I'm minding my own business, I ain't doing nothing wrong. [Locked]

[kineticmachine]

Arlin hasn't been back to the Estates for a few weeks. While he technically lives there, he tends to spend more time at his gun shop and the tiny studio above it, mostly to avoid running into people he doesn't want to run into. And it's not as if he's invisible to those who really need to find him, seeing as the gun shop and the studio were

Comments

[bigtimebackwash]

The problem with this place is that despite the general swankiness of it, very few people that one might actually need at any point might not actually be around, because... You know, they all have jobs and better things to do than play golf or make puppy eyes at Leona or chill or whatever you do at the estates.

But perseverance (or possibly just the singleminded determination of a guy who is not entirely in his right head) has managed to lead Cole right to the person he was looking for... We're sorry, Arlin. Really, really sorry.

"Arlin," Cole says, giving him some sort of odd greeting in the form of some fingersnap-and-point maneuver that is impossible to explain properly. "Just the man I wanted to see."

[kineticmachine]

Arlin inwardly sighs. Just the person he didn't particularly want to see (not that he wanted to see anyone in particular, but he can stand some associates a bit better than others). Outwardly, he just gives Cole an exceedingly flat, blank look, pausing for only a second before continuing on toward his room. Cole can follow him, as he's sure whatever conversation they're going to have isn't one that should be had in the middle of a hallway.

"Cole," he responds, the stare turning into the sidelong glance Arlin's perfected over nearly 1,000 years. "Good to know my presence has been missed." It's delivered as flatly as the stare, but the sarcastic implication is pretty obvious.

[bigtimebackwash]

Cole does something that approximates a trot if the horse in question were plotting to run you down and trample you which leads to him falling into step beside Arlin. Now normally, he wouldn't be bothering with this. The guilds keep out of each others' way most of the time and ne'er shall they meet unless the situation calls for it, but he's got things to do, plots to plan, and Arlin's better at this than he is.

"Got a job for you," he says casually and yet still sounding ridiculously cheerful about this whole scenario. Many a mood swing and a lot of flailing at Toni went into this plan, and if it comes together properly... Well.

[kineticmachine]

Well that's...odd. Arlin raises an eyebrow at Cole, slowing slightly, though the slowing is only partially because of Cole, as they're getting closer to Arlin's apartment. Arlin doesn't particularly care if people know where he lives in this place, seeing as he's not here very often and really, he spends so little time at his places of residence anyway that it doesn't matter much. But it is hard to stride and dig keys out of one's pocket at the same time.

"A job that you couldn't do yourself?" he asks. "Interesting." It's unclear whether the emphasis on the end is sarcastic or intrigued. Or intrigued attempting to cover itself with sarcasm. Or if the entire thing is actually a taunt, though Arlin knows that probably taunting Cole isn't the best thing to do.