Pilatus

X-Men: The New Era

Coleman St. John

After the accident, the doctors at the clinic told him certain things would come back quite naturally while others may take time or even have to be relearned completely. Things like remembering where things were in the grocery store, the channels for the news or how to shift the gears on his bike came very naturally, like nothing had happened, but even over a year later he couldn’t recall where the title to the bike was or who he had bought it from. Driving along he glanced at the passing cars while the station played a song he knew he was tired of hearing, but still liked just enough not to change. The GPS in the dash gave a chipper reminder that his exit was approaching and his hand rolled over the turn signal as he left the freeway, thankful to exit the choked artery of afternoon traffic.

The cases over the last several months hadn’t been anything particularly exciting, but the folder in the passenger seat next to him represented solid casework- something else that came back as naturally as hitting the ball with the bat. He was proud of it and derived a certain level of satisfaction just glancing over briefly at the size of the neatly tied legal file as he drove along. The Los Angeles area was never short on work for a private investigator and the pages therein included recommendations from lawyers, clients and police as well as meticulously concluded files that covered everything from cheating spouses to the run of cigarette boats coming up from Mexico. The money wasn’t making him rich, but he was getting along well enough to eat out at places that didn’t include a drive-thru when he wanted. With the inevitable Fall slow-down approaching, he was thinking about expanding his scope of business and was the reason for his current drive.

The ad placed by the Ashford Institute wasn’t particularly large or attention grabbing and seemed, at first glance, a little out of place when Cole first noticed it in the local paper accepting resumes for a “Security Analyst”. Not thinking he’d get any sort of reply in light of the numerous ex-military types and more established offices in the area, he went ahead and sent in his CV just out of curiosity and to his surprise, received a call back from a Professor named Everose who wanted a face to face interview. Something about her voice through the phone felt searching as if she was gathering some sense of him just between their voices. He hung up the line at the end of the call with slight reservation, but decided to go to the interview nonetheless. The Institute had developed a particular sort of mystique around it in the local community. No one really seemed to know a lot about it, though everyone knew the name.

One thing that was for certain, by all accounts and research, was that they were very particular about their screening process and the “gifted” moniker was a catch-all for their particular clientele. He nodded to himself with a tiny smirk thinking about it as turned off a few surface streets towards a long rural stretch, he could be rather particular himself. It had been over a week since he last made a ride, but over the course of several months, the feeling became more like an instinct or a calling. He could feel it in his chest, like a fist reaching and grasping the inside of his heart, tighter and stronger with each moment he held back. Embracing it felt completely natural. The rush of wind over his shoulders, the unbridled focus, like his whole aura was pouring out from his soul in a path of fire and scorched earth. He wasn’t expecting anything too exciting from the school or a bunch of stuffy academic types, but as he approached the gate, he couldn’t deny the distant flame of suspicion in the back of his mind.

Cole placed the legal file in a small backpack and thumbed the keyfob a couple times giving the alarm a couple short notes as he stepped away from the completely inconspicuous grey Explorer he used for his PI work among the other cars in the small lot. Miss Everose had told him to call when he arrived and she would let him through the main gate. Looking around at most of the fairly new construction, he made a few mental notes to himself as he pulled up her number and sent the call.


@Almalthia

X-Men: The New Era

Coleman St. John

PIC

Name: Coleman Lee Queen/St. John

Nicknames: ”Cole”

Aliases: the Ghost Rider

Gender: Male

Age: 33

Occupation: Former ATF Special Agent, Currently Private Investigator

Hometown: Miami, FL

Birthday: June 3, 1985

Weight: 195

Height: 6’1”

Eye Color: Left is Green, Right is Brown, not starkly different, but noticeable

Style: Very Simple t-shirts, polos, jeans, riding boots, leather jacket, whatever is appropriate for the situation, never flamboyant

Relationships: Karina (wife), Tyler, Reese & CJ (sons, from a year old to eight), Sarah (sister) and his parents are still alive.

Likes:
+Coffee / Energy Drinks
+Books
+Heavy Metal / Metalcore
+Machines / Anything Mechanical
+Competition
+the Outdoors
+Cigarettes, the smell, not smoking them

Dislikes:
-Telephones
-Slow Drivers
-Bad Grammar
-Gothic Themes
-Politics
-Gambling
-Conspiracy Theories

Personality

-Quiet+Serious-Strong+Loyal-Covered+Raging-Restrained

Much the same as before he became the Rider, Cole presents a very reserved personality that many take, on mere appearance, as dark or brooding, but behind the outward layer of seriousness and oftentimes sarcasm, is far from his true self. He is actually very kind and compassionate person though has found himself shaped by his past, chosen profession and now, appointed position.

Powers:
As the Ghost Rider, Cole serves as the Heavenly avatar of Vengeance giving him extremely heightened reflexes, super-human strength and near invulnerability to physical attack. As a supernatural being, Cole is able to traverse both mortal and immortal realms and bring forth powers therein, the primary of which being the projection of Hellfire, which he uses as a his central mode of offense and defense imbibing objects with spiritual power to suit his needs; most commonly seen as a motorcycle and/or a chain. The spiritual nature of the flame burns toward the mind and soul of his target, but can also cause physical damage.

The central manifestation of the Ghost Rider’s powers is the Penance Stare and is the focused culmination of all his powers, ie.: the paid retribution of wrongs and misdeeds by the target of the stare. Like the rest of his powers, the effects are primarily felt by those that have inflicted harm on the innocent. By locking eyes with the Rider, victims are forced to endure the agony and distress they have inflicted upon others as well as whatever additional measure of pain he determines is necessary for justice to be satisfied.

Bio:

Following in line with his interests, Cole was tasked primarily with gathering information and building casework against South Florida’s biker gangs, namely the two rival organizations: the Templars and the Aztecs. At thirty-one years old, Cole had been undercover for nearly three years with the Templars and risen from initial placement as a Prospect to a Full-Patch member of the Club, eventually being appointed to the role of Treasurer giving him access to a multitude of information from which to continue to build the ATF's case against both gangs.

Home life was never easy in light of his chosen career path. Cole married when he was twenty-four while his wife was barely twenty. They had their first child only ten months after the wedding, the other two following only a few years apart. Being away and on no set schedule made parenting and being a husband difficult, but he did the best he could manage and remained faithful trying to set an example to his boys while at the same time playing the role of an outlaw biker.

Nearing the end of the investigation was where events turned awry. Cole’s case against the Templars was solid and he would soon have to reveal his identity and pull out of deep cover before arrests could take place, however a confidential informant within the Aztecs betrayed the ATF at the critical moment and once the word spread from the rival club, Cole was setup for ambush and killed. The ATF came down on the Templars in Miami in force, but the damage was already done. No body was ever recovered.

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

Joel Nicolosi

The big knobby tires of Joel’s Jeep squeaked over the stone of the manor driveway amidst what was becoming a steady, cold rain. It had crossed his mind to drive through a giant mud hole and then track it all over their pristine driveway, but he had thought better of it considering the letter he just composed to Maxmillion and he could see the event staff that were stuck outside handling the valet service were thoroughly freezing their asses off underneath the awning setup to protect the more distinguished guests from the weather. They would likely be the ones tasked with cleaning up the mess. He switched off the stereo leaving only the steady thrum of the Wrangler’s ample heat running as he pulled up.

The staff seemed completely unphased by his arrival and he figured Sio had let them know to look for a red Jeep to pick her up. He would’ve preferred to have arrived in the GT-R, but that didn’t get driven in the rain. Luckily however, there was still something almost as undignified about the Jeep. He shot a quick glance through the front doors as a few guests stepped out, but not spotting anyone familiar or even much of a look at anything. One of the staff came around to speak with him and he cranked down the window tasting the coldness of the night.

“Good evening Mr. Nicolosi, Miss Murphy will be out shortly,” The young attendant glanced around before speaking again, more quietly: “Nice Jeep.”

“Oh, well thanks.” Joel replied slightly surprised. He looked back towards the door hoping to find Sio approaching, not wanting to stay any longer than required. He could feel eyes on him as soon as he pulled in the driveway. He glanced down at his phone wedged in the cupholder and could easily read the text that beeped in. “Can I just sit right here and wait?”

“Not a problem, sir.” The man replied. “Do want to warn you that Miss Murphy is bringing a piece with her, we’ll just need some space to load it.”

Well shit… Joel thought to himself. Now I’ll have to get out. Which he acknowledged he was going to have to do anyway to help Sio get in gracefully wearing a dress. He glanced down at the small fold-out stool he had brought along that could be opened with a flick of the wrist and drummed his fingers over the steering wheel for a moment considering how quickly he could load one of her paintings in the back and be gone as soon as possible. “Alright, I got it.” He said pushing the door open and hopping down. Wearing his regular shorts the cold air immediately bit against his skin “Just put that stool in front of the passenger door.” He said walking around the back and swinging the spare tire holder open. The back of the Jeep was a collection of various decals acquired over the years: A couple surfing companies, a Winter Soldier roundel, an SR-71 diamond, a few others and the latest, a black Rebellion “R”. He popped the soft top window away from its channel and opened the tailgate hoping she would be out quickly.

@Almalthia@PrinceAlexus

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

Paige Kennedy

Getting a laugh out of Sio gave Paige a sly grin diverting her attention away from Milo for the moment as he continued his confrontation with Victoria. When she glanced back she saw him returning and shaking his head, grabbing a drink as he made his way back to their table. His expression had changed from some reluctance to an annoyed acceptance at whatever the two of them discussed. Considering how he’d been throughout most of the week, she was surprised to see him quickly finish off the small glass, but as she started to say something he turned her chin and kissed her intensely, like he’d never done before in public. Her eyes widened in surprise first at his closeness and then the action itself. Instinctively, she closed her eyes and put her hand on his cheek and for just the moment, let herself exhale and let the world around them fade into the background.

As he pulled away she opened her eyes and looked at him, lips still slightly open feeling her breath return and for once she didn’t have any snappy retort for him. When he spoke it took a few more milliseconds for the words to register from the shock and the passion in his kiss. “Oh… umm.” She put her hand on her cheek, feeling the flush of red over her face and sensing Sio’s eyes on her. “Well... then you’re welcome.” She said finally with her quiet southern accent. Her eyes slowly moved over to Siobhan knowing her redheaded best friend was fully enjoying what she was seeing and then back to Milo. The moment felt like the one at his shop weeks ago when she had done the same to him: unrestrained and right like they had both been waiting for it, but didn’t know it.

Paige looked on seeing Sio being approached by several people at once and was really feeling the sentiment about being ready to go. At the same time, she heard the sound of her phone vibrating in her purse that was hung over the chair in its customary position. Probably some work call… She lamented with a slight eye-roll and was also disappointed that the night was coming to an end. Work would be waiting as soon as they stepped out the door and their brief soiree would be over. She took Milo’s hand and gave it an affirmative squeeze feeling the strength and hardness in his grip from thousands of hours of labor. “I missed you.” She said whispering to him, not sure if he would understand or even if it mattered that he didn’t.

@Almalthia@RoccanIronclad

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

Paige Kennedy

Paige ordered lightly from the prepared menu options and very daintily finished her plate, though she could have ate more she knew edicate dictated that she not stuff her face in the public view. She played by the rules and chit-chatted with the passersby, never giving away much about what she did for a living or even bringing it up. Noticing Milo’s expression when the scotch came around, she was also being careful about her alcohol intake. The events of earlier in the week seemed to have put off his taste for drinking and the near instant escalation of gossip-fueled drama at his arrival hadn’t done much to help that situation. Siobhan warned before that as her boyfriend described, the hosting English family was “completely insane”, she hadn’t really appreciated the sentiment until this particular evening: the news was swirling that Victoria was pregnant, Marlin and Xia decided to make a display and then someone turned a dog loose amidst the showing. You literally can’t make this shit up… She had mumbled in Milo’s ear earlier shaking her head.

As it turned out, it was likely for the best, she conceded, that Milo had decided to show up. With him around, she was keeping her mouth shut in situations where she normally wouldn’t have and she mused on the strange way they had come to play off one another: If he was subdued, so was she, if her anger was boiling, so was his and vice-versa. He was different in that way than he’d been with Ana, and, as a quiet voice in her head constantly reminded her, potentially very dangerous for both of them. She leaned back slightly considering the thought brushing her hair back slightly and allowing her green eyes to scan around the conservatory at the paying VIP guests. With the unveiling of several pieces, the beauty of the collection helped to quell some of the mouthy gossip being tossed around though she could tell Siobhan was still thoroughly aggravated at how she and Lexi were forced to try and salvage the evening right out of the gate. She gave Sio a playful nudge with her foot and once gaining the redhead’s attention gave her a very mocking look of snooty self-importance curling her lip and raising one eyebrow absurdly high while trying not to laugh.

Paige looked on cooly, resting one elbow back on her chair as Milo whispered in her ear and tapped the cane on the floor. She nodded narrowing her glance slightly towards the table across the room where the hosting party was seated and offering no expression. The tone with which he spoke sounded as if he was headed to take out the garbage and it was evident he was still not happy. The way the older Englishwoman, Maria, had completely ignored him earlier, as if he didn’t exist, really grated on her nerves, but she played nice and bit her tongue. Ironically, it seemed she was the only person biting their tongue across the whole event. One part based in her loyalty to Sio and not wanting to cause another distraction from her artwork and the second came from simply being raised in the South and knowing how to purport herself as a lady in public.

Watching Milo’s expression and then Vika’s defensive posture made her shake her head plainly towards Sio. “That bitch forgot all about that cane.” She said only loud enough for Sio to hear, but not changing her expression or posture in the least as Maria trundled up to interject. “Look, there she is again, can’t help herself, right after she completely ignored him right to his face.” Paige’s tone was more grim watching Maria’s body language as if she were protecting poor, innocent, Victoria from the big bad Milo. “We’re just dirt to these people,” She said, watching as Maria led Vika away. “I’m sorry I caused this to happen, I’ll make it up to you.”

@Almalthia@RoccanIronclad@PrinceAlexus

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

Paige Kennedy

Standing with Milo as the numerous conversations went around reminded Paige somewhat of her high school days with Ana. Everywhere around them it seemed people were not content talking about just the news or the weather, but about each other with concealed whispers and laughter. Admittedly, she had loved stirring the pot in her younger years, being on the softball and volleyball teams, she liked being at the crux of the information flow more than playing the sports. However, her choice of profession had mellowed her considerably. She’d seen people at their degenerative worst and the knowledge of what people were capable of, often for the most base rewards, was sobering. Breaking open the bottle with the sword was more about proving a point than causing strife.

Listening to Sio keep tabs on the rumor mill brought no surprises at first. She hadn’t really got a romantic vibe from Xia and Marlin when they met at the gym, but if that worked for her then that was great, though it seemed a little bizarre considering what Sio had mentioned before about the English girl’s attempts to woo her boyfriend, and others, before and after the Gala night a few weeks ago. Maybe it was a cry for attention. Regardless, it didn’t seem a very classy move to publicly come out of the closet on a night that was supposed to be about Sio’s artwork. Paige shook her head a little not looking at anyone in particular.

It was the arrival of the band that really set things in motion. Followed by cameras and press, they entered as if they owned the manor reminding her somewhat of Lupe and his crew before she effectively shut them down when she put away Marlin’s jazz-night attacker. She didn’t really consider herself a “fan” of their music, but they had a certain 80’s flair that she liked and there were a couple of their songs on her music app. The one she recognized as the lead singer made a beeline towards Victoria, picking her up and making a display of their apparent relationship. Immediately, Paige could sense Milo’s rage ignite under his skin and reminded herself to make sure she deleted any Siren’s songs from her playlists.

Sio ducked back over with some news that was a surprise: Vika being pregnant. Fortunately, Paige could keep a poker face for the ages and she knew that when he wanted, Milo could as well, but with that revelation, it was evident he was having some trouble. She allowed herself a slight sigh and glanced around slowly with some mixed emotions knowing how hurt he must have felt and it pissed her off thinking about it. A part of her wanted to scream, I told you so! But she knew he didn’t want to hear that either and she was behaving herself much better than she might have without him around. Those girls were another level of hot mess, in jail one night and knocked up the next, coming out of the closet and starting rumors. If it weren’t for money, the two of them would likely be in a trailer park somewhere

Grateful for the invitation to step outside, they were suddenly approached by the elder of their English hosts who offered a not so subtle quip about the gossip of the evening overtaking the art. Considering she and Milo had scantly uttered a word to anyone other than Siobhan, Paige wasn’t going to continue biting her tongue at the insinuation presented to them in crisp English prose, however to her surprise Milo beat her to the punch with a fitting rebuttal and a sharp glare. She looked up at him, casually lighting his cigar, with a fiery smile. She could feel the seething rage behind his tempered outward composure and the power in his anger was intoxicating. The same as when she’d watched him pummel Nikki’s informant that night a few weeks ago. The blood and the sweat on his forearms combined with the smell of metalwork and gunpowder in the dim light of his shop. Her heart fluttered a little at the thought of it and it gave her a slight chill that she masked badly as she hooked her arm under his and they continued outside to the gardens.

Tags:
@RoccanIronclad@PrinceAlexus@Almalthia@King Tai

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

Joel Nicolosi

Admittedly without Sio around, Joel was pretty bored. Though there were times where he wished she would just shut up, he had become rather used to her regular company and since they’d become exclusive in their relationship, rather used to things that came with that territory as well. As he sat in the Coffee Pot alone at a table towards the back with his laptop open he was alternating between the race-team email traffic, an article about the Air Force using the Hubble Space Telescope for Military usage, his personal email, Youtube, and a thank you letter to Maxamillion Olympus in MS Word for the original Ayrton Senna steering wheel sent to Joel as a gift after winning the Sol City Grand Prix.

Letter

Maxamillion,

I wanted to take the time to write you back and thank you for the extremely thoughtful gift. I have to say, of all the many things that have come my way since the day of the race, your gift may be the most special to me.

In my life there are few things that truly bring out a passion in me and I have to say, of those few, racing is most likely at the top of that list. I know some may consider it odd or uncouth, but I find that there is no other time I feel more alive than when I am pushing a car to its absolute limits, sometimes beyond. I honestly can’t state that enough and based on your letter, I think you can understand the sentiment.

I consider myself lucky, at thirty-three, to still have several good years of driving left in me and with the opportunities presented to me, put in part by your sponsorship of our car, I intend to make the absolute most of every single one. This is a career path that only a few weeks ago, remained confined to my dreams and imagination.

At present I find myself embarking on a season with the World Rally Series (WRS) that will take me both far and wide across the globe. It would be a pleasure to catch up again with you some time. I don’t consider myself wise and for someone who enjoys flinging cars along dirt paths at high speeds, not very smart either. Your counsel would always be appreciated.

I hope this letter finds you well and thank you again sir,

Sincerely,

-Joel Nicolosi

Hider

*Included in the final envelope is a picture of Max, Joel and Tommy in front of the car with the Winner’s trophy after race day

Inside the Coffee Pot with all the Saturday night hipsters, Joel knew he didn’t need to worry about anyone remotely recognizing him. Wearing his standard cargo shorts despite the cold and an old, faded Tyrrel F1 sweatshirt he tapped along with one headphone in and black coffee steaming in the cup next to him. There were still a solid few hours before the art showing would be over with and Joel was too firmly practical to drive all the way back to the shop, nearly forty minutes and then all the way back out to Park View. Instead, he brought his clothes with him, changed after practice at the team’s lodge on the mountain and eased back into town in no particular rush. With the mist outside settling into steady rain, he was annoyed that he hadn’t got to drive his new car since before the snowstorm, however, it was going to be comical seeing Sio attempt to get into the Jeep in that dress and he brought a step stool for her.

Taking a glance up at the dark river and the city lights reflected off the water he noticed his phone vibrate with a message from Sio.

text from Sio

FYI Just to let you know it has been speculated that you were dating Marlin and got dumped by her in favor of her new girlfriend. I squashed that with a quickness. I’ve heard like three different stories as to who said it first...give you three guesses as to who I think said it. First two don’t count.”

Joel’s eyebrow cocked about halfway up his forehead when he read over the words and once finished, he read them a second time. What the hell was she thinking? He thought to himself. There was no doubt in his mind where the rumor started and it didn’t make a lot of sense or even seem necessary. He shook his head feeling more justified than ever in his decision not to go. A curt reply flashed through his mind, but he thought better of it. In all honesty, the next emotion that flashed through his mind regarding Marlin was mostly pity. She just seemed to fall whichever way the wind was blowing at the time. If she decided to have a girlfriend, that was none of his concern, but if she was running around telling people they were dating and that she dumped him, it seemed to imply that she was just crying out for his attention. He typed a reply back to Sio:

It’s a shame, I just finished this letter to her granddad, I don’t know what happened to the rest of the family tree after him

Joel’s Playlist

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

Paige Kennedy

There was a light applause from the small assembly in the conservatory at Paige’s bottle-opening trick and she gave a sly smile to everyone not just over the execution, but the butthurt look on Vika’s face as she trampsed down to the bar without even a word to Sio, the guest of honor, in full view of everyone else. Payback’s hell… She thought to herself though oddly enough she noticed the technique seemed to draw some appreciation from the older woman tagging along. It wasn’t too flashy or really dangerous, one simply had to get it right the first time and Milo was a good teacher. She gave Marlin and Xia a playful wink as she returned the saber to its sheath remembering their conversation from the gym and content that she had made her point pretty clearly.

The champagne flutes came round and the slightly dishevelled barman resumed his duties in dispensing the bottle’s contents. Paige noticed the appearance of royal blue in the corner of her eye and instantly turned at the sight of one part of her alma mater’s colors drawing a noticeable smile of surprise at the figure in the entryway and giving Sio a slight nudge. Knowing his experience earlier in the week had left him more reserved than his usual self, she put her glass down and approached him with a curious glance greeting him with a hug and a light kiss. “Nice threads.” She said brushing away some of her hair stepping back and taking stock of his unexpectedly matching color choice with an inquisitive hand on her hip.

In her mind’s eye, she could remember how Milo and Ana had gone together in events like the art showing back home in Delta City and the quiet elegance they presented. She was glad he came, particularly after the week the two of them endured. Like her, a night of feeling like a normal person, even if just for a few hours, would be a healthy release and she wanted to make sure he could also enjoy himself in that same manner of class while no one knew anything of the battle they were fighting on the outside. The Marshal Service was able to keep him out of jail, though the weight of what had happened was still heavy on him. They talked about it and she recalled the first time she had taken a life in the line of duty as a Florida State Police Officer. Like him, it was kill or be killed. She could still remember it clearly.

The sword cane in his hand gave him a rather dapper appearance overall though she knew the reason he brought it. Releasing it to the person for whom it was originally intended seemed like it became a matter of principle for him- Even if that person had forgotten about it or no longer wanted or required it. It did look good with his ensemble. “I showed them your bottle opening technique.” She said with a smirk.

Tags:
@RoccanIronclad@PrinceAlexus@Almalthia

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

Paige Kennedy

Paige politely returned Lexi’s cordial greetings as they entered the manor looking over the impressive Parisian-style decor as they walked together through the atrium and thinking how silly it was that only two people lived in the giant house alone. It was no wonder Marlin was a ball of nerves and Vika was just a spoiled brat, both proof enough that money alone was never a cure-all. There were a few of Siobhan’s paintings arrayed as they walked and Paige instantly scanned around for the one with the now-well-known, bullet holes, though not finding it. As she had figured, Sio dismissed it completely so Paige was free to enjoy the novelty though she still felt a small twinge of guilt about what happened. A few well-dressed onlookers greeted them warmly with high spirits as they entered the conservatory and Sio made her way to the bar.

For several weeks, Paige got to hear the story of the infamous Gala night from Sio and the childish demand from Victoria that Sio pay for her own drinks while everyone else indulged for free. Combined with the heavy scratch inflicted on her car, also by Victoria, that cost several hundred dollars to repair, the little rat had accumulated quite a tab against the two of them and Paige had it figured to around $1400. As Sio approached the bar assembly, Paige perused around the smaller room curiously admiring the ornate details of the interior architecture before she peeked around the counter finding the first item she was after among the bottles of liquor, wine and other assorted alcohols that the hosts had so proudly put on display and remembering that per the agreement, the homeowners would be covering the bar tab for Sio and her family.

“Cancel that.” Paige said casually as Sio ordered a drink. The barman turned and regarded her strangely, unsure of what to say as the blonde dipped behind the bar as if it belonged to her and placed a black, textured bottle on the counter. “We’ll be having this one first.”

The man looked apprehensive eyeing the bottle hesitantly before catching the green glare in Paige’s eyes as she tilted her head slightly with a playful insistence. He reached for the corkscrew, but Paige pushed it away. “No, no, dear. This is a special occasion.” She had spied out the second item she was looking for encased behind the counter. “It’s okay,” She said, now fully behind the bar. “I got this…”

Being around Milo and his HEMA sword fighting hobby for so long had brushed off considerably on Paige. She was nowhere near Ana in ability, but liked sharing his hobbies with him, the same as when they went to the gun range together. She’d seen him do it more than once and demanded that he show her the technique: Removing the sabre from its casing, she slowly twirled it a revolution through her fingers scaring the hell out of the barman just as Vika and the rest of her trope descended into the conservatory like a wet blanket. Looking Victoria dead in the eye and with the chandelier light glinting off the polished blade, Paige removed the cork from the bottle in one swift motion.

Interaction:
@PrinceAlexus@Almalthia

Mentioned:
@RoccanIronclad

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

Joel Nicolosi

Joel scratched at his stubble in the afternoon light. Leaned against the rally car, they were taking a short break before running one more late stage and he was glancing over a few messages from Sio on his phone. The girls were about to head over for her art showing at that gaudy mansion where Marlin and her sister lived and he shook his head with some disgust and disappointment. In truth, he had wanted to go, but after finding out about the unwelcoming change of venue, there was no doubt that his presence there would have only caused more problems and as Sio reminded him, he had to really start considering his image if he was going to be on an international stage. With the newness and shock of his win in the Sol City Grand Prix fading away, people were expecting, particularly his teammates and sponsors, to see driver Joel put up podium finishes and not drama laden headlines.

Glancing over his shoulder to the west, he could see the city in the distance from their temporary service area set up in the parking lot of the Mount Atlas Observatory. Taking in the sun setting behind broken rain clouds, his thoughts were mixed between Sio, getting his mind right for the drive and combining the two urges. Jamaica was primarily going to be about speed and power with fast switchbacks and quick turns over junctions from dirt to pavement and plenty of jumps. However the Blue Mountain stage was notoriously difficult and wound around what amounted to nothing more than a goat path requiring finesse and patience from the driver. Sio was going to come with him several thousand miles to support him, but he couldn’t even go across town to support her and it irked at him as the team’s mechanics worked on the car behind him filling the quiet forest air with the sound of pneumatic tools and ratchet gears. He was ready to put the pedal on the floor and finish out the night, but took a picture of the city from his vantage point and sent it to her along with two videos of some his previous drives earlier in the afternoon.

Joel and his co-driver, a Dutch South-African named Max with a last name Joel could barely pronounce, rolled out onto the parkway a few moments later, turning off the main drive and accelerating down an old narrow logging trail as they blazed around the side of the mountain heading for the valley below. They had drove together since Joel came onboard and with consistent practice, had a pretty natural working groove in the car. Max read the pace-notes in rapid succession, not getting too far ahead: Right four over crest, keep right… Left three, tightens… Sixty… Into hairpin left!. Joel’s hands worked the shifter and the wheel in response to the notes. The exhaust crackled and howled through the woods while the turbo chirped with each motion of the throttle. Melted snow and rain made the course a sloshy mess of mud and clay that sprayed in a fan from the back of the car. The bright orange Rebellion R on the side was barely visible under a layer of dirt as Joel gave the handbrake a quick pull and brought the tail around for the turn throwing gravel over the side of a near vertical escarpment. It was the last run of the day and he was pushing to let his frustrations out.

They broke out onto a long straight in the valley below and Joel had his foot on the floor, gripping the wheel tightly with both hands against the onslaught of the broken terrain as they flung ‘round another long turn so sideways he was watching the trail ahead through the side window. One-twenty… then big jump, Caution logs… And square right onto tar. Max announced over the radio. The car went airborne and Joel could see glimmering evening on Atlas Lake through the forest in his periphery as the tachometer needle beat against the rev limiter. They landed slightly nose down and Joel got on the brake to swing the squared double-corner where two large piles of cut timber awaited pickup in the morning. They came around the first one with the nose of the car nearly scraping away the sap bringing a cocky grin to Joel’s face that dropped instantly when he saw one misplaced cord jutting out and snapped the the wheel back hard to compensate before the passenger side mirror was instantly sheared off.

“Dear God…” Max muttered as the car rocked from the extra input on the wheel and the tires screeched over the pavement dipping into the opposing ditch with momentum. Joel stayed in the throttle and jinked the wheel again to correct causing the car to rock back and forth before settling again. The course was over and he sped on down the highway towards their home base.

“That’s probably enough for today.” Joel lightly snickered over the radio fully aware of how close they had come to destroying the car. His heart was pounding as the moment instantly replayed in his head. He was pretty sure he could see the the chainsaw groove in the log that had taken away the mirror. He shook his head as the adrenaline wore away and they drove on wondering how Sio was doing.

@Almalthia