The Catalyst

[Sulfur]

"Damn kid!" Shouting behind his shoulder, Elijah Astor grinned at his young friend. They were carelessly throwing sentences of curses to one another, as if playing catch and throw with their words. They curled their fingers up in tight fists and raised them at one another but never striking. Soon his friend announce that he had to leave; he had some business to attend concerning something he'd done yesterday. Elijah now trudged down the street slowly, bored. His heads were inside his pockets, his back slightly hunched. Hopefully somebody would see him and decide to start walking with him. But, well, if they didn't... He supposed he'd be fine by himself. At least the warm, calm sun was shining, warming him. He exhaled loudly, his eyes closing for a short moment. Quite the ideal day, he thought to himself gratefully.

OOC: Crappy post but honestly, it'll work for a starter post. The quality of my posts will hopefully increase as we go farther into the thread. ^~^

[Bunny]

OOC: Nothing crappy about it.

IC:

The streets were boring. And Rhett - or David, as the blind sheep of He Who Walks Behind the Rows had named him - was justly bored. Not that this was anything new, of course.

What was new, was that aside from being bored, the eighteen-year-old was irritated. Apparently, there had been an invasion by a Blue-Woman that he hadn't gotten to help crowbar, and meanwhile there had been some sort of entanglement at a duo of weddings. Some sort of power struggle was what he had been able to overhear from some of the nursing mothers. No names were spoke, but Rhett didn't have to think for very long on who the actors were. Isaac and Malachai, of course. He Who Walks Behind the Rows was comfortable in his position. He needed to struggle no longer.

Idly, he wondered if Malachai had deposed Isaac, finally. Not that it mattered, really. The Government, Parents, He Who Walks Behind the Rows, Isaac, Malachai -- all of them were just howling, screaming monkeys. It didn't matter who ruled the roost, the end result was the same.

Still, he wished he had been there. When he had been small he had enjoyed visiting the zoo to see animals throw poo at one another. His preferences hadn't changed much since then.

He was debating with himself whether or not to move from his comfortable position and go and to the Clearing to see if he could help. He wasn't welcome near the corn - because he was clumsy and might knock some stalks over, Isaac said, but because he had fornicated before marriage and before the purging is what Isaac likely thought - but he figured that Isaac would forget that if he was, you know. Dead. But his position was a comfortable one. He was lounging in the shade of one of the taller buildings, with a grass carpeting beneath him. Also, he wasn't doing any work. That was always a bonus.

He was still debating the pros and cons of migrating when he noticed the children playing nearby. He gave them a cursory look to see if Delilah was among them (no, she was too young for that group) but his gaze lingered when he saw what they were doing. Play-fighting. Thrownig insults at each other and throwing them back as though playing tennis. Moving to strike each other, but never doing so.

Cowards. If they really wanted to hurt each other, why not just do it? Or, if they considered themselves friends, why not just go after someone else? Hey, Rhett was lounging just a few yards away. He was taller than them, but if they ganged up on him they'd have him. It didn't make any sense, what they were doing.

One of them broke from the group, and the play ended. The one who left, Rhett recognized. He often lingered around the smaller children for the purposes of helping in the raising of his daughter, so he picked up on the names and faces of 'Gatlin's Youth.'

"Elijah, right?" he called as the boy sauntered passed him. "Uh...what...what was that?" He jerked his head to where the playmates had been.

[Sly Cooper]

Jacob had left the clearing. As always, everyone made it known they didn't want his help, but that was okay, because he couldn't see well enough to help carry the body back to Isaac anyway. He was off in his own head, roaming the streets of Gatlin. That's what he used to do with his best bud before he was married. Jacob was more than soar about the whole thing, and THEN he didn't even find out about it till after the fact!

His cowbell made a clunk clunk as he walked on. He hear something going on, and just happened to run into David Although, honestly, Rhett's a cooler name. After all, Jacob was a fan of Gone With the Wind. He had read the book over and over again before the purging.

"So," he was hoping he wouldn't get rejected yet again, "What is this motley crew up to?"

[Sulfur]

"Elijah, right? Uh...what...what was that?" A jerk of the head towards some direction. Elijah snickered lightly, his blue eyes glowing with glee. He thought a moment, many smart comments flitting in and out of his mind yet he decided to go with the calm, reasonable one. "Elijah is correct. You are Rhett -- or is it David? These name changes really mess me up. I personally don't understand the point of them." He took a breath before surging forward with more quick dialogue, "And I was just fooling around with my friend in no particular manner." He piped down as another figure walked up. He didn't know this one quite as well, if at all. Motley crew was about the only thing Elijah heard as he blinked, confused at the sudden appearance of another stranger. Strange instincts kicked in, telling him to spread his legs apart and clench his fists. He furrowed his brow into the expression he'd seen many of the older Believers use when confronting one of the adults or before a sacrifice. It was intimidating and quite effective when they used it, but he simply felt silly as he tried to act more masculine than he was. He slowly took a step back, closer to Rhett/David, before looking the newcomer up and down again. "Who might you be, stranger?" He barked it out sharply, his voice still high pitched as puberty had not favored his vocal cords nor his body quite yet. He anticipated the reply on edgy toes, nearly tipping over in the process.

[Sly Cooper]

"Erm-- It be Jacob after the name change. I'm not interrupting on something am I? I get a response from everyone today that I am. And yet I haven't done much. but you kno--" He cut off before he continued blabbing on and on, like he had a bad habit of doing. "In any case, what's going on? And can i be in on it. Today has not only been awfully boring, but also awfully full of John Peters." Jacob made an ugly face as he cringed at the thought of John Peters, worst enemy and Gatlin's 3 time winner of year's most obnoxious stinky kaniggit.

[Bunny]

"There isn't a point to the name changes," Rhett responded flatly in his own nasally tone. He took note of the other boy's own squeaky tone, but deigned not to comment on it. Elijah was a child, after all. "There's not really a point," he clicked the 't' "to anything, Elijah. Sorta like how that little, uh, that little game," even as he spoke his own voice started to drift into an even higher pitch, but it quickly shot back downwards again, "of yours was --- " he broke off when he noticed Jacob's approach.

"Interrupting something? No, I was just trying to uh, wrap my head around the silly 'game' Elijah was playing. Living out fantasies, maybe?" he thought aloud, before continuing, his face screwing up at the mention of John Peters. "He's, uh, he's not very bright," he acknowledged. "He sorta thinks that he's in control."

He tilted his head to the side, as though thinking. "He's not."

[Sly Cooper]

"No he's not, but he sure likes to think he is. does he keep you up all night too, or are you one of those heavy sleepers?" Jacob yawned and stretched out. "He keeps me up. I haven't gotten a good nights sleep in three years i swear. But it hasn't bothered me as much as it has today--" He cut off and covered is mouth, then uncovered to talk, "Am I going on? I ramble a lot. I apologize."

[Sulfur]

Elijah quickly regained his normal posture. He wasn't a threat if David talked to him. He didn't understand why he trusted the guy so much. Natural instinct? Fatherly vibe? That thought made him chuckle lightly. David? A father to Elijah? Hell no. They were just friends and the guy was nice enough. Simple as that. He let out a righteous nod, not caring if they saw him. They'd more than likely think he was talking to his ex-imaginary friend despite --- [OOC: Work in the progress! Sorry! Have to get something to eat]

[Bunny]

OOC: I figure that after 8 hours, you edited your post. xD

IC:
Rhett's gaze strayed from Jacob towards the child, Elijah. He raised his eyebrows, taking note of the child's clear instinctual defense from what he had thought was something different. The boy was growing less and less interesting: He wanted to insult others, but didn't, he wanted to hurt others, but didn't, and he feared anything that was -- different. Just like all the other sheep.

He was done with Elijah, after that. His dark gaze flickered back towards the older boy. "Oh, of course you're not rambling," he consoled, his voice without a trace of sarcasm. His countenance, however, was a sardonic caricature. "I for one have always wondered about your sleeping habits Jake-obe." Rhett didn't answer Jacob's question regarding his own slumber concerns; he didn't sleep much, either, but if it had been because of someone else he wouldn't have dealt with it any longer than it would have taken him to find a crossbow, load it, take aim and fire.

"But, 'ya know, that John -- uh, what's his last name? Johnson? Peters? Cox?" It all meant Dick, anyway. "Uh, John Dickins, if he bothers you so much, why don't you take care of him. You know. He's keeping one of the Lord's Children awake, after all. I'm sure it'd be, you know...uh...condoned." He kept his tone light and joking. Jacob wouldn't ever kill John Dickins, anyway.

Well, he would if given the opportunity to do it without a scandal. But as it was, he was going to just whine about it.

[Sly Cooper]

Jacob's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, well David obviously you need some sleep yourself. You don't have to be so mean." He rolled his eyes. I know I talk to much, but really? "I was just trying to be friendly. Maybe I should take fire. Although with my poor eyesight I'd miss and hit someone else." his eyes took focus on Rhett. Today's just not a good day for anyone is it?

[Bunny]

"Me? Mean?" Rhett's eyes widened as though hurt, the eighteen year old even going as far as to recoil backwards and place a fawned hand on his chest as though the idea pained him. He recovered from his act swiftly. "When I want to sleep, I sleep like a babe in arms. I don't really think that insomnia is the source of my," he coughed, "'meanness'? 'Cuz I wasn't being mean. No. I. Wasn't."

He paused. It was all about the timing, after all. You couldn't just kill an Outlander, you had to tell them why, tell them that they were going to hell. (Not that such a place would exist, but it was the fun in making them think that it does.)

"I was being honest. Er, I guess I was lying 'cuz I said you didn't ramble. Sorry 'bout that," he shrugged his lithe shoulders, though his posture suggested that the matter really didn't concern him much. "Why, why do you uh, ramble so much, anyhow?" He raked his gaze across Jacob's body, just once. Shortish dark hair, blue eyes, medium build. He was an adequate specimen and had no physical deformity to be ashamed of.

So what was with the hunch?

"You you, uh, have a need for attention? 'Cuz, you certainly seem to wanna bask in it. Did you have a, er," he waved his hand through the air as he pretended to search idly for the rest of his sentence, "a shortage of attention in the, you know, the past? 'Cuz, if so, this..." he gestured to himself, "isn't really the place - er, person - to make up for your deficiencies."

OOC:
>.< Rhett emphasizes things too much. Dang italics. I got the hunch thing from Jacob's bio, Sly. Hope 'ya don't mind. xD

[Sly Cooper]

"Yeah, yeah so my parents we jerks. That's not why I wanted to talk to you." Jacob grunted. "Look, if you want to mean I say go for it. But at least do it to someone like Isaac or Malachai." A devious grin spread across his face. "They deserve it after all." he shrugged, "They don't like you much either. Or at least that's what it seems like to me. Isaac's always telling you to go away for the sake of the lord. Lets face it, that's not why. and Malachai-- he just doesn't seem to like anyone." Jacob proceeded to mumble to himself, "using sarcasm. Big but. It should be butt instead of Rhett."

OOC: Course you can use the bio, that's why its there right?

[Bunny]

Jacob really wasn't the best at the witty wordplay. He giggled a little. Big Butt.

"You know, you truly are plagued by John Pee-tears. Even the brute's language is rubbing off on 'ya." Rhett puzzled for a split second. "Language is formed by the tongue. Are you and John rubbing tongues?" Before an outrage protest could be made, Rhett went on, "But I think you're right. And my, uh, my unpopularity with our Holy Superiors, I mean...But not many people do, actually. Find me popular, I mean. I can't imagine why!" He tilted his head to the side and stared at Jacob through from the corner of his eye. He even curled his lips into a semblance of a smile, though it was more of a feral baring of the teeth.

[Sly Cooper]

"Even if John Peters was the last man on earth I wouldn't rub tongues with him." Of course that was the one thing that stuck to him. Sure, Jacob was accused of being gay, and yes, perhaps he was-- a little, but not John, no way NO how. "John is foul. And when i say that. I don't mean it in a 'he's a heretic' sense. I mean it in if I drew him which I'm not aloud to any more I would be drawing something of shapes, that looked like a five year old came up with. Picasso couldn't paint a face more unshapely than that." Jacob beat himself up on the inside. Not only was he rambling, criticizing, but he was going way to far out of his way to explain John Peters nastiness! "In any case-- How is Rhett this not so lovely evening?" He tried to change subjects.

[Bunny]

The Lady doth protest too much. Rhett raised his eyebrows. He had just been rambling himself, speaking whatever flew off of the tip of his tongue. He hadn't truly suspected Jacob of being a sodomite. How much of his musings had been conjecture?

It didn't really matter to Rhett, really. What did matter to him was the blatant disregard of the very idea, the venement protests, and the continued rants of John Peters. He loved to show people just what they really are, unearth dark secrets. Honesty was the best policy.

"You really are fascinated with John," he observed, not allowing for Jacob to change the subject. Why? He voiced his question. "Why?"

OOC: Most meh post of meh posts. xD Sorries