comesfrompain | [ to-do list ]

[Rumlow marks the nickname down. He'll use it at an opportune time, to maximize Kenzi's reaction towards it. Really bring out the 'aw' factor.]

Fae? Like, what, a fairy? [Rumlow's not up to speed on supernatural beings, sorry. It was only a few years ago that aliens were definitively real, though he suspects HYDRA knew that before, somehow.] That's... gotta be useful. Y'know, as long as you don't mind fucking your enemy.

[At least he's pretty sure chi is still the same sort of life force whatever found in martial arts films. This succubus chick is taking their chi -- well, Rumlow can only assume they weren't her friends.]

You got it, gorgeous. Except it's a little more all encompassing than just fairies. There's pixies, sirens, kelpies, wisps, werewolves, vampires, mesmers, there's just... a lot of shit. You gotta take my word for it or study up on your mythology. Chase is way more all about this.

[Easier to talk about stuff when you don't have to break everything down every five seconds. Chase may have the supernatural shit background, but Rumlow is smart as all hell and obviously catches on quick. He got the chi part 80% right on the first try.]

She doesn't always have to fuck them. Sometimes it's touch, sometimes she just kind of sucks the life out of them with a kiss. Sometimes there isn't even a kiss! But they all die with a smile on their face if she wants them dead...

It's weird to talk about her in the present tense, but I mean. I'm the one that's dead so-- I guess I'd be past tense. But. Nevermind.

[She's just gonna sip at her drink, savoring the flavour of REAL alcohol made with something other than gasoline.]

But that's how she saved my life. Kissed a guy dead in an elevator.

[Hunh. Well, he supposes that might be why Kenzi has been relatively relaxed about the whole tail, horns combo thing. If it's something she's seen before, he guesses it wouldn't be that surprising. He's starting to think there might be something to the idea of the people he's met here being from other worlds, as well. Aliens are one thing, Asgardian God-beings, powered people -- vampires? A little different. He's pretty damn sure if there were vampires, HYDRA would have found them and figured out a way to exploit them.]

So, a literal femme fatale. Sounds like someone you wouldn't want to cross. Must've been nice, having a friend with that power in her pocket.

[Kenzi misses her, he notes. Easy to to tell in the way she speaks, goes quiet. Rumlow nudges his knee against her in a gesture of solidarity. As if he's lost friends too. He supposes he has, but few worth bemoaning.]

Were fae just a normal part of life then?

Mama always said find the toughest kid on the playground and make friends. Makes it easier to have a big mouth.

[Dammit, Rumlow. There he goes being sweet again! With the knee and saying nice things and just... being there. Listening. It's got her smiling despite herself and she shrugs, barely noticing that her tail just kind of wraps around his loosely.

Okay, she totally noticed, but that thing does what it wants! She can't be blamed for it! Give her a sec to put her glass back down before she tugs at it and tries to unwind the damn thing so people don't start staring or something. There we go.]

Yeah. I kinda got roped into it. It's like some secret society... humans are food to them. Or servants. Or ... pets. [The disdain she has for that last part is beyond obvious.]

Bo had to claim me to keep me safe. Before I died, I made her take it back. Stuff was getting pretty dark near the end. Really outta control. It was... it was shitty, you know? Like catastrophically shitty.

[Kenzi might not notice, but Rumlow certainly does. Her tail twines with his and he lets it, maybe even twisting around hers a little more. He smiles, easy, like he's content to be with her. Maybe he is, in a way. She's fun to be around, at least.

And then she tugs her tail loose and his own sort of droops, as if disappointed. Whatever. She's probably just embarrassed.]

Hunh. Kinda sounds like something out of like, a vampire novel. Y'know with thralls or whatever. [Rumlow shrugs. He only really has peripheral knowledge.] Sorry to hear though. I can only imagine things involving supernatural beings would blow up pretty magnificently. Would've sucked to be stuck in the middle.

[He frowns somewhat and -- yeah, his tail reaches for hers again. Let people talk. He doesn't care. If someone makes a fuss, he'll just. Y'know. Kneecap them with his sidearm.]

And just what, exactly, would you know about vampire novels, hmmmm?

[Kenzi's pretty obviously content to be with him. He gets her jokes, he makes jokes of his own. Really, that's more than most people are capable of down here. Everything else he's got going on is just gravy.]

It did suck. But I died for her in the end. There was some stupid prophecy bullshit that didn't make sense, but it said... her heart could close the portal to the underworld or something. Bo's heart. And that was me. So I just kinda... walked into the weird, energy portal that was spewing out zombie warriors and got fried. I think I saved the world? Temporarily.

[She shrugs. No biggie. Just, you know, the end of her entire life. At 24. And she fucking CHOSE to do it like a MORON! Rumlow's tail winding around hers again helps shake her out of her downward spiral of negative self talk and gets a smile back on her face. If he doesn't care, she doesn't care. Their tails can just be a braid while they drink.]

Apparently Heaven's not cool with suicide. Who knew?

[Everyone. Everyone knew.]

[Rumlow shrugs in answer. He gets pop culture references, Twilight and all that garbage, but he's not a 13 year old girl or a middle aged woman, so he hasn't read them. He'll let the topic lie though, Kenzi having brought up something far more important. He looks at her, attentive, even as his tail swings slightly, making hers move with.]

That's... Christ, I don't even know how to address that. [He doesn't want to try and bring up the fact that at least this underworld is still actively sending people between here and there.] I would've thought that'd make you a martyr. Y'know, direct trip to Heaven, but I guess some asshole up there is fickle. I mean, I'm sorry you're dead, but hey. At least you've gotten to me some interesting characters down here. Present company included.

[Rumlow won't play like he's not glad to have met her. She's fun.]

Thanks.

[She's definitely not a martyr. Just stupidly loyal to the point of self sacrifice. When she finds friends, she sticks by them. No matter what. If Rumlow ever needed anything from her, she'd drop all the other shit and be there in a heartbeat. Same with Chase or Boss or Lloyd. The people she cares about are the most important things to her. More important than her self preservation instincts 100% of the time.]

Probably woulda been bored up there anyway. And you know, I'm really glad I met you, too. You're... a really good guy, Rumlow. Seriously, I mean it. [Wait a second. ] When you're not trying to get in my pants. You can be pretty bad then.

[That charming smile goes off again and Rumlow leans in, placing his hand on Kenzi's shoulder. She's so slight, it's easy for him to slide it up her neck, cup her cheek. His thumb brushes over the soft skin, eyes on hers.]

Thanks. Just like to leave a good impression. [His brow quirks up. Yeah, he means both ways.] Besides, you ain't no one to shrug off neither.

[He chucks her under the chin and sits back, hand returning to its place around his drink. He draws it up, sips, eyes looking her over, if only because he can. It's tough not to, she fits his type -- at least, where women are concerned. If he briefly imagines tossing her up onto the bar, she'll probably just think he's admiring her.]

[Her breath hitches when he slides his hand up her neck, but hopefully he didn't catch that. She can't help but lean into his touch, melting a little as she stares back into those brown eyes. Ugh. She's hooked. Sold. This crush is damn near painful.

It practically hurts when he goes back to his drink, and she can feel her cheeks heating up. She does love to be admired. How the hell would he know she's thinking about the same damn thing.]

Jesus, Brock. You're dangerous. One of these days we're gonna have a friendly drink where I don't wanna immediately go home with you, I swear. Stop that! Seriously, knock it off, I'm wholesome as fuck.

[As it often does, her response just makes him laugh, leaning back to keep his head (and his horns) from bumping her as he ducks it down in mirth. He peeks up after, still smiling. Sure, everything is going exactly as he plans it too, but it doesn't change the fact that Kenzi's delivery is perfect. He just likes how her sense of humor aligns with his.]

Somehow I doubt that.

[He says, voice pitched low. What he doubts, he'll leave up to her. Either way, he licks his lips, brows lifting in an entirely suggestive manner. Even tilts his body in just the right way, arm shifting so the muscles flex. He knows what she's about.]

[It's okay. She doubts it, too.

His calculated, little tweaks to his posture has her staring at his arm for way too long before she snaps out of it. Sighing heavily, she tosses her head back and the rest of her drink goes along with it. She sets the empty glass back down on the counter, hard, before she swipes Rumlow's drink and finishes that off, as well.]

Okay, we're done here. Let's go. Come on.

[Her tail untangles from his and she grabs him by the belt, throwing dracos on the bar before tugging him the hell out of there. They might not even make it back to the house. Fuck you, Rumlow. You son of a bitch!]

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