Darnies leaned his chair back even further, his arm dangling over the back and a smirk firmly in place as he looked to the man across the table to him. He looked like he was going to either start sweating or throwing punches if Darnies didn't do something, so the boy took pity on him.

"I recommend you fold, friend." He said, never loosing his posture or smirk. The man looked to him in disbelief before looking to his two friends and laughing as he waved his cards.

"Yer the one gonna be wantin' to fold, boy. And I ain't yer friend." He said, drunken words slurring his speech. He threw his cards face up on the table. "Full House." He declared, reaching for the money before Darnies' chair legs slamming the ground made him freeze, startled. The boy leaned his weight on the table and sighed as he stood.

"Shame we ain't friends," He spoke up, flipping his cards and dropping them to the table, swiping the money in the process and stuffing it in his jacket's inner pocket. "'Cause, y'see, I share with my friends." The red hearts in the Royal Flush reflected the older man's completion.

"Damn...Damn! Fuck!" He growled, swiping the cards off the table and onto the ground.

"No, it's DarnDarn. If you're gonna say someone's nickname, say it right. And there are kids in this bar so you should really avoid sweari-" The man grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him forward, causing him to lose the support he had from the table and pinwheel to gain his balance back.

"You cheated somehow you little shit, now yer gonna give me back my fuckin' money or my boys and I'll-"

"You'll what." Darnies replied, cutting him off and grabbing his wrist. His dark eyes showed no mercy as he grabbed the man's thumb and bent it back until the man was kneeling in a submissive position to lessen the pain. "I don't like threats, Hamor." He swore, keeping the man in place. The whimper of pain that followed must have woken his friends from their stupor, because one hauled back and threw a punch at Darnies seconds later, forcing the boy to duck and grab his cane before dancing out of the way.

"Get 'im!" The man on the floor growled, cradling his hand to his chest. Darnies held his hand up, signalling off the other patrons who stood up to help him, and swung his cane to catch Man 2 in the jaw. His head snapped to the side, but the satisfaction was short lived as man 3 football tackled him, knocking the air out of his lungs and knocking the both of them right through the bar's front window.

The unforgiving concrete didn't come, but unforgivingly hard arms did. Shoulders cradled in one of these arms, he looked over to see Man 3 in a choke hold of the other.

"Hey, Chasa." He grinned up at the woman, and she somehow manage to look both concerned and judgmental.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing! Sore losers at poker, is all. You mind standing by the door so they don't leave yet?" He questioned, grin still in place even as blood seeped out the corner of his mouth. The woman sighed, but nodded. That was one thing she wasn't too fond of from her Golem's half; should a Jewish person-especially a Witch- ask for help, she felt compelled to comply. Not that she wouldn't have helped regardless, but the vague tingling beneath her skin bothered her. Noticing her slight grimace, Darnies flinched. "Sorry, forgot. You only need to help if you want."

She smiled, nodding again as the tingling subsided and let him go, pushing Man 3 ahead of her and into the bar where the first two cowered upon seeing her intimidating figure fill up the doorway with Darnies at her side. He leaned against her for support as he picked his cane up once again.

"I hope you guys didn't lose all your money to me." Darnies mocked slightly, looking to Chasa as her eyes brightened.

"That's right," She spoke, causing them to flinch. "Because you're paying for Mazal's new window." She smiled at them, crossing her arms and nodding to the bartender, who nodded back gratefully. They watched together as the men handed the money over to Mazal before scurrying out as she stepped aside, catching Darnies as her sudden support disappeared. She gave him a friendly glare.

"And you," She spoke, causing him to looking at her. "You're paying for my new groceries." It was his turn to flinch as he turned to look outside. Among all the broken glass, there were two brown bags, one with milk spilling out of the container, the other with eggs scattered around it. He groaned in dismay.

---

Hamor=Jackass

@AnaSilan Sunja
Paon walked with an almost feline grace. His steps purposeful. In one hand he held a blind man's cane. The white with red tip screaming out his fake disability. The other hand held an apple. On that was halfway gone. He raised the apple to his lips and took another bite with jaws more powerful then they seemed. He seemed impeccably dressed for someone who couldn't see. His shirt being a heathered grey with his jeans fitting just right the only part that stood out were his shoes. Converse classic. He took another bite and discreetly inhaled the scents around him.

A few men seemed to be approaching from the bar he was headed to...thankfully sunglasses hid his eye movements so he could track people. One of the men bumped into him but soon realized he was more like a brick wall then expected. He started waving the stick more. "My apologies I did not realize you were there" the man grumbled and took off. Another bite of the apple and it was tossed in the trash before he entered. Several crunching sounds were heard and he froze. Stick outstretched.

"I cannot tell if this is glass or egg" he stood there for a few more moments before walking forward stick gently waving back and forth until he hit Darnies. Another discreet inhale. Witch...and something earthy...perhaps golem...hmm he tilted his head but did not look in the witches direction. He had years of practicing and now he really did seem blind.

"My apologies. I did walk into a bar correct?" god the effort he had to put in just to get a drink these days.

There was a loud roar and a torrent of swearwords, several thumps and thuds when flailing legs hit the desks as two of his officers dragged the unsuccessful arsonist away to the holding cell. Amon would have all but leaped out of his skin and pointed his gun straight at the source the moment the doors crashed open were he anywhere else. But over the years, these instances had become a regular part of his weekend life, as sorrowful as he was to admit, for it showed him the glaringly obvious. He was married to his job and had no social life. Wasn't that just depressing? But it wasn't as if it was all his choice to be on the job twenty-four seven. Supernatural or humans, they were eerily similar in that they could never resist the urge to cause mischieve, mayhem and generally make a nuisance of themselves during the weekends. Namely, starting from nightfall on Fridays until late evening on Sundays. It was routine week in, week out.

Raking a hand through his hair, the Inspector loosened his blood red tie and leaned back in his chair, allowing his head to loll lazily to the side. The reports depicting the arrests made and suspicious activities noted during the weekends were done and dusted. All that was left to do was file them into their respective cabinets and he would be free to return home. His men currently manning the night shifts were experienced enough to have all bases covered, which meant his night wouldn't be disturbed unless shit hit the fan. Amon was rather grateful for that fact. It had been a pain to train his newbie team from scratch immediately after finishing a five-year stint as a member of an active field squad, but if it gave him a well-functioning team at the end of it all, then he deemed the hard work was well-paid off. Especially when it meant he had a night off, a rarity in itself.

"Yo Boss!" Joel called from the door of Amon's small but cosy office. "I'm the food-runner tonight. Need me to get you anything?"

Amon shook his head and mumbled. "Nah, don't bother. I doubt I can stomach anything now."

His eyelids were growing rather heavy and he allowed his eyes to slip close the moment Joel left. Just a small nap couldn't hurt. He really didn't feel like doing anything right now either and the thought of returning to his home did not appeal to him. The two-bedroom apartment was cold and drafty in the middle of the night. And was pretty sure the dirty dishes from the day before was still sitting in his sink. Yeah, remaining in his office chair was a better choice. A least, that was what Amon thought as he drifted off. It felt as though he had gone under for only a minute before he was awoken sharply when a body collided heavily on his desk.

Cracking one eye open, he gifted the rude intruder with a glare. "What is it this time? Another kidnapping? Murder in broad daylight? Invasion by giant octopus?"

"Not quite, Boss. We have another one of those...guys on the run." Joel hesitated as he glanced down at the thin files, not quite wanting use the word 'Supernatural'. Through wordless agreement, the Inactives within his Division had long ago stopped classifying the criminals they went after as human or not. Instead they labeled them as suspects all the same. At Amon's questioning stare, he handed the files in his hands over, flicking a wrist to indicate the first page in the top folder. "Umm...actually, it's 'supposedly on the run'. He has been popping up around the city periodically, each time with another person missing from their homes or workplace. This has been going on for nearly two months now, and six individuals reported missing. Two of whom turned up dead this morning, apparently killed by strangulation on both accounts, according to the autopsy. The corpses are fresh. Haven't been dead for more than two days. If we catch a trail quickly when it's still relatively fresh, the suspect shouldn't be too far away."

Amon straightened slightly as mild annoyance flared quickly before dying out again. There went his wistful wish of a free, uneventful evening. He sighed heavily, picking up the first paper sitting on top of the pile. "...The hell? We have a serial kidnapper and possible murderer running around Gravette nicking people off the streets at random for nigh on two months and the Mainstream Police Division just got to us about it?"

"Well, to be fair, the murders didn't happen until this morning, which was the only reason this case came to us. Anyway, here are the photos of all the missing people so far and the murdered victims." Joel eyed the Inspector with pursed lips and narrowed eyes as he tried for the umpteenth time to convey his disapproval. "You're gonna go alone again?"

Pushing himself off the chair, Amon grabbed his suit jacket from where it was thrown carelessly over the visitor's chair. "Yes, I am. It is merely information gathering, Joel. I am hardly going to be gunned down on my way to the victim's workplace or within it. Not with so many witnesses around. Besides, this ain't my first rodeo." Amon allowed exasperated annoyance to coat his last few words as he gathered the manila files, tucked his pen and notebook into his breast pocket and checked his person for both badge and sidearm.

"Your call, Boss." His subordinate said with a shrug. "Just make sure to update your will before you go."

Amon rolled his eyes as he locked the door to his office after exiting, folders tucked under his left arm. "Don't you ever get tired of jinxing me?"

Throwing a vague farewell wave over his shoulder, the Inspector flipped through the pages as he walked, weaving through the various desks, doors and passageways to the carpark. He came to an abrupt halt directly before the hood of his plain black sedan. Huh, both victims were employees of the same company. Chances this was a coincidence? Little to nil. So, first stop? The Gravette Publishing Company. It runs twenty-four seven, so he should be able to talk to some employees even at this time of the night. Sliding into the driver's seat, he tossed the files on the seat beside him and started the engine.

No rest for the wicked, eh?

As old as the being was you would think that it would get tired or bored of spectating this world. That would mostly be true as that same thing has happened with many Gods from ancient times, their names lost, only to be found in the memories of generations past. That would never be the case for Curiosity. As long as it has been around there is always something new for it to witness and understand. Such time has lately been filled with observing it's darker half, Darkness. Though there have been many supernatural beings throughout the ages, Darkness was the first of its kind, the first of its origin. Curiosity took a particular interest in it.

Wherever they went, the rate of crimes, suicides and bad things in general rises. All orchestrated by Darkness. The thing had gotten particularly good as of late, it's schemes being more and more complex but as everyone knows, the simpler the better. All it needed was negative energy so it mostly followed the shorter, more practical route. A point of interest had drawn their attention. Somewhere there was an increase in the flux of the supernaturals and that meant one thing, that place was beaming with dark energy from all the beings attuned to the dark side.

In an instant they traveled to the town. Things would get interesting soon.

Ralf was feeling mighty proud of himself as he walked out of the therapist's office. He was able to come up with enough non-answers to questions regarding his life and status that she actually brought out ink blots -ink blots!- in an attempt to get some sort of gauge on his personal feelings. Of course he had to take pity on the poor girl and answer those honestly. It wasn't hard, after all. Mostly skulls and mouths. On second thought, he may have gotten himself into more trouble with that than he had originally intended...

Ah well, it was time for some well-deserved anything-but-that to get his mind off the trouble. He started up his bike and drove to the nearest bar. Things that drink blood usually hang out at places where everyone around their potential prey is mostly shitfaced and wouldn't be able to describe the suspect very well. He parked, as was typical with this sort of thing, but one thing that was decidedly atypical was the sight in front of the bar. Apparently this is the kind of place where the especially drunk are free to quite literally blow their chips all over the sidewalk. And their eggs. And their lettuce. And their spaghetti sauce. And their brown bags of everything, really.

His initial thought was that someone had been mugged, but he came in on the tail end of a demand that someone pay for replacement groceries, so presumably the person who mugged the grocery-holder was getting mugged by the person they mugged, and all was right with the world. The big hole in the window seemed as convenient a place as any to come in, so he stepped inside, carefully ducking under glass shards, and walked up to the bar, ordering something dark and nonspecific.

Grim entered the passageway through the usually means. He had been told to meet one of their sisters. Thánatos, or so he goes by, had almost begged for him to visit her here. It has been a long time since he had the need to step here. While normally he would just ignore a call, but the fear in Thánatos's voice and since it was Her that wanted to speak caught his attention this time.

The passageway was nothing but perception. To the Psychopomps it was nothing, similar to how a naturally born blind man would explain what he sees. When a Human enters the realm, the perception of their Guardian will change to theirs. The Passageway was very much alive and it seemed to be a being or at least controlled by some sort of higher being. It whispered to the Psychopomps in guidance, sometimes would give them a ability they did not have before, and in the case of Grim, change the Guardians appearance completely. As Grim began to 'walk' down to where his instincts told him, his surroundings began to morph into a open grassy field with a sunset approaching. The wind pushed back on cloak as he approached two females. One that he knew quite well.

The taller one was λύπη, or known to him as Cleopatra. She took the form of a small beautiful Angel, with black feathered wings and purple eyes. She was crouched down talking to a little girl who seemed to be crying. This was often sight with her, as Cleo's purpose is to take the souls of children who died alone. Cleo had her arms around the girl, one hand placed on the girl's back and the other playing with her hair, trying to calm the little girl. "Shhhh, stop it sweetheart. You have nothing to be scared of, you're safe with me". The little girl continued her sob until stopping momentarily to speak. "Where is my Mommy and Daddy! They were in front of me and now their gone. Can you please help me find them?". Cleo stood up and held the girls hand, she smiled before speaking again. "Silly! Their right behind you.". So they were. The child's Mother and Father were standing with each other near a swing set, calling the little girl over. The Girl let go of Cleo and ran to her parents as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Cleopatra looked down to her feet, her smile turning into a look of pain. "I've done this tens of millions times. Never does it get any easier. I remember when it wasn't even easy for you Χάρων...". Grim was caught by surprise when hearing his true name. Few knew of it and it has been years since he has heard it out loud. "Thanatos told me to come find you. What is this about Cleopatra?"
"Oh, you still call me by that. It has been too long my love..." Cleo responded as she wrapped her arms around the ghostly figure of Grim. To the average human this would look disgusting, but each PsychoPomps can see through their form they hold. Grim let out a sigh, before pushing her off. "Was this all you called me for?"

"No..." Cleo responded, her face going down again her feet. She thought them meeting up again would spark something in him. She continued. "I have some valuable information that pertains to your purpose..."



Grim was sipping on his coffee. This was probably the most boring job he had in the history of his existence. The cover was good though and not many questioned his Appearance, probably thinking his all Black suit was just tacky. Recently the death of one of his coworkers was quite odd. The word going around was they were murdered. Maybe it's fate yet again that had brought him to this place. It would make sense. Grim put on his black coat and headed to the lobby, he was getting off in about half an hour and could just burn some time there so he could escape home faster. Not like anyone would notice him...

Crossbow in hand and eyes glued to the sniper scope attached, Kei stood on the roof of a six-storey apartment at the backend of Gravette, one foot braced on the ledge and the other planted firmly on the ground. Here, in the grimier part of the city away from the splendour which was the heart of Gravette, back-handed deals were made and illegal activities of the most extreme kind unfurled. Here, the residents were of the poorer end of the spectrum. Pitiful, depressed souls with little to no shred of hope left in them. Gravette was this kind of city, the sort which graciously proclaims promises for people with huge dreams and ambitions, but never guarantees your success. For those who manage to strike it big, well...good for them. For those that don't and fall even further as they try pushing their luck, the backend is where most end up, living like undead wraiths going through life on auto-pilot, with no more care in them for their future. And that was what made these sorts of places the best hunting grounds for Supernaturals. More than 50% of all deaths, crime and heinous sins originated from here, and the mayor had more of than not appealed to the public to cleanse the city of these "miscreants". Needless to say, he was shot down each time. Kei could honestly say she was grateful for it, because these poor citizens did make excellent baits.

Usually, Kei wasn't one to make trips all the way out here as a Hunter. Her job as a doctor calls for it sometimes, but she was someone who hunted near the city central or maybe a couple of blocks out, mostly in case she got an emergency call from the hospital. However, this one was inevitable. When the therian - a black leopard - had first came under her radar, it was prowling about near the subway stations, lurking in one of the few bigger parks. She had missed her chance to kill it by a second when a loud bang rang out, startling her and the therian both. Before she could pull the trigger, the damn animal was gone. Over the duration of these two days, the leopard had moved from district to district in a clockwise pattern, allowing her to determine that this block would be the next place it would turn up in.

Sure enough, the dead silence allowed her to pick up the light clacking of nails on concrete. The crosshair of Kei's scope was trained on the leopard's target, a scruffy man currently huddling for warmth by a barrel at the far end of an alley. She trained her sight in the middle of his torso, waiting to the moment the leopard would pounce and in turn, place it's back directly in her line of fire. It seemed like she wasn't the only one to hear the noise, for the man rose his head slowly, peering into the darkness.

Come on, you beast. Make the move, Kei teased the trigger of her crossbow with her index finger, itching to pull it.

Tonight was dark in the backends of Gravette. The night provided... excellent cover. The silhouette of a young man crept along the walls and glided through the blackened streets of this condemned city. Damn supernaturals... a plague on this earth that Erin Herne was more than happy to remove from the planet. Supernaturals are dangerous, hideous creatures. A perversion of mankind. It does not matter whether the threat is exercised or not, a threat is still a threat.

They have to go... Every last one of them...

Erin was more than happy to bring damnation to this blight. Tonight's first target was very high priority. A were-leopard. Panthera Pardus, scientifically, are known for their agility and incredible ability to see in the dark, and the supernatural should display some of these talents. However, Erin has managed to track the supernatural this far, and he would be damned before letting this one get away. Erin had followed the creature into a large park. Due to the night, it seemed it was definitely a black panther, and his opponent was using the cover of night to his advantage. If he stayed perfectly still, the supernatural would render himself practically invisible. Well... if you can't get the needle, bring a magnet. Erin unholstered his prized fully automatic pistol and raised it into the air, he fired a single shot into the air, creating a loud bang that should startle the creature.

Sure enough, he saw a figure move. A cruel grin spread across Erin's face, and he sprinted after the Therian. Erin pocketed his pistol and drew his katana, pressing the mechanism that would unfold the sheathe and blade itself, allowing him to draw Soul Stealer. The blade shimmered against the moonlight as the chase gave way. Erin speed vaulted over the railing of the park as he pursued his target, who took back to the streets and down an alley. Erin slowed down, spotting a barrel at the far end, where the creature was probably hiding. No stone left unturned. He grinned as he scraped his sword against the wall, slowly closing in on his target, unaware that there was another pursuer in all of this.

"One Chetnut Praline Mocha Light Frappuccino coming up!" It was another hectic weekend at work, and Ayane was enjoying every minute of it. Gravette, this city of late-night 24/7 businesses had more need for a Starbucks than perhaps any place in the world. People needed their boost to get them through overtime, holiday hours, or even just a day with the kids. The high crime rate meant lots of tired cops, which meant a steady flow of caffeine needed to be provided to all the local precincts. And right now, Ayane would rather be here than anywhere else in the world. She saw people of all walks of life coming through her doors, human and supernatural alike. business men shouted over the crowds on their cell phones, proclaiming their private affairs for all to hear. Couples would romance, and strangers would flirt. Clubs would meet up and discuss all kinds of interesting things. Indeed, this establishment was a microcosm of everything the world had to offer, and nobody suspected that she was spying on them all. After all, she was just the pretty girl handing them their Frappuccinos.

"Ayane, can I speak with you for a minute?" The manager called her into the back, and the kitsune broke out into a cold sweat. Getting called into the back was never a good thing. Did she mess up somebody's order and get a bad survey? Did he somehow find out that she was secretly a kitsune? Or, heavens forbid, what if she gave a mystery shopper a bad cup of coffee!? She sheepishly crept into the back office and took a seat. "So, how are you doing, Ayane?"

That wasn't what she expected... "I'm doing fine, sir. Is... is there a problem?"

The manager's expression softened and he shook his head. "No problems with your performance, Ayane. I'm just checking in with everyone, making sure they're okay after what happened. A lot of people are shaken up."

Ah, he must have been talking about the murder. The victim was a nice girl, but Ayane hadn't really known her long enough to grow emotionally attached. Plus, it was far from the first death she'd dealt with, for she had already lived longer than a human's lifetime, but she knew some emotional reaction was expected from her. Fortunately, customer service was a great way to practice faking your emotions. Ayane frowned and averted her eyes. "Yeah... it's kinda scary that something like that can happen out of nowhere like that. But I'm alright. Honestly, keeping my mind on work helps me deal with it." She hoped that would suffice. The last thing she wanted was for him to send her home or give her a vacation to help her "cope."

The manager smiled and patted her shoulder. "Alright, but if you need anything, or just want to talk about things, you can always come to me."

Ayane nodded and headed back to work. Nobody was suspicious. Good. She could keep up her life here a bit longer.

---

Claude leaned back in his chair with his feet up on his desk, taking a long drag from his cigarette as his new client explained to him the situation. Her husband had been killed in mysterious circumstances. The police wrote it off as a wild animal attack; that's always what they did whenever they didn't want to hand a case over to a more... qualified individual. A man covered in tooth and claw marks at his own front door. Must have been wolves. Yup, a pack of wolves just prowling around. In an apartment complex. In a densely populated urban area. And nobody saw them. Well, at least their willful ignorance kept him in business.

"Alright, I get the picture," Claude said at last, cutting the woman off before she finished her story. "I'll take care of your husband's murderer. Let's talk numbers. You don't have any clue who this person is or why they did it. Just a random killing. That means lots of leg work and scouting. It'll be a pain in the ass. Fifteen thousand." The woman's jaw dropped and she started to object, but Claude raised his hand.

"Before you start having a fit, let me explain what you're getting with this package. You don't pay a dime till the job is done, and I give you definitive evidence that my target was the killer. It's no risk for you, you get peace of mind, and you get justice. Can the police give you that?" Claude chuckled. He knew the answer. He handed her some paperwork to fill out. "Once you sign, the job is on. No second thoughts. No backsies. Get all your thinking done before you sign. I'll be here."

The woman walked out with the paperwork, and Claude blew out another puff of smoke. She didn't know who killed her husband, but Claude already had a pretty good idea. He just wanted to wait a bit before he started hunting the killer. It would be nice to get paid three times for the same job...

Pippa sat at her vanity table, fixing her make-up while the last night's conquest snored lightly in her bed. His chest heaved up and down in an even tempo. He looked so cute just laying there. The poor boy had no brain in his body, but damn did he have...well you can finish the sentence yourself.

She licked her teeth and finished applying her lipstick before she stood up and got dressed. He could find his way out. She was through with him...for now. She may call him later on down the road for a pick-me-up, but he fulfilled her needs for at least a few days. She put on a dark red camisole and black leather jacket as well as some dark wash jeans. It was still night time and she didn't want to sleep the day away just yet. Perhaps she would find someone to have some fun with.

She put on some boots and slipped her talisman into her purse before she went out the door. She remembered the day she received that, from the young witch. He helped her out of a tight spot with the Hunters and she hated having a debt she couldn't repay with simple sexual favors. The boy would not be tempted by her, probably had his own incantation or something blocking her abilities. No matter, she doubted she would ever see the boy again.

She went out the door and took out her phone, searching for nearby places of interest. She decided on a bar that seemed to be a popular hot spot. She could use something light and fizzy in her to perk her up. She kept a careful watch behind her, less she be ambushed by Hunters. She really didn't want to toy with them right now.

It was that kind of night, though.

Darnies flinched as the stick hit his bad leg, moving his own cane to block the man's walking stick from hitting his body once more. "Uh, it's both glass and egg, man, good guess," He answered. "And if you just take three more steps forward, the door to the bar will be at your-" He paused as a man walked right passed them, through the window, and into the bar. "What the actual fuck?"

"DarnDarn!" Chasa hissed. She shook her head at him and stepped up to the man, gently touching his hand to imply that she was offering him her arm. "I can take you in, sir; I don't believe you'll want to go in through the window, so three steps forward and the door will be to your three o'clock," She explained, stepping forward as the man did and entering the bar with him, throwing one last remark over her shoulders. "Don't forget my groceries!"

Darnies watched her disappear in the bar with the man, shrugging off the feeling of the man's hot energy. Obviously a Supernatural, something to do with fire, but Darnies wasn't going to waste his night trying to figure it out; his ability to feel people's energy wasn't exactly meant for precision, but he could definitely tell when someone was Supernatural and trying to hide it.

He trudged his way out of the dingy alleyway that held the bar's entrance and took to the sidewalk. The grocery store wasn't too far away and it would be better for everyone if he did the shopping as soon as possible. Chasa was a gentle and kind soul, but she could pull off the passive aggressive Jewish guilt better than anyone he's ever known, including his own mother.

As he turned the corner to the next street, he pulled up short to avoid the person turning the corner from the other side. And wait...was that? 'No shit.' he thought with a grin. "Pippa! How are you? How's the talisman?"

Paon stood in a way that conveyed he was listening. His head tilted as the random man walked through the window into the bar. Weird. He straightened as the woman offered her arm and took it. "Please my name is Paon. Sir makes me feel old" he chuckled as they walked in. "I take it those were your eggs I walked through? What happened?"

He felt around for a stool and proceeded to perch on it before he looked at the woman but slightly to the left. He removed his sunglasses and slipped them onto his shirt collar. His eyes stayed slightly to the left. He wondered what she would make of his eyes. If she would avoid looking at them or find them interesting.

Redacted