Greasy, slicked down body, groovy leather trim

[ebony_mask]

Who: Black Mask, 2 NPC goons, and passengers
When: 23 November all day and evening!
Where: all over the island
Summary: Roman, in disguise, takes the sharkmobile for a spin and picks up hapless victims passengers
Warnings: Language, skullfais, threatening behavior

Comments

Sector 5, late afternoon

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[She really, really hates people sometimes. It's been a day of headaches and one more Newcomer death to the pile, just another stack of papers. It weighs on her more than she wants to let on, and while others might quit their jobs or find other ways of working, she just wants to keep going.

Just...not today.

She finishes up a call as she rounds the corner and she pulls out the bluetooth headset from her ear and stuffs it in her pocket. She'll head home soon.

She glances over when she spots the shark car, actually needing to look back again.

...Huh. Someone actually bought that thing.]

[ebony_mask]

[Just cruising along, enjoying some Mussorgsky at an overly loud volume...when he spots one of his favorite people in Siren's Port.

He knows he really ought to ignore her and continue driving, but having self-control is so tedious sometimes...and the fact that she actually just did a double take?

He really can't help himself.

So he pulls up alongside of her and rolls the window down, revealing a quite normal face, although the eyes seem to burn dully.]

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[...That's a ridiculously dramatic piece of music to be playing, though she's sure it fits. She thinks back to Joker's earlier reply about sharks and almost smiles to herself. Damn clown has to be psychic.

She raises an eyebrow when the car pulls up alongside her.]

You have to be joking.

[Trying to pick her up? And in a shark car, no less. She manages a light laugh.]

[ebony_mask]

[Oh, that is cute. She would never laugh for him as Black Mask, he thinks, flashing his teeth in a wide smile at her.]

I never jest, miss.

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[She almost smiles but she shakes her head.]

Only a couple of people have seriously tried to pick me up, but never in a car like this.

[Re-l's nearly tempted to just walk, but... She looks elsewhere for a moment. It's late. It's going to be dark soon. It would behoove her to get home faster or at least head back to the station.

She looks back at him.]

It's not a joke? Seriously?

[ebony_mask]

[He restrains himself from telling her she's cute enough to eat right up but winks at her nonetheless.]

There's a first time for everything. Where you headed?

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Be careful that this isn't your first and only time that you fool a cop.

[She gives him a brief look and while it's not threatening, her eyes say she's serious. Still, she acquiesces enough and shrugs. Need to be careful, even if he seems nice enough.]

Sector Four, Sycamore and Haywood.

[It's actually the corner cafe a block from her apartment but she needs to pick something up there anyway.]

You're sure it's not a problem?

[ebony_mask]

[He can't believe that she'd give a stranger her actual address, at any rate, but he's surprised that she'd get in the car of one.

It gives him a little thrill.

He leans over and opens the passenger door.]

Think of it as an expression of my gratitude for trying to help the people of this city.

[He gives what he hopes is a warm smile, though, as always, he can never quite get it to extend all the way to his eyes. He opts for a name.]

It's a pleasure to have you, officer. My name's Arthur. Arthur Brown.

[A name completely unremarkable to anyone not well-acquainted with Gotham's colorful underworld. He inwardly smiles at his twistedness.]

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[She walks around the car to the passenger door, giving a brief nod of gratitude on her own.]

That's nice of you.

[...Oh. Two guys in back. Yeah, this might be trouble. "Expression of gratitude."

(If I just found the Newcomer Killer, I'm going to kick myself.)

She gets in anyway, silently thanking the fact that she can heal as she sits and closes the door behind her. If nothing else, she'll know his assumed identity and his face if this is the one who killed Samus. She brushes back her jacket, revealing the shotgun strapped to her right thigh.]

A pleasure, Mr. Brown. Re-l Mayer.

[She glances back.]

And your friends?

[ebony_mask]

[He notes the shotgun, unsurprised. His own weapons are concealed, but he has no intention of using them.

He waves a disinterested hand toward the men in the back.]

Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

[He gives a little laugh at his joke. The goons look slightly put out.]

Nah, I'm just kidding. Petey and Ringo, be nice and say hello to the lady.

[The men mumble their introductions like well trained underlings and Roman gives an apologetic smile at Re-l.]

Buckle up, Officer Mayer.

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[Not very pleased with that, are they. She glances back at them and, sensing nothing overtly hostile, she rights herself in her seat and buckles herself in.]

Nice to meet you.

[She raises an eyebrow at him, though.]

Do you always pick up strangers like this, Mr. Brown?

[ebony_mask]

[He puts his hands on the wheel and releases the brake, easing into traffic.]

Only the cute ones.

[Heh.]

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[She gives him a skeptical look.]

A good Samaritan picking up cute girls. How nice of you.

[It's just a ten minute ride. The guys in back haven't made a single move. For all she knows, she's just being paranoid and he's just being creepy.]

What do you do when you're not picking girls up in your... [Dare she say it?] ...in your shark car?

[ebony_mask]

[He laughs.]

Oh, I don't make a habit of picking up girls in Jaws. This is a very special occasion.

[Oh, yes, better answer the question. What the fuck did Arthur Brown do when he wasn't being lame as the Cluemaster? Roman can't remember.]

I used to run a cosmetics company, but not anymore...

[He trails off and waves his hand, bored, and with an undertone of disgust.]

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Lucky me.

[Jaws. That's almost cute.]

That's a shame. You could always start a driving escort service and get your friends to work.

[She's not entirely joking.]

Though, if you could buy this, then you don't have any problem putting out cash.

[ebony_mask]

[IT SAYS SO RIGHT ON THE SHARK but even if he didn't buy it with a name he probably would have named it Jaws anyway.

It's fun, he thinks, playing her little game of information swapping--maybe she'll even waste her time trying to find Arthur Brown in the police database later, if he makes things interesting enough.]

I was saving for a rainy day.

[A beat, then he adds, as he remembers:]

It went to a good cause. That's what interested me the most.