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Post by M-4-M on May 11, 2010 21:33:07 GMT -5
The rhythmic sound of the music pumped out into the night air. It was a disgruntled snarl of different music slurred together, all coming from different night clubs. Julian could hear the concoction echoing around them but was too far to make out individual songs. He led Ryden to the furthest corner on the same street the clubs were on. There was not a single person in the area they were all clustered around the nightclubs. But as people got rejected and became bored he knew they would come. Like vultures to roadkill they were bound to show up.
And so they did, the first pair was a guy and a girl. Julian had sold to them before once when he had taken this corner. Usually he stuck the lowest ranking person with this crappy and loud place. The couple strode over and the guy reached out to shake Julian's hand.
"Haven't seen ya in awhile man, you should come around more often."
The man said as Julian's hand retreated to his pocket. The exchange had already been made now they just had to make it seem like small talk, a normal conversation.
"Yea, I don't make a point of coming to the loudest place in Detroit"
Julian replied, then they both said good bye and headed their own way. He walked towards Ryden as another person showed up. It was a woman all alone. She looked pissed from being rejected by the club. A feeling that a little high was bound to rid her of.
"You can take this one"
He whispered over to her, edging a step back so she could make the deal herself this time.
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Post by Britt on May 12, 2010 16:57:26 GMT -5
The place that they were stuck in was annoying. The music coming from the different buildings collided, creating nothing but thumping bass beats and a murky hum, itching at Ryden's ears. She waited around, leaning on the building behind her as Julian kept a watch out for people that would buy from them. She studied his habits, feeling slightly uncomfortable, as if she were being watched from all sides. She was ready to go back to a hotel and go to sleep...but everything was going to be worth it as long as she stuck with this.
Ryden watched his transaction, watching the way he handled the transfer, keeping eye-contact and the conversation steady, as if nothing odd was going down. Then it was over, just like that. How quick. How easy. But then, before she knew it, her turn had come. Suddenly, it did not seem so easy anymore, but frightening. The woman approaching her looked angry, pissed, and probably rude. Swallowing, Ryden turned, stepping over to the customer, her face looking confident.
"Hey," the woman said shortly, licking her lips.
"Evening," said Ryden, nodding. "How are you?" she added, wondering if it was appropriate.
"How about we cut the small talk and get on with this, how much for 3 grams?" asked the woman, her eyes darting from Julian to Ryden, who tried to remember the prices Julian laid out for her. With his eyes on her back, it was hard to think.
"Three-hundred," Ryden replied after a few moments.
"How's two-fifty?" the woman questioned, turning her eyes to Julian, no doubt trying to charm him. "It's all i got."
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Post by M-4-M on Aug 6, 2010 22:45:13 GMT -5
Julian eyed the woman, not at all impressed with what he saw. She was not going to get anything for a discounted price. Only regulars got discounts and she sure as hell was not one of them. He slowly shook his head but did not speak up. Ryden could handle this, he wanted to see what she would do. The woman probably was not going to give in easily and this could prove just how serious Ryden was about getting into this business.
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Post by Dusky on Aug 7, 2010 0:18:03 GMT -5
Reason from one without "Sorry love," he began, sitting up in bed, his dry lips touching the end of the cigarette. He sucked in slowly, allowing the tobacco smoke to pervade through his body, cleansing out the twitch that the long night had brought. Breathing out through his nose, he stared ahead, his abnormally bright blue eyes peering at himself in the hotel mirror, "you know I don't do dinner. Try me again in a week?" He tossed his legs around to the side of the bed as the brunette tossed her long hair behind her, exposing her neck. She giggled slightly, wrapping the sheets over the top of her breasts and leaning up to slowly nibble on his ear. "But Logan," she said pathetically, her bright green eyes trying to catch his out of his peripheral vision, "didn't you enjoy last night?" Her long fake nails caressed his 5 o'clock shadow, sending a tingling sensation down his spine. However, Logan remained still, rolling his eyes and moving to stand up. His appetite had been quenched. His need satisfied. He bent down and grabbed his light blue torn jeans and the white v-neck sprawled out on the floor, tossed messily amongst the other clothes that had been discarded of rather quickly. "Brigette," he said impatiently, his English accent coming through more with his anger, "maybe another night." She sat up one last time and leaned forward, moving towards him standing at the end of the bed. Damn girls, he thought, always so clingy. He turned to look at her, her expression quickly changing as her eyes lay to rest on his. His voice got scratchier and softer as he barely murmured, "You're leaving." Suddenly, she leaned back, hiding her face from him, and wrapped the beige sheet entirely around her body. She grabbed her work uniform and slid into the bathroom, almost as quickly as Logan had given her the command. He sighed, slipped on the t-shirt and made his way outside.
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Post by Britt on Aug 7, 2010 11:32:05 GMT -5
"Sorry," Ryden said right away, shaking her head again. "Three-hundred or nothing for you. If you don't have the money, I suppose you could try some of the cheaper stuff down the way, but I can't promise that it'll be very satisfying."
The woman glared at her, having pulled her eyes off of Julian. Her teeth were showing as she pulled her purse around and began to dig inside it, removing a small plastic bag that had a roll of bulls tucked inside of it. Ryden smirked at the sight of it -- obviously this chick had simply been looking for a discount. Her desperation had clearly overcome her, though and now Ryden could see what was more important to these people. It truly was saddening to see the addiction ringing clearly.
"Thanks," Ryden replied as they finished their exchange and she counted the bills to make absolutely sure that they had not just been jipped. Turning to Julian as the woman stalked off, she shrugged. "How'd I do?"
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Post by Dusky on Aug 7, 2010 17:31:18 GMT -5
Logan had never been one for affection. There was no such thing as love in his life. In fact, he wasn't sure if he believed in love at all. Lust, on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. In any other city, that may have been a problem. But not in Detroit. Here, it seemed most people had lost hope. Their standards had been demoted. Logan fit right in.
As he jabbed his hands in his pocket, allowing the cigarette to rest on his teeth, a slightly heavy breeze whipped his shirt tighter against his body, filling his nose with the murky Detroit smell most easily summed up as dirt and smog. He stopped and murmured a little puzzled, "It's rather chilly." He looked to his right and straight up to gaze at the sign hanging above the old brick store. The black modern sign contrasted with the ancient building, this part of town having recently been renovated. "Banana Republic? Eh, why the hell not." He turned to his right, dropped the cigarette out of his mouth without bothering to pick it up and strolled inside.
The door swung open and Logan sighed as his ears were filled with cheesy music. Walking to his left he spotted his prize, and ran his hand over the thin wool jacket, the only features being a collar and a zipper that stopped mid-chest, his rough hands getting caught up on the fibers periodically. He grabbed the dark gray sleeve, looking for a price tag, and was surprised not to find one. Grinning slightly at the irony, he grabbed a medium and strolled up to the cashier, a black man with way too much cologne waiting for him. "Will that-" before the loyal employee could finish, Logan quietly interrupted him. "This was free...right?" He nodded in contentment as the man deleted the numbers from the display screen, put his hands on the desk and proceeded with a, "Thank you for your business, have a nice day!" Logan nodded a farewell, and slipped on the coat as he walked outside. He always found it much more appropriate to persuade people with questions. It felt so much more natural.
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Post by M-4-M on Aug 7, 2010 21:00:29 GMT -5
He moved over to the grimy brick wall, watching the exchange from the shadows. Good, she was not backing down. People tended to be push overs when it came to their addiction. But their were times when they were just psychotic and had bad tempers. This woman was predictable as all hell though. Julian watched her waltz off to go inhale her drug elsewhere. He wondered if she had family, or was just a loner. He remembered having family, someone to protect...the person he failed. He was forced to shut his eyes for a few seconds, wanting to force the memories away. He could not remember her, it made everything to hard.
Ryden's voice brought him back to the present as he ran his hand wearily over his face.
"Good, now you just gotta keep that up for another 3 hours or so."
He responded, watching as another group of people made their way down the sidewalk to them.
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Post by Britt on Aug 10, 2010 12:50:05 GMT -5
The work got easier with each sale from then on. It was nerve-wracking each and every time a person would scurry up to them and speak in hushed tones, fork over the cash and then move swiftly away from the drug dealers. Ryden was feeling extremely out of place as the hours wore on, wondering what the customers were thinking of her. For all she knew, there was a blinking red arrow above her head, giving everyone a reason to stare.
One hour passed......two hours....it seemed to wear on and on. Ryden was bored. But Julian seemed just as focused as in the first minute. Another customer wandered up, a tall and towering man. Ryden swallowed, clutching her bag closer to herself. The man stopped before her, smirking to show off a mouth full of yellow teeth.
"Hey babe," he said lazily. "How about we discuss a buy one get one free deal...you know?"
Ryden opened her mouth to say something back, when he put his hand on his left hip, drawing back his coat to reveal a gun nestled in his belt. His eyes followed hers as she swallowed. Then he raised his finger to his lips and continued. "So...what do you say?"
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Post by M-4-M on Aug 10, 2010 22:40:27 GMT -5
Julian watched from a distance for most of the night. He felt no need to go comfort Ryden or make her feel she was doing good. She had not become a real part of is crew yet. When she did, she would probably see he was actually a decent guy to be around. He had a reputation the keep up with people who did not know him well. A drug dealer could not be like a big care bear, offering reassuring words to new comers. The night was coming to a close, and Julian had other matters to attend to. He impatiently watched the last customer of the night arrive, a lanky and tall man.
Of course things could not end smoothly for the night. There was going to be conflict. Julian saw the glint of the gun in the streetlight and was on the move immediately. He left his perch by the wall and strode up behind Ryden with purpose. He glared at the man with hardened brown eyes. "I'm not selling to you. So back off, now."
He said with unwavering confidence and determination. There was an edge to his voice, a hint at the violence he was truly capable of. Julian was warning this guy to back the hell up, or else he would not think twice about frying him up like a chicken nugget.
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Post by Britt on Aug 11, 2010 22:04:55 GMT -5
The man looked at Julian, a smirk rising on his chiseled features. Ryden turned to face Julian quickly, her heart skipping a beat. He sure could move quickly. And silently too. Her narrowed eyes turned back to the obnoxious man, who let out a barking laugh.
"Ohh, I see," he began, licking his lips as he put both hands on his hips, shaking his head as if the situation were incredibly amusing. "She belongs to you, it's cool." He paused, his expression turning sharp in the blink of an eye.
Ryden backed up a step, her hand diving into the depths of her back, searching for an item. When she located the cheap plastic knife inside, something lifted from a fast food joint probably months before, she squeezed it and felt the form of it change instantly. Her pointer traced the blade but did not press down. It was sharp...jagged. Like a hunter's knife.
"You're not selling to me, eh?" asked the man, his eyes jumping from Ryden to Julian. "Well that's unfortunate. Because...for--" he took a calculating breath, "--we'll say $700 for some alone time with the girl and the weasel dust and I'll leave you alone. C'mon brother, you're not turning down extra cash are you?"
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Post by M-4-M on Aug 13, 2010 22:24:50 GMT -5
He was not going to back down, and felt not fear towards this random ass guy. People were meant to be afraid of Julian, not the other way around. This was his town and he refused to be bullied, especially when it came to one of his crew. Ryden might not be completely a part of the in crowd yet, but he still considered her a very valuable asset.
"She does, so back the hell up, or I'll make you regret this."
His words were fighting to remain calm but his dark eyes were burning with anger. He did not notice Ryden reach for the knife, he was too focused on the stupid guy trying to get laid by threatening people. Wow, talk about desperate. Julian did not need this guy's money. He might be a drug dealer but he was not going to allow someone to practically rape a girl just for a few hundred bucks. He did have some morals. Drugs were fine, it was a person's choice to do them. Forcing an innocent girl into an alley with some creep was just plain messed up.
"I'm turning it down. So get the f**k out of here, and if I see you near here again I'll kill you myself."
Julian stepped closer to the man, who was easily two inches taller than him. Towering at 6'2" probably since Julian was quite tall himself. He was completely unarmed and oddly confident for being so, good thing he had a secret weapon no one knew about.
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Post by mikashi on Aug 18, 2010 13:44:06 GMT -5
Simon had left New York behind. He'd thanked his friend for letting him stay there for a time, but it just hadn't been working. He was distracted, his thoughts all in a jumble and nothing was shaking out right from it. It had just felt right to move on, it had been time. It was almost like a compulsion. He'd been talking to an assortment of people as he travelled, some seemed to help more than others, he'd smoked up and dropped acid a couple of times. It had all been hit and miss, a few brief moments where he'd felt hopeful, but in the end everything had amounted to naught.
His gypsy ways had brought him back to Detroit. He hadn't been here recently, but he did know people here. He hoped one in particular might be able to help him, well help him to score something to either ease or open his mind, at this point either option seemed equally valid and valuable. He hit the streets in one of the old neighborhoods. If memory served, he might be able to score some fun.
Yes, there he was, his 'contact'. And it looked like his old pal had hooked up with some pretty, young thing as well in the time he'd been away. He was about to lift a hand and wave, but then remembered why he was here and what they were likely doing there across the street and he kept his hand in his pocket. He lifted his chin up and gave a nod in Julian's direction before he realized that Julian hadn't noticed him.
Something was going down with a customer and the girl. Julian had crowded in on those two, all protective-like. Shit. This just ruined his evening. He had been hoping for something, preferably in a nice powder form and things were rapidly barrelling downhill. They might close up shop or even worse, customers in this neighborhood were not your usual, upstanding citizens of suburbia who just dabbled in a little coke or marijuana. Simon lingered just across the street, watching and hopeful, as Julian stepped up to deal with the unruly customer. Simon was too nervous to approach, to just drop in on a bad situation. Really, he just didn't want to get stabbed or shot or anything even remotely like it. Even happy customers didn't like some other jerk crowding them when they were making a deal, the deal was a private affair, it was not a mosh pit where everyone could crowd in.
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Post by Britt on Aug 18, 2010 22:47:21 GMT -5
The man barked a laugh as Julian began to get fired up. With her hand still in her bag, clutched around the handle of a newly formed knife, Ryden looked around at Julian. Part of her was wondering why on earth Julian was being so protective of her. Not that she minded at all. But she was not apart of his crew...she was nothing to him but a machine for creating free cocaine, so why did he care if this guy had his way with her for an hour? It meant extra cash anyways...
"You'll kill me?" asked the man, his eyes tracing Julian for a weapon.
Ryden knew there to be none on his person. She swallowed, wondering if she should pass on the knife to him and let him have some fun. But before she had the chance to, the psycho behind her wrapped an around around her throat and pulled her back, pushing the barrel to his gun into her side.
"A stomach wound'll do nothing -- come closer and I'll shoot her. You had the chance for some cash, but now you're going home empty handed." The man growled, his hand twitching, clutching the gun, apparently unsure of where to point it, Julian or Ryden.
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Post by M-4-M on Aug 20, 2010 0:05:29 GMT -5
Julian did not get the chance to notice his old contact across the street. He was far too busy being concerned with what was going on right in front of him. He had to be careful even with his ability to burn the guy in an instant. He did not want to risk Ryden getting killed, she was valuable. Sure part of him sort of cared but he tried to ignore that. This was strictly business, why would he let his cocaine machine get injured or killed? That was a dumb move on his part.
He could feel the man's eyes trace over him, searching for a weapon to back up the threat. There was none but Julian could not wait to surprise the guy when he started to smell his own skin melting. Once the guy grabbed ahold of Ryden his temper snapped and Julian stopped holding back. There was a deep rooted rage that simmered constantly within Julian's soul, and it loved when he let it out to play. He threw up his hand, and fire leapt forth and shot at the hand the man held the gun in. Instantly orange flames licked around his fingers that held the weapon and Julian smiled. It was a sickly grin, like another personality as his enjoyed mauling the other man's body.
Now that the gun was taken care of Julian sent a whirlwind of fire straight at the man's face, then released the fire and let it do its work. He was going to regret messing with the biggest coke dealer in the city. All of this transpired within seconds, and to an onlooker it really would not make any sense. Julian was quick with his ability and already had his hands back in his pockets.
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Post by mikashi on Aug 20, 2010 10:45:17 GMT -5
Instead of looking all big, tough, and threatening. The man who held Ryden now was a screaming wreck. Real people did not just casually grunt when injured like they did in action movies. Pain, surprise, surprise, hurt; and being seared hurt one hell of a lot.
Simon wasn't sure, from across the street, what had actually just happened. Julian's hands had come out and there was fire spraying at the guy holding Ryden. It was like watching something from, pardon the pun, The Watchmen, with Julian playing the role of Rorschach. And a moment later, it was done, Julian's hands were back in his pockets, but the man ... the other man, he was on fire.
Simon crossed the street, not directly toward the burning man. The burning man would probably be crumpling to the ground or running away. Julian, he figured, would not stick around by a burning man either, that would draw too much attention. He'd probably move away and SImon just moved in what felt to him to be the most logical direction Julian would take, and that importantly, might let him briefly chat him up and score.
Simon wasn't the only person in motion either. A guy on fire meant that someone, not necessarily really quick-like, but someone, nonetheless, would eventually be calling the police. There were any of a number of people present who all started to have the same thought and the crowd began to scatter. No heroes, no samaritans, ran forward to help put out the fires, that poor bastard had brought this on himself and he'd have to deal with it himself.
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