Kite

Trip City

Bobby Du'wath, a short, middle-aged obese man with black, shaggy facial hair, wore a scowl as Marius came into view, his eye filled with embers of anger. Marius was very late. Some of the molding machines had gone down, and Mister Du'wath had expected his "lowly, starting-wage tinkerer" long ago. "Where the fuck have you been!?" The old man screamed as Marius passed him, not even sparing the fat, bald business owner a sideways glance. "You were supposed to be here five minutes ago! Now all the machines need fucking service because-" "Shut up already. I'm on it." Marius said casually as entered the uncomfortable oven-like conditions of the workshop. The old company forklift passed by quickly, moving finished parts to the packaging area. Marius dodged around the forklift, circling toward the machines he had rigged to fail. Being the only person in the shop capable of rigging and fixing machines, Marius saw fit to add what he called "job security" to the ovens; small tweaks that would ensure machine failure if they were not serviced daily, and would destroy valuable parts if they went for long periods without the touch of Marius. The young engineer was already sure his employer was too much of a cheapskate to pay him a wage he deserved, so ensuring his continued employment was of utmost importance. Two of Marius' co-workers committed themselves to busy-work, as their oven had stopped working. Marius only gave a smirk to one of his better-known comrades as he approached the panel containing the wiring for the machine. Du'wath followed, ready to inform Marius of his violently sudden lack of employment, yet he couldn't bring himself to fire someone so valuable. Marius fixed what others broke, which seemed to be a rare talent nowadays, given most peoples' lack of interest in anything but their phones and social media. Even some of the workers in the shop almost ruined parts just because they were paying more attention to their phones than their ovens. Marius calmly uncrossed and reconnected wires gracefully and effectively, bringing the machine back to life, but leaving a flaw that would ensure his return. Meanwhile, Du'wath stood at a distance, silently fuming, which only served to instill an unwarranted amount of stress in his workers. This was a regular workday for Marius. Rigging broken garbage to break later. It was just a means to ensure his continued existence, with no ensured corporate ladder-climbing in the future. He wanted out. He wanted more. Marius would change the world, given a chance, but for now, he watched and waited. His time would come. Maybe.

Trip City

@Kitty With an eyebrow quirked in interest, Marius took Ebony's hand and gave it one, firm shake. He felt it was unclear whether or not he was being brushed off or if her smile was genuine, however, he gave an effort to make the best of a rare occurrence.Who gets to just meet a famous musician on the street without being surrounded by flash photography and persistent, overbearing reporters? “The pleasure is mine, Miss Wildes. I'm Marius Caustellus.” Marius said with a smirk while releasing Ebony's hand. “I'm also on my way to work, so I won't dawdle on warning you about the dangers of muggers and potential rapists. I will warn you that the I'm a native of these parts, and the next time I catch you wandering around here, I'm going to have to force you to sign just about every object I possess.” Marius couldn't keep a straight face throughout the entire joke, and ended it with a chuckle before turning on the heel of his boot and hurrying off, undoubtedly late for work. This event had actually improved his mood, like an unexpected gift or finding a wad of 20s. It would also serve as an excuse for his unusual tardiness. “Remember!” Marius shouted over his shoulder, attempting to add more drama to his joke. “The danger is real! Everything will be signed!”

Trip City

Do what you can. I can wait.

Trip City

I patiently await your post, @Kitty.

Trip City

@Kitty Marius slammed the door to his cramped, unpleasant abode, the description of which was more akin to a cell than a studio apartment, at least according to Marius. Keys in one hand, lunchbox in the other, the disgruntled man turned around and slid the key into the hole, locking the deadbolt swiftly. With another turn, his brisk, confident stride led him out of the borderline-slum apartment complex and out onto the sidewalk. This was the regular workday of Marius Caustellus. A hot shower, a hot breakfast and a cold-blooded reminder to follow the guidelines of regular society, as well as a lunch large enough to tide him over until dinnertime. His simple, off-white T-shirt and stained jeans only framed him completely as a laborer when a pair of damaged brown boots were included with his outfit. It was a fairly short walk to the industrial area of Trip City from his apartment, which explained why the area was in such disrepair. Plummeting property value. The only people who lived in this area were people that had to. It was a neighborhood where police presence was a distant thought, and shady dealings took place day and night. Marius was bright enough to arm himself, but not with anything as expensive as a gun. He felt at ease as long as he knew he had the upper hand. A couple hidden combat knives and a collapsible metal baton with a built in taser were his idea of an upper hand. The baton was his favorite. He had designed and built it himself, but had failed to retain enough cash to apply for a patent, so until then, he decided to test it on any would-be thieves. The entire length of the baton, handle aside, was designed to deliver a near-lethal dose of electricity. This meant any attempt to grab the shaft resulted in what Marius called “entertainment”; primarily, stiffening of the mugger's body and a pain-induced shriek. A simple poke from the tip could deliver the same effect. Turning on the electricity was as simple as a pull of the trigger. Confidently striding along the empty sidewalk, Marius noticed a figure trudging into view. The closer he came, the stronger his familiarity with the figure. This was a strange occurrence though; Marius barely knew the people he worked with, and he doubted he could pick any one of them out of a line-up 50 feet away. “Shorty. Female. Brown hair.” Marius' inner monologue profiled the girl as he drew close to her. “Those eyes are so familiar.” The lunchbox toting man stared carelessly at the girl even as he passed her. “Ah! It's-” Marius stopped and turned to the girl. “Miss Ebony Wildes.” His voice was fairly serious, yet nothing too stiff. “This isn't really a safe place for such a young girl, you know.”

Trip City

Marius Caustellus Kite Age: 21 Hair Color: Raven Black Eye Color: Amethyst Height: 6'0” Body Type: Thin/Athletic Other: Marius, a sociopath with a deadly grudge for the sell-out CEO of TripTech LLC., recently graduated from the prestigious T.C.T.E.C. (Trip City Technology and Engineering College), only to find that his finely-honed engineering skills would turn into a side project in his free-time. While weapons engineering is Marius' mainstay, he tends to dabble in other technology-related arts, when he isn't working a full-time plastic-molding labor job to maintain his awful, meager living.