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[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

There's but the faintest tinge of black smoke lurking in the table furthest away from the light.

If one were to pass, they might see a flash of white teeth or the dull red of a gleaming eye.

And the man in black's got no-one followin' him no more, PRAISE THE LAWD, for the time of the reckonin' draws nigh ...

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[creator_raven]

At a nearby table, Raven is perched on a chair. He tilts his head, birdlike, watching the smoke.

"An interesting choice of form, I think."

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good
She was very very good
And when she was bad
They cut her up and fed her to the dogs
So sad."

[creator_raven]

"She could not have lived very long, then. Children are remarkably mischeivous."

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"Barely made it past her seventh year, poor lil thang."

You gotta name, partner? is more felt than heard.

[creator_raven]

Raven raises an eyebrow.

"They call me Raven."

He tilts his head.

"It is longer than I would have expected, in truth."

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, ain't much of a hand of anythin' in there but pure dumb unlucky life-end, I s'pose. I didn't take much of an interest in the little snack myself, otherwise I'da sped up the process."

"You a real bird or you just dressed in black fer shits and giggles?"

Flagg abruptly pops into view, all smiles and boots and tunes.

[jack_inthegreen]

There is a man in green, drawing.

His normally merry expression has mellowed to merely benign. One might even say . . . watchful.

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

Something watchful watches back within the cloud, which swirls and eddies with the movements of passersby.

[jack_inthegreen]

"I know you're there," Jack says mildly, not looking up from his drawing.

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

Kind of the point, ain't it?

The man smiles.

[jack_inthegreen]

"Things which hide in the dark tend to be . . . squishy."

[ushouldcwhatic.livejournal.com]

Johnny's still recovering from his conversation with Elan, when he thought he spied something else.

Something strangely *familiar*.

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

The familiar thing clicks its pretty little teeth together and regards the man with a broad, malicious smile.

Got the mark of the King all over ya, son.

[ushouldcwhatic.livejournal.com]

Johnny glanced toward the shadows, the hair on the back of his neck standing straight up.

"The mark of the what?" He asked.

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"Mark of the Big Badass, boy," the man says, flickering into view slowly like a flame fanned to life.

"I know you."

[ushouldcwhatic.livejournal.com]

Johnny frowned at the strange man man-shaped shadows, darkness.

"I don't understand."

But maybe he did, else why does he think he knows him as well somehow? Like Stillson, but a thousand times worse. More like Stillson was one of this one's followers or children.

[winged-defender.livejournal.com]

There's a squawk that sounds something like a human snort of laughter. "Nice look you got there, Sparky."

It's a large parrot, perched on the back of a chair at a nearby table.

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

A long cackle rumbles from the cloud.

"Pretty little birdie."

[winged-defender.livejournal.com]

"I am awfully pretty, aren't I?" She preens at a wing. "Wish I could say the same for you, buddy." The bird flaps over to land on a chair at the smoky table.

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"I'm one ugly motherfucker, I'm sad to say," he says, slapping a hand to his chest and wiping away an imaginary tear.

[winged-defender.livejournal.com]

"Well, honesty's something to say for you," the parrot says cheerfully. "So how're you this evening?"

[k_in_black]

A finger is pointing at the Man. The rest of its hand is wrapped round a glass of bourbon. The other hand is in a left-side pocket.

"The smoke is good. I like the eye too. But the suit--."

K shakes his head.

"I'll always have the better tailor, Slick."

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"Ssssssssssslick, huh?"

A forked tongue flicks out between the white teeth and waggles briefly at the newcomer before shooting back to where it came from.

Boots can be seen drumming lightly on the tabletop.

"Got a name, party boy?"

[k_in_black]

"I might. Guess that depends on what you intend to do with it."

"Tongue's a nice touch. Reminds me of tongues I've seen on the Hydrans. They come through Manhattan every couple of weeks. Both forks are prehensile. Just the thing for Asian food. Those guys can *not* get enough of Chinatown."

[sai-interloper.livejournal.com]

"I like a good Chinese now and then," he concedes.

"As for names? Well, I collect 'em. Store 'em in my pockets and pull 'em out when I need one."