Pilatus

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

@SamaraJayne96

The characters are fine. Please just narrow down a singular special talent for Sage.

The only difficulty I foresee here is going to be related to Rule #8:

8. Second characters are allowed. You have to be an active player and both male and female are allowed. You cannot RP with yourself, PERIOD. Please PM or Tag a GM or Co GM to confirm things if you have any questions regarding this and genders allowed at the time. WE WILL BE WATCHING THIS CLOSELY.
8b. Some characters may be "grandfathered-in" from Chapter One as the GMs see fit. Again, we will be watching this closely, particularly if you seem to post heavily with NPCs and not other players

We are bending the rule to allow you to apply for two spots at the initial application, so I would be expecting a very high standard of play in return. The hangup is going to be in not rping with just yourself and I'm not sure how you're going to get around that playing twins.

I like the characters and I think they'd probably mix well with the rest of the cast, so I'm definitely not saying, No. However, I would like to know how you plan to use them without breaking the rules.

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

Judgement Day

Bruno was well pleased with the proceedings. At his whim, Sol City’s festival management had assembled the kitchens and created an even playing field for both of his competitors. It was an impressive feat for an extremely short notice. However, he wasn’t going to tell them he was impressed. He liked for them to be on edge. The podium area that had originally been intended for the winners of the traditional contest had been arranged into his table for passing judgment on the cook off. Rather than sitting, he stood watching, arms crossed, not even a hint of a smile watching Ryan and Charles work and observing the various habits and styles in their preparations. Seated next to him were his just as hastily appointed co-judges: Rita, from the Star Messenger gossip column, who proudly explained how she had once been a food critic for the city paper among other things. Bruno had no interest in her opinion. He just thought she was cute. He had naturally awarded himself full veto power over all other judging. Finally, next to Rita was Joel, who didn’t know anything about cooking, at all.

Rita was babbling on about something and Joel wasn’t paying particular attention to any of it. The last time he’d spoken to her, she’d ran some column that portrayed him as a bit of a player between Siobhan and Marlin. Admittedly, it wasn’t all untrue, but she had managed to put enough of her characteristic twist on it that Joel wished he hadn’t done the interview. He yawned and glance down at the table where his phone sat in front of him. Rebellion’s Press Manager, an Italian in her mid-fifties had told him to try not to look at it too much, if at all. The eyes of the city would be on him again and she didn’t want him to appear uninterested. She sat in the front row watching him like a hawk. Throughout the hour he would occasionally lean his elbows on the table and try to make sense of what was going on in the kitchens below. The idea of a cook-off had been a huge hit though. The area was filling up with people and as the clock ticked away, the crowd grew larger with anticipation.

When the submissions came up, there was no doubt that Bruno was in his element. Ryan was first up, followed by Charles. He tasted both and the dishes were divided down the line by the event staff. They both tasted good to Joel and he happily dug in, giving props to Charles for at least bringing the booze. If nothing else, they were gonna party tonight. Bruno had said he was going to personally cook for the Rebellion Team and the engineers from Porsche, after that Joel didn’t care where they ended up. It had been far too long since indulging in and old fashioned drunk-a-thon. He glanced over at Sio with a smirk. They didn’t have anywhere to be on Sunday. Still considering the multitude of possibilities in the holy realm of unplanned parties, he looked down the table, past Rita who was still talking, toward Bruno who seemed to be in a bit of contemplation. One of the staff whispered something to him and he gave a firm nod of affirmation. The decision was made and the assembled crowd quieted for the announcement. Joel looked around. People were literally crowded everywhere. Standing on tables, looking out from the various market tents and generally trying to get a view wherever possible. He was genuinely surprised and hadn’t seen so many people turn out in Sol City since the Grand Prix.

The same timid staffer from the City Parks Department approached the podium with an envelope in hand. Clearly nervous at the size of the crowd, he glanced back to find Bruno staring back at him with a glare of impatience. The German pointed forcefully towards the microphone.

Clearing his throat the man tapped the microphone sending a muffled thump-thump over the assembled speakers followed by a brief hum of feedback. He looked around at the faces awaiting the decision and at Ryan and Charles in particular before holding up a small envelope. “C-Citizens of Sol City, we have a decision… but before we reveal the name, our great leader, err, uhh…Judge, Chef Hinkelstein, wishes to express his regret that he can only name, but one Champion-”

“C’mon! This is bullshit! Get on with it!” Bruno barked from the judging table. Someone had smartly turned his mic off. The mayor and the other assembled city officials on the stage looked mortified.

“Okay, without further delay then,” He opened the small envelope and read the name before looking back up. “The Cooking Champion of this year’s Sol City Market Festival is…”

RYAN WOODS

X-Men: The New Era - Issue II: Avalon Rising

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.

X-Men: The New Era - Issue II: Avalon Rising

Coleman St. John

It was rare for him to sleep past sunrise. Daylight glowed behind the closed blinds while the movement of traffic was steady towards the intersection down the street. As he rolled over groggy the backup alarm sounded from a truck a few blocks away. Reaching for the small nightstand, he checked his phone for the time, seeing that he’d slept through the regular alarm. There was no particular reporting time for him at the Institute, particularly on a Saturday he essentially set his own hours. As the cloud of sleep slowly dissipated from his mind, his first thoughts were of Kaylee and then of the students. He doubted they would have any idea, but there would be no hiding it from her. He sat up in bed and relaxed against the headboard for a moment, looking straight ahead as his mind worked on how she was going to approach him. The smell of cigarette smoke wafted faintly through the bedroom and he shook his head slowly. He didn’t smoke and neither did any of his neighbors in the apartments beside him. For whatever reason, the scent was always present the morning that followed a ride. He tossed the covers aside and got out of bed.

The downstairs was little more than a narrow garage, enough for two cars nose to tail. He used part of it as a workspace for his motorcycle which left plenty of room for his much less conspicuous Explorer. As he came down the narrow stairs dressed in a polo and some jeans the headlamp and front forks of the bike were turned facing him. He slowed his steps looking down at the machine. “Don’t you say a word.” He said firmly toward it. The machine only stared back as he walked around and maneuvered it just enough to get the car out. It was a nice day for a ride, but he wasn’t taking it back up to the Institute- not a chance. He decided to very low-key check on everyone and use the quiet of his small office at the school to work on some of his other side cases for a couple of hours. Continuing his shuffle of vehicles, he backed the car out slightly and then pushed the bike around to its regular spot in the small workspace: a couple large toolboxes and a well-worn workbench that was left over from the apartment’s previous tenant.

There were a few photos hanging along with other miscellaneous trinkets: A picture of him and his sister at her college graduation next to an old Gulf Oil sign, another one of him and several others standing next to a burned out tank somewhere in the middle-east in their desert camo that hung slightly off center next to the hood ornament from a Mercedes. There was a small collection of motorcycle parts lying around in various states of disassembly, some visibly damaged from where he had crashed his other bike. Since taking up the position at the Institute, he’d hadn’t had much time for tinkering. He glanced at the setup for a moment and, as usual, resolved to at least get it better organized at some near point in the future. Hopping back in the car, he eased out into the street as the garage door closed and headed towards the Institute.

@Almalthia

X-Men: The New Era - Issue II: Avalon Rising

Avalon

Streetlights reflected against black chrome as the tires curled over ruts in the parking lot to Club Avalon. The sleek sports car halted just outside the entrance; its elegant tail lights blending into the hustle that was still downtown Los Angeles. The uproar that had unfolded in the club hours before had long subsided and no one was really sure what happened or what they saw, as if the memory dissipated like a dream. A lone figure stepped from the driver side and the small glow of an LED screen watch could be seen from a turn of the wrist. The figure, noticeably feminine, as it moved past the hood of the car, long hair waved gently in the breeze as she walked between the long-abandoned entrance barricades into the dark corridor that was normally the club’s busy front door.

The ever present sound of traffic carried through the open entryway like white noise as she stepped over broken bottles, trash and destroyed furniture. She shook her head slightly as glass crunched under her shoe. Even though the clock had passed midnight long ago, the woman looked as if she had just come from the gym. She paused across the way from the figure waiting, her expression was a uneasily composed neutral gathered in part by fear, part hope and a hint of disbelief. The air was overwhelmed with the gravity of his aura and the wake of the rift that the portal tore through reality. She knelt in front of him and bowed her head slowly. In the corner of her eye she could see a human male face down on the disgusting floor and she exhaled slightly before rising up to meet his gaze.

@Almalthia

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

Paige Kennedy

Once the door was opened, Paige doubted she would have cared if Tao had blown his hand completely off. This was it. Whatever it was. She ignored his whimpers as the door eased open under its own weight when the bolt was released. The corridor on the other side was pitch black, only cut slightly by the dim light of the storage room. She stuffed the tablet she’d been carrying into his aching hands without saying a word and shined her phone light into the dark space. What appeared to be a narrow hallway was connected on the other side, but the drop down was easily two to three feet as if the stadium basement area had been built over it and nearly missed. The bricks that lined the path were aged like an old house and a watery, metallic smell permeated the air from lack of ventilation. She shined her light down to the floor below. Seeing nothing but a hard, stone surface she sat down at the edge of the doorway, letting her feet dangle for a moment and eased herself down.

The drop was further than it looked and for a split second she felt her heart jump before her toes met the floor. With a slight sigh of exasperation, she held her phone up again, shining through what looked to be a part of some sort of tunnel. In her mind, she could picture where she’d seen something similar before, like a training video she’d watched of the tunnels that smugglers used under the border from Mexico into the US, however it was older, much older and bigger. There was plenty of room to stand as if it were designed for ease of use rather than total secrecy. She knew nothing about Sol City history or what could have existed prior to the stadium being built, though as she watched the bright light prickle shadows over the old bricks, the realization struck: “This is a prohibition tunnel.” She said before glancing back up at Tao. The ledge was nearly to her chest height. She motioned for him to grab one of the boxes and prop the door open wide to allow more light inside.

It made perfect sense, at least in the brief time that it jogged through her mind, but her gut instinct was rarely wrong. Only an old timer, like the head of Giancana family would have even known it existed. She shook her head in disbelief. All of it sounded like urban legend and admittedly, if someone had told her about it back in Florida, she probably would have laughed in their face. It just didn’t happen any more, yet there they stood. She shined the light behind her finding the tunnel had been sealed by a wall of solid concrete only a few feet back. “C’mon,” She said moving forward and giving Tao a wave. She knew that even if he was scared shitless of dark, confined spaces, that his curiosity wouldn’t allow him to come so far and then chicken out.

A few further steps in and a string dangling from the ceiling came into the cone of her light along with something else dull and metallic along the wall. She glanced up finding a simple light bulb rigged to a socket and pulled the switch to turn it on. The bulb flickered to life, humming slightly and illuminating the remainder of the passage in dull yellow. She could see the far end of the corridor as it came into view was sealed shut, same as behind them, but next to it was a small wooden door with a worn, old brass handle. Her stomach turned slightly in a knot and again her gut instinct knew there wouldn’t be any more doors after this one. This is it.She wasn’t afraid, but the unknown was a thrill that couldn’t be matched. Her heart picked up a few beats as she stepped closer to the door. No transponders this time. There wasn’t even a keyhole. She put her hand over the doorknob, feeling the cool metal in her grip and glanced back for a moment at Tao without saying a word. The features of her face darkened under shadow. It felt like something from a dream. She sighed and tightened her grip hearing the tarnished linkage inside the door turn with an uneasy grinding as the striker retracted. The door pushed away easily revealing nothing but blackness inside. Instinctively, she felt along the inside wall for a switch and to her surprise felt a panel nearly exactly where her hand touched the wall.

During her time in law enforcement, Paige had seen things that ran the gamut of the emotional spectrum: the truly depaved to the most decadent. She’d seen people killed over less than twenty dollars and she’d seen cigarette boats loaded stem to stern with cocaine worth millions. It was the life she chose and she had total confidence that she had taken on the role for which she was destined. She was sure and would say so to anyone. It ran through her blood as much as the scenes of those memories flashed through her mind startling her awake in the dead hours of the night. When the small lights came on, a room about the size of a small apartment came into view. It was completely loaded, nearly to capacity, with white banker boxes, not dissimilar from the ones Tao had just destroyed, but all around, seemingly in any odd corner where they would fit, were stacks of cash, banded and counted. Her eyes widened only slightly and she lightly stepped forward through the small pathway just wide enough to walk through. There was more. Much more, all the way to the ceiling in some places without a single bill visible that was smaller than a fifty. Many of the boxes were marked with two numbers separated by a decimal, 1.2 or 2.3 all the way up to 3.5 and every number in between. She continued forward finding a small digital scale on the floor surrounded by more boxes all marked the same way. She already knew what it was before she pulled the top from the first box. Her lips opened slightly in awe. They weren’t counting it, they were weighing it.

For the first time she could recall, she was speechless.

@Allycat

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

IRON COOK-OFF

- RAINER vs. WOODS -

FOOD CHAMPION OF THE SOL CITY MARKET FESTIVAL

Our celebrity Chef Judge has laid down the gauntlet for his two winners!

Under the firm command of Obergruppenführer... errrr... Head Chef Judge Hinkelstein, TWO identical "kitchens" have been assembled at center stage comprising all items that our contestants may need to complete the final challenge for Sol City Culinary Conquest. Our two competitors will be allowed 1 HOUR to compose a customary three course meal of an appetizer, main course and a desert. There will be a variety of ingredients available to use and both men will be allowed to select two staff members to assist in their preparation. Both teams will be given a half hour to organize the kitchen to their liking prior the start of the one hour clock. Teams may also use this time to select the basic ingredients they wish to use for their respective dishes.

~ IN ADDITION ~

As an added challenge, Chef Bruno has selected a "secret ingredient" for the contest that must be used in the meal.

THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS...

GUAVA

(In all of its forms...)

GOOD LUCK... AND

MAXIMALE KÜCHE!

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

Joel Nicolosi

Somewhere along the walk it occurred to Joel that he was exceptionally hungry, having not eaten since about 4am save only for a protein bar, energy drinks and coffee since that time. He wanted real food and the thought of a deep fried oreo just turned his empty stomach at the suggestion, though it probably wouldn’t have been bad paired with the coffee some other time. He glanced around for something familiar and fairly quick to order. Whenever Siobhan would playfully pull his arm, he would yank her back progressively harder to see if he could make her lose her balance. It was good fun and particularly since she was so tall, it was easy to get her legs comically crossed up. Having worked with his hands most of his life and being used to keeping a firm grasp on a steering wheel, his grip was like a steel vice over her hand. He snickered and feigned shoving her into some stranger’s path only to pull her back again.

Siobhan chatted with a couple of strangers as they seemed to reach an impasse where it was either going to be the horror of fried park food or… he looked at the next tent over, Kobayashi, as the banner read. He considered for a moment that coffee probably wasn’t going to go well with Japanese, particularly when mixed with hard liquor, but in the end, he decided he didn’t care and was aiming to knock back a few glasses of water and get on the green tea before absorbing some sushi with a swiftness. Since his return from Japan, he’d avoided Asian cuisine for a while, simply being burnt out with it so whatever Kobayashi had to offer would be the first Japanese dish he’d had since being in Japan. He took a seat on a stool at the setup counter area and took off his sunglasses. The chef working the sushi bar recognized his black jacket and the unmistakable orange Rebellion “R” and the Porsche font logo below it giving an affirmative nod. He quickly set to work on Joel’s order while there seemed to be some great ruckus brewing in the back as another chef continued in his work.

A few moments later, the plate came over the glass. The presentation looked on point. No different than sitting in Tokyo Bay. All of the rolls were either Tuna, Salmon or vegetable based. He couldn’t stomach the shrimp, crab or other seafood offerings. Pulling the paper wrapper off the chopsticks, he broke them apart and was ready to set to it.

“JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!!!,” Right when he was about to take a bite, a familiar voice bellowed his name from what seemed like halfway across the Park. Joel shuddered at the rough pronunciation of his name rendered in brutal Germanic bass. People glanced around, interrupted within their conversations as Chef Bruno paraded his way across the lawn with great stride. He still had two German engineers from Porsche cackling with laughter towed in his entourage along with a pathetic looking representative from the City Parks Commission who was recording the results of the judging with a tablet. Word among the vendors was that there had been a mix up in the placement of the contestant dishes which resulted in Bruno sampling the offerings of the amateur cooking class rather than the professional. Unfortunately, the Panzer had unloaded on two elderly ladies before the error was realized labeling one homemade lasagna dish a “fucking travesty” and the other caserole entry “a petree dish of bullshit.” Apparently, he was not well pleased with the mistake and refused to sample any more food that was brought up to the judging area, instead opting to make his rounds personally whether the entries were ready or not. He thundered up to the booth and slapped Joel heartily on the back.

“Joel, mein junge,” He shook Joel’s shoulder firmly. His hand was so large it easily wrapped over the shoulder and gripped firmly to drive home to the magnitude of his displeasure. “I fucking tell you,” He said. “I don’t know how you fucking do it,” He motioned with his free hand at the rest of the venue set around them. “Everywhere I go the food is shit, it’s like a non-stop fuck-up.” His eyes locked on to one of Ryan’s helpers attempting to make off towards the judging area with their entry. Bruno had an odd habit of pointing with his pointer finger and his pinky finger in a gesture that resembled a two-pronged fork, a trait he was dubiously known for when he was particularly irate. His long arm leveled towards the helper with the two fingers pointing squarely at the man like the business-end of an 88mm cannon. “YOU!” He barked. “Bring that shit over here!” Eyes glaring, he pushed Joel’s plate aside nonchalantly sending all of it crashing directly into a waste bin at the end of the counter and pointed firmly down at the open countertop. The poor helper looked like he’d been struck by a rifle shot at the sound of the German’s voice and megearly placed the dish between the two men.

Bruno removed the lid and tossed it like a frisbee, examining the dish carefully and taking in the scents that wafted up from the tray. His eyes narrowed discerningly at the presentation, annoyed that the chef that prepared it was apparently not present to accompany his entry, but also slightly intrigued. He picked up a fork, but instead of tasting the dish, he handed the utensil to Joel. “Take a bite and tell me what you think.” It was more of a command than a statement. The towering German’s face was as unflinching as a concrete wall as he held out the fork.

Joel was so hungry that he reckoned they could have put an old baseball glove on the plate and he would have eaten it. Whatever it was smelled good, though he was completely surprised by the challenge. He wasn’t a food critic nor possessed any real concept of tasting edicate, but it occurred to him that the reps from Porsche might be offended if he didn’t acquiesce to their friend and Bruno seemed to have some sort of soft spot for him. He glanced over at Sio and shrugged before carving out a decent fork full and taking a bite.

Bruno looked on sternly.

Joel nodded approvingly. He was hungry. It was good. He didn’t care if he got cussed out for it. If they would have just let him stick to driving the cars while they handled the food there wouldn’t be risk for an international incident... though before he could finish the thought, Bruno’s fork hit the dish like a dive-bomber and he took a bite for himself. He chewed slowly, deliberately, as if searching for an error that he could exploit, just like he was known for on television, but surprisingly finding none that turned him off. “Fucking delicious.” He pronounced and scooped up another generous portion. “Finally some fucking talent around here. Joel, I knew you wouldn’t let me down. Such a man of culture!” He said merrily, still chewing the second bite. He looked around the gathering of shocked cooks and helpers in the stand. “Who’s the fucking captain of this ship?” He said.

The City representative adjusted his glasses and ran his fingers quickly over the tablet screen making sure he got the name correct before he got yelled at again. “Ryan Woods, sir.”

“Good, he fucking wins.” Bruno said with finality, wiping his mouth gingerly with a napkin. “We’re done here.”

“But sir,” The man protested. He thumbed feverishly over the tablet sensing the intense glare blazing over him. “You already said Charles Rainer was the winner.”

“Who the fuck is that?”

“He was the third booth we visited,” The man said. “You said his entry was,” He stopped to clear his throat. “a ‘fucking cornucopia of-’.”

“Ya-ya-ya, I fucking know what I said,” Bruno spat. “That was the one with the fucking depressing title.” He shook his head. “Dammit all, I’ve made a fuck up.”

Joel continued eating happily giving zero fucks who won the contest, just glad to have some sustenance in his gut.

Siobhan watched Joel as she was about to order the fried Oreo and the yell that rang out with a heavy German accent his name. Raising an eyebrow as Joel shuddered she grinned watching the German man stride over to them. She nearly lost it as Bruno slapped Joel on the back.

Keeping the laughter contained was hard and the fried Oreo was abandoned as she followed him over. Bruno was clearly upset and his accent was thick, leaving Siobhan to thinking that he’d be switching to German fairly soon. As he talked about the fact that the fare was subpar. She winced at that very glad she had not decided to join the competition. Joel had never complained about her cooking, quite the opposite. She liked cooking for him and seeing him enjoy different foods would help her branch out more with his diet.

She watched as Joel ate and Bruno snagged a bit from his plate then declared it the winner. Siobhan smiled but it fell as Bruno admitted to already declaring a winner once already. She tapped her lips and leaned in to whisper in Joel’s ear. “Watch me put out this fire.”

She smiled brilliantly at Bruno and said. “How about a cook off? Select some ingredients and have them make something from those ingredients. To the victor goes the spoils.”

Bruno’s expression lightened as he took time to observe Siobhan’s full figure. “Whoa, whoa, whoa…” He exclaimed with a broad smile. “She has the brains and the body, huh?” He jabbed his elbow into Joel’s side playfully. “Makin’ me kinda nervous here!” He chuckled. “I like this idea... I take it!”

@Almalthia@KillBox@Tyler Night

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

The Deal

“I have mourned by husband, but unfortunately he put himself in that situation.” Shannon replied. She spoke as if she referring to some former employee she had to let go and there was little emotion carried with the words. As he wrapped his fingers considering the offer, she continued to study him. John and Mara were open books, easy to read. Alejandro was more composed, but he had a tell same as the rest- He smiled voraciously, as if it were some defense mechanism that made him feel like he was in control. She knew she had him in the place that he desired since his arrival in Sol City, but only it wasn’t with the company that he anticipated.

John and Mara’s shock at his acceptance of the deal only further confirmed her assumptions.

Shannon quietly held her composure through Mara’s continued protest. She had what she wanted, though another old rule came to mind the same as it always did when conducted business:: The deal’s not done until the money changes hands. “I know how to pick a winner, Alejandro.” She said calmly. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down.” She placed her small, black clutch on the table top as if she were about to walk away, but stopped midway as a thought suddenly reemerged behind her eyes.”Oh, there is one other thing.” She said, standing and looking down at the three of them. “In your shop, you have a Bird of Paradise that you keep under glass- I want that.” She said, her original grin returning slightly. “Consider it a finder’s fee.” She briefly glanced back over shoulder before walking away. “I’ll be in touch.”

@Pyxis

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

@KatKook

This is good. Just need @PrinceAlexus or @Almalthia to confirm.