|
Post by M-4-M on Apr 28, 2010 21:41:59 GMT -5
I'm rotting inside My flesh turns to dust The full moon hung in the sky overhead, lighting the streets with a milky glow. At this hour not too many people were out and about even in the city. The night life had finally waned leaving only the homeless and criminals to scurry about the darkened Detroit alley ways. Down on of the alleys, veiled in shadows, stood two men. The taller of the two, about six feet in height, donned a leather biker jacket. The other wore a baggy sweat shirt. Silhouetted by the moonlight there hands met in a silent exchange. The taller man nodded his head and watched as the sweatshirt wearing person walked back out into lonely streets. For a few seconds he could see him walking off in the glow of a streetlight then he was soon enveloped in darkness. Julian stood in the alley alone now, opening his hand and double checking the item he had received. His fingers flipped through the tightly rolled wad of cash to be sure his money was accounted for. It was fifty short... Shit, he had miscounted. Frustration built into a furious rage within him and he felt his hands grow warm as his temper flared. Julian silently headed deeper into the alley, following an intricate network of one way streets and alleys to reach his destination. By now his hands were trembling as he tried to keep the burning heat from bursting into flames on his fingertips. When he arrived at the tall and ancient building he stood silently outside. He watched someone moving inside then finally headed up the cracked cement steps. Julian kicked the door in and launched himself at the man he had sold the cocaine to. His burning fist, now glowing orange pounded into the man's frightened face. "Where the hell is the rest of my money Vince?!" Vince attempted to reach for his pocket but Julian grabbed his wrist and unleashed his ability. Flames crawled up Vince's arm and he began to scream as the scent of singed flesh thickened the air. Julian stepped off the man and sent fire bursting from his palms at the walls and furniture. The apartment would be burnt to a crisp. "No one tries to get away with not paying me. Got it? I wanna see that money by tomorrow afternoon or your face is next." Julian spat at him then turned on his heel and left the burning apartment. The sound of fire engines could be heard in the distance so he made quick work of taking a short cut down a side street. He ended up on a deserted street full of small shop open in the day time. It would be a long walk to his motorcycle.
|
|
|
Post by Britt on Apr 29, 2010 11:59:01 GMT -5
It was not a new experience for Ryden Farley, walking the streets of big cities in the middle of the night. She was usually a loner, without anything on her back except for a bag that was filled with an assortment of objects that most people would wonder about had they opened it. Her worn shoes thumped against the concrete, echoing off of the brick walls all around her. But she knew where she was going, she always knew where she was going. Detroit had just been another stop, a way to come up with something to do, to get in with good people that she could use. Ryden was not a poor person, per-say. The relief from that lay within an assortment of strips of paper lying within her bag. But that was never enough for anything large, like a house. You couldn't pay for a house with cash. But Ryden did not want one. She stayed in hotels, paid in cash, and moved on. No, Ryden Farley was just bored. She wanted adventure, but she wanted the right kind of adventure.
So here she was, in Detroit, pursuing the employment of a local drug dealer. That was where the money was...the kind of money that was legally obtained, the kind of money that they couldn't look at and realize was fake, created by a power that Ryden was not even sure was supposed to exist. She'd learned of the company from a lowlife down south. He seemed keen on it, having been involved when he had lived in Detroit. Now finding him was the challenge, but Ryden was smart, and that was going to be a good thing for her.
"Hey..." said the girl slyly, moving down a side street and looking into a group of young men, all standing around. One turned sharply, flicking aside an item that Sierra was fully aware of. "Hey guys...I was just curious about something." "Keep moving," spat the man in reply, staring her down, his left arm hidden behind his back. "I have a feeling that you can help me with something," she went on, ignoring his comment. Reaching into her bag, Ryden dug around the objects, ranging from two plastic water guns, a tennis ball, two packs of cards, and into the pile of paper, tightly rubberbanded together. Keeping the objects this way, she could never be robbed or arrested. Removing three of the slips of paper, which changed into hundred-dollar bills right away, she waved them in his face. "Think you could help me?" "With what?" he asked, his eyes following the money, almost pathetically. Sierra smiled.
Three minutes later, she was strolling away from the alley, her bag around her shoulders again and an idea in her mind. She turned a corner, passing by a parked motorcycle, and began to head down the street.
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on Apr 29, 2010 12:16:38 GMT -5
Julian moved quickly but silently down the street. He dusted off his jacket and jeans a few times to be sure there were no ashes or remnants of smoke. Everything seemed fine so he kept a moving and let the sound of sirens fade into the distance behind him. He was still pissed off that Vince had no given him his money right away. It was pathetic to think someone had the guts to do that to him, one of the most notorious drug dealers in the city. It was why he had to make such a drastic move like burning the guy's house down. People could not think he was going to let them get away with cheating him out of a deal. Sometimes he wished he could just kill them...it might make him feel better. However killing Vince would do nothing for him since he wanted the money, and needed Vince to run scared around the city and spread the word that Julian didn't take anyone's crap.
He turned another corner onto a street where only a few lamp posts provided a very dim lighting. Shadows slithered onto the road from the alleys on each side making the atmosphere rather foreboding. Up ahead he could see his motorcycle, and a lonely girl wandering the street. As he got closer for a second his mind went to checking her out, and maybe asking her if she wanted a ride somewhere. That quickly evaporated as he realized how young she looked. Instead he walked by her without a word and headed to his motorcycle. He hopped onto it and got ready to start the engine, ready to head home and grab a few hours sleep.
|
|
|
Post by Britt on Apr 29, 2010 12:41:03 GMT -5
Behind her, the motorcycle roared to life and a guy drove it off into the distance. Staring after he and his motorcycle, Ryden felt suddenly ticked off that she had not bothered to ask him for a ride. After all, he did not appear to be a bad guy as he was climbing onto his bike, just older than her. However, despite what any part of her mind told her, she was forced to ignore. This about it, her mind pointed out, half of the worst people in the world all looked average. Was a man supposed to be tall and bald, covered in tattoos and scars, and a terrible scowl upon his face to be bad? No. So until Ryden knew a damn thing about someone, she would not bother to talk to them, unless they had something she wanted.
So she kept walking, checking her stores for a moment, pushing aside the eye-liner pencils, past the ruler, and around to the small, rectangular card at the very bottom. It was a card, her old I.D card from the state of Illinois. Staring down at it, Ryden took a breath in, staring at the words across the top, watching them fade into new words, but what else was entitled to make a plausible I.D card? She had the image of money and cash burned into her brain, usually having a reference on-hand, but there was no Michigan I.D available to her tonight, so she would have to suffice with the Illinois one. It would probably be safer that way, anyway. Ryden was not even sure why she changed it with each state she entered, anyway... so here it was, Ryden was off to a hotel, not to a bar. She needed sleep anyways.
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on Apr 29, 2010 22:22:42 GMT -5
After revving up the cold engine for a minute or two Julian pulled away from the curb and left the lonesome girl behind. He sped down the desolate streets and eventually turned right into a small drive that led to a tiny garage crammed into the narrow space between his rental house and another house next door. He pulled the bike in and silenced it. Julian hopped off the motorcycle and locked the garage. He headed over to the small and old home he rented from some old man for a fair price.
Once inside he opened the fridge and searched for a drink. He had two 7 Ups, orange juice, and Budweiser. He opted for a 7 Up and then headed into the basement. The majority of the basement was finished, and well furnished with tiles, an area rug, couch, and television. He wandered to the one lonely door that lead to the unfinished part of the basement. He opened the old door and headed into the darker cement room. Julian took a few sips of his drink then sat down at a small table and began breaking down some of his 'product' into smaller amounts he could sell for at least $200. Once he finished breaking down the brick of cocaine to sell the following night he headed back to the main room and locked the door behind himself. He always made sure to clean everything up well and hide the evidence best he could, no need to take chances. Eventually he collapsed on the couch and fell asleep watching some car show.
|
|
|
Post by Britt on Apr 30, 2010 12:53:18 GMT -5
It was late, and if possible, even darker when Ryden finally arrived at a hotel that she trusted enough to stay at in that section of the city. It was not a tall building, not exactly luxurious, and yet, if possible, much nicer than the places that the girl had found to stay in within the past couple weeks. The place was a no-name, something she'd never even heard of, but it had open rooms and a fee that did not make Ryden cringe, after all, she'd need to savor that last bits of paper she had with her before she found more. That would be a stop to the nearest drug store, first thing in the morning...to buy paper. That was probably the weirdest part of her life. So far, Ryden could not transform anything any larger than a loaf of bread, which made things difficult for her as far as modes of transportation. She didn't own a car...but really didn't want one. She did not want there to be any way to trace her, in case for some reason anyone ever came looking for her. She kept things masked, including her I.D (it appeared to be a Subway sandwhich gift card when not in use).
Sliding into bed, Ryden closed her eyes, settling the bag on the floor next to the bed, close to her. She rolled over, making sure that her flannel shirt and jeans were as close as possible in case she needed to up and flee for any reason. Paranoia sometimes could be hard to keep up with. But soon enough, thoughts fizzled into dreams and Ryden fell into sleep. The sun poked through the curtains in what had felt like three minutes. Yawning widely, Ryden peered around, finding it to be ten in the morning, rather than six, which was what she assumed the time to be. She heaved a breath as her thoughts dripped back into place. She remembered what she needed to do this morning. The man's name was Julian Decker. After a quick stop at the Walgreens across the street, it was time to go find him. Needless to say, Ryden rose out of bed, dressed quickly, and proceeded to the drugstore.
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on Apr 30, 2010 17:23:34 GMT -5
Julian awoke around ten thirty and slowly got ready. He was in no rush since he had a job that was mainly busy at night. The hot water of the shower poured over his skin, washing away the smoke and ash from the previous night. He dressed in a worn pair of jeans and green t-shirt. Breakfast was easy enough; Oreos and milk. After eating a few of the unhealthy cookies he grabbed his black jacket, a couple pouches of product and headed to his motorcycle.
An hour os so later Julian was humming down the road on his motorcycle. He had to make a deal early today. The girl was headed out of town by this evening for some reason and wanted to stock up. He parked the motorcycle across from a Walgreens then headed down the sidewalk to the meeting spot.
|
|
|
Post by Britt on Apr 30, 2010 20:45:21 GMT -5
The shelves of the Walgreens were being restocked as she strolled inside, by a young and pimply employee. Ryden watched him eye her as she headed for the school supply section. She snatched up a pad of paper and a pair of scissors. Tearing the paper into neat strips had always been a hassle. She hated going through that, risking ruining perfectly good money. It was just another of Ryden's qualities...slight OCD. Selecting the items and carrying them close to her, she proceeded for the counter, passing by the boy again, feeling slightly awkward as she felt his eyes on her. She turned sharply, eyes narrowing as he looked on and he suddenly flushed scarlet, quickly pretending to be interested in the shelves behind her.
Swallowing, Ryden shuffled forward, quickly spilling the last of her crumpled bills onto the counter, receiving the appropriate change and stuffing it roughly back into her bag. She scooped up her items, the girl left the store without bothering to get a bag. The boy's stare creeped her out. Sighing, she shook her head, part of her mind wondering if she was just being paranoid or not. Outside, Ryden stood on the sidewalk, noticing a motorcycle across the street, never connecting that it could have been the same as the one from the night before. She pushed her new items into her bag and started to cross the street, noticing a man standing at the end of the road, looking around. The face was familiar, like she'd seen it before. Ryden stared at him, unaware that she had stopped walking, her hazel eyes fixed upon him, trying to pick out where she'd seen him before.
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on Apr 30, 2010 22:56:33 GMT -5
Julian walked down to the street corner, his boots dragging across the ground. He was still in the process of waking up. Once he reached the corner he paused for a minute or two. The girl, Jasmine, althought he doubted that was her real name...was supposed to be here any second. Then the sound of heels clicking on cement caught his attention. Julian turned left into a narrow walkway between to towering buildings and disappeared from sight. He pulled two tiny bags from his jacket, each only weighed a few grams. But the young woman handed over about $450 cash for the small amount.
Julian thanked her for her business, telling her to look him up when she was back in town. He rolled up the thick wad of money and placed it safely in an inner pocket with a clip. Jasmine quickly scurried to her expensive car and sped off. Julian headed back to the main road then noticed a girl staring him down. It was the girl from last night wasn't it? Was she following him? It could be a very bad sign or someone looking to try a drug for the first time. The first timers always were reluctant to approach him at first. After debating a bit Julian decided to take care of this right now. He walked up to her, a suspicious glare in his dark brown eyes.
"Can I help you? Cuz you've been staring for quite awhile now."
He said bluntly, wondering what sort of reply she was going to cook up. Would she just walk away flustered, be an undercover cop, or just someone looking for their next fix?
|
|
|
Post by Britt on May 1, 2010 8:56:08 GMT -5
This was definitely who she was looking for, Ryden knew that for sure. However, unaware at how long she had been staring, the girl jumped when he looked up and barked the words at her. She felt suddenly flustered...would this guy try to kill her if she gave him the wrong answer? He was a drug dealer...and probably just as jumpy as she was. She needed to make this count, get in good on this side...and then she would probably be able to do some good work. But for now, well, she might as well have been walking on broken glass and trying not to get cut.
"Um, yeah, actually," she said, her tone strong. "I've been looking for you all damn night, Mr. Decker." Okay, now it would really suck if this wasn't him, but still...he had nothing to fear as long as she was straightforward. She was the one that needed to be weary. "I think you'll be interested in some service I can do you...working alongside your business. Are you interested?"
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on May 1, 2010 22:37:24 GMT -5
Julian scrutinized her with a dark gaze, wondering what exactly she was up to. There was no way it was a coincidence he had run into her twice now. Not in a city this big. When she said yes he had to admit he was surprised. The pyro suspected she would walk away silently or something like that. Instead her sharp gaze met his and she stayed put. Huh, a surprise.... she was looking for him. That could be good for business or very, very terrible.
Once the brunette mentioned his business Julian became even more cautious. If someone wanted drugs they were not going to get it out of him in five minutes that he was a dealer. Not like this at least, usually a client would bring someone else along and introduce them. A random meeting like this was rare but did happen. So he opted to take the safer route. "Oh really, you think you can help me repair motorcycles? You don't look like much of a mechanic..."
Julian replied dryly. If she really wanted in on th drug operations she would find a way to let him know, that she knew what he actually did for a living. He surveyed the people around them to be sure no one was listening in, they all seemed to busy bustling back to work from lunch break.
|
|
|
Post by Britt on May 2, 2010 10:00:04 GMT -5
Ryden was close to actually chuckling when he motioned to his motorcycle and suggested that she was inquiring about repairing it. Being overly cautious herself, Ryden was fully well aware of the game he was playing. Part of her thought about entertaining the notion, but the other part of her did not want to spend too much time standing out in the open, trying to discuss drug deals. Besides, the more time she spent with this guy, the more he would learn about her. So first of all, and most importantly, she would not go by Ryden. He would remember it and he could use it. If he ever found out that she was a runaway who was probably being looked for by her parents, even though she was nineteen, he might use her for some sort of ransom...a mental patient teenager was not a good guise to have going for her. So for now, she was going to put on a show.
"Mechanic," Ryden stated. "That's cute. But not what I'm here for. I think it goes without saying that I can help curate certain substances...and it will cost you absolutely no cash. Get me a bag of playground sand and we'll go somewhere, Mr. Decker, and I'll show you exactly what I mean."
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on May 2, 2010 20:28:28 GMT -5
Julian narrowed his eyes at her, cute was not a word he liked. That did not describe him in any way, shape, or form. Cute seemed like a disgraceful word used to describe a five year old boy trying to hit a baseball or something. She had his interest though. No cash? He supposed it could be possible if she meant she had some type of ability. He had only met a couple other people like himself before. So although Julian was aware he was not alone he still viewed himself as an extremely rare occurence. Meeting another meta-human would be interesting. "Fine, follow me." Julian said and turned back the way he had come. The girl could follow if she really wanted to prove her use. He walked to the end of the street, crossed the road and headed into a different alley. This one was a little bit wider but trashcans littered each side as well as a dumpster at one end. There was a backdoor to a shop there and he knocked loudly on it. A short man answered and looked confused at first. "I'm just here to shop for myself today Manny." He told one of his older client who nodded and smiled, wlecoming Julian and his younger guest into the back of the shop. Julian held the door open for the girl, letting her inside the back of a small pet store. Manny had rushed back to the front to help a customer. Julian dug through a box of fish supplies and found a small bag of fish tank gravel. He held it out to the girl. "Here, show me exactly what you mean" He challenged, quoting her words from earlier. OOC: testing, testing, new pic plz work?
|
|
|
Post by Britt on May 2, 2010 20:51:10 GMT -5
Ryden watched as Decker began to walk away, ordering her to follow. At first she was nervous about going with him, unsure where he would lead her as they began to walk into an alley. But that fear evaporated as she remembered what she was here for, protection, a spot in a big scam that could give her a good life. Decker did not seem utterly confused by her explanation as she thought he would be. She was thinking that this would be much harder to convince him of. Who exactly was she getting in with right now? They had finally reached a door which he knocked loudly upon. A man answered and led them into the building which turned out to be a pet store, which was such a relieving sight. It would sell sand, of course.
As Decker handed her a bag of fish-tank gravel, she took it, weighing the bag in her hands and studying the bits of small rock inside. Finally she nodded, deciding it to be good enough. Then she covered the bag in her hands, shielding the insides from view. She lowered it somewhat for pure effect and lifted it up, the insides of the bag now completely changed into a much more lethal...illegal substance. Handing the bag back to Decker, Ryden folded her arms, a smirk rising to her lips.
"Convinced?" she asked, watching him study the drugs now in his possession.
|
|
|
Post by M-4-M on May 2, 2010 23:40:19 GMT -5
The girl took the small bag of blue gravel from him, inspecting it in her hands. He was not exactly sure of what to expect. Maybe she was crazy and just lying to him...After all what the hell ability could possibly make a bunch of stones something interesting. Its not like they were going to magically have a pile of money to swim through like that Scrooge Duck cartoon. Not that Julian watched cartoons he always thought they were stupid. He only ever saw them because she made him watch them. The thought caused a painful expression to slice into his confident features. He quickly looked away from the girl but instantly regretted it.
Manny had left the door to the main store half open and inside Julian could see two white doves in a cage, a price tag for each on the outside. Her face erupted in an explosion of locked away memories, now at the forefront of his mind. He needed to regain his composure. Julian ran his fingers over his cropped black hair and managed to forget all of the painful memories for now. His dark eyes focused back on the girl as she parted her hands. His expression changed to a smug grin as he took the bag. Julian ripped the corner slightly and removed a small amount bringing the tiny amount to his lips. It was real, and pure. Usually the cocaine was broken down with baking soda to add weight to it, he never sold it pure. That made this one bag worth over $1,000.
"Well, well, well.....I suppose I am. What's your name?"
Julian asked, while leading her back out of the pet store and into the alley. He managed to knot the bag and shove it into his empty pocket. He wondered what else she could change, this bag of gravel was now just as good as swimming through money. Another thought crossed his mind as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it.
"So why are you coming to me anyway? There must be something in it for you. What do you want?"
He asked as he took a long drag from the cancer stick, attempting to wash away the grim feelings he had felt moments before. Then he remembered his manners and held out the box of Marlboros, offering her a smoke.
|
|