He mulled that over and agreed, "Couple hours. We call you."