Pilatus

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Ban them, make it official

Give Me Your Favorite Quote(s).

“...most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.”

― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Elsewhere in Sol City...

The metal and the word from the street were heavy at the 501 Club on Tuesday Night. The clamor of conversation rose and fell against the sound of Slayer and old Metallica from a playlist stolen from a long broken jukebox that still sat derelict in one corner serving as a makeshift table for half-empty bottles, sweating glasses and ash trays. It was crowded, not because it was Tuesday, but because that was just the way it always was and the owners didn’t need silly gimmicks to attract their dedicated clientele. Members of the Visigoths 1% gang ruled most of the floor and the one pool table that still had enough balls and sticks to keep a game flowing. A few old hands of the Dellesantos Crew could be seen keeping to themselves around a table to the back. In decades past, they never would have set foot in Visigoth territory without a deathwish, but times changed and for the more seasoned residents of Sol’s underground, it was a lot less trouble to just have a drink, get-along and not think about it.

Not far off from the bar, at a small table adorned by old license plates and a shoddy framed flag from North Vietnam sat three men.

“This is absolute fucking Americano, Yolo.” One man said. He was clearly well-built, muscular, but not lean with a shaved head and a meaty grin. He wore an unpretentious black jacket, jeans and a workman’s boots that had not seen a great deal of work. He drank his beer from a bottle and kept his elbows rested on the table. “I fucking love it, almost reminds me of that place we had in Kansas City, remember that?”

“Perky’s.” The other man replied. He was much younger, lanky with sharp features, poorly-cut curly hair, cauliflowered ears and sleeves rolled. He kept his posture relaxed, leaned back in his chair that shifted under his weight uneasily, like every dowel and screw that held it together had been retightened again and again to keep it standing. Yolo had a keen eye and kept a careful watch over those that plainly recognized them as outsiders.

“So, who’s the best lawman in this shit hole, Osvaldo?” The older man said.

The third man across the table looked more blue-collar than outlaw. His greasy black hair curled out from under a grungy and faded Angels hat. Hs facial features wrinkled like an old baseball glove at the the question. “Would need to weigh that one for a moment, senior.” The man said. He ran a hand over his mouth and crossed his other arm in consideration. Being a Dellesantos soldier for so many years had affected his memory considerably and he had to think about who was still alive, who was dead and who he wasn't sure either way. The two men in front of him wanted information and were paying handsomely for it, or at least one of them was, and as long as the family was protected, he didn’t see anything wrong with pocketing some cash on the side. His presence at the table abated the stares of the regulars. The calluses on his boney hands and the age in his eyes meant his intel was unquestioned. He gave a thin sigh of exasperation at the fog of age in his memory before he spoke: “The best tracker is Toly Pierce, he’s ex-KGB, will chase a man clear into Canada…” He shifted slightly in his chair still thinking and looking down at the scarred hardwood table between them. “But he is a bondsman… The best would be L.T. Davis, he is ATF and is fair, will even overlook some things.” Osvaldo nodded to himself with a slight smile at his recollections, but the smile faded back away as another thought approached while Hells Bells dawned in the background and he shook his head grimly. “No mis amigos, L.T., is the best... but the meanest is a woman, a Marshal, Kennedy is her name.”

“Ha! See I told you he’d say that.” The older man slapped Yolo on the back who in turn rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Tell us some more, Osvaldo.” The man said. He rested his chin in one hand aggrandizing his interest.

The old Mexican regarded them strangely. “You already know of her?”

“We’re familiar.”

“She’s hardly been in Sol City over a month and has killed at least two men.” Osvaldo continued. “She is loco, from somewhere in Florida, they say she threatened to kill Elvin Santos at gunpoint for information. Always likes to talk before she does something; I heard she beat a man near to death with a Bible.”

“Crazy bitches are always from Florida, remember that.”

“Just like Shannon.” Yolo chuckled.

“Oh my fucking God, do not get me started...”

Osvaldo’s aged glance narrowed. “What did you say your name was again, senior?”

“Nik…” The older man said. “Nik Giancana.”

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

I should probably wait for the next chapter right

@liferusher

You dont have to and that could be a little bit of a wait. We dont want you to lose interest in the interim. Go ahead and jump in. @PrinceAlexus has some characters at one location and @CaptainSully has some characters at Club Aether. Go for it.

X-Men: The New Era

Kaylee Everose & Coleman St John

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Location: School Grounds - Office

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Interaction: Kaylee@Almalthia - Coleman St John @Pilatus

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Mentions: Drake @Draven

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Cole stepped through the rear atrium glancing up briefly to Kaylee’s office window as he walked inside the main Hall of the Academy. Even though he was a little older, among the regular faculty and students, he blended in fairly well. He decided to keep his regular riding bag slung over shoulder even though it had a slightly more studious appearance, a briefcase just felt too stuffy. The weather was good so he rode the bike in for the evening after going out for lunch and taking care of a few points of business in his investigative work. Wearing a light-grey, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms, jeans and his riding boots a few familiar faces greeted him in passing as he made his way towards the stairs.

When they first told him what was actually going on at the Institute, the assembled staff in Ashford’s office seemed a little taken aback by his reaction, or lack thereof, like he wasn’t even that surprised- and he wasn’t. The news felt more like a confirmation of his instincts and the small glimmer of suspicion that he felt the first time he pulled up to the building to meet Kaylee. No, the only surprises were his unforseen relationship with Miss Everose and the eccentric attitudes of Dr. Ashford, who he noticed, never shook hands with anyone. Conversely, they all seemed to be completely unaware of his secret, but just as he had been suspicious of them, he could feel their unsaid inquisitions towards him. The last ride he made was a week ago and when he had first met up with Kaylee the following day, she looked like she was going to faint.

As he walked up the stairs and passed the various offices along her hall, he knew at some point he was going to have to tell her and it felt better to just come clean rather than let her, or them, figure it out and then confront him about it. He knew, like several of the students, that some of the staff possessed a form of psychic-awareness or extra sensory perception. She could see something that he could not and while he didn’t think she was necessarily frightened, he was concerned that she might unknowingly expose herself to something more… malevolent. As he rode, sometimes it was hard to tell where the reality they lived in stopped, where others began or where they blurred together, but he knew there were things out there that she didn’t need to see.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee brought him back from those wandering thoughts and he gave her open office door a couple light taps before stepping in to find her clearing off her desk as the small pot finished brewing. He took his regular seat across the desk while she busily poured two cups. “Long day? Or did you have to send anyone to the office?” He said with a smirk.

Kaylee smiled at Cole. “Yes and no, in that order. I'm worried about a student but don't want to stick my nose in it.” She didn't know all of what Nathan was going through, or had been through for that matter. Nathan was a good kid. A little neurotic but seemed to have his heart in the right place. He'd been spending a lot of time with Uná and Nik. Kaylee hoped things were going well. She'd seen the three of them in a study group and it was helping but something about Nathan the last week was off. “Something just seems off.”

The catalogue of students cycled through Cole’s head as she spoke and he glanced out the window thinking about who it could be as he surveyed the courtyard and took a sip from his cup. “Is it Drake?” He said, still glancing away. “Kid looks like he hasn’t slept in about a month.” Looking back over across the desk at her, he could tell by her expression there was someone else on her mind. “Who is it?” He asked.

Kaylee shook her head smiling. “It wasn't Drake before you mentioned it. It's Nathan. Seems very on edge this past week or so and he was doing so well. Drake needs someone to talk to. I'll get right on that. So thank you for that anymore brilliant observations that I need to know about?” Kaylee smirked. Her tone was sarcastic but honest. She meant it and was laughing at herself four not seeing it.

Seems like she'd been paying attention to the man in front of her too much. If you asked her it wasn't enough by a long shot.

“No, I think that’s enough brilliance for one day.” Cole replied with a chuckle. He took another long sip remembering a few loose ends around the campus he needed to tie up before the end of the day, but thankful all the same that it was Friday. Working for himself for so long, everyone’s favorite day of the week had lost some of its luster on him as he worked whatever hours his cases required, however with the Institute taking up much of his time, it felt good to be on a more regular schedule- a subject that prompted his next question: “What time do you want to head out later?” He asked. “I gotta take care of a few things around here, then I’m up for whatever.” He said. Knowing her powers of perception, it was pointless to hide that he was looking forward to them going out. With the school starting up, they’d only managed a few small outings in the course of a month along with their regular coffee time. An actual night out was going to be a pleasant change. “You still wanna see that band?”

Kaylee grinned as she sipped her coffee. “Of course. I need a break from all this.” She pointed around the room then looked down at her watch. “How about an hour before sunset? So roughly six? I have to decide if I want to be daring and wear a skirt knowing you're going to be on the bike.”

Cole glanced down at his watch when she mentioned a time then raised an eyebrow slightly at her tease of a “daring” outfit knowing they would be riding out together. “Wear jeans.” He said with a frank smile and finishing off his cup.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

@liferusher

Looks good to me.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Joel Nicolosi

They had an Audi Sport Quattro kit car back at the team garage that Joel was thinking about as he leaned against the back of the GT-R breathing in the cold night air stealing a brief glance up at the clear sky where the light dissipation from the city wasn’t as great and some stars were visible. The car was a shit-ton of fun to drive and was completely old school with a traditional clutch pedal, basic round steering wheel and an H-gate shifter that felt like cycling a rifle bolt. He’d only got to drive it once as it was only for “promotions” as he was told. He let his mind wander briefly giving a few nods and waves to people that recognized him and looked a little surprised to see him out at the old stomping grounds before casually easing back into reality as he heard Sio describing her apparent stalker across the way and attempting to hide under her hood which seemed rather odd.

“Nope, no hiding now.” Joel said pulling her hood back and letting her red hair fall. He knew she was worried about the media and her image otherwise she was never one to shy away which annoyed him a little. “We came out here for you.” He said resting one arm over the rear-wing and letting his eyes scan past the person she described, but not settle on anyone particular. “No one here is going to say anything.” He continued leaning over to talk in her ear enjoying the smell of her coffee scented shampoo. A small cylinder engine fired up across the lot filling the air with a high-pitched exhaust burst. There were bets going around on the first run of the night and he smirked with some amusement at the scene thinking most everyone out there had probably watched too many movies or just had more money than sense- while some had neither. “I doubt anyone out here even reads that rag they circulate around town and no one for sure is going to say anything.”

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Paige Kennedy & Milo Ventri

“StarBank, Millenium, First National…” Paige crossed her arms and looked at the markers on the screen of her laptop. She’d said the names of Sol’s three largest banks to herself so many times that they just flowed together in her mind like a song. “All on the same side of the river…” She continued. “And this Friday will be the first time in three months that the there will be a truck run on all three in the same day.” She looked on at the screen resting her chin into her palm as she ran the scenarios over and over again through her head. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would be potentially making the biggest score of her career in the cold and dark winter of Sol City.

“Why don’t they just go for the trucks?” Milo asked. He tossed another cut log into the small wood fireplace in his shop. Despite how much he had restored the rest of his place into a modern living-space, Paige always gravitated back to the workshop, back to the same table where they lured the gangster, Jackie Costa, into a trap.

“The cash is laced with dye-packs.” Paige said tapping a few keys and moving the map around. “Guards have Uzi’s, it’s just like the old days.”

Milo snorted a little in amusement and sipped a little at the small glass of high-end scotch that Siobhan had managed to liberate from the Olympus family at the Art Showing. Paige’s custom of simply taking whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted, seemed to be rubbing off some on the younger redhead. Though he still wasn’t consuming like he’d been before the assassin’s attempt against him, he accepted the bottle a little curious how the girl had managed to acquire such exotic tastes in spirits at such a young age. Out of habit, the glass rolled slowly in his hand as he watched Paige and thought of the night that the bottle was claimed while another sip slowly burned down. He was officially done with the Romus/Olympus clan. Without a word, Paige had allowed them to prove her right and he had to give her credit for keeping quiet when he knew she was burning to tell them what she thought. Looking at her wearing one of his HEMA t-shirts that she had cut-out to hang loosely off one shoulder only further confirmed that he had made the right decision, but a slightly serious expression drew across his face at the thought. Seeing the ferocity of determination in her face reminded him that she would do anything to get back to Florida and he knew she believed taking down Nikki would be a step in that direction. For him, it was only a step into the past, he had no desire to return to Delta City and had put it all behind him. It was the only unsaid thing between them.

Paige relaxed some and leaned back in her chair resting one arm behind her and sensing his gaze. Unlike him, she could never become immune to the scent of molten metal and gun cleaner that hung in the air within his workshop and was glad of it. The smell was intoxicating. She locked her eyes with his as the fire snapped across the dried wood behind him. Her green orbs searched into him. It was the same look he’d given a few moments after she told him about Ana coming to Sol City and she still couldn’t believe the naivete that she allowed within herself. In her mind she tried to think that things would be the same as they had always been between the three of them, but in her heart she knew that would never again be the case and in those dark echoes she knew that if he still loved Ana, she would never be able to compete. The moment passed without a word and she turned back to the screen and small coffee cup he poured for her.

“The distraction is the wildcard…” Paige said breaking the silence that followed.

“It’ll be on the westside,” Milo said. He walked over to his work bench and examined his rifle in a state of partial deconstruction and cleaning. “They’ll want to use the bridge traffic as a barrier.” He truly didn’t know what she had in mind for him, like she had just put aside the fact that he wasn’t a cop or a soldier he was just a man. He looked at his hands steadily working, thinking about what he’d done with the man who’d tried to kill him. Sure, it was good to talk about it with her and she was probably right that it would get easier with time though he wondered if she really was proud of her body count. “What do you think they’ll hit?”

Paige brushed some of her hair aside; by the end of the day of the day much of it hung loosely from her regular braid and covered much of her exposed shoulder. “Probably just blow up a car or something, it’s the oldest trick in the book.” She shook her head. “It just seems too simple though, it’s not their style.” She sighed and found his hand suddenly resting on her collarbone massaging the back of her neck with his thumb. She let her head fall over as his touch took some of the tension away feeling the roughness of his hand against her skin. Her exhaustion was evident, but she picked up her phone and started typing out a few messages as her eyes were heavy. Milo watched not saying a word as the screen was clearly visible.

Text to Marlin

Are you working with the helicopter this Friday?

Text to Dustynn

Has your boss received any more offers on the Club that you know of?

@MissCapnCrunch@PrinceAlexus@RoccanIronclad@Almalthia

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

I wont get to it until tonight, but i see it's already been moved over.

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life - Chapter 2 - Completed & archived. 2/2

Joel Nicolosi

Joel wasn’t in a particularly good mood in the days following Siobhan’s art showing. He wasn’t visibly upset, but he was irritated and he knew Sio could sense it and the fact that she knew it, irritated him further. The painting that she had done for him now hung proudly in his living room above the shop among his other motorsport related pieces. It was definitely the most thoughtful thing anyone had done for him and far and away the best gift any female had ever given him. No, it was the family attached to the McLaren/Senna F1 steering wheel that hung alongside of the painting that was, again, the source of his irritation. When Sio first told him about the words spoken at the Gallery relating to himself and Marlin he merely pursed his lips in annoyance and let it go. No, it was when the gossip column was published that he was officially pissed and the fact that Sio had attempted to take up for him just made it worse. He seemed to live rent-free in the minds of those people and he was sure that aggravating him had become a source of pleasure for the whole nutty-bunch.

The drive along to the west-side had been mostly quiet as the sound of the GT-R’s engine tended to make a steady conversation difficult. The gauges cast a dim light over Joel’s stoic expression while his right hand rested over the center pillar on Siobhan’s blue-jeaned leg. He glanced at the few sparse changes in the landscape under the floodlights that spotted through the darkness of the night. The landscape south of Old Sol airport was as cold and barren as it ever was, only marked by the occasional shrub or tree line and a couple newly built warehouses. The roads were a long grid that dead-ended in a few places and were straight and flat. In his younger days, when it was much less developed, it was a regular spot for to meet up, hang-out and of course, race. Being on the far outskirts of Sol-County, the police rarely paid any attention until someone occasionally rolled a car. A few memories popped up as he watched brake-lights blinking in the distance where cars were lined up on the roadside. He hadn’t been back in several years and honestly felt like he had outgrown it.

Joel checked his watch. He would be due back on the mountain again in the morning for another shakedown as they got the cars ready for Jamaica. Then everything would go on a plane and everyone would fly down for the season opener. If it weren’t so much fun, the rally team might have felt like work he thought as he glanced around unamused. “When I was a kid, this was where everybody came to run,” Joel said with a slight yawn. “I never raced here though, too many people just out to see what ya got.” The sleek, stealth bomber-like lines of the GT-R drew sharp stares and gawks from onlookers in the assembled crowd as they pulled up. Joel had no doubt some, if not all of the people gathered would recognize him, though they were only there looking for one person in particular. Joel scratched at the significant stubble that had grown across his face and pushed some of his hair back behind his ear as it curled out from under his cap in waves.

One of the smartest pieces of advice anyone had given him after winning the Grand Prix was “market yourself” and just for fun, he decided to have a couple caps made that simply said apex across the crown in a simple font: one that matched the more subdued blue, white, red and silver of the rally team and the other that matched the bright red, white and blue of his 300ZX. Each sported his regular #75 on the side and either the VW/Rebellion or the Nismo logo. Every time he was in the public-eye he tried to wear one and sure enough the emails and social media requests started rolling in as to where fans could buy one. On this particular night he was wearing the latter along with the matching jacket he brought back from Japan and it was cold enough for jeans to be appropriate. He glanced around at the cars and people gathered around amidst puffs of breath in the night air then over at Sio as he very casually unbuckled his belts watching her do the same unsure of who or for what he was supposed to be looking. “Seen him yet?” He asked.

@Almalthia@PrinceAlexus