Guild icon
ROLEPLAY HQ
Archive 16 / a-hidden-world
Avatar
exlted 27-Sep-22 11:29 AM
Trigger Warnings: Slavery, mentions of human trafficking, abuse, sexual and physical violence, more to be determined
11:31
Eyes flicking from the ticket in his hand to the door he'd never seen before, despite walking down this street every day of his adult life, James was certain he finally had proof of all the conspiracy theories he'd been digging into ever since his family's disappearance about 5 years ago. This wasn't just some door down an alley you'd miss unless you knew where to look, this was a brash, neon-lit bar. If he remembered the name the informant he got this ticket from, it was "The Succubus Tit." The characters drawn in electrified gas were nothing he was able to read. They didn't even look like they were of this world! Steeling what courage he has, most of that which he'd built up over the last couple of days having been lost upon finding the impossible doorway, James walks to the door and enters. Inside, the few people he can see are vaguely unsettling. When he looks at them, they look like normal people, but out of the corner of his eye, he feels like he's seeing how they truly look with horns, tails, and unnatural colorations. Trying to look like he belongs in this place that he's certain everybody knows he doesn't belong in, James walks to the bar and takes a stool. When the barkeep comes over to him, James orders. "Old Fashioned, please. I'm waiting for someone who said they'd meet me here, so... I'll open a tab for now, if that'll be okay. " The barkeep nods and makes the drink, placing it in front of James before heading over to take care of another patron who's gotten their attention. Only once James gets the glass in his hand does he relax in any way, and he takes a further look around the bar, trying to see if anyone called his bluff, or if the person he's been told to look for is already here.
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 27-Sep-22 12:51 PM
Sofia indulges in slow moving dance, the beating of the music reverberating through her chest in alignment with the rhythm of her heart. Her mouth tastes like the spiced and strong Haitian rum she’s been drinking all night and she savors the numbness of her mind and senses. Many had already tried to circle her on the dance floor, approaching in various ways to get her attention. All failed. Sofia wasn’t looking for their company. As the song come to an end, she raises the glass in her hand and downs the remaining content while she leaves the moderately crowded dance floor. Everywhere she looks, she sees the assets of different patrons, horns, glowing eyes, tails swaying discreetly under tables. Claws, fangs… A man covered in furs hulks in one corner. Sofia knows most of them, and they know her. Aiming her steps towards the bar, she nods the rhythm to the next song with laziness as she orders a new drink from the bartender. He serves it without question or comments, tossing her a long look instead. Sofa doesn’t mind his unspoken curiosity and sips her refill, ignoring him. Her odd colored eyes swipe the club and its patrons, eventually falling on the door. There’s a hushed hum. As if someone had left the door open and a cold wind blazed through. Sofia’s eyes harden on the newcomer, wondering what crazed human he might be to stroll in so casually. And more importantly, who’d led him to this place. She watches him maneuver the floor while aiming for the bar and orders his drink. Her sensitive hearing picks up his words despite the loudness of the music. Meet someone? Doubtfully.
12:51
She takes a long sip of her drink and scoots closer to the man, eyeing his ruffled appearance and the fact he had clearly tried -and failed- to groom himself presentably for the evening. Fishing a pack of cigarettes out of her small purse, she tilts one into her mouth and taps the man’s shoulder. He turns to her. “Oy, Cariño. Got a light?” He reeks of nervous desperation, a scent to strong she could sense it even in this form. Yet on her lips lingers a friendly smile, disarming and as charming as she can muster. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 27-Sep-22 01:27 PM
After looking around and seeing nobody making an obvious move towards him, James turns back to his glass and takes a short draw from it. He was barely able to get it down without a grimace. Did, alcohol always burn this much? Sure James hadn't drank any for over a year; drinking every day didn't keep much money in your pocket, but... Suddenly, he's pulled out of his reverie by a tap on his shoulder. Luckily James had already set his glass back down, or there would've been a much more audible sign of his surprise. With more of a deer in the headlights look than he'd like to admit, he turns and makes eye contact with the strange woman. Strange, because she feels easier to look at than the rest of the patrons he'd glanced at while walking in. His eyes don't feel like he's trying to make them cross by looking at her. Despite that, it's only after a pregnant pause that James realizes that the question he barely heard was directed towards him, and, in a slight panic he notices the cigarette in her mouth and replies. "O-oh... Yeah, I have one right here. S-sorry..." The last word slips out as he switches his focus from trying to 'act normal' to grabbing the lighter out of his back pocket. While James didn't smoke, one of his best friends did, though they never seemed to carry a lighter with them. With a well practiced motion, indicative of doing this exact thing hundreds of times before, he pulls the lighter from his pocket, flips it around to offer the bottom of it to the lady, and makes eye contact again. This well practiced action gave him a sense of normalcy in an overwhelmingly abnormal place, and it settles his nerves just enough to normalize his breathing again after being startled. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 28-Sep-22 11:21 PM
Still smiling at the human man, she takes the lighter her offers and flicks it to light up her cigarette, taking a slow draw from it while she leans in the counter next to him. Her eyes narrow in contemplation, regarding him again with a mixture of humor and genuine curiosity. Exhaling her cigarette smoke and blowing it up and above his head, she thumbs his lighter and doesn’t give it back right away. “It’s not often we see a new face around these parts. You by yourself?” She leans her back on the bar, looking sideways at him while keeping the rest of the club within her sight. The dimmed lights are not posing much trouble for her, able to see quite well even into the darkest shadows. Sofia is very aware he might think she’d coming on to him, approaching so casually and wearing such revealing clothing. One simply doesn’t go dancing in jeans, that would be preposterous. Tilting her head, she regards him again but this time with the eyes of a woman. The rugged appearance aside, he wasn’t all bad looking, for a human. Something about the wrinkled draw around his eyes spoke of tragedy though. Too complicated, she mused, inhaling her cigarette again and directing her gaze outwards to the other patrons. A few are watching the man’s back. “Who are you meeting? I know most regulars pretty well,” she then asks, not sure she’s liking the looks of their faces as they watch the human. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 29-Sep-22 03:02 AM
With the overly normal action finished, James winces from a headache that has started to creep in while looking out into the rest of the bar. He turns a bit more towards the bar, hoping having less people in his line of sight will cause the headache to subside. He starts unconsciously toying with his drink with one hand, feeling more self conscious about being here having somebody explicitly interacting with him than he even felt while walking up to the bar initially. "I suppose... I am by myself tonight, but, I was told to meet someone here." James attempts another sip of his drink and, this time not being taken by surprise by its kick, he's able to get it down without any visible reaction. If this was a normal bar, he'd be a little worried about why someone who was so obviously out of his league would approach him. With this bar being anything but normal, alarm bells were ringing loud and clear. James wasn't certain about talking with her, but the best policy seemed like it would be to be honest without revealing too much. Just, what would constitute being too much, he had no idea. "I wasn't given a name, but I was told to find 'search and rescue', whatever that's supposed to mean..." James lets out a chuckle as he finishes speaking at the absurdity of it all. It wasn't his proudest moment, but that was all he could get out of the informant he'd gone to. An "invitation", which was pretty much just a weird poker chip, and that name. Yet it somehow had turned into better lead than anything he'd been given in the last several years. Despite all appearances on the exterior, inside this seemed to feel like just another bar. Though, James could tell that there was more to this place than met the eye, if nothing else, the pain he felt when trying to look around told him there was more going on here than he could see. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 30-Sep-22 03:58 AM
Sofia was mid sip of her drink when he spoke the words “search and rescue”. She stops and thickly swallws the strong liquor, her odd-colored eyes shifting to stare at him intently. With a slow exhale, the hand with her drink lowers from her mouth and she steps slightly closer to the man. “You better stop fidgeting as if your mere presence here is an insult to the other patrons. And don’t speak those words again.” Her voice is lowered, soft and has a natural hoarseness to it “It’s gonna get you in trouble, Cariño. And trust me, you ain’t lookin’ for this kind of trouble.” Her eyes hold his gaze for many seconds after she’s finished talking, searching for signs that he understands her not-so-discreet warning. She shakes her head eventually and turs to swipe her eyes over the patrons in the bar again. The man was clearly searching for someone. Every now and then, a few bright-headed humans would connect the dots and turn their attention to her kind when searching for missing people. Her kind being as generalized as saying mammal, not distinguishing between orcas, lions, or sheep. A quick look in his direction told her everything she needed to know. He had no clue about the jar of bees he was about to open, or worse -throw into this very room. Figuratively speaking of course. She takes another long draw from her cigarette before crushing the bud into an ashtray, straightening from the bar while she finishes her drink in a long gulp. She tilts her head at the man, beckoning him to follow. “You wanna get out of here?” she says louder, loud enough for people to hear. She gives the man a wink, her cold blue and warm brown eyes heavy lidded in all manners of suggestiveness. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 30-Sep-22 04:59 AM
James blanches slightly at her initial response, noticing the lady swallowing suddenly in a break of what had been seemingly smooth motions up until that point. He worries that he said to much, to the wrong person, was he in trouble? However, his fears were allayed when she tells him that he'll get himself in trouble by continuing to speak, and act, in the way he's been doing since arriving. Taking a deep breath, he nods ever so slightly before finally letting his shoulders droop how they normally would while sitting at a bar, the weight on his shoulders making itself evident now that James wasn't forcing himself to be something he wasn't. He still had to be careful, but it seems like he might have found the next piece in this puzzle he'd been trying to put together for years. "Thank you," James whispers, not really intending anyone to hear, as he turns to face her again. As soon as James makes eye contact, she makes a move, "You wanna get out of here?" she asks, as if there's anything else he's wanted to do since stepping foot into the bar. He recognizes the implication behind that question, but files it away for later, as it could easily be to put on a show for the rest of the patrons. He knew a woman like this would never actually be interested in someone as broken as he was. Without much thought, he reaches for his wallet and pulls out some cash to leave by his unfinished drink, and replies before standing up. "Sure, lets go somewhere a bit more... cozy" James doesn't notice the blush that flashes across his face when saying that, nor does he realize the number of people who have started watching the strange pair during their short chat. He's too busy trying to figure out just how much he can trust this person with having had only this single positive interaction with them. Could she be conning him? Only time would tell, and he had already played his last card. And having done so, he would follow her lead, for a time, at least. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 30-Sep-22 07:03 AM
Cozy… she chortles and shakes her head, taking his arm to rest her own on it quite ladylike and delicate. Her eyes do one more, final sweep of the bar patrons as they turn to leave. She doesn’t make eye contact with anyone, but her somewhat heightened perception notices they are being watched by a few. Or, he was being watched. With a straight back and an almost catwalk soft gait, she guides the man to the bar exit and waits for the doorman to let them outside. Thankfully, the staff at The Succubus Tit prided themselves in neutrality and would never stop them from leaving. Boss’ orders and all that. Once outside on the street, she inhales slowly and deep, relishing in the crisp and cold air against her cheeks. The alcohol had left her with little more than a slight buzz, but it was enough to make the inside of the bar feel suffocatingly hot. Her short skirt would soon prove itself impractical for this temperature, but she was willing to ignore that for now while getting the human away from there. As soon as they got out of earshot from the bar and rounded a street corner, she releases the man’s arm and turns to look at him. Her hand reaches out, palm facing up. “Alright, let’s see it then. Hand it over.” The man merely looks at her with confusion, and she rolls her eyes. “The invitation chip. Let’s see it. You didn’t just happen to find one, did ‘ya? Who gave it to you?” While looking like a harmless gambling chip, every single one was electronically personalized for each clientele. A safeguard to prevent unwanted visitors and to keep track of who passed through the bar. That’s how the boss of The Succubus Tit was able to maintain his neutrality. No one would dare to fuck with him simply because of all the information he had available on every single visitor. Demons were clever creatures like that.
07:04
Whoever this human had gotten the chip from, they had to be bold to give it to him. Record would show the owner had been there, when in fact they had not. “Look, I don’t know what kind of trouble you’re in. But the shitstorm you could have kicked up in there would not have ended well for you. Whoever gave you that chip either stole it or set you up. Understand? So, hand it over and let me look at it. The group you’re looking for do exist. But not in there. Never…. Ever… in there. I can get you in touch with them. But before I do I gotta make sure my skull ain’t gonna wash up on the beach within the next couple of days.” Now that he was standing in front of her, Sofia has time to study his features better and sees that look of desperation in his eyes again. His frame hunched slightly, making him look shorter than he was. While he was a short man, he was still taller than herself. Her eyes soften just slightly while she watches him, wondering what had broken his so bad that he barely dared to look her in the eyes. Or perhaps it was the odd coloration of them that had him on edge. It wouldn’t be the first time. Freak, humans liked to call her. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 30-Sep-22 08:11 AM
James follows the lady out of the bar, hardly noticing as she takes his arm to guide him. Having got stuck in his own thoughts, he had decided on one thing in the short time it took to get out, he was gonna go all in. This was his last attempt to find his family, and he wasn't gonna let any chance get past him this time. There will be no what-ifs, no letting nerves get the better of him. If this failed, he'd return back to normal life, get a job, reach out to some of his old friends. He'd accept that there was nothing more that could be done. For the second time that day, her voice startled him out of his thoughts. James's confusion must've been evident on his face, as she essentially repeats herself. He takes the chip out of his pocket to hand it to her, avoiding making eye contact as he does so. "I got it from an informant I met the other day... He went by Cobalt Thorne. I met him in Bloomwich. All he told me was where to find the Succubus Tit, and to ask about... well, you know..." After relaying that information, James takes another deep breath, and momentarily makes eye contact with her. She seems so confident, to know what she's doing, it's a reassuring presence yet it gnaws at the pit of his stomach too. After she takes the chip from him all that's been building up in him since meeting her suddenly starts to spill out, initially talking very quickly and probably a bit too loud, then after realizing that he slows down, quiets down, and feels much more meek about what he's saying. "I-I... don't know what I've gotten myself into, obviously. But... my name is James, and I... I hope you can help me. I've been doing this kind of thing for years now, and this is the last lead I've been able to find on my family... S-sorry to... place all that on you... Th-thank you..." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 01-Oct-22 01:31 AM
Sofia takes the chip from the man, startling as it immediately sends a sensation of electrocuting impulses through her, shooting up her hand and arm. She gasps, lightning pain splitting across her skull and centering at the forefront of her head. Dropping the chip so it falls into a puddle at their feet, she first takes a step back from it, starting with wide, odd-colored eyes between the man and down at the chip. The man who’d just introduced himself as James keeps ranting on and she waits for him to finish. She crouches, careful to keep her knees together so not to give him a view up her skirt, taking a closer look at the chip now on the ground. It had a deep purple color with rich, intricate golden imprints on it. Beautifully made and clearly more personalized than most other chips. Her delicate arched eyebrows knit together in a small frown. “Cobalt Thorne? Never heard of him. Probably a fake name. And this chip? It’s not your ordinary entry ticket. You should hold onto it.” That he didn’t know what he had gotten himself into was obvious, and Sofia stands again, looking at his face with curiosity. “So, who’d you lose? Friend? Brother? Sister? Spouse?” She deliberately refrained from assuming his sexual orientation, noting how insecure and lost he was. How he kept avoiding looking in her direction and particularly at her female shape. She was used to men gawking at her, both humans and otherwise. But this man looked like he feared he’d catch his death if he did. “Take the chip. Don’t ever show it to anyone, got it? I don’t know what’s been done to it, but it ain’t…” pausing, she searches for words, wanting to say that the chip wasn’t of this world. But such a statement would likely only confuse him more. “…It ain’t normal.”
01:31
Turning, Sofia looks down the streets in either direction, thinking, looking off in the distance as if a solution would magically present itself there. But it didn’t. Of course not. She could take him to the people she knew would be able to help him. Able, not guaranteed that they actually would. She’d done her fair share of con work, and these people were as likely to con a man of his house as they were to lend a helping hand. But if anyone could get in touch with the group James was looking for, it was them. “Mierda…” she mutters before looking back to the man. “What have I gotten myself into this time… C’mon, we gotta get off the streets. You live nearby?” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 01-Oct-22 04:31 AM
James's face turns white seeing her response to touching the chip then starts to lean down to pick up the chip, really paying attention to it for the first time since getting it from the informant. He had guessed that it was something special when he'd saw the bar for the first time, but if it would hurt someone like this lady, then who knows what all it might do. "I-I'm so sorry, I had no idea it'd do that." He sighs, "I... lost my wife and daughter. A-about five years ago now, actually..." He grabs the chip from the puddle before standing back up and placing it back into his pocket, a strange sense of completeness that he hadn't realized was missing, returning as he does so. James takes a look at the lady while she seems almost lost before she asks if he lives nearby. He does, his apartment is just a few blocks away in fact, he hasn't been able to move since his family disappeared. It'd feel weird having someone like this with him, not even his best friend had been in his house in the past 3 years, but if we needed to get off the street, it was the best place, for now at least. And luckily, while his physical appearances may make him look like a bit of a slob, he's kept it spick and span, ready for his family to return at any point. "I do, actually, it's just this way. Not too far at all." He starts walking towards their destination, pausing momentarily to make sure that she's actually coming with him. It only takes a couple minutes to get to the building, and when the arrive James opens the building's door, standing aside to let her go in first, his gentlemanly instincts coming through as he gets into a place he's more comfortable in. "I'm on the third floor, so just a bit further now." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 02-Oct-22 04:22 AM
Sofia follows the man as he leads the way down the streets, her high heels clicking and clacking against the wet pavement, echoing off the tall buildings around them. She’s silent, watching his back and deep in thought; wonder and no small amount of self-berating coursing through her mind. Why had she walked up to him? Why did she care what happened to him? Why was she offering to help him? He wasn’t her responsibility, his problems were not her problems. She could just turn around, walk away, and never see him again. She should walk away. So why isn’t she? Hearing that he had lost his wife and daughter stirred unease in her. Humans went missing all the time, and more often than not it was another human’s fault. But for this man to be in possession of that chip, his case had to be different. It would have to be… no. Sofia found herself unwilling to pursue that train of thought. Her kind were responsible for a lot of things happening to the humans. Two females getting ‘lost’ could only mean one thing. When they reach his building and he holds the door open for her, she gives him a quick look before stepping over the threshold. The building was ill-matched to his otherwise appearance, upper class and well-kept. Walking ahead of him up the stairs, the sound of her high heels is muted by the carpeted floors. A ‘clean’ carpeted floor. She’s acutely aware the man has an excellent view of her ass while she climbs the steps ahead of him, her short tube skirt tight and hugging her form in all the right places. She’s used to men gawking at her, but suddenly it feels different. Perhaps the news that he is, for all intents and purposes still a married man, had changed her attitude towards him.
04:23
The climb does not affect her breaths, even if she’s lifting one foot after the other at a steady pace that would make any ordinary person slightly out of breath. Sofia forgets herself and doesn’t consider this fact, not stopping or slowing down until they reach the landing of the third floor. There, she pauses to let the man lead the way to his apartment. She already knows they are not being followed. “Nice place,” she mutters, her naturally hoarse voice filling the tense silence. “Lived here long?” She wants to ask what he does for a living. Places like this didn’t come cheap, and he certainly didn’t look like he was upper class. Waiting while he unlocks and opens the door to his apartment, she stands there for a few seconds, still debating if she should just walk away after all. With a small sigh that has her nostrils flare, she steps through the doorway and into his home. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 02-Oct-22 10:04 AM
James follows her into the building, the entire process feeling surreal. How could he be bringing someone he just met, much less a lady, to his home when he hadn't had any visitors there, even his best friends, in over a year. Following her up the stairs he can't help but stare at her in the way he'd been trying to avoid since meeting her. Her body is something that would have danced through his dreams every night for the next couple weeks were he a different man. Instead, James simply swallows, hopefully not audibly, and lets her get a step or two ahead of him. When he gets to the third floor, she's there waiting for him. "Thanks! I've been here for 8 or 9 years. It's nice, a bit big for just one but..." James leads her to his apartment's front door, number 303, and opens it. "I know that things won't go back to how they were before they went missing if they just showed up one day... But what else can I do?" Inside is a relatively large living room, to one side there is a table with 4 chairs around it, and there is a couch and a loveseat off in one corner, vaguely surrounding a TV on an opposite wall from them. That same wall contains a breakfast bar with the kitchen peaking through it. There's a hallway that connects to the kitchen and continues back to a few more doors, containing a bathroom and a pair of bedrooms. James, noticing her hesitation, steps into the apartment and makes a generally welcoming gesture. Since he's stepping pretty far out of his comfort zone by even bringing someone to his house in the first place, even if this is just for work, the motion looks awkward. When she steps in, he asks. "Would you like something to drink? I certainly don't have much that would rival a bar here... Well... I actually only have water and some sodas so I'm pretty limited on what I can easily offer you."
10:05
Falling into a practiced rhythm without thinking much about it, James shuts and locks the door before walking to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water and whatever she may ask for. The kitchen is obviously minimally used, while the rest of the apartment that can be seen is spick and span, a kitchen shouldn't be this clean if it's actually being regularly used. Everything that might normally be used daily is put away, leaving it looking a bit too much like a model home. When James opens the refrigerator to get a pitcher of water out, which is obviously well used from the hard water stains on it that haven't been consistently cleaned, it's obvious that he doesn't cook much. There's a gallon of milk, a small variety of soda, one type of which there are conspicuously fewer of, and a few take out or delivery boxes in it. After James pours himself his glass of water, he runs a hand through his hair, sighing louder than he intended, then mumbling. "Something tells me that this already long day, has only just started..." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 03-Oct-22 01:57 AM
Sofia walks into the human man’s home with eyes looking at everything, noting the clean and orderly manner everything was arranged in. She almost laughs at her own surprise. “Do you even live here? It looks so… sterile.” She takes a seat at his breakfast bar, careful to cross her knees so the short skirt would not slide up her thigs, placing her small purse on the table an opening it. “Do you have tea?” she asks, not caring much for soda and squinting suspiciously at the unclean water pitcher. Besides, with her minimal clothing and the cold outside, something warm would do her good. While she talks, she pulls her phone out of her purse along with her pack of cigarettes. Motioning to the pack as she takes one cigarette out of it, she gives him a questioning look. “Do you mind?” Unlocking her phone with a few swipes of her thumb, she pilfers through her contact list and finds the name she’d looking for. Clicking it shortcuts to an older conversation and she starts typing a message. Her black painted fingernail taps the screen in gentle movements, slowly writing and wording a message to the recipient. Odd-colored eyes concentrate on the phone screen for long enough to give the man the privacy he needs to move about his own kitchen. S: Need to call in a favor with Scythe. He available? A reply almost instantly ticks in. M: Working. What ‘ya need? S: Information… Human business. M: Scythe’s specialty. I’ll let him know. Get your payment ready. S: Fuck that. He owes me. M: So you say…. S: Just let me know where to meet. Once finished, she grimaces while a falling uncomfortable sensation settles in her stomach. She puts the phone down on top of her purse and looks towards Jacob again, remembering she had not told him her name yet. “My name is Sofia. Sofia Vargas.” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 03-Oct-22 02:40 AM
James laughs a bit, "Well, I... might have become slightly obsessive about keeping this place clean. I have entirely too much free time when I've been in between information searches. Cleaning keeps my mind off of the past, if only for a little while" There should be some tea bags in one of the cabinets above the stove, just gotta warm up some water. Where did he put the kettle again? James sets his glass of water down on the bar and starts to work in the kitchen, grabbing a mug, a tea bag, and searching for the kettle to boil some water. He glances over his shoulder when she asks if he minds, oh, a cigarette. Pausing on finding a kettle, James steps over to the stove and turns the hood on low to hopefully get some of the smoke out of the room without being too loud and distracting. It wasn't a problem with him, his best friend smoked, and dragged him along on smoke breaks sometimes, but if he could keep the entire apartment from smelling like smoke, it'd probably be for the better. "No, I don't mind." Shortly after that, James finds the kettle and gets some water boiling. Once its ready, he takes everything over to the bar, pours the water into the mug, and offers her a couple of tea bags. His wife was the tea drinker, so the tea was all pretty old... But, there were a few varieties to choose from. Hopefully it would still be okay. He takes a long drink from his glass, the water refreshing him more than he'd expected. Apparently he'd gotten quite thirsty without realizing it. When she speaks again, James looks back towards her, er, Sofia it was. Nice to but a name to the face. "Ah, right. Nice to meet you, Sofia. Feels kinda weird to say that to someone I've already invited into my home, but today has been a day of strange occurrences. So... What happens now?"
02:42
James returns to his water, practically finishing it in one swallow. He waits for a response to his question before going back to the fridge to refill his glass, it wouldn't do to to let himself get dehydrated if there was more to do that evening. It did seem strange though, he hadn't broken from his normal day that much in going to the bar, maybe it was the alcohol? "Oh, right! Is there anything else you'd like? My wife was the tea drinker, and since she usually woke up before me, I never got the chance to prepare much tea for her, or anyone." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 03-Oct-22 03:02 AM
Lighting her cigarette and realizing she’s still using the lighter he’d given her; she leaves it on the table for him to take it back. While smoking, she watches him flit about the kitchen, seeing his anxiousness practically roll off him in waves. He couldn’t stand still, let alone sit down or look at her long enough to strike up a meaningful conversation. Sofia sighs and inspects the tea bags, choosing a rhubarb flavor. Without speaking, she puts it into the hot water and let it sit there, fishing a small hip flask out of her purse as well. Upon his offer for something more, she hakes her head and pours a good portion of the hip flask content into her mug. She warm scent of rhubarb and strong alcohol soon fills her nostrils. “No need, this will do.” Again, she looks at him, contemplative about what to so next and how much help she should give him. Set up a meeting with Scythe, but after that? Without asking for an ashtray, she stands to round the breakfast bar and flick the ash off her cigarette into the sink. Deciding to stand there while she smokes, her eyes wander to the human’s antsy and restless demeanor. “You don’t get visitors often, do you? Sit down, Cariño, you’re making me nervous. I ain’t about to rob you or something. Tell me about your family. When did they disappear? How? What were the circumstances? I assume police have investigated it, seeing you’re… not a street rat.” She refrained from calling him a rich white guy, even if that’s exactly what he was. After she’s finished her smoke, she drops the but into the sink, hearing it extinguish with a ‘tshck’. She moves back to sit by the table, dipping the teabag a few times and then pulling it out of the mug. The tea has a slight old and bitter taste to it, but thankfully the strong alcohol helps. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 03-Oct-22 03:51 AM
James sighs quietly as he goes to sit next to where she was sitting at the breakfast bar, his shoulders drooping as he does so. After a pregnant pause he responds. "No, I don't get many visitors." He chuckles quietly "My wife's name is Carlie, she's such a bright personality. She would walk into a room and even in somber circumstances people would end up smiling. I'm not sure what she saw in me, she was too good for me... My daughter, Lilly has so much talent as an artist. She loves flowers, maybe because we named her after one. They..." James takes a shuddering breath "They disappeared 5 years ago now. I was on a business trip, well, at a conference. This house was broken into, well, that's what the police said, but despite signs of forced entry there was nothing disturbed inside. They were just gone." James takes another drink from his water. Obviously trying to hold back his reaction as he pauses the story, working on steadying his breathing momentarily. "The police told me they just left, couldn't give me a reason for the signs of forced entry... But nothing has been taken out of our shared accounts at any point after that. If they just left without saying anything to me, I don't know how they'd've been able to live for the first month or two... But also, private investigators couldn't find any leads. And so I've been on the hunt by myself for years now." James looks like he's on the edge of tears, and is leaning heavily on the bar. He obviously hasn't moved on from any of this, and going through explaining all of it, even shortening it as he did, brings him back through a lot of the emotions he's felt. He looks up at Sofia, trying to gauge her reaction, thankful that she didn't ask for this information before being in a private place, though talking about it here is probably harder for him than talking about it anywhere else. Could she actually help? She seemed to understand so much more than he did. After a pregnant pause James asks.
03:51
"Why... Why are you helping me? I can afford to pay you, obviously, but you haven't even asked... You just walked up to me at the bar, and when I said something that I shouldn't have said you pulled me out of there. Saved my life, I assume. A-and..." He trails off, he was gonna say something about how she looks, but feels uncomfortable saying something like that having brought her into his home. He was a married man, and sure he hadn't seen his wife in years, but he wasn't looking to hook up. Or even find someone else. She was just there to help him find his family, nothing more. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 03-Oct-22 05:31 AM
She listens in silence while James talks about his family, looking around the apartment while trying to envision those personalities liven up the pace and make it feel like an actual home. It was clear that in their absence, this man had simply stopped living and merely existed in this space of sterile neutrality. Upon his query of why she’s helping him, Sofia shrugs. “I’m asking myself that very same question. I don’t know. You looked lost and out of place back there. A target. Prey. It’s not your fault you walked blindly into the lion’s den, but you gotta be more careful Cariño.” She shakes her head a little while she drinks her alcohol spiced tea. “Asking about missing persons in a place like that can very well make you go missing too.” Her phone gave off a small vibration on the table, and Sofia picked it up, unlocking it without caring if he saw the swipe password or not. A message had popped up on her screen, including directions to a hospital downtown. “As for what happens now… I hope you’re prepared for a long night. We gotta go. Soon. You got money, yea? Get us a cab, will ‘ya?” While she speaks, she replies to the message in a short manner and starts shuffling things back into her purse. Then she pauses and looks at James again. “Bring the newest photo you have of your wife and daughter.” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 03-Oct-22 06:45 AM
"Thank you, I'll try to be more careful going forward." As Sofia asks if he has money, James nods and grabs his wallet, double checking he has enough cash to at least go anywhere in the city. Then he pulls out a phone and hails a cab to be waiting in a couple minutes. "I can take care of expenses, yeah. There should be a cab pulling up in a few minutes. Lemme just go grab a photo that I have multiple copies of." James finishes off his second glass of water, sets it in the sink, then walks down the hallway and into his room. This is the messiest place in the apartment, he cleans it regularly, but he actually spends time in there. In his dresser's junk drawer is a stack of missing posters he had printed out years ago, put up a ton of them, but had requested too many. He folds it up, sticks it in his wallet, and walks back out to the main room. Luckily, it's been years since going in there has been hard for him, the couch had gotten a James-shaped divot in it from sleeping on it for the first 6 months after they disappeared. "I've got a photo that should work. Need anything else before we go?" James walks over to the door and unlocks it before looking back at Sofia. She still confused him, and he didn't understand her motives, but if she was willing to help, he wouldn't say no... Even if the cost would end up biting him later, whatever that might be... @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 03-Oct-22 07:47 AM
Waiting by the door while James grabbed the photo from his room, Sofia takes the time to survey pictures and art on the walls. Family photos and art illustrations clearly by a woman’s choosing. She swallows and tries to ignore the uncomfortable sensation in her stomach, thinking about what James would do if his family turn out to be truly lost. Five years…. Any trails would have gone cold long ago. She forces half a smile onto her face when he joins her by the door. “No, that’s all. Let’s go,” she replies to his question, hurriedly leaving the spartan apartment as soon as he unlocks the door. They walk down to the front door, a cab waiting for them outside already. Sofia gives the driver the address to the hospital and notices how he looks at them in his inner mirror, likely wondering if any of them were injured. During the drive there, Sofia is silently looking out the window. Her thoughts scatter, trying not to obsess over the upcoming meeting, trying not to entertain the slow building anxiety clutching at her heart with a cold hand. The lights of the city offers some comfort, ordinary and worldly, completely harmless and filled with humans oblivious to the dark forces underneath their society. “When we get there,” she eventually speaks with a soft and lowered voice. “Whatever happens, act cool, okay? Don’t… don’t freak out or make a scene.” Her odd-colored eyes throw a quick look in James’ direction, checking if he’d heard her. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 03-Oct-22 08:04 AM
James nods slightly, his thoughts have been consumed on the trip as to why they were going to a hospital. He recognized the address. What could be there that would help him? Shortly afterwards, he replies at a similar volume level, "I'll do my best. I think I know better how to deal with... strange things after spending the time I did where we met. If you lose me at any point, please bump me discretely, it seems to break me out of being lost in my thoughts when you've done that, incidentally or not." He blushes slightly as he looks down, what is a 37 year old man doing getting this lost in his thoughts all the time? Being scared of walking into a bar, even if it was one he'd never seen before... This has been the strangest day of his life, and, James just hoped that Sofia knew what she was doing. Trusting in her was all he could do right now. This boat was going far out of his comfort zone, and she was the person with the map. "Oh, and by the way... Thank you. Whether you understand why you're helping me or not, you are. And... even if I had to pay you everything I had... And I only was able to get some closure, it would be more than worth it." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 03-Oct-22 09:44 AM
Sofia looks at him with half a smile. A gentle and real smile that softened her features. “You’re welcome, James.” The cab pulls up to the hospital and Sofia exits the car while James pays for the ride. As soon as he joins her, she leads him towards an alley that would take them to a parking lot close to the ER entrance. By each step she takes, her heels clack a little louder in her ears, echoing off the narrow walls in the alley and thundering in her head. Breathe. Slow. Calm. You can do this. A man waits for them. Tall, dark-skinned and wearing an expensive suit with a gun tucked into a holster on his hip -clearly hired muscle. He smiles when he sees them. “Hi Marcus,” Sofia greets the man, and he offers a nod. “Ballsy as always. You’re lucky he likes you.” "He fucking should. What's not to like?" Marcus laughs before he beckons them to follow, leading the two towards a parked, white Mustang of a pricey model. Tinted windows hide the interior, horrendously expensive and shiny rims adorn the tires. Behind the car and partially hidden by an open trunk, another tall man stands. His head is lowered slightly while he wipes his hands on a towel. When they come closer, Sofia can only assume it’s blood he’s wiping away judging by the color on the towel. He lifts his head just enough to see the two people approaching, nodding wordlessly before tossing the towel back into the trunk. His suit is impeccable and tailored to fit him with no imperfections, a white tie tucked into his jacket. His skin is pale, but black hair lies neatly arranged on his head. His age was best decried as undefinable and timeless, yet he had a lifetime of experience playing in his eyes.
09:44
Sofia’s knees go weaker when the man finally acknowledges their presence and closes the trunk of his car with a soft thump. His smile is slow but doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s not particularly unkind, simply cold and barren of any actual emotion. Odd-colored eyes almost identical to Sofia’s regard the duo for many seconds, James in particular. Eventually he speaks. “Conejita…” his voice rumbles slightly with how deep it is, and his eyes swipe Sofia’s form slowly. “Been out dancing, I see.” She crosses her arms and lifts an eyebrow at him. “Nice ride… Kinda cliché, no?” The man chuckles and shows a semblance of humor in his eyes. He throws his hands out slowly. “What can I say, I like the novelty. You needed something?” The man’s demeanor was in all ways unhurried and discreet, as if time was never an issue and he could not be bothered to spend more energy than needed. He looks back towards James, tilting his head a little forward. “Care to introduce yourself, human, or should the lady do it for you?” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 03-Oct-22 10:34 AM
James can't help but smile back, somehow he could tell that smile was genuine. Once the taxi arrives he pays for it, it's cheaper than he expected for the length of the ride. He then walks over to Sofia, and gestures to indicate he's ready. When they get close to where they must be going, there's a man with gun obviously concealed under his suit's tail. Okay, so it's some sort of informant? Wouldn't be the first one he's been to with armed guards, information is a valuable trade, James hoped he had the ability to pay. But he hadn't been told to prepare for this, so, maybe Sofia was calling in a favor? Awfuly nice of her, but put him further in debt to her. James would need to consider that. Sofia and the guard, Marcus apparently, exchange a quick greeting, must be someone she's dealt with a lot to have that sort of relationship with one of his guards like that, that seems like good news. He then leads James and Sofia into the garage, to an expensive vehicle. Smart, hard to trace a moving meeting site. Strange for it to be so gaudy though seems like that gets rid of the benefit of being mobile. The man they walk towards is imposing, not only is he tall and well dressed, he also just seems to exude a sense of power when looking at him. Along with that the man seemed to study James for entirely too long for his comfort. After a pause that seems to just go on forever he greets Sofia who seems to almost react fearfully? It's hard to tell beneath the mask of a face that she's put back on. She replies with almost exactly the thoughts I had upon seeing the car. After a bit of a non-answer, he turns his gaze towards James, and asks for an introduction. James, having kept up his "dealing with an informant" mask on up to that point, happens to let it slip away momentarily with a slight stutter in starting his reply.
10:34
"O-oh. Right," James clears his throat, trying to start back on the right foot. "I'm James, and looking for some help in finding somebody." Upon finishing the lines that have been practiced entirely too many times, with too many different informants, James habitually raises his hand to offer it for a handshake. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 03-Oct-22 11:26 AM
The man merely looks down at the offered hand, not giving any indication that he was about to shake it. Instead, he lifts his gaze back up to the man’s face. Sofia steps forward and speaks quickly in James’ place. “James is looking for his wife and daughter. They disappeared five years ago. I met him tonight, at the Succubus Tit. He’d gained access by a chip given to him by a man who calls himself Cobalt Thorne. Do you know anyone by that name?” “Fake,” the man simply said without looking towards Sofia. His eyes scrutinized the much shorter human, seemingly digging into the very core of his being, flipping through the layers of his many selves and who he thought he was. The man’s odd-colored eyes were as deep and expressionless as a quiet pond of dark water. “Show him the pictures, James,” Sofia prompts, nudging James in the back to wake him from whatever reverie he might be stuck in. Scythe had that effect on people; able to make them fear or relive their worst nightmares. Sometimes to the point of wanting to end it all. Very often they did. Eventually, the man looked away from James and shifted his attention to Sofia. “When will you take my offer Conejita?” “I’ve told you not to call me that,” she bit in return, voice drenched in irritation and unease. She's relieved to see that he has abandoned his stirring interest in James, however, and steps forward even more so she stands next to the human. Her words and action brought a scrupulous smile to Scythe's face, and he nods at James, this time less imposing. “Show me the pictures.” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 03-Oct-22 11:59 AM
After getting his initial reply out, James starts internally hyperventilating, his hand slowly dropping back to his side. This all feels wrong, this man isn't just an informant. He quickly gets lost in a bit of a mental spiral, missing out on what's going on outside of his head until Sofia nudges him. James blinks, coming back to reality before starting to pull out his wallet, to get the pictures. Where had he gone? That was... terrifying, dark... He had been lost. As he's pulling the pictures out from the wallet the man asks for them. Steadying himself, James reverts back to his normal way of interacting with informants while providing this information. James unfolds, then offers the him missing poster. "As it says, they're Carlie and Lilly Woods, gone about 5 years, house broken into with no trace of entry, no evidence of them accessing any shared assets since the day of their disappearance." As the missing poster is taken from his hand, James makes a move to put both his hands in his pockets, trying to look casual when the emotions roiling inside him most definitely were not. This man, whether he knew something or not, was a dangerous one that had a connection to Sofia. And all these Spanish words, if he could remember them, James would need to look them up later, preferably when Sofia wasn't around. With her asking the man not to call her that, he had to wonder what it meant. The tone didn't imply much of a term of endearment either. "I know the chances of finding anything are low, everyone says that when I reach out. But..." James trails off, feeling like his words weren't needed this time. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 04-Oct-22 11:10 PM
Scythe takes the poster from the man and studies it for many seconds, exhaling in a ‘hum’ as his finger gently trail the photo in what resembled a caress. Those odd colored eyes linger on it for far too long before he shakes his head slightly. “They are not familiar to me. Shame… Beautiful creatures.” He doesn’t give the poster back, but instead neatly folds it and tucks it into the inside pocket on his jacket. “Cobalt Thorne is a name I know, but it is a fake one. He works with a group that fronts as an idealistic Search and Rescue organization. Thorne has a personal agenda, as do everyone else. If you want to find your family, you need to find the real Search and Rescue team.” “Do you know how to find them?” Sofia asks, placing her hand lightly on James’ arm to calm down any nervousness he might be feeling. Scythe looks towards the gesture, then at James’ face. “He does. He just doesn’t know it yet. Whatever granted you access to the Succubus Tit will let you find them. But beware. Monsters lurk in the shadows. You shall see them soon enough. You better have the stomach for it.” His cryptic words bring a frown to Sofia’s face, and she shakes her head. “What does that mean? Where do we find them?” The tall man looks back at her, cocking his head very slowly while he regards her. “We?” “James asked for my help…” In his trademark slow way, a smile spreads on his lips. Just as cold and emotionless as before. “Can’t stay out of trouble, can you. One of these days, those nine lives are going to run out. I will be waiting for it.”
23:11
“Cut that shit out!” Sofia muttered, although her she did take a slow step away from the man. “Just let us know where to find these actual search and rescue folks.” Her face betrayed her, and some sliver of wariness shone through. Scythe had a unique way of collecting debts, but this time he owed her. The man begins moving to the front of the car, intending to get into the driver’s seat. Marcus, the tall black goon followed shortly and opened the passenger door. Scythe stopped with his door open, looking at Sofia and James for a bit. “The chances of finding your family alive is very slim. The daughter, perhaps, but don’t get your hopes up. Us Mythics don’t fare well with you humans. Look for a shredded Veil. That will be your first clue.” The man paused with one hand on his now open door, those odd eyes now looking at James directly, giving the man time to ask questions if he had them. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 05-Oct-22 03:55 AM
James keeps his eyes on the man even after the poster is taken from him, without realizing it, a very slight bit of hope enters his face as for some reason this is the first person he's asked about this that he felt might actually be able to give a meaningful answer. When the man shakes his head, James can't help but let out a quiet sigh before making an effort to return to his normal face for interacting with an informant. That is a little difficult as James hears the tone in the man's response, not sure if that was called for. Cobalt Thorne is fake name, makes sense, but the rest of that can be filed away for later, either to think on, or ask Sofia about. Same with the man's comment about "monsters". A bit more of a conversation ensues between the man and Sofia. Their relationship seems unusual, though most relationships with informants are unusual at best, but she does show her hand just a little bit by including herself in the search. Yet another thing to think on when he had some time. Slim chances, maybe his daughter, mythics, shredded veil... A lot of words, some old, some new. James would have a lot to think about on the walk out of this place unless Sofia wanted to talk. Realizing he's starting to get lost in his thoughts, James looks up to the man, realizing he had one chance here. He was pretty sure what the answer would be, but he had to check. "Just one thing, am I too far gone? If I gave up on my search, could I go back to how things were?" James wasn't about to give up, not in a long shot. But if he wasn't already 'too far gone', maybe he should consider it. He'd lived alone for 5 years, it might just be easier to accept that they're gone and finally move on. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 05-Oct-22 05:30 AM
The tall man looms over James for many silent heartbeats, considering the human with an expressionless face. His oddly colored eyes hold more than a lifetime of knowledge, deep and piecing as if he sees through a person’s very soul. While Scythe did not have the power to see the future, he could reliably predict it from experience alone. Sofia knows that look and shudders on James’ behalf. When he starts speaking, he speaks slowly and with intent. “No. You can not return to how things were. Your loss will forever lie within you.” There is a pointed pause before he continues, he leans slightly and slowly forward to level himself with the human. “Are you too far gone? That is for you to decide, is it not?” He straightens and his eyes drift to Sofia for a second. “New doors can not open until you close the old doors.” And with that, Scythe gets into the driver seat of his car and closes the door. The car soon rubles to life with a deep sound, the sports engine rumbling with a pleasant purr. He gives the two humans a slight and mocking salute with his hand before he drives off. Of to whatever business he had to tend to. Sofia exhales hard, unaware that she’d held her breath. Turning to James, she shrugs with an innocent chuckle. “Sooo, now you’ve met Scythe. He’s… a character. And we’re both alive! This is good. Very good. I think he took a shine to you.” Her chuckle silences slowly as she looks at James, wondering exactly what he might be thinking now after that. He’d been looking for answers, but now perhaps he had more questions instead. “Let’s go somewhere else, yea?” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 05-Oct-22 06:01 AM
Hearing the man's response, James nods slightly. His thoughts having been confirmed, even if the question wasn't answered quite the way he had expected. He didn't quite understand the last part though, obviously he wasn't gonna date anyone unless he knew his wife was truly gone, but, why would he say that? The man closes the door and drives off after answering, James's shoulders almost immediately drop an inch and he sighs. That, was a lot. Apparently that man's name is Scythe, James hoped he wouldn't be dealing with Scythe too often going forward. "You think he took a shine to me? Well that's good I suppose. Great to know that us both being alive was a question going into that meeting..." James nervously laughs and runs a hand through his hair. Finding himself starting to get lost in his thoughts again. It'd be good to sleep this off, get some time to think, but what about Sofia? "Yeah, let's go somewhere else... Any suggestions? I was thinking it might be good to get some sleep, but..." Without having made a decision on where to go yet, they start walking towards where they entered the garage. Once they were somewhere private he'd pick her brain, but until then, he'd need to decide what he wanted to do. This was bigger than anything he had expected to run into, he was gonna need to call out sick tomorrow for sure. But to what end? He needed to figure that much out. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 05-Oct-22 08:17 AM
She’s somewhat shamefaced when he sarcastically comments about their lives possibly being on the stake. Well, his, to be precise. But she would not say that to him. Nor would she have allowed Scythe to actually harm the man. She had her ways - a skill set entirely her own and useful to many. Scythe would have taken a bargain if it had come to that. Thankfully it didn’t. She nods a little at his desire to get away from there, shrugging and out of ideas for the moment. Sleep did sound good; the hours had passed quickly and it was already very late. Moreover, she yearns to be out of these heels she’s worn all night. “You’re right,” she says as she trails behind him out of the parking space back to the street. “Some rest does sound good. My place is a bit further than yours though, but if you still want my help, we can meet up tomorrow. I don’t…” Pausing herself, she looks towards the human. She was about to say she doesn’t feel comfortable staying in a place so clearly haunted by the memory of his lost wife. And she has a feeling he would not want her there anyways. Perhaps it was best they went their separate ways, at least for tonight. Scythe’s words had been less informative than she’d hoped. He liked to do that, keep people guessing and coming back for more. That’s how he reigned them in, hooked them and kept them in debt to him. Scythe had connections reaching far beyond even Sofia’s comprehension. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t know where to start or what to look for. But I do know you’ll be in trouble just for showing your face at the bar tonight. That chip… Make sure no one ever sees it, alright?” While she speaks, she steps to the edge of the curb and waves for a cab to stop. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 05-Oct-22 09:08 AM
James nods slightly at her response and reaches towards his wallet, checking the cash he has, he's comfortable with the amount he has left there. It makes sense she wouldn't feel comfortable staying at his place, not like there's anywhere she could really sleep comfortably if she did. Strangely though, while the thought felt weird, he didn't have a problem with her staying if she had wanted to. "If you wanna go to your place I'm more than happy to give you enough cash to get there and... well... anywhere else you'd need to go in the city. I'm gonna be figuring out what to do come morning... so..." James pulls out a business card from his wallet along with the cash he was offering out of it. He offers it to Sofia. If she would read it, she'd see that he's middle management at some no name company based in that city. He was sure she was right about getting in trouble, so he planned on laying low for a bit. At least assuming he could. The chip seemed to be important enough to keep with him at all times, who knows what could come from it. "I plan on keeping it safe. Up to you if you wanna take separate cabs. I don't have an unlimited budget, but, I've been preparing for something like this for a while. So I should be able to afford a reasonable investigation at this point" A cab pulls up, and James looks at Sofia to see what she's wanting to do. This has been such a weird day, he met a girl at a bar, brought her to his home, followed her to a hospital, then implicitly invited her to stay the night at his home even if it wasn't intended. Just who was she, and why did James feel so comfortable around her, seemingly implicitly? There's a small part of him that feels like he should be afraid of that fact, but it's one of the least weird things that have happened to him today. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 05-Oct-22 09:42 AM
She takes the business card and the cash he offers her. Unlike him, she doesn’t live in an upper-class place and doesn’t make half the cash he apparently does. Some women would perhaps be too prideful to take his money, but not Sofia. What she does however, is thank him with another one of those genuine and soft smiles reserved for a very small handful of people. “Thank you Cariño.” Writing her number down on a card from her own purse, she hands it to him. “Here’s my number, if you need anything. I will… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?” she asks as she opens the door to the cab, ready to get inside. Once inside the cab, she gives the driver her address and he steers the vehicle back out into the traffic. Looking behind them, she watches James disappear in the distance. “Coño,” she mutters silently to herself, sinking deeper into the seat of the car. “What a day. What have I gotten myself into this time?” … Well back at her own apartment, she unlocks the door to the run-down building and climbs the stairs to her floor. Behind the doors to her left and right, she hears a few night lurkers awake, televisions or radios set to low volumes. Sofia has lived there for three years already, even if her initial plan was to stay there only temporarily. Guess things hadn’t turned out for her the way she’d hoped. Her apartment is silent, dark, and slightly chilly. She flicks a couple of lights on and kicks her shoes off with a sigh, and then heads for the bathroom to take a hot shower. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 05-Oct-22 10:01 AM
As her cab drives away, James breathes a sigh of relief and leans against a nearby light pole. He'll hail a cab in a bit, but he wanted to think for a bit. It's too far to walk, but feeling too antsy to sit right now, James starts walking towards his home, the streets are well lit and this isn't a bad part of town, so it should be fine. Before long he glances at the card she gave him. "Heh, got a lady's number... What would my friends say..." James switches to a bit of a mocking tone "Is she cute? You gonna actually talk to her this time? blah blah blah..." He knew they only wanted the best for him, saw him slipping away into this life of being stuck searching for someone they could only see as dead or gone forever. Why couldn't James see it that way, the discrepancies just nagged at him too much... James starts talking just loud enough for himself to hear, not worrying about other people overhearing too much, but also not wanting to look crazy. "So... She cares enough about my predicament to give me a way to contact her... for some reason... She called in some sort of favor with that informant, his information seemed good, if not vague. Information that good had to cost a pretty penny, and he didn't ask me for anything. I owe her two now..." James trails off before looking up. He didn't recognize this part of town, but he knew there shouldn't be such an obvious brothel around here, or anywhere for that reason. He winces slightly and turns away from it as a cry of pain or pleasure barely reaches his ear from that direction. Maybe that's what Scythe meant when warning about monsters. Would James find more places like this that are, unsavory at best and illegal at worst?
10:01
It's at this point that James decides it's time to catch a cab home, his restlessness had passed and he was starting to tire. He steps to the curb and hails a cab that passes by after a couple minutes, trying to ignore the sounds from the poorly insulated building he was near. He gives the cabby his address, and pays once he arrives. He enters and decides to take the one elevator the building had, it should be late enough that nobody else would be in it. After a short wait, James heads into his apartment, completely drained from the events of the evening. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 05-Oct-22 04:07 PM
Sofia takes her sweet time in the shower, allowing herself to warm up after being outside in her dubious outfit for so long. Her feet hurt and her thighs stung with the temperature change. Once done, she steps out of the shower and tucks herself into a bathrobe. Her mind keeps going back to that human and his predicament, and she can’t for the life of her understand why she’d thought getting involved was a good idea. “Since when did I become such a good Samaritan?” she asks her own reflection in the mirror, wiping her face clean of any leftover makeup around her eyes. One cold blue and one warm brown eye stare back at her, the expression in them inscrutable. “This isn’t like me…. ugh should have just…” No. She pauses and squints at herself, correcting the line of thought. If she’d left him to his own demise, by this time tomorrow police might have found another dead body in a dumpster somewhere. “I did the right thing…. I hope.” With those parting words to her own reflection, she pads on bare feet into her living room and empties her purse on the couch, checking her phone and lighting a cigarette. Whatever alcohol buzz she’d had earlier was long gone by now and she yawns slightly behind her palm, feeling the weariness drain her strength. Shortly after, the lights in her apartment flicks off and Sofia has tucked herself to bed.
16:07
Sometime during the night Sofia awakens, opening her eyes and looking out into the darkness of her room. Her sensitive hearing picks up a sound, and slowly she sits up on the bed. A ‘thump’, low and purposefully controlled. Then a rattle. Her door…. She’s swift and agile, silently leaving the bed and stalking through her dark apartment towards the door. On the other side of it, she hears those sounds again, but this time she hears more. Hard boots shuffle on the dirty carpeted floors outside. Creaking of leather gloves. Her eyes dart to the window. When Sofia’s door finally swings open and three men enter her apartment, they search through the entire place. But all they find are things, clothes, a cell phone, random items and nothing more. No sign of the woman who lives there. Behind their backs and through the shadows of their frames, a small housecat stalks out the doorframe and disappears down the stairs. The men do not notice. From across the street and hidden in an alley, the cat sits and watches with one blue and one brown eye as shadows move through the apartment, likely trashing it for clues about the resident’s whereabouts. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 05-Oct-22 05:22 PM
Despite being completely drained James grabs a notebook to jot down some notes from the day, to help him solidify everything that happened if nothing else. As he was writing though, he came to a realization. "Well, the fact that I'm seeing new buildings would explain why the normal investigators wouldn't have been able to find any leads... If my family were taken into one of those buildings, even for a period of time, it would've been impossible to track them... Hmm" Pausing from his note taking, James hears a strange noise coming from the street. Not wanting to make it obvious he's snooping, he goes into his bedroom and leaves the lights off before slowly moving to look out the window. The first thing he notices is a person with a tail standing in the middle of the road, blocking traffic. The driver is obviously angry and honking at them, but the person in the road's response is what drew James's attention. It sounds like 2 people talking at the same time, one in a normal tone of voice, and another in a deep, stereotypically demon-possessed tone from the movies. James stares for a couple of moments before the creature storms out of the road, but then curiously stops on the sidewalk, and looks up to make eye contact with James directly. It's only for a moment, but James thinks he sees their eyes flash red? Golden? He couldn't tell, but it wasn't natural. The pedestrian then returns to their walk down the street as if nothing happened. Whispering to himself James is stunned. "How did they... see me? A-and their eyes... And that tail... Their... voice..."
17:22
He turns away from the window before leaning against the wall and sliding down into essentially a fetal position and starts rocking back and forth, slowly. What could that be besides a demon? He wasn't going crazy, was he? It wasn't normal to see and hear demons. He hadn't signed up for this, not one bit. What next? Was he going to see Vampires? Werewolves? Was any of this real? Was there something in his drink other than alcohol at the bar? After a long, long while of sitting and rocking, trying to calm his mind, James decides that he might be able to sleep if he just laid down. So he gets ready for bed and, luckily, conks out the moment his head hits the pillow. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 05-Oct-22 06:02 PM
Early before dawn while the city still lies in darkness, a soft knock on James’ window could be heard through his apartment. It is a cautious, gentle rap. Not from a bird, but something else. Seconds tick by and nothing more happens, until the knock returns -harder and more urgent, repeatedly. This time it sounds like the knock of knuckles on glass. How such a thing was even possible three floors above street level would be for James to speculate. If James was to approach the widow, the first thing he’d see is a pair of eyes that seem like they glow, reflecting whatever light is inside the apartment back at him. It’s the eyes of a predator. But if he looked closer, the shimmering reflection would disappear, and he’d be met with the odd colored eyes of his new acquaintance. Outside and balancing on the sill of the window sits a naked Sofia. She’s curled up in on herself, hair tussled and eyes wide as she peeks into his apartment. If James was to open the widow for her, she would try to shield her nudity as best she could while climbing inside and to safety. “Intruders in my home,” she breathes in a hard exhale, shaken and clearly disheveled in all ways. “I’m sorry for… barging in on you like this. But I don’t know where else to go.” A lie, but where she could go she doesn’t want to go. She looks at him with a silent plea, tables turned and this time she’s the one in need of help, not him. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 06-Oct-22 02:28 AM
James wakes up with a start, his heart racing. He hadn't been able to sleep more than half an hour in one go since he had the mini mental breakdown by the window, so it's been a long, toss-and-turn kinda night for him. This time, however, he's hearing somebody knocking at his window? Groggy and wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, James shuffles to the window that has the knocking sounds after flicking on a lamp in the room. He looks out the window, confusedly, slowly recognizing Sofia being on the other side of the window. Despite feeling like he's walking through Jello, James hurriedly opens the window, his confusion only growing as he takes in more details of the situation. Sofia is on his third floor window sill. She's crawling in through the window he just opened to get inside, and somehow wearing even less clothing than when he first met her. Coming to that sudden realization, Sofia is nude, James turns away to help her feel more comfortable in such a strange situation. As Sofia says there were intruders in her home, James's eyes go wide and after she finishes her statement he replies. "No, no, it's okay you came here, I'm happy to provide a safe place for you to be.", he pauses a moment before remembering the reason he'd turned away from her. "O-oh... right, I can't promise anything will fit right, but you can raid the closet for anything that'll be comfortable... If you find something of Carlie's that would fit, I promise you she wouldn't mind you having it... She was... the kind of person that almost nothing that's in that closet would still be there today if she hadn't... She liked new clothes, and would happily donate pretty much her entire closet to someone so she would have justification to go shopping for more."
02:29
James motions towards one door that's slightly ajar. Inside is both his and his wife's clothing. His are all definitely too big, while his wife's seem like they'd at worst be a little too big. Having made the offer, James starts mentally working through the logistics of her being here, did he have a sleeping bag he could sleep in to offer her his bed? They certainly couldn't share, that'd be absurd. Oh, right! He could sleep on the couch, grab some blankets from the linen closest and do that, offering Sofia the bed. Perfect. However, he doesn't act on the plan yet, as he doesn't want to leave Sofia to be alone if she's not comfortable with something like that. Before doing anything else, James closes the window after noticing the room having gained a slight chill from the night air. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 06-Oct-22 06:16 AM
While still covering herself with her hands as best she can, Sofia resists the urge to roll her eyes at James’ high appraisal of his missing wife. By the sound of it, she must have been a freaking saint. It somehow soured her mood slightly. Unwilling but still needing to put some clothes on, she pads off towards the walk-in closet he’d pointed towards, looking over her shoulder and seeing him close the window. The selection of women’s clothing was larger than she’d expected. The missing woman’s wardrobe clearly of the expensive kind, stylish and classical. Very up-scale. Very much not Sofia’s style. She scrunches her nose slightly while choosing a silken laced piece of underwear and then soft comfortable pajamas. James would be right in his guess that most of his wife’s clothing was too big on her, but only just slightly. Sofia had always been rather small, even with the right curves in the right places. Once she’s appropriately dressed and no longer at a risk of perverting the man with her mere presence, Sofia exits the wardrobe. “Thank you… Unfortunately, I couldn’t take anything with me. I had to leave in a hurry and had no… pockets. Your card with your number is still in my purse back there. Along with my phone. I’m hoping they don’t find it.” While she speaks, she grabs a fluffy and comfortable blanket hanging over the couch’s backrest, tucking it around herself while she settles on the couch. She notices the slight slope in it that suggests James might favor a certain spot whenever he sits there. “Do you mind if I crash for a few hours? I’ll have to go back there and check on my place, but after daylight. They wouldn’t hang around for long enough to rouse suspicion with my neighbors. At least I hope not.” Her voice trails off as she looks off into nothing, biting her lip while wondering who those men were. It could not have been a coincidence. Sure, she’d been in trouble before, but not like this. @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 06-Oct-22 06:48 AM
As Sofia steps back into the room, James can't help but smile slightly. That is, until she starts speaking. Her phone, his phone number, could be used to trace back to here if they were resourceful enough. This apartment might not be safe for the long term. Lets file that thought away for the future. "Feel free, I'm happy to help however I can. I do share your worry about what you left behind, but I'm with you, we can take care of whatever problems may come in the morning." James turns away and starts to walk back into his room. Sofia had made the choice for him, which is probably the better way it could've turned out. Once back in his room James goes to lay in bed, trying to avoid the pictures of Sofia, clothed or not, that were rolling through his head after the mixture of the strange events of the evening and his lack of restful sleep. He... was... married... He wasn't looking for anyone to share a bed with but his wife. But Sofia was... beautiful, helpful, in need... She's safe for now... For the first time in years, James feels alone in his bed. Specifically, for the first time in years he clamps onto the empty feeling in the bed next to him, where his wife should be. If she were there, James would hug her, even at this time of morning. He'd kiss her forehead then lay back down in such a way that his shoulder would be touching hers, if only for a time. For a moment before he falls asleep, James loses himself in his history and quietly sobs. Come morning, James wakes to a noise out in the living room of his apartment. For a moment, but only a moment, James is overwhelmed with dread. He starts to rush through getting some clothes on and grabbing something that would be usable as a weapon... Until he remembers that Sofia had ended up staying the night. He takes a deep breath, finishes dressing, and slowly walks out from his bedroom. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 07-Oct-22 05:22 AM
Despite the rather stressful circumstances, Sofia falls asleep on the couch rather quickly. She holds the soft blanket close around her form, shivering slightly with the cold still lingering in her body. Her eyes open by the light of dawn shining through the large widows of James’ apartment, crossing over her eyes, making her pull the blanket up to cover them. A soft groan of annoyance leaves her lips and she curls up even more, wanting to sleep for just 5 more minutes. Then she remembers where she is and swiftly sits up, listening throughout the apartment. A tiny smile cross her lips as her sensitive hearing picks up the soft snores of the human coming from his bedroom. She stands and stretches, softly and catlike until her limbs pop with released tension. Neatly folding the blanket and hanging it back over the couch where she’d found it, she pads on bare feet into the kitchen, hunting for coffee. To her displeasure after searching through all the cabinets and drawers however, she realizes that James has little to nothing of the kind, only the stale old tea he’d served the night before. Deciding she was not about to start this day without proper morning fuel, Sofia moves silently through his apartment and back to the walk-in closet. There, she finds an all too fancy work-out jumpsuit along with a pair of sneakers. Clothes designed to give off an image of sportsmanship that were in reality more fashionable than they should be. She changes out of the pajamas quickly and into the clothes, tightening the belt around her waist so it would fit better. Then she finds James’ wallet, feeling like a petty thief as she takes a 20-dollar bill from it. She writes him a note, promising to be back in 15 minutes, and leaves the apartment to hunt for some decent caffeine to drink.
05:22
Much to Sofia’s pleasure, a fancy coffeeshop laid just down the street from James’ apartment building. She buys herself a double but watered down espresso, referred to as an Americano by the staff, and then a regular coffee for James. If he even liked coffee she had no clue about, but her best guess was that he doesn’t. Counting the money she has left, she also pays for two cream cheese bagels to go. Sofia enters back into James’ apartment right before he emerges from his bedroom, giving him a sheepish smile while she crumbles up the note she’d left for him. “I hope you don’t mind. I couldn’t find any coffee and you have… very little food. Here,” she slides one of the bagels and the coffee across the breakfast table towards him. “I got you these. Didn’t know what you like, so it was a wild guess.” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 07-Oct-22 06:53 AM
James groggily walks out into the main room, being surprised about the smell of coffee. He didn't mind coffee, but he also usually didn't need it to wake up in the morning. Today seemed like it was gonna be an exception to that. As he sits at the table he takes a sip from the coffee, not great, not bad. "Thanks, and... yeah, I don't keep much around here. I'd usually grab breakfast from a place on my way to work, and eat out for my other meals too... Just a minute, I need to call in sick." Before doing anything else, James pulls out his phone and places a call in to his office to let them know he wouldn't be able to make it in today. He missed work so rarely there was concern on the other side of the call, so James tries his best to ease their worry "It's just a cough and a fever, thought it'd be a good idea to take it easy for a day or two so it doesn't turn into something worse." After continuing that chat for a couple more responses, James ends the call and pockets again. He then takes a bite from his bagel, relaxing into the chair after doing so. "I'm guessing you grabbed some of my cash to get this, thanks. I don't mind, I'll just need to get some more cash out later today so we won't run out." After a pause, caused by eating, he asks. "Last night... I felt too antsy to take a cab directly from the hospital so... I walked a ways down the road we took to get there and... I noticed a brothel that..." he trails off, "I think I would've noticed when we were going to the hospital. Did you know about it?" James returns to eating, he seems more relaxed than any point that Sofia would've seen him so far. James can't tell whether he's calm because this is normal, or he's just too tired to feel stressed right now, or even if his brain is just completely overwhelmed after yesterday and is unable to feel anything but calm. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 07-Oct-22 04:39 PM
Sofia offers a guilty smile while she shrugs innocently at James’ comment about taking money from him. She gestures down her own form, granted clothed now but aiming to remind him what state she’d showed up in. “Yeah, I don’t usually keep cash hidden up my snatch, ya know? Plus we both needed breakfast.” She bites into her bagel, plucking at it absentmindedly while he speaks about his endeavors the night before. Why he had not yet asked how she’d gotten up the his window on the third floor surprises her. But she is also grateful for it. Having to explain to him her… abilities would be a risky conversation. “Brothel? Naw don’t think I know the place. Although….” Her voice trails off and she sips her coffee, savoring the strong and rich flavor in her mouth, practically feeling the caffeine invigorate her. She looks towards James and notes his relaxed demeanor, glad that he wasn’t freaking out – yet. Most humans would at this point. Perhaps he was just too numb to comprehend what kind of world he’s only begun to scrape the surface of. Whatever the reason for it, Sofia was glad for it none the less. “…there are places, many places, around the city you would not have noticed before. Like the bar we met at. I can’t say for sure how many and where they are. Too many for me to keep track of, and many I have never been invited to.” Feeling that she’s had enough of her bagel, she warps the leftovers up in the paper bag it had come in, tossing it into the trash bin. She finishes her coffee while fiddling the crumpled note she’d left for him, craving a cigarette. “What do you want to do now? Scythe’s words last night were cryptic at best. Got any ideas?” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 07-Oct-22 05:34 PM
That she hasn't been invited to, that's an interesting way of wording things. Must have something to do with how he was able to suddenly see the Succubus Tit yesterday. Maybe that means that to be able to see these places requires an invitation? It's not just something that any Mythic would be able to do? James pulls out his notebook and jots a few things down to remember for later, and looking back through his notes from last night he decides on a potential course of action. "Scythe talked about Mythics and Monsters. And I'm sorry for going on a bit of a rant here, but... I'd like to make sure we're on the same page. So, I'm guessing that everyone I saw in that bar was a Mythical creature even if they all looked like humans to me. Probably used the word Monster to temper expectations, if I see them for who they really are, some will probably be at least relatively monstrous in comparison to what I've seen. But, humans can also be called monsters when doing monstrous things, so I'm guessing that it's far more likely that we'll run into monstrous activities as well, especially with these things happening in hidden buildings." James trails off, looking at his notes again before a light of recognition appears in his eyes and he asks. "What can you tell me about the veil? Scythe used that word very specifically, and to most people I know they wouldn't think of much besides a wedding veil. So, unless he was saying 'Your wife is dead,' in a coded method by referring to one of those..." James makes eye contact and cocks his head slightly, he has an idea of what she's going to say, but wants to know for sure before moving on. @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 09-Oct-22 05:32 AM
Sofia slowly sips her coffee, cocking her head slightly at James while he verbally goes through his thoughts and what he’d pieced together so far. With a raised eyebrow, she smiles slightly at how well he was taking all this, readily accepting that there is more to his world than he had previously thought. He also seems to have an impeccable memory, for which she’s both grateful and feel uneasy about. Finishing her coffee, Sofia settles on one of the stools to the breakfast table and leans her elbows on it, thinking about her next words very carefully. Her odd colored eyes drop to the notes James had scribbled. “Have you heard the myth about vampires being unable to enter your home without an invitation? Well, it’s pretty much like that. Only that…. Imagine the vampire not even seeing your house unless you have invited him to come visit you. Imagine floating around and seeing only shops, hotels, malls, gas stations, libraries, pubs… All the buildings where anyone has an invitation by default. But the private builds and doors remain invisible.” She pauses, not sure this analogy makes any sense. But it would be the best way to describe it. “The veil is that inability to see. It is not a physical barrier like a wall. It also hides the true nature of many…. Mythics. It creates an illusion covering the reality of that particular creature. To be able to lift that illusion, you must have been invited to do so. Your chip….” Sofia shifts uncomfortably in the seat, remembering how his chip had hurt her when she touched it. “Is supposed to be an invitation. But I think yours is different. Unless the owner had an invitation to that brothel you saw, I think maybe it has the power to let you see past the illusions.” Tapping her fingers gently on the table, her eyes narrow slightly. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I am?” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 09-Oct-22 10:38 AM
James nods slightly in response, her response confirmed his suspicions. They were using veil in terms of 'veil of secrecy'. Though, the idea was crazy... He didn't remember seeing completely empty areas before, so maybe there was some sort of forgetfulness instead of just not seeing? Interesting... He'd have to investigate if he ran into an area he could see and Sofia couldn't. "So, if my chip is an invitation, I suppose that mean that it's acting like... an open invitation. O-oh, and one more thing... Last night, before I fell asleep for the first time, I saw a person on the street outside who I think had a tail and horns, and it sounded like they were talking in two voices at once. Then their eyes flashed and they looked straight at me even though the light in my room was off, so it should've been hard to see me. I'm guessing such a sight isn't necessarily uncommon for you, but... I'm guessing that I shouldn't have been able to see something like that without whatever this chip is doing to me happening." He shakes his head slightly before letting his shoulder's droop again, starting to feel a little overwhelmed. He'll need to come back to this later. "I thought that if you felt it mattered you'd tell me. You've more than earned your privacy in my books from having saved me and called in a favor for me without asking for anything in return before doing it. I certainly have a guess for what you are, but..." James shrugs before continuing, having had his assumptions confirmed the suggestion seems to be worth putting out there. "A-anyway... If Scythe says that a Shredded Veil is my first clue, the veil seems to be shredded around me, so... maybe just going out and looking around is a good idea. I know that 'asking around' isn't a good idea, and that if I look too suspicious that'll be an issue as well. But I think seeing if there's anything that stands out is probably a great start." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 11-Oct-22 06:53 AM
Sofia listens quietly to his continued recollection of what had happened and what he had pieced together on his own so far. He was certainly more clever than she’d first thought, when she saw him go into the Succubus Tit all alone. Her delicately arched eyebrows rise slightly when he tells her what he’d seen, the creature sounding like a rare one she herself had only encountered on a few incidents. Humans would typically refer to them as demons, although in reality their origins were not a religiously crafted purgatory. That the creature had seen him was unsurprising. They had a way of knowing when they were being watched. Hunters of the night, and all that. “Possibly,” she replies to his musings about the chip allowing him to see such creatures. “I wouldn’t rule it out.” Her smile returns with a softness to it when he graciously allows her to keep her secrets, the nature of her own form something she preferred to keep a low profile about. Not because it was horrifying or would freak him out, but because it is a rare trait and one that she uses in her irregular employment. Employment that required discretion. “Oy, Cariño…” she sighs and shakes her head a little. “You think we should go out and prowl the streets? Would you even know what to look for? Scythe likes to… not fully answer people’s questions.” With another, heavier and this time almost defeated sigh, she straightens from the breakfast table and gives the man a small nod. “If that’s what you wanna do, fine by me. But I gotta stop by my place and check on the damage there. I need to know what they found.” Moving away from the table, she catches a glimpse of herself in the reflection of a mirror, stopping for a second in surprise before she remembers she’s wearing someone else’s clothes. “Are you okay with me wearing this or should I change?” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 11-Oct-22 11:36 AM
James can't help but smile in response to Sofia's, it's just too pure when she lets a real one slip like that. Though, her worry about prowling the streets is reasonable. His first thought were to start by either walking or catching a cab to her place, taking care of two things at once. "I actually was thinking it would make sense if our first path to search were from my apartment to yours. Get a lay of the land in terms of finding Veiled buildings, and get you where you needed to go too. Obviously I don't know what to look for, but if we're looking while together that should make it a bit more obvious, right?" James can tell he's grasping at straws here, he really doesn't have a specific idea besides searching for another informant, but all of his leads are firmly in the human world. At least, besides the one that set him upon this journey, at least. The goal is to find the real Search and Rescue group. Obviously they'll be working somewhere hidden, but that didn't mean anything now that James knew that there could literally have been a hidden building next to his home that he'd never seen before. His biggest worry was that he and Sofia being together would make them stand out too much. "My big worry about 'going out on the prowl' as you'd put it is making ourselves too obvious." James shrugs slightly, letting the topic drop as Sofia moves away. "Yes, I'm okay with you wearing that, unless you'd rather go out in the nude... I'm not sure I see another answer. Unless you had other clothes available to change into, that is." James blushes slightly and looks away after making the insinuation, his mind drifting back to the night before momentarily. He understands that she has a way to go around unnoticed without clothing, but assumes she'd rather not use that ability unless she needed to. "O-oh, right... If you want to take a cab, I'll need to stop by an ATM first before we can call one." @ShadowCat
Avatar
Sofia Vargas BOT 12-Oct-22 08:22 PM
She raises an eyebrow at his stuttering discomfort. It makes her smile with a slight teasing glint in her odd-colored eyes. “Did I look like I had other clothes to wear when I showed up here last nigh? What I meant was, do you mind of I use these clothes, or should I change into something… less reminding you of your wife?” Sofia understands his dilemma. It could not be easy to watch another woman -technically a stranger he’d picked up at a bar- wear his wife’s clothes. Yet he was generous enough to help her when she needed it, and for that she was grateful. “I saw an ATM down the street from here when I went out for coffee,” she comments, trying to divert her attention from the topic of her being nude or not. One problem about her abilities was that it did not allow for clothing. She’d either shrink out of them, or they would tear apart around her. Even worse, leather belt and other tougher materials could choke and hurt her. She’d always preferred her current form, finding life amongst humans much less compilated and quite pleasant in comparison to life as a pure Mythic. “Well,” she says and finds a pair of women’s shoes to wear, trying them on. They are slightly too big, bit not problematic. “I’m ready if you are. ATM, my place, look for whatever ‘rifts in the veil’ you can find. Sounds good, yea? A fools errand, but better than sitting here and do nothing.” @exlted
Avatar
James Woods BOT 13-Oct-22 02:55 AM
"That sounds like a plan to me. Doing something was my main hope in making that suggestion, as I've done enough 'nothing' for a lifetime." James chuckles halfheartedly as he trails off, sure it took him a long time to be able to function normally after his family disappeared. But some things you just had to joke about, or they'd pull you back down into the muck and that doesn't help anybody. Having come to a consensus on what to do, James and Sofia finish up what's left of their breakfast and prep to go out. James is wearing something relatively similar to the day before, but a bit more relaxed in his clothing choices. Jeans and a t-shirt with a light jacket pulled over it to cover his arms even though it's not particularly chilly out. Nothing too interesting happens on the way to the ATM, where James pulls out enough cash that he thinks it should cover expenses for a couple days and sorts it into his wallet. It's more cash than he'd normally be comfortable carrying, but he'll give a portion to Sofia to cover any expenses she may have without her needing to steal from his wallet to do so. While walking back to Sofia, who was waiting by the street to hail a cab if one happened to pass by, James starts to feel like something is a bit off. Is there an extra apartment building on the other side of the street? He's lived here for years, walking by this place most days when getting ready for work, but the other side of the street just all of the sudden looks wrong to him. As soon as he steps up next to Sofia, who has been unsuccessful in hailing a cab so far, he asks. "Sofia, can you tell me how many entrances you see on the other side of the street? I count... 13."
02:56
Now that James was thinking about it, this street was always a bit weird how despite all the entrances lining up with each other, one side of the street had more than the other. Wasn't it because of this coffee shop? It didn't match up with anything before, but now it did. That must be a veiled apartment, or at least it once was an apartment and now it's a veiled building. Hopefully this day wouldn't leave him with a headache like yesterday did. @ShadowCat
Avatar
💙ShayBae💙 20-Nov-22 06:18 AM
((@exlted @ShadowCat Hello! ^-^ It’s been a while since there was a response here and I wanted to reach out to see if you two were still interested in RPing or wanted to archive. Let me know either way! ❤️))
Avatar
ShadowCat 20-Nov-22 07:33 AM
I would like to continue this if @exlted still wants to. I've just been absent from a lot of my RPs here.
👍 1
Avatar
James Woods BOT 20-Nov-22 07:36 AM
I would also like to continue
❤️ 1
👍 1
Avatar
Avatar
ShadowCat
I would like to continue this if @exlted still wants to. I've just been absent from a lot of my RPs here.
💙ShayBae💙 07-Feb-23 09:02 PM
((Exlted has left the server. Would you like to archive this RP?))
Avatar
Avatar
💙ShayBae💙
((Exlted has left the server. Would you like to archive this RP?))
ShadowCat 08-Feb-23 03:23 AM
Go ahead and archive
Exported 71 message(s)