Karishma was glad she had spotted Alex, he seemed like a really nice guy who didn't know about her or her past. That made him even better to hang out with. Their first meeting had been a bit bad, but she was glad that their first impressions hadn't been considered much. "Alex, I can, and I have punched several people in many places." She lowered her shades to give the man a wink. "And I did not go to jail for that." She continued on with other comments about the girl who got hit, whose name was Ash. When Karishma had first seen the woman, she had thought she had been a very tall man.
"You're new here too?" Karishma and Alex talked as they walked to the black SUV. Gabe walked behind them, keeping a close eye on Alex. While Gabe was friendly with Karishma, he was wary around new people she would invite to tag along. Not many knew who she was yet, and she they did they would often try to take advantage of her. It had happened more than once, and he did not want to see that happen to her again. Gabe might be her official bodyguard, but they were also best friends.
"I recently came here from India. Had some trouble back there that resulted in me having to leave to keep myself safe." Karishma shrugged a shoulder and said it like it wasn't a bit deal that death threats were arriving in her email on the daily. Of course, she didn't say that because that would scare off her new friend and she didn't want that. When they arrived in the SUV Karishma stopped on her tracks when Ale said he would meet them over there.
"What? You're riding with us!" She walked over and hooked her arm in his. "Don't be shy, Alex! The car's trunk is big enough for your bike, besides it's getting chilly and I wouldn't want you to catch a cold because of me." She gently tugged on his arm and signaled Gabe to help Alex put the bike in the SUV's trunk. The bodyguard nodded and did as he was told while Karishma climbed in the back seat and waited for Alex to climb in the empty seat next to her.
While in the car, Karishma pulled on a grey sweater and let her hair down to comb it with her fingers. It took her the whole ride to braid it neatly and make sure to double tie it so it wouldn't just start frizzing over from the workout earlier. When they finally arrived Karishma turned to Alex with another smile. "What are you in the mood for? I could go for a nice cup of coffee. I know there are a few restaurants in the mall." Pancakes or waffles sounded grand right now for Karishma. Or some crepes. Oh, the Coffee Pot had the best coffee in the whole city, but it would probably be full right now, and she did not want to wait.
"So if that's not what you went for then, what for, Mike Tyson?" he said with a stupid grin. The woman before him was just so easy to get along with. While, admittedly, their first meeting didn't go so well Alex was happy that Karishma seemed to understand that it was a misunderstanding. On their walk to the car Alex felt the bodyguard, he believed his name was Gage, was watching him closely. His jaw quite literally dropped when she said something about death threats. He looked over to Gage as if to confirm what was said and the guard gave a solemn nod and an obvious look that said not to push it. Alex gave a small nod and an awkward smile and let it drop.
Suddenly his bike was taken from his grasp and Karishma slid a slender arm through his and led him closer to the SUV. Not knowing what else to do since his bike was being locked up in the trunk he slid into the back seat, thankful that Karishma didn't sit up front. It seemed that neither of the other two wanted to start up conversation while in the car and Alex was perfectly okay with that. Some quiet time to think everything though was nice. Without even meaning to he watched Karishma braid her hair as he thought about how pretty her accent was. She told him she was from India, but it seemed like some American influence as well. The end result was something that he could just sit there and listen to. Thinking back to the night at the bar he remembered how pretty she thought she was before he thought she insulted Thomas. There wasn't much more time for anything since he was being taken out in cuffs after that. She truly was someone you could just sit and admire. Snapping out of his trancelike state he realized he'd been staring and also that they arrived. He felt a blush creep along his cheeks and dropped his gaze down. "Coffee sounds good to me, honestly whatever you're up for. I'm just here along for the adventure," he joked. He hoped she knew that that wasn't the case, that he was here for her.
Capella grinned happily when he heard that Siobhan, or Vaughn as she gave the okay of calling her that as well, would be joining to two of them, and while he would have liked to treat everyone, he clearly wasn't complaining about being able to save money; for some reason, he had the sneaking suspicion that Ash would eat enough for two people at least so this was good. When it came to Ash introducing himself, he resisted the urge to burst out laughing. "Dude, that was so cheesy." He commented, although he fell silent soon after as he was quite interested to hear if Ash really was a nickname or not; what could Ash even be a nickname for? Maybe it was one of those weird names where the nickname and the actual name have absolutely no correlation with each other?
The vibrant blonde had been so deep in thought about it that he flinched when Siobhan's voice addressed him once again. "Oh, so that's the name for it!" He said, hopping up and down for a few seconds before patting the air in the direction Ash's voice was coming from. "Toasty's a toy poodle! Oh, and thank you! I came up with the name myself!" He said proudly, glad to have learned something new today. As the older woman continued and mentioned her mother's dogs, Capella 'ooo'ed and 'ahhh'ed at the thought of Toasty joining them on the hunt. Then again, he'd probably be left behind because he's so small. It was nice to think about though.
As Ash jokingly expressed his grievances that he couldn't ask the, or at least he assumed she was, pretty girl out to join them, Capella remained innocent, sticking his tongue out ever so slightly so that it was covering his bottom lip. And with everything almost set to go, all they needed to do was move over to the street. He didn't really mind having to walk there himself as his mother conditioned him for these kinds of situations, but fortunately Siobhan seemed to pick up what was up, and even displayed the proper way to help someone with his condition. It was definitely reassuring to say the least. "Oh, th-thank you. And yeah, I'm actually more fluent in it than English to tell you the truth. I'd be happy to! We can talk more about in the car if you want!" He said with an excited nod as he followed along the both of them, pulling out Toasty's leash from his pocket to get him ready to leave.
Just as they were approaching the curb, Capella felt a hand pat down on his own, giving him the impression to let go, which he did. It sounded like Siobhan had a phone call so he simply nodded and let her have her privacy. Before he could even say anything else, Ash's exaggerated sigh had the short blonde arch his eyebrows. "Is everything alright Ash?" He questioned, only to press his lips to a thin line at what the man had to say. Really? He better not be using Toasty's adorable looks for evil or anything like that. "I'm gonna start charging you the more you exploit my dog. Oh, and if he starts responding to 'demon' at home, my mom's coming after you." Capella remarked, only to shudder when Toasty barked in conformation. At least it was nice to know that Ash had a little sister. It was kinda cute to think about. He could definitely see Ash being a great older brother.
This thought seem to make something click in Capella's brain as he suddenly let out a yelp, followed by a few words in Chinese. "Sorry Ash, do you mind getting my guitar for me, I left it somewhere in the grass. And, Toasty over here boy!" He called, crouching down soon after to catch the little beast and hook his leash back on. By the time he managed to do so, it looked like everyone was back and ready to get going. "Food!" Capella echoed as he allowed Siobhan to lead him into the Uber. It took a bit of fumbling around, but he finally managed to get in his seat, balancing his guitar in front of him and Toasty on his lap.
Paige’s smirk broadened a tiny bit at Marlin’s statement. She loved being complimented on her work and though she thought telling the girl about just what transpired that night at the downtown Ritz would possibly provide some greater measure of closure, she kept it to herself. Whatever the public relations people had come up with to console her was usually good enough. Still, tuning up poor Bob had caused more ripples in the City’s underground than she thought as he was her first big capture since arriving in Sol. Bob’s handlers and her old friend, Lupe, were scantly seen again and must’ve known how he spilled the beans on their little soirée down in Mexico. She could care less about the other two, but she did care about Lupe and if he’d cut his ankle tether and skipped town, they’d be after him as well. The implications for them were grave and she reminded herself to look into it again.
Consoling people was not really a strong point and Paige couldn’t bring herself to muster any sort of encouragement to Marlin. She just wasn’t programmed for much sympathy. A professional mob assassin had tried to kill her in her own apartment and she never gave it more thought as she went back to work than how she was going to get even. People had tried to kill her before and that one just happened to have come the closest. She didn’t find herself “scarred” or “damaged”, just more determined. The next one they sent would go in the ground right behind the last one. However, listening to Marlin seemingly adjust the inflexion in her voice, whether it was voluntary or not, reminded her again that most women were not like her. It was almost like watching some wild animal attempting to cover themselves outside of their natural habitat like a chameleon unable to control its skintone while a hawk circled.
Paige’s expression lightened some at Xia’s comments. It felt good to run into someone that was even just a little bit associated with where she came from and she allowed herself to reminisce for just a fraction of a second as the other two women spoke. Milo was able to put Delta City behind him, but it was in Paige’s blood: The South, the people, the culture, the roaring sun of the day and the balmy nights, afternoon thunderstorms, neon lights on the Bay, all of it. Xia represented a small part of that. Home. “Barbados was kind of a wild guess…” She admitted. “I was leaning more towards Jamaica, but I wanted to cover some ground.” Her expression was more genuine as she thought back to some of the people she’d had to leave behind. “I’m from Florida, Delta City…” She said with an appropriate measure of pride. “…I’ve been down your way a few times. One of my best friends back home is from Kingston. We used to call him Rude-boy. I knew him since I was little, there wasn’t anything that went on in that town that he didn’t know about.”
Giving her cup a light shake to mix up what was left of her smoothie, she glanced back over at Marlin’s to answer Xia’s question. “I think we have the same thing, banana… something or other with mango.” She liked Xia. Much like Sio, she had healthy level of realness about her and like most women from the Caribbean, she could tell there was some fire in her heart just by the way she spoke. It was their natural way. “It’s not bad,” She said briefly examining the remaining contents. “But I have a bottle of Wray and Nephew back at the house that would probably wake it up some.” She doubted Marlin would get the reference, but was sure Xia would.
"Stupid reason really." Was all Karishma said about her first arrest back in India. While the reason was stupid, and it almost ended her career she considered the reason the stupidest thing ever."I'll tell you some other day." With that, Karishma decided their little conversation about her first time in jail ended. While it was clear that she did not want to talk about the whole incident, she still wore an easygoing smile on her lips. She didn't like to spoil the mood with a conversation that was better left for another time. Besides, they had arrived at the mall and Karishma was starving for something delicious!
"We can head up to one of the restaurants in here. I heard Lady's Cafe was good and it's pretty new." Karishma said as she watched Gabe get out of the car first. She took the few seconds they had alone to grin at Alex. "Don't worry about Gabe, he's a friendly guy once you get to know him!" She took his hand and pulled him out of the car when Gabe opened her door. She pulled her shades back on and slid her arm around Alex's again as she did at the park.
Gabe led the way this time since he was more familiar with the mall. While he didn't like to shop, he had memorized the floor plan for Karishma's safety-- and to lead her in a path that would result in less stop to random shops. They passed several shops that Gabe had to stop Karishma from going in by reminding her that the crepes at the restaurant were to die for and that she still needed her coffee or she would become grumpy. Karishma, of course, pouted all the way to the cafe since she wasn't allowed to go into the stores. Instead, she stroke up a conversation with Alex about photography. She had noted his camera, and she was curious about his hobby.
"I saw that you were taking pictures at the park." Karishma didn't mention the fact that he had snapped a picture of her and Gabe while they rested by the fountain. Instead, she asked about his favorite shots or if he would ever consider going pro. "I heard National Geographic, and other businesses like that are pretty cool! Back in India, I knew a few photographers, but those specialized in modeling and fashion." She had been part of quite a few fashion runways back in New Dheli where her agent had scored a few photo shoots for her with fashion designer clothes. It had been fun to be part of that. "Maybe you can show me some of your pictures later? I would love to see them!"
Gabe opened the restaurant door for them when they finally arrived. The outside had fake brick walls with a sign that said Lady's Cafe written in cursive. There were a few tables and chairs on the outside, but those were props. Inside, the walls had similar brick walls, but they were covered in black and white photographs of Paris. Many were candid photos that ranged from very old to very recent. There was soft instrumental music playing in the background as Gabe got a table for the three of them. It only took a minute for a waiter to lead them to a small table booth by the back of the restaurant.
"What would you like to drink?" The waiter, a man in his mid-twenties with, combed back brown hair, and broad shoulders asked the group as he handed them the menus. He smiled at Karishma as he gave her the menu and kept her eyes on her while she browsed through it quickly.
"I'll have a cup of coffee," Gabe said first, looking intently at the waiter.
"I'll have the same," Karishma said after she looked through the beverages briefly. Coffee with two sugars and nothing more was the way she liked her coffee. Milk belonged to tea and not with coffee. She looked at Alex, ignoring the looks the waiter was giving her and asked him "How about you? The coffee is good here, but the espresso is very good too."
It took Ash some time to process how Siobhan correlated to Vaughn. It didn't. Maybe it was some cultural lore that he had absolutely no clue about. Like how Richard was called Dick. He still didn't get that one either. So much for him starting to think of a cool nickname for her. She already had one. V. Alright, he could call her V. That had a sweet tone to it. He snickered when Siobhan mentioned the names of her mother's dog. As she addressed Ash and his name, he shot a playful evil glance at Capella, far too late realizing it was futile. Yeah, Ash was cheesy alright.
"Nah, it's a... uhm..." he begun, actually not sure why his parents gave him that name. He never explicitly asked. "I'm just Ash. Like from a cigarette. Not sure why. I don't have any ashy characteristics. My dad is a huge fan of the Evil Dead universe so that might be a reason, but I don't know." Ash answered to the best of his ability before quieting down and listening to the two talk. So they were both multilingual people. Wonderful.
"And here I'm barely good with English."
He pondered his lack of a linguistic skill for a short while, barely noticing when Siobhan moved away to talk on the phone. Then he focused on Capella, immediately bursting out laughing. "Imagine that - a toasty demon, hahah~" But as Capella prompted Ash to help him fetch his guitar, the laugh had subsided. First of all, he didn't even realize the guitar was nowhere in sight. That alone had surprised him. Second, the conversation Siobhan was having over the phone didn't seem all that pleasant. Not that he eavesdropped or anything, but it was hard not to notice body language as he glanced over a couple of times.
Ash hurried to get a guitar, noticing a man standing in close vicinity. Also talking on the phone, it seemed he took a quick glance in his direction as Ash was picking the guitar up. Not a pleasant aura at all. But hey, every town has its share of those people. Ash put on a goofy smile before brushing it off as just a weird coincidence as he hurried back to the two and the uber. "Here's the guitar, Cap. Good thing no one snatched it before I got there. Imagine if I had to go all Flash and run after them? Sheesh." He smiled as he sat down next to the driver, a middle aged man, casually dressed - with a clean buzz cut. Military style. He was a Jack alright.
"To the old starboard, yeah? I think that's the name of the place." He looked back at Siobhan, waiting for confirmation.
Marinalia laughed slightly and then internally cringed as she joked about murder next to a cop, and a rather intense one with a glare. Little miss deathstar Vika named her was rather the amp name. Yeah though a good lawyer could get you away with pretty much anything and everything. Just ask the we three asshole whose 4th muskuteer was sat in a cell hopefully dropping soap or so.
She was a kinder personality than her sister but even Marinalia had no real mercy for him, well none. When she wanted to be put her boot firmly in balls, multiple times until he would never be able to use his lower organs.
Not that kinda girl!
I prefer to watch them relise there life is over as they spend the best years in a cell with bubba and big Mike.
She had seen one person go to jail for a long time after the mugging, attempted murder had mostly stuck and weapons offences. Thanks to a very pissed off grandfather with a very good lawyer. They where doing the next 30+ years at her majesties pleasure. Though she still carried the scars she wished she had not gained.
Barbados was intresting, and rather sunny and warm. Definitely alot more chances for a tan than thr South of England, that was one part of world she had not been, Europe, America and Alaska. Not South or Tropical. Italy was definitely more fun and the people where alot more handsome and fashions better than other places she works. The food also was unbeatable.
Never been south. Furthest was Italy near Naples. Iloved waking up to sound of the sea.
Peace... I'm not sure the universe likes me... Not sure what I ever did to it. Why I never went for jets. There like flying but it's all disconnected. Not... "Real".
Smiling and relaxing a a little with the accent beginning to warm up more and lose its edge that picked up before, the mention of flying somthing she loved warmed easily and softened. Xia gave a... Right vibe. Nothing was flagging, and pauge despite being careful what she said, seemed alot different than her description.
oh my... You make me remember tying to keep up with my uncles... Both Marines. Royal vaieity.. That was a intense workout. Was aching for what felt like days.
It keeps me in shape, office Uniform is not exactly forgiving.
Laughing slightly, thr fitted uniform did require you to keep in shape somewhat to pull it off, but in gernal Marinalia enjoyed the slightly vintage look vs some of the more modern airlines. Though captains hat she hated despite every right to wear one. Mike and Milo. Oh yeah that was extremely difficult one to keep up with the two of them, despite being retired they still kept a rather good level of fitness and training.
With a small laugh and a more relaxed before the storm, Marinalia was rather not used to being hit on my the female gender, which was suprising given her looks and figure. Marlin normaly was confident with that kinda thing but this threw her into a a little loop. Her aunt was slightly more experimental and had her... Adventures before she settled down, met Milo and well despite the challenges the two where almost soul mates... They fall for each other hook line and sinker when they rather quickly vanished off and where not seen till morning disheveled and so. Few years later, a Son and so. Her softer accent jumped slightly at the thought once she relised and calmed it down, given her previous record, well it could not hurt to try... Once, she seemed rather nice which was not helping thr no argument.
Confident. Of course. This is gonna sound silly, I fell in love with swimming, and never stopped.
Defenitely, sure. ... It's a. I can find time later week, maybe weekend. Loser buys lunch or smoothies? It would be fun to have someone to swim with.
Not quite realising what she said, her mind just filled in blanks and joined all the dots, a little strange but it was not saying no which was more scary than it walling it off. After all her troubles in Sol, this could not be any worse...
Banna Buzz, 5.2km swim, I needed a perk up before I carried on my day, and a chance to rest a little.
A smile and a foreign accent earned me extra mango... I like mango.
Remembering Paige who seems abit more quiet and intrested in Xia and her caribian nature, well it was ture you not meet people from the sunny southern parts everyday. Paige definitely was a... Intresting person, scary and very intense but she was rather intresting. A blank wall, a intense glare, a rather powerful aura.. She seemed rattled by nothing and like... She reminded Marinalia abit of her military uncles nature. They have away little, except what they wanted.
Marlin blankes utterly at the drunk refrence, she hated the refrence but Basic white girl" and wine was her thing, unlike Victoria and her love of Vodka, well that was natural from how they grew up and Ivan.
Paige was from Florida, OK, that was definitely intresting, her accent was clearly not a local, but to put a name to a face was diffrent, to put a location exactly. Southern culture had it quirks, it helped to know to not stop on a cultural minefield.
Long as it has alcohol, grapes and comes in a glass bottle. I'm easier to please. After well, safer than spirits.
Paige, Xia, strange as it sounds. If you ever need a pilot, we'll let me know. I'd say it's work, but I feel strange not flying for a while...
Milo hopped back into his truck after tossing his cigarette into the street, he had procrastinated enough, and he had to get a few things together at the shop anyway, that and the wood he had picked up was going to be harder to move alone when he gets there. Milo sighed as he drove back solemnly, the weight of his time in Sol has been taking him for a ride as of late, he thought he had few friends before, but now with work and the issues surrounding Paige's case, he felt more alone than normal. There was a side of him that was happy that he was alone, he had already drug Paige in. He pulled up to his shop and began offloading the wood, it only took him a few minutes but after a time he decided that work was done for the day, the benefit of running your own business, and he grabbed a fishing rod from the wall and headed out to the harbor.
The water was pretty cold, but there are always some fish biting, even in the worst days, Milo always felt better when he was fishing. Milo knew that he had a good amount of time between now and his date at the range. At least for the moment he could relax.
Joel took a seat in the old leather sofa of the lobby beneath the banner of the racecar and took a small cup of the free coffee to drink with his protein bar. The old seat was well worn from years of regular use and he sunk down to what nearly felt like the floor. Running a hand through his sweaty hair, he took out his phone and decided to check a few messages before heading back to the shop.
Of all the mail, email and voicemails he received since winning the Grand Prix, only a few were really important to him. With Sio’s help, they’d sifted through the majority of it, though even weeks later it was still trickling in at a regular pace. As he worked, she’d read aloud the mail and summarize the voicemails to which he’d reply keep, toss, delete, maybe or just laugh and make some off-color remark and leave her to make a decision or surprise him. He thumbed through some of the emails, making his way to the one he fancied the most: A correspondence from Rebellion World Rally Team. Named for the extremely popular Rebellion energy drink, the email featured the well-known neon orange and black of the company logo along with a neat picture of a built Subaru rally car in mid-drift, slinging dirt through some heavy woods. The email was from the team’s Operations Director asking Joel if he’d be interested in meeting and perhaps trying out a few rounds on a test stage they were building in the mountains to the east at one of the old abandoned lumber mills.
Joel hadn’t forwarded the phones at Apex Designs since the race weekend and let everything go to directly to voicemail, but after a couple weeks he was willing to take a risk while he was out just in case they called his Google number. He’d called the Director back and left a message around 3am and he glanced up to check the time seeing that most “normal” people were awake and was hoping for a call back. The concept of the rally was different from anything else he’d done and the inherent danger in it piqued Joel’s interest. Normally one incorrect flick of the wheel or a split-second wrong decision was punished with devastating results. He’d seen enough videos where mistakes usually resulted in the car rolling no less than six times, sometimes down a mountainside, or hitting a tree or some other immovable object and flipping end over end. The danger of it felt exhilarating and the near possibility of sudden death was appealing to him.
Killing a little time, Joel was enjoying an article about secret military bases on the dark side of the moon before the phone began vibrating in his hand with a call alert. The number displayed as unknown, which made him mildly irritated, not only because his reading was interrupted, but for whatever reason, when the calls were forwarded, the original number would get lost in translation from time to time. He complained about it before, however the Google rep explained to him that it had to do with the “ancient” phone network of Southside to which Joel could offer no retort. Normally he would have let it go straight to voicemail, but not wanting to miss the call he’d been anticipating, he answered in his classic, regular tone, cutting the name short: “Apex, this is Joel.”
"Wha-- I didn't get any message!" Aoki was talking on the phone as she walked down the street, her hair blowing on the cold wind. Her tan coat slapped harshly against her legs as she made her way to the Uber that she had ordered home just a few minutes ago. "Yes, I checked my email, but there was nothing on there." She had gotten a call from her boss telling her that is she was going to come in late. Apparently, there had been a change in her schedule and Aoki had not gotten the memo. Her schedule had been changed to start earlier now, and she would be able to leave the museum earlier too. While Aoki was glad her hours had been changed, she was still unhappy that she had not gotten the email that had informed her of it. "I'll be there in ten minutes. Thank you for calling me." With that, Aoki hung up and hoped that there was no traffic on her way to work.
Aoki was supposed to start at 7 in the morning, and she arrived to work an hour late. There had been a lot of traffic in the streets, and an accident had slowed down the highways, so there was no way for her to arrive any earlier. Although a bike would have been helpful, but Aoki didn't know how to ride one-- and riding in heels must be difficult. Aoki also took the whole hour in the Uber to thank Marinalia for giving her Ashton's information. She would contact the other woman later at night when she was at home. It would be nice to get everyone she had met at the club to hang together and talk peacefully.
As soon as Aoki clocked in, she got to work on a painting from the early 18 hundreds. The painting's colors had faded, and there were a few cracks on the canvas. There would be no painting today, since she had to prep the painting first and make sure she examined everything she would have to do to restore the painting correctly. It took her about two hours to get every little detail down on paper and make sure to note it's location so she wouldn't overlook it when it was finally time to seal and cover up the cracks. The rest of the day was spent prepping the painting and documenting every little detail about it as she did so. Restoring old pictures like this could be a lot of pressure for someone. Being in charge of taking care of something so old and historical could have been too heavy for someone to handle, luckily Aoki was a woman of determination and ambition! While her perfectionism did slow her down a bit, she continued to work hard and not let the pressure get to her.
Later that day, after work
Old Habor was a place of history. Aoki loved history. She loved living and working with history. There was something about Old Harbor that made her feel like she was back home in Helsingborg. Since the days had begun to grow colder and colder, she had started to become more homesick. The cold always reminded her of the snowy days back home and how she and her brothers would play around in their backyard while their parents watched and tried to hide the whiskey they drank. To help her homesickness, Aoki would often go to the harbor, sit down with her sketchbook, and listen to some of her father's orchestra songs. On bad days, she would come and listen to him playing the piano and cry until she could see her family standing in front of her. Aoki had debated going back to Sweden so many times, but every time she had to remind herself that going back there wouldn't further her career. She had a life in Sol now, even if it was a lonely one.
"Maybe I can do for summer vacations..." Aoki hadn't been back home in years and seeing her parents and brothers in person would do good to her. She never really liked the summer here in America and Helsingborg was a lot cooler than Sol during the summer, so she would be able to escape the heat too. The more she thought about vacations back home, the more she felt the homesickness grow. Aoki decided to push her thoughts about home back and save it for later. Now, there was a beautiful view of the harbor. While someone would think cloudy skies and a gloomy feel to the dock seemed somewhat sad, Aoki enjoyed this weather. She loved to sketch and shade in clouds. There was also a man fishing in the harbor while boats passed by. The wind was a lot harsher by the water, so his hair was whipping around. Aoki had taken a seat just about 30 yards away from him, so she had a pretty good view of him. Without wasting another moment, Aoki began to sketch the man down.
As she sketched down the passing boats and the man, Aoki tried not to make it too evident that she was staring at the man's figure as her pencil drew lines on the paper. It had been a while since she had done anything realistic, so Aoki wanted to take the opportunity to practice and take advantage of the lovely scenery. Besides, Aoki tended to give out the sketches she drew of people to the person, in case they noticed. Luckily, the man she had been sketching for the past half hour.
Everything was done in pencil. Aoki had taken some artistic liberties by drawing the stranger with a sad smile instead of a serious one. A smile that Aoki was too familiar with. When she was done, Aoki held the drawing up to compare it to the man, hoping he wouldn't notice what she was doing. Anyone who was watching her from afar would at least think what she was doing was really weird and strange. Aoki didn't mind too much, as long at the man she had drawn didn't notice. The drawing had come out too nice to give away.
Leo led Marcus to the bar, talking as they did so. "So just to give you a bit of background about me and this place, I moved to Sol when I was eighteen. I just had to start fresh and make my life my own. I love my family and all but I just wanted to be able and turn around and say, this is my life." They reached the bar and Sully made his way behind to pour the pair a couple of pints. Steve his faithful and trusty head of security got up from his stool and nodded to his boss. "I'm off now boss," he said in his deep, earthshaking voice. "No problem Steve. Just before you go, this is Marcus. He's here about the vacancy." Steve raised an eye brow and got close up to Marcus' face. He rubbed at his rugged chin before standing back up straight. "Seem's...small. Does he know karate or something?" Leo rubbed at the bridge of his nose letting out a deep sigh. "He's to work the bar Steve...Jesus Christ." Steve arched his back as he laughed heartily at his mistake. "Sorry pal." His bear paw sized palm hit Marcus in the back as he tried to apologise. "Hopefully see you around soon...and good luck." Steve nodded at Leo once more and left.
Leo looked up at Marcus as he finished pouring the second of two pints. "Sorry about him. He's a bit of an oaf at times but he's good at what he does and has a heart of gold." With the two drinks in hand Leo gestured over to a nearby booth for the pair to sit in. "So anyway...this place came about after many many hours overtime working multiple jobs. I basically lived off rice for several years, being sure not to waste a penny. Eventually I had saved enough, combined with a bank loan of course, to afford this place." Taking a seat in the booth Leo placed both pints on the table and took a seat. He extended his hand out towards the opposite side telling Marcus to sit.
"Things were slow at first but after several spam posts on social media and passing out flyers, the metal crowd soon found out about it. Having a few big bands in certainly helped but for the most part they were just glad to have a place to hang out." Leo took a gulp from his drink, wiping the foam from around his mouth. Taking out his phone he glanced down to read a message from Dusty. "The whole purple gothic vibe came later when my brother visited. He's always had a knack for interior design and offered to draw up some sketches. What you see around you is what he came up with." With phone still in hand he quickly typed a reply back to Dusty before looking back up to Marcus.
"Anyway...that's enough about me. I don't want to bore you anymore," he said with a wide smile on his face. "Tell me about yourself Marcus. Just who exactly is Marcus Ainsworth?" He kept his welcoming grin on his face, hoping that Marcus would tell him all about himself. He was very much a fan of knowing your employees on a personal level rather than just being their boss.
"Don't hate me for this, Ryan, but I don't want you going out to that fight club again."
"Wait, what?!"
With Ryan convincing Rei to take another day off, the twins had decided to take a trip to the park. With the bar fight that they got caught up in Friday, they could both agree that some peace and quiet was what they need. "Wait, you mean the 501 club? That's just a normal bar!" Ryan tried to explain as they drove up to the park's entrance. "Oh, come on. I already figured it out, Rai, everytime you go there you always come home with a new scar or two." Reya retorted, both of them walking inside.
"Ah geez, really? Look, it might seem like a bad place, but it keeps my skills sharp!"
"I know, but- I just hate seeing you get hurt, okay?" Reya admitted. The both of them were silent afterwards, idly walking around the park, until Rei was pulled into a side-hug. "Don't worry, I can handle being beaten up. I just gotta make sure no one bad lays a hand on you. And besides, what does that saying go again?" Ryan asked. "'What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?'"
"You're right, but I can't help worrying that you'll lose an eye or something." Rei mumbled. "Only when I get into archery, sis. Only when I-"
"Oi, King!!"
"Christ- What do you want, James?" Ryan, unamused, turned around to face his co-worker and frenemy, who apparently had bandages wrapped over one of his eyes. Seeing that made Rei scratch her own still-bandaged head. She should have been fine by then, but she wasn't sure about taking the bandages off yet. "Fantastic, both you and your sibling are here! Maybe one of you could pay the medical bill for THIS! James ripped off his bandages to reveal quite a nasty black eye. "Oh g-geez!"
"Oh for fuck sakes, don't tell me you were at club aether too!" Ryan facepalmed. "What?! No! don't you remember what happened wednesday, dude?!" then it hit Rai. "Oh. Oooooh shit... James, look, I'm sorry man! You know people do dumb shit when their drunk!"
"Wait, w-what happened?"
"Look- Me and your brother, along with a few other workers, went out for a night on the town. Visited the 501 club, got a bit drunk, someone started a bar fight, and shit went down. Make sense, toots?" James explained to Reya, who looked at her brother with an unamused expression. "Oh. Don't worry, I-It'll heal in a week or so. T-There's no need to fight again..." She reassured the brunette, wrapping bandages back over his black eye. "You think?"
"Well, usually bruises like that t-take two weeks to heal." Rei explained with a crooked smile. "So what now?" Ryan asked, making faces at James while his back was turned. "Guess we can go visit Central Point after this?" Reya suggested, the other two looking at each other, before shrugging.
Interesting. That was the first thing that came to Xia's mind when Paige mentioned she simply gave it a wild guess. Hell of a guess but she was close enough. Some wouldn't guess about her nationality for the fear of insulting her thinking she's of another culture. Jamaicans didn't like to be confused with Haitians and vice versa just like Puerto Ricans didn't like to be mistaken as Mexicans. Xia wasn't that prideful to get upset over a simple misunderstanding. Most people thought everyone from the Caribbean were the exact same. With a small chuckle to the blonde haired southerner, Xia gave a warm smile. Well that's a hell of a guess a darlin'. I did stay in Jamaica for a short period of time since my ex was from there. hearing about Delta City, Florida, Xia had to think about that place for a moment before remembering something. Florida? I actually have family there. It's been maybe 2 years since I've been there. And your Rude-boy...he didn't turn out to be a Yardie did he? My Ex was one. She responded.
Now knowing that Paige was familiar with her parts of the waters, Xia felt she found someone she could actually talk to about home. Someone that knew a little something about her culture and Florida was pretty fucking close. Now hearing about the smoothie, Xia pointed to the cup and smirked. See you can't go wrong with banana and mango. And not that you're taking me back home with that Wray and Nephew, girl, you just help confirm you know a little somethin somethin about that Jamaican happiness baby!! Haha!! getting a little excited about that the reference. Nothing like having Wray and Nephew in mixed in a Bahama Mama drink. You gonna have to let me in on that one. I'm starting to like, Paige. You know your shit. If you know how to make ox tails or curry goat, I'm coming your way. She smile brightly.
Turning back to marlin to and trying to keep herself from getting riled up about home, Xia couldn't help but to still show enthusiasm. Trust Me Marlin..you'll love the Caribbean. Islands all over and very beautiful scenery. Hopefully it wouldn't be a culture shock but it's something you'll have to experience but...one thing though...get some sun screen and bug spray if you're not use to that sort of climate. She warned her. hearing Marlin doubt that her existence in this universe being any good, Xia had to shut that down. hey, now toss that low self esteem shit out the window baby. You're good if you chillin with me! She grinned.
With her mentions of her uncles military workout plans, Xia gave her a good look up and down, scanning her physique. You might have ached but you was able to build some sexiness and that outfit is doing you some justice. And loser buys lunch or smoothies? You're on. Just let me know the time you want to do it and I'll see if I can bring a real challenge to your confident ass. She winked.
See...just like with Paige...can't go wrong with Banana and mangos. Gives you that soothing energy. And seeing as all three of us have accents, I bet we could all get free stuff. Not that I'm that kind of woman but shit just happens to be free when someone likes hearing your exotic voice. She wondered if marlin's ever tried rum before? She's probably have tried many European style alcoholic beverages but was she into trying something new? if so, Xia was down with going out and having a good time with marlin...hell...even Paige if she wanted to. With Marlin offering up her services as a pilot, Xia raised an eyebrow. Well...if you're willing to give me a private ride back to the Caribbean, you'll be the first I'll call. She said.
Xia's phone started buzzing and it was her aunt this time. the mother of her cousin Carlo. The smile she wore, sort of faded but she let it buzz so that she'd answer later. So what do you ladies have planned after you leave here?
Monday early afternoon at Dusty's Trailer. On phone with Joel @Pilatus. Texting with Leo @CaptainSully. Mentions of @Zaxter996.
Dustynn pulled at a lose thread from the thigh of her pants between talking to several people on the phone. Most people were either too expensive or not willing to travel to her in the Southside. "I'm not going to fucking rob you, stupid bitch! Yeah, blah blah blah." she growled into the phone, as the receptionist belittled her. She swiped her finger over the front, ending the call. She almost wished she had a phone that she could have slammed for effect, but that time had long past Dustynn's generation. The girl let out a sigh, glancing over at her mother who had popped some popcorn and sneaked back to her bedroom, the door most likely locked behind her.
A vibration went through her hand as Leo's text came back through, she read it an audibly laughed:
For some reason yelling at it did NOT work. I doubt Marcus is a serial killer because what would be the odds that two work under the same roof? ;)
Dustynn laughed audibly at her terrible joke, before posing for a selfie to send. She stuck out her tongue, a cheerful look on her face as she snapped the picture and sent it to Leo. She hoped it was a little something to make him smile, it was an odd action to do- sending a photo to someone, but more often than not Dusty just did it for fun. After the picture was sent, she reread over the last text message.
Stargazing?
She had to hand it to Leo, she had never been offered that one.
💕 I would really love that.... lets do it!
Rubbing at her eye, Dustynn reached over to her pack of cigarettes and slipped the last one from the carton. She would definitely need to go get more once the car was back up and running again as well. Reaching towards the lighter, she went along her routine of lighting the other end and taking a hit. Using her thumb she looked through her phone once more before calling her final try for now. After a few rings, a man answered by the name of Joel.
"Hey, this this is Dustynn Knight. I've been having a hell of a time this morning. Car won't start, and I have no way of bringing it in. I could have it towed but, if it's something simple I don't want to spend the extra." Dustynn tapped the edge of her cigarette into the ashtray. "If it can get done today, it'd be even better." she tried to sound a bit on the damsel in distress side, but her blunt attitude seeped through the cracks as she waited for Joel's response.
It was a little comical listening to other people describe what they thought prison was like for inmates. Paige had put enough people behind bars to know that not only were the stories that outsiders seemingly came up with true, but that reality was far, far worse. Men would kill not to go back. Listening to Marlin joke about the fate of her attacker made her darkly remember visiting the state prison in Starke to deliver convicts as a Florida State Police Officer and to gather information as US Marshal for some of her cases in Delta. “Hotel Hell” was the only lockup in Florida that was still officially called a “prison” and it lived up to its name as one of three death row facilities in the state, still having the electric chair as an option for executions. Her stomach turned a little at the thought of it and she was glad the topic changed. She didn’t care to talk about it and certainly wasn’t going to bring it up.
Marlin seemed to like talking about herself an awful lot, which didn’t necessarily bother Paige, yet. Her ears were trained to pick up on subtlety and involuntary mannerisms. She’d seen it plenty of times as a coping mechanism in people and it seemed like the girl hardly had anyone to talk to in her flying job. Scantly an unsolicited phrase that left her lips did not include the words, I or me. However what did pique her interest was Marlin’s profession and her offer. They already had their own helicopter and the taskforce called in by the mayor had plenty of assets that she could get her hands on, but not having any red-tape or bureaucracy to battle to get what she needed quickly was tempting though she knew she would have to be careful with what or how she involved the poor girl.
The connection she had with Xia was clear though she honestly hadn’t heard the term “yardie” before and was curious. As Xia and Marlin spoke, her fingers quickly worked over her phone. She knew who to ask. “No,” Paige said as she finished typing and returned her attention to Xia. “Ray Ray is much older than me, he’s nearly sixty.” She flipped the screen around so Xia could see the conversation she was having back in her home city.
“I met him when I was little, my parents used to take me to the farmer’s market where he still has a big spread, he was a handyman back in Jamaica before he moved here.” Paige was actually starting to smile as she spoke. She could picture the dreadlocks, the straight brim hat and glasses he wore and hear the Jamaican’s voice through the words on the text. She was happy to share it with Xia. “When I worked in Delta he always watched my back and kept his ear to the street for me. I miss him.”
Listening to Xia straighten out Marlin’s negativity, Paige nodded a little. The girl had the right attitude for her job as a trainer and would probably make a good workout partner as well. Seeing the time and considering Xia’s question, she fished out two of her business cards and placed them face-down as she thought about her date with Milo and knew she would have to run soon to be able to meet up with him later. “I think I’m gonna go do a little shooting later,” She said pushing the cards slightly away, one towards Xia, the other towards Marlin with her index and middle fingers. The cards were simple and carried a large image of the Federal Star along with basic contact information for Paige R. Kennedy – Deputy United States Marshal. “I’ve gotta run, but it was nice getting to know you ladies a little bit, give me a call some time.”
Karishma dismissed the jail thing with a bit of a tight smile and he decided not to push the topic. The bodyguard got out of the car and Karishma spoke saying Gabe, he'd have to remember it's not Gage, was friendly and he gave a small smile not knowing what else to say. Gabe opened the door on his far side and he was being pulled across the back seat and out the same door as Karishma was exiting. A tad confused, Alex just went with it, that seemed to be the best way to handle things with her and he didn't mind it at all. They linked up arms again and followed behind Gabe around the mall. He'd only been here once or twice, it was hard to carry things back by bike and he didn't trust bringing shopping bags on the bus. He listened to the two banter about waiting to shop and gave a soft smile, it reminded him of his little sister and he felt a pang in his heart. He'd not been able to talk to her since moving to SOL, his mother cut all ties from his family when he started his transition. He noticed his vision go a little blurry and used his free hand to wipe at his eyes, hopeful that the other two were too caught up in chatting about food and coffee to notice.
She said she noticed him taking photos at the park and blushed, had she caught him snapping a couple of the two of them? He surely hoped not. "Nah, no pro for me. I'm much better at cakes than I am photography. It's just a hobby, nothing more. National Geographic would never take me. I'm more into nature and candids than posing people. That's just awkward for all involved," he chuckled. He mentally noted that he'd need to probably hide the few he'd taken of the other two before allowing her to look at his work. He didn't want to weird her out. "I've got to go through these and then maybe you can come over and we can look through my books?" he offered casually, while inside his heart was pounding. Would she think he was being too forward? He didn't think so since she's the one who pursued him, but you never know.
They walked into the cafe and Alex wasn't expecting it to be this beautiful. The walls were covered with photos of Paris and he let out an audible gasp. Gabe led them to a table and he kept his eyes glued to the walls, trusting Karishma to lead him safely to the table. Once seated a waiter walked up to the table and looked at Karishma as he spoke to the table. He scooted over a little closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist and cleared his throat a little. He hated people who objectified people. "I'll just have a coffee, but thanks for the suggestion, love," he said with a smile looking Karishma in the eyes as he spoke.
Joel was thinking about blasting down a tree-lined gravel path when he swiped his thumb to answer the call. He could envision hitting a jump running near a hundred over a sharp crest with the car rotating sideways as he sailed through the air. For some reason he thought he would hear a Finnish or English accent, though he had no idea where the person on the other end of his email hailed from, the idea just seemed to fit. Rallying wasn’t that popular in the US. Instead, what he got was some local chick and her piece of shit Ford Focus. He visibly deflated down into the old leather sofa even further as he listened to the girl, Dustynn, describe her plight. You gotta be fucking shitting me… He thought to himself. What was worse was she was in some kind of rush and more importantly, didn’t even have money to get it towed.
As she gave her address… a local trailer park, he was working out in his head how he was either going to get out of it or… nothing. His line of thinking wasn’t getting him very far and her voice was a familiar desperate and slightly impatient tone that all techs knew well. Involuntarily, his mind shifted from getting out of it, to perhaps finding an easy fix. He asked a few basic questions as he looked her address up on his phone. It wasn’t far and he truthfully didn’t have anything else to do other than sift through more mail or do some more work on Sio’s car without her knowing. Fortunately, Dustynn wasn’t far away at all, less than a mile from the YMCA. He resolved to do his civic duty and help her out, though he knew deep down he couldn’t just leave her stranded. She was from Southside and it was just the way things were done. It would have been no different if he’d found her in the parking lot. He was already going to need a change of clothes anyway and didn’t mind if his old black Caterpillar Equipment hoodie and worn cargo shorts got dirty. “Just sit tight, I’ll be there in a few. I’m just up here at the Y.”
Somewhere he could remember Tommy warning him about people, stalkers, calling and trying to set up meetings, but he, perhaps naively, thought no one would be stupid enough to make a stalker-call from the park where “Dustynn” apparently lived. He had some basic tools for off-roading in his Jeep, some jumper cables and his favorite 35mm wrench. As he drove, he pulled up into a convenience store and bought a bottle of Coke, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket with a text, he checked to find a couple messages from Marlin, which upon reading, immediately gave him some mixed feelings, most of them pretty low. He was on his way to help a total stranger, but hadn’t even flinched a muscle about helping her on Friday night. In honesty, he hadn’t seen her, but Sio had picked them out no problem. He wasn’t sure what exactly had happened after they beat their hasty escape, but he was sure her trifling sister was likely the source of it. Shutting the door quickly from the cold as he jumped back in, he glanced up at some of the smoke stacks from the fabric plant in the distance, noting the white clouds turning low out of the towers- a sure sign that weather was on the way. He texted her back before cranking up:
Told you that office stuff wasn’t for you Glad you liked it I’m planning on doing some flying myself
He attached a picture of one of the Rebellion cars, a black and neon-orange striped Ford Fiesta soaring over a jump along with the email he received.
Hopefully be meeting these guys this week
He fired away the text and felt about the same as when he dropped off the package back at the airport. It wasn’t his intention to string her along. A few weeks ago, he thought she might be fun to date and they had a good time at the track, but after encountering her clinically insane family, with the possible exception of the grandfather, he had more than a few reservations. He shook his head as he drove along thinking on it. Still, she was devastatingly pretty. Then there was Sio and with that thought he tossed that drama right out of his mind as he rolled up into the trailer park and started scanning around for a silver Ford Focus sedan that didn’t take long to find.
The music inside the Jeep was thrumming along merrily, blasting outward through the softtop and he hoped they’d be paying attention enough to come outside or at least whoever Dustynn was would be closeby to her stricken car. If no one popped up he was hitting the road and they could tow that shit. He could feel eyes scanning all around him from behind highly-flammable curtains as he swung around and backed up next to the much smaller Ford to get his battery close enough for his cables to reach. The big tires of his Jeep were nearly level with the windows and the CB antenna bobbed slightly as he stopped and let the breakdown playthrough before he hopped out running a hand through his hair and propping his sunglasses up on his head. The smell of wood burning from the chip plant was heavy in the air and low to the ground like the smokestack exhaust reminding him to stock up on gasoline for his shop heater. He stuck his hands in his sweatshirt pockets against the cold and started towards the door.
Milo had lost a good bit of time fishing, the time was pleasant and felt a bit of ease fall over him, that is until he began to feel like he was being watched, it wasn't the first time in a while that he had felt that way so he tried to ignore it but after a while he couldn't help himself, he looked about and noticed it, some girl watching him from a ways down the pier. Milo put a hand in his jacket and unhooked the buckle on his holster, but quickly put it back when he noticed the sketchpad, some kind of artist he figured, he turned toward her and spoke up.
"Do you have a good angle there?"
He grinned a bit, she was probably not expecting him to have noticed, however she didn't know he was unbelievably paranoid at the moment and was watching for people watching him. Milo was going to continue just as a bite hit the line and almost pulled the rod from his hand, he set the hook and reeled in the fish as hard as he could, until it was on the shore and in the bucket.
Marinalia liked the idea of the southern areas but being blonde and fair skinned meant she would need a sun hat, cream and more besides just to walk out the door and pick up some milk. Though being able to go to work with the top down in a soft top, enjoy a glass of wine watching the sunset, maybe a cocktail on the beech. It had its advantages but she probbly would burn just buying milk!
Politely smiling her way through the stuff she did not understand and just tried to bodge the bits together, some alcoholic drink, mango, mango was easy to understand, mango was nice. Caribian curry was a alittle different, she had Indian, and a few others, Nepalise and such. Never Caribian though if she a as ever back in London she could easily rectify that one.
Natural Blonde. Caribian sun and me might disagree a little. I'm used to it, this is my first permanent job, you kinda get used to doing as Romans do.
Least I understand the fruit.
Shrugging and sipping her smoothie that was starting to get close to the end enjoying the fruity energy and her muscles where starting to regain there old selves after the swim. She kept in shape, not that Marinalia did not push herself at times to. Her normal swim was shorter and more regular, just keeping fot more than any aim to be a athlete or build extensive muscle.
given Sol, I may need good luck!
Gratias tibi (Thankyou) I like mine with extra mango, and a lighter lunch. I try to keep in shape, though I may have had it tailored a alittle... Your not easy to miss yourself, and had a rather pretty black and white dress I remember.
Going a alittle pink at the comments, it was diffrent but diffrent was not always bad, I mean how much worse could it go than the jazz night or getting arrested? She did know how attractive she looked in uniform, and twirled a few long blonde hairs round her finger to not fidgit, well it was but controlled. Laughing slightly at the comment, her accent was pure English almost still despite alot of traveling and living abroad. Some people where just a sucker for the soft English accent, a pretty face and a little flaunting her natural advantages. Harmless flirting after all. Just a bit of fun.
a alittle bit is harmless fun. It's kinda confidence building. If they want to... Who's to say no.
I might need more sunscreen than fuel!
Goodbye Paige, good shooting. I think is the right answer. I Don, t have a grudge against you. Sisters. Not twins.
Giving her a small wave as she left, Paige seemed alright and she was nothing like the woman described by Victoria. Somewhat cold and... Scary but not some evil force out to cause harm to anyone who comes here way. What did she plan to do? Maybe do some shopping, how did you end the whole convosatuon, it was not a date, they knew each other abit. Damn social minefields where there's no guideline.
She could do date, do friends. Despite her whole nature, she was a very loyal person to those who where kind in return, loyalty and trust had been a big thing growing up.
Probbly some shopping, need a few bits from the mall and so. I'd like a quiet walk out somewhere but alas. Life is so.
Umm.. So see you later on. Call me if you like. I'm pretty new to the city still, nice to be able to just sit, talk. Enjoy a smoothie you know.
Keep in touch!
Smiling and sliding off her chair tossing a the cup in the recycling bin nearby and zipping her jacket up for the Cold, the warm soft sheep wool lined leather was amazing in these conditions. The jacket she loved, it was a gift years ago and had remained a old freind ever since.
Putting a hand on her shoulder, and tilting up slightly she gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek before grabbing her gym bag and walking out a little bit pink. Definitely would be fun to see what kind of things came from the little challenge. They could decide a day another time. Phone numbers where already swapped, Xia was genuinely nice, posetive, and we'll. She dressed up rather nicely when she wanted to, definitely attractive... Did I just think that.
A little... Lot scary but also, well. Live a alittle.
Heading out to her car and climbing on seeing a message from Victoria, Joe and a few others. Most could wait, family and Joel. They where... Not quite what they where but it was still good to be able to talk to someone. His viewpoint was a refreshing contrast to others around her.
You where right. This time I feel like I'm doing somthing worthwhile. I'm meant to be a pilot.
OK.. I'm a sucker for cute plush.
Remember that suit... You looked sharp that nigbt. Good luck, knew you would join Team Air eventually. :)
Ps.. Glad we can atleast talk. Your a good egg.
MRO
Hotting send, and messaging Victoria she would stop by the mall becmfore heading home, Marinalia used the horn a few times to make traffic move abit more that cut her off. Damn drivers, you merge firther down, not right at the end when your hitting thr lines. Where did they learn to drive?
Reaching the mall at lunch time, yeah probbly should of eaten at the gym but oh well, grabbing a chockate bar out her handbag to keep her going. A few teanagers about seemed to stare a alittle but they where harmless and doom vanished when they relised, awkward. Much! The uniform did draw a alittle attention as it always did, Deadalus did excde abit of old style glamour and more golden age of air travel than the pack em. Stack em and fly em Airlines that seemed to have almost taken totally over.
Haven Square was like any mall at end of day, least this one was clean and tidy, shops where not bad either, especially the small boutique row, Victoria would love them.
Thinking back she found the card in her hand bag... Paige... A marshal. A quick Google later told her they had nothing to do with the old West, cowboys or cattle rustling. Paige was a fugitive hunter, and one from a smaller branch. Bob she was told had been caught by a Marshal unit in Sol City. Victoria had talked of alot cops about, task forces and that friend of hers seemed to think that somthing was up in the city.
Hmm...
No wait. That might just make a small bit of sense. Somthing was up but maybe not there ideas. There definitely was a change in the city though. That's all she could confirm. Was Paige involved... Maybe. There where alot of Marshals though, and Bob was a seriously wanted man so everyone be on his case. They odds where pretty small but not impossible...
Later that afternoon a man dropped off a package for a Mr Nicolisi at the depot, he was out at the time and this was recorded delivery only..oh well not his job to question anything. Not paid ernough.
The box was large and padded well, someone wanted there cargo to be safe, UK stamps and everything. Inside was a rather valuable item, maybe not always in money but in meaning. The steering wheel from Aryton Senna 1990 championship winning race, a signed plaque marked with all the paperwork and photos qof the day on question.. A hand written letter lay on top on thick legal paper, with logo embossed of OHI and written in a neat cursive hand.
Thrown in the box, a few smaller more knick macks of less note including a scale model of the winning car alongside a engraved lighter with the final straight scene on it, the dates and race times..
To Mr Nicolsi
I hope this finds you well.
I have enclosed somthing I meant to give you about a month ago but the chaos of the event, and business and family obligations meant I was sadly engaged. It was a regrettable evening.
My family does not quite share my passions, and my daughters are not a fan of racing after a bad wreck. So I'm passing this onto someone who would apeciate this history and value. I drove until my wife made me give up as we where expecting my oldest son.
The wheel is from Ayton Senna, 1990 championship winning race. Fully signed and confirmed. I loved racing as a a young man, and we'll as a rich man I could aquire some more intresting items.
So I hope you may appreciate this bit of history, and hopefully you may pass it on to someone else deserving. This was sent late but I am to be a grandfather for another time, and gaining a son in law so things have been as you understand busy. Where I younger this would be presented in person but I am not quite up to the jet lag as before.
To business. All accounts are now settled, paid up and balenced. May your career be a safe and successful one. Congratulations on your win. I'm sure you have hered it 1000 times already but give a alittle for a old man.
Personal office of:
Maxamillion Olympus CEO Olympus Heavy Industies Proud shipbuilders to the Royal Navy
Marcus followed Leo to the bar, standing by it and listening intently as Leo gave some background on himself and started pouring the drinks. Marcus made sure to watch how he was pouring the beer, to try to catch on quickly so he didn’t seem so clueless if he got the opportunity of a trial shift. As Leo was talking, a rather large man, apparently named Steve, approached the two. Marcus offered a smile, before the man got uncomfortably close to him. He let out an uneasy chuckle and shook his head, as the man called him small, and asked if he knew Karate, before then apologising and wishing him luck. “It’s all good, thank you.”
He shook his head at Leo and smiled as he apologise on behalf of Steve, smiling. He was a little uncomfortable, but his smile was genuine. The laid back nature of the interview was definitely calming his nerves, and the beer would help even more than that. Marcus followed Leo to the booth and took a seat, listening closely as Leo continued his story. He remembered when he first came to Club Aether, shortly after they first opened. He loved it from his first visit.
“You weren’t boring me at all.” He replied to Leo softly, before taking a sip of his beer. “Oh, uh, well I grew up in a small town a few hours north of here. Tiny, tight-nit community. But, I also moved here when I was eighteen, trying to make a life of my own, I guess. I moved here with my girlfriend… Uh, ex...girlfriend now…” A pang of sadness hit him as he mentioned his ex, though he moved past it quickly, trying hard not to show it on his face at all. “And, uh, yeah, I’ve just been trying, and failing for the most part, to make it as a musician here. It’s harder than I thought it would be.” He took another long sip of his beer, trying to think of what else to say. “Music is my life. So any job where I get to be involved with the local music scene in some way, is a dream for me.”
