"It's polite. Sometimes I'm polite."
Jan. 26th, 2015 03:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
renferretSalem meets with Briari while Ghost chats with Emma.
Andy's Old Fashioned Donuts
A small quaint donut shop, tastefully done in blue and white. A glass case, showing a variety of fresh donuts stands at the back of the store. Standing behind the glass case, a small old woman, looking to be in her sixties, is busy with customers. A young girl, slightly taller than the old woman and looking to be around sixteen rushes back and forth through a swinging door, bringing out trays of donuts or coffee or other delicious smelling items.
A sturdy door to the south opens out onto the street.
Contents:
Salem
Briari
Obvious exits:
Street
Emma comes in off the street, drawn by the scent of hot fresh donuts.
Emma has arrived.
It is 8:53 in the morning and Briari had sent off a volley of texts and emails to those in the tribe, giving a proper greeting and salutations in the digital means, as well as her contact information and a headshot so they know who to look for. Currently she is tucked away in a corner booth, red and white Beats covering her ears as her head bobs side to side as she stuffs a donut hole into her mouth. In front of her is an iPad, complete with a black screen and text as her fingers rapidly punch along a bluetooth keyboard as she hammers away at a large amount of code. It seems she picked up some Mickey D toys as well as the table has a few colorful plastic ponies and a hot wheel car set up in an odd formation. "Mmm, mmm, mmm... something something blank space baby.. and I'll write your name." She hums along under her breath. She is wearing a bright neon pink shirt, an adventure time Finn hat, and a pair of low-rise jeans with holes in the knees. A Squirtle backpack sits at her hip.
Salem limps into the donut shop a moment before Emma; the old man's in full 'homeless vet' mode, shabbily dressed and stinking of cigarette smoke (among other things). He spots Briari quickly enough, then glances sidelong at his packmate in wordless communication.
The silent exchange comes with a little half-smirk from the woman before she veers off toward the counter. "Morning. Can I get a tall medium roast, two sugar, one cream, and a tall medium, black." The clerk at the counter looks up and gives a hurried bob of her head and text book employee manual smile, "Sure, that will be right up miss." As she waits, Emma casts a quick glance peripherally toward the brightly dressed woman.
Tappity-Tap-Tap-Tap. Briari's fingers sail along the keys for a moment, then leans in to squint at the code a few times. Pulling the headphones off her head, the sounds of Taylor Swift can be heard before it is cut off with a click of the controller dangling off her headset. Feeling the hair raise up on the back of her neck, she shifts in her seat and glances over her shoulder towards the pair of Garou that head in. Her eyes glance down to her phone for a moment before she unplugs it from the headset and stuffs it in her pocket. The headphones are then collapsed and stuffed into her poke'mon bag. Lifting a hand up, she gives a bright smile, then taps the box of donutholes in front of her as an offering.
Salem takes the chair opposite Briari's and does, indeed, help himself to a donut hole, plucking it from the box with unclean fingers. "So. You're the newbie." He pops it into his mouth, chews, regards her without warmth.
It's unclear whether it's coincidence or the result of Ghost spotting the two entering the donut shop, but only a minute or so after Salem and Emma enter, she slouches her way in. Her eyes look a little droopy and red this morning, and her clothes as shabby as always. She heads for the counter without a glance toward the meeting.
Giving a nod of her head, Briari takes in a quick breath. "Yes, sir. By accident. Um... my home just.. well... let's just say that shit hit the fan and I have lost all communication with back home. Owl dropped me off here when our bridge blew up on the way to Pittsburgh. Kind of a nice way of saying good-bye and thank you for the hard work type of thing. So.. I apologize, a lot, for you know.. being here on your turf without prior head's up."
Emma remains at the counter as she waits for her order. The total given to her, she fishes out a few bills to hand over to the clerk. As she steps to the side to wait for the coffees to come up, she takes note of who came in behind her. "Oh, hey," she offers in a quiet but amicable tone.
Ghost visibly startles, but only a little. "Hey," she replies in the same low volume, though for her part she mostly just sounds tired. One hand rubs at her already red eyes. She steps forward and orders her own drink, which seems to be entirely plain coffee with no frills whatsoever.
Salem glances over, noting Ghost, then turns his attention back to Briari. "Mouse'll be the one to decide if you need to apologize. And if you'll be staying. You'll be expected to... give due, of course, like any other newbie." He takes another donut hole.
"Yeah, totes of course. I understand. I am no slacker. You should see what I can, do it's pretty freaking awesome, actually. Sorta. I don't know, maybe peeps down South are easily impressed. But, so, yeah... um.. " She rubs at her nose a bit. "I am just glad to finally touch base with the family. The last couple of weeks has been.. um.. kinda .. fucked up. I lost .. everyone.. um.. in my gang.. you know. I am the last one and.." Her hands wring together a bit before they head back to the keyboard to rest and calm her fingers along the qwerty. "Oh, hey, uh.. .that girl who is talking to your homegirl you came in with.. third time in two days now I've ran into her. Looks like she knows your buddy."
Emma shifts her position just slightly, putting her back toward the Walkers in the corner so she can direct a quiet comment to Ghost. "New in town," she offers rather vaguely and leaves it at that. "Two coffees, one black, one medium roast with cream and sugar!" Emma gives a nod to the employees call, "Mine, thank you."
Ghost finally does glance toward Salem and Briari before looking back to Emma. "She's one of yours?" A beat. "I mean, one of his?"
"She's not a stranger." Salem glances over toward the counter, then back to Bri. "Feel like a drive out to the sticks?"
"Oh." Briari pauses as her head tilts slightly over to Ghost, shoulders slowly slumping. ".../Oh/" Chewing on the side of her cheek, she says, "Sure, yes. No problem. I rented a Fit if you want me to drive"
Emma gives a nod to Ghost. "Apparently so. Got a feeling they'll be taking off though, so no need for us to scram. You want to snag a couple of donuts while we're here?"
Salem pushes his chair back and stands up. "That will do. Get your things together." He limps over to the counter, getting his coffee from Emma and giving Ghost a nod before heading for the door to wait for Briari outside.
Ghost returns the nod with one that's cautious, but certainly respectful. She reaches over for her own coffee before answering Emma. "I only budgeted for coffee this morning."
Snagging her box of donuts, Briari shoves it into her squirtle bag and zips it up. Sliding it over her shoulders, she gives a quick smile to Ghost and a nervous nod to Emma once she gets a good look at her, though her eyes swiftly moves towards the floor as she heads after Salem.
Salem trots back out onto the street, fortified by the mere smell of the hot fresh donuts.
Salem has left.
Briari trots back out onto the street, fortified by the mere smell of the hot fresh donuts.
Briari has left.
Emma watches as her packmate leaves with the newcomer, the coffee handed off like a baton in a track meet. She then offers a grin to Ghost, "Salem didn't even budget for that. I got you. What kind you want?"
Ghost blinks, then looks back toward what the shop is actually offering. "Uh." A few moments are spent scanning the options. "I guess a chocolate frosted? Or, uh, the plain sugar one."
Emma turns back to the girl at the counter, who once more has to put on her happy-helper face. "Can I get a chocolate frosted and a sugar? Thanks." Another few bills are handed over. "We can split each one, if you're game, or you can pick whichever you'd prefer." A slight pause follows, "Things going ok?"
Ghost shrugs at the question, and maneuvers herself toward the table Salem and Briari have just vacated. "I guess? I mean, uh, they're not going badly. They're better than they've been for a long time, really."
Emma brings the bag of donuts over and settles down at the table with the other. "Well that's good." She hands the bag over for the other to peruse through. "Things have been sort of quiet. As quiet as they can be anyway. Haven't bumped into you in a while."
"I've been quiet," Ghost half quips, as she breaks the chocolate frosted donut in half and offers the other half to Emma. "There hasn't been much for me to do though. Uh. Reading. Training. The talking is nice." She glances toward the door. "Mr. Salem will probably figure it out, but that woman is completely apeshit, you know."
Emma takes the offered half and sends it straight to her lips. A nod follows, "He asked me to come with just in case something was up. Which, makes me laugh. He's the one /I'd/ ask to come with as a bodyguard. Have you run into her before?"
Ghost nods as she breaks off a small piece of donut and pops it into her mouth. "Last night," she says around it. "Yesterday. She was trying to be nice, I guess, but nice doesn't mean you aren't crazy. Or a spoiled rich bitch."
"Sometimes, for me at least, when people got money and they go out of their way to be nice or generous with it, it feels worse. Like it's even more down their nose. I'd rather skimp by than feel like I owe anything to those types." Emma takes a sip from her coffee then, "She poke at you? Or just general stranger to stranger kindness?"
Ghost's expression turns sour. "She told me she took a picture of me on her phone and scanned it through facial recognition databases. Government databases. All I was doing at the time was standing around that tower Salem told me the Walkers live in. She wanted to know why her databases didn't recognize me. So uh, yeah. Guess you could say she poked. Figures she's part of that group though."
"Geezus, you serious? You tell Salem that?" The revelation seems to send the Get's features southward as well. "I don't care much for that big brother, always watching, know your every move, stuff. I mean, in some regard I can see the point- or the intent of the point. But still doesn't sit real well with me. Old fashioned in some ways I guess."
Ghost shakes her head. "This morning's the first time I've seen him in a while. And I didn't know she was y...his. Sorry." She breaks off another piece of donut, but this time she chews and swallows before speaking again. "I'm not old fashioned, and I still didn't like it. At least she's not a normal human though."
Emma grins a bit. "Silver lining, I guess." There's a moment where she seems preoccupied, and a nod follows that may or may not be meant for the girl she sits with. "I let him know that she was being nosey. He said that he informed her you were known and left it at that. Hopefully that reins her in a bit." Another bit of donut goes down and she pokes at the bag. "This is the trouble with eating /in/ the shop. I'm already contemplating a round two."
"That's..." Ghost trails off. "...That's kind of Mr. Salem." She takes a larger bite from her donut half now. It's nearly gone. "I should tell him what I know about her. Uh. Or you could, I guess. Maybe she told him herself?"
Emma looks at Ghost then, curiosity touching her features. "God that is tempting. I should probably stay out of the middle though. It's not entirely my business. I just wanted to make sure she's not hounding you." A pause, "Unless it's something critical to know, or urgent."
"I don't know," Ghost admits. "My family would have busted her head over it, but we had to be extremely careful. No recognition, nothing remotely out of the ordinary that might draw any kind of attention. He should know one way or the other though."
That seems to make the decision for Emma, and she leans in over the guise of cupping her coffee with both hands. "Alright, now there's concern mixed with curiosity. I can get news to Salem pretty fast and easy, so if there's like a critical heads up, let me know."
Ghost scratches at her jaw and then lowers her voice even further. "There was some story about Batman on the news the other day? It's uh, it's her. She was running around in a costume last night. Cape and everything. Had some weird glove...things. Really pissed off that Shadow Lord dickbag and his crony beating up a pimp in their territory."
"She's ... batman? How for sure are you on this?" she asks, brows rising with some disbelief.
Ghost clears her throat. "I uh...I followed her. Saw her taking off the costume and stashing it. She took it with her when she realized she'd been followed though."
"That's weird right? I mean no, that's absolutely insane, or am I being the crazy one now?" Emma asks of the other. A sigh escapes. "I really don't wanna be the one to tell him this..." She looks toward Ghost, "I will. But. Geeeeezus."
"Told you she was apeshit," Ghost says, before she eats the last bit of donut. "I dunno. We're vigilantes all the time. But putting on a costume? I tried to warn her about the Shadow Lord guy. Couldn't exactly explain the real reason at the time. She was sure she could make him disappear with a phone call."
Emma frowns again and looks at her donut as if it just turned into a pickle. "Yeah. Pretty odd." The coffee gets stared at for a longer moment and then she looks up. "Careful around her then, yeah?"
Ghost nods slowly before reaching out to break apart the second donut, once more offering Emma half. "I always try to be."
Emma takes the half offered her and gives a nod of thanks. "Alright, so, talk of superheroes aside. Who else do you end up running into usually?"
Ghost's bite is more slow this time, more ponderous. "Mr. Dalton," she says after she swallows. "He's in the park often enough. Sometimes Val. You. I went to Maxwell Tower yesterday, you know, just to see. That's where crazy was, but she was talking to the floor manager or someone. Mr. Collins?"
"Don't know that last one, but the others I do." There's a somewhat fonder smile than usual on the first name in fact. "What's up with Salem and Dalton getting misters? Nothing wrong with it, just holy cow- I have to think twice about who you're referring to."
Val has arrived.
Ghost shrugs. "I don't know if he's actually part of the group, just that he seemed in charge over there. We didn't talk or anything. You know, uh. Can I help you with anything? Just that." She nods toward the door. "Mr. Salem seems like he deserves a Mister. And Mr. D...uh, Nick, I don't know. It's polite. Sometimes I'm polite."
Those paying attention to the activity outside the donut shop may notice a raven landing on a nearby garbage can and hal-heartedly picking at the contents, before looking around and taking to the skies once again.
Emma grins wider at that, nodding, "It's fine. Polite is good. Too many forget how to be polite." The two women are sitting in the back corner and sharing a table, and a half a donut each. "And Nick's a good guy. Definitely earns the respect points in my book, so if that nets him a mister, I'm in full agreement."
Ghost glances very briefly toward the small movement outside before looking back to Emma. "It does," she confirms. "He's been uh, been more nice to me than I deserve, I think. And Mr. Salem's fair."
Not all that long after the ravens appearance and disappearance, Val makes her way into the donut shop. She waves to tje pair at the back table and offers up a tired smile, before heading over to the counter and ordering a half dozen donuts.
"Well, according to your gauge, I've picked out a couple of good guys to associate with then." Emma offers in return and holds up her last bite of donut as if in a toast. It's then she notices Val, and a nod goes out to her. "Speaking of Val. She just walked in."
Ghost's eyes are already moving in Val's direction as Emma speaks. She offers no comment, but she does take another bite of donut, chew slowly, and swallow reluctantly. "Yeah," is her eventually, obscenely vague reply.
Val collects her donuts and heads over to Ghost's and Emma's table. "Hey. It alright if I join you two for a bit?"
Emma gives a look toward Ghost and a gentle head tip, "We were just idle chit chatting, if she doesn't mind, I'd be happy to have you join us."
Ghost shrugs and shakes her head. "I don't mind." As Val draws closer, it's easy to see she's looking a little red eyed today, coupled with a somewhat droopy demeanor and a tired note in her voice. Even with the coffee, she hasn't entirely perked up.
Val plops down into her chair and sets her bag down beside her. "Silvertip has me running errands for her, which have proven more successful than I would have expected. Even with the time and effort I put into it. Help yourself to one of the donuts I got, if you want one," Val adds, sounding a little distracted as she opens up her bag and starts to root around in it with one hand.
Emma eyes the bag and mutters a soft, "Dammit, heh." Then she's reaching in to fetch one out. "Donuts. I suck at resisting them. What kind of errands? Or better topic for elsewhere?" While speaking with Val, she keeps a bit of a running gauge on Ghost.
Ghost seems to have a different question. She frowns faintly, then looks from Val to Emma. "Silvertip?" she asks the latter.
Val mmms. "Friend of mine," she answers to Ghost, "and I think it should be fine," she asides to Emma. "I'll keep my voice down. And I've been tracking the folks who have been leaving those spiral grafitti marks everywhere. Managed to spot a few. Was a bit surprised, though," she adds, as she pulls out some sheets of paper.
Emma looks between Ghost and Val, then settles on the corax. "Surprised why?" To Ghost she asides, "Silvertip's a sorta bigwig. Mostly out in rural land. Steer clear, she can be a little, angsty-OCD-porcupine like."
"Noted." Ghost looks back to Val, and stays quiet in anticipation of an answer.
"Well, I was expecting them to be human, probably Kin, or Fomor. And nope. They were your ugly cousins. Anyway," she says, as she divides the papers into two piles. Handing one to Ghost and the other to Emma. "Those are sketches of the ones I managed to spot. Got a name on one: Tammy. It is written on the sheet." There are five sketches in all. Each figures appears fully human and is wearing fairly generic clothing. The details are decent, but only the one with 'Tammy' listed on it could count as a proper police sketch.
"And they're still floating about the area? Wonder if they're what's left of a larger number. It's been quiet, lately. Quiet-ish. When did you last spot them Val?" Emma asks as she partakes of the Val-donated donut.
Ghost mouths the name and studies the sketch she's handed with absolute care. "Doesn't that, uh, doesn't that suggest some kind of spirit...I mean, maybe they're doing it because the graffiti has a spiritual component? A talen, or..." she trails off. Rather than picking up, she's again quiet as she looks to Val for her answer.
Val says "Spotted Tammy and her friend last night, but wasn't able to trail her for too long. She ducked into the sewers, which could be why things /seem/ quieter, if they are doing most of their moving about underground. And it smacks of a Ritual, if you ask me, Ghost. Oh. You two know about the GENOM tower, right?"
Emma shakes her head at Val, "Not a thing. What's up with it?
"I don't think so," Ghost replies.
"Well, it is a writhing cesspit of ickyness for starters," Val says. "Lots of Banes. Certain floors are Warded so you can't access them through a Bridge and Spirits can't pass through the Wards. The Wards themselves have a feel of Mage-Magic about them, so that is something to be leery of. Uhh. There was a life-sucking Fomor I was tracking at one point, that went to ground there. It sounded rather like some of the Fomori Mouse mentioned, after she came back from New York."
"All holed up in this GENOM tower? What kind of front does it have?" asks the Get with a creasing frown.
"GENOM is uh...genetics?" Ghost sounds uncertain. "I've seen it. Scientific research building, I think. Or it was. Financial district."
Val nods, as she snags a donut. "That's the one. I'm not certain what the current front is, but the security is really tight. I've poked at it from a few angles, haven't been able to find a way in. Well, short of turning invisible. Flipside is crawling with human shaped folks, from what I could see. Many had a bluish tinge to their skin. But, just hazarding a guess here, that it may be connected with the spirals. If only because of the life sucking fomor being rather like the ones Mouse mentioned. I really need to touch base with her and ask her about those."
Val crams the donut into her mouth, making it disappear with rather alarming speed.
Emma nods to Val at that last bit, "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan." Ghost gets a look afterward though, "Is it a legitimate company, or was it at somepoint? Sounds like the kind of thing that could easily get tangled up in things beyond the norm."
Ghost opens her mouth, and then closes it at something Val says. She elects instead to answer Emma. "I don't know, I didn't research it beyond a brief lookup. Been around a while, I think. I wanted to know what sort of big businesses were local. General knowledge sort of thing, you know? It sort've stands out."
Val cocks her head to one side, as she turns her attention to Ghost, mouth full of donut. It's a small struggle, but she manages to down the mouthful. "You ever see anything like the stuff I spotted?"
It's Emma's turn now to be quiet and listen to the discussion at the table. The only sound offered a slight sip of her quickly cooling coffee.
"Dancers, sure," Ghost replies. "But blue skin, life sucking fomori? We never ran into something like that."
Val nods and snags another donut. "Well, I wouldn't risk trying to sneak in, even with turning invisible. The wards on the place would likely go off. Anyway, keep the sketches, I have more. Going to take off for now. I'll catch you two later, kay?"
Emma gives a nod to Val, "Sure, thanks for the info. Keep safe." A beat, "And for the extra donuts that I so shouldn't have eaten."
Ghost's nod is small, but polite. Instead of saying anything, she takes a sip from her rapidly cooling coffee.
Val grins at Emma. "I'm certain you'll find a way to burn off the extra calories," she says with a bit of a smirk, before putting a donut in her mouth and snagging another one. She heads out, as she offers a donut wave in farewell.
"Huh. Looks like a teenager, jokes like a teenager," Emma offers as a quiet comment meant for just the table. "Well, another spot to look after. I should get this stuff over to Slug. He's good at piecing segments and ideas together. Thanks for joining me on the coffee. Was definitely better than just getting stood up by Salem," she adds with a grin.
"Is a mouthy git like a teenager," Ghost says, mostly under her breath. "That's what Elliot would've said, anyway. I. Sure. Uh. Any time. Who's Slug?"
"Hangs with me and Salem. Good guy. Might've crossed paths with him already and didn't realize it. He lays low mostly. Smart- but he'll play ya like he's not so don't be fooled if you meet him." Emma smiles again as she stands up, taking her empty cup with her. "Take care, ok?"
Val has left.
Ghost gives Emma a small nod. She wraps one hand around her coffee cup. "You uh, you too. Don't get dead."
Emma says "Two way deal, you got it." With that she's by the garbage can and depositing the cup. Another moment and Emma steps out onto the street again, papers in hand.
Andy's Old Fashioned Donuts
A small quaint donut shop, tastefully done in blue and white. A glass case, showing a variety of fresh donuts stands at the back of the store. Standing behind the glass case, a small old woman, looking to be in her sixties, is busy with customers. A young girl, slightly taller than the old woman and looking to be around sixteen rushes back and forth through a swinging door, bringing out trays of donuts or coffee or other delicious smelling items.
A sturdy door to the south opens out onto the street.
Contents:
Salem
Briari
Obvious exits:
Street
Emma comes in off the street, drawn by the scent of hot fresh donuts.
Emma has arrived.
It is 8:53 in the morning and Briari had sent off a volley of texts and emails to those in the tribe, giving a proper greeting and salutations in the digital means, as well as her contact information and a headshot so they know who to look for. Currently she is tucked away in a corner booth, red and white Beats covering her ears as her head bobs side to side as she stuffs a donut hole into her mouth. In front of her is an iPad, complete with a black screen and text as her fingers rapidly punch along a bluetooth keyboard as she hammers away at a large amount of code. It seems she picked up some Mickey D toys as well as the table has a few colorful plastic ponies and a hot wheel car set up in an odd formation. "Mmm, mmm, mmm... something something blank space baby.. and I'll write your name." She hums along under her breath. She is wearing a bright neon pink shirt, an adventure time Finn hat, and a pair of low-rise jeans with holes in the knees. A Squirtle backpack sits at her hip.
Salem limps into the donut shop a moment before Emma; the old man's in full 'homeless vet' mode, shabbily dressed and stinking of cigarette smoke (among other things). He spots Briari quickly enough, then glances sidelong at his packmate in wordless communication.
The silent exchange comes with a little half-smirk from the woman before she veers off toward the counter. "Morning. Can I get a tall medium roast, two sugar, one cream, and a tall medium, black." The clerk at the counter looks up and gives a hurried bob of her head and text book employee manual smile, "Sure, that will be right up miss." As she waits, Emma casts a quick glance peripherally toward the brightly dressed woman.
Tappity-Tap-Tap-Tap. Briari's fingers sail along the keys for a moment, then leans in to squint at the code a few times. Pulling the headphones off her head, the sounds of Taylor Swift can be heard before it is cut off with a click of the controller dangling off her headset. Feeling the hair raise up on the back of her neck, she shifts in her seat and glances over her shoulder towards the pair of Garou that head in. Her eyes glance down to her phone for a moment before she unplugs it from the headset and stuffs it in her pocket. The headphones are then collapsed and stuffed into her poke'mon bag. Lifting a hand up, she gives a bright smile, then taps the box of donutholes in front of her as an offering.
Salem takes the chair opposite Briari's and does, indeed, help himself to a donut hole, plucking it from the box with unclean fingers. "So. You're the newbie." He pops it into his mouth, chews, regards her without warmth.
It's unclear whether it's coincidence or the result of Ghost spotting the two entering the donut shop, but only a minute or so after Salem and Emma enter, she slouches her way in. Her eyes look a little droopy and red this morning, and her clothes as shabby as always. She heads for the counter without a glance toward the meeting.
Giving a nod of her head, Briari takes in a quick breath. "Yes, sir. By accident. Um... my home just.. well... let's just say that shit hit the fan and I have lost all communication with back home. Owl dropped me off here when our bridge blew up on the way to Pittsburgh. Kind of a nice way of saying good-bye and thank you for the hard work type of thing. So.. I apologize, a lot, for you know.. being here on your turf without prior head's up."
Emma remains at the counter as she waits for her order. The total given to her, she fishes out a few bills to hand over to the clerk. As she steps to the side to wait for the coffees to come up, she takes note of who came in behind her. "Oh, hey," she offers in a quiet but amicable tone.
Ghost visibly startles, but only a little. "Hey," she replies in the same low volume, though for her part she mostly just sounds tired. One hand rubs at her already red eyes. She steps forward and orders her own drink, which seems to be entirely plain coffee with no frills whatsoever.
Salem glances over, noting Ghost, then turns his attention back to Briari. "Mouse'll be the one to decide if you need to apologize. And if you'll be staying. You'll be expected to... give due, of course, like any other newbie." He takes another donut hole.
"Yeah, totes of course. I understand. I am no slacker. You should see what I can, do it's pretty freaking awesome, actually. Sorta. I don't know, maybe peeps down South are easily impressed. But, so, yeah... um.. " She rubs at her nose a bit. "I am just glad to finally touch base with the family. The last couple of weeks has been.. um.. kinda .. fucked up. I lost .. everyone.. um.. in my gang.. you know. I am the last one and.." Her hands wring together a bit before they head back to the keyboard to rest and calm her fingers along the qwerty. "Oh, hey, uh.. .that girl who is talking to your homegirl you came in with.. third time in two days now I've ran into her. Looks like she knows your buddy."
Emma shifts her position just slightly, putting her back toward the Walkers in the corner so she can direct a quiet comment to Ghost. "New in town," she offers rather vaguely and leaves it at that. "Two coffees, one black, one medium roast with cream and sugar!" Emma gives a nod to the employees call, "Mine, thank you."
Ghost finally does glance toward Salem and Briari before looking back to Emma. "She's one of yours?" A beat. "I mean, one of his?"
"She's not a stranger." Salem glances over toward the counter, then back to Bri. "Feel like a drive out to the sticks?"
"Oh." Briari pauses as her head tilts slightly over to Ghost, shoulders slowly slumping. ".../Oh/" Chewing on the side of her cheek, she says, "Sure, yes. No problem. I rented a Fit if you want me to drive"
Emma gives a nod to Ghost. "Apparently so. Got a feeling they'll be taking off though, so no need for us to scram. You want to snag a couple of donuts while we're here?"
Salem pushes his chair back and stands up. "That will do. Get your things together." He limps over to the counter, getting his coffee from Emma and giving Ghost a nod before heading for the door to wait for Briari outside.
Ghost returns the nod with one that's cautious, but certainly respectful. She reaches over for her own coffee before answering Emma. "I only budgeted for coffee this morning."
Snagging her box of donuts, Briari shoves it into her squirtle bag and zips it up. Sliding it over her shoulders, she gives a quick smile to Ghost and a nervous nod to Emma once she gets a good look at her, though her eyes swiftly moves towards the floor as she heads after Salem.
Salem trots back out onto the street, fortified by the mere smell of the hot fresh donuts.
Salem has left.
Briari trots back out onto the street, fortified by the mere smell of the hot fresh donuts.
Briari has left.
Emma watches as her packmate leaves with the newcomer, the coffee handed off like a baton in a track meet. She then offers a grin to Ghost, "Salem didn't even budget for that. I got you. What kind you want?"
Ghost blinks, then looks back toward what the shop is actually offering. "Uh." A few moments are spent scanning the options. "I guess a chocolate frosted? Or, uh, the plain sugar one."
Emma turns back to the girl at the counter, who once more has to put on her happy-helper face. "Can I get a chocolate frosted and a sugar? Thanks." Another few bills are handed over. "We can split each one, if you're game, or you can pick whichever you'd prefer." A slight pause follows, "Things going ok?"
Ghost shrugs at the question, and maneuvers herself toward the table Salem and Briari have just vacated. "I guess? I mean, uh, they're not going badly. They're better than they've been for a long time, really."
Emma brings the bag of donuts over and settles down at the table with the other. "Well that's good." She hands the bag over for the other to peruse through. "Things have been sort of quiet. As quiet as they can be anyway. Haven't bumped into you in a while."
"I've been quiet," Ghost half quips, as she breaks the chocolate frosted donut in half and offers the other half to Emma. "There hasn't been much for me to do though. Uh. Reading. Training. The talking is nice." She glances toward the door. "Mr. Salem will probably figure it out, but that woman is completely apeshit, you know."
Emma takes the offered half and sends it straight to her lips. A nod follows, "He asked me to come with just in case something was up. Which, makes me laugh. He's the one /I'd/ ask to come with as a bodyguard. Have you run into her before?"
Ghost nods as she breaks off a small piece of donut and pops it into her mouth. "Last night," she says around it. "Yesterday. She was trying to be nice, I guess, but nice doesn't mean you aren't crazy. Or a spoiled rich bitch."
"Sometimes, for me at least, when people got money and they go out of their way to be nice or generous with it, it feels worse. Like it's even more down their nose. I'd rather skimp by than feel like I owe anything to those types." Emma takes a sip from her coffee then, "She poke at you? Or just general stranger to stranger kindness?"
Ghost's expression turns sour. "She told me she took a picture of me on her phone and scanned it through facial recognition databases. Government databases. All I was doing at the time was standing around that tower Salem told me the Walkers live in. She wanted to know why her databases didn't recognize me. So uh, yeah. Guess you could say she poked. Figures she's part of that group though."
"Geezus, you serious? You tell Salem that?" The revelation seems to send the Get's features southward as well. "I don't care much for that big brother, always watching, know your every move, stuff. I mean, in some regard I can see the point- or the intent of the point. But still doesn't sit real well with me. Old fashioned in some ways I guess."
Ghost shakes her head. "This morning's the first time I've seen him in a while. And I didn't know she was y...his. Sorry." She breaks off another piece of donut, but this time she chews and swallows before speaking again. "I'm not old fashioned, and I still didn't like it. At least she's not a normal human though."
Emma grins a bit. "Silver lining, I guess." There's a moment where she seems preoccupied, and a nod follows that may or may not be meant for the girl she sits with. "I let him know that she was being nosey. He said that he informed her you were known and left it at that. Hopefully that reins her in a bit." Another bit of donut goes down and she pokes at the bag. "This is the trouble with eating /in/ the shop. I'm already contemplating a round two."
"That's..." Ghost trails off. "...That's kind of Mr. Salem." She takes a larger bite from her donut half now. It's nearly gone. "I should tell him what I know about her. Uh. Or you could, I guess. Maybe she told him herself?"
Emma looks at Ghost then, curiosity touching her features. "God that is tempting. I should probably stay out of the middle though. It's not entirely my business. I just wanted to make sure she's not hounding you." A pause, "Unless it's something critical to know, or urgent."
"I don't know," Ghost admits. "My family would have busted her head over it, but we had to be extremely careful. No recognition, nothing remotely out of the ordinary that might draw any kind of attention. He should know one way or the other though."
That seems to make the decision for Emma, and she leans in over the guise of cupping her coffee with both hands. "Alright, now there's concern mixed with curiosity. I can get news to Salem pretty fast and easy, so if there's like a critical heads up, let me know."
Ghost scratches at her jaw and then lowers her voice even further. "There was some story about Batman on the news the other day? It's uh, it's her. She was running around in a costume last night. Cape and everything. Had some weird glove...things. Really pissed off that Shadow Lord dickbag and his crony beating up a pimp in their territory."
"She's ... batman? How for sure are you on this?" she asks, brows rising with some disbelief.
Ghost clears her throat. "I uh...I followed her. Saw her taking off the costume and stashing it. She took it with her when she realized she'd been followed though."
"That's weird right? I mean no, that's absolutely insane, or am I being the crazy one now?" Emma asks of the other. A sigh escapes. "I really don't wanna be the one to tell him this..." She looks toward Ghost, "I will. But. Geeeeezus."
"Told you she was apeshit," Ghost says, before she eats the last bit of donut. "I dunno. We're vigilantes all the time. But putting on a costume? I tried to warn her about the Shadow Lord guy. Couldn't exactly explain the real reason at the time. She was sure she could make him disappear with a phone call."
Emma frowns again and looks at her donut as if it just turned into a pickle. "Yeah. Pretty odd." The coffee gets stared at for a longer moment and then she looks up. "Careful around her then, yeah?"
Ghost nods slowly before reaching out to break apart the second donut, once more offering Emma half. "I always try to be."
Emma takes the half offered her and gives a nod of thanks. "Alright, so, talk of superheroes aside. Who else do you end up running into usually?"
Ghost's bite is more slow this time, more ponderous. "Mr. Dalton," she says after she swallows. "He's in the park often enough. Sometimes Val. You. I went to Maxwell Tower yesterday, you know, just to see. That's where crazy was, but she was talking to the floor manager or someone. Mr. Collins?"
"Don't know that last one, but the others I do." There's a somewhat fonder smile than usual on the first name in fact. "What's up with Salem and Dalton getting misters? Nothing wrong with it, just holy cow- I have to think twice about who you're referring to."
Val has arrived.
Ghost shrugs. "I don't know if he's actually part of the group, just that he seemed in charge over there. We didn't talk or anything. You know, uh. Can I help you with anything? Just that." She nods toward the door. "Mr. Salem seems like he deserves a Mister. And Mr. D...uh, Nick, I don't know. It's polite. Sometimes I'm polite."
Those paying attention to the activity outside the donut shop may notice a raven landing on a nearby garbage can and hal-heartedly picking at the contents, before looking around and taking to the skies once again.
Emma grins wider at that, nodding, "It's fine. Polite is good. Too many forget how to be polite." The two women are sitting in the back corner and sharing a table, and a half a donut each. "And Nick's a good guy. Definitely earns the respect points in my book, so if that nets him a mister, I'm in full agreement."
Ghost glances very briefly toward the small movement outside before looking back to Emma. "It does," she confirms. "He's been uh, been more nice to me than I deserve, I think. And Mr. Salem's fair."
Not all that long after the ravens appearance and disappearance, Val makes her way into the donut shop. She waves to tje pair at the back table and offers up a tired smile, before heading over to the counter and ordering a half dozen donuts.
"Well, according to your gauge, I've picked out a couple of good guys to associate with then." Emma offers in return and holds up her last bite of donut as if in a toast. It's then she notices Val, and a nod goes out to her. "Speaking of Val. She just walked in."
Ghost's eyes are already moving in Val's direction as Emma speaks. She offers no comment, but she does take another bite of donut, chew slowly, and swallow reluctantly. "Yeah," is her eventually, obscenely vague reply.
Val collects her donuts and heads over to Ghost's and Emma's table. "Hey. It alright if I join you two for a bit?"
Emma gives a look toward Ghost and a gentle head tip, "We were just idle chit chatting, if she doesn't mind, I'd be happy to have you join us."
Ghost shrugs and shakes her head. "I don't mind." As Val draws closer, it's easy to see she's looking a little red eyed today, coupled with a somewhat droopy demeanor and a tired note in her voice. Even with the coffee, she hasn't entirely perked up.
Val plops down into her chair and sets her bag down beside her. "Silvertip has me running errands for her, which have proven more successful than I would have expected. Even with the time and effort I put into it. Help yourself to one of the donuts I got, if you want one," Val adds, sounding a little distracted as she opens up her bag and starts to root around in it with one hand.
Emma eyes the bag and mutters a soft, "Dammit, heh." Then she's reaching in to fetch one out. "Donuts. I suck at resisting them. What kind of errands? Or better topic for elsewhere?" While speaking with Val, she keeps a bit of a running gauge on Ghost.
Ghost seems to have a different question. She frowns faintly, then looks from Val to Emma. "Silvertip?" she asks the latter.
Val mmms. "Friend of mine," she answers to Ghost, "and I think it should be fine," she asides to Emma. "I'll keep my voice down. And I've been tracking the folks who have been leaving those spiral grafitti marks everywhere. Managed to spot a few. Was a bit surprised, though," she adds, as she pulls out some sheets of paper.
Emma looks between Ghost and Val, then settles on the corax. "Surprised why?" To Ghost she asides, "Silvertip's a sorta bigwig. Mostly out in rural land. Steer clear, she can be a little, angsty-OCD-porcupine like."
"Noted." Ghost looks back to Val, and stays quiet in anticipation of an answer.
"Well, I was expecting them to be human, probably Kin, or Fomor. And nope. They were your ugly cousins. Anyway," she says, as she divides the papers into two piles. Handing one to Ghost and the other to Emma. "Those are sketches of the ones I managed to spot. Got a name on one: Tammy. It is written on the sheet." There are five sketches in all. Each figures appears fully human and is wearing fairly generic clothing. The details are decent, but only the one with 'Tammy' listed on it could count as a proper police sketch.
"And they're still floating about the area? Wonder if they're what's left of a larger number. It's been quiet, lately. Quiet-ish. When did you last spot them Val?" Emma asks as she partakes of the Val-donated donut.
Ghost mouths the name and studies the sketch she's handed with absolute care. "Doesn't that, uh, doesn't that suggest some kind of spirit...I mean, maybe they're doing it because the graffiti has a spiritual component? A talen, or..." she trails off. Rather than picking up, she's again quiet as she looks to Val for her answer.
Val says "Spotted Tammy and her friend last night, but wasn't able to trail her for too long. She ducked into the sewers, which could be why things /seem/ quieter, if they are doing most of their moving about underground. And it smacks of a Ritual, if you ask me, Ghost. Oh. You two know about the GENOM tower, right?"
Emma shakes her head at Val, "Not a thing. What's up with it?
"I don't think so," Ghost replies.
"Well, it is a writhing cesspit of ickyness for starters," Val says. "Lots of Banes. Certain floors are Warded so you can't access them through a Bridge and Spirits can't pass through the Wards. The Wards themselves have a feel of Mage-Magic about them, so that is something to be leery of. Uhh. There was a life-sucking Fomor I was tracking at one point, that went to ground there. It sounded rather like some of the Fomori Mouse mentioned, after she came back from New York."
"All holed up in this GENOM tower? What kind of front does it have?" asks the Get with a creasing frown.
"GENOM is uh...genetics?" Ghost sounds uncertain. "I've seen it. Scientific research building, I think. Or it was. Financial district."
Val nods, as she snags a donut. "That's the one. I'm not certain what the current front is, but the security is really tight. I've poked at it from a few angles, haven't been able to find a way in. Well, short of turning invisible. Flipside is crawling with human shaped folks, from what I could see. Many had a bluish tinge to their skin. But, just hazarding a guess here, that it may be connected with the spirals. If only because of the life sucking fomor being rather like the ones Mouse mentioned. I really need to touch base with her and ask her about those."
Val crams the donut into her mouth, making it disappear with rather alarming speed.
Emma nods to Val at that last bit, "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan." Ghost gets a look afterward though, "Is it a legitimate company, or was it at somepoint? Sounds like the kind of thing that could easily get tangled up in things beyond the norm."
Ghost opens her mouth, and then closes it at something Val says. She elects instead to answer Emma. "I don't know, I didn't research it beyond a brief lookup. Been around a while, I think. I wanted to know what sort of big businesses were local. General knowledge sort of thing, you know? It sort've stands out."
Val cocks her head to one side, as she turns her attention to Ghost, mouth full of donut. It's a small struggle, but she manages to down the mouthful. "You ever see anything like the stuff I spotted?"
It's Emma's turn now to be quiet and listen to the discussion at the table. The only sound offered a slight sip of her quickly cooling coffee.
"Dancers, sure," Ghost replies. "But blue skin, life sucking fomori? We never ran into something like that."
Val nods and snags another donut. "Well, I wouldn't risk trying to sneak in, even with turning invisible. The wards on the place would likely go off. Anyway, keep the sketches, I have more. Going to take off for now. I'll catch you two later, kay?"
Emma gives a nod to Val, "Sure, thanks for the info. Keep safe." A beat, "And for the extra donuts that I so shouldn't have eaten."
Ghost's nod is small, but polite. Instead of saying anything, she takes a sip from her rapidly cooling coffee.
Val grins at Emma. "I'm certain you'll find a way to burn off the extra calories," she says with a bit of a smirk, before putting a donut in her mouth and snagging another one. She heads out, as she offers a donut wave in farewell.
"Huh. Looks like a teenager, jokes like a teenager," Emma offers as a quiet comment meant for just the table. "Well, another spot to look after. I should get this stuff over to Slug. He's good at piecing segments and ideas together. Thanks for joining me on the coffee. Was definitely better than just getting stood up by Salem," she adds with a grin.
"Is a mouthy git like a teenager," Ghost says, mostly under her breath. "That's what Elliot would've said, anyway. I. Sure. Uh. Any time. Who's Slug?"
"Hangs with me and Salem. Good guy. Might've crossed paths with him already and didn't realize it. He lays low mostly. Smart- but he'll play ya like he's not so don't be fooled if you meet him." Emma smiles again as she stands up, taking her empty cup with her. "Take care, ok?"
Val has left.
Ghost gives Emma a small nod. She wraps one hand around her coffee cup. "You uh, you too. Don't get dead."
Emma says "Two way deal, you got it." With that she's by the garbage can and depositing the cup. Another moment and Emma steps out onto the street again, papers in hand.
