Guilty Pleasures

December 7, 2001
a Rome, Italy

When Schuldig Portaled into Farfarello's Roman apartment, Farfarello did indeed look like he wanted to have a chat, just as Schu had felt. Could a telepathic link really cross realities and time zones? He didn't let any of his surprise and disquiet show on his face.

"Good," Farfarello said. "I felt and thought really hard at you."

"As long as you didn't rupture anything. Actually, I just felt like showing up." Liar. Hopefully Red wouldn't catch that. "What's on your mind? And do make sure to stay on the other side of the room." Schu refused to sit on the bed for similar reasons. ( Read more... )

October 1, 2000
a Rome, Italy

When Farfarello walked out of the bathroom, fresh from the shower, he saw Lucifer sitting on his bed. Annoyance and affection warred within him, but he had to give the telepath credit for coming back so soon, especially knowing that Farfarello had been enraged last time. But the anger had faded, and fondness dominated him now as he sat beside him. Wait.

"It hasn't been just a few days for you, has it?" Farfarello asked.

"How did you guess?" Satan asked, sounding tired.

"You smell like oncoming winter, you look much wearier, you're wearing heavier clothing, and your hair is longer. I think you're thinner too."

"You notice all that?"

( Read more... )

Farfarello burned. It was interesting being so dry. Floaty.

“What stupidity is this?”

Smiling, Farfarello half-opened his eye to see Lucifer standing before his bed, orange hair blazing even in the shady dimness of the stifling room. Farfarello croaked through cracked lips, “Tyger! Tyger! burning bright.”

“It’s my own hand that frames my fearful symmetry. How long have you been like this?”

“Time is an illusion.”

( Read more... )

Schuldig reeled as he Portalled back into his flat. Busy night. He'd found a target on a dance floor Farfarello had been looking for and killed the guy himself out of some urge to finish the dance. After they'd dumped the body and Schuldig had turned down a cut of the reward money, they'd danced and drank for hours before returning to Farfarello's place for dirtier dancing. Schuldig hadn't been this hungover in a long time. Farfie could drink. Schu had easier times with other people's hangovers than his own; the nausea wasn't so bad, for one thing. Farf had entertained himself by trying to gross Schu out once they woke up, so it was time to go.

Shit, he had nothing edible in his own flat, and he knew he'd be hungry later. Grocery shopping. Blaaah. He hated it. He needed minions, dammit.

Schu didn't bother showering or changing; he just put his darkest sunglasses and a heavier coat on before leaving. But as he reached the front door he felt a familiar presence outside: Aya.

( Read more... )

January 19, 2000
a Rome, Italy

When Schuldig had come to this reality to do his funeral for Farfarello, he'd intended that to be his single visit to this place. He'd throw Farfarello's ashen mortal remains on the pope and scare the hell out of the crowd, then leave, never to return.

But once his rage and grief faded, he realized that he really needed to know the effects of his actions here. The whole point of shaking people and manipulating events was to shape what happened next. In the months since Schuldig had returned a few times to check out the reality's media. The pope had taken a major hit to his authority and respect, although he retained his title. At least for now. There were whispers that the College of Cardinals was in an uproar. Some people converted out of Catholicism, while others converted to it, thinking that such a manifestation around the pope might mean he and his faith were on to something. Secular news sources and atheists struggled to discover Schuldig's identity and motives and figure out how he'd teleported around. Non-secular sources openly wondered if he were a demon or the devil himself and a signpost of the upcoming Apocalypse.

The horror in discovering that the ashes were human remains had been close to universal. Schuldig remembered getting a lot of them into the pope's open mouth, and he could imagine his Farfarello having a big laugh over that.

An event that splashy and macabre--that had been captured on video cameras to boot--stayed in the global news for quite a while, although it had started to die down. Italy, especially the areas closest to Vatican City, however, retained more interest in it.

With his coat's hood up over his hair and rose-colored glasses over his eyes, Schuldig scanned the front pages of the papers at a newsstand. Did he want more rational attempts to explain what he'd done or more terror and religious speculation? Both could be fun!

Suddenly Schuldig felt Radio Schwarz come online and an almost familiar presence nearby. He picked up the closest paper, tossed some money down, and walked in the direction he sensed it in.

( Goes so very NSFW )



((This is the interlude Schu was demanding I finish in this dear_mun post. The entry is backdated so it will come up on Schu's home page where it should.))

Brad's voice in Schuldig's head interrupted an enjoyable round of shooting people. ::Schuldig, the building is going to come down around us!::

They were in the basement, and Schu's memory of the layout and telepathic scan told him that none of them were even near a stairwell that would lead them close to a way out. He heard an explosion and felt everything start to rumble around him. There weren't any Portals close by, and Schu didn't have the time to yank one over. Why the hell hadn't Brad seen this before now? Chunks of the ceiling were coming down.... Schu ran to a doorway and took out a PINpoint and PMQ, but setting coordinates based on his telepathic impression of where Brad is, especially when Brad is moving quickly, is so difficult. He didn't have time for this shit! He PINpointed.

Brad, in the middle of a large room and a crowd of targets, was getting pelted badly by ceiling debris when Schu arrived, which meant Schuldig was too now. Schu grabbed him and PINpointed them to the preset location of his Nexus couch, then left him to return to the basement. Or try to. The PINpoint wouldn't let him arrive inside solid objects, so he got bounced to someplace outside what used to be the building, and he couldn't hear Farfarello's static anymore. There was an aching hollow where his link to Farfarello had been. For a while he stared at the pile of girders, chunks of stone, and flaming debris. Finally he returned to his couch to bring Brad back.

( Read more... )

Crawford watched Schuldig spin and dance and whip his hair out, tiring out yet another French clubgoer, not that he could blame them for being unwary. Schu didn't look like he could be that fast and strong, nor could they know that he'd come here on an adrenaline, kill, and sex high. Besides, Schu appeared to be playing the dim German tourist, speaking with a thick accent and toying with people. They couldn't know that he'd made the DJ play faster music. Sometimes Crawford noticed Schu directing his latest dance partner's attention Crawford's way, no doubt to do his "My boyfriend likes to watch" routine. Crawford couldn't deny that he usually found the results enjoyable, both Schuldig and some male or female partner performing for his benefit, with Schuldig more graceful and flexible with his assassin-trained body.

Nagi had already gotten to Schuldig, which meant that Crawford had to work harder. The numerous hickeys on Schuldig's skin offended him, each speaking of his blindness. Bad enough that Schu disappeared into his Nexus and went off his radar completely, but now his own protégé in his own reality snatched his telepath out from under his nose. Schuldig wouldn't come back on his own forever.

( Read more... )

This couldn't go well no matter how or when he did it. Schuldig put his mirror sunglasses down over his eyes, unlocked the door to Brad and Farf's flat, let himself in, and closed the door behind him.

( Read more... )

((This scene actually takes place a while back in time, about June 30, from here.))


( Scene, part 1 )