2014.02.15 - Have A Heart

When Calvin called Illyana's number, he hit the Ever Dreaded Voicemail. If he takes up calling her with any regularity he'll soon learn that she rarely ever answers the phone for one reason or another. But she does check her messages! Not that he's likely to know that until a portal opens right under his feet to try to drop him into Limbo.

In that Dread Realm, Illyana's in the large throne room that holds eerie resemblance to the nave of a Catholic church but instead of cherubic figures hiding in the vaulted heighs it's quite real demons. The portal opens above the balcony that juts out, hundreds of feet above the blasted landscape below and large enough for a small family to dine around a table on. The blonde herself is standing on the dias near her throne in black leather and spikes, arms crossed as she glares down at a demon. "No, I did *not* ask for you to make dinner." There's a table on the balcony that Calvin lands on, draped in a blood-red tablecloth and skulls for candle holders with a variety of other... gruesome decor.

From down on the far side near the big open doors, a demon that's all of three feet tall has arms outstretched towards Peter Parker with a lump of... something being offered towards him. "Val-tine! Val-tine!" Something thick and red drip, drip, drips from it's clawed hands as it shuffles closer to try to get Peter to take a heart the size of a fist from it. Like, a real heart. Out of a body.

Peter looks down on the heart with a wrinkled face and a look of disgust and horror. "What....what did that come from?" He turns to look at Illyana. He often times convinces himself he's fine with her being a demon. Times like this remind him of the apprehension. "Uhm, Illy..."

Cal arrives with claws extended, crouched and prepared to fight until he sees Illyana. Though seeing exactly where he is doesn't make him relax any and the claws stay out: exact duplicates of Wolverine's minus the adamantium coating. Actually, the bone claws kind of fit in with the location. "Jesus Christ, what a hell hole." he exclaims looking out over the land the balcony gives a fine view of. "How about some warning next time?"

Calvin's wary entry just gets a glance from Illyana, since she's the one that opened the door. There is the brief smirk of amusement which really says exactly why she didn't warn him. Because it amused her. The cringing demon in front of her is saved from any further measure of her temper by Peter and she wipes a hand down her face with a sigh while the demon keeps skittering closer to Peter, leading with that bloody, gory heart. "Val-tine! Val-tine!"

"Just ta---You aren't going to take it, are you?" Illyana walks over to where Peter is trying not to get painted in half-congealed blood and reaches out to take the messy thing in one hand. "Yes. Thank you. Very sweet. Now run along." The blonde looks over at Cal like she has a headache. "You needed something?"

Peter looks as if he's about to be sick as Illyana takes the heart into her hand. His color seems to turn and the frown on his face is one that Illyana has yet to see. He barely seems to notice Calvin's presence.

Cal looks down at the table and steps away from it. Illyana's question draws his gaze: more specifically, to the fresh heart she's holding in her hand. "This explains a lot." he notes, gaze shifting to meet Illyana's eyes. That vaguely guilty look is there again though it's mixed with something else close to Peter's expression. Minus the 'I'm sleeping with that?'.

Illyana Rasputina arches a brow, her blue eyes as hard and cold as Siberian ice and she certainly looks like she could care less what Calvin thinks about her. But the frown on Peter's face, well. The calm mask cracks a bit, emotion slipping behind the blue eyes like shadows. She gives a slight sigh and says quietly, "It's from one of the sabretooth tigers." She turns it in her hand, pointing out a few features. "You can tell by the shape here, and the way this part is enlarged. They have a thing for holidays, but they just... get them wrong." She steps over to place the dripping organ on the arm of her throne, which conveniently necessitates turning her back to the pair of them.

"Oh," Peter says to the helpful information. It makes him feel slightly better, but not completely at rest. Finally, his eyes leave the heart and then go back to meet Illyana's eyes.

Demon sorceress. That's what she called herself and now Cal understands just what that means. "I wanted to see if you'd like to visit Genosha." he answers belatedly. "I have an invitation and it would be quicker to teleport there than fly." He glances at Peter and adds "You're welcome to come too."

The demon that Illyana was annoyed at earlier hops over with one of the blood-red napkins that had been laid out on what is probably supposed to be a romantic dinner setting. Illyana accepts it, wiping the blood from her hand as she stands there for a long minute not looking at either of them. Only when she passes the napkin back to the demon, her hands mostly clean does she turn back around. Peter gets a glance, but she doesn't move into the Conversation that's in her eyes. It's something that'll happen later. When it's just the two of them. Looking back to Cal, she frowns at the news. "I can drop you off, sure but why would I want to visit some crazy dictatorship? You notice, I never went back to Russia." She jokes.

Peter finally seems more like himself, his head shakes slowly, "Uh, dude. Genosha is run by Magneto. I mean, what's next? Wanna drop by North Korea and time jump to Nazi Germany?

"Why not?" Cal asks, shrugging. "A benevolent dictatorship is better than a corrupt Republic and I'd like to see what it's like and just how benevolent it is. Plus it's a haven for mutants and metahumans which isn't really a bad idea considering how they've been treated in this reality. Which, granted, isn't as bad as in some realities but could certainly be better." At Peter's comment, he nods. "Yes, I know. I talked to him. He seems like a decent guy. I've met a lot worse versions of him and while he's not the advocate of integration and tolerance that I've also met, he's not interested in world domination. Just protecting our people."

Illyana Rasputina sits on the edge of her throne, stretching her legs out in front of her. She's already really forgotten the heart that's oozing blood down the side of the heavy stone throne. "I don't like the ivory tower that the school has. Genosha takes that to like, the Nth degree. I'll give you the ride, but I don't care how rosey it looks there. Things are bigger than 'our people'. Which apparently isn't just mutants, but also metahumans. But not aliens, right? Or cyborgs? Or mystically enhanced?"

"Hey man," Peter shrugs his shoulders, clearly not convinced. "Whatever floats your boat. Seems like a psychopath to me. Hitler got the economy going and Mussolini got the trains in Italy to run on time. Benevolence is a tricky thing."

"I don't know. I'll ask him the next time I talk to him." Realizing his claws are still out, Cal retracts them and they disappear back into his hands. "It's not a solution but if it keeps people safe, I can't say it's a bad thing while we work toward a solution. And yes, it is. Which is why I want to see for myself."

Illyana Rasputina's lips tick upwards a bit as he finally puts his claws away. "Took you a while to feel safe." There's a mocking undertone to her words. Like she's betting he doesn't actually feel safe. After a long moment, she shakes her head. "I don't agree, but I don't claim to be an expert. Besides, I have bigger fish to fry than worrying about the politics of mutant integration."

Peter shrugs his shoulders, "The good news is that you'll be able to enjoy the fine weather this time of year." Pause. "If you live to tell about it, be sure to take some pictures."

"I wouldn't go that far." Cal retorts to Illyana then looks to Peter. "He's looking to be acknowledged as the legitimate ruler of a legitimate country and one that isn't in the habit of murdering visitors. I have no doubt I'll be safe."

Illyana Rasputina stretches out a hand towards where Peter still stands, but doesn't move herself. "Probably for the best." She advises, not taking any offense if he doesn't feel safe. Really, who does? "I won't lecture you on being safe. I'm sure you're experienced enough. I suppose you want time to pack."

Peter reaches out to take her hand before shrugging his shoulders, "There's also been like three major wars there in the last year, plus a gigantic event where a whole section of his capital was leveled. I'd rather go to Elizabeth, New Jersey than Genosha."

"Don't worry about it. I can fly there in an hour or so." Less actually. "I mostly just wanted to see if you'd like to go and see the place." Peter gets a nod. "Yes, I read about that." Cal agrees. "He has a lot of work ahead of him."

Illyana Rasputina's fingers twine into Peter's and she pulls him towards her until he stands between her feet and she can wrap her arms around his torso. Her gaze stays on Calvin the whole time, though. There's a faint cast of confusion to her features as he says he wanted to know if she wanted to see it. "Why would I?"

Peter looks out over the throne room and wonders idly, too, but figures that he can't cast too much of an opinion on the matter. It's far different when you've been born a mutant and had to deal with the social crap that they'd have to deal with. Peter chalks it up to Calvin having a yearning he just doesn't understand.

"Curiosity?" Cal asks. "A concern for the people living there? The possibility there might be a homeland for our people where they don't have to live in fear? Remember, I've seen how bad it can get. Hopefully that'll never happen in America but there are other countries where it's much worse too."

Illyana Rasputina's loose hold on Peter is perhaps not-so-subtly possessive. But that might be for the benefit of the demons that still lurk more than Cal. For a long moment, she's quiet. Like she's mulling over what she wants to say. Finally though, she just shakes her head. "Not really."

"To be honest, this is all kind of out of my wheelhouse," Peter says, a bit distractedly.

Cal shrugs. "Okay." He's not really invested in getting Illyana to Genosha. It was just an impulse. "So what are these bigger fish to fry you mentioned?" Peter gets a dry look. "And this isn't?" he asks, significantly gazing around to illustrate what he means.

Illyana Rasputina hitches a shoulder, resting her chin against Peter's hip as she watches Cal from behind the shield of Peter's body. "Limbo and I are a package deal, I'm afraid." She says it matter-of-factly and despite the words, there's absolutely not apology there. The question gets one of those pauses from her again. She's obviously not the sort to just spout off without considering what she says. "Limbo is like the doorway to some very, very nasty things. A lot of my time and attention is making sure that door stays firmly shut. Most of the rest of it is to make sure that doors like it stay closed as well."

Peter looks around, pouts in a silly way while nodding and he says, "Point taken, Calo-mac." The young man certainly seems entirely out of place here.

Cal considers what Illyana's said, brow furrowing as the ramifications sink in. "I wonder what happened with the last Illyana I knew." Or rather what happened to Limbo. "The you in my home reality never went through this. Wonder what that means too." Alternate realities make his head hurt. And he's used to them.

Illyana Rasputina gives a shrug of her shoulder. "Someone else is likely Limbo's Guardian there." If she dresses it up like that, makes it sound a little noble, it makes her feel a little more like a good guy. Instead of a bad person that does bad things for good causes. Peter's silly pout earns him a nip through his shirt. "Magneto and Genosa are a terrestrial issue, with a ton of people involved and interested in it. I deal with more extra-planar, interstellar, and cross-reality issues that look like they could develop to be a problem that other people tend to overlook."

"Yeah," Peter says echoing. "And I don't really deal with any of that-waitwhatdo you see in me anyhow?" he asks raising a brow at Illyana. "I deal with nothing extra-planar."

"Well, one doesn't preclude the other but I understand. One of the reasons I picked this reality is that so many strange things happen here that shouldn't." Cal informs her. "Well, there." he corrects, glancing around Limbo. "I hope I'll be able to head them off before they break the reality." He's about to say more but then relationship issues develop and hey, a skull candle holder. How interesting.

Illyana Rasputina leaves her chin on Peter's hip as she looks up his torso at him, arching one brow and trying not to smirk *too* much. "I'm pretty sure that I count as rather extra-planar." She points out. "And my demons. Some of whom have taken a liking to you. I'll apologize for that now." And Illyana rarely apologizes for anything. Even in jest. Her blue gaze slides down and over to Cal who is trying not to be dragged into *this* particular conversation. "It doesn't preclude it, no. But I have more than a full plate. Others are dealing with this. That's good enough for me."

"Fair point," Peter says, considering. "So, what's been new Calvin since the last time we saw you. On that other plane, I mean. Not this one."

"Well, feel free to let me know if you need backup." Cal tells Illyana then shrugs at Peter's question. "Other than discovering this reality's Magneto is neither a saint nor a sociopath? Not much really. Been studying a lot of history and current events."

Illyana Rasputina finally unwraps her arms from around Peter, giving him a mock shove. "Weirdo." She teases him before standing up. "I'll keep that in mind." She tells Calvin with a nod. Stormwatch is always spreading itself thin with the number of things Spartan has them look into. "Where do you want me to set you down?"

Meanwhile, one of the demons has been sneaking up on Peter. It has a pair of wings strapped to its back that obviously came off of some creature because a) they've dripped blood all over the demons' back and b) they don't really hang on his back nice and neat. One more drags on the ground than anything else. It also has a bow and arrow. Real ones. Which it's currently drawing back while taking a bead on Peter...

!@#$HePIDEY SENSE TINGLING$#@!

Peter turns and stares down the demon, "Alright. THat's it. I'm out. This is just gettin' too weird. Watch where you aim that thing!"

"Where you found me." Cal answers. "Unless..." He's interrupted by the demon but Peter saw the danger. Concentrating a moment, a glowing portal appears not too far from where Cal is standing and then he looks to Illyana. "What are the odds that goes where I want it to? And just how bad could it be if it doesn't?"

Illyana Rasputina's eyes narrow as Calvin copies her power. "If you aimed for back where you were... You should be OK." He's unlikely to end up miles away or worse, weeks off of when he left. Her lips quirk with amusement as Peter stares down the demon and it's ears droop. But the bow and arrow goes down too. She slips her arm through Peter's. "C'mon. I don't wanna see what *else* they try to act out for this dumb holiday." Another portal opens, this time to Peter and Illyana's side.

Peter eyes the beast warily and just shakes his head. This has not been a good night for "My Girlfriend is a Demon" feelings from the young man. "Yeah, bout had my fill."

"Exactly there." Cal agrees. They did have that talk about experiments and not playing with range given his portals aren't as powerful as hers. "Sometime, you need to tell me how it knows where you left the Earth dimension and where you're going back to it and how and why too far from each other can be a Bad Thing." He eyes his portal a bit warily but then shrugs. "Talk to you both later." When it's not a demon infested Valentine's Day. And he steps into his portal and disappears.