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#26
Old 02-09-2015, 11:02 PM

The chief had taken the box down to get it checked out further, neither of them thought anything would come from the labs but they knew better than to leave anything out. He had insisted on J'kelo taking some of the confiscation money to return to the shop again this week and buy some more of the compartmented pieces. And not just at the one shop. It was worth knowing if any other shops received these kinds of goods too. If it was just the one he was going to have to let the chief know about the girl. Wait. I never found out her name.

He chided himself for that, but nothing he could do about it right now. The day was already over and he was on his way back to his apartment. Tomorrow he was going to spend the whole day poking around the commerce district. He had a fleeting hope that the girl would have the day off and he would bump into her, but the chances of that were slim, he had better chance meeting her back at the shop.

Opening the door to his apartment he added the new marbles to his big jar in the kitchen. It was near half full, and standing at over two feet that was a lot of marbles. His jacket made it's way onto a hanger, he had a few in there that were overly colorful, he would probably grab one of those for tomorrow. "Hmm, yellow. I've got my Big Apple shirt that's daisy yellow. I'll wear that." Outfit picked out he showered, watched tv as he waited for his fur to dry, then went to bed.

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#27
Old 02-09-2015, 11:46 PM

She spent the night looking up possible meanings for the numbers. Was it some kind of code? An area code? A password? Phone number? Valentina leaned away from her computer and rubbed her eyes. She just didn't know enough.

To relax, the young woman wandered over to an antique armoire. The glass doors revealed tiny music boxes. Valentina plucked one out, and smiled as the song started. Just a few twists of the golden key was all it took. Tinkling music, soft and sweet, delighted the ears.

After that, she went off to sleep, tucked herself into the comfort of her handmade quilt. She did have a penchant for the quaint.

------------

The next morning, Valentina slid into a navy blue dress. She sported a cute blouse beneath it, cream colored. She put her hair into a braid before wandering out of the house, numbers in tow. Maybe it was an address?

She had the day off, and decided to investigate the commerce district. It certainly seemed like a likely enough place to solve the mystery.

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#28
Old 02-10-2015, 12:53 AM

Yellow shirt, red blazer with teal embellishments, and navy pants with embroidered bees. This time he remembered the rubber caps for his hooves, now only his outfit would draw attention and that was the purpose of it. He tucked his wallet in his pocket and the cash was slipped into one of the interior pockets of his jacket. Grabbing his phone he left the apartment, doors locked behind him. The walk to the commerce district was going to be a bit longer today since he wasn't planning on stopping into the offices.

By the time he got there the food vendors were already yelling and he stopped by a few of them, getting a mix of a few things for his breakfast. He passed the store from yesterday and it didn't appear to be open yet, he would swing by later but for now he could take his time walking around and taking a closer look at things. Never knew what could be shadow marked, some the symbols were starting to be picked up by street taggers because of their cool designs and that made things more difficult.

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#29
Old 02-11-2015, 02:47 AM

Roasting hot dogs sizzled, grease popping alongside fat on metal racks. Valentina walked by, shaking her head. Hands held tucked away, hidden from sight. Eyes flicked over signs. To the left, shops all aligned with numbers all in a row. The numbers she searched for weren't there. To the right, things were no different, just another chance to pluck nothing from the air.

She hoped to find better luck, veering into a tucked away side street. Here chimes glinted in the light. They picked it rays, flung them on the walls to dance in patterns. Alight with hope, Valentina sprinted forth. She'd caught her goal, or so it seemed. From the corner of her eye a few numbers called.

But standing before them with crumpled paper rough in hand, she let her head hang low. No luck, not today. Reluctantly, she pulled J'kelo's card from her purse, and dialed his number on her cell phone.

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#30
Old 02-11-2015, 07:36 PM

The streets were starting to fill up with tourists and locals alike. He moved among them with ease, people gawked at him but their stares never lingered. Dazzle at it's finest. Stores were just starting to open up now, welcoming money into their doors. He was getting ready to go into a small shop that had dolls displayed in the window when his phone went off.

"Yo. Jordan Darmac here. What's the scoop?" He stopped before going into the shop, leaning on the wall next to the door. He gave his protective name since he was out on the streets doing some re-con. The number wasn't the chief's either, so he was just being cautious.

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#31
Old 02-12-2015, 01:42 AM

The phone trembled in her hand. Hearing his voice left her fighting fear and uncertainty. "I ... I found a note, yesterday. Numbers. I can't figure out what they mean, J'kelo." She used his first name. The real one. Valentina knew he would remember her with that, right? He had to remember.

She leaned back against the wall. The roughness of the brick anchored her into the moment. People just starting to wander into the streets, picking up what the vendors had been cooking earlier, biting into it all... It made her mouth water, or would have if she hadn't been so terrified, clutching the phone til her knuckles turned white.

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#32
Old 02-12-2015, 03:20 AM

"Oh, hey. That's cool. Let's meet up for coffee sometime." He talked as if the person on the other end didn't sound scared, he could hear the wavers in her voice. It was the girl from yesterday, "I'm in the C-district now. There's a cafe not too far I can be there in a few. We can grab some drinks and do some catching up. I'm glad you called me. Place is called Cool Beans." The cafe in question was not too far from the shop he met her at yesterday. He hoped she would recognize the place and would be able to get there quick.

Numbers? And where had she found them? Did she figure something out that he didn't tell her, that she picked up with the Sight? He knew he needed to meet up with her again. She sounded distressed and for her to call out to him after what she told him yesterday. Turning around he began to walk to the coffee place he had suggested.

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#33
Old 02-12-2015, 10:59 PM

She nodded along, opened her mouth. "Yes, I know where that is." She'd eaten there before. The coffee beans were fair trade, and taken from as close to the country as possible to cut down on transport. The less travel the beans did, the better for the environment. It was decorated in cool greens and warm yellows, a tropical paradise in the middle of the city.

Valentina slid from the alleyway and headed straight for the Cool Beans café. A nervous sweat pushed from her skin, drenching her clothes and making the young woman look like she'd run miles -even if the only thing making her heart beat fast was fear.

When she did step inside, Valentina swept the space with her eyes; the regulars paid no mind to her, as was how it should be, and so far there were no signs of any flamboyantly dressed fauns. She didn't know whether to be happy about that or not.

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#34
Old 02-13-2015, 02:50 AM

It wasn't a far walk, but he didn't pick up speed on the off chance he was being watched. He was getting to be one paranoid dude from this job, within reason though. And if there was a group with the Gems of the Kasikar then he would have to start watching more than just his own back. The place came into view as he rounded the corner not much more until he would have a cup of coffee and a chance to talk numbers.

The door opened with ease and several eyes bounced up and then fell back down to their own business. The man behind the counter waved and called out to him. "JD! My main man. What'll it be today? The same?" J'kelo gave him the thumbs up, and scanned the room. He spotted her, she stuck out as the only person who was not at ease in the coffee place. He made his way over to her.

"Hey there. Take a seat, and calm down. Have you ordered anything yet?" He motioned her to take a seat at a booth, taking a seat himself.

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#35
Old 02-13-2015, 03:14 AM

She jumped. Seeing him, Valentina plastered a smile on her face even though she knew it looked false, because it was. "I haven't ordered yet.'" And didn't feel like ordering, but to fit in ... "Why don't you pick something for me?" She leaned forward. "Make it look like a date?"

Her eyes flicked to the rest of the room as she slid the crumpled piece of paper across the table, to the faun. "You know, it's really amazing what you can find in old antique shops." Including fauns, apparently. She still couldn't get over the fact that he really didn't want her dead, didn't want to use her.

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#36
Old 02-13-2015, 04:14 AM

"We can, but to make it more believable I need to know your name." If it was her idea he could go along with it. It would give them reason to meet up again if he needed it. And depending on what she found, they might.

Placing his hand over the paper he slid it further across the table. He was ready to uncrumple the paper, when the barista came over with his drink. "Can I get you anything else, JD? Anything for your lady friend?"

"Yeah, actually. You can bring her the same thing as me minus the additions. Oh and a plate of fries. Thanks buddy." He smiled as the barista nodded and walked off. He leaned across the table, "Notice anything about this place? About our waiter? Trust me, you're safe here."

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#37
Old 02-13-2015, 11:38 PM

She blushed, lowered her head. How could she have forgotten something so simple? "It's Valentina. Valentina Hyle." Her eyes swept over everyone in the room, picking out little details that others might have missed, probably would have. She wasn't going to say anything more, for fear of offending her new faun .. ally

Valentina pretended to be interested in the kidney bean colored table top when the waitress arrived, just like any nervous young woman on a first date with someone... Or at least she hoped it looked that way. When the barista had left them alone again, the Sighted woman glanced at the patrons, the staff, and stiffled a gasp when the owner crossed her sight. "The owner is ... something else." Valentina turned her attention back to Darmac. "Everyone else looks normal."

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#38
Old 02-14-2015, 01:14 AM

He nodded as he took a sip. Gods it was hot. Making a face he put it down. "Hmm. Valentina. Pretty." He looked around the room with her, eyes sparkling, he knew the secrets of this place. He had used it many a time, and the offices kept an eye on it because of the good terms they were on.

"Most of them are normal. There's a couple of wards in here too. Can you see those?" He asked because it would be really handy if she could read the invisible magic writing. He sneaked a look at the numbers, they were strange, but nothing he could decipher at the moment. "He's a good dude. Got a spit of dryad somewhere in there. He's more handy at spell weaving though." He tried another sip of his drink. Still not quite cool enough.

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#39
Old 02-14-2015, 01:34 AM

Runes? She squinted. Glowing figures appeared by the doors, writing she had always done her very best to ignore. She didn't understand a thing of it, but could probably copy the elegant swirls, the vine-like designs, all of that in a moment's notice. All the faun needed to do was ask.

Valentina tilted her head. "I can see things around the doors, the windows too." She leaned forward, strawberry blonde hair drifting over her shoulder; reaching out , Valentina brushed the tips of her fingers against his. She really didn't know how to act on a date, even a pretend one. Her other hand wrapped around the cup of hot stuff, steaming so much it would have fogged up glasses if she'd had any.

"So, how did you get into your line of work?"

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#40
Old 02-21-2015, 12:13 AM

That was better than anticipated, she really could be useful. He silently berated himself for thinking of her in terms of usefulness, that was the last thing he needed to do. Treat her the way she had been by those in his community. He wanted to show her that most of them were good, ordinary people, creatures, whatevers. Still honest and good ones.

"Ah that's a good story." He blew on the coffee before braving another sip. "I went to school, didn't do anything. I would start things and never finish them. Never had the drive to finish things. I dropped out and since my dad was on the force they figured I should try out too. I was good at it, but didn't care. Left things half started and couldn't be bothered to continue. But I was good at what I did finish, top of the class when I did. Detective squad picked me up and partnered me with a nymph who loved paperwork more than anything, which was a shame really. She got redistricted last period, for reasons I'm not at liberty to discuss, and I'm still without a partner, again reasons I can't discuss." He mumbled into his coffee. He took a deeper swig, and the second burn of alcohol hit him warmly. Something he had asked they leave out of Val's drink.

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#41
Old 02-21-2015, 02:53 AM

A story more different from hers, she couldn't have imagine, to think that he had ruined his chances, thrown away what she wanted so very much! Valentina huffed a bit, and stared into the cream topped cup; sprinkles adorned the cream, but melted the moment they came into contact with the lowermost molten coffee layer.

"I barely managed to get through high school. Going to university, I always wanted to do that ... but I've been too afraid to." Only luck and persistence had landed her the job at the antique place; now it seemed like she would loose that one bit of goodness soon too. Valentina took a slow slip of coffee to stop herself from saying anything more; the warmth seeped from her drink, and brought a delightful hint of pink to her cheeks.

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#42
Old 02-28-2015, 04:09 AM

"No reason why you couldn't do it. Or you know you could always get into a trade or a life career. That is if you don't want to stay in the super fabulous world of antiquing..." He took another drink of his, it was at the right temperature that he would normally start chugging it down but he resisted. He didn't want to rush her or make her feel like she wasn't in charge. Right now he was going to treat her like he would an abduction victim, slow and steady, earning her trust. From what she had said earlier he was surprised that she trusted him this much already.

"I don't want to seem pushy, but do you want to finish your drink in here or head back out for a walk? Here is a mostly safe place, out there..." he just shrugged. Most folks left him alone, but without a lick of sight or magic ability in his body he wasn't much of a target. Just an odd ball in bright colors that most people didn't take a second look at.

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#43
Old 03-01-2015, 11:41 PM

She shook her head and gripped the glass. She tapped a rhythm out. Hummed along a little. "Well ... I would rather stay here, for now." Outside as dangerous. There was a chance someone, something, would startle her when there was no reason for her to be.

"The world is always a scary place for me." There never was anyone she could talk to, not about this. It was strange. Odd. Most definitely unnerving.

She could see why the faun had chosen his line of work. Somehow he managed to put her at ease, got her talking, had her telling him what she usually kept secret. The hidden fears, they seemed a bit silly spoken aloud.

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#44
Old 03-19-2015, 01:55 AM

He hummed into his drink as he slowly drained it. A slight unfocusing of his eyes as he felt the alcohol hit him again, a warm sensation, but not enough to unfocus his mind. Something about his race and his addictive habits made it harder for things to affect him. "I can get that. It's dangerous in general out there, but you have the added danger of your talent. There are some safe zones, but not enough to ensure prolonged safety. I wish I could promise that."

He opened the paper again and took another look a the numbers. Maybe an address? Maybe a code? He wasn't really sure. It would be nice to check out some of the other antique shops to see if they have any similar products moving through. But he was going to go about things at Val's pace, it would be better for her.

 


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