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Zeroth Post
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Zeroth
Winter in Ashton can be truly and absolutely beautiful. With just the right amount of snowfall it can look and feel like a winter wonderland you would normally only find in a cheesy lifetime movie. In some ways it’s as pleasant and pure as that, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. Beyond every wholesome citizen and act of kindness there is a conman waiting for their chance to strike. For a place as beautiful as Ashton still has its shadows...and those shadows can sometimes bring out the worst in people.

Like I said, winter in Ashton can be truly beautiful. However, it can be equally as lonely. Some thrive here. Others simply struggle to make ends meet. For every person lucky or dedicated enough to make their place the right way...there are those that go around the system and break the rules to get what they want. Regardless of what side of the law you are on, or the kind of life you lead...this is your home. Who are you going to be? How will your actions impact Asthon and its people? What’s your story? There’s only one way to find out.

Be who you want to be. Live your life the way you want to live it. Make your mark on the history of Ashton.
Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by PapaOso
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The story begins at 4:00pm on the first day of December. Holiday decorations are all around, and Christmas songs dominate the local radio stations. All seemed well this morning. However, reports are coming out that the body of Ashton's recently retired sheriff, Nick Dalton, has been found near Azure Lake. No more information has been released on the matter, but much of the town is in as state of shock. Sheriff Dalton was considered to be a hero by many...but at the very least he has always been seen as a good man by most.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by rhiready
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Nyx let the radio chatter as she continued to unpack. She had lived in Ashton for two weeks, long enough for most people to have set up their entire apartment and even begin decorating. Nyx was not like those people. Nyx had her desk setup, complete with electric blanket, space heater, and water heater. Her desktop wasn't top of the line, but it did well enough. She didn't need it to do anything super exciting, or run complex programs or video games. She was just extremely proficient with excel.

Her desk was the only thing set up. She had her boxes of kitchen goods half opened, enough for her to find bowls for soup and cereal. She still hadn't found any of her silverware, and a plastic spoon sat next to her sink. Nyx didn't want to ruin the environment, all those turtles and jellyfish. She thought it was about the turtles and jellyfish, though she wasn't sure.

The radio finished another round of "White Christmas" updating everyone on the body that had been found by the lake.

"The entire reason I moved here was that it was supposed to be some nice town." Nyx sighed.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by 1Hawkeyes
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Pop pop pop pop!

Helena's fists hit the heavy bag in a quick four-punch combo. She slipped to the side and took a step back from the heavy bag, bouncing on her toes and waiting for her imaginary opponent to mess up. The opponent she pictured in her head threw a cross, which she easily slipped, then followed with a quick left hook. She ducked under it and moved forward into range and unleashed another combo. She hit the bag with a quick left hook to the body, to the head, then popped a cross to give her some cover while she slipped back out of her opponent's range. Helena breathed through her nose and let out a soft exhale through her mouth as she waited for her imaginary opponent's next move. She controlled her breathing, staying calm and collected as her heartbeat grew faster with every movement. Before she knew it her timer was beeping and the final round was over. She dropped her hands and pulled off her training gloves. They weighed 16 ounces and were her favorite gloves. She had several different pairs of gloves for different types of training, but her 16 ounce gloves were always her favorite. Maybe it was because they were the heaviest she wore, maybe it was because they provided the most cushioning for her hands, or maybe it was because they had lasted her so long. Either way, she was very partial to this specific pair of gloves.

With her workout over, Helena made her way to the lockers and showered. Fortunately, her boxing gym offered showers, something she was incredibly grateful for. She finished, got dressed, and quickly put her damp hair up into a loose ponytail. On the way out, she saw her coach who was training another young prospect. "How'd you do, Champ?" he asked her, holding out his fist.

She gave him a fist bump and replied with a large grin, "Not bad, but always room for improvement!"

"That's what I like to hear!" he said with a chuckle, "Go home and get some rest kid."

"Sounds good, Coach!" With that, she exited the gym. The air was like ice. She had a love-hate relationship with the cold weather. On one hand, the city always looked gorgeous with the blankets of snow covering everything in sight. On the other hand, she tended to experience more asthma in the cold and that hindered her ability to train outside of the boxing gym. She already had to be cautious when training, the cold just made it harder. At times, even sitting down in the cold could trigger some of her symptoms.

Helena quickly made her way to her car and hopped in. Somehow it was much colder in there than it was outside. She cursed under her breath and started it up as quickly as possible, hoping the heater would warm up within the next few seconds. The young woman pulled out of her spot and made her way home. For the past year, she lived with her friend Brittany on the other side of town. They lived together since they were 15 and were still good friends, so naturally they didn't mind renting a two-bedroom apartment together once they were financially stable enough to do so. They were lucky to get a place a few miles away from Brittany's family's home. They were just far enough to be independent, but close enough to go to family dinners and events every couple of weeks.

Before getting home, Helena made a detour to the local cafe. They had great hot drinks, which were especially welcomed in the winter. She parked as close to the entrance as possible and made her way inside. Her plans were to get herself something small and to bring home something for her roommate.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by PapaOso
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Location: Brewster's Coffee & Treats

As you enter the establishment you are greeted by an obviously disheveled waitress that you recognize. She is a sweetheart of a young woman named Dawn, and despite having a history of messing up orders she is always polite and helpful. Her hair is messier than usual, and despite the cafe being rather slow at the moment she seems anxious and overwhelmed.

"Welcome back ma'am. What can I get you? Start you off with a coffee....or a tea?"
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by 1Hawkeyes
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@PapaOso

"Hey Dawn!" Helena greeted, happy to see the young waitress. However, upon seeing Dawn's out of sorts look, Helena grew concerned. Even during the cafe's rushes, the waitress never seemed too overwhelmed. Why was today so different?

"Is everything okay?" Helena asked, though it was obvious something was wrong. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and slipped it out to take a peek. She didn't like being on her phone when talking to others, but considering this was her business and personal phone she always had to at least check.

The notification hit her like a metal bat. Ashton's Retired Sheriff Nick Dalton, Dead, Body Recovered Near Azure Lake. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach and she even felt her eyes become a bit watery. Although she wasn't close to the man, she had seen him around town here and there. His kindness was strong in and out of uniform. He was the town's role model and hero. How could he be dead? She didn't bother reading the article, at least not yet. Questions zoomed through her head, but she shoved them to the side.

Helena gulped, pulled herself together, then returned her attention to Dawn. "Everything okay?" she repeated, clearing her throat and allowing a faint smile to appear on her lips.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by smollestsnek
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Rosaline sat at a table in Brewster's near a window, warming her cold hands up on a large cup of hot cocoa. Her hair hung in a loose braid over her shoulder as she skimmed over some university notes for an upcoming assignment. She glanced up briefly as Dawn greeted a customer, taking a moment to sip on her drink.

It didn't escape her notice that the two women were being weirdly quiet at the shop entrance, she'd have thought the new customer would have been seated and already ordering by now.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by rhiready
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Nyx turned the radio off, looking out her window. It was a winter wonderland outside. If it continued to snow all month, she would have her first white Christmas here in Ashton. When she was younger and living her parents in South Carolina, there was never snow, or worse it iced the small town over. It was beautiful in a way, making everything looking preserved in clear acrylic.

Nyx grabbed a striped sweater to put over her black t-shirt, then a light jacket, and then her parka. She had been stuck at the house all day, and there was only so long she could sit at home alone. She grabbed her mittens and earmuffs, with a scarf wrapped around her face. She grew up in the South, she didn't get understand how much she would need to bundle.

Grabbing her backpack, keys, phone, and wallet she decided it was time to do some sightseeing. Her car was parked on the side of the road, but she had no faith in her ability to drive in the snow. Ashton actually had things within walking distance, which was an amazing change of pace. She checked her phone and used Google Maps to make her way to a small cafe called "Brewsters Coffee and Treats".

By the time Nyx arrived, she felt like she couldn't feel her face, hands, or feet. She made a note to herself that perhaps she should learn to drive in the show. Was that a class she could take?
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by KZOMBI3
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It was another freezing day and Sal was not here for it. Don't get it wrong, it was gorgeous and she loved it, but today, at this exact time and moment - she was fed up. Studying during what little hours she was awake and at home and then heading off to work the nights and early mornings away, it was a wonder she ever found time to take care of herself. When she finally was able to drag herself from the confines of her warm bed, she dressed and shuffled herself out the door of her apartment.

Locking up the apartment, she glanced at the new neighbor's place a few doors down. She was pretty quiet and obviously kept to herself - something Sal was appreciative of. There were too many people in these apartments that just liked to get too wild during the day which threw off her already fucked sleeping schedule. Shaking the thought of the new girl down the hall, Sal pulled up the collar on her black winter coat and began the trek towards Brewster's. She was in some serious need of a pick me up and Brewster's was the best of the best.

Upon arriving Sal noticed the amount of people congregated at the entry way to be a little more than usual for the cafe's slow hours. It didn't matter how delicious this place was, it was a still a business that had off hours where traffic ran thin. So for a number of people to just be standing around at the front, not ordering, or hardly speaking, it was a more than a little off-putting.

Sal did not have time for this, checking her watch she grumbled, before wedging her way through the throng of bodies gathered round until she came to Dawn at the counter. "Order or don't, but you need to move outta the fucking doorway." She called back at the others with a less than pleasant tone. Without even looking up at the menu or even at poor Dawn Sal placed her order of an affogato with an additional shot of amaretto.

There was a television playing softly behind the counter and up high for the patrons to view. It was showing the local news marketed as "Breaking", someone in the cafe called for the volume to be turned up and what came next practically shocked those in the vicinity. "Ashton's Retired Sheriff Nick Dalton, Dead, Body Recovered Near Azure Lake...". The room became eerily silent, not even the tinkering of silverware or ceramic was heard. Everyone just kinda stared on in disbelief. Sal knew the guy, he wasn't all that bad. Quite the opposite. Was always stopping by the club for one reason or another, but hey, that was most people in Ashton. He had helped her with some unwanted patrons on more than one occasion and for that she was always grateful. So to see him gone, and murdered no less, it struck a cord in her that made her uneasy.

Why would someone wanna hurt him?
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by rhiready
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Nyx realized she was crowding the front of the small cafe, and she tried to get a look at the place. Was it a Starbucks situation? Did you order at your table? Follow up to that, did you seat yourself or did you wait for someone to seat you? She didn't see a sign saying that to wait for someone, and so she stood for a moment, befuddled.

"Order or don't, but you need to move outta the fucking doorway."

A young-looking woman pushed past Nyx, and she mumbled an apology out of instinct. The woman who walked by was striking, with dark hair and pale skin. She immediately felt her face flush, jealous of how pretty this woman was. 'And so confident. Ugh. Can I grow up to be her?' Nyx thought to herself as she followed the young woman up to the counter to order. At least she knew what she was doing now. It was a Starbucks situation, probably.

Nyx fished her wallet out of her back pocket, fumbling with it as she was still mostly wrapped up in her layers of clothing. The young woman finished ordering when someone turned the tv up. They were talking about the Sheriff again. It seemed this murder was a big deal around here. The cafe grew quiet while everyone listened to the TV report.

"Oh, what a shame. He seemed like a nice man." Nyx mumbled, more to herself than anything else. She didn't like this sudden silence, it made her uncomfortable. Nyx would often fill up blank space by talking or listening to podcasts, or the radio. Anything to drown out the silence. The silence reminded her that her apartment was much larger than what she was used to, and she decided she would need to purchase a white noise machine.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by smollestsnek
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When a woman that Rosaline recognized came into Brewster's, shouting over to the others standing around, Rosaline put her notes down on the table and paid more attention to what was occurring around her. What could she say? She loved to know what was going on in her town. As she brought the cocoa up to her lips, the television volume was raised and bad news was announced.

"Ashton's Retired Sheriff Nick Dalton, Dead, Body Recovered Near Azure Lake..."

The mug once again made contact with the table, a little more heavily than she attended as her mind was otherwise occupied. This news was completely unexpected and definitely unwelcome... The sheriff had been a staple to the community for as long as she had known and to be found dead in such an abrupt manner, it was awful. She wondered if there was any foul play involved.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by rhiready
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Nyx ordered a small hot latte from the nice but confused looking girl behind the counter. She seemed just as distraught and distracted as everyone else. The girl, after a moment, took her order. Nyx bowed her head in thanks to her, and moved away from the counter. She looked at all the tables. There was a blonde young lady sipping hot chocolate at a small table. Nyx, standing to the side of the order counter, stated for a second. She had a very distinct face, she had seen her before.

Nyx walked to the young woman’s table, removing the scarf from around her head. Her hair clung to the material, giving her hair a fresh new style called, “Dry and frizzy”.

“Um, hello. My name is Nyx. Is this seat taken?” She asked, gesturing to the seat next to her.

@smollestsnek
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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by NihiIism
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Dee had been listening to the police scanner all day, so when news finally broke on their 24in, got-it-at-a-thrift-store T.V. that Dalton's body had been discovered, the shock had already run its course through their chest. With a fistful of empty bands and a machine full of bills to tally up, they couldn't let the emotion get to them now. It was too close to the end of the day to sit around and mourn.

"The world keeps on turning," Dee muttered, the rasp of their voice falling in harmony of the now whirring money washer. "huh Paco?" They tossed a glance over to a small lizard, who was currently sunbathing under the coffee table lamp that Dee had set up for their notebook. He shifted his dry, tan tail and half-opened his eyes at Dee. They smiled and reached over, with one free hand, and scratched his chin. Paco stretched and moved to climb up onto the green university sweater they had thrown on this morning.

The machine clicked and a number popped up on its screen.

"$1580, no shit" They sighed, waited for Paco to finish nesting at his perch on their shoulder, and then clicked open their pen to mark it down. After, they leaned back on the backing of their black suede loveseat and sparked a half-smoked cigar, grimacing. This was the lowest pull to date. Dee took a long drag.

"Those fuckers keep pushing it." They exhaled. Through the heavy smoke, they switched their focus to the T.V. where Dalton's story was still running. Melancholic music played softly over the images of Dalton throughout his years serving the police force. A picture of Dalton running donations for 'Toys for Tots' flipped to the next and Dee felt their chest tighten. There was Trent's face. Well, not just his face, this was the photo taken as Dalton and his team led a strung out and disheveled Trent out of the courtroom in cuffs.

Dee quickly got up and switched the dial to the next channel. It was too much, even after all this time. They checked their phone ...almost 5:00...

"Perfect timing."

Slipping it back into the pocket of their khaki joggers, Dee headed towards the stand near their kitchen where a warm, desert landscape sat, suspended, in a freshly cleaned tank. They scooped up the now awake Paco from his perch and carefully lowered him onto a large sunbathing stone. Next to the tank was a tub of crickets Dee had picked up earlier today, which they popped open just enough to palm a few and drop onto the sandy ground of the enclosure.

"Stay outta trouble," They quietly laughed, leaning over just enough to meet his eye level. Paco licked his eyes wet and watched his dinner explore the tank. Dee stood, grabbed the keys hanging just beside the kitchen doorway, and turned to hurry out of the front door. There was a diner just down the street that they were pretty sure would start serving dinner soon.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by smollestsnek
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She was surprised to be approached in the near dead diner, but Rosaline didn't mind the company. She smiled and gestured for Nyx to sit down opposite her.

"Rosaline, or Roz if you want." She laughed awkwardly looking back up at the TV set briefly as the news reporter went into further depth about how much the sheriff had meant to the community of Ashton. "I've seen you around before, are you from here?"
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Ejected
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"To find yourself, think for yourself."


There was always something about Christmas music that instantly put Diego Rivera in a good mood. Maybe it was the melodic voices of Mariah Carey and Nat King Cole that lifted his spirits, or maybe it was all of the good childhood memories he had associated with the songs that put him in temporary states of nostalgia. As the young man danced around the kitchen, flipping burgers and singing along to Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town, he couldn't help but think back to how he and his mother used to celebrate the holiday. As soon as Halloween was over, the pair would instantly flip from spooky mode and into the Christmas spirit; they'd decorate their little apartment with whatever decorations they could get their hands on, and blast the festive music as much as they possibly could before the new year.

Things were a lot different now that he was an adult, but that didn't stop him from indulging in one of his guilty pleasures. His singing grew louder and he dropped a basket of fries into the deep fryer; he only ceased when his Aunt entered the kitchen with her hands on her hips and a knowing smile plastered across her face. "If only your singing was as good as your cooking," the older woman teased as she turned down the music, "maybe then we wouldn't be getting as many complaints."

Diego simply offered her a smile and shake of his head as he continued to assemble burgers; Monty's diner was never too busy around that time of day, but Diego still preferred not to fall behind on orders. "Ah, come on. You know you love my singing." Soon, the song had finished, and the radio station had once again paused their holiday song rotation. Usually Diego ignored the hosts and their chatter, much preferring to listen to the music than whatever stupid segments they had in between; he was just about to switch over to another station when the mention of a familiar name caught his attention.

"Ayo, Tía," Diego called after the woman as she walked past the kitchen door once more, "You heard about Dalton? They're saying that his body was found by the lake." Although Diego was never really close with the retired sheriff, he did know that his aunt and uncle had been a couple of his long-term friends. A somber expression took over Aunt Charlene's face as she reentered the kitchen and began to listen to what the radio hosts had to say. It was then that Diego checked his cell phone for the first time since he'd come into work and saw the news plastered all over his social media feeds. "I'm... really sorry for your loss, Tía. I know he was a friend of yours."

"Thank you, baby..." Charlene said slowly, her eyes still fixated on the radio. It wasn't long before she snapped out of her trance and began to head back out of the kitchen. "I have to go talk to your Uncle," she called over her shoulder as she walked, "Do you mind taking these out to their tables when you're done? It's just me and Sarah working the front today..."

"No problem," Diego replied as he picked up a few plates, but his Aunt had already left the room.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by rhiready
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Nyx sat, "Ah, no. I moved here a couple of weeks ago. My name is Nyx."

"Um, I spent a lot of time in the University's library during my first few days here. It took a while for the internet people to come out and get things hooked up in my apartment. Are you a student there?" She asked as a waitress dropped her drink off. She mumbled a thank you to her as she began to take off her coat, hat, and scarf.

"How do you folks stay warm in this weather? Isn't it just going to get colder from here?" Nyx shivered, stripping down to just her striped sweater. She wrapped her hands around her cup of coffee.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by smollestsnek
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"Well it's nice to meet you Nyx." Rosaline smiled and took a long sip from her mug. She reached up and tucked a stray bit of hair behind her ear. "I must've seen you around campus, I'm studying journalism at the uni."

She laughed lightly when Nyx seemed to be affected by the awful winter weather, completely understanding how she felt seeing as she still had a scarf wrapped snuggly around her own neck. "Yeah, the cold can be brutal this time of year." She gestured to the cocoa in front of her. "Nothing a cup of cocoa from Dawn can't fix though
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by KZOMBI3
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Once the initial shock of the announcement of Dalton's body wore off, and Sal received her affogato, she soon continued on her trek to work. The entire way there she couldn't shake the idea that someone would want to hurt the guy. Yeah sure he was a sheriff at one point in his life, but he was retired now. No harm coulda been done by him anymore. It didn't make any sense, and the more she thought about it the more Sal was sure she was going to get wrinkles about her brow area.

She could not and would not have that

The sun should have been setting about the time she walked in through the back doors of The Parlour, however with the overcast of clouds and just general cold weather it seemed a whole lot darker than normal. Other employees were scattered around the building as they prepared for the night. Tonight was theme was focused on CyberCity so a lot of the girls were dressed in iridescence and glitter and sequins. Sal shuttered at the thought of having to potential wear the shit herself.

With her drink still in hand and her bag swung across her chest she made a beeline through the throng of people running around towards the bar top where there stood a large, intimidating male. Tattoos littered his skin like glitter does the dancers here, and though he wore an almost permanent scowl on his face, Sal knew better. Instead of hightailing it the opposite direction she dumped her bag and drink on the bar and leaned in taking a sip.

"Heya Bell, how's it goin'?"
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Hidden 5 yrs ago 5 yrs ago Post by Red7VII
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Valentine Residence, Northern Ashton > The Parlour


"Fuckin' cold," he cursed as he stared out the window, his bluetooth earpiece attached and active. Standing in his boxers and grimacing at the weather outside, it was finally time for Reno to get dressed. He had been on vampire hours ever since he got into this business. For him, this was morning. "Charlie, why did I ever leave Houston?" His business associate on the other end of the line gave a small chuckle before reminding him about his own desire to expand the brand. This was his opportunity to see if the Lobo Loco still worked as a concept in a small town setting. Until now, it was a venue reserved for big cities with a preexisting and proven profitable nightlife. This experiment would be interesting. Could the Lobo Loco create that experience no matter where it was built?

The floor to ceiling windows of his sizable bedroom reflected his own image back to him. He grunted. Something about being caught with a bluetooth earpiece always made him feel like a douchebag. Regardless, he needed to get dressed and therefore needed his hands. He dismissed his twatwaffle visage with a wave and retreated to his closet. There he retrieved a red dress shirt and black slacks along with a roll of black socks before returning to his king sized bed and beginning the process of being less naked.

"Where are we at with the license," Reno demanded to know. What's a club without liquor? His associate gave a flimsy response which meant that they are now where they were before; in limbo. Reno had a habit of putting the carriage in front of the horse. He hadn't even established a location for his enterprise and he was already trying to cut through the red tape. At the news, he sighed impatiently while buttoning his shirt. "Call me back when you have something that makes me happy about paying your salary." With that, he took the earpiece and chucked it toward a chair across the room as if it were a disgusting booger that he found on his finger.

After slipping on his black leather boots, Reno made his way downstairs, each step clicking on the hard floor below him. He opened his expansive refrigerator and pulled out a tallboy before making his way to the livingroom and reaching under his coffee table. In his hands was suddenly an ornate metal box with a red sheen and a spiral pattern on the face. He set it down and opened it up. To the left was his tobacco and his pipe. To the right was was his other pipe and a difference substance that wasn't tobacco. On this particular evening, he opted for the former, grabbing a small baggy of the legal stuff and his dark wooden apparatus. After a quick job of packing and lighting, Reno stepped through the cloud he had just created and moved toward the garage, grabbing his dark pea coat off the rack on his way.

There to greet him was his favorite toy, the Lincoln Continental that he had gifted to himself after making his first six figures. He nearly lost it in the divorce half a decade ago. That event helped serve his new endeavor of branching out and moving away. He wanted to leave that part of his life completely behind. There was something scary, yet refreshing, about starting over. Once in his car, he triggered the garage door to open, letting the frosty air encompass the room. Between puffs, Reno audibly whispered "Fuck" once the chill kissed his exposed skin. He pulled out of his driveway and began rolling toward town. As the radio played, the tantric sounds of Tool was abruptly interrupted by a special bulletin.

"...Sheriff found dead by Lake Azu-"

"Oh, fuck off!" he shouted, especially upset at the imposition. Schism was one of his favorite tracks. Angrily he began turning the dial to something else. After several rounds of static, he finally found a station that was coming through clear.

"...I do my hair toss, check my nails. Baby how you feelin'?"

"Feelin' good as hell!" he shouted in unison with the artist, his grin instantly returning. As he rolled by several establishments in town, he noted that Brewster's Coffee was particularly busy for the hour. As his sipped his roadie, he knew coffee was the last beverage he was seeking out tonight. As he continued to let his toy hum down the road, The Parlour soon came into view. As far as he could tell, this would be his main competition once he planted his roots. To that end, it was also one of the more exciting places to be in this living Pleasantville metaphor.

Having made his decision, he found a parking spot and sat in the car for a few extra moments to finish his drink before daring to face the winter night long enough to make his way to the front door. In one of the trashcans outside, he tossed his empty can and tapped out the used up remnants of tobacco from his pipe before stashing it into one of the inner pockets of his pea coat. Finally, he was ready. With a smirk and a sense of excited anticipation, he opened the doors and stepped inside.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by PapaOso
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Location: Brewster's

Orders were taken and served as the patrons of this quiet little coffee shop heard the news of Dalton's death. Despite the place going from empty to well populated in a matter of minutes, it was still quiet enough to hear a needle hit the floor. Many within tried to wrap their minds around the breaking news. Violent crimes had been on the rise since the Sheriff's retirement, but nothing as brutal as this. This was different.

Details emerge stating that the body had been stabbed upwards of fifty times, and that his fingers and toes were removed. The words "Let Me In" were carved into the man's chest, and it is unknown at this time if the carving was done pre or postmortem.

(Some have moved things along a bit so feel free to continue the scenes at the coffee shop if you wish and catch up to the time skip, or if you'd prefer we can wrap up this scene and simply move forward. Let me know your preference in the OOC.)
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by DELETED32084
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Francisco de la cal Delgado




Francisco pulled off his ski boots and socks with a sigh of pleasure, scrunching his toes against the carpet that covered the front entry of his rented chalet. A fire was already lit, a fresh bottle of wine had been laid out, and Christmas music played softly from speakers cunningly built into wall fixtures. He set the ski boots neatly against the wall, picked up his socks, and moved into the main bedroom. Yesterdays laundry had been done and was neatly laid out on the bed for him to put away as he saw fit.

He tossed the socks into a laundry hamper and stripped off his long underwear and boxers, tossing them after the socks. He stepped into the bathroom and the lights snapped on at once, illuminating the generous space. A red poinsettia had been set next to the sink, the mornings dirty towels whisked away replaced. For a moment he considered a bath but opted for the shower instead. He still had some business to attend to and time was short.

"Hey siri, call Sunpeaks valet." Though his phone was in the other room, it was linked in the chalets bluetooth sound system; the sound of siri's voice filled the bathroom. "Calling Sunpeaks valet, work."

The phone was answered almost immediately by a very American voice. "Mr. Delgado, Mason speaking, how may I help you this evening?"

"Hello Mason, can you have my car brought around please? I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Of course sir, anything else?"

"No, that will be all, thank you."

"See you in fifteen, sir." The line went dead and Francisco stepped into the shower. It was hot water on demand and he gloried in the steam for a few minutes before soaping down throughly with the chalets provided products that all smelled vaguely of pine tree. Not an unpleasant smell at any rate.

A short time later, dressed in a pair of grey slacks, practical black winter hikers, and an orange Arc'teryx jacket, he was ready to go. He glanced at his Bulgari watched and then smiled as a knock sounded on the rear door of the chalet. The front, now slowly vanishing as darkness crept across the landscape, overlooked Victoria Mountain, the heavily treed slopes criss-crossed by chairlifts and long inviting ski runs. A few lights glowed as machinery crawled up the mountain to begin grooming the runs.

Francisco opened the rear door to find Mason, a smiling twenty something from New York, trying to stand still on the step as he shivered in the cold despite his Sunpeaks puff-jacket. Beyond him, its engine purring, was the 2019 Subaru Crosstrek Francisco had rented for his trip to the states. It wasn't a luxury car but it was more than a match for the snowy roads and he found it very comfortable.

"Right on time, as always, thank you Mason." Francisco handed the young man a twenty dollar bill and waved away his thanks. Mason vanished down the stairs, returning to the main building. Francisco waited until he was gone and then held his phone up. "Siri, lock the doors. No service needed tonight."

"The doors have been locked. No service tonight."

Behind him the inside lights snapped off, the patio lights dimmed, and he heard the doors lock with an audible whirrr. Only hotel security or himself would be able to access the chalet now. He had always been a bit leery of electronic home security when it first came out but once he had installed it in his Villa back home, he'd never looked back.

The Subaru shifted smoothly into drive and he took the first turn toward town, the lights barely visible through the cloud cover that was hanging over the valley. The drive was enjoyable, the car handling the slick roads without any trouble, as he descended into the city. Traffic was fairly light, the majority of the snow lovers having already left the hill to find dinner or hit up their hotels.

The cars navigation system led him directly to his destination without issue. He supposed that the American custom of meeting a business acquaintance for coffee was the equivalent of having wine and tapas in Spain. Not a coffee drinker himself, he had nothing against a hot chocolate or tea.

It took him a moment to find parking somewhat closish to the coffee shop but he eventually found a stall in a nearby car park. He stepped out into the cold and felt his sinuses begin to run at once, his breath swirling around his head. The city was a riot of sounds and colours with Christmas lights everywhere and hurrying shoppers ducked into stores with big signs that screamed 40-50% off.

He pulled open the door to Brewsters Coffee House and tantalizing smells were added the sights and sounds. It took him a moment to locate his host, Brian Ginter. The man was a big up and coming developer and relator in Ashton. He was heading up the near 7,600 units of low income apartments several blocks away. He stood to make a handsome profit as the city had been suffering from high property prices the last year or two, they had cut a lot of red tape to get the project going.

"Francsico, good to see you." The American, his accent certainly local, had snagged a pair of chairs at the countertop.

"Brian, an interesting spot to meet." The two shook hands as Francisco sat, his eyes scanning the room. It was the eclectic assemblage of American society he had come to expect.

"Yea, for sure. But it's the type of folk I sell to. They complain about not being able to make rent but they can come down here and spend a fortune on flavoured water."

The two were interrupted as the server, a harassed looking Asian/American girl, appeared in front of them. She offered a pretty smile and glanced them over. It was clear she knew who Brian was, you couldn't live in this neighbourhood and not know who he was. He probably owned the building they were sitting in. A couple of teas and a pair of scones were ordered, and Brian turned back to Francisco.

"So, have you had a chance to think over my proposition?" He was referring to the large property had been looking at buying the edge of the city. Money was a bit tight at the moment and when he heard Francisco was in town he had approached the Spaniard to suggest a partnership.

"I have thought it over." Francisco was leaning back in his chair, still enjoying people watching. This trip had already been a success for him. He'd bought ownership stakes in three Canadian resorts, and had just closed a similar deal with the family who owned Sunpeaks.

There were probably people in this room whose wages were now paid by him. "And I don't like it. I have not invested in apartment blocks before for a number of reasons. The foremost reason being the need to find renters. I am, however, interested in speaking to you about potentially purchasing one of the new apartment blocks to serve as staff accommodation for Sunpeaks..."

The conversation continued into the evening as the noise and people flowed around the two men, an ever changing mosaic of the American people.
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