The church has acquired an additional resident. Ratter's been hanging around in his off hours, playing the harmonica, sleeping, all that stuff. He hasn't explained himself to anyone, because it's no one's business but his and Colton's and Colton hasn't asked. Regretfully, he hasn't seen the kid again, through sheer bad timing on his part, and he means to remedy that. He likes the kid.

So here's Ratter, today in a beat-up courderoy jacket and jeans, taking up a long bench, leaning back against a pillar, long legs taking up more space than in humanly possible (vampirely, maybe?)

He's playing a song with the same kind of mood as 'I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts'. Absurdly cheerful.

I think he fed earlier tonight. That'd explain it. He's very cheerful when he's soaring with the birds.

High as a kite, the boy is.

Colton wasn't really having the best night.

It started at around 9, when he went off to a bar to get trashed. That was fun. He even made a drinking buddy, but she... Well, let's just say all the blood on his clothing wasn't his. It wasn't a victim of his. His drinking buddy decided to break shit and cut herself up. And he was drunk. Yes.

Colton swaggered in the double doors of the church. He looked moronic, really. He blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the dimmer lighting inside the church, then continued to stumble forward.

Someone was happy in his church. His church. No one was allowed to be happy.

"Wahh thh hell is thhaa noise?" Colton slurred, swayed, and focused his attention on Ratter. "An why thh hell are yoooou hur."

Oh boy. High as a kite and drunk as a crow. Love. Lee.

"Yallo, gracious leader. Iiiiiiiiiiiiit is theeeee harmonica."

Pause.

"'s an instrument."

"And the tune is I got a new coat off a deeeeeead guy, yessiree."

It's such a nice new coat, tan courderoy, worn at the elbows, well broken in, clean.

Such a nice coat.

I think Ratter forgot he was supposed to answer the second question.

He blows a trill.

Colton blinks, dumbfounded. I don't think he knows what's going on just yet. He's too drunk. In fact, it probably isn't that he can't figure it out, it's that he is too drunk to care about trying to figure it out.

"Why aare yooou play-nigah thhh harmonica so loudly!" And he slaps his hands to his ears, which really makes it impossible for him to hear the next answer.

He doesn't hear anything that Ratter says. Just muted blah blahs and he doesn't seem to remember that why he can't hear is because he's got his hands over his ears.

He seemed to also forget that he asked a second question.

"Thaaahs LOUD." Colton yelled to Ratter, who could have been a mile away or two feet away. Colton couldn't tell. He dropped his hands from his ears and shook his head. "Yoour loud!"

And he swaggered a few more steps towards the catacomb's entrance. He wanted to get something, didn't he?

Ratter looked Colton over solemnly.

"My gloooorious leader is drunk," he commented, as he trailed along after Colton.

Ratter likes the word glorious.

"And my harmonica is the purrrrfect volume for...."

He trailed off, because that sentence doesn't have an end.

"Why're you drunk?"

Colton does his best to ignore Ratter. Sounds like Ratter is yelling too. The must be the whole church apart.

"I dun lehiiike your hermunca..." Colton's given up trying to not sound so incredibly drunk. Lost cause.

"An Iiii... I'm nut thaah drunk."

Hah. He really isn't trying to go down those stairs, is he?

Colton grips onto the hand railing. "Go awahh Wuhstle." And he doesn't know Ratter's name, so he resorts to what Celeste called him. If he was sober, maybe he'd ask what the guys real name was.

Wuhstle. How drunk is he.

"Sorry. Don't know any Whistle. Can't help ya." Ratter is grinning.

His glorious leader is very drunk.

It's actually quite tempting to push him down the stairs. Y'know. Just for fun.

Yep, I think Ratter has to do that. Push him, trip him, play a mental trick....

Oops.

No harm done, right?

"Fuh yooou, Wuhstle."

And there's a tap, right between his shoulderblades. Just enough that it seems harmless, but Colton can't stabalize himself before he goes crashing down the staircase.

All 17 stairs. Every single one of him, and lands funny on the landing. He doesn't move.

Maybe he passed out.

Ratter descends at a somewhat more leasurely pace.

He grins down at Colton. "You okay, mate?"

Ahaha, this was fun. It was like playing with mice, only mice didn't play back.

I think that when Ratter gets older, this tendency towards mischief is going to turn into a fullblown nasty streak. Horrors.

Ratter is such a vampire.

Colton remains still. He listens as every thundering step down the staircase draws Ratter closer, closer, closer.

He's all right. Ratter just can't see that, because Colton stopped moving. Stopped breathing. It's almost funny to think that Ratter thought he was better than Colton. Thought he could push him down the staircase and get away with it. Colton almost laughs, but decides against it.

And now his head hurts. Fucking Ratter.

Three more steps, and Colton springs up, taking a swat at Ratter.

"FUUUUUH YOOOU YOOOU STUP-ED WUHSTLE!"

And to anyone who heard him yelling, we apologize for the drunken babbling on his behalf.

Ratter ducks blithely.

"Enunciate, kid. Ei-nun-sea-eight."

And because one just does not take a hit without hitting back, Ratter just as blithely aims a punch at Colton's jaw.

Leader or not, this was fun.

Be it his sheer drunkenness or the fact that he saw the punch coming, Colton sways out of reach and crashes into the wall of the stairwell.

And now his head really hurts. Colton stands up again, and puts a head on his hand. Wistle was gonna pay.

Colton swayed forward and grabbed Ratter by the shoulder, gripping hard. He shoved his face right up into Ratters, and grinned.

"Fuck. You. You. Shit. Head. Thaa good enouffffffor yooou, yooou fuuuhken assss hole."

And he laughes before pushing himself back from Ratter, shoving them both too hard.

In order to catch his balance, he backs himself into the wall. Hah. That'll show the punk.

And, for some reason, that means everything is settled. He continues down the first hall, swaying and cursing about how bloody dark it is down there...

Ratter looked solemn. "You're an inspiration."

Ahaha.

No, seriously. Such an inspiration, Colton is.

...fine, don't believe me. Hmph.

Ratter caught himself on the wall, rubbed at a developing bruise for a moment, and then followed Colton some more.

Aww, look, mommy duck has a duckling.

And Ratter would murder me for using that metaphor.

It's lucky he can't hear me.

Nya-nya, Ratter.

Ratter comments "What, no night vision? Shame on you. You are a disgrrrrrrrrace to the rrrrrrace. Hah. I rhymed. Race-disgrace-race. Face. Your face is a disgrace to the race."

Ratter amuses himself.

The sad thing is that Colton laughs along with Ratter. It's hilarious, really. Disgrace. Race. Face. Colton giggles childishly, stops, and turns around.

"Yoooour... Yooour MOTHHHER!"

Oh boy. You couldn't tickle a more euphoric laugh out of him. Sad, really. An hour ago he looked so depressed people were concerned he was going to commit suicide. Now? Geeze, the affects of alcohol on a first time drunk.

And Colton turns away, starting back down the hall. Why? Why was he down here, in the dark?

Really, he came for sunglasses because the bright lights of the city were giving him a headache.

He just can't remember that. "Motherrrr... Brothhhher... Fffuuuther..."

And now he's just making up words.

Ratter cracks up.

"You're just fine, kid. Just fiiiiiiine."

Pause.

"My mother made the best pie." Pause. "High pie lie my kie fie nie... um... pie."

Pie!

Pause. "I like pie."

Colton's grinning. Pie.

He's forgotten why he went down into the dark, scary catacombs, and now he's just standing, grinning stupidly at absolutely nothing.

"Hey, Wuhstle... Cmm over hur."

I don't think it, a) occured to Colton that Ratter was right behind him, or b) occured to Colton that he told Ratter to come towards him, because Colton turned and walked back towards Ratter and patted him on the shoulder.

He LOOKS drunk. You look into his eyes and you see emptiness. There's no thought going on in there. He's drunk.

"I luffvvve yooou, Wuhstle."

And, with another stupid grin, Colton falls backwards.

Now he has truly passed out.

Ratter catches him, I think. Wouldn't want Our Glorious Leader to hit his head. That would be just awful.

...yes, Ratter did intentionally push Colton down some stairs, but that was funny. It wouldn't be funny to let Our Glorious Leader hit his head intentionally.

Ah, logic. Don't you love his logic? I love his logic.

Since Ratter doesn't know which room is Colton's, he chooses one at random to wait around in. Colton gets a musty old bed, Ratter sits against the wall and serenades.

This time, the song is Greensleeves. He plays it very slowly, making it melodic, a regretful dirge for beauty....

Or maybe he just likes Greensleeves. I suspect he just likes Greensleeves.

It takes a couple hours, but Colton wakes up. He's no longer piss drunk, and he's got a bad headache. He should probably feed... Clear the alcohol out of his system.

And what about Sakura?

Colton bolts upright, and stares directly at Ratter. What the fuck was this kid doing in his room?

Wait. It wasn't his room.

And then fear sets in. How on earth did he get here? What was he doing last night... And... Oh god, the last thing he remembers is going to the hospital with Sakura.

"What the hell are you doing here..."

And, yippee! The slurring has gone. Everything is still far away, fuzzy, and blurry, but Colton can live with that.

Ratter lowers his harmonica, grinning. "Playing."

Oh, that word has so many meanings, and so many of them are fun.

Ratter isn't going to stop with the high until the drugs flush their way out of his system - and the blood soaks away as well.

Ratter would school his expression into one not knowing and highly amused, but why do that? He is knowing and highly amused.

"Oh, and before you call me Whistle again, I prefer Ratter." That grin of his can't possibly get any wider, y'know that?

Colton catches Ratter's meaning of the word "Playing" by that silly grin. And he doesn't like half the connotations it brings up.

He also doesn't like the fact that Ratter's there at all. Colton would have preferred to wake up in a dumpster than staring Ratter in the face.

"You look like a rat... What happened?" He asked, not liking the fact that Ratter was the all-knowing person.

He also didn't like the fact that his shoulder hurt, his elbow, and his knees. He must have fallen a few times.

"That's why I like the name." Grin. Griiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.

"Not much. Some conversation, some falling over, some professions of love on your part...."

Ahaha. "Normal night for you?"

Grin.

Grin!

Now, Ratter doesn't like boys. But he doesn't mind implying that he likes boys to mess with someone's head.

And Colton thought, how could you like a name that insulted you? Especially with an animal name.

Well, no. He wasn't going to talk. Colt. Coltie colt colt. Dear god, he did not miss his sister calling him that. Told him he'd be a stallion in bed, she did. Gah. What a way to scar someone.

What a way to sober someone up.

Colton looks disgusted. He really wants to slap that hideous grin off of Ratter's face and run off. Cry some more, perhaps. Just anything to get away from that all-knowing grin.

Uhg! And confessions of love? Colton assumed it was to Hannah. He must have been raving over Hannah.

He wanted to believe it was over Hannah, to avoid any further scarring.

"Who was I confessing love to...?"

And he dared to ask.

Grin. "Who do you think?" Pause. "You really don't remember any of it?" Aww, I think Ratter is going to pout. You hurt his feelings.

I don't think it'd be possible for Ratter to make any more innuendos.

Ratter loves screwing with people. So much.

The name Ratter hadn't actually been an insult, back in the day. They'd been a gang of kids, and kids give kids odd names. His friends had called him that. It had been his enemies and teachers who used his other name. It was a way to honor friends long gone, and a conceit.

Ratter was a good name, if he said so himself.

Colton glared.

"Of course I don't remember any of it! You think I'm talking to you because I want to? Fuck no!"

Colton doesn't usually swear when sober. Maybe being drunk and being around Ratter brings it out. Maybe he's still too drunk to be nice.

Colton was never good with inuendos. Plus, the fact that he has decided that he must have been talking about Hannah means he's just more sure that it's about Hannah.

"Hannah... Right?"

And you could see this was a sore subject. A subject he didn't want to bring up in front of Ratter, because he blushed a bit, he spoke quietly, and he didn't make eye contact.

Ratter was gonna have a field day with that one.

"Who's Hannah?" Ah, Ratter is so very innocent....

Innocent, innocent, innocent. Only. No.

"So you don't even remember the pie?"

Ratter: past master of confusing the hell out of people.

Colton pauses. Ratter doesn't remember a Hannah. It wasn't Hannah... Jake? Oh god, no. That would be the worst kinda sore to open up.

"No, I don't remember the pie... Will you leave me alone?"

Seems someone was a little bi-polar tonight. Or just scared shitless. Either way, he wasn't in the mood to talk to Ratter.

Colton stood up quickly, and walked to the door. He was still swaying slightly, but not as badly as before.

His head was swimming. He didn't like that.

Colton opened the door and walked out into the hall. Sakura was in the hospital, right...?

Ratter follows.

He does that, have you noticed?

"You need a drink," he commented. The 'leave me alone' part ignored.

You're the leader of the Nephim, kid. If you can't handle little ol' me, you can't handle anyone, and you don't deserve your position. Prove yourself.

Ratter's going to keep picking at Colton until such time as Colton acts like a leader rather than a brat. Until then, Colton gets to live with the annoyance.

Colton sighed.

"I don't need a drink. I need a gun and a silver bullet and for you to stand still..."

Colton stopped, and turned around to glare at Ratter.

"You play coy little games with me, then follow me around like a lost puppy. What do you want from me, Rat."

And, yes. He knows he shortened Ratter's name.

"No, wait. I hardly CARE. Please, go back to playing your harmonica and leave me alone..."

And he's turned back around, starting towards the stairs.

"A leader, kid. I want a leader. And if you don't want to be a leader, that's not my problem, capiche?"

Ratter spent about a decade of his life fetching and carrying for his sire. It's a hard habit to break, once you get into it, obedience is.

Ratter is going to keep following him. For the record.

Colton stopped again and smiled a tired and worn smile. He turned around to Ratter and shook his head. In disbelief? No. In resignation? Perhaps.

"Listen, Rat. I don't want to be a leader for someone who doesn't respect me enough to obey the simplest command of leave me alone. Or that fact that I asked you a question, and you played games with me."

Colton folded his arms.

"I think that you're confusing me for your mother, not for your leader. I'm not supposed to sit here and keep you satisfied. I'm supposed to sit here and keep you safe. Right now, I don't see anything coming here to kill you, so I'm doing my job."

Colton turned around and started up the stairs. He knew Ratter would follow him. He didn't have the energy to continue telling the kid to leave him alone.

Hah. And he saw him as a kid now. A little kid who needed someone to tag along with.

Huh.

Ratter can actually accept that.

Ratter isn't following Colton anymore.

Ratter's gone.

For now, anyway. For now.

This is his home now too.

Colton reached the top of the staircase and glanced down.

Nothing. No one. Ratter was gone.

For some reason, that depressed Colton. He kinda liked Ratter.

Colt crossed the church silently, much more capable of walking a straight line than he was three hours ago.

Outside of the church, Colton found his suit jacket, which left him confused.

What had happened...