Pilatus

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

@MST3K 4ever

I really like this one. Just need a thumbs up from @PrinceAlexus or @Almalthia to move to the IC tab.

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

Paige Kennedy

At some point in the night Paige had finally fallen asleep. She didn’t remember what time, just that it was pretty late. Her eyes blinked open to the quiet hum of night traffic outside and the dim shadows of Milo’s living room. The air in the room was cool with a slight chill. He was always trying to save money and wouldn’t run the heat pump while there was still a fire in the shop. She stared ahead for a moment and shifted a little under the heavy blanket he’d thrown over her for the night. His worn leather sofa was well broken-in and felt like it was about ten feet deep. She didn’t want to get up. It could have only been a few hours, but it felt like days and her thoughts were drunk with sleep. Her phone blinked with new messages on the coffee table in front of her, but she didn’t want to break the comfort or the warmth to reach for it.

Images and feelings wandered drowsily as she continued to look ahead into the darkness. What if we just stayed here? A voice questioned from the silence in the back of her mind. I’m not staying in this shit hole a minute longer than I have to. Another familiar voice cut-in firmly. You will for him. The argument started. She listened to the slow rhythm of her breaths as the mental chorus began to wake up with her: Ana is coming here… Her brow furrowed slightly at the thought. I’m not thinking about that right now. The conversation intensified behind her eyes, but the main subject remained all the same despite the noise. He still loves her and you know it… He would have dumped you for that sickly cripple.

“Shut up.” She whispered harshly to herself.

You’ll always just be a bridesmaid, Paige.

“I’ll fucking kill all of them.” She growled.

Sure you will.

“And I’ll make it look like someone else did it.” She could feel her heartbeat accelerating slightly.

That’s how we do it.

Paige tossed the blanket aside with a start letting the cool air of the room wash over her. Rotating up into a sitting position, her bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor and she wiped her hands over her face feeling her hair falling over her exposed shoulder before pausing for a moment and inhaling deeply. Letting the breath back out and dropping her hands away left her mind clear and back to silence. She shook her head first glancing over towards Milo’s room then at the notification light on her phone still blinking steadily.

Text from Dustynn

Offers? Not anything serious. People want the business bad, but they've all been kicked to the curb.
You should come out tonight, I'm serving all night and I can get you a better deal than the 2 for 1's ;)

A part of her was tempted. Club Aether would be open for a few more hours and a drink didn’t sound like too bad of an idea, but she knew she couldn’t and carefully considered her words as she typed a text back to Dustynn. She hoped the girl was still deleting them like she told her:

Text to Dustynn

Do me a favor… and I know this sounds strange, I know you’re close to your boss, but DON’T open up the Club this Friday. Please, just trust me. After this week, I’ll be able to take you up on those drinks.

The next was a text from Marlin. She didn’t particularly want to involve her, but the extra helicopter would be useful if things got out of hand and she needed to move around the city quickly:

Text to Marlin

Ok, that sounds good, don’t worry about the paperwork. Draw up a flight plan for Catalina Island from downtown, but don’t file it yet.

Finally, she had an odd premonition about Siobhan. The redhead was tending to keep some of the same bizarre hours as her slightly uncouth boyfriend, but he seemed to make her happy and she couldn’t say too much as Milo wasn’t exactly traditional either. A slight smile crept across her lips as she typed out a text:

Text to Sio

I’m guessing you’re awake?

@PrinceAlexus@MissCapnCrunch@Almalthia

X-Men: The New Era

Coleman St. John

Cole thumbed through a few local news stories on his phone while he waited, though his mind wasn’t fully focused on college football or the latest news in corrupt politicians or any of the other blurbs that passed by his eyes. For some time his conscience had been after him to talk to Kaylee about his true role in the scheme of things. He had no doubt he could have kept it hidden from the rest of the Institute’s staff; they had enough problems, but she had been a total wildcard and a part of him kicked himself for so easily breaking his rule of not mixing business and pleasure. He realized he wasn’t even paying attention to his phone anymore as he heard a familiar rhythm of footsteps. She had a certain, smart confidence in her stride that he couldn’t resist. Everywhere she went, she seemed to move with a purpose or a goal, even if it was the most mundane task. His thoughts lingered to the last second before he looked up and caught her gaze.

Seeing the spark in her countenance helped bring him back to the moment, but the easy smile he showed her was increasingly being cast with a pang of guilt and moreover a modicum of uneasiness. He knew, to some extent, he was letting his heart guide him more than his mind. “You look good,” He said glancing over her outfit; happy that she decided to take his advice and not burn her leg on the pipes. She looked much more relaxed in casual clothes and he liked the look on her even better. Similarly, he’d tossed his button down shirt aside in his office and put on a less formal, white ¾-sleeve shirt and his black riding jacket. “Then your chariot awaits.” He said motioning over the bike as his smile turned more into a slight smirk. The light of the garage curved unblemished over the polished black fender and fuel-tank as he threw his leg over with her likewise nestling in against his back.

There was a brief pause in his movements as her arms wrapped around him while he turned on the battery and reached for the starter button. Like many other things, he couldn’t remember the last time he had a passenger, but something about her grasp felt familiar and he could sense a tightening in his chest.with an unusual awareness, like he knew he was doing something wrong. In one of their conversations Kaylee explained the nature of her mutant abilities and he thought he understood for the most part, though he wasn’t sure what she was seeing or perceiving- It was another subject they hadn't discussed. Sitting on the bike was the closest they had ever been. Shaking his head dismissively, he thumbed the starter button summoning the engine beneath them to life and twisting the throttle letting his thoughts evaporate momentarily in the exhaust note that smacked through the walls of the garage. Letting the clutch out smoothly, the slow cannonade of thunder picked up momentum as they turned out onto the winding road that led to the Institute echoing through the woods as they headed towards the city.

@Almalthia

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

Joel Nicolosi

Joel was perusing the lineup of cars just the same as anyone else. It was the regular lineup of total junk and stupid money the same as always. He didn’t mind the gawkers that his car was drawing. There were a couple other GT-R’s parked along the wayside setup for the quarter-mile, but none with the refined aero kit or carbon-fibre construction that his sported. He continued to glance around casually as she spoke in his ear. Confrontations were not particularly his style, but despite the hassle of driving all the way out there for her, he was just a little bit curious what exactly was going on. As she whispered he continued to nod and acknowledge those that recognized him, keeping a slight smirk on his face when she pecked him on the lips. He reached down behind her out of sight between the rear of the car and pinched her ass hard without making the slightest change in his expression.

The object of his search, he was pretty sure was just across the small lot in which everyone was gathered. A fourth generation Z28, maroon and lowered slightly in the front-end, which on its own would not have been anything unique, but the beadlock rear wheels and the fat street slicks tucked under rolled rear fenders were not normally a choice for posers. He could see what looked like an old-school tachometer mounted on the hood that he had to admit was a nice touch. Whatever was under the hood, if it was fit enough to match the outward appearance, would be an interesting match against Sio’s Corvette and if the guy was as much a cocky asshole as she described, then it was going to be relatively easy for him to get the information he needed to make sure her car could win, assuming that even happened.

“Let’s see if your homebody wants to make a scene before you get all hot and bothered.” He said meeting her eyes for a moment then glancing away as if he were thinking about something else.

@Almalthia

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

Ban them, make it official

Give Me Your Favorite Quote(s).

“...most men and women will grow up to love their servitude and will never dream of revolution.”

― Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

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

Elsewhere in Sol City...

The metal and the word from the street were heavy at the 501 Club on Tuesday Night. The clamor of conversation rose and fell against the sound of Slayer and old Metallica from a playlist stolen from a long broken jukebox that still sat derelict in one corner serving as a makeshift table for half-empty bottles, sweating glasses and ash trays. It was crowded, not because it was Tuesday, but because that was just the way it always was and the owners didn’t need silly gimmicks to attract their dedicated clientele. Members of the Visigoths 1% gang ruled most of the floor and the one pool table that still had enough balls and sticks to keep a game flowing. A few old hands of the Dellesantos Crew could be seen keeping to themselves around a table to the back. In decades past, they never would have set foot in Visigoth territory without a deathwish, but times changed and for the more seasoned residents of Sol’s underground, it was a lot less trouble to just have a drink, get-along and not think about it.

Not far off from the bar, at a small table adorned by old license plates and a shoddy framed flag from North Vietnam sat three men.

“This is absolute fucking Americano, Yolo.” One man said. He was clearly well-built, muscular, but not lean with a shaved head and a meaty grin. He wore an unpretentious black jacket, jeans and a workman’s boots that had not seen a great deal of work. He drank his beer from a bottle and kept his elbows rested on the table. “I fucking love it, almost reminds me of that place we had in Kansas City, remember that?”

“Perky’s.” The other man replied. He was much younger, lanky with sharp features, poorly-cut curly hair, cauliflowered ears and sleeves rolled. He kept his posture relaxed, leaned back in his chair that shifted under his weight uneasily, like every dowel and screw that held it together had been retightened again and again to keep it standing. Yolo had a keen eye and kept a careful watch over those that plainly recognized them as outsiders.

“So, who’s the best lawman in this shit hole, Osvaldo?” The older man said.

The third man across the table looked more blue-collar than outlaw. His greasy black hair curled out from under a grungy and faded Angels hat. Hs facial features wrinkled like an old baseball glove at the the question. “Would need to weigh that one for a moment, senior.” The man said. He ran a hand over his mouth and crossed his other arm in consideration. Being a Dellesantos soldier for so many years had affected his memory considerably and he had to think about who was still alive, who was dead and who he wasn't sure either way. The two men in front of him wanted information and were paying handsomely for it, or at least one of them was, and as long as the family was protected, he didn’t see anything wrong with pocketing some cash on the side. His presence at the table abated the stares of the regulars. The calluses on his boney hands and the age in his eyes meant his intel was unquestioned. He gave a thin sigh of exasperation at the fog of age in his memory before he spoke: “The best tracker is Toly Pierce, he’s ex-KGB, will chase a man clear into Canada…” He shifted slightly in his chair still thinking and looking down at the scarred hardwood table between them. “But he is a bondsman… The best would be L.T. Davis, he is ATF and is fair, will even overlook some things.” Osvaldo nodded to himself with a slight smile at his recollections, but the smile faded back away as another thought approached while Hells Bells dawned in the background and he shook his head grimly. “No mis amigos, L.T., is the best... but the meanest is a woman, a Marshal, Kennedy is her name.”

“Ha! See I told you he’d say that.” The older man slapped Yolo on the back who in turn rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Tell us some more, Osvaldo.” The man said. He rested his chin in one hand aggrandizing his interest.

The old Mexican regarded them strangely. “You already know of her?”

“We’re familiar.”

“She’s hardly been in Sol City over a month and has killed at least two men.” Osvaldo continued. “She is loco, from somewhere in Florida, they say she threatened to kill Elvin Santos at gunpoint for information. Always likes to talk before she does something; I heard she beat a man near to death with a Bible.”

“Crazy bitches are always from Florida, remember that.”

“Just like Shannon.” Yolo chuckled.

“Oh my fucking God, do not get me started...”

Osvaldo’s aged glance narrowed. “What did you say your name was again, senior?”

“Nik…” The older man said. “Nik Giancana.”

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

I should probably wait for the next chapter right

@liferusher

You dont have to and that could be a little bit of a wait. We dont want you to lose interest in the interim. Go ahead and jump in. @PrinceAlexus has some characters at one location and @CaptainSully has some characters at Club Aether. Go for it.

X-Men: The New Era

Kaylee Everose & Coleman St John

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Location: School Grounds - Office

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Interaction: Kaylee@Almalthia - Coleman St John @Pilatus

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Mentions: Drake @Draven

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Cole stepped through the rear atrium glancing up briefly to Kaylee’s office window as he walked inside the main Hall of the Academy. Even though he was a little older, among the regular faculty and students, he blended in fairly well. He decided to keep his regular riding bag slung over shoulder even though it had a slightly more studious appearance, a briefcase just felt too stuffy. The weather was good so he rode the bike in for the evening after going out for lunch and taking care of a few points of business in his investigative work. Wearing a light-grey, button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms, jeans and his riding boots a few familiar faces greeted him in passing as he made his way towards the stairs.

When they first told him what was actually going on at the Institute, the assembled staff in Ashford’s office seemed a little taken aback by his reaction, or lack thereof, like he wasn’t even that surprised- and he wasn’t. The news felt more like a confirmation of his instincts and the small glimmer of suspicion that he felt the first time he pulled up to the building to meet Kaylee. No, the only surprises were his unforseen relationship with Miss Everose and the eccentric attitudes of Dr. Ashford, who he noticed, never shook hands with anyone. Conversely, they all seemed to be completely unaware of his secret, but just as he had been suspicious of them, he could feel their unsaid inquisitions towards him. The last ride he made was a week ago and when he had first met up with Kaylee the following day, she looked like she was going to faint.

As he walked up the stairs and passed the various offices along her hall, he knew at some point he was going to have to tell her and it felt better to just come clean rather than let her, or them, figure it out and then confront him about it. He knew, like several of the students, that some of the staff possessed a form of psychic-awareness or extra sensory perception. She could see something that he could not and while he didn’t think she was necessarily frightened, he was concerned that she might unknowingly expose herself to something more… malevolent. As he rode, sometimes it was hard to tell where the reality they lived in stopped, where others began or where they blurred together, but he knew there were things out there that she didn’t need to see.

The smell of freshly brewed coffee brought him back from those wandering thoughts and he gave her open office door a couple light taps before stepping in to find her clearing off her desk as the small pot finished brewing. He took his regular seat across the desk while she busily poured two cups. “Long day? Or did you have to send anyone to the office?” He said with a smirk.

Kaylee smiled at Cole. “Yes and no, in that order. I'm worried about a student but don't want to stick my nose in it.” She didn't know all of what Nathan was going through, or had been through for that matter. Nathan was a good kid. A little neurotic but seemed to have his heart in the right place. He'd been spending a lot of time with Uná and Nik. Kaylee hoped things were going well. She'd seen the three of them in a study group and it was helping but something about Nathan the last week was off. “Something just seems off.”

The catalogue of students cycled through Cole’s head as she spoke and he glanced out the window thinking about who it could be as he surveyed the courtyard and took a sip from his cup. “Is it Drake?” He said, still glancing away. “Kid looks like he hasn’t slept in about a month.” Looking back over across the desk at her, he could tell by her expression there was someone else on her mind. “Who is it?” He asked.

Kaylee shook her head smiling. “It wasn't Drake before you mentioned it. It's Nathan. Seems very on edge this past week or so and he was doing so well. Drake needs someone to talk to. I'll get right on that. So thank you for that anymore brilliant observations that I need to know about?” Kaylee smirked. Her tone was sarcastic but honest. She meant it and was laughing at herself four not seeing it.

Seems like she'd been paying attention to the man in front of her too much. If you asked her it wasn't enough by a long shot.

“No, I think that’s enough brilliance for one day.” Cole replied with a chuckle. He took another long sip remembering a few loose ends around the campus he needed to tie up before the end of the day, but thankful all the same that it was Friday. Working for himself for so long, everyone’s favorite day of the week had lost some of its luster on him as he worked whatever hours his cases required, however with the Institute taking up much of his time, it felt good to be on a more regular schedule- a subject that prompted his next question: “What time do you want to head out later?” He asked. “I gotta take care of a few things around here, then I’m up for whatever.” He said. Knowing her powers of perception, it was pointless to hide that he was looking forward to them going out. With the school starting up, they’d only managed a few small outings in the course of a month along with their regular coffee time. An actual night out was going to be a pleasant change. “You still wanna see that band?”

Kaylee grinned as she sipped her coffee. “Of course. I need a break from all this.” She pointed around the room then looked down at her watch. “How about an hour before sunset? So roughly six? I have to decide if I want to be daring and wear a skirt knowing you're going to be on the bike.”

Cole glanced down at his watch when she mentioned a time then raised an eyebrow slightly at her tease of a “daring” outfit knowing they would be riding out together. “Wear jeans.” He said with a frank smile and finishing off his cup.

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

@liferusher

Looks good to me.