Boulevard of Broken Shadows

"Wouldn't go thaa-waaay."

The voice startled him. He hadn't been expecting to see anyone here, and yet, there she was. Dwight looked at her quizzically. She was dressed in white pajamas, her arms folded neatly around her chest. The illusion around him crumbled away, the moss peeling off the walls, floating towards him, burning before it could reach him. He was left standing in a hallway, lights flickering overhead, shouts coming from behind closed doors. How had he gotten here? As far as he could tell, he was in an Asylum.

"Why? What's that way?" he asked the girl, trying to point, unable to, his arms still stuck in a straitjacket. That's rather inconvenient, he thought. Gotta get out of this thing somehow.
 
Alex gave the man who addressed them a short nod as he and Sebastian kept walking. Granted it was a tad surprising Sebastian asked what he did. Alex had never openly discussed what kind of cases he tended to work, "Shadowy people eh? There's a question I never though I'd hear from you. Well if you believe folklore, and you should take it all with a grain of salt because most of it is a bunch of crap, then they're dark entities with evil intentions, though I can't say I've ever had a case where one was malevolent. The few I've met are actually pretty nice, if a bit clingy. Truth be told, I'm not 100% sure what the deal with them is. Why they're in the world. Most believe that they're like ghosts that haunt houses. They have something unfulfilled to do in reality or something like that. Honestly most paranormal beings are just trying to make a living. But its not unheard of for Shadow People to be drawn to specific individuals."

As they continued down the sidewalk Alex turned and gave Sebastian a quizzical look, "You have never openly asked me about something paranormal before. The fact that you are tells me you at least have a hunch about what I do. So I have to ask, what prompted the question? You're asking me about something pretty specific. You willing to tell me what's going on?"
 
James watches the abusing pig man and the "waitress" Kel on his lap, he was about to get up to do something but Vera interfeared first.
"I'd listen to the lady if I were you...!!" - He says in an intimidating tone, using his persuation ability, at least trying to, since he doesn't know if the mystical aura will interfear with his non physical powers.
But with or without persuation James was over 500 years old, he knew how the be intimidating, the people around even stoped talking for a bit and focus on the scene, making the pig man realise that his misbehavior was now the center of attenctions.
 
It had never been Kel's intention to get Vera involved. Biting his lip, he glanced between the woman and man a few times. Vera's stare was very intimidating by itself but coupled with her warning, Kel the man recoil for a split second. A bit of a sneer crept onto his face when Vera applied pressure to his wrist and Kel felt as though if he didn't do something, this situation would turn ugly.

He didn't need the police showing up so soon...

For a moment, everyone's attention was diverted to another customer as he spoke up. Kel glanced around and noticed that everyone was looking their way, which wasn't in favor for him but he had no other choice. Turning back to the man holding him captive, he flashed a sweet smile. Meanwhile, he placed a hand on the man's chest and leaned close to hide it between their bodies. It was the only way to hide what he was about to do.

"Come on, boy. You don't wanna get kicked out of here, do you?" His tone was soft and gentle, as if he weren't upset in the slightest. Warmth pulsated from that hand on the man's chest and if it weren't hidden, it would have glowed a hot orange as well. "Be a good boy and let go of me? Everyone's staring..." He could feel the man resisting, so Kel strengthened his little seduction spell, pouring more warmth from his hand. After a moment, the man gave in with a dopey smile and Kel quickly got off of his lap.

Resisting the urge to slap the pig across the face, he glanced at Vera and offered a small smile, leaving her to decide what to do with the rude customer. Then he walked away as if nothing had happened, chin held high as he tended to the other customers. I should probably thank that guy... He glanced toward the man who was obviously new in town, because Kel didn't recognize his face, and sighed with annoyance. Just a few more minutes until the end of his shift. Today had certainly been eventful.

"Thank you, sir. For speaking up, I mean. I think your words convinced that man to unhand me," he voiced sheepishly once he'd approached the outsider, hands clasped together girlishly to upkeep the illusion of being fragile.
 
Vera watched silently as Kel seemed to seduce the man into releasing him or her, leaving Vera a little relieved. Also, the stranger had helped a bit as well and she would make sure to give him a nice discount on his meal for distracting the man enough for Kel to work his or her magic. Even though the man gave in however, Vera was not going to let that man get off so easy. She glared at the man once again, blowing a predatory puff of smoke out of her nose from her cigarette before speaking slowly and low.

"Sir, next time you act like this in my restaurant I will have you banned from it completely...Also, the next time I smell alcohol on your breath I'll report you to the police." She said to him, her tone a harsh warning before she turned and walked back to her hostess stand once again to perch and watch over her patrons quietly.

The other eaters had retreated back to their plates, the show having long passed and the food far to tempting to leave for long. She smiled a bit as Kel thanked the man, glad that he or she was just as grateful as Vera had been to his needed words. She was definitely going to give him a discount.
 

Shortly after things had calmed down in the diner, a man in a suit and fedora walked in. Tall, blonde, and handsome, with a mysterious shadowy darkness behind his eyes and smile, he called to Vera in an Irish accent. "Oi, Dragon Lady. Coupla eggs and some toast fer me. Oh, and some bacon if ye got any. Cuppa brew if it's still hot, too, if ya don' mind. Time fer me breakfast." This man was Jason Toombs, one of the town's pharmacists and only coroner. He worked the graveyard shift at the pharma, so that others who worked nights could get their medicine without having to mess with their schedule. Unless a body needed to be examined or "prettied up" for a funeral. Then he worked nights at his brother's mortuary and funeral home.

Now, most people who talked the way Jason did to Vera would probably get at least a frying pan thrown at their head, but Jason was like this with everyone. Everyone was his friend, his pal, his buddy. Most people couldn't help but love the guy, and those that didn't found it hard not to smile at him. His family had come over from Ireland before the Great War, and his brother had inherited the family business. Having run into trouble with the mob back in New York, they had moved to Elswyn a few years ago, and had since become locals as if they had lived there since they were born.
 
Vera rolled her eyes as the ever loved Jason wandered into the restaurant and instantly ordered food...Food that she didn't serve on the menu. However, she just smiled a bit and moved from the hostess stand, grabbing a menu and pouring a large cup of hot coffee before wandering over to his table and setting the mug down and tossing that menu in front of him. The only reason she let him get away with talking to her like that was because Kel wouldn't let her beat him up.

"Jason, must I remind you that I don't serve that food, this is a Chinese restaurant that serves Chinese food. Now you either order off the menu or you don't eat and don't try getting Kel to get you what you want, I'm on a tight budget this month." She said to him with a smile. "So how was work? Usually you're here earlier than this, did you have an extra late shift?" She asked as she took a drag of her cigarette, making sure not to blow any into his face.
 
"Don't thank me young lady, I barelly did anything." James says, ins is distant loner voice tone, for he was accustumated of not interacting much with humans, he tries to perceive Kel, he can feel something weird, but the mystical aura around this place is to strong for him do unfold the mystery yet.
James tries to forget for a second that he can perceive the mystical and act as regular man, he looks Kel up and down and realises Kel and Belladonna should be around the same age.
"This may seem a bit random, but do you happen to know a girl around your age that goes by the name Belladonna?" - he says trying to speak more friendly.
 
Kel choked back a laugh from being called "young lady", trying his best to bite off the dumb grin on his lips. He supposed he looked like someone whom had just taken a bite of lemon, though he couldn't help himself. He always got a kick out of being mistaken for a woman; the joke never aged.

And what a strange accent this man had! Kel eyed the customer, trying to determine the man's ethnicity to no avail. Belladonna... Where had he heard that name before? Or had he read it somewhere? "Hmm... Let me think," he mumbled out loud, closing his eyes for a moment. An image of Leddy came to mind and a touch of sadness crept up onto his face. Blinking back tears, he forced a smile for the customer. "You might want to check the asylum, doll. Last time I visited that place, there was a Belladonna. Don't know if it's your girl but..." he said and shrugged.

At that point, an unmistakable voice filled the restaurant and had Kel looking not unlike a kid in a candy shop. Biting his lip, he turned his head and gazed across the room to where Jason Toombs was just taking his seat. That man's thick accent sounded rough out loud but when it was murmuring seductive words in Kel's ear...

A pleasant shiver rolled down his spine, he struggled to breathe... It was a full moment before Kel could even consider tearing his gaze away from that man and return it to the customer he was supposed to be serving. Clearing his throat, face a little red with embarrassment, he asked, "Anything else you need, doll? Have you ordered yet?"
 
Chaos, magnificent chaos. The bright halls rang with it, but one figure was calm. Orderlies wrestled with patients nurses carries tranquilizers but there was one that walked normally. She had just exited the room of one of her 'special cases' and locked the door. No.. the one in a coma wasn't going anywhere, still there were others she'd hate to loose in all this. But may as well have some fun with the mess. The beautiful, musical anarchy.

""That way?" she asked placing her hands on Dwight's shoulders trailing a finger over the seals of the strait jacked. She wasn't gripping him as if to lead him away. "That way leads to the secure wing... secure meaning for criminally violent types. Place would be swarming with the biggest toughest doctors and orderlies right now." She stepped around Dwight to stand between them, she knew them both but to them shed look like a vaguely familiar nurse. "If you want out....?" she seemed to think something over in her mind then think better of it and turn away. "I must be crazier than both of you. Come on." She slipped two of her fingers under Dwight's collar and leading him off. "Maintenance stairway this way. Don't speak or you'll get me in trouble."


"One two three four five.... and six they're all here." The man nodded and two of the six accompanying him slid one of the coffins out of the truck and put in on the dirt. The area was secluded and the cops looking the other way. Still the sound of an engine was drawing nearer and everyone turned a few shifting nervously but as the dark green Citron Six came into view the buyers relaxed. "Its the boss..."

Donny waited as the door was opened bu one of his men and stepped out. Few who looked at him would guess he was the main imported of illicid booze into Elswen. He got everything from everywhere and today, was a good business day.

"So, lets see the goods." the two carriers opened the casket lid and Donncha Toomes stepped forward lifting one of the bottles from inside and twisted off the lid smelling the liquid inside. He put it to his lips and pulled some into his mouth washing it around before spitting it onto the ground. "What is this? I wouldn't drink this if I was paid to." he looked at the sellers and handed the bottle to one of his subordinates and sighed. "Give them the fucking money... but next time I want the best Kentucky has to offer, you got that, none of this pain thinner you have here... We'll send this to the dockside place, fishermen will drink anything, now.. I have a lunch to get to, I have things to talk to my dear brother about...."
 
James starts thinking about rescuing Belladonna, about what can happen, concerned with dealing with forces he doesn't yet know, since this city has magic all around, he take a while to came back to reallity and ask the question.
"No not yet... I was undecided" - James looks at the pig man who had been rude to Kel.
"...but bring me anything with pork..." - he says - "I have to prepare for the taste..." - he thinks.
James wasn't planning on feeding so soon, but he has very little patience with humans, plus he needs to be at full strenght now, he wants to rescue Belladonna from the asylum and he doesn't know what he'll encounter.
 
Reading that man's expression was like trying to understand a foreign language. There was little hint as to what was going through his mind and Kel strangely felt unsettled by this. When the man finally decided, somewhat, on what to order, Kel followed his gaze over to the booth where the same rude customer was seated, laughing with his buddies.

"...but bring me anything with pork..."

Kel wasn't sure if that was meant to be a joke...or possibly something more sinister, but it was evident that the out-of-towner was in agreement with Kel on the fact that the drunken man was indeed a pig. Quickly, his eyes flicked back to the stranger in front of him and he forced a smile. "Sweet bean pork it is," he voiced meekly and quickly turned on his heel. As he strode across the restaurant for the kitchen, he couldn't shake the thought of how strange the customer was; his accent was rare, his manner foreign, his idea of a jok--

Kel froze on the spot. I never called him a 'pig' out loud. I only thought it. So how did he...? He tore his gaze from the kitchen door and glanced over his shoulder, a look of confusion on his face as he once again looked the strange man over. Was it mind-reading? Or maybe Kel was being silly and making it more than what it really was: minds thinking alike?

Either way, there was something off about all of this.
 

Jason picked up his coffee and took a sip. When he put it back down, his face had become grim, as it usually did when talking about his extra shift. "Ay. And this time was considerably less fun than normal. Coupla kids was found dead and drowned late last night. I hate it when it's kids." Now he leaned in close to Vera, and spoke in a whisper. "Thing is though, they's bodies got me curiosity peaked. Seems the drownin' ain't what killed 'em." Now Jason leaned back in his seat, a smile on his face again. "Well, nuff o' that then. Let's see," he said as he gave the menu a courtsey glance. "I'll have tha Shrimp Mei Fun, a coupla Shrimp Egg Rolls, and some Shrimp Dumplin's, if ya don't mind, dumplin'." He said with a teasing grin.
 
Vera caught the frown on Jason's face and leaned, taking another long drag and blowing the smoke out into the aisle as she let him whisper into her ear. She frowned a bit herself and shook her head at the news of the kid's, it was a shame really that such young people were losing their lives these days. She let out a displeased hum before sighing, a bit of smoke from her cigarette slipping out of her nose.

"It's a darn shame, well I hope that they figure out what did them in...last thing we need is more problems on this damned island. Anyway, I'll have Kel with your order in a little bit, sweets. You just enjoy your coffee." She said with a kind smile as she grabbed his menu and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

She headed into the kitchen, relaying the order in fluent Chinese to the cooks before returning to the hostess desk to wait for more customers to wander into her restaurant's door.
 
James can't avoid to listen to the convo between Jason and Vera, his senses able him to ear it well even in a crowded environment.
"this town keeps getting weirder"- he thinks to himselfe, while awaiting his meal.
He notices the mystical aura is more tolerable when he's far from Vera and Kel, mainly Vera, this could be a coincidence, the aura could have it's spikes, like when it rains harder for a brife period of time not matter where you are, but he starts to suspect they are out of the ordinary.
 
When Kel returned several minutes later, he was in better control of his nerves. The kitchen, though hot and stuffy, was one of his favorite places to hide and he always felt better after spending a few minutes there, talking in broken Chinese to the cooks.

His stride was confident, high heels tapping the floor, and when he reached the foreign customer, he smiled sweetly and set his tray on the table to place a plate of food down in front of the man. But being this close to the stranger made him nervous again and he quickly retreated after voicing a small "Enjoy your meal."

You're acting ridiculous, Kel. Get it together! he scolded himself and let out a heavy sigh. What was he so afraid of anyway? Sure, that customer was creepy and gave off weird vibes but it wasn't anything Kel's powers couldn't handle...right? Besides, there was no guarantee that this guy was even going to stick around. Maybe he'd find his Belladonna and leave?

He shook his head in an attempt to rid any thoughts of that customer and think of something else. Well, someone. Just looking at the second plate on the tray in his hands, Kel knew to whom it belonged and he quickly wove his way through the tables until he arrived in front of Jason. "Your meal, sir," he said with an air of professionalism as he set the plate down and tucked the tray under his arm. "Is there anything else you'd like?" he added in a sweet tone, perhaps hinting a little at something or another.
 
Dwight hadn't seen the nurse until her arms were on his shoulders, startling him. She looked vaguely familiar to him. He had seen her before, always wearing something different, always offering him pills that made him hallucinate about being stuck in an asylum. The nurse answered his question, her fingers slipping up under his collar, leading him away. Dwight snickered; he always enjoyed secrecy. But where is she leading me?
 
James receives his meal.
"Thank you young lady." - he politely says to Kel yet ignoring the truth about him.
James then picks up the chop sticks and begins to eat his food, if anyone pays attenction they would notice he masters the chop sticks better than the average non asian man, that because as a vampire he has years of experience that an ordinary human just would never achieve.
The flavors are great he enjoys every bite, of course this food does not feed him the way he needs the more he eats the more starved he gets, he needs to feed fast...
 
Sebastian gave a half smirk, taking off his hat only long enough to run his hands through his hair and give a brief nod to the gentleman greeting them on the street. Vermillion was pretty good about explaining a lot of details, yet not giving anything concrete for Sebastian to work with. Wasn't the guy's fault. He seemed to work on an entirely different plane of thought.

"Eh? You don't exactly go hiding your 'weird' there, Vermillion. Just figured you'd talk about it when you wanted to. Not my business to go prying in to other people's lives." Sebastian paused, then gave a wry smile. "Well... not my business to get in my friends business."

The pair finally stopped outside the local Chinese food diner. From here, he and Vermillion would have to part ways. "Speaking of work though, I've a case to get on. Got something to gab about or just out for a friendly hello?" He asked. It wasn't unlike Alex to drop by just for a chat, but ever so often they'd consult each other for particular cases.

----

Belladonna didn't trust the female nurse at all. Why should she? The woman was just another jailer in this crazy house. Paid to keep her here with all the other lunatics. Offering to help them escape... that just seemed... crazy....

The other guy was being led away by his collar though. Belladonna found herself falling in to step behind them like a lost puppy. She wrung her wrists, twisting her hands over them until her skin burned. The alert and panic about the power being out in the Asylum was still sending faculty and patients scattering around everywhere. At least being led by the nurse meant that she 9and that guy) weren't going to get stabbed with syringes and tossed in to the nearest cell.
 
With the mass breakout in progress patients being led by a nurse attracted little attention. Still she stopped them and waited until the coast was clear before opening the maintenance door and pushing them both through. "Down the stairs, they won't be deserted forever." she urged following them down making sure to fall behind by the time they got to the bottom pulling the white gloved from her hands as she did so but keeping the bare skin of her hands hidden.

As the bottom the the stairs the door was already open and waiting, five men and two cars waited as if they had been expecting passengers. "These them?" the tallest of the five asked. They had the appearance of businessmen. With either a coat or in one case a shirt and suspenders.. and a shoulder holster?

"Thats right, two escapees, harmless even if a little wrapped up. They're all yours to take from here."

"A pleasure as always.. Right, you two in the back, you'll understand of Joey here is armed and sits in the front with me. I trust the nurse here but you have just come out of a nut house."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back