(IC) [Demon the Descent] The Devil's In The Details

[Strapping Gent]

It's a mild day in Chicago. The sun's beating hard on the streets but wind chill keeps the sweat from coming. Doesn't stop the rising attitude of the people though. There's a little bistro on the waterfront named Heaven Help Me, famous among locals for a damn good ham sandwich with bell peppers. A healthy mix of dock workers and at-lunch business men fill the place to near packed, well it only seats about 50 anyway, while college kids of all shapes, sizes, and piercings run in a cacophony to get these people their drinks and food.

3 Demons walk into a bistro at 12:45 PM. What do they order, and what business has Miss Muse called the other two here to talk about?

[MarvelMaiden]

Abbi walks into the bistro about five minutes early. She takes a booth by the window and glances at a waiter. Locking eyes he immediately comes over to her. He recognized her face and always wanted to talk to her. But unfortunately for him she simply asked for a reuben with a side salad and lemonade. He knods as he hides his dissappointment with a grin. He leaves the table to place her order. Abbi pulls out her iPhone and checks her hair in the camera, taking a selfie while she was at it. Posting the photo to instagram the waiter brings Abbi her lemonade. She smiles at the guy, giving him a wink as he turns away from her booth. He goes over to a couple of other waiters and proceeded to share his experience. Abbi could tell she was recognized by a few of the younger patrons and waitstaff. They would glance over at her and whisper, she remained to stare down at her phone. She heard the bistro door open and saw a young man stroll in. She set down her phone, and stared at the man.

[climbingcrowds]

Dominic follows suit, immediately recognizing Abbi in the restaurant and sitting down at the table across from her. He glares around momentarily and, before the young waiter can assault him with some peppy greeting, he orders a coffee. "I do not know what it is with you kids and assuming I want my coffee black, but that is disgusting." his voice is clear, but the Italian accent is evident. With that he waves the young man away and looks back at Abbi as she stares at her iPhone. He turns, searching for a no smoking sign and frowns harder when he spots one. "Let us get this over with. Where is Martin?"

[Nineball]

I take a seat next to Dominic, making careful glances from Abbi's face to Dom's.

"Coffee. Please."

I keep still in my chair, eyes shielded behind dark sunglasses. The atmosphere puts me a bit on edge, and I feel like I recognize a few of the dockworkers from night fares. The dark liquid helps me relax, the grogginess from last night's trips slowly washed away as I begin to empty the cup during our conversation. I flash a weak smirk at the duo as I melt in my seat, arm hung over the back as I take casual glances around the bistro, taking it all in. I had a feeling this was going to be the beginning of a long week.

[MarvelMaiden]

"Glad you both could make it."

Abbi set down her phone and took a sip of lemonade. She loved the sweetness of the drink, but adored the hint of sour it couldn't mask. She then again picked up her phone and began to type out a message. In the following seconds, the two men checked their cell phones and saw the words, Kannst du Deutsch? They looked at each other and back at her. She wanted all the bases to be covered in this meeting, and she didn't want just anyone to know what was about to be discussed.

"So, I guess you two might want to know who exactly I am and why I got in contact with you. In our first meeting, we simply exchanged names and numbers with a vague understanding of one another, but now that we are all here at this fine establishment, I think its time to express what we all truly desire. How about I go first?"

She paused as she took another sip of her drink. The waiter brought her the side salad she ordered. Pouring some dressing onto the crisp leaves she looked up at the two men across from her.

"As for now, I need to climb the ropes of this city. If you two can get me to the place I need to be, I am willing to help you fulfill your goals. However, don't expect me to sacrifice myself to angels for some pipe dream. I am a girl who knows what she wants, and I want you two to help me. I know you run in the same party, so you are more likely to understand one another. But understand this, I am no soldier, so I will not be treated like one."

She leaned back and finished her salad. The booth was quiet, all the trio could hear were the conversations of the various patrons around them. Abbi's phone then vibrated. It was a text from her little brother, Alec. She picked up the phone to reply, and sat it back down.

"I don't know what lives you live, but I play a special part in this city. I have been around the block a little bit longer than you two, so regardless of what you might be thinking, you need me as much as I need you. But I'm tired of the child's play I've been doing around here lately, so I'm ready to start bigger and better things for myself. So, if no one objects, I think we should hit the ground running."

They flirty waiter returns one final time with her sandwich. She gives him a smile and mouths 'thank you' as he walked away, giving her a wave. She folds her fingers into one another and leans into the table, staring at the two men who sit opposite of her.

"So, what is it that you want from me, boys? Because I am happy to oblige"

[climbingcrowds]

Dominic watched as the waiter gives the woman across from him her side salad, absent-mindedly setting down his coffee as well. As he feared, the liquid inside his cup was black as night. He grimaced, grabbing a good amount of sugar packets and opening them. Though it looked like he was more interested in making his coffee less disgusting, he was paying attention to the words Abbi spoke.

Keeping up with appearances wasn't his favorite habit, but he made sure to keep an Italian accent as he spoke in German, wrestling around certain syllables. "I follow orders. You are the boss."

He turned to the older man beside him. "Unless you want to be the boss."

As he spoke he continued fiddling with the sugar packets until his temper rose and he signaled the waiter over for some milk, making sure the young man kept his eyes off Abbi this time. It was a hard task, but one cold glare could do wonders on a human.

He sat back in the cushioned seat. "What are the objectives to be achieved here? Not that I could get out of this contract if I wanted to, but I like my curiosity to be satisfied. For me, I like destruction. I wouldn't mind tearing the wings off every Angel. Subtle is not my forte."

[MarvelMaiden]

"Destruction you say, I can relate to that. What about you, Mr. King, what can I help you accomplish? Unless you two are both after the death of angels, which I doubt. Oh, but you Martin, can I call you Martin? You long for something much more. Don't think I don't know of you, Sir. You are a lot like me, you crave something. Tell me what you crave, Martin. "

[Nineball]

I keep my expression blank. Making deals with devils is a rough business, we've all got full houses but only one of will be ace high. There's too many questions here and little time to ask. I take the plunge with German. "I'll lead the way on my assignments, and you lead on yours. Sound fair?"

I finish the coffee, and take the sunglasses off, and think. What I crave: a whiskey, to play somewhere tonight, to grease my guns. To sleep, and one day wake up as Martin King, and nothing else.

"Targets, and a reason."

[Strapping Gent]

The conversation is stopped by a loud crash of plates smashing against the tiled floor. One of the patron's, an older man in a cheap suit, has begun yelling at his waiter about gratuity. His eyes bulge out of his head, the cheap suit is straining against his girth, and his dark skin is starting to shade pink from from his screams. His waiter is already crying, trying to run back around to employee only section to hide among her fellow staff members. The angry patron, however, is having none of that.

The mood in the shop has turned embarrassed and tense. How do you react?

[MarvelMaiden]

"Wonderful timing. I can tell we aren't getting anywhere here, and I am not a patient girl. If you are serious, then meet me at this address tomorrow at five."

Pulling out a pen from her purse, she jots down an address and pushes it across the table. She put on some big sunglasses and checked her phone one final time. She placed a twenty on the table and gets up from the booth. Before walking away, she leans into the two men, almost hovering over them.

"I do not appreciate having my time wasted, if you are serious about getting something accomplished in this town, you better show up tomorrow with a little more to say. You can't afford to lose me as an asset, and I would rather not lose you. If I must I'll get the job done on my own, but I am far to impatient for that. So if you excuse me, I have a date with a twelve year old who is far more useful than you two. And remember, I know what brought you here, the Chicago Tower. Don't bullshit me tomorrow boys, I am ready to get this party started and I don't have time for cryptic messages or vague discussions."

She walked out of the bistro, leaving her sandwich. She had called someone on the phone requesting a a car come pick her up. Little did the men know the address was her apartment. If these fallen angels weren't going to talk in public, maybe they will in a private setting. Tomorrow is Thursday, so there are no events Abbi must make herself appear. Standing on the corner, a few buildings away from the bistro Abbi rolls her eyes. She didn't intend to be the leader of the pack, but the two she picked were proving to not be as useful as she had hoped. They were killing machines, what she wanted, but would they boost her up the ladder as she desired? As a black Lexus pulled up, she looked back one final time at the bistro, to see what became of the two demons she wished to conspire with.

[climbingcrowds]

Dominic watched her leave, but made no move of his own. Not only because he was blocked in by Martin, but because he really had no intention of leaving. He pondered the woman's words. She frustrated him. Though he preferred following a leader, he only followed when they were a proven leader and not when leadership was forced onto him. He also did not understand her or her methods, but that mattered less. He paid for the check as the waiter eyed the screaming man nervously.

He turned to the older man beside him, speaking English in a near whisper. "I like to make scenes, but I am asking for a second opinion. That man is giving me a headache." Secretly, he also believed that the man should be punished for disturbing the peace, as justice was a virtue of his. "You think I should do something about this man? Unless you want to, be my guest, but I give a good knockout punch."

[Nineball]

"It was your invitation, it's on you to have the plan."

I wasn't surprised to find her to be a brat, no matter how much I wish she wasn't. We would all be in for a long ride if we were going to keep talking the talk all over Chicago. I regret ever taking the sunglasses off, resigning myself back into the darkness as I slip them back on. I grin as the brat takes off, and Dominic and I resign ourselves to the natural pecking order of violence. I answer in English.

"I don't know if he's asking for it, but I wouldn't mind if you shut that guy up. We'd better leave after that." I take a stand, and a look around from behind darkened lenses. "Need a ride?"

I check Perception (Wisdom + Composure) on this scene before Dominic knocks a man's two front teeth out, with 3 successes.

[Strapping Gent]

[ Sir's roll is made at a +0]

Sir looks around, checking to see if the scenes cool for Achille to put this man in his place. The Heaven Help Me staff looks to be rallying for their fellow waiter, while the patrons seem to be split down the middle on whether to care or if they agree that tipping is bullshit.

While Muse is looking in on the bistro, she hears a loud car horn close enough to her ear to startle her if she let the emotion show. A bespectacled woman is hitting the horn of her Sedan right behind the Lexus. The words spewing out of her mouth would make some people blush, but it appears to make your driver just as angry. He steps out of the driver's side as the woman steps out of her car, the two meeting half way to explain to each other just what kind of mother fucker the other one is.

Both in and out of the building, the air and people of Chicago are starting to get heated.

[MarvelMaiden]

"What the hell is going on..."

She looks at her driver, well, her boyfriend's driver. But she has been around him enoughto know that this is extremely out of character, even for a native of Chicago. He is usually very quiet and non confrontational. He's even been honked at multiple times for driving too leisurly. Why now is he decided to fight back?

"Thomas, what is wrong with you?"

She starts to approach him, but connects the dots with the outburst in the bistro. This is a little too coincidental for fights to be forming in the streets like dominoes falling one after one. She realizes this isn't just some small thing, but she still finds confusion on what to think about it. She wonders if the other two had figured out if something is going on, but before she can go back to check her phone rings. Its Alec. With a short glance down she answers.

"Hey Abbi, are you coming home soon? I need help with my math homework."

"I'm sorry Alec, but I am going to be later than expected. Don't worry about your homework right now, I'll be home soon and we'll work on it together."

"Okay, see you later. Love you."

And with that she hangs up and takes a moment of meditation.

Muse uses Common Sense (Wits + Composure) as she looks back at the bistro with two successes. Is tit in my best interest to investigate what's happening around here?

[climbingcrowds]

Waiting for Martin to move out of the booth, Dominic scoots out and stands up in the center of the hallway between tables, rolling his shoulder until it pops and sighing in aggravation at the scene. Inside, he is disturbingly giddy at the idea of causing a scene and getting a little blood on his fists. Of course, it's completely justified. The man is causing a scene for himself, which Dominic is doing it for the greater good. Satisfied with his thoughts, Dominic approaches the screaming man's table, hands in his pockets, though his fingers are curled with anticipation. It wouldn't be worth hurting someone that could be scared off like a rat, so he opts for first staring down the man. "I think you should be leaving this nice lady alone. It is not her fault that you can't afford her fine service on your petty income."

[Dominic rolls Presence + Intimidation + 1 (Specialty: Stare-Downs) with 3 successes.]