What's a king bowing to a dark god?

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Gene, Jackie, Deon, Peridot, and yooouuuu!
Date: Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! And all the other May days aside.
Location: Keeliai and Tavimbi
Situation: The Struggle
Warnings/Rating: Will be added as they arise.

A. [Gene] throughout Keeliai | past the first week of May onwards | open
Gene is continuing to be his political self, gladhanding among the kedan and putting his unique skills of gang interaction to use to put together the nascent police force. But when he thinks nobody's watching, he looks pensive - especially over tea in one of the many teahouses, which he seems to frequent more often of late. Better than alcohol, at least?

B. [Jackie] the Golden Koi | throughout May | open
After the attack last month, Jackie doesn't go anywhere without someone else. The rogue Snakes aren't going to attack him unless he's alone. But at least his bar seems to be doing decent business, even if he's still operating at a loss for now. That part's worrying him. But he tries not to let it show, even to Leo.

C. [Peridot] Keeliai and Tavimbi | throughout May | open
Peridot, meanwhile, is continuing to scavenge. She wants to rebuild her limb enhancers, or something like them, after her talk with Bisi...and maybe something nice for Shay. She's haggling with merchants and, due to her short temper, often getting very annoyed. There's something amusing about a tiny green dorito getting mad at someone twice her size.

D. [Deon] the College | throughout May | open
The College is a safe zone for Deon, who's still wary of working on any pet projects at Stark Industries. Tetravaal had made him too leery of that. He can often be found in one of the labs, working on a design for a robot, or hand-writing some code to make sure he's got it right.

E. [Gene] House Spicy Iron Dragon | late April-first week of May | closed to Tony and Pepper
Gene has decided to live as a bed from now on.

Zhang's arrival had really shaken him up. What he'd done to Zhang had shaken him up more, when he'd had the chance to think about it instead of acting in anger. When he's not living as a bed, he's building a little stone shrine in the back garden where he's buried the extra purple ring and set up the framed photograph of his mother, and when it's done, sitting in front of it, burning incense and thinking.

F. [Jackie] the Dojo | early May | closed to Brigid
Jackie had said he'd wanted to learn Krav Maga from Brigid, and he'd gotten the chance to get some floor time from Valdis, when not too many people would be around to watch her wipe the floor with him.

He smiles at her when she walks in. "You ready?"

G. [Deon] the Hotel | early May | closed to Vincent
There was one thing that Deon had to do to make sure he and Vincent were on the level: namely, return the laptop he had found. It was Vincent's laptop, after all. He knocks on the door, the laptop tucked under his arm. "Vincent?"

Comments

b.

[omnivident]

If Jackie is trying not to show his nervousness, then Leo won't make a mention of it.

But it doesn't take a genius to know that they're not really doing a good job at...well, being open. Tables are mostly empty, and it's almost a little depressing to come to work to get no more than a couple of customers. Sure, he never went home exhausted, but it was a little sad.

Especially since he could only imagine how excited Jackie was for this.

Maybe, he thought as he stepped into the bar, today would be different. "Good afternoon!" Or, most likely, it was going to stay the same as the days previous. Slower than a turtle.

[jinzhong]

"Hey, Leo," Jackie said with a smile. Even if the bar wasn't doing great business yet, he was confident it'd pick up sooner rather than later. Word just had to get out, that was all.

"Ready for another day?"

[omnivident]

"As ready as I'll ever be." Leo responded, shoulders rising in a tiny shrug. Leo was hopeful for the business' success, sure, but there's always some doubt in him. But that's just a common emotion for him, really.

"How have you been, though? It seems that people have kinda started to calm down a little from what happened, huh?" And boy is Leo glad about that.

F!

[bostonhowler]

Brigid is not really sure what to do. But, right now, she needs to clear her mind and take on a new task: That of training someone in KRav Maga. It's been at least two years since she's done any herself and a bit longer than that since she worked with anyone.

Hopefully, it's like riding a bike.

She hasn't found a job yet, either, and that bothers her. She needs a job. Because translating Gaelic isn't going to get her very far here.

She smiles, walking into the room, and leaving the problems behind her. Her teachers always told her that whatever went on outside got left there.

"I should be asking you that. You realize you're going to be sore tomorrow?"

[jinzhong]

Jackie nods, grinning ruefully. "Yeah, probably. But I've dealt with worse, so I can handle it." So much worse, Brigid. Being sore after training isn't going to bother him any, short of some good-natured grousing.

"How 'bout it, ready to kick my ass?"

[bostonhowler]

Somehow, she does not doubt that he's willing to take her on. He certainly looks it.

"Why don't you come at me, and I'll attempt to avoid the attack?" She suggests. Then, she can teach him some of the simpler avoidance techniques.

C.

[tektite]

Tektite adored wandering the streets of Keeliai, every district different and there was so much color! It was a bit too bright for her tastes, but she'd endure the pounding headache for the chance to be out and about. Not to mention, free! She was free to spend as much time as she wanted, making her way around, only mildly worrying the locals. Her swaying tail only hit people on occasion.

There was always a lot of noise during the day, the tram, the talking, the haggling, the movement of so many through the city. Ah, it was a nice change from where she usually had to skulk. Mmm, speaking of noise, an argument? Not something uncommon around groupings of vendors, but she was curious all the same.

Tektite jumped with excitement at spotting the small, angry, and very green Gem. She'd seen a few peridots around the last warp pad she'd been sent on, doing maintenance of some sort. They'd had tools and such but perhaps her enhancers had broken on the trip here? Tektite didn't care, a technician of Peridot's rank wasn't going to be able to do much to her and it was another Gem!

Without much regard for whatever Peridot was arguing about, she bounded forward and skidded to a halt just in range to bump the small Gem with her snout.

"I was hoping there would be more of us here!" she cried out in a voice that was just atrocious to listen to. Too rough and too loud! But she was excited and didn't care.

[peridiot]

The bump made Peridot turn, and she found herself nose-to-nose with...something.

She squinted at the creature. Voice too abrasive and loud, animalistic rather than humanoid, and definitely not a Gem. Gems didn't look like that. Gems didn't talk like that. Gems weren't like that, period.

"I believe you are mistaken," she said snottily - no mean feet, with a creature's nose in her face. "I am a Gem, not...whatever you are."

[tektite]

"Oh is that so?" Tektite laughed, a gravely, horrible sound a bit like a choking dog. And with a little poof of magic, she was the same size as the little green Gem. She couldn't hold this transformation for long, but she couldn't resist turning into a grayscale mirror of the tiny Peridot, complete with black, triangular Gem on her forehead.

Her hair was messier and eyes wilder, but she knew what she was doing!

"How about now? Look about right?"

B.

[denyamenti]

Bakura's been remote the last few weeks, seeming pensive and preoccupied when he is out. The influx of new and temporary Foreigners had been perfunctorily noted, skimmed for any familiar faces, and promptly ignored when there were none. (He hadn't really expected any; Ryou's and Kaiba's stints in Keeliai had seemed more flukes than patterns.)

But even without that, he'd had a lot on his mind. And it was the sort of thinking that a stiff drink (or several) could -- at least temporarily -- cure.

The thief takes a seat across the bartop from Jackie. "You're not going to ask me for proof of age, I hope."

[jinzhong]

Jackie grins when Bakura sits down across from him. "Hey, man, long time no see. And nah, I'm pretty sure you're good for it."

He leans on the bartop. "So, what can I get you?"

A.

[problematical]

Gene's thought process is briefly interrupted when River sits down at the chair across from him at one of the teahouses, with neither explanation nor invitation. And she doesn't even say anything, just begins sipping from her own teacup placidly, like this was a planned meetup and she'd merely been running late to it.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene blinks, briefly, but he remembers River is a little strange like this.

"Good to see you again," he says.

E

[lasergrenades]

Gene wasn't the only one shaken by Zhang's arrival, but certainly he's taken it the hardest. Pepper hasn't entirely been sure how to draw him out of his shell after Zhang disappeared; she's not exactly walking on eggshells around him, but she's worried.

He's spent a lot of time hidden away, so when she spots him out in the back yard she makes two mugs of tea and throws on a coat. She moves slowly to prevent spilling tea onto her hands and holds one down to Gene when she gets close, smiling softly.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?"

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene looks up and shrugs. "Sure." But it's clear that he's still pensive and unhappy. He's trying not to show it, but doing what he'd done, well...it'd mess anyone up. Even someone as hardened as Gene.

G

[sadisticmoose]

There's a long pause, followed by a thud, and some choice Aussie swearing before the door swings open.

"Yeah?"

[craftlife]

"...got something for you," Deon says, trying not to sound too concerned by the thud - though there's concern writ plain on his face anyway. He's never really been one for a poker face.

C

[clonekiller]

Galen was in the markets doing much the same as Peridot. With Obi-Wan gone, someone had to take up the cause of training the Force-sensitive natives and Foreigners, and Galen had pretty much decided it was supposed to be him. That's why Peridot will see him with a small sack of various metal bits and wires, scraping together whatever he could to build lightsabers, of both the lethal and practice variety.

He approaches the vendor Peridot is arguing with, and gives him a well-meaning smile.

"Cut her some slack. She's new to dealing with people like this."

Galen picks up a few small metal rings, testing their make with his fingers.

"I could use a couple of these, myself."

[peridiot]

Peridot scowls at Galen. "I don't need your help," she says, but the shopkeep has moved on to dealing with the more pleasant customer - that is, Starkiller.

Oh, the irony.

B

[shirley_templar]

Desmond hadn't been in the city long, when he decided he needed a drink. From what he could gather from the kedan, there was really only one place that was going to suit his needs, and that place was The Golden Koi.

Desmond walked into the bar, and almost immediately felt at home. Stepping up to the counter, he addresses Jackie with a plaintive look in his eyes. "For the love of God, please tell me you have whiskey. I don'the care what brand."

[jinzhong]

Jackie looks at this guy - new arrival, he can tell. "Uh, we got something pretty similar. 's not exactly whiskey but it's definitely not bad. We're kinda limited on what we can work with, but...yeah." He shrugs. "Still want some?"

No, Jackie, that is not how you salesman.

E

[highprofilerichkid]

"Hey. Gene. Get up." Tony tugs on Gene's big toe where it's peeking out of the blanket that he's curled up in. "Come on. You can't stay in bed all day."

Everything with Zhang had really fucked him up, and Tony gets that, but he's worried about how much time Gene is spending... moping. He can spend hours like this, hiding in bed and not talking to anyone or doing anything. At least when he's outside at his little shrine he has to get up out of bed and go somewhere. Even if it's just out in the yard.

He's been so withdrawn, and Tony has tried to give him his space, but his nerves are starting to fray. Not only is he worried about Gene, he's lonely. Tony needs affection, attention, interaction— something. For someone already as reserved as Gene, from Tony's baseline, 'withdrawn' is practically catatonic. It's just not a good situation from any angle.

He pokes Gene's foot again. "Hey. Let's go. I'll make you breakfast." More like lunch at this point, but whatever.

[wrathfulkhan]

"...mmnh." Gene draws the blankets more about himself. He doesn't want Tony to see him like this. He hasn't wanted Tony to see him at all. He's been so ashamed that anyone had seen what he'd done, even though he didn't regret doing it in the slightest. At least Tony doesn't seem disgusted with him, which had been his first fear. But he's worried again that he'd become the monster he'd told Tony he was concerned about reverting to.

And he was beginning to finally feel the dam of his emotions cracking about his mother and he's not sure how to deal with that, so staying locked up away from everyone is really the best option.

"I don't want breakfast," he says, and there's an odd quality to his voice. Almost like he's crying. But that's silly! Gene doesn't cry. The Mandarin does not cry.

B

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony knows about Jackie's bar, though he hasn't actually visited it yet. But with things heating up again in the political scene, Tony has been remembering his promise to Raine, and he thinks it's time to check in on Jackie and see how he's doing.

He wanders in in the early afternoon (what should be a quiet time, for a bar) and makes his way up to the... bar. The bar part of the bar. The counter where the drinks are. Where the bartender is. He wants to talk to the bartender.

the poison for kuzco. kuzco's poison.

[jinzhong]

The bar is quiet. Too quiet. Terribly quiet. Awfully quiet.

Jackie really doesn't expect to see Tony there. He actually never expects to see Tony. So the kid walking into his bar is kind of a mild shock. "Uh...hey."