Pilatus

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

Joel Nicolosi & Siobhan Murphy

Joel’s breath turned to vapor above him as he reclined back in his lawn chair watching it dissipate over a sea of unfiltered stars. Spending so much time in the light pollution in and around Sol really did make the raw night sky somewhat of a mesmerizing spectacle. Even in the mountains, at the team’s headquarters miles away there was still some loss from the city’s expansive glow. Seeing a carpet overhead marked with as much light as darkness innately felt good for the soul. Being in the service park on a rally stage was one of the most natural feelings he ever felt; like a combination of racing and camping. He was certainly no outdoorsman and the comfortable amenities of Rebellion’s vehicular entourage were certainly not a tent, but he enjoyed the remoteness of it all, surrounded by acres of vineyards and thick northwestern, mountain woodlands for miles, it was the closest to tranquility he’d been in years.

A fire crackled in front of him while a German beer sat in the cupholder. They chattered away in their coarse dialect, laughing often, while, despite the late hour, music still played lightly. Spirits were high. Joel had put the car in a lead measured in minutes and with only a few reverse stages to be tackled on the final day, all looked promising. He glanced from the corner of his eye over at the service tent where the car sat quietly in darkness, angular shadows from the fire dancing off it’s high spoiler against the hauler. The technicians had long finished their work for the day and headed off to enjoy the sumptuous amenities of the secluded vineyard. To Joel, at a minimum, making it in motorsports meant that he didn’t have to service his own car anymore and it felt great to hand it over to someone else completely dedicated to make it run as fast as possible while he could fully concentrate on just driving.

It took a while for the adrenalin to wear away. The stages were tight and narrow, often only barely wide enough for a small car to pass between stone walls and rigid vine scaffolding requiring the utmost in concentration. Tarmac was Joel’s specialty. He’d proven it on the sunbaked roads of Kingston though the rear-wheel drive 911 required a different sort of finesse than the all-wheel drive Polo. A gentle swiftness on the handbrake and temperance with the throttle were all it needed to pirouette like a dancer around an acute hairpin. It really was a dance in many ways: The movement of the car’s weight in his hands through the wheel and in the seat. There was a flow to it. It was hard to describe, but he knew when he was in the groove. His hands and feet moved without thinking, sensing and anticipating every subtlety of the suspension over the road while his eyes read for corners sometimes hundreds of meters ahead. Joel exhaled again letting the last vestiges of stress drift away. The last stages weren’t until the afternoon and there would be plenty of time to rest.

Sio sat next to him, barely awake. He ran a hand through the loose waves of red that flowed over her shoulder. The track could be an exhausting place and the fanfare that Rebellion brought along seemed to only intensify the feeling. Motorsports had to be experienced on foot and there was always something to do or see when connected with a race team. Ironically, it was the driver that spent the most time seated. With a small grin he tickled lightly under her chin with his fingertips. “You gonna make it?”

Siobhan smirked sleepily, loving that he was playing with her hair. "Of course." She yawned softly. She'd been up early and was up late the night before.

Joel continued to lightly stroke strands of hair through his fingers, letting them fall away smoothly from the roughness of his work-worn hands. The softness seemed to multiply his own feeling of exhaustion and he let out a healthy yawn before feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket with the long hum of a message. Thinking it to likely be a message from the team, he dug it out of his pocket only to find a message from Ryan Woods. His eyes read over the contents while his mind assumed it to be something other than what he read. Since the festival, They had both been too preoccupied catch up and Joel knew Ryan also had a car he wanted looked over, however the message was completely unrelated and he had to read it again.

“You gotta be shittin’ me.” He said, shaking his head. He gave Sio a nudge with his elbow and turned the screen for her to look.

-"Mr. Nicolosi, sorry for the late disturbance. I have a favor to ask. Are you familiar with a Ethan Aster? What is his involvement with one Victoria Olympus, if you are aware of anything?"-

Siobhan blinked out of the comfortable gaze she was in as Joel nudged her. She looked over at the phone he was holding and read it quickly. "Aware? You mean other than Ethan knocked her up? What is he asking for? Please tell me she hasn't twisted it to where she's the victim. I was under the impression that she was delighted to be pregnant with his child. Wouldn't put it past her if it was a 'keep a guy baby'. Guess she's looking for, what I don't know. She's never heard of condoms I'm guessing."

“I like how he says Mr. Nicolosi all the time, you should start doing that.” Joel said with a smirk. It didn’t take much to get her fired up. His fingers began tapping away at a message. “Who knows with that bunch.” He said with some amusement before sending his reply. “I’m sure they’re all very proud though.”

-We’re familiar. Pretty sure she’s carrying his child. If I were you, I’d stay away from both of them-

@Infinite Cosmos@Almalthia

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

Paige Kennedy

Paige’s expression remained unchanged as she watched the message bubble ripple with a nearly automatic reply and then expanded into another message from Manami. You need to call him. A persistent voice continued to repeat in the back of her mind as she read the message. She’s probably panicking over nothing… She glanced up at her dash mounted blue lights just to make sure they were still installed. It had been ages since she used them and she’d become accustomed to just looking past them without a second thought. Riverside wasn’t far away, particularly with very little traffic and in the middle of the night; with the lights on, it would be a very quick trip. The screen glowed soft white against her gaze as she texted back:

>I’m on my way from Luna Sports, be there in a few. Send me your address.<

Giving the lobby of Luna Sports Facility one last quick glance before flipping the light switch on, it wasn’t long before she was crossing the Costa Bridge with the address in hand. Having the blue lights on meant Florida driving styles were in full effect and turn signals were non-existent while brakes were only used as required. I’ll call him in the morning, let me just take care of this first. She told herself. A pattern of blue blinked across the concrete barriers as she took the ramp towards Riverside.

In a way it was sort of like old times. It had been a while since she’d taken any side work like Manami’s case and she knew she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t enjoy it. She liked the power she had over people and she liked even more when they sought her out to take care of similar situations. Each time she passed out her US Marshal card to someone like Marlin or one of her old high school friends back in Delta City, a small part of her hoped they’d call with some scenario that involved an asshole whose day she would get to ruin and having that silver star clipped to her belt made it all legal.

As she typed in the gate code, it was evident that no one living in Manami’s apartment complex was lacking for money. Granted it wasn’t over the top, but as she drove along there wasn’t a single car more than a couple years old while the grounds were well-lit and neatly manicured. She had heard stories about how much money some girls made in internet modelling, though had never actually been among any of those circles to verify the claims, not that she cared to know, however looking around a part of her was legitimately impressed. It was much nicer than anything she could afford on her Marshal’s salary. She shook her head a little.

Using Manami’s code to get into the building, she was narrowing down in her mind the amount of people who would have access to get all the way to her apartment while still glancing around and taking notice of the various security cameras. The front desk was vacant and she took a quick glance over the counter just by chance hoping to find something useful. A few business cards were neatly attached to a small cork board with other announcements for the complex, but for the most part, it was a clean and well kept workspace. She snagged a card that listed a security firm with a highlighted phone number and stuffed it in her pocket. Front desks at places like Manami’s were little more than glorified reception, most of the actual business was handled off-site to keep a streamlined appearance for their target clientele. If she wanted to see the security cameras, then they might want a warrant and that would mean a trip back to the courthouse on Monday to see a judge and a lot of wasted time. Fortunately, she just happened to know a certain young computer technician with several million confirmed reasons to do whatever she asked. Making her way to the elevator, she sent Tao a message:

>Wake your ass up.<

Then she sent another to Manami:

>I’m downstairs, on my way up.<

The doors parted after a short ascent and Paige stood for a moment looking down the empty hallway. A subtle perfume lingered through the air as she stepped out. To no surprise, the interior of the building was as nice as the outside with a soft white and cream color pallet and trimmed archways. Her footsteps were quiet on the soft carpeting as she continued to listen carefully making her way down to Manami’s door.

@Otterpop

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

Paige Kennedy

As usual, she couldn’t sleep. Not that her sleeping patterns were ever anywhere near consistent. It was the nature of the profession that she had chosen and she was used to it. One had to take it when they could get it, however the catch was always wanting to sleep. Sitting in her car outside the Luna Sports Facility, she felt completely awake while her mind assembled and deconstructed a puzzle that she knew she didn’t have all the pieces, but that the final image was becoming more clear, almost touchable- a prize for which no one, other than herself, was going to attain. She was darkly sure. Crossing her arms as the radio played, she sank down in the reclined driver’s seat peering slightly over the steering wheel at the mostly deserted parking lot. The LSF gym was open 24/7 and she considered going in to burn out whatever physical and mental energy she had left which would be far more productive than continuing to sit still as much she enjoyed the machinations of her time alone. The prospect of taking care of two things at once was hard to resist and the idea of burning away calories whilst running atop a literal pile of untraced cash that she possessed sole control over was amusing in a way that she liked to enjoy.

The thought brought about the same swift counter from the back of her mind that it always had in that she hadn’t spoken to her father in at least a couple of weeks, since before she and Tao had made the discovery. While she had no doubt that Tao would stay quiet, she knew her father would easily sense something was out of the ordinary. It was a trait she inherited from him. Florida was three hours ahead and it was doubtful he would answer, but he would call back and she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he would have to say. Her thumb flipped through the myriad of contacts on her phone until she found the one that simply read, Daddy and looked solemnly at the two numbers, Home and Work. She sighed and stared at the screen for a moment. It’s the right thing to do. She thought to herself as her thumb hovered over the call button. It’s the right thing, just do it.. A voice repeated in her mind. She exhaled and relaxed back into the headrest staring up at the ceiling of the car glancing over at the front entrance to LSF from the corner of her eye. Okay. She picked her phone up to call when she found a new text staring back at her:

> Hello, My name is Manami Takahashi, I was given your card from a friend of mine who said you could help me. I'm pretty sure that I have a stalker but I don't want to get a bunch of police involved...um, if you could help me in anyway than it would be much appreciated. <

It took her a second to snap back into reality and she had to read the message twice. She had only given her card to a handful of people outside law enforcement since arriving in Sol and the number was local, which meant it had to have been fairly recent. Considering she had only just seen Nikki Giancana face to face, she was fairly certain the message was a genuine request and not a trap. Such an innocent looking ruse didn’t match his style. A quick google search of the name seemed to confirm her assumption, but what she found wasn’t at all what she expected, though it easily fit the nature of the message’s request. Paige hated social media and these girls that sold themselves for the money and attention of strangers made it no surprise this one had trouble with a stalker. Still, she couldn’t ignore it. Someone had thought enough to give the girl her information so she felt bound to keep her end of the bargain. She fired a text back:

> Hello Manami, Yes I can help you. I am downtown right now. Are you somewhere nearby? I can come to you.<

@Otterpop

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

Paige Kennedy

The weekend following the Thirsty Thursday double-header was expectedly slow, even for the 501 Club. There were sparse few at the bar and even fewer at the tables. “Sol-Mates” may have been a distinctly uptown affair, but everyone liked a good excuse to party and the regular clientele had turned up to throw down and then call out the next day. Only the most devoted, alcoholic and utterly disconsolate populated the small club into the early morning hours. No ruckus filled the walls, only faint conversations and the distant sound of televisions repeatedly playing tired sports highlights alongside the unwavering lineup from the war beaten jukebox. The bartender, also the owner, poured another glass from tap for a customer while his only waitress played on her phone. He was on the verge of sending her home when the heavy front door opened.

Being the proprietor of a place like the 501 Club gave a man a certain access that couldn't be described. Whenever he felt like he’d truly seen everything, there was always a surprise around the corner. As insurance for just such an event, underneath the bar, hanging amongst the glasses, liquor bottles and rubber lines for the taps, was a sawed-off shotgun. When he saw the figure that came through his door, his face remained expressionless as he leaned on his elbow against the alcohol-weathered countertop looking her in the eye and, like he always did when he wasn’t quite sure which way things were going to go, felt for the reassuring steel of the barrel to be in its usual place. It was always loaded. He watched as she came through the doorway and turned to glance down the bar as if she knew exactly where to look. Even without her badge, he knew exactly who she was.

It wouldn’t have been quite as curious a situation if the man to whom he was considering selling the club wasn’t also present in a booth near the back wall along with his young bodyguard seated on the corner of the bar. The door closed with its signature heavy clamor that echoed across the whole floor and though it had banged open and shut all night, this time, everyone seemed to notice.

Yolo, who had nearly done a double take over his shoulder, got a wide grin and jumped from his stool, standing to face the woman down the line of tables and chairs. His right hand hovered over his hip where he kept a high-caliber revolver tucked old western style in its holster with the curved grip facing out, just out of reach of his slowly dancing fingers. Nikki Giancana, who had been enjoying a surprisingly decent cheeseburger happened to look up, mid-chew, when he sensed Yolo move from his seat. His mouth slowed on the bite as he looked past Yolo and made eye contact with her, the Marshal, Kennedy.

The door clamored again behind Paige as a few onlookers hastily bolted for the door while others slinked back away from the pair. Her hand rested firmly on the gun on her hip. The bartender motioned for his waitress to get out of sight, seeing her slightly spellbound by the scene in front of her. A blonde woman, not much different in age than herself, had a piercing aura about her like she’d never seen. It was nearly mesmerizing. Not like the wild brawls that typically erupted in the 501, it was measured and natural, like a predator. She could remember watching some nature documentary with her kids about wild cats in Africa or some place she’d never been, the look, it was like that, but human. She stepped back carefully behind the swinging door to the kitchen, still keeping it cracked to the outside so she could watch.

“I have to say, you really are exactly what i thought you’d be.” Yolo said finally. He kept his hand steady, but his eyes looked her up down. Black leather jacket, gray shirt, black jeans and the Converse sneakers she’d become known for wearing as the city’s most infamous law-woman. “When I first really saw you at the record store, I was only left... wanting.”

Paige huffed unimpressed. “How’s that bullet wound treating you?”

Yolo patted his side firmly with his other hand. “Good as new,” He said. “Your boyfriend can’t shoot for shit.” The playful reverence in his voice fell when he mentioned Milo.

“He still found his mark I think,” Paige said cooly. “Now get out of my way, I didn’t come here to talk to you-” She began to advance but stopped as he took a step forward to block her path. Her fingers instinctively settled over the precise grip on her gun, the familiar points where she would draw the fastest and the flow of a shot out of her hand would be near effortless. They looked at each other again for a moment as the song changed again and for a moment the machinations of the jukebox were the only sound in the building.

“This is the best part,” Yolo said. He was grinning wildly, eye settled on her. His hand hovered over the draw.

Paige exhaled almost without moving, her glance narrowed and her tilted forward only slightly. The song continued to play, but the whole floor of the 501 Club felt like it was stone silent. She exhaled slowly through her nose relaxing for the pull, if she was going to blast his bodyguard then the next stray bullet would catch Nikki right in the chest. She could make it look like an accident.

“That’s enough, Yolo.” Nikki interrupted. “As entertaining as this is, let’s see what the Marshal has to say.” He wiped his hands and tossed the napkin aside relaxing back in the booth.

Just like a switch had been pulled, the young man retracted completely as if his whole personality changed in an instant without protest or knowledge of what had even just occurred. “Yessir.” He said pushing his loosely rolled sleeves back up his arms and taking his seat back at the bar as if he were waiting for the next person that might come inside. Paige walked past him and he barely batted an eye as she sat down in the booth across from Nikki.

“Sorry about all that,” Nikki said dismissively. “I think he might be a little sweet on you, he gets that way when that happens.”

Paige ignored the comment completely, instead noticing a set of Cadillac keys on the table. “So where ya headed?”

“Oh? Why you need a lift?” Nikki replied.

“Where’d you think you were headed.” Paige replied. The momentary increase in adrenaline she felt from facing off with Yolo was wearing away quickly and she oddly felt relaxed, like he had actually helped her by being a brief distraction.

“Hmm, that sounds kinda ominous,” He said. “Getting right down to it, huh?” He was completely relaxed and crossed one leg broadly while resting one arm along the top of the booth.

“The sooner we get to it, the sooner we get it over with.” Paige said frankly. “No point in delaying the unpleasantness.”

“Oh are we headed for unpleasantness?”

“I’m going to offer you a deal,” She said. “But I’m not really confident you’re gonna take it.”

“Well, you know negative thinking yields negative results.”

Paige shrugged. “Well, it’s been an interesting last few weeks and months.”

“Well at least give me the chance to surprise you,” Nikki said. He had a certain undignified charm in his tone, that if he weren’t a murdering thug that had tried to kill her twice, he would almost be likeable. “No point starting a relationship just assuming people are going to disappoint you.”

“You’re right,” Paige said with a slight nod. “I want you to turn yourself in, confess to murder, racketeering, extortion and whatever other horrible things you’ve done.”

“Is that all?”

“You stay away from me and Milo for good, and anyone else we associate with.”

Nikki chuckled a little with a snort of amusement. “Or?”

“Or you’re gonna die in this city.” Paige said.

Nikki shifted slightly in his seat and smirked, glancing away briefly as if he were momentarily distracted in feigned consideration, “Well, you had it right not to be optimistic.”

“I’m afraid that’s the best I can do.” She could feel her heartbeat pick up again slightly.

“What kinda piece you carryin?” He asked.

“SiG 239”

“That the same one you used on my guys?” Nikki seemed at least somewhat interested in the answer.

“I killed the first one with my service Glock.” Paige couldn’t hide a tiny smirk at the answer.

“Pretty fancy kit for a Fed.”

“Well I know how to pick a winner.” She said, “What are you carrying?”

“Oh, I don’t carry a gun.” Nikki replied smoothly. He seemed slightly amused with her retort.

“Maybe you should start.”

“Why?” He snapped. “So you can have a reason?”

“Oh, I already have that.” Paige said darkly.

Nikki laughed and shook his head. “Cop threats…” He turned in his seat and rested his elbows on the table to face her directly, like he was speaking to a child. “I take one look at you and I know you’re not the type that’s just gonna execute me, it’s not who you are.” He said. “And don’t give me that bullshit story that got you transferred up here, I don’t have time for it, you roll up in here and that’s all you are, a bunch of stories and threats, knowing that if your bluff gets called you can still hide behind that badge.” He growled. “Well I don’t have a badge, all I got is my word so if I say I’m gonna kill you, your family, your boyfriend or that cunt sister-in-law of mine that you like to hang around, I’m gonna do it.” He tipped his head towards the window. “That’s all these animals out here understand and if I don’t do what I say then they’re gonna think they can come after me.” He pointed to the keys on the table. “You wanna know where I’m goin? I’m goin’ out that door and I’m gonna get on a plane to Florida and I’m gonna take care of Shannon first, but I’ll be back for you, so about the only chance you have at this point is if you take that gun outta your holster and end this, otherwise get the fuck out of my sight.”

“Well now we know each other.” Paige replied calmly.

“Threats…” Nikki again shook his head with disgust in the word.

“Relax, you’re still alive.”

-----------------------

The gravel lot of the 501 Club crunched under her sneakers as she walked away through the quiet dark. Her breath fogged as she exhaled and glanced up watching the landing strobes of an aircraft on approach to Old Sol as it passed high overhead. The lights flickered and the alarm chirped on her little M3 Sedan and she glanced over her shoulder briefly before stepping inside.

“Well what’d he say?” A dark figure in the passenger seat said.

Paige exhaled for a moment glancing over the hood into the night before turning the key to start the car. “He said he’s gonna kill me and Milo and probably my whole family.”

“Well, I pretty much figured that,” The woman said. “What’d he say about me?”

“He said you were a cunt and he’s gonna kill you first.” Paige replied. “But he thinks you’re in Florida.”

Shannon looked briefly at her own reflection in the passenger window, the curved features of her face and loose hair partially illuminated in the interior lights of the gauges as she thought. “That gives us some time then.”

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

SATURDAY NIGHT OWLS
LATE EVENING

FREE SKIP - FULL MOON - CLEAR & COOL

22:00 - 03:00

Time for those that go bump and come alive at night!

Lets Dance!

Late Night has come, the Coffee Pot is closed, Museum is quiet as a tomb and only the Zoo's bats are at play. The sun has gone down and the artificial stars are shining bright. Come forth creatures of the night and embrace your moment.

Closed locations

Coffee shops
Public buildings. City Hall, zoo, Museum etc
The Mall, general shops.

Bars, pubs, clubs and late night takeaways all open.

Please be clear with time and locations to avoid time conflicts with other players. Remember, this skip takes place between 10pm and 3am.

As always. Any questions or help required feel free to contact us in thread, PM or Discord.

---

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

SOL source of News since 1895

Lifestyle and Culture Column with Kristina
City of Culture - Yodeling World Championship to be held in Sol City



In part of the City of Culture initiative, Sol City is proud and welcome to host the 87th Yodeling Championship at City Hall including 3 times champion from Norway, Helga Sirenson of Oslo. Our gallant mayor welcomed Mrs Sirenson at Sol International Airport late yesterday evening to the sound of the Sol City's Corona Brass band.

In a statement to the press from the Mayor having navigated his PA still swearing vengeance on Inky the Celiopod after the theft of her high healed designer shoe. "Sol City is welcome and honoured to host the 87th Yodeling Championships. This is the first of many events in our upcoming City of Culture year. We hope Mrs Sirenson enjoys our famous hospitality."

Mrs Sirenson gave us a short statement at the Star Messenger between media appointments. "I am honored by the welcome from the Mayor and Sol City i have received so far and wish my best to all the competitors. A third championship trophy would balance my mantle-place nicely." Confident on her chances, Mrs Sirenson is a one time European Champion, two times world and five times Norwegian winner of Yodeling Masters.

If you want to attend tickets are on sale from City Hall, major Public Buildings and various websites. Anyone with a sudden interest in Yodeling can join the class being hosted at Corona Park on times listed on the official website.

_{Kristina McKirk nee Fraiser
Lifestyle and Culture Columnist
Star Messenger}

SPORTS
Nicolosi, Rebellion-Porsche tasting Victory in the Vineyard



There was little doubt going into this weekend's annual Vineyard Rally that the factory backed Porsche effort by Rebellion Energy Drinks would be nigh impossible for privateers to overcome and the results thus far have only confirmed that assumption. Joel Nicolosi, piloting a bespoke 997 imported from Germany specifically for the event's unlimited class, leads the Rally overall by a substantial margin at the end of day two. Barring any catastrophic mechanical issues, he should finish Sunday's reverse stages comfortably.

Though clearly not a FIA/WRS sanctioned event. Rebellion, along with Porsche have used the event as technical and marketing showcase debuting a new flavor to their energy drink lineup and paying homage to Porsche's expansive customer racing efforts by entering a late model 997. With Nicolosi driving in his prime and a majority tarmac rally strongly suited to his driving style, the whole event has been a win for all parties involved and not just on the stage, but with fans and customers alike.

Rumors continue to fly and have perhaps landed at Old Sol International with a bid for the Isle of Man production car record later this year under the banner of Nicolosi’s former Sol City GP sponsor, Olympus Heavy Industries. Reliable sources have indicated that an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 arrived earlier this week and was unloaded in the cover of night bearing OHI markings and a special livery. We’ll see what else develops there, but I would say that with a weapon like that, Nicolosi has a legitimate shot at the record.

_{Marshall Pruett
Senior Motorsports Columnist
Star Messenger}

WEATHER

Clear and Cool, seasonal with a bright full-moon for you to enjoy tonight in Sol City. Dress accordingly, spring is right around the corner!

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)

A Phone Call

I’m surprised you still have this number

I’m surprised you answered it

I knew you’d call eventually

...

Alright, c’mon. I haven’t got all day.

Just shut up and listen. If you knew I was going to call then you know what this is about

No fun at all, go ahead

There’s an easy way we can both settle this and walk away

If you’re talking about that pathetic flower shop, I was just going to send Yolo down there to take care of it, I don’t need your help, besides, I heard you couldn’t convince him to sell

No, but I’ve already got the money in place should something happen

So you got the fool to buy in on nothing. I’ve got money too. That means jack shit to me.

I know it doesn’t, but I also know you’re missing something that you can’t get back by just killing everyone and that’s where we’re going to make an arrangement

Fine, I’m listening

Take care of Reyes and I’ll hand you over the Marshal, but you buy the flower shop from me for what we know that property is going to be worth along with the club property. I’ll cash out and you’ll have all the pieces you need to sell to the Yakuza.

This sounds uncharacteristically unbeneficial to you, so you can understand my skepticism. I could just kill the Marshal myself.

How has that been working for you?

Third time’s a charm

The definition of insanity…

Let’s just cut the shit- what is it you want from this? IF I decide to go along with it.

This city has been a bust for me and I never wanted it, this was all you and Sammy, I have other projects to take care of that pay more with much less effort involved.

Haha, you’re going back to Florida

You get the Marshal and we get rid of Barrett at the same time, it's a clean break for everyone. I’m not interested in what’s in your vault.

You don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about.

Your brother told me what was in there.

Bullshit

It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t believe me, but I do know you want it and if you just kill her, you probably will never get it back.

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

HOLDING UNTIL SUNDAY EVENING (US EST)

Short jump to SATURDAY NIGHT OWLS

We had a request to wait through the weekend- Skip postponed until Sunday afternoon

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

24 Hour Time Skip Warning

Short jump to SATURDAY NIGHT OWLS

Consider what your characters have been doing for the last couple of days. Who you have interacted with and the choices you have made will start having more effects throughout the game.

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)

Just a small bump and an fyi, we're working on the next skip post, consider this just a casual notice, more to come later this week

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

Paige Kennedy, Milo Ventri & Siobhan Murphy

Siobhan nodded and smiled at Alejandro as she got caught up in snapping a few more photos. She saw a beautiful Bird of Paradise and persuaded the clerk to remove the sold sign for a shot. Siobhan looked around and took a couple more photos of some calla lilies and hyacinthia. She backed up and was able to just get the full display.

Milo made the short walk a few blocks back to his truck. The vibrant arrangement of flowers wrapped delicately in fine tissue paper in his hand drew glances from several passersby and he returned their glances with a cordial smile. Cliched as it were, he thought back for a moment to the last time he actually did buy flowers for a woman, past just the mental rebuttal he had against flower shop owner’s sales pitch. Looking down, he turned the bouquet slightly in his hand as he walked towards his truck and his smile faded. The coolness of the evening buffeted against his vest and he glanced around briefly as he dug for the key fob to his truck in his pocket.

“I’d give you a witty line at this point,” He said handing the flowers over. “But I know you’d have some smartass rebuttal.” He chuckled and closed the door behind him.

“Smart man,” Paige said with a coy smile. No matter what, she adored when people gave her gifts and she was a little surprised that he had actually decided to buy her flowers. Naturally, she enjoyed the fragrance for a moment before her tone darkened: “They in there?” She asked, still examining some of the blooms.

“Yep, all three.” Milo said looking out across the movement of the downtown streets. His eyes glanced for a moment to the side mirror that looked back down the path he had walked.

Paige wriggled her lips for a moment. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect. She didn’t think it would be a lie, but she also didn’t think she would get the whole truth either. “Trucks too?”

“Just like she said…” Milo replied. “It’s all being kept in the back, there’s always someone keeping the customers in the front of the store.”

“How about the flower?”

“Under glass.”

Looking up Siobhan didn’t see Milo. She had wanted to ask him if Paige was running late since she was supposed to be here. Siobhan frowned and ran out the door. Thankfully she wore converse today. She saw Milo’s back in the distance. “Damnit.”

Rolling her eyes, she held her camera as she jogged after Milo. Her feet pounded and all that running with Paige paid off since she wasn’t winded at all by the time she got to the truck.

What is going on? Did she want to ditch me? She never misses a meeting. I’ll ask Milo since he’s here and so am I.

Siobhan was a little hurt but covered it with a blank look. Milo would never figure out that she had followed him and she might scare the hell out of him. She went to knock on the window with a smirk on her face.

Paige felt a shadow come up on the outside of Milo’s nearly black tinted windows and she glanced up to find Siobhan’s tall figure craning for a glance inside. She turned and shot Milo a narrow glance, “You saw her coming didn’t you?”

Milo only snickered. He knew there was no way the redhead could see inside.

The dark window retracted slowly revealing wispy blonde bangs and green eyes glancing back at Siobhan. “Well look who it is dahlin’” Paige said slyly in her expert Scarlett O’Hara impersonation. “It’s Siobhan Murphy, maybe we should let her in?” She pressed the door unlock and motioned with her eyes for Sio to jump in the back.

Siobhan jumped and squeaked as Paige scared her. She mock glared at Paige as the camera bounced against her sternum and probably bruised it. Rubbing the spot she bumped and grinning at Paige’s impression of Vivien Leigh as Scarlett.

Paige sent her mind back a few months and Siobhan knew she had grown so much from that little girl. Snapping back to reality Siobhan hopped in the truck as Paige unlocked it. “I thought you got caught up catching a bad guy like we did on my first ride along. What’s going on? How come you didn't come in?”

Siobhan got excited her blue eyes bright with excitement. “Oh wait is this like that time? Do we get to bust some bad guy?”

“Oh, we already have.” Paige said looking back. She held up the bouquet of tropical flowers and took another breath of their sweet aroma. “Your friend, the flower shop owner. He just doesn’t know it yet.”

Milo started the engine and began driving away as they spoke.

Siobhan looked stunned for a moment in time. “Oh? I wouldn’t even really say friend since he was rather distant today. I thought maybe it was something I did. You know Milo picked those out himself. No help what-so-ever.”

Siobhan grinned at Milo teasing him like a little sister. She wondered if she could get him to blush. “He was looking at this really pretty Bird of Paradise. I thought he was gonna buy it but it was already sold.”

“He knows how to make good choices.” Paige replied looking over at Milo. “We already knew that particular one was sold.”

Siobhan raised an eyebrow. “Before he went in? Wait the flowers weren’t a surprise for just being you? I’m actually quite confused now.” She shook her head and looked from Milo to Paige. “What is going on?”

Milo glanced over at Paige as they got the ramp to take the interstate south. Paige saw his eyes look over knowingly and she considered her words. She confided a lot in Siobhan, but never anything that would put her much younger redheaded companion in danger. “Just do us a favor and don’t go in there any more.”

Siobhan saw the seriousness in their eyes. She suddenly wanted nothing to do with the flower shop and was glad that she had what she needed from the place. She nodded and following that nod said. “Never again. I just have to get Karen and go home. If you say do go I won’t. It’s a promise.” She shook her head at the thought of going back in. She gave her word and that was always her bond.

@Pyxis
@Almalthia