(Ch. 6: Day 2)

Greens · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 10:24 pm

Converse to the way he stared at it, the poster wasn't spontaneously bursting into flames, and as such, seemed to provoke a looooooong deep breath that poured smoke out of the serval's nose. It actually looked like he was steaming mad for a moment, but in truth he was just dissapointed. "Who else could it be?" he asked rhetorically of his hedgehogian companion. "That's her band. Caz was crazy about it..."

With that, he plucked out and flicked his worn out cigarette at the wall just beneath the poster, before promptly snuffing out the flame with his boot, finalizing the deed when he turned to face Tyra-- or, just walk past her.

"It's... nothin'," he said plainly. "Just an old friend of mine."

Seafarinhare · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:10 pm

As everyone got their bearings in the trainstation, they were notably, or not so notably, missing a seafaring robber.

Only moments after Ace and Geoff exchanged regarding the individual on the poster, Ivan wandered over; a half empty(half full?) bottle of booze in-hand. He noted how a majority of the group seemed to be afixed on the poster of a red monkey. Wasn't anyone that the pirate bunny was familiar with.

"'Cause fer Alarm', eh? Be havin' a nice ring to it, I s'pose. They be any good?" He asked with mild interest before taking a swig of whatever poison he was drinking at the time.

Heart · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 12:59 am

The bag plunged into the rapids, quickly and violently dragging it - and it's contents - down the river.

No, that's not right..

~~The bag plunged into the rapids, quickly and violently dragging it - and it's contents - down the river.~~

Unluckily for the cat,

....

~~Unluckily for the cat,~~ Cold water soaked through the bag, but the cat didn't get the chance to react. The might of the rapids had flipped the bag, making the cat's head impact the rocks below with an unheard 'Crack'. Pain shot through the feline's body, and with the water, his consciousness was swept away into the unknown.

Pleased with her work, the teen smiled. Sure she had been informed of what really happened to Ace, but now she had a good idea going. She liked where this was going, it was the perfect story inspiration she'd been looking for. So, as far as she was concerned, Ace had already repaid her.

Speaking for Ace, Avatar just now noticed that everyone's attention was drawn to a poster - more specifically, a consort poster. She also noticed the wave of disappointment coming from the cat. Since he had just been in such a chipper mood, it was strange to see him so suddenly reverse into gloom... or partial gloom anyway.

"Yo, 'sup whit' you now man?" She said as he walked past the drunken wolverine.

Greens · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:32 am

"...I don't think I wanna talk about it," he grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets, and busying his gaze with the air-trams that passed overhead. He was silent for a moment, but seemed to be pondering something. His blue eyes were affixed to the ferries, but almost appeared to be looking through them, as if they weren't really part of his focus at all. "...But I think I know where I'm gonna be this evening."

With that, his attention abruptly turned elsewhere, as if everyone else had suddenly vanished. It wasn't a matter of rudeness-- he was simply otherwise occupied. "Hey, Casey," he called, strolling in his direction. "It's Casey, right? You know where the Castle Hotel is from here?"

psikeout · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:34 am

Despite how vague he had been, Casey seemed at ease with what Pax said. It seemed simple enough: retain the big, fat team of pseudo-superpowered people until a new directive slides down the chain. Best of all, that meant money for nothing, which was Casey's favorite kind of money. Thus, he was not going to ask questions, and all he did was just give a sloppy salute and a jolly "Roger that!"

But then Ace called for him, and he turned with a look most... scrutinizing.

"What? Really?" he blurted skeptically as he lumbered over. "You wanna go see a concert now?"

Sheff · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 2:08 pm

"We... know a member of the band," Geoff chimed in. Ace had manage to beat him on his own growing intentions, so now he was just rolling along with the idea now in play. "And it's probably important to you, too."

He strode forward the step needed, placing a hand on the boar's shoulder as he muttered in a lower matter, but not to be discreet in front of Ace. He was just trying to get the point across, whether the cat overheard or not. He really could care less if the serval learned of what he already had told Casey; if he had a beef with who the pig was currently working for, he'd deal with it later.

"It's related to Rock. If he's takin' the risk to plaster his girlfriend everywhere around town, he might just go as far to be there."

psikeout · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 3:57 pm

Casey's expression did not change, and in fact seemed frozen in a speculative, scrutiny-laden leer. He lifted a lone index finger as if to raise a question.

"Why would he..." he trailed off. "What would this have to do with..."

He was having a hard time reconciling Geoff's claims with his own sensibilities. The put-posters-of-my-girlfriend-around-to-advertise-a-concert plot did not seem well-grounded in principles of what Mr. Casey knew of subterfuge and covert tyranny. The boar nonetheless dropped his hand back at his side and just shook his head, brows high and eyes half-lidded, drawing a deep breath through his mouth.

"If you really think it's important, an' Agent Gardyner don't mind, I'll show you there, I guess," he conceded.

He shot a disapproving glance back at the poster again.

"This whole detour better not just be about some girl in tight pants, though."

Zaka51 · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 6:50 pm

"I don't mind going to see a show."

Pax seemed a lot more cheerful and mellow about the idea than the hog did. It seemed the notion actually brought a smile to his face. "With all this running around and waiting, I can't think of anything better to do. It doesn't look like my kind of scene, but hey, ya never know. I've never heard of that band before but maybe I'll like them." Standing up from his seat, the agent gave a few stretches, accompanied by a short yawn. He seemed oddly relaxed, if one thought back to how somber he acted on the mountain trail. Maybe it was because he wasn't aware of the implications of the concert.

"Besides, even if the music's no good, it's at the Castle Hotel, right? We could book some rooms and get a good night's sleep. From the looks of it, a few of us really need it..." Paxton's eyes seemed to linger on Ace for a moment as he said that last part, but was soon enough idly staring off at the passing rail cars.

"Hey, wait a sec."

Suddenly, Ace would find a hand wrapped very tightly around one of his arms, and a stern-eyed wolverine standing behind him, looking him in the eyes if he turned to face her. "I got some questions for ya, card guy. And since I risked my neck for ya in Chun-Nan twice, I think ya owe me," she said, her fierce stare making it obvious that the wolverine wasn't willing to budge on the issue. The booze may have affected her mind some, but as the serval could probably tell, it hadn't slowed down her body very much, if at all.

Greens · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 7:31 pm

"If only it were ever that simple," mused Ace in a fleeting gesture to Casey. Cue the new girl, who he promptly delivered his attention to. Even through crossed arms, while he listened well enough to what she had to say, ("Card guy?") he almost seemed to be more bemused than anything by her aggressive exterior, like he owed her an old debt when they'd never actually met before. When she was finished, he responded.

"Well, I-- I really appreciate the effort, and I don't mean to sound rude, but," he paused. "...Do I know you?"

Zaka51 · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:24 pm

It was certain that she didn't like Ace's response, as her stare only intensified into an intense glare. "It'sh Tyra," she growled with impatience at having to explain herself. "An' no, you don't know me, but I tried to save you in that hospital back in...Chun-Nan, and again in those freakin' subways. I got questions. If you really did off that idiot Li Fang and escape all by your li'l self then tell me, who else did you see around...wherever the hell you were?" Her hands irritatedly tugged at the bottom of her jacket as she waited for his response.

Greens · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:16 pm

As she went on, Ace eventually recalled the proof of iron in her words-- she was the crazy chick who threw the fire extinguisher at Tracer. 'Oh boy,' thought he. 'What a first impression that must've been.' Then again, she wasn't really one to talk. It could've been easy to take her violent charity as a simple act of kindness for her fellow man, but it was very clear that she had her own agenda. Really, he was starting to think he just had rotten luck with women. "Gheez, you're an eager beaver. Jus' chill out for a second and I might fill you in." Up went his hands in the 'slow down please' position, but as promised, he didn't stop there.

"I saw scumbags of all shapes and sizes; Fang was an equal opportunity slimeball. He had two mercs with him that stood out, an old soldier cat for a lapdog, and a mouse in a suit for 'is... waterboy, or somethin', I dunno. Does that satisfy you?"

Zaka51 · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:20 pm

"I'm not a beaver, damn it."

Her face didn't change at all, so it seemed she wasn't quite done. "An' what happened to them? The lapdog and...water boy?"

Greens · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:42 pm

"Haooh, boy."

"The cat? I dunno," Ace answered promptly. "Last I saw he was unconscious against a wall. The mouse guy..." He paused, recalling the buckshot-riddled body falling into the river. Suddenly, he felt all too reluctant to divulge the information. What cause did he have, other than to get this crazy girl off his back, to spill the beans on a crime lord's associates to a high-pressure wolverine girl with alcohol on her breath? It's not like he owed her anything, and his common sense warned him it might just be more trouble than it was worth.

"...Why d'you even care?"

Zaka51 · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 9:53 pm

Tyra started growling. It was low and guttural, but it made it clear that she was getting wound-up, and Ace wasn't helping. One of her hands twitched a bit, and for a moment, it looked liked she was going to outright lunge at him.

Then, wordlessly, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Alright, look..." Some of the tension had dissipated, leaving her sounding calmer, but tired. "Those guys...have a friend of mine...like they had you. If you killed Li Fang...then that means I have to start going after someone else. 'Cuz I don't know what they're gonna do. And I want my friend back before anything bad happens to him, 'cuz I don't know what they're doing with him. I've been looking for...a...two freakin' months, alright? You're the only lead I ever got in Chun-Nan. Does that explain it? Huh? Happy?"

Greens · Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:36 pm

The serval was silent for a moment, and following a puff of air from his nose, adopted a very stern expression. Did this answer a question he had?

"The mouse guy got shot by Fang's bodyguard. I dunno why, but he took the bullet for me. I was forced out before I could check on him or I would've been next. 'M sorry."

It was just a hunch, of course, but something told him this would be grim news to report. He just hoped her supposed friend's name wasn't Wyatt...

(Ch. 6: Day 2)

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