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[right] [b]Interactions:[/b] Vin[@Fernstone] Gideon & the Gang [@NoriWasHere]
[code]South Side, The Circle, David Smith’s House [/code][/right][hr]

It was unfair for Paloma to be upset at Vin for killing the doppelganger in self-defense. Paloma knew that. Obviously it had been necessary. It was stupid to be upset. She didn't have a chance to backpedal on her reaction before Vin snapped at her with a snarl, teeth bared and hands balled,  ready to throw down. Knowing that Vin couldn't hurt her didn't stop Paloma from flinching as Vin cussed her out. 

The look on Paloma’s upset face must've been a sorry sight, because Vin started to change their tune. The offer to help was surprising–not as surprising as Vin’s new change of clothes, but surprising nonetheless. Paloma had mistakenly started to worry that she might have struck a nerve and annoyed her new feline friend, but that clearly was not the case. Her lip stopped quivering and the heat in her cheeks began to fade, countered by the nip of the cold November air. She gave Vin a confirming nod and a grateful smile, accepting their terms to calm the fuck down in favor of helping her out. 

Her smile took on a mischievous twist as Paloma considered Vin’s offer in depth. Surely it was just information seeking that was on the table, but she couldn't help but fantasize about how nice it would be to have Vin beat some people up for her. She had a list. Surely, everyone had a list, the world was full of people who needed a good thrashing, and it wasn't like Paloma wanted anything really terrible to happen to them. Just something to make them reconsider how they acted. Nothing major: a ruined afternoon, a temporary limp, maybe a lifetime spent drinking food processed meals through a straw. Just something to remind those pricks to treat everyone a little bit nicer. 

[color=51684c]”...Just fuckin’ calm down. I ain’t the kinda person to do this normally, alright?”[/color]


[color=00fa9a]“Okay. Sorry, you’re right. It’s just–”[/color] It’s just smarter to keep hush hush about certain things, decided Paloma. She’d cash in on Vin’s offering to help when there weren’t so many ears around. Regardless, it would be fine now. She waved away her justification dismissively, a little frantically even, and wrinkled her nose. [color=00fa9a]“No, you’re right. Thank you.”[/color]

As Vin caught Gideon up to speed, Paloma corroborated their account by nodding her head along rhythmically. Yes, yes, she had come to talk to Mr. Smith, yes, yes, she had butted her way in, yes, yes, they couldn’t stop her because who could resist helping such a distressed damsel? Yes, they had to protect…well, actually, the nodding slowed as Paloma lips parted to protest before quickly clamping shut, her nodding resuming with such haste when Vin pointed out that Paloma had save her life that Paloma felt herself become a little dizzy. What else could she say that Vin hadn’t already pointed out? Like it said on the motivational posters hung up all over the break room and supply closets at her work, not all heroes wear capes. 

[color=00fa9a]“Oh, it wasn’t a ghost, it was a doppelganger,”[/color] said Paloma with a raise of her index finger, sounding just a bit too chipper as she mistook an Apparition for a lowercase apparition. [color=00fa9a]“They’re these creepy grey guys that kind of look like the love child of an alien and a nosferatu, and they can shapechange and read minds and stuff. Typically they’d keep their victim alive for longer locked up somewhere so they can learn more of their secrets and usually,”[/color] Paloma cupped her mouth as if she was sharing a secret with Vin and Gideon, despite not lowering her voice as she continued, [color=00fa9a]“when you have one doppelganger you can bet there’s a handful of other ones lurking nearby ready to swoop in and replace someone to help sell the lie of the original.”[/color]

[color=00fa9a]“Except they usually don’t consume their victims,”[/color] said Paloma, frowning a bit as she tried to recall if any of the campaigns she had played in had a doppelganger like that. Typically the swap had already happened before the events of the adventure. [color=00fa9a]“And don’t even ask how they have children. Trust me, you don’t want to know. Regardless, they’re pretty cool.”[/color]

[color=00fa9a]“Ooh, ah, uh, except for when they kill actual people,”[/color] quickly added Paloma, her eyebrows leaping in panic. [color=00fa9a]“It’s absolutely horrible what happened to Caleb and Mr. Smith. Absolutely horrible.”[/color] 

Almost as horrible as it was realizing she was now not only in the presence of Gideon Cross, but blabbering at him. She felt herself start to sweat despite having just been freezing her ass off in her bloodsoaked clothes. Plus, now that Vin had sworn to be Paloma’s loyal minion for all of eternity, she had to suddenly worry about her lackey being given an early, irreversible retirement by their original boss. Who knew that sharing goons would be so stressful. Paloma gestured to Vin like she was revealing a brand new car on a gameshow as she began speaking to Gideon.

[color=00fa9a]“Also, I just feel like I need to–”[/color] [i]Shut the fuck up!![/i] [color=00fa9a]“–clarify to you that when I said ‘You killed it’ earlier to Vin that what I actually meant was [i]’You killed it!’[/i], you know, because she did such a great job here doing…doing whatever it was that you were all doing. Plus, she was absolutely born to wear that sailor suit, I mean, wow!”[/color] Paloma fanned herself. [color=00fa9a]“Even the snow is melting. So, like, if you feel like you need to be upset at somebody, you shouldn’t take it out on Vin. Or Malik…[sup]or me…[/sup]”[/color]