Pilatus

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

Paige Kennedy

“Odd place to hang out on the lam.” Xi said as they strolled down the dark corridor. The steady thrum of the music reverberated down the long hall.

“He’s an odd duck for sure.” Paige said. She hated heavy metal music. Songs were better when a person could understand the words.

“So how did CC find him here?”

“Apparently he was online bitching about the music sucking,” Paige replied steadily having to raise her voice as they drew closer. She handed him her phone which displayed an update on CT’s blog carrying on about the rock music scene in Sol City going soft. “He mentioned some popular band being back in town so they started following the social media back to here.”

Xi chuckled. He had the spark-plug wire to CT’s moped in his jacket pocket. After some light teasing about the man’s earlier escape, it had taken him about two minutes to pop the seat off and remove it when they found it, again hidden behind a dumpster in the back lot close to the exit. Still grinning slightly from the story earlier, he regarded Paige carefully in the corner of his vision as they walked. Her usual recalcitrant mood seemed colder than normal when they met up across the street. Ever since coming back to work from her stint in the hospital, he noticed her fuse seemed to have shortened a bit and he could tell there were other things on her mind, though he lent the majority of that to the newly reopened Giancana file and knew she’d been working on it most of the day instead of being in the field. The poor thugs that passed as “security” folded instantly under her deathlike glare and the presence of two Federal Officers.

Paige wore her standard jeans, sneakers and leather jacket over a white top as well as her usual stoic look and pony tail when they hit the main hall. She hated clubs. Perhaps lending to her strict rearing, she only viewed them as a hives of debauchery and ill-repute. She was looking forward to dragging CT out of there in the public view.

“That looks expensive.” Xi said with a glance up to the impressive, glowing chandelier.

Paige only gave the lighting a passing glance amid the sounds of crashing guitar riffs and the triumphant shouts of drinks being downed in large amounts. Xi managed to think of the spark plug wire before her and she was looking to make it even. She had a good idea where to look and nudged him to come closer so he could hear. ‘Look past the chandelier,” She said. “I think that’s a wireless antenna.” She took out her phone again and looked at the available networks. On the Heavens was listed with the highest strength and open access. “That’s it, the CC guy said he would be on the public Wi-Fi where he couldn’t be traced.” She looked around again. “That, and he’s probably wiping out everybody’s bank account that’s on it too.”

Xi followed the wires coming out of the antenna hidden in the rafters down from the ceiling where they entered the bar area. “We just gotta get’em to turn it off and he’ll pop up.”

“That’s easy enough, just watch my back.” Paige replied and headed towards the bar.

It was crowded, shoulder to shoulder, perfume and cologne clashing against bare skin and sweat as she made her way. Paige had a presence that made people naturally step aside and combined with the remnants of the bruises slightly hidden behind her blonde locks; she cut a more intimidating figure than usual as a space at the corner of the bar opened up. As one of the bartenders came forward she had to admit she did like the ornate décor of this particular club especially the exquisite stained glass behind the main bar. It was a nice touch and told her things stayed relatively controlled in Club Aether for such a delicate piece to remain unharmed. She put a twenty-dollar bill on the bar and scribbled a note to the young girl before she could ask for her drink order:

Turn off the wifi

The server looked down at the note curiously at first then looked back up strangely at the unexpected request. Paige drew her jacket open slightly revealing her sidearm and Marshal’s star. “Five Minutes, and I’ll have a Collins.”

The girl seemed intrigued and as she stepped away to start Paige’s drink reaching under the bar for the router and turning it off.

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

Joel Nicolosi

Joel smirked a little at her joke and shook his head. Always joking, always playing. He thought reaching over to help her with the belts. He didn’t care about the innuendo or the questionable position of his hands as he tightened the straps down properly and fastened them together maneuvering around her shoulders, waist and chest. Making sure she was safe in the car was more important than flirting for the moment. Parental as it may have seemed, she was going to find out why soon enough. Though he had to admit that he was enjoying it a little bit. The familiar smell of her hair and the closeness between them felt natural and it was evident she was genuinely glad to be there: A sentiment that was not lost on him. Not to mention, she looked very sharp in the jacket he picked up for her.

With a small wave to the assembly he moved the sequential gearbox into first and pulled off the pallet slowly giving the tires their first taste of the North American continent. He could hear them squeaking over the concrete floor, biting down even at a crawl. A few of the workers moved their hands in circular motions looking for him to light them up, but he resisted the urge while still in the warehouse. Another small switch turned on the lights and a button on the steering wheel activated the high-beams. Holding it down caused the high-powered LED bulbs to pulse rapidly. He made sure everyone was out of the way and he was clear before giving them all what they wanted. It was just a short burst of power, but the tires lit up instantly in white smoke and that was enough as they growled away. Showing off in the traffic lane wasn’t exactly smiled upon.

He looked over at Sio, his face only lit by the faint glow of the controls, “Checkmate.” He said. The word was barely audible over the growl of the exhaust that exited behind her seat, but he knew she could read his lips.

One of the most interesting things about fast driving, at least to Joel, was just how accustomed people were to going between 55 and 85mph everywhere they went and how deeply ingrained it was in the average person’s psyche. So much time was spent within that window and below it, every day, since birth, that the thought was just automatic. When time was taken out of the average person’s objections to distance, it was near enlightening how accessible the world became. As he turned on to the old highway that led back to the city he didn’t give any indication towards her as he purposefully increased the speed gradually until the telephone poles were going by like fence-posts. The intersection for the 923 Loop blinked in the distance and they were there in seconds blazing by a Shell station with the cackling rumble of deceleration. The light for the turning lane was green and the howl of the exhaust reverberated beneath the overpass as he swung up the ramp and really put his foot in it causing the rear end to come around slightly. He jinked the wheel slightly to counter it grinning broadly the whole time.

They hit the highway and he blasted past a semi, looking ahead and making his moves several seconds beforehand through the night traffic they screamed along making it to the junction for 98 in less than a minute. The car wrapped around the curving on-ramp like it was on rails and he went back up through the gears like a song nearly trance-like in his concentration and control. Just like in Japan on the track he could feel the body of the car settling down on ground beneath the air as the wind-tunnel refined body leaned into the wind. He knew he could have never beat them if the Sol Grand Prix’s straightaway had been a quarter mile longer. There was no comparison in the downforce created by the GT-R. The car was like a rifle shot.

As lane markings blurred together into solid white lines Joel saw his exit coming up and relented on the accelerator coasting down the exit lane seeing the downtown glow of skyscrapers in the distance. The composite brake discs had no problem slowing them and glowed hot orange in the night air as they returned to the land of normal traffic on the surface streets. Coming to stop for a traffic signal, he nudged her shoulder and leaned over so she could hear him, “Quick trip, huh?” He said with a smile in the darkness.

It wasn’t far from the highway and they cruised under the streetlights and neon signs drawing glances from groups of pedestrians traveling up and down The Run. He held the high-beam flasher a few times enjoying himself immensely as they passed before carefully angling over the entrance of Club Aether. The car again drew steady glances and some even pointed as they rumbled past the entrance and he gave a couple obligatory taps of the pedal bouncing the wild exhaust note off the side of the building. He swung around to some of the parking in the rear spotting a white GTR parked securely in the distance and backed in next to it making a pair. It was just good form to keep the nicer rides together. He shut the engine down.

“I haven’t been here in years,” He said to Sio glancing at the building. It looked the same as the last time he’d seen it. “I don’t think I know what this place looks like in the daylight,” He mused. “Used to be pretty cool though. Let’s get a drink and we’ll head back out and see what kinda trade we can stir up.”

@Almalthia

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

@Avanhelsing

We're 12/10 right now, so it's not as biased as it was. You can still do a CS for a male.

Anyone thinking about a second character needs to consider a female first.

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

@Avanhelsing

No pressure whatsoever. It's as involved as you want it to be.

We're here to help.

Make a CS and jump in.

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

Paige Kennedy

As a US Marshal, Paige saw her share of gruesome scenes, but even she winced a bit at the sound of Titus’s leg being snapped in Milo’s vice. He was slightly tougher than she thought and though she knew that beating him senseless probably wouldn’t produce the information that they needed, she enjoyed the sight of Milo, sleeves rolled back and sweat beginning to bead over his face, giving him an old fashioned beat-down. Occasionally, the poor man would glance at her, almost expectantly, like she would call an end to the punishment, but she only stared back, piercingly in the dim light. Leaning back against his workbench, arms crossed, she watched as Milo delivered a hammer-like blow to the crushed leg producing an animalistic howl of agony. It almost made her smile, seeing him directing his anger with such ferocity, but she waited, patiently.

She was a little surprised when he started to talk. They had no way to verify his information and she figured he was likely bold enough to lie just to mislead them and stop the pain. They needed something more to be sure he wasn’t just blowing smoke. She could tell that he still believed, just like Elvin had, that no matter what he wouldn’t die in Milo’s shop, because she was present and wouldn’t let it happen. “That’s enough,” She said taking the same hammer in hand that she had before and walking up next to Milo. A sigh of relief came over the pain ridden man with her words and his shoulders slumped down in exhaustion as he hung his head briefly before looking back up. The tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes was the very thing she was looking for when she casually tossed the hammer aside. Her hand moved like a ghost bringing her pistol out of its holster before him and firing.

The hollow-point round cut through the chair directly between his legs and only millimeters from his manhood burying itself in fragments through Milo’s floor. Smoke rolled off the end of the gun barrel as he looked up at her dark visage in complete terror. Her eyes blazed behind olive-green that nearly glowed back at him. “The next one is for you, Titus.” She said raising the barrel slightly.

The story began to turn much more detailed as he stammered for words. She kept the gun trained through names, places, dates and times, but still wasn’t satisfied and began to shake her head slowly not sure if she was allowing herself to be fueled by the same raw anger as Milo or if she really thought she could get anything else out of him. She felt like some dark shadow in Milo’s shop was slowly closing her index finger inward, talking to her again, in her head. She could get away with it. Her small SiG pistol had no safety, by design the first pull on her trigger was about ten pounds. It would be easy, even cover for Milo after it happened. The air inside felt like it was near boiling as she looked down the sights feeling her grip tighten slowly. No judge or jury would believe a scumbag like Titus.

Her phone buzzed in her back pocket and the trance was broken. She glanced at Milo briefly and took it out to look at the message still keeping the gun leveled. Her eyes settled back on Titus. “Fear not Titus, for you have been saved.” She said tilting her head slightly from behind the sights. “I expect death to be… nothingness.” She said lowering her arm and looking away as if a part of herself was returning to the moment.

“Th-that’s not in the Bible.” Titus sputtered.

“No, it is not.” She said solemnly and still looking away. “That was Isaac Asimov,” She recalled the quote from a paper she wrote in one of her psychology classes at UF. “He did not believe in God.” She looked at Milo briefly and holstered her gun once more stepping around to him where Titus could not see. In the lowlight with the smell of gun smoke and sweat, she gripped his shirt at the neckline and pulled him towards her. Closing her eyes and letting herself go for only a moment, she kissed him.

“I have to go,” She said stepping back and glancing down at the hole in the floor her bullet had dug. “Sorry about your floor.”

@RoccanIronclad

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

@ShwiggityShwah

@Cairo's character, Sarah, is a zookeeper.

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

@Rodiak

Good to go. Move her on over to the character tab.

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

Joel Nicolosi

Joel chuckled a little at Sio’s words. “Well, you’re not gonna have to wait,” He said and continued matter-of-factly: “We’re leavin’ in it right now.” He opened the door and retrieved a small red bag from inside pausing briefly to look over the spartan interior: Two spec racing seats with five point harness, roll-cage, fire extinguisher, carbon fiber panels and unaesthetic steel switches. It had a somewhat bizarre “new car” smell combined with the distinctive, rubbery odor of high-performance track tires and race-gas that Joel liked. “They gave me all kinds of stuff while I was over there,” He said tossing the bag to her. “And they were actually very nice, I think that’s a women’s team jacket I got you.” He could tell she was cold.

Contrary to their gritty rivalry at the Grand Prix, the Nissan engineers had been more than welcoming and downright hospitable towards Joel while he was visiting as if he’d earned a place among them. He certainly felt like he deserved it, having carried their brand for years, but he took everything humbly as he knew he’d humbled them; showing class was important to him. There were a few more items that he left tucked inside for the flight over and he carefully placed them with the tires on the back of the skid remembering that he would have to later send a courier to pick up everything anyway. Track cars weren’t known for trunk space. He dug in his pocket for the small “key” that was shaped more like a plug and inserted it into the dash. Like a motorcycle key it only turned on the battery.

Joel swung himself into the seat and took down the steering wheel from its hanger attaching it with an affirmative, metallic click! to the steering column. With a small twist of the key, the battery came alive first with an electric hum then the fuel pump sounded with a growl as he activated the control switch. A small green light came up on the dash indicating the pressures were good. His thumb flipped open a hat-switch and pushed in the spring-loaded button.

The warehouse erupted in the echo of an unfiltered exhaust note: Something akin to a banshee and roaring lion, completely visceral and bone-jarringly loud. The working shift seemed to stop in its movements just to see the commotion and joining several others that gathered when the cover was removed. Joel tapped the accelerator a few times blasting the rpms up to the red with only the tiniest flex of his toes. A fireball of unburned fuel popped from the side-exit exhaust and was gone again in a flash. He nodded in satisfaction and glanced over to Sio. He knew she couldn’t hear him, but his lips clearly read: Let’s go.

@Almalthia

SOL CITY - Modern Slice of Life

S O L C I T Y

Modern Slice of Life

Welcome citizens of the Guild to our adventure

---

The Idea Reforged

Hello all,

A little over two weeks ago @PrinceAlexus and I launched Sol City Chapter Two continuing our take on the "Slice of Life" genre. Our goal was (and continues to be) to provide the open world sandbox that many enjoy and throw a few new ideas into the pot along with some others we found to be successful.

The original Sol City went more than 500 IC posts over 8 months, surviving the Great Guild Lag and arriving at its planned-out conclusion. We are proud to bring you our new offering, rebuilt, upgraded and better than ever with 29 locations covering everything from dive bars to diamond studded events.

For those of you that may not be familiar, there is no magic or dystopian angle in our game. It’s simply a setting of everyday people living out their lives in a fictional/fun city setting where drama, romance and a few surprises bring the world to life. Right now we have about eighteen players, 29 locations and a nifty map (that is regularly updated) to keep track of them all. To keep things moving, we're running regular events for our time skips as well as a an over-arching plot. It is our goal to recruit 20-25 players at a minimum as the city can continues to grow without any limits.

We are wide open to suggestions and want this to continue to be a community project. Everyone is invited to take as much stake in the game as they please. Your plans/input/ideas will be valued in the same way as our first game, i.e., you can expect things like time skips and major events to be discussed in the OOC/Discord openly and feedback encouraged.

If you're worried about post count, don't be, just jump right in. We aim to make it easy as possible to get in the game be it post 5, 50 or 500. We do encourage you to read through the old thread at your leisure, but it is not required.

Thanks for reading our IC! Let us know what you think or any questions you may have.

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

Paige Kennedy

After the morning escapade, Paige spent the rest of the day mostly around the Marshal Service office either working on the Giancana case file or checking in with Cyber Crimes officer to see if he had come up with anything to help her get another line on the hacker that managed to escape that morning. The young man didn’t seem to mind the company, but she could sense his nervousness around her, much like CT’s friend back at the apartment. It was all very high-schoolish, she thought. As if the teacher had paired up the chess champion and pitcher from the softball team. She reminisced with a whimsical thought back at her high school days and the sports she played: mostly volleyball and softball; never really putting enough into it to go farther than being locally recognized. It wasn’t really her forte. Though she was fiercely competitive, she was mostly there for the status and social aspects.

A text interrupted her musings as the man hammered keystrokes and clicked away on a laptop. The afternoon had been mostly quiet after he’d given up on conversation long ago. They had nothing in common. Paige glanced down at her phone reading the text from Milo. Her lips twitched and curled with thought and she glanced over at her temporary partner. “I’m going out for a minute,” She said. “You want me to bring you back anything?” She added to make it seem less conspicuous.

“No, but thanks, go ahead,” The man replied. “I’m on his trail, but he doesn’t know it… yet.” He continued looking intently at the screen. “I’m just staying behind him a few steps at a time.”

Whatever that means. Paige thought to herself. She scribbled on a piece of paper and slid it over to him. “That’s my phone number,” She said. “If you get anything, you text me. I don’t care if he’s in Mexico.”

The young man’s free hand left the keyboard only briefly and slid the slip of paper over to his side, not even looking down. He merely nodded. The fact that she had given him her phone number meant nothing.

Paige smirked in satisfaction as she walked away. She could appreciate professionalism.

Milo’s shop wasn’t far away and she didn’t bother texting him back. She just showed up and let herself in with the key he’d given her. Even if he wasn’t near the window, he’d know it was her when he heard the striker draw back inside the door. Her sneakers tread softly through the quiet darkness of his house and her shadow was cast over his things in the faint light that he kept up for her arrival. She found him waiting with the man, sweaty and bruised from the restraints Milo used to fasten him down. He looked at her, seeing the star and the gun holstered at her hip, almost looking relieved that law enforcement had arrived. She grinned back at him as the dim light darkened her face. “Hello Titus,” She said politely before looking over at Milo seeing the array of metal-working tools he laid out and giving him a nod. She picked up one of his rounding hammers, calmly feeling its weight and balance in her hand and watching Titus’ eyes follow her with confusion. She looked back at him, not speaking for a moment, only holding the small nordic-style hammer lightly in both hands. “Did you know my daddy was a preacher?” She asked.

@RoccanIronclad