Lions and tigers and I need a beer, oh my.

[salaryofsin]

Characters: John Marcone and those who might run into him.
Time: Mid-morning, Sunday
Location: Heading from the bean toward the site of Harry's old office
Content: John is sure that the last time he saw Chicago it was in much better shape.
Format: Prose
Warnings:...mobster?

Comments

[leatherdahlia]

Dahlia took to wandering the streets now... The empty vessels of this city hardly provided a good time for her... They hardly reacted anything like a normal human would.

She returned to her traditional red leather catsuit, tired of the facade she'd played around with for a few weeks. No, she'd no longer pretend to fit in with these people... Especially if those children ran off and told the others, like she expected them to...

Her pace slowed, however, as she approached someone... Someone she hadn't seen around and was almost positive wasn't another empty person. Pulling her Agiel from its sheath, she took another few steps closer.

[salaryofsin]

The thing the woman drew might have been a weapon, anything from billyclub to magic wand-- or some sort of sensing devices, a divining rod. John wasn't a believer in taking chances.

"I hope you aren't the fashion police," he said, eyes sparkling with gentle humor. He patted his puff jacket ruefully, and smoothed his palms over the thighs of his worn jeans. "It's nothing the New York style icons would approve of, I know. But if you aren't taking issue with the outfit, I can't fathom why such a handsome young woman is taking an interest." He laughed self deprecatingly.

He had confidence that he could talk his way out of a dangerous situation. ...that, and his little smoothing-his-clothes routine had surreptitiously slid the switchblade from inside the lining of his jacket to the hollow of his pocket, in easy hand's reach.

[leatherdahlia]

Dahlia watched him carefully, the rod in her hand at a non-threatening level, hardly raised at all. She didn't know what this man was capable of and had already seen some of the things this world could throw her way.

Her lips quirked in a slight smile as she shrugged her shoulders in a fluid sort of motion. "I could care less about your clothing choice," she mused, still keeping a close eye on him... Most of his joke going over her head. "You could just say I'm being extra careful... Never know what you'll run into in this place."

[salaryofsin]

She wasn't the trigger-happy, at least (if anything she had on her actually HAD a trigger), but she did look authoritative. He didn't know how much he liked that; before today, the authority on these streets had largely been on his payroll.

But the only thing that he allowed to show on his face was a sort of bemused helpfulness.

"I couldn't agree more," he told her. " And I've lived here for a few decades now. But I hope I don't look too threatening. I just trying to find a local contractor, if he's still here."

[burnoutthenight]

The streets of Chicago had generally been kind to Axel. So really, it wasn't much of a surprise that he'd once again turn to prowling around the various places of the city. The people here were more than interesting enough to serve as a night's amusement and if he looked a little out of place in his long black coat (with the hood left down, since there was no need for it) and brilliantly red hair then that was hardly his problem.

If they complained to him, well, it might be then. But that was something for a later time. As it was, he merely offered a slight nod to the stranger in the streets as he drew closer. It cost nothing to be polite.

Beside, he didn't feel much like finding any sort of fight today.

[salaryofsin]

John nodded and tipped the brim of his cap to the young man-- not a local, he would guess, with punk rock hair but cyberpunk sensibilities. Or was he dating himself by thinking of Gibson, now? Heh. Age.

[burnoutthenight]

Well. Whoever this stranger was, he was at least passingly polite, not that that really meant anything. It was a rare individual who wouldn't give even that slight bit of politeness.

Not that Axel didn't know people who wouldn't have, but that spoke more to the people he associated himself with than anything else.

"Nice day out, isn't it?"

[salaryofsin]

"It's a little more post-apocalyptic than yesterday," John observed conversationally. "You haven't heard a weather report saying that we might have scattered showers of normality, have you?"

[TYPOFLAAAIL]

[johntaylor_pi]

John Taylor walked with his hands in his pockets without a real purpose. He'd really hoped that stealing that statue would have solved something but so far nothing had really come of it. No benefits, no reward, just another free job. "Almost miss taking jobs from Walker...at least that got me a pay check," he muttered to himself

[salaryofsin]

John, for his part, wouldn't have lived long in the business if he couldn't notice when he was being noticed.

He looked over to the other man and tipped his chin in a rough nod, put on roughly half of a smile and half of the suspicious look of a small man in a big city being stared at.

"Hey."

[johntaylor_pi]

He probably should have figured the guy would come over. Then again, some people ignored you when you stared at them in hopes of avoiding confrontation. This was not that kind of man.

"Hello. Out for a leisurely stroll," he replied sardonically. It was hard to tell if maybe John should have kept to his own business but it wasn't often (what with all the strange, semi-brainless citizens) that you saw a guy walking with that kind of purpose.

[salaryofsin]

John held his ground, not approaching but not backing off. "Nice weather for it," he returned with equal wryness. "You aren't from around here." If the accent was anything to go by.