Family Dynamics

Log Title: Family Dynamics

Location: Southeast United States - North America

Date: August 19, 2016

Summary: Zandar and Zarana start arming gangs all across America.

As logged by Zarana - Friday, August 19, 2016, 7:09 PM

Southeast United States - North America[]

Like the Northeastern US, this area extends from the Mississippi to the Atlantic and encompases a variety of states, including those states most commonly associated with the Old South. Once considered a backward region, the South has indeed risen again to become an area of culture and industry.

A few days have passed, and Zarana has settled back in to the gas station base and started using it as her own in Zartan's absence. She's taken over direction of the weapons distribution, sending out teams of Dreadnoks all over the United States to arm rival gangs in all major cities. She's learned to 'delegate' pretty well - as in, order the other Dreadnoks about like they're her servants. She treats Zandar slightly better than the rest, at least acknowledging he has a brain in his head, unlike most of the others.

Zandar is used to this. He does as his sister commands, carrying out her orders and delegating himself, like a good second-in-command would. At least she's here and they're together, he tells himself. And at least Zartan isn't around right now. Zandar reports to Zarana, "Just sent a shipment out to the Heathens of New York. This is going far too well. Isn't it great?"

Zarana grabs a hard grape soda and throws herself into a mildewed couch that doesn't even remember seeing better days. "Yeah," she agrees, flipping the cap off the soda bottle and pitching it across the room to join the rest of the trash on the floor. "This a sweet gig. We'll have to convert all that cash to gold as quickly as possible - I don't trust paper money when any moment Cobra might crash the US economy just for shiggles." She takes a long draw of the hard soda, and then belches loudly.

Zandar looks about the hideout with growing disgust, "Get Road Pig to clean up this mess, Zarana. Or I'll do it. What if Hannibal comes by and sees the condition of our base?" He sounds truly concerned about it. His sister is thinking about their financial security and he's worried about their messy base.

Zarana raises a drawn-on zagged black eyebrow, and gives Zandar a look of sneering disdain. "If you don't like the look of the base, you clean it up. I have better uses for Road Pig - someone has to guard all that cash, and who else is going to do it? You? Don't make me laugh," she says scornfully. As usual, her mood can turn dark in an instant, and even her brother is not safe from the sarcastic lash of her tongue.

Zandar winces visibly as his sister - his twin - lashes out at him. Even though he should be used to it by now, it still hurts. He begins collecting the bottle caps from all the grape soda bottles and discarding them, "If the Dreadnoks make a mess of this place again, I'll slit their thoats. Every last one of them." Then, he dares to ask, "Has Zartan been about?"

Zarana chuckles at the thought of Zandar killing the other Dreadnoks, but whether it's because of her love of violence or a disbelief in Zandar's capabilities isn't clear. "I haven't seen him," she answers Zandar's query, "But I'm sure he's about. Why? Do you need him? I know how to get a hold of him if we require him. I just figured for now we're doing well enough on our own. Why share another cut of the profits?" She finishes off her bottle of hard grape soda, and contemptuously throws the empty bottle right into the area that Zandar just cleaned. She gives him a challenging smile.

The flame-haired Dreadnok frowns, picks up the bottle and looks at Zarana disapprovingly, as much as he would dare, at least, "No, I was just--" he mutters, voice full of doubt. He places the empty bottle on a counter, "I'm glad it's just us," he confesses, "It's good, once in awhile... Hey Zarana?" he asks, pausing.

Zarana smirks as Zandar meekly picks up the bottle. She may secretly love her brother, but she just can't help but demonstrate her dominance to everyone around her, Zandar included. She smiles in agreement with Zandar's about it being better without Zartan sometimes, but then frowns as Zandar asks a question. "What?" she asks impatiently, whipping her legs around to sit up on the aging couch and fixing her piercing glare on her sibling.

Zandar wilts under that domineering, purely Zarana gaze, "I'm going to Frederick's... Yes *that* bar!... Do you want to join me? Better than hanging around here. We can talk there without--ah, I don't know..." The less dominant of Zartan's siblings breaks off, "You don't have to, of course... I was just..."

"Sure!" Zarana interrupts, leaping to her feet. "Let's go! I could use a decent drink, and a chance to get the hell out of here for a few hours. Lead on, brother!" Zarana pulls on her black leather Dreadnok jacket over her torn-and-clothespinned t-shirt, and heads for the door - although stopping for a change to let Zandar catch up. "First round's on you!" she announces gamely, giving her brother a challenging smirk.

Relieved, Zandar smiles hugely as he follows Zarana out, "No problem, sis," he says aquiescingly, "Your hog or mine?"

An hour or so later, the twins pull up to a building with an assortment of vehicles around it and a neon sign outside. Zandar dismounts from his bike and heads for the door, to hold it open for Zarana. In truth, Zandar is as devoted to Zarana as Road Pig is, albeit for different reasons altogether. They were twins, and he would do anything for her.

Zarana swaggers into the bar like she owns the place. Biker bar, gay bar, sports bar - it's all the same to Zarana. As long as she can drink, hit on both men and women, and fight if the needs takes her (and it often does), she's happy. She sidles right up to the bar, giving a sneer and a wink to a cute boi that's sitting next to her. "Give me a whiskey straight," she orders the bartender, and then leans back against the bar with her drink, surveying the room.

Zandar follows Zarana in. It seems he's not unknown here, as the bartender greets him and pours him a drink without asking what he wants. Zandar takes a seat next to his sister and also looks out over the room. There are a wide assortment of people here. Men, women, gay, straight. He even recognizes some of them.

The boi answers, "Hey Zandar! Is this your sister?"

Zandar nods, "Yes. She's Zarana," he smiles proudly, adding to the barkeep, "Keep the drinks coming."

Elsewhere at the bar, a deejay plays musing people are dancing to, a wide range of the human experience. Gay men and women, straight men and woman, cross dressers. Zandar relaxes, at least here no one will ridicule him for his orientation, or his choice in fashion, "So, Zarana. This is Fredericks. That's the bartender, Hans, and this is Vance," he sais, indicating the cute boi.

Zarana looks Vance over and smiles. "Hello, Vance. You know my brother?" She glances at Zandar, and then sips her drink, seeming to relax - maybe tonight will actually go down without a fight. "You know how to dance, Vance?" she asks the boi, admiring his dapper look in sharp contrast her own never-left-the-80s punk outfit. "It's been a while since I cut a rug." She looks like she's more skilled at cutting faces.

The boi nods and does know Zandar. They've had many conversations at the bar. Vance also knows how to dance. He gets up from the bar. Zandar also does to escort his sister to the dancefloor. He really would do anything she asked, and more.

Zarana downs her drink and joins Vance and Zandar on the dance floor. She's an unskilled but very aggressive dancer - probably a bit too punk for the club. Her jerky motions have little to do with whatever music's playing, but the look in her eyes dares anyone to mock her. She alternates between dancing lasciviously up against Vance and completely ignoring him - she mostly ignores Zandar as well, but he's probably used to it. =)

Zandar indeed is. He's not a big dancer and politely disengages himself back to the bar, to watch his sister and Vance dance. He wears an easygoing smile. Tonight is good. He picks up another drink and sips it, "Sister dear, sister dear..." he says quietly, eyes scanning the room for anyone who catches his eye, or to see if he catches anyone's. He's glad Zarana is enjoying herself. He wasn't sure how she'd take to coming here, but it turned out well, so far at least. Vance continues dancing with Zarana, alternately being ignored and having lascivious attention upon him. Zandar had mentioned his sister many times here. He takes another sip of his drink.

Zarana dances up a thirst, and finally returns to the bar, ordering another drink and then settling in next to her brother, ignoring Vance who she had just been hitting on moments before. "Hey, brother. This place is nice. We should shake them down for some protection money, and then make sure the Dreadnoks protect the place from anyone else bothering them. What do you think?" As is often the case, it's hard to tell if she's kidding or not, and if she even knows, herself.

"Well," Zandar traces the edge of his glass with his finger, "I am known here," he begins, "And I've never seen any trouble here from rival gangs. They might decide my patronage is no longer welcome. Even with 'protection.' It is a good idea," but then, all Zarana's ideas are good ones to Zandar. he finishes his drink and signals the bartender for another.

Just as Zandar is about to say more, a rather attractive looking man approaches them, "Are you twins? You sure look alike." And Zandar grins, having heard this many, many times, and at the good looks of this bar patron come to see them. Zandar turns a little red.

Zarana nods at Zandar. "Funny to think of you guardin' anything. I'm surprised they notice you at all." As the man approaches them, Zarana turns and looks him up and down. "Yeah, we're twins," she says aggressively. "What do you want to make of it?" She scowls up at the man, and tightens her grip on her drink, like maybe she's about to use it as a weapon if she doesn't get the answer she likes.

Zandar doesn't recognize this man, and while he has some appeal, he's certainly no Hannibal, "Zarana," Zandar whispers cautiously, taking her arm with a hand.

The man looks taken aback but quickly regains his composure, "Nothing at all. Just remarking on your looks. Especially his."

Zandar turns deeper red, "My sister, she, ah--she doesn't mean--" Zandar stammers, wishing he really could turn invisible, but actually enjoying the compliment. He looks to Zarana, "Sis?"

Zarana scowls and shrugs off Zandar's hand on her arm. "Don't touch me," she glowers, and then gazes up at the man critically. "What about our looks?" she asks challengingly, looking the man directly in the eyes. "You have a problem with them?" She stands, getting in the man's face, although she's at least a head shorter than him. She looks ready to start a fight for almost literally no reason. Zandar pulls his hand away, giving Zarana a very hurt look.

"Woah, woah," says the man, "I don't mean anything by it. You look good!" he adds, "Let me buy you both a drink."

"Sister.." Zandar hisses in her ear. He's rather short for a man and an approximate height with his sister, "He, uh, I think he likes me.. Could you please accept the drink..?"

Zarana is in a gay bar with her brother, causing trouble. She looks from Zandar to a man who had approached them both, and looks ready to start a fight. However, at Zandar's words she calms, and says, "Fine. Buy us both a drink. I like whiskey." She takes her seat back at the bar, not moving to give the man any room to sit. She turns and motions the bartender for another round of drinks, on their new friend.

Zartan is keeping an eye on his siblings, so he's cloaked and hidden in a darkened corner of the bar. After all, the twins are apt to get into trouble, and it's up to him to make certain they don't get in over their heads.

Zandar relaxes visibly. This is "his" place, and he tries to be as unobtrusive here as possible. He indicates with a hand that the man take a seat, Zandar sitting between this newcomer and his sister, "We're Zarana and Zandar," he introduces for them both.

"I'm Kain," the newcomer says, and orders a whiskey for Zarana, some wimpy drink for Zandar and a drink for himself, "What brings you here?"

Zandar, of course, turns scarlet and devours his drink, in that order, then looks to his sister, then looks down.

"We're doing some drinkin'," Zarana answers for the both of them, "And some dancin'. What brings you here, 'Kain'?" she asks, putting an emphasis on his name as if she doesn't believe it's real (this coming from someone introduced as 'Zarana'). She accepts her whisky and downs it in one long gulp, slamming it back down on the table. She gives Kain a cocky grin. "You come here often?" she leers.

Zandar grins back at her, drink in his hand.

"Your sister's quite the drinker," Kain replies, giving her a semi-private look, "Not at all. First time here," the look turns into a private grin, "I'm here to find a man," he takes a drink.

Zandar, sitting between them, want to die of embarrassment.

"Mind if I borrow your brother?" Kain asks directly.

Zandar chokes on his drink.

Zartan sighs. Zandar needs his hand held to meet a potential significant other? He's almost as embarrassed as Zandar is now. If Sunlight shone on him right now he'd be purple rather than blue.

Zarana looks directly at Kain and smirks. "That depends. What are you going to use him for?" She raises her drawn-on jagged eyebrows and stares unflinchingly at the man, curious as to what he'll say in response. His reaction will greatly influence Zarana's appraisal of him. She smiles out of the corner of her mouth, aware of Zandar's embarrassment in her peripheral vision and drawing additional power from it.

Zandar weakly signals the bartender for another drink. He doesn't say anything as the two talk on either side of him.

Kain smiles. This is one tough woman. Might even be worth the acquired taste, "Oh, a little of this, a little of that. What do you think I want him for? Why else would I come to a bar like this?"

Zandar swallows and finally asserts himself, "Um, I'm right here." he says, as if the two have forgotten his very prescence while, it felt like, they were bartering him.

Zartan watches the scene unfolding with a slight cringe. "I always thought you babied him too much," he mutters under his breath, sipping at a drink that he managed to get from the bar without anyone seeing him.

Zarana shrugs. "If you can't say it, maybe you're not worth it. I'm very particular about who gets near my brother." Since when? Only when it suits Zarana to be interested. Even as she pretends (?) to be protective of him, she ignores him trying to assert himself, not even bothering to acknowledge his request with a 'not now' brush-off. Instead he keeps her focus on Kain, giving him a wicked smile.

"You're twins. I don't blame you," Kain says, uttering to the bartender to buy them all another drink. She's good. Really good. "You want it direct? Alright then. Your brother looks like he'd be an interesting sex partner," he gives a wolfish smile right back, "Let's see what he thinks. Zandar?"

The Dreadnok stammers, barely able to talk, "I--I--"

Kain ruffles Zandar's hair playfully, "Nothing's going to happen to your twin," Kain says to Zarana, reassuringly.

Between them, Zandar disappears into his seat, losing all his presense.

Zartan 's face disappears into his table.

Zarana smirks. "Nothing's going to happen to him? Well, that sounds pretty disappointing for him, then, doesn't it?" She turns her attention to Zandar at last as well. "What do you think, Zandar? Would you prefer something to happen to you, or not?" She accepts the second drink, and stares down at Zandar, enjoying his embarrassment and humiliation. Maybe she likes this Kain after all. "Do you need me to get you two a room?" she asks inappropriately.

Zandar looks up, quite plastered from his drink, "Zarana--Kain--" he tries to compose himself, "I don't--uh, I don't think this is very appropriate. Of course I like--well, no--no. Of course I like it. But--I'm not a piece of meat!" he says helplessly.

Kain grins further and finishes his drink, "I think we can manage," and he dares to put an arm around Zandar, who shrinks from it a little, to lead him somewhere else.

Sure, Zandar's come here looking for men before. Sometimes he's been successful, sometimes not. But it's never been quite like this. The submissive twin orders a whiskey for himself from the bar and drinks it in one gulp, face stained bright and deep red. He coughs from the strength of it.

Zartan has double-facepalm syndrome now.

Zarana laughs, and smacks Zandar on the back. If she was a good sister, she wouldn't let her brother go off drunk with someone he doesn't know, especially without checking on safety concerns at various levels. However, Zarana is not a good person, so she finds the whole thing funny, and happily lets Kain make off with her brother without even checking to make sure he's on the up and up, and not, I dunno, Agent Faces or Chuckles in disguise. ;)

"You're as pretty as your brother is," Kain says and laughs as well, as he leads Zandar speechlessly away into the darker corners of the bar into a back room somehwere. Zandar isn't completely out of his senses, and had he not wanted to go, he truly wouldn't have. But he's terribly embarrassed.

A hand clasps Zarana's shoulder suddenly. "Was that a Joe?"

Zarana grabs the hand as soon as it clasps her shoulder, and only the recognizable voice keeps the owner from losing that hand immediately. She laughs before looking up. "It'd better not be, or he's in a world of trouble," she chuckles, only expressing confidence in Zandar's abilities when he's not in earshot to hear. "How long have you been here?" she asks. "Did you hear all the nasty things Zandar said about you?"

"What nasty things?" Zartan wonders, his eyes narrowing.

Zarana grins. "He said you were paranoid about people talking about you behind your back and would believe any rumor you heard about people doing it." Her blue eyes twinkle mischievously as she watches her older brother's reaction. "Did you hear about our gig? We've been busy while you've been gone." Her eyes practically form dollar signs as she thinks about what Zandar and she have been up to outside of Zartan's supervision.

Zartan hmphs. "Do tell," he says dryly.

Zarana smirks. "You're no fun. Sit down. Cobra has a job for us - they supply weapons that we distribute to motorcycle gangs all over the US, and we get to keep the money for anything we sell. They get an uptick in urban violence right before an election, and we bring in major bank for doing what we'd already be doing anyway. Isn't it grand? I've put our Dreadnoks to work all over the country making it happen."

"Of course," Zartan says, "It's a vicious cycle, isn't it?" He winks at Zarana while he speaks his bad pun.

The bartender serves Zarana another whiskey. After all, Zandar did say to keep the drinks coming. He inquires after what Zartan will have.

"Rum-and-coke," Zartan says stiffly.

Hans the bartender dutifully serves up the drink Zartan asked for.

Zarana guffaws at the pun, happy to hear her brother in a good mood. With luck they'll all have a nice night, and maybe no one will have to die. She finishes her next drink quickly - she's had a lot for such a small woman, but she has experience and an iron liver and from the outside, at least, it seems to be barely affecting her - although those close to her might worry because she can be a mean drunk. For the moment, however, she'll still all smiles.

...

Some time has passed. Kain, the stranger who absconded with Zandar, emerges from the darkest corners of the bar. He places enough money on the bar to cover the drinks, "Thanks for the use of your brother," Kain says, utterly as inappropriately as Zarana, "Do you know who 'Hannibal' is?" Kain shrugs, "I'll be coming back."

A few minutes later, Zandar emerges, looking bemused, embarrased, and triumphant. He heads to the bar where his siblings--SIBLINGS?!?--"oh my god...it's Zartan..." he whispers to himself.

Zartan suddenly fades into sight without a sound.

Zarana looks a little surprised as Kain mentions Hannibal. She thinks she's covering it, but she's had more to drink than she realizes and her reactions are even more telegraphed than usual. "How was that guy?" she demands of Zandar as soon as Kain is gone. "What does he know about Hannibal?" To Zartan she explains, "We got our new mission from Hannibal." She glances over towards the door through which Kain left.

"I think we'd better do some digging," Zartan says, "To make sure this isn't some sort of set-up."

"How--" Zandar clears his throat, "How was he? Zarana! We may be twins but there are some things I /won't/ share with you," he leans closer, pretty full of drink himself, to whisper something to his sister... Zandar mutters to Zarana, "He was great... and about Hannibal... he doesn't know a thing about Hannibal... I... must have called Hannibal's name when Kain and I were at it... oh my god, Zarana... Please don't tell Zartan..."

Zarana raises her crooked eyebrows at Zandar's comment. "Oh. Huh. That's how spies get their information, Zandar. You have to be more careful." She doesn't keep her voice down, sparing Zandar nothing in the way of Zartan's questions. Zarana looks amused, and downs another drink, starting to look a little haggard but showing no sign of stopping. She leans against the bar again and looks around for Vance.

Vance is still here, to the side of the dancefloor talking to some other people. He looks haggard, like he's tired and just wants to nurse a drink at the bar. He spots Zarana and smiles.

Zandar hushes his sister, for all the good it will do, "Shhh. Zarana." he says, moving to brace her should she need it, and regardless of the consequences, "You be careful, Zarana. I'm fine," yeah right. "You've had a lot to drink."

"I can see that," Zarana says loudly, and rather hypocritically. She smiles over at the cute boi, but might be a little too tanked-up and tired herself to do much more than drunkenly flirt. She ponders another drink, but decides instead it's time for her to go home. "Hey," she slurs to Zandar. "Let's ride." She smiles up at her older brother and grabs him. "Come home with us, brother," she insists. "We miss you." It's hard to tell if that's the truth or a lie.

"So, tell me more about this "hannibal", Zartan says.

Zandar holds Zarana up, "He's a friend," he says simply, "A very good friend," or so Zandar wishes, "He's given us assignments before." Zandar looks uncomfortable.

Zarana gestures to Zandar to answer the question, and stumbles over to the bar. She should have water, and maybe some food - so she orders another whisky. The bartender considers for a half a moment about serving someone who's obviously already intoxicated, but then she glances at the Dreadnok patches on Zarana's jacket and decides not to cause trouble. She tops off Zarana's glass, and hopes against hope the Dreadnoks will leave before things break into a fight.

Zandar obeys, glancing over at Zarana in some serious concern for her. Zandar escorts Zarana away from the bar and out into the cool night, "Coming brother?" Zandar asks, a little cocky. Zandar whispers to Zarana, "Kain gave me his number."

Zarana mutters to Zandar, "That's cool. Gonna see him again?"

Zandar mutters to Zarana, "I'd rather see Hannibal.. but Kain's decent."

Zarana mutters to Zandar, "So see 'em both. I'm headin' home."

Zandar mutters to you, "I'll drive us home. You rest." Zarana smirks, slurring, "I'm fine!"

Zandar says, "Like hell you are!"

Zarana smirks, "Like you're any better!"

Zandar responds, "I am! Mostly. I think. Anyway, brother can meet us back home."

Zarana looks over at Zartan. "Is that true, brother? Can you meet us back at base?"

Zandar says, "Of course it's true! You've had more to drink than me! Zartan, make her let me drive her home."

Zartan snorts. "I'm driving you BOTH home," he says firmly.