One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Rising_Dusk » Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:57 am

He'd been staring at his glass for awhile, toying with trying to make the crystal whistle as he rolled his finger over it a few times. He got a small spark of sound here and there, but nothing substantial. Alexi came back just as he was wondering if the fries had internally combusted three times in the kitchen before being made properly.

"Spence... this is Alice, she's a regular here."
Spencer looked over the girl, noting her innate athletic build and beauty. She reminded him a bit of his wife, just his wife was a bit taller and had deep red hair as opposed to this girl's brown.

"The pleasure is all mine, ma'am." he said in his casual voice, slightly nodding his head in respect as he spoke. Before he could continue further, Alexi interjected:

"So my friends, I have loaded fries and a Death Valley salsa on order. Drinks?"

"The usual, Alexi, a water with lime." Spencer spoke up first.
"I'll come to Florida one day and make you look like a damn princess." ~Hep

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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Scarlet » Tue Jun 16, 2009 12:46 pm

The man was a born politician, Alice thought. He'd only said six words to her, and in the span of time it took to say them, his voice and his face and his eyes spoke of nothing but endless interest with her alone. Like he would rather be talking to her than doing anything else in the whole world. His smile was genuine, his voice carefree and casual. Blue eyes, plain features. He looked tall and fit, like he was wired with energy. Not the sort of polish you get at a gym; it was like he'd just been born strong. He was immaculate in his suit and pleated dress shirt and silk tie. He had a slim gold wedding ring. A born politician, no doubt about it.

"Evening, sir. Glad to meet you," Alice said. She found herself smiling back. She liked him, immediately. She sat down next to Alexi. Turned to him and said "Um, I'll have a beer, thanks. Whatever is on draft."

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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Kaome Sky Deathand » Tue Jun 16, 2009 2:21 pm

Angela smiled as she got to the booth and shot her eyebrows up at Alexi.
"A usual for his Honor, a beer for the lady, and surprise me." He answered to her unspoken question.
"Water with lime, draft, and a JFK. Be right back with that." she replied before turning towards the bar.
Alexi let his gaze wander over the bar area, looking for anything out of place, checking the general traffic, the usual sort of thing. Tanya would be working on the papers by now and he wasn't short on staff, no-one had called out to his knowledge...not on a night like this where tips could be good.

Alexi turned his attention back toward the conversation at hand.
"Dah, now that everyone knows everyone..." he glanced between the two of them.
"Spencer was just telling me about some of the new things going on downtown..." He said turning to Alice.
"...I'm sure you could get a landscaping fund if you asked nice."
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Psiclone » Tue Jun 16, 2009 3:37 pm

"Unforgettable... in every way..."
Flip.
"And forever more, that’s how you'll stay..."
Flip.
"That's why, darling...it's incredible..."
Flip.
"That someone so...unforgettable..."
The book slammed shut with a bang as Faruq slapped it onto the table and turned the radio off. Breathing heavily for a few minutes, Faruq placed his head in his hands.

Adriana.

The name burned in his mind like a red-hot brand. The memory of her stinging break-up at his desk two days ago was still etched into his memory. He remembered the exact location of everyone who watched it; Herb was at the printer, Maynard was sipping coffee in the break room doorway, Susan was walking between Beth and Ryan's cubicles...the list goes on. Everyone was watching. Even Eric, Faruq’s boss, watched the scene from his office. Oh, the embarrassment…

“Get a grip, Faruq,” he thought to himself. Sighing, he slumped his hands back onto the table and picked back up the book he was reading. Homer’s Odyssey stared back at him, the deadline book for his book club burning an image in his retina. Luckily, Faruq only had about 100 pages left to finish, and he was a fast reader. He put the book down and stood up to go to the kitchen. Feeling a little dizzy after sitting and reading for so long, he groped for the fridge handle and opened it. “Out of beer,” he mused to himself, and stared dumbly at the fridge for a few minutes. He then shook himself out of his stupor. Walking towards his door, he gave a quick pet to his cat, Hemmingway, as he grabbed his keys. “I’ll be back in a bit, Hem. Just seeing if I can get a quick drink.”

Jiggling his keys absently and whistling the allegro of Eine kleine Nachtmusik, he slipped into his 1999 Ford Taurus in the apartment complex parking lot and began turning it on. As the very music he was whistling fired up in the cassette deck, Faruq looked at himself in the rear-view mirror. A slightly tall, lanky, 23-year-old Arabic glasses-wearing punk stared back at him, his neat black hair combed tamely and his short goatee shaved paper-thin. He smirked grimly and backed out off the apartment complex.

Cruising along absently, he scanned the sidewalk for a place to drink. Faruq had not been in Antillia City long; indeed, he had only moved into the city last month. He was still unfamiliar with many of the local haunts and hang-outs. A honk coming from somewhere behind him startled him. Looking in his rear-view mirror, he spotted Andy, one of his coworkers at the office. Andy waved at Faruq happily; Faruq retured one lazily. Andy was the last person Faruq wanted to see right now. If there was such thing as someone being too nice, that was Andy. Faruq began to cruise around randomly in an attempt to shake Andy off, but he kept following him, attempting to make some kind of “hey-Faruq-please-park-so-I-can-talk-to-you-about-nothing-important-for-an-hour” hand sign. Finally, Faruq rounded a corner just as the light turned red, and sped off into the bowels of the city, leaving Andy scratching his head.

Faruq sighed with relief. As he began staring out the window, he read the signs of various bars, saloons, and pubs. “No, too dirty-looking...that one’s shabby…some sport thing going on I’m not interested in…here we go. This looks good.” Faruq parked the Taurus in a nearby lot, paid for four hour’s time, and began walking to the bar. This place looks good, he thought. Heck, might even get some rebound action here. Nothing wrong with that, he thought with a smile, as he walked up to the bar. The bouncer nodded at his ID and pointed with his head inside the bar. “Something tells me I’m gonna like this place,” he mumbled under his breath with a grin.

The neon eagle sign above the bar flickered briefly as Faruq entered and the door’s bell jingled.
Intellectuals are like the Mafia; they only kill their own.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Rising_Dusk » Tue Jun 16, 2009 7:38 pm

Alexi spoke to the waitress-slash-bartender for a few moments, relaying the general message of what everyone wanted to drink. He was such a superb host and his staff was quite versed and able-minded as well. He always enjoyed the company he came to have whenever he came to the Iron Eagle.

"Dah, now that everyone knows everyone, Spencer was just telling me about some of the new things going on downtown. I'm sure you could get a landscaping fund if you asked nice."

Spencer laughed at the notion. He could always put forth ideas to make the town more memorable, but he'd never actually use his power in such a biased way so as to give a specific person money or land or power they didn't earn and deserve. He liked joking about it, though; it brought him to a more human level and made people more receptive to being around him, what with him being the mayor and all.

"I hear the western side of town has a lot of openings, I could look into it for you, if you'd be interested."
He grinned, making it quite clear that he wasn't serious but was just playing along. His eyes caught hers and he kept his gaze there, eager to hear her response.
"I'll come to Florida one day and make you look like a damn princess." ~Hep

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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by TheDeathstalker » Tue Jun 16, 2009 11:25 pm

James pushed open the door with more than a little too much force, but he didn't much care. The shell of a man drug himself as much as walked, the weight of his bag tilting his entire body. Stumbling past the various other patrons, he found his way to the bar, and dropped his bag beside him.

With a week's worth of stubble, short, but unkempt hair, and a heavily stained coat, most would pass him off as your average bum, but a second glance reveals the truth. His coat, though dirtied, was once the most pristine of whites, and his bag, though muddied, still bears the snake and staff symbol.

Looking up to the barkeep from the bar with bloodshot eyes, James has a moment of clarity as he orders. "Let's start with a single malt whiskey."
And though you come out of each gruelling bout,
All broken and beaten and scarred,
Just have one more try—it’s dead easy to die,
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Black_Heart » Wed Jun 17, 2009 4:04 am

Christoph sat at one of the tables, quietly sipping his beer and idly browsing the internet. Nothing in the news really caught his eye, but in truth he wasn't paying all that much attention to his laptop or the drink in his hand. He was off the job, but that didn't stop him from shifting his eyes across the other patrons, making mental notes on each of them. One had just come in who looked like a doctor – though not a doctor Christoph would want treating him, personally – and there were assorted other patrons, but one in particular caught his eye. The mayor, talking to a girl that Christoph didn't recognize and so assumedly was not a large presence in the city politics.

Christoph watched the mayor talk to the girl, and whoever she was, he was putting on an excellent show. If he was a less wholesome man, Christoph had no doubt he would have his pick of the women in the city... but he was happily married and not interested in that, it seemed. An unusual quality in the modern politician. Still, his charisma was undeniable.

A man after my own heart, Christoph smiled to himself. There was another man sitting with them, as well, and Christoph recognized him as one of the only patrons to go into the back area – the proprietor, most likely. Past the group of them, Christoph caught a glimpse of his reflection. Dark, trimmed hair, thin-framed glasses perched on his nose in front of bright eyes. His shirt had the logo of some local band on it, one that he couldn't be bothered to remember at the moment but had researched enough to make conversation on. His dark cargo pants and sneakers completed the "college journalist" look that he'd been going for, and all in all he was quite happy with his current appearance.

Bringing his attention back to the mayor's party, Christoph watched them idly, unable to hear their conversation but gathering bits and pieces of their personality from the way they moved as they spoke. He sipped his beer and observed, just like he always did. He was still glancing through the news on his laptop, but it wasn't really the focus of his attention.

He hardly even noticed it.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Psiclone » Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:23 pm

Faruq looked around the bar slowly, scanning the faces of those inside. He could tell something was afoot; even though he had not been in Antillia City long, he could recognize the charismatic mayor of the city a mile away. He was chatting with a tall, athletic girl he didn't recognize, and a black-haired man in a barkeep's outfit, presumably the owner of the establishment, judging from how he directed the other staff. "Interesting," he muttered.

Faruq quietly walked over to a booth on the opposite side of the room, sat down, and began looking through the beer selection. A muted buzz sounded in his pocket. Reaching inside, he flipped open his phone to reveal a text message from Andy. "Want 2 talk. U busy?" it read. Faruq turned the phone off and continued looking through the laminated pamphlet.

After a while, a waitress came over to Faruq's booth. "Welcome to the Iron Eagle. What can I get for ya?" she said perkily. "I'll have a Czar Imperial IPA, please," replied Faruq. The waitress jotted something down, and turned away. A few minutes later, she returned with a large, very dark beer in her hands. Setting it on the table, she smiled and turned away to another booth.

Faruq picked up the beer and gave it a sip, watching the scene unfold in the bar.
Intellectuals are like the Mafia; they only kill their own.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by VZBushkiller20 » Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:57 pm

Jared loved his new mustang convertible. Speeding through the streets of Antillia city with the top down, his dirty blond hair blowing in the wind. This was the life. Lucky for Jared the owner had left the hood down. And then to find a valet key hidden under the seat, well, if the girl who had owned this car didn't care about it enough to protect it, she obviously didn't deserve it. Besides, this car was made for Jared! All his life he had been deprived of any sort of luxury. What his dad didn't spend at the Eagle, he spent on his car, the one nice thing the family owned. A '78 red Camaro. Not that Jared was ever allowed to drive it. Hell, he had repaired that car and put it back together so many times, yet his father didn't trust him to actually drive it.

Jared turned on the radio and began to blast it. This was alright. In fact, it was amazing. Only thing he needed now was a girl in the seat next to him. Then life would have been perfect. He past the bar where his dad hung out. The Iron Eagle. No way he was hanging around this street. Too risky. If his dad caught him, well, he didn't want to think about it. Not that anyone would even look at him. They'd be too busy admiring the car. All Jared needed to do was change the license plates, maybe change the color, and get some fake papers. He had all the contacts needed. It would be no problem.

From behind him, sirens went off. He could see the red and blue lights flashing. "Shit!" He said and hit the gas, trying to shake his pursuers.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Loki » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:43 pm

David checked out the people who came through the door as he drank his beer. The bar proved itself to be popular as it attracted all sorts of people, perhaps it's the different vibe that this place gave out. Nonetheless, David cleaned himself up, paid the bill, and left the bar.

After several minutes, he found himself already close to his apartment. He didn't realize that the bar was so close to his house, how could he have not noticed it sooner? He took the elevator, a slow piece of junk he thought after a minute. The doors finally open and he goes over to his apartment to find a note on the door. David frowns because he expected this.

"Fu..." David rips the eviction notice away and entered his apartment. He threw himself against the sofa and tried to sleep the rest of the day off. Then he remembered, he left his damn groceries at the bar.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Scarlet » Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:01 am

The mayor had charisma coming off him like heat. Smiling, laughing, joking, he looked larger than life. Alice felt dull and awkward, by comparison. But he still managed to look real. It was easy to forget the suit and tie, to picture him in worn-out clothes, out mowing the lawn. He looked like he was serious about his work, but like a fun guy, too. He felt very genuine. Even if you discounted ninety-nine percent of what he said as political bullshit, an act, whatever, you could still like what was left a whole lot. He had charm to burn.

"A fund would be great. Really, it would. I've got a million ideas in my head at any given time, and I'd love to get at least one out of there eventually. To be blunt, though, now's not a good time. Besides..." She turned to look at Alexi before she continued, her eyes alight with amusement. "... I hear Alexi could use some help with this place. Just the other day I caught him walking into a second-hand furniture store!"

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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Kaome Sky Deathand » Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:27 am

Alexi threw his hands up, hanging his head in shame.
"Alright alright..." he began, mock guilt in his voice "...you got me...I've been looking into the dark and sleazy furniture stores in hopes of finding an ottoman to finish off the Capone room and a nice stenciled armoire to complete the Red room." He sighed, fiddling with his empty glass, his voice now taking a sober tone. "Lucky to find one without having to buy it from some...no name five states away for a price that a prince would scuff at."

Angela interrupted with a decorated bowl of salsa and a basket of chips hinted with lime, a plate of loaded fries sided with ranch dressing, a tall draft, a frosty glass of water with lime, and a volatile looking drink that got delicately placed in front of Alexi. He took one look at it, picked it up for a brief smell then looked at Angela through winced eyes.
"Is this going to kill me?"

She gave her patented head tilt with flaring eyebrows.
"Battery acid was just for color...chaser?"
Alexi chuckled. "Better bring me two then Angel."
Off she went again, sweetest girl to work for him.
He held his drink up in salute.

"To good friendships and good times."
The drink followed.
He'd talk again when his back teeth stopped wiggling.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Rising_Dusk » Fri Jun 19, 2009 4:51 pm

"... I hear Alexi could use some help with this place. Just the other day I caught him walking into a second-hand furniture store!"

"No!" he said in an exasperated and playful tone. "Alexi, what trickery is this?!"

"Alright alright...you got me...I've been looking into the dark and sleazy furniture stores in hopes of finding an ottoman to finish off the Capone room and a nice stenciled armoire to complete the Red room. Lucky to find one without having to buy it from some...no name five states away for a price that a prince would scuff at."

The waitress was walking towards the table at this point with many wonderful-looking dishes to serve.
"It's alright, Alexi, I bought my dining room table at the Goodwill on the other side of town. I get so many compliments about it wondering where I got it from. My response is always that it's an 'East Indian Export'!"

The waitress came up and set down the salsa and chips, the loaded fries, and our drinks. She was quite talented at the maneuvering of plates. She carried both plates of food on her left arm and balanced the drinks on a plate on her right fingers. Her attitude was pristine as well, surely one of his favorite tenders in all of the city. Her unwavering loyalty to Alexi was just icing on the cake. Alexi and Angela were exchanging some words when she walked off and Alexi turned back to Spencer and Alice:

"To good friendships and good times."

Spencer raised his ice-chilled glass of water with the lime floating near the bottom.
"Now that's something I can always toast to."
"I'll come to Florida one day and make you look like a damn princess." ~Hep

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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by VZBushkiller20 » Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:23 pm

They were still on his tail. Jared didn't know what to do. His dad was going to skin him for this! Maybe in prison he'd be safe, but he doubted it. Jared considered speeding up, when another cop car pulled out in front of him! "SHIT!" Jared screamed, hitting the breaks hard, trying to swerve out of the impending collision. The tires squeaked horribly on the pavement, leaving a trail of rubber behind them. Jared was caught. There was no way to escape. One of the police officers knocked on his window. "Sir, you are under arrest. Please step out of the car."

Jared banged his head on the wheel. Despite his fear of prison, there was one thought that scared Jared the most. Explaining all of this to his dad.
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Re: One-Shot - Tangent 3: Necropolis

Post by Scarlet » Wed Jun 24, 2009 2:07 pm

Alice laughed aloud, an absurd picture forming in her head of Antillia's mayor walking into a retail store, silk tie and all. She waved at Angela as the waitress brought their order over and bit her lip at the sight of Alexi's drink, staring at it intently before it was raised. Raising her glass for the toast, she shrugged, smiling, and said "May all our worst days be thus."
The beer was a deep brown color. She could smell the hops, earthy, almost like chocolate. It tasted sweet and bitter all at once, the stout's malt and hops and caramel attacking her palate full force, going down smooth. She could barely taste the alcohol.

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