Pilatus

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Joel Nicolosi

Joel opened the binder and propped up one foot on a rear tire and started flipping through the pages as he got hear the tired spill of, ‘cars don’t keep you warm at night’ again. Lighthearted advice as it was, he smirked a little as he scribbled a signature and flipped a few pages, looking for the next line. He’d heard similar versions of that old saw for no less than the past decade. Some similarly to Max’ tone while others were more determined in their attempts to shame him for his perpetual singleness. No, a car could not keep a man warm at night, but lots of money could certainly do the job effectively. He could feel Marlin’s eyes on him and he shrugged a bit at her comment regarding the dangers of taking on the challenge agreed upon with her grandfather. Some dark part of him hoped he could punch out of existence in such grand style instead growing old and falling apart slowly. He never felt more alive than when he seeing how close he could come to touching that point.

His eyebrows lifted slightly at the rare seal of approval voiced by Marlin as he signed another line without looking up. He’d done it so many times, it was nearly muscle memory on some of the forms, but a shipment from Europe carried slightly more legalese than one from Asia. He placed his finger on a page to study a block of text more carefully. “Worried I’m gonna get hurt?” He said finally glancing up at Marlin and clicking the pen closed. His tone with neither teasing nor serious and was more a statement than a question. He flipped the binder closed with his other hand and handed it back to Lucile. “I’m racing for the Germans this weekend, we have the Vineyard Rally in the southern mountains,” He said turning back to Max. “Then we’re off to Argentina in another couple weeks.” He looked back at the car briefly. “Everything looks good,” He continued. “And with some help from the mayor, the airport authorities are good with our terms as far as testing here so we should have plenty of time to shake things down before the Fall when I’ll see you in Wales.”

@PrinceAlexus

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Joel Nicolosi

Joel accepted the woman’s flashy European greeting with a light smile and took the leatherbound documents giving them a brief glance before tucking the whole kit under arm. The binder was substantially lighter since there would be no transfer of ownership and what was waiting underneath the cover would never see a public highway. It was Max’ toy and though he was present at delivery, Joel would still technically be the consignee and likewise wanted to make sure everything was in order before he signed his name as accepting the shipment. It was just good business. He gave Marlin a wink as he approached Max and exchanged a firm handshake with the elder Englishman. “Good to see ya again, sir.” He said. Joel’s grip was like an iron vice, but so was Max’ with the sort of aged power that would never fade as long as he could still get around. It’d been a few months since the Grand Prix and Joel was genuinely glad to see he was still on his feet. Unlike the rest of Marlin’s family, Max had a level head and was as down to Earth as anyone he’d ever met. Joel rested his hand on his hip and turned back towards the GTR. “I made a little side bet with our Japanese competitors back before the race, this was what they owed me if we won.” He said slyly.

The coffee was passed out, still easily steaming from the open lids in the cold. Joel accepted the cup even though he had just had one back at the Lighthouse mostly out of courtesy. He stepped around the side of the car looking for the cover tie when he caught wind of a familiar scent coming from the cup in his hand...burnt antifreeze. He visibly winced at the smell and looked over at Marlin. “I think this one’s yours, chicky.” He said exchanging cups with her and keeping an even glance. She was considerably disarmed being without her work entourage and not feeling the need to indulge her extreme competition anxiety. He turned and stooped down to untie the cover. “No Le Mans yet,” He said working the knot in his hands as he spoke. There wasn’t as much need for sentiment as when he’d taken delivery of his car. The project beneath the cover was business and he fully intended to cash in on the “completion bonus”. The thick cord unravelled and the cover began to fall away as the line retracted. “This one is going to be a little bit closer to home for you.”

The cover slid away smoothly from the wide rear spoiler and flowed over the driver’s side as it fell away over the hood. So clean was the paint, there was a light static charge in the air as it moved over the body panels and slid down to the floor. Joel stood back up and crossed his arms, running one finger back and forth across his lips discerningly at the car in front of him.

Battleship gray with blue trim around the grill and the signature Aston Martin neon green along the mirrors, air dams and dive planes, the body was devoid of any markings save for the large lettering on the spoiler and the Olympus Heavy Industries logo embossed across the rear fenders in matching blue, however the customary workman in the midst of the massive sprocket had been replaced by the characteristic triskelion of the Isle of Man making the amalgamation appear as a single giant gear emblazoned on the side of the car. Joel nodded approvingly as he looked it over. It was a clever bit of marketing. He ran his hand along the inside of the fender as he walked and drummed his fingers on the binder while his eyes continued to search for any sign of damage from shipping. Joel was a perfectionist
and his demeanor was completely focused for a moment as if the others were not even in the hangar. Like an artist examining an exquisite painting, he made his way around opening the “passenger” door and glancing inside for a moment. They would have thirty days to protest any mechanical defects with Aston Martin, but he doubted any of that would be necessary as he came back around to the rear wing where Marlin was standing. “You should be able to appreciate this being a pilot,” He said matter-of-factly tapping the pen from the binder on the spoiler endplate. “Your granddad had a clever idea.” He lifted lightly at a seam on the interior of the spoiler’s surface demonstrating that the wing actually separated in two allowing air to pass through unheeded. “This wing has a drag reduction function like an F1 car.” He said glancing back towards Max. “Mr Olympus likes to study the rule book.”

@PrinceAlexus

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Paige Kennedy & Milo Ventri

Milo glanced over momentarily from his musings and considerations of the shop’s floral wares when he heard the sound of his voice seeing Siobhan, Paige’s taller and much younger friend. “Ah, hello Siobhan." He said with some surprise noticing her fairly particular clothing choice. He looked down briefly noticing he was still holding the arrangement of tropical flowers and gave a slight shrug. “You know they’re not exactly her thing,” He said with a slight chuckle. “I think she’ll like these though. Were you here for pictures only?” He said nodding towards her camera. He didn’t know a great deal about photography, but it seemed like a fairly expensive type and she tended to have an eye for detail about such things. “Or were you getting something for your friend as well? Still the race driver?

It was about this time the owner of the shop appeared. He seemed slightly disheveled, but cordial though his comment about not buying flowers often seemed a bit odd. He’d bought flowers plenty of times. Ana had a careful eye for them, as good as anyone he’d ever met. Though he knew it was just an ice-breaker for a sales pitch and he apparently knew Siobhan to some extent. He looked briefly at the tattoos on the man’s forearms before making eye contact. “No, not recently,” He said with a small grin. He noticed another young woman moving quickly across the store with a large bouquet of roses and felt more reaffirmed with his choice. “I think, I’ve found what I came for though.” He said motioning with the arrangement he still had in hand.

@Pyxis@Almalthia

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Joel Nicolosi

After winning the Sol City Grand Prix a lot of things tended to come by much easier. For Sol City, the closest people they had to celebrities were Tommy and his NFL fame with the Angels, then there was useless Ethan and the Sirens, but Joel was the most recent and though the fanfare of his initial victory had died down, his involvement with Rebellion had kept the fire stoked with interest. The relative obscurity of auto racing was enough to usually make the notoriety bearable, but he knew he was still Sol City’s flavor of the month in many ways. The mayor had essentially given him and Tommy the key to the city and specifically with that, Joel wanted master access to Old Sol Airport for his imports. After some paperwork with City Hall, a substantial background check and the approval of the Federal authorities at the behest of their State Senator, he could come and go on the property as he pleased. No more checking in at the front desk. He merely swiped his magnetic badge over the reader and the gates to the tarmac and hangars opened in front of the GTR.

There was something about the airport that just felt colder than anywhere else. Maybe the absence of trees to break up the slightest breeze or the expanse of lifeless, jointed concrete and steel-framed structures- It was damn cold in the open and it bit through his long sleeve black t-shirt. He didn’t wear anything Rebellion related on the off chance someone was taking photos of him conducting business outside of the team’s per view. His shirt only sported the classic Prodrive logo with jeans and sneakers. He was easing down the travel lane when he turned the corner and could see the unmistakable red, white and blue livery of a British Airways Cargo 747 down the flightline in front of the Daedalus hangar. There was still some activity buzzing around the enormous aircraft as the freight elevator was pulled away and the nose cone began to close. He glanced briefly at his watch. He was right on time.

The growling hum of the GTR rippled across the hangars as he approached, most of which were closed off from the cold as he passed by a bright yellow DHL 757 and a FedEx MD-10 in various stages of turn-around while he made his way down the line. The main Daedalus hangar was open. He coasted into the bright interior and it was nearly like transitioning from night to day. The bright white lights hummed off the subdued black exterior of the GTR. Inside, what looked like a Daedalus branded C-130 was in mid-check with one of the starboard engines on a dolley while two passenger service helicopters were being inspected on other side of the floor. Even with the three aircraft, there was still ample room for another C-130 inside the hangar, but in center of the floor was a single covered skid along with a black SUV making the scene very familiar. He patted the steering wheel before shutting the engine down. “Don’t you get jealous now.” He said as if he were talking to a pet.

The floor of the hangar was spotless and freshly cleaned as he stepped out; something he could appreciate greatly. His sneaker made a slight squeak as he closed the door and walked over while the hangar closed behind him.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Paige Kennedy & Milo Ventri

Milo’s sense of style was unmistakable. He considered it one of his trademarks. Without his coat, he steadily examined the aisles of flowers and floral arrangements discerningly with his sleeves rolled up crisply, stepping by a couple glancing over the surprisingly impressive selection of the Golden Flower.

The atmosphere was much like the newspaper article had described it: almost like a rainforest, but a well-organized rainforest of meticulous presentation. Flowers and vines hung and were assembled in a way that looked natural and also marketable, flowing seamlessly from one area of the store to the next in a display that almost promoted a sense of escapism. Someone in the staff clearly had a talent for aesthetics. He could appreciate attention to detail and supporting small businesses was something he enjoyed, though judging by the level of activity, both inside and out, they didn’t seem to be wanting for customers, particularly with the events of the evening being in full swing.

The cliched notion of flowers might have been a little juvenile for Paige, but he knew she wouldn’t turn her nose away at anything that was free. What she wanted to know, more than anything, was that he was thinking about her. Much like the small blade he’d given her some weeks ago. She presented a very tough exterior, but her ego could also be quite fragile. She never struggled with being decisive or outspoken, however he had never seen her so visibly torn with what was uncovered beneath the sports stadium.

He wasn’t completely sure how to take it, nor had he been very vocal when she finally told him, just listened. When he moved to Sol City, he’d put the past away to start a new life for himself, only to have it literally thrown back in his face with Paige’s transfer. Granted, if it hadn’t been for her, he would have undoubtedly wound up in a much deeper mess than where he had stupidly placed himself, or worse. Still, never did he think he’d be in the midst of fighting a major criminal enterprise alongside a woman that once loathed his very existence, much less being in a relationship with that same woman. He smirked only slightly to himself at the thought as he continued to browse. Life could be real funny sometimes. The crux of the matter remained though. He thought about his life, what he really wanted and about the opportunities that would never come again. Ultimately, very soon, they would both have to choose and he would have to be the first.

He bent down slightly to study a tropical bouquet that he thought she would like; enjoying the combination of fragrances while noticing a similar bloom across the store on display under glass clearly marked as sold.

@Pyxis

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Joel Nicolosi

Social convention was never his forte. Something about it, maybe just his natural sense of spite turned him off it completely. If it was tacitly expected, he usually rejected it. Sol Mates Thursday was no exception. The lights of downtown were the same as always in the fresh darkness of night from his regular spot at the Lighthouse. The glowing ambiance of downtown and the lights of the Matthews Bridge in the distance folded over the sharp lines of his GTR like a stealth fighter. The same barge pulled steel coils up the river, just as it did every weeknight and he watched the water ripple off the bow before glancing back over to the traffic flowing unhindered across the bridge and the steady rhythm of tires over the concrete joints. It was dark, though still early in the evening. He preferred the night, but the days were beginning to get longer. The cool of the night bit against his long sleeve t-shirt and he took a sip from his coffee cup.

In some ways he missed it and in other ways he was ready to do something else, maybe even go somewhere else. A few years ago it was enough to prowl the 923 Loop from night to night looking for sport. A flash of lights and a few minutes over 200mph made him feel as alive as he could humanly comprehend. Riding the GTR, he easily owned the expressways and it reminded him of those times in some ways, but now he was paid to drive fast and it wasn’t the same. In a few days they would be off to the Vineyard Rally and he would again be behind the wheel. The more he thought about it, the more nebulous it became. His thoughts shifted to Sio and he wondered how long she would put up with it and how none before her had managed to last. He knew if he were any kind of “good man” he would be taking her out for the night, but inside he knew that she couldn’t compete and that he wasn’t “good”.

The heat of the coffee in his hand had numbed his grip somewhat and he took another long sip seeing the steam rise in front of his vision. He glanced at his watch. A few more minutes and he’d be off to the airport. Another car and another challenge a few months down the road. He knew the Germans wouldn’t be crazy about his racing for another British sponsor, but the Isle of Man was still obscure enough that taking a crack at the production car record on his own time didn’t violate his contract laws with Rebellion or Porsche. If they had wanted to put up a car, he would have drove for them just the same, but Maxamillion Olympus wanted the record for a British car and Joel wanted the record for himself. The course was stringent enough on a motorcycle and only a few successful runs had been completed in cars. He’d have to get it right after only a short amount of practice on the actual stage and therein was the excitement: He would only have a precious, short opportunity to put it on the edge, the only place where he really felt like he was living, where decisions made in fractions of time or the unthought flex of instinct would carry him through or potentially kill him. It was his true self.

The thought of it was exhilarating though the blazing line of a narrow, winding, English island road played behind his eyes, his outside demeanor remained stoic as usual. He glanced back towards the Lighthouse to see a few couples enjoying the evening and just couldn't understand how people were satisfied with such dull lives. Tossing his empty cup into a waste bin he checked the traffic on his phone before heading out to Old Sol International.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

THIRSTY THURSDAY EVENING

CITY WIDE DUAL EVENT WITH

SOL CITY SOL MATES

- SEASONAL - CLEAR & COOL -

Love is in the air! Find your Sol Mate and don't let go!

Special day with a special person or sourcing a special person? Sol Mates is the event for you!

Life can be pretty lonely in the city, why not find someone to share your adventures in Sol with, be they your partner in crime, angel or devil on your shoulder. Who knows where it will lead if you don't try and take a leap!

As an added bonus, the City's much-loved, regular, weekly party, Thirsty Thursday, falls on the same night this year as our Sol Mates celebration. Enjoy cheap drinks and food all across the city. Regular hot spots include THE PIT nightclub and LIGHT LANE.

So let your hair down and let the good times roll and expect to call out on Friday.

Please be clear with time and locations to avoid time conflicts with other players

As always. Any questions or help required feel free to contact us in thread, PM or Discord. You could send a post owl, raven or the pony express but it might take a a little longer.

---

S T A R M E S S E N G E R

SOL source of News since 1895

Latest News

LIFESTYLE

Local Flower Shop Blooms

Have you been downtown recently? Spring is on the way and one local business has caught our eye over the past week. Yes, I’m talking about the Golden Flower in Central point. As I watch our city begin to come out of its Winter shell at the first glimpses of Spring, it’s hard to miss this quaint flower boutique.

As a frequent observer of Sol trends, I have been following this tiny shop since I first noticed the signage change on a stroll downtown a few weeks ago. As competitive as the floral market can be, with the emergence of online retailers and the ever growing cost of downtown real estate, I have to say I crossed my fingers that this one would succeed and I’m so glad to report that this Sol small business is booming, particularly in the last week.

An indulgence of the inside will net you numerous exotic fauna from around the world making the shop feel more like an experience rather than just a storefront. The owner, a kind immigrant to Sol City from the midwest, Alejandro, often attends to the inventory personally and along with his two associates are always kind and happy help even if I’m only there for idle chit-chat. The meticulous attention to detail in the arrangements is something I have never appreciated so much and to only call this a “flower shop” seems pedestrian.

Alejandro and his team have certainly found a niche here in Sol and I for one applaud them for it. Sol City needs more people like them and the small success stories they can bring our city more than it needs another nebulous corporate sports stadium. I’m recommending the Golden Flower, particularly with Sol Mates coming up, and I hope our readers can find their way downtown to support this local business.

_{Karley Smith
Editor-Lifestyle and Social Media
Star Messenger}

OPINION

Organized Crime Reorganized

When you have covered the streets of Sol City for as long as I have, you start to see patterns over time rather than people and events. I look back at the 70’s and can remember the first surges of drug imports from Mexico and California, the hardcore influx of migrants and contraband from South America in the 80’s and the biker gangs of the 90’s, the tech bubble of the early 2000’s that brought our first wave of “cyber crime” and the accompanying responses from City Hall that have ran the gammit of heavy-handed conservatism to near, nonchalant cultivation from the other side of the fence.

As the city deliberates on the introduction of a second, major sports team, I can see the groundwork for more organized crime taking place in our city. Some might say, I’m completely off base, but as the adage goes: Strength invites challenge. Our mayor, bless his soul, put our city at the behest of the Feds when he sought to crack down on the rampant street crime present on our streets and while none can dispute that the approach, in the short term, has been remarkably effective (and should be for the financial cost incurred by the city), I would argue that he has merely attracted a more deviant form of criminal.

Say what you want about the death of Elvin Santos, and it is certainly not my place to promote conspiracy theories in this newspaper, but I think we must all acknowledge that the untimely death of one Sol City’s self-made men in real estate was indeed extremely timely for criminal elements within the city, whether it was intentional or not. Elvin meant well for Sol City and those poised to fill the gap in his passing, I contend, do not. Major sections of The Run have been sold off since his passing along with the former property at Club Aether, all of which will be essential negotiating a future site for a second sports stadium.

Look at the streets of Sol and you will no longer find common street thugs, half-baked drug dealers and the like. Our city has merely attracted a higher class of criminal. The Visigoths biker gang has been replaced by suit and tie Yakuza and the Dellesantos gang has been absorbed into a still faceless racket from the midwest that is yet to be revealed, but all on the street can feel it.

City Hall and our Federal occupiers need to wake up and see the bigger picture, before the writing is on the walls, literally. The walls of a brand new stadium owned by organized crime.

_{William Queen
SCPD - VICE (ret.)}

LEGAL

Legal Eagles Nest

Conan Barbarius launches law suit Vs Thulsa Doom over the true meaning of the riddle of steel. Ancestral conflict turns into modern day legal battle.

In a modern day twist to the two clans rivalry dating back longer than anyone has recorded, Conan Barbarius challenged Thulsa Doom for the true answer to riddle of Steel in the courts. Having previous attempts included a proposed trial by combat, the new legal drama is a welcome relief especially when Conan came prepared with the Atlantian great sword of his ancestors and Thulsa with the age old curved sabre of sept both wielded by there ancestors.

Though it seems a small matter the two clans have contested the Riddle for centuries and centuries, Conan Barbarius lawyer Valeria was confident of victory having won several difficult cases including "Destroyer Vs Destructo. Right to claim dark lord status" and other rather obscure legal disputes. "I'm Certain we will win this case, evidence is backing us and we have numerous ancient texts to support us. Mr Thulsa Doom knows but is making frivolous allegations"

Well this certainly a unique case in my opinion despite having joined the JAG Corps after injury I have never seen a case quite like this one. We are going to follow this one and hope Thulsa Doom or his representative are open to comment on what they can and give us a update. Thusla Doom is represented by Anubis Law and Litigation.

_{Cmdr. Chip Hazzed (USN-JAG ret.)
Star messenger}

WEATHER
Seasonal weather tonight for Sol and surrounding areas, clear and cool, a perfect evening for your Sol Mates celebration wherever it may take you.

For a more detailed and up to date report on the go, download our app, SOL CITY WEATHER 24/7 on most popular app stores.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

24 Hour Time Skip Warning

Short jump to THURSDAY . Thirsty Thursday + Sol Mates Special Event

Consider what your characters have been doing throughout the week following our last big event.
Any questions please let us know.

As always, if you feel that you are not ready to skip. PLEASE speak up!

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Next skip is looking like we're headed to Thursday (IC). Since there's still a few interactions going on, we'll probably let this one run through the weekend before we post an official announcement.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Paige Kennedy & Milo Ventri

Dazed and exhausted, the images of her dream splintered and faded away as vividly as she had just seen them leaving only a feeling instead of a memory.

She hadn’t slept much and when sleep finally did come it was more of the body’s final surrender to an absolute need. Hours passed in silence as she stared at the ceiling or looked at her phone, anything just to take her mind off of what she and Tao uncovered at Luna Sports Facility. It was an impossible task. She knew it and she knew what was going to be the right thing to do, the thing that would make everything fall into place the way it should. In her years in law enforcement, she’d seen the same thing play out. People got greedy and stupid. Good people. She had laughed in amusement at the stories. All the old-timers said the same thing: Greed would get you killed quicker than a bullet. Still her mind wandered through the possibilities.

Wiping hair and sweat away from her eyes, she looked straight ahead at the end of the bed, feeling the weight of a tired, sunken scowl on her face. When she returned from LSF, she hadn’t said much to Milo and she knew she hadn’t been exactly pleasant either. Pulling herself up on her elbows and propping her upper body slothfully against the headboard, she felt like she had only picked up where her mind had left off, like television left on white noise. She sighed, hearing the sound of him tinkering in the shop. The sound of metalwork traveled easily through the converted living space. She hadn’t told him and if she wanted to be honest with herself, she knew the reason was because she was afraid.

Her stomach groaned suddenly with a pang of hunger and with some dogged energy she grudgingly tossed the heavy blankets aside and made her way to the kitchen. Nothing that he had was safe from her grasp and she rummaged through the pantry and cabinets without a second thought. Setting the toaster up and ramming down two slices of bread, she turned and leaned against the counter, looking over the living room outside at the rain covering the street and waterfront. She wiped a hand over her face. Another fucking shitty day in this shithole city. The thought that followed blasted through her groggy mind quicker than she had time to stop it, the same pattern that repeated all night: You now have the power to do something about it.

@Almalthia