this is the self-preservation society

[datglass]

WHO: MIRROR MASTER and PIED PIPER
WHERE: Piper's place
WHEN: Tonight...? (Tuesday)
WARNINGS: Evan is an asshole! Also mind control!
SUMMARY: Evan finally pushes too far.
FORMAT: Whatever!


It was natural, probably. McCulloch's most recent job with Captain Cold reminded him he was rather low on cash, himself; there hadn't been anything worth stealing up in freaking Canada and Cold wouldn't sell the lousy Stanley Cup, which continued to leave Evan in what he'd call a "skint situation;" no money meant no freedom, and he hadn't yet cased the banks enough to work out where their vaults were.

It wouldn't have been so bad -- he'd have more time, anyway -- were it not for the twitching withdrawal creeping down his body. He was getting more restless and irritable and hell if he could let Cold see that, but he needed cash. He'd already spent most of what he'd arrived with. That was why he was exiting the bathroom mirror in Rathaway's place (a little clumsier than usual); first of all, it was a place he'd seen enough times to guess where anything worth stealing might be stashed. Second of all, gay guys usually had expensive shit, so he always thought. With that in mind, he cased the bathroom first before moving toward the bedroom to rummage through dresser drawers.

Comments

[snidepiper]

Even though he had been, very early in life, a heavy sleeper (as one might expect), a combination of Piper's machine-enhanced hearing and a decade of week-to-week crazy happenings put paid to that.

"Nngh." He sat up in bed, a little blearily, and completely incapable in the dark, fumbled for the bedside lamp. "...Tricks--?"

[datglass]

Evan glanced over at the bed when Piper spoke, wrinkling his nose slightly. Of all the things he didn't even want to think about.

"Nope," he said, focusing on the drawer again. Didn't want any misunderstandings. So far the drawer he was rooting through was dismally filled with nothing worth nicking.

[snidepiper]

"What the hell are you doing here?"

It wasn't as calm as he usually was. He wasn't expecting to get robbed tonight, that was all.

[datglass]

"Havin' a root around. Thought you'd have something work a few but I'm findin' hee haw. Mind pointin' me in the right direction so I can be on my way?"

He leveled an impatient look toward Piper.

[snidepiper]

"You're serious." As if he had to ask. Piper wanted to think of himself as a good person, regardless of his history, he wanted to think of himself as the kind of guy who wouldn't make kneejerk mistakes.

But part of him was still a Rogue deep down. And Rogues were good at making the worst decisions.

"...Sure, I'll give you exactly what you deserve," He was barely aware of what he was saying, reaching under the bed, fumbling for a flute he kept there. No one could blame him for this, Evan was--he was awful. The things he'd done, the things he'd gotten away with, he deserved worse than jail.

He deserved humiliation.

Piper was playing the first thing that came to mind, flashing quick to a target who could defend himself--a target who could handle it if his puppet was too... zealous.

[datglass]

"Haw, what're you--" On instinct when he saw that flute Evan pointed his Mirror Gun at Piper, but he didn't do anything with it. Once the music started he realized he didn't want to stick around this place even long enough to rob it. His eyes took on a vague, dazed look.

"Right, well." He wasn't sure why his mind had suddenly traveled to thinking about a completely different person, but there he was, suddenly with the intense need to go see... her. He shut the drawer he was rooting through with a harsh slam. "Know what? Gotta shoot the craw, a dinna ken why I'm hangin' 'roond here."

He side-stepped awkwardly, turning back toward the bathroom.

[snidepiper]

"Yeah. You've probably got better places to be."

He didn't even feel bad, or he was struggling to tell himself so, because Evan was begging for it.

And he was sure nothing would come of it. Midnighter was a big boy, he could take care of himself.

Right.

"Have fun."