'Cause, Baby, I'm a Lone Ranger (OPEN)

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Ah, the American form of Sin City. The temperature was a whopping 97, not bad for February, and the Strip was alive. His feet crunched on the little papers the prostitute peddlers handed out, which served as a sort of ugly carpet for the sidewalk all the way down. Lights glittered everywhere, enticing people to come spend their money.

His mind was elsewhere though. On Laverna. He was upset, but not in the needing to be alone with self pity way, no. In the way that he wanted to run someone through with his cane. He came so close. She’d been right there. She knew him. And she’d chosen to forget him. Make him wait even longer. In this moment, he did not blame himself as he usually did. He blamed her. He blamed Remus Stone. Stealing his happiness. He’d waited so damn long. Well the search was over. At the rate things were going, he might not even be around anymore when Felicity Stone died and Laverna’s newest form grew up enough to think of Orcus as anything more than a freak of nature or an ugly grandfather. He stabbed one of the papers with his cane and impaled it, which meant he now had a picture of a half naked woman on his cane, which did not help his mood. He stepped on the edge and ripped it off.

In that moment some short balding fellow seemed to think Orcus needed one of those cards in his hand instead, so he shoved his grimy hand out in Orcus’ face, flipping five or six of the cards in the air and speaking in some foreign language that Orcus didn’t feel like identifying. Orcus reached out to shove the man away, and the second his hand came in contact with the fellow’s chest, he knew everything he needed to know. This man had been born in southern Mexico to a good Catholic family, but ran away from home and joined a drug cartel and eventually made his way across the border into the United States illegally with ten pounds of drugs and three other illegal people. Now he was making a living off selling prostitutes in Las Vegas. Well, if that wasn’t enough. Orcus was no Christian, but he knew the oaths the young ones made, and this man had broken every one of them. So he added a bit of magic to his push and as the man stumbled back, dropping the cards, his eyes grew wide in fear with the sudden new phobias that would plague him the rest of his life.

Orcus kept walking.

Words: 437
Tag: OPEN (aka SOMEONE plot with him already)
Notes: Disclaimer: This is not me hating on Mexico. It is me having been to Las Vegas and in-person seeing illegal immigrants flipping prostitute cards in your face. That is a thing that happens. A lot. Seriously, that Strip has at least 200 peddlers on it any given time.

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Jack had been here for a simple reason, there was something he needed to get his hands on. While he could grow nearly anything under the sun, what he needed was a particular organic chemical compound to add to his fertilizer. Unfortunately, he didn't have the money to purchase it and he wasn't about to ask a favor from Mercury. Favors from the gods tend to get a bit sticky. Till then, he was stuck trying to figure out where he was going to either get five hundred million or five hundred million in chemicals so he could trial and error this for fertilizer. He thought about maybe trying to win big at the tables but he was horrible at playing poker or slots or what ever have you. But knowing his luck, he'd probably loose everything, his orchards, but he needed money. What did he have to do for it? He wasn't about to become some kind of demi-god stripper.

He stuck his hands in his pockets, walking down the strip. He drank in the Neon lights as he rubbed a hand over his unshaven face, shoving his hands down deep in his pockets. He had gotten here via teleport from his buddy who was a Mercury guy. He said just to send him an IM when they were ready to hop back to camp. It wasn't the first time he had gone back empty handed, don't even ask him about the hibiscus plants from Hawaii. That was a disaster and to be honest, Jack would like to not relive that problem. Jack wasn't paying much attention. The only thing he saw was a shady looking guy get shoved by a much creepier looking guy but the creepier looking guy, well he had seen that face before. It was like deja vu. Jack just couldn't put his fingers on why it was just so familiar.

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Orcus kept walking. Click, click said his cane on the pavement. His suit was impeccable. His face clean shaven. His hair falling around his face fairly straight. Click, click. The funny thing was that he hadn’t seemed to have gathered much attention for cursing that man. This city was a crazy place. People were pretty much totally okay with anything. So Orcus kept walking. Click, click.

Then he noticed something. He had gathered attention. From one young man, who was unabashedly staring. Of course, it could be one of those instances where you catch someone’s eye and it gets awkward and you either both look away instantly or both look too long. Could be that. Orcus frowned slightly as he stopped and regarded the boy. Well, man, but when you were Orcus’ age, even Jupiter was a boy. Who was this young man? And why was he so intent? And why was he the only one so intent?

A demigod. Yes, he knew it for sure. Let’s see, let’s see. He couldn’t tell of whom without getting closer. So, being the nothing-to-lose man he was in this moment, he addressed him. “No need to fear, not like I’m going to do it to you too, young demigod. Shall we?” He was hoping to establish a yes, I’m on to you sort of thing with calling him a demigod. He lifted his cane a mere foot off the ground and half waved it to the grand entrance of the Luxor, which was the nearest of the hotels to them, and inclined his head that way too. This wasn’t much a question. He waited for the young man to take a lead. Time to see how bold this young man was and how much he trusted old men with canes.

Words: 298
Tag: @jack
Notes:

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Jack shook his head as he tried to get rid of the thought of where he had seen the man before. It must have had something to do with the obnoxiously bright lights and loud sounds that came with being on the strip. Every where you look there was something to do, even at o-dark thirty in the evening. Or in the morning. It wasn't unheard of to spend the whole night in the casinos gambling away houses, 401Ks, and college funds. Everything they had would be gone. And Rumor had it that Mercury had a hold on a few of the casinos here. Sounds about right being one of the gods of thievery and business, and loosing money around here was apparently a business. And another business seemed to be the obnoxious. Everything from the brightly colored costumes of the street performers and the signs of neon, beckoning people to come in and spend their money. More than one occasion did the demi-god wonder if gambling to get what he needed was really out of the realm of possibility. Fortuna was a fickle goddess but past that, Jack really didn't want to take the chance at getting on her bad side and loosing all of his work.

Jack felt a shudder go down his spine as he was addressed by the man as 'demi-god'. If he could tell that he was a demi-god from that far away, that meant only one thing to Jack. This man was a god. Now which god, that part was still left up in the air. Only time would tell. The god tilted his head and turned towards the nearest hotel, the obnoxious pyramid with the bright light that shot skywards to the heavens. He couldn't help but let out a small, breathless sigh as he nodded, with a motion that he was going on with the god for the time being. HE couldn't say no, Jack knew that they had the chance and the will to turn demi-gods from being a greasy black smear on the pavement. "After you." Jack said as he held the door open for the god, moving to the side in a polite gesture. Not that he was trying to suck up to the god. Jack wasn't a suck up by any means. But he knew how to give his superiors their dues and respect. The Roman legion made that point pretty clear.

Tags: @orcus
Words: 407
Notes: n/a

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After you? Well well, a demigod with some respect. About time. Orcus nodded slightly with the hint of a smile and walked into the hotel. He assumed the young man was following, so he spoke. “I always thought this one amusing. The Egyptians were never so territorial as the Romans, so we’re safe. That and you’re with me. That and they consider this place an obnoxious and rude gesture to their heritage as well. So we’ll be fine here. Don’t get me started on New York, New York though. Or Caesar’s Palace. Or Stratosphere. Jupiter is fond of that one.” He walked up to the most immediate eye-catcher in the place, which was also the least Egyptian: a rotating candy red Ferrari. “Jack, is it? You have no reason to fear me. You’ve done no wrong. Just call it curiosity that I asked you in here.” Finally he turned to look at the young man. “So what brings an upstanding young Roman to Las Vegas? I should hope you’re wiser than to be going for the slots. Unless you’re unbearably depressed and feel like losing everything, then I suggest we talk instead. For the time being, we shall say I am entirely on your side. Knowing me, unless you do something totally foolish, that will not change. So tell me about yourself and your reasons, Jack. I’m all ears. And yes, questions are welcome as well. I can assure you I am not one of the ones any of the Olympians bother with, so your name will not get out for this.”

Orcus leaned on his cane, fingers running over the smooth Imperial Gold topper that was gleaming red in the reflection of the spotlights on the car near them.

Words: 290
Tag: @jack
Notes: Tiny post! I thought I was doing good until I looked at the word count...

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Jack didn't have to extend his stride to keep up with the quick moving god. The immortal spoke as Jack followed, he listened intently, taking in many of the words that he said. When he was younger, Jack might have dismissed the immortal or gone off and goofed around. He had done way too many stupid things when he was little. He knew from his lessons that he actually paid attention to that there were many immortals that held animosity towards Jupiter. His brothers, the older immortals, Mars, the latter made his disdain known by claiming to be only Juno's kid. Jack blinked as he nodded, not quite sure what to say. But his eyes were immediately drawn to the bright candy apple red car that was sitting in the middle of the atrium where it was spinning in a circle. He wasn't exactly a car guy, but it did look really pretty. Where would he keep such a thing? It wouldn't get much use being driven. Though if he won the car he'd probably be able to sell it to get the money for his research.

"Yes sir. Jack Shepard. Pleasure to meet you." He said as he extended his hand out for a proper greeting. Now there were gods that knew for a fact they were above touching demi-gods, but Jack didn't want to take the chance of offending him by not offering a hand shake. He had learned many things while he had been away from camp for a few years before coming back. "Actually sir, I'm here for my Research." He said in a nervous voice. The question on what a good roman was doing here in such a place was something that even Jack couldn't answer. But he wanted to. "I was visiting the University here to see if I could seek funding from a colleague, but...." There was that obvious feeling that he had been shot down. You didn't have to be a mind reader to see the look of rejection on his face. "I still have a paper to present on my work at Stanford. So there's hope." Not many people knew that Jack held a doctorate in Botany and Organic Chemistry. If you would have asked anyone that knew him in the legion, they would have laughed. Jack was smart, though not obscenely so like he had seen some of the mortals that had taken classes with him. He could do the practical methods with no problem due to his mother, but writing it all down was harder. "I uh, well after getting rejected, I'd thought I'd walk around to clear my head a bit. Though I'd like to not bet my farm, The thought did cross my mind that I might win the money. I decided against it, my luck is pretty horrible." He said as he looked the immortal in the eye before looking down at his shiny boots. He looked somewhat respectable, having dressed up to present his offer to the university. But compared to some of the other people here, he looked down right shabby.

Words: 530
Tags: @orcus
Notes: sorry I got to rambling in the post.