#m.kestrel

[containatrocity]

"Mm, 29 years living in a circus will do that for you." Mercy reasons, shaking his head as Kestrel questions why the town and the commune are separate if they're both going to be... communist. "Because the Commune is weird about it, the townspeople can justify their behavior as 'helping others survive', and the commune is very 'sharing is caring also we should talk about our feelings and hold hands and sing kumbaya.' Something I've discovered the emotionally constipated cowboys that populate this hellscape don't really get down with." Mercy takes his cigarette from between his lips, tapping ash from the end of black and gold rolling papers into the ashtray beside him.

He takes a moment, to try and determine exactly what animal his 'magnetism' might align with. "The heart wants to say something cliche, like a wolf, or a lion. But it's surely more in line with a hyena, hm?" he motions broadly to the shop. "A scavenger king overseeing his horde, and the abject whore of the savannah- they're matriarchal, after all, I'm here for a good time- nothing more, nothing less." He chuckles, turning to them slightly. "What you got against Zimmer?" He questions, tabbing through more after a moment, humming under his breath. "Looks like it's mostly Pokemon cards and Magic: The Gathering." He informs. "You willing to huck a knife at uh... Lunala? okay now they're running out of ideas. What happened to the fat yellow rat?"

A look of utter disbelief crossed Kes's face as Mercy went on his rant, finally breaking them and they burst out laughing, loud and... not cruel. They couldn't remember the last time they genuinely laughed at something that wasn't at someone else's expense. "You're fucking weird dude." They told him approvingly, wiping at the corner of their eye. "Yeah it's kind of confusing because, the whole thing with the commune is communism, no? But then if there's also communism in the town.... why is there a commune." The commune baffled them, given that the last time they'd been in Huntsville it hadn't existed.

"Animal magnetism, hm? Pray tell, what animal that is. I'm dying to know." They leaned over the counter, resting their head in their hand, propping up on an elbow. As he flipped through the pile of collectible cardboard, Kes spoke up again. "If you got any Don Zimmer cards in there I'll buy 'em. Good target practice."

[containatrocity]

"Ah, enough German to get by then, hm? Good." Mercy's observation is flat, as he takes another long draw off his cigarette. "Most of what's worthwhile was pawned, and eventually bought back, not many people tend to die with things I can sell on offer, most of it is taken by the mayor who proceeds to redistribute it- I'm glad communism is alive and well here, but sometimes I like to participate in a little bit of the erotic sensation of being involved in a capitalist society. Won't SOMEBODY talk trickle-down economics with me? Nothing gets me going anymore except the long arm of capitalism fisting a motherfucker like they're kermit the frog." He's being sarcastic, motioning dramatically behind the counter as he picks up a nearby box, flicking the lid open and setting to going over the scattered collectable cards inside.

"People come in for my endearing personality, animal magnetism, and unwavering commitment to a bit." He declares, glancing over at them with an arched brow. "And sometimes for parts and pieces to fix things they already have. I see most of the crackpots when I'm working- the uh. artist types. and the absolute nutjobs. Somebody will buy that hairpiece at some point, and they'll be the craziest fucker in this hellhole, bet money on that one."

Kestrel stood at the doorway of the shop, amusement clear on their face as the scene played out. As the woman runs by, they step aside, entering the shop officially. "Lines of dead asshole hold an entertainment appeal, but I think the payoff would be rather poor so I'll pass on that one." They leveled Mercy with an unamused look. "Kestrel. And I'm neither your baby or a dog." They glanced over the shelves, seeing worn out sports equipment, broken electronics, what looked to be a really crappy toupee. "Shit, you weren't kidding. People come in for this? Or you already sell off anything good?"