AKA Nixer
Katie Sullivan
This café—with its warm colours and homey interior—was right up Katie's alley, and this was made clear by the sparkle of joy in her eyes as she eagerly went inside. She cast her eyes around its furnishings, before noticing the nameplate on one of the tables—her name, in fact, and she promptly beelined for it so as to sit down.
For a moment, she was going to put her feet up on the table, but something stopped her. Instead pausing, she sat more upright and drummed her fingers atop the wooden surface as she looked around, peering at the people coming in in order to get a read on them. Discreetly making to slip her shoes off beneath the table in order to relax more, she wondered if it would even be allowed. She'd felt as if she shouldn't have adopted the position she had intended to upon initially sitting down, after all.
Then again, that could just be her conscience. She could never tell; it'd been made inconsistent to say the least. She wasn't sure whether to trust it or not, and as such she focused more on her surroundings.
How many people have naturally similar powers?she wondered. Probably not many... I hope so, though...
bork
Setsuna Kagura
Setsuna wasn't sure what she was doing here. She'd been trying to keep a low profile, already a hard feat with her massive stature. But something about this cafe seemed... comforting. It was very pretty, so that was a plus. But somehow, it felt safe. Something she hadn't felt in years.
Cautiously, she poked her head into the cafe, crouching down as she peered in. The feeling of safety only grew after she took a step, filling her with a rare sense of confidence. In spite of that, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She slowly lumbered towards the table, spotting her name and briefly pondering its nature as she tried to sit down.
'Tried' was the key word. For anyone else, it would get the job done, no doubt. But for Setsuna, it was like trying to shove herself into a miniature clown car. It barely held her up, the legs buckling as she shifted herself around, trying and failing to make herself comfortable. It stole away her attention from the nameplate, and she couldn't help but mutter curses and insults under her breath. She didn't want to stand, but she wasn't sure there was another option.
Desperate not to embarrass herself, she took a quick look around, eyes resting on the blonde-haired girl drumming the table. "Uh, I don't want to interrupt or anything, but do you maybe know if there's a bigger chair somewhere? I don't think this one fits me..."
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 12th 2021 at 2:16:26 PM
Nate Faire
As the door swung open and Nate Faire walked in, the young man considered where he was - and why he was doing this. He felt distinctly far away from home, and he'd never been over to the west coast in a significant manner. The heat was incredible, he'd never had even a summer like this back home. But setting foot into this cafe put him into a much more comfortable place.
He still remembered the jailbreak, and his bitter disappointment that it was not done by his own plan for it. Instead, this promoted the image of Charlie as the hero. An ill-fitting hero, as far as Nate was concerned, because Nate was sure he cut a much more impressive figure than Charlie did. He'd have been a much more photogenic face to the movement for their freedom.
Not that Nate complained when he finally got to drain the two guards outside his holding area dry. He of course didn't openly celebrate such. Not when he had eyes on him.
Ever since then, he'd been trying to live under the radar. As much as he could. Which, for someone familiar with the wealthy life, was quite a change. Still, Nate had found himself a way forward.
He could recognize a few people here already. He recognized Setsuna, ever the amazon, and Katie. Ahh, Katie - the subject of his youthful crush. If there was anyone Nate liked out of the people from that place, it was her. He smiled and ran over to her, waving, "Katie! It's been a while! How're you doing?"
AKA Nixer
Katie Sullivan
“Mm, you could ask one of the staff? If this is a paranatural place, they might have some bigger chairs...” Katie suggested in response to Setsuna, giving her a look of sympathy. “Other than sitting on the floor though, I dunno. Sorry...~!”
A familiar voice tickled her ears shortly after that, and her eyes widened suddenly upon realising someone she recognized had waltzed in. A small grin spread across her face as she hopped up to greet him, giving him a bright smile as a hello.
“Nate Faire! Long time no see! I'm doing... great. Perfect, actually...” she responded, though the latter part of her sentence sounded more contemplative than certain. She soon shook it off, however. “How about you? It's been a while since I heard anything from... y'know, the others...”
bork
Setsuna
Setsuna grumbled, but there wasn't much else she could do. "Uh, that's okay. Thanks, I guess..."
She quickly got up before the chair could collapse. She'd barely sat in it a minute, but it was already looking wobbly. She was about to look for the staff, but something about the girl's worlds registered. "Um, wait, others?" She rubbed her eyes, old memories that had blurred together and drowned out steadily resurfacing.
"You know, uh, you two sort of look... familiar?" She leaned in, craning her neck and whispering in case anyone was listening. "You aren't from... that place, are you? The bad place...?"
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 12th 2021 at 3:37:24 AM
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Enter Sarangerel Sherburn - Marie's Cafe and Bakery
Sarangerel leaned on her moped and watched the shop. Frankly, it was obvious which was the place, even if she hadn't been looking for signs of the others forever. She still waited and watched the bakery, the people who passed without a glance, the ones who peered but didn't enter, if people who entered came out... That and to keep an eye out on how often parking patrol passed by the area.
After several minutes and a few rounds of smiling and waiving at nosy types, she entered, swinging the door open. She looked very red as she entered, from the red leather to the red helmet. She didn't linger long and also did not go straight to the table. She spotted a bean bag chair and dragged it over, swapping out the stool that had been there.
Only after plopping down did she remove her helmet, making a show of shaking her hair free. "Yo," she waved up from her place sprawled on the bean bag. "Sorry for the noise. I like these." She pointed to her nametag. "But I'm that person. So, 'yo'." Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Nate Faire
She remembers me!
Nate beamed a bit, and quickly pulled a seat over. It had indeed been a long time since the others from that place had seen each other. Setsuna called it the bad place, and Nate wouldn't disagree. The place was far and away from the caliber of living that Nate was used to no matter what they tried to do with his room. And they hadn't exactly been welcoming to him after that little accident that happened with that doctor who annoyed him back when he was fourteen.
If he thought back to it, he could still remember the scent of a blood-tinged skeleton. Well, that was not cranberry sauce!
"I think whatever's going on," Nate said contemplatively, "Probably...it has something to do with the bad place." He nodded at Setsuna, "Yes. I think a few people here are from there. I don't know how the folks here tracked us all down, but I doubt it's the people from that place. For one thing, we're free and moving around."
He looked around and said, "I've found my way to make a good amount of money and live at least somewhat comfortably out here. Haven't heard from my family yet."
AKA Nixer
Katie Sullivan
“I've been job-hopping. Mostly been doing gigs with bands and stuff? Music's pretty fun...” Katie commented, before motioning towards The Very Red One™ as a hello “Hiya, person whose name tag is too far away for me to read! Maybe I need glasses...”
She leant forward a pinch, trying to get a better look at the nametag before sitting back again.
“Serotonin? I dunno, doesn't sound... familiar— hey, I remember Nate...” she pointed to him, “...not... tall, muscly and tall...” she continued, "...and Seraglio here. Then again... they didn't exactly let me socialize back then. Unless it meant stabbing somebody...”
bork
Setsuna
"It's, um, it's Setsuna. Setsuna Kagura. I think? They... they never used my real name. Kept calling me Bulldozer or something? I thought maybe I'd forget it for good..."
Setsuna glanced at the lady in red. Like the others, seeing her was enough to drag something out from the long years of monotony, but it wasn't much. Little more than a fragment. Not enough to remember who she was. But if she could remember that, then maybe she'd start remembering other things too.
"...but, uh, I've been doing construction and warehousing? I mean, it's not like I want to do it. It's boring and isn't any fun at all. But it's about all I can do? I always wanted to get into fashion and other stuff. Or I think I did? But that was before... everything..."
She clenched her fist, glaring at her wrist as she flexed it. Even glancing at her rippling muscles was enough to make her pissed. "...it wasn't like I wanted to be tall and muscly, you know..."
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 12th 2021 at 11:07:37 AM
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Sarangerel Sherburn - This Table Now
"Uhh," Sarangerel made a sound and just barely avoided hanging her head. It helped that she was already sunk into her chair.
"Sarangerel Sherburn, darling," said Sarangerel adjusted her own glasses and somewhat self-consciously looked over the name plate. "I don't expect the name to mean much." She shrugged. "I can't say I know you as well as you know each other."
Sarangerel just stopped and stared when Setsuna glanced at her. The Bulldozer? The doctors talked about her ability and usefulness all the time. Even when they were working on me. It took a second before Ange waved back at the much bigger woman.
Sarangerel watched Setsuna flex and make a fist and complain about the power she had. And say that her job was all she could do. Sarangerel did not say anything to her. What Setsuna had said made no sense. Though she was right that just going back to work sucked. Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Walter-Marie's Cafe and Bakery
As with everything he did, Walter ambled into the bakery with a laid-back air, his eyes drifting over the assembled patrons. This place was new, but didn't seem much used and there was no busy lunch crowd. That plus the faces of the others told him what he'd suspected-this place was indeed tied to Vexcorp, or psychic folk in general. Though clearly, they had not been specifically expected as far as their physical dimensions or powers, or else a properly-sized chair would surely have been provided...and yet there were nameplates. Research? Working off of some list? His gaze moved back to the small group, and he ticked off what he knew: Bulldozer, who was obviously very strong and not content with it. Nathaniel "Nate" Faire, who put such a store by his appearance that made Walt decide to watch him closely. Katie Sullivan, who he'd heard they'd had high hopes for in some clandestine area. Either she's very well trained or it didn't take-she does seem very cheerful. And Sarangerel Sherburn. Not a clue how to pronounce it, and he knew very little about her, except that it had made his parents and colleagues VERY excited.
Still moving at his characteristically easygoing walk, Walter found his own seat and plopped himself down, absently slipping off his own sneakers. He offered a friendly wave to the others. "Hey. Name's Walt. This is a cozy spot, innit? Think they have cinnamon rolls?"
Edited by Booky on Oct 14th 2021 at 3:48:03 AM
AKA Nixer
Katie Sullivan
“Mmmmm... maybe! We can go check...” Katie suggested in response to Walt, giving him a friendly wave of acknowledgement as she nodded in response to the others. “I don't... I don't like to think about that place too much. Nothing but... yeuch. No. I like it out here. It feels... freer...”
She gestured vaguely, but it evidently meant something to her. The expression on her face as she looked at them was that of seeing them as strangers (barring Nate) and as cautious as she knew she had to be she didn't particularly care all that much.
If nothing else, they were unified in being fugitives. That much was true, and everything else was overcomplicating things. She was just glad she could live a life, no matter if it was still on the run.
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Setsuna
"Uh, I guess so? I don't... i don't think I've ever felt free? Not even before... the bad place..."
She stepped away from the table, nervously looking away as she shook her head. "...but it's maybe kind of scary? I don't know much about anything except punching things. They didn't teach me a lot about other stuff. But... it's nice? Being out of there, I mean..."
She glanced at Walt, instinctively moving back a couple centimetres as he approached. "Um, maybe? But they sound delicious. I think I've always wanted to try one, but my dad was sort of stingy, and the bad place put me on a very strict diet. It... "She looked down, muscles tightening as her memories turned ever sour. "...it wasn't fun..."
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 14th 2021 at 6:45:17 AM
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Sarangerel Sherburn - This Table Now
"Hey, name's Sarangerel," Said Sarangerel offered her own wave back. She rolled in her chair to face him.
"The place is all sugar and spice and everything nice." She gave an exaggerated shrug. "I guess its cozy." She didn't respond to Walt asking about sweets or Katie and Setsuna wishing for them.
Sarangerel simply pushed herself back from her chair and dug around in her pockets until she produced a twenty and presented it to Setsuna. "Here, ask them at the counter. And if not, try another sweet thing. Just don't tell your dad I gave that to you." She glanced at Walt and Katie. "Oh and let them get something too." Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Setsuna
"Oh!" Setsuna reached out her hand, gazing at the dollar bill before taking it from Sarangel's hands. "Uh, thanks! T-that's, um, that's very nice of you, Ms.Sarangerel..."
She shuffled over to the counter, avoiding eye contact as she stood in line, but the options on display seemed staggering. The menu had cinnamon rolls, certainly, but there were are all sorts of other things for her perusal. Donuts, crepes, lattes and more besides. For most, it'd seem paltry, but it was like being presented with a couple dozen brands of caviar after years of the same old dogchow.
It was... a lot. She knew it wasn't, but it may as well have been. At least the grocery store was more what she was used to. She turned to the group, astoundingly flustered and at a loss. "Uh, is everyone okay with cinnamon rolls? That is, I'm not sure what else to get..." Jeez, why was this so hard?!
Up on Melancholy hill.
Erik Clydewell
“Ah. This is where everyone is meeting. Wonderful.”
The voice was soft and gentle, barely above a whisper as he stared up at the building before him, head tilted to the side with his arms behind his back. A tired, gentle look in his eyes and a smile perpetually placed on his lips. It was…
Thrilling, to hear voices outside around him than inside.
“Shouldn’t wait around then. And you…”
He was silent for a moment, despite being alone. His smile flickered. Sharper, more feral, and just a moment later, it softened again.
“Behave.”
He reached out and opened the door to an all ready collected group of individuals. Bright colorful folks and apparently having arrived JUST before someone else then!
He caught the tail end of what the larger, muscular woman asked and he smiled.
“I’m fine with cinnamon rolls.”
A brilliant first sentence to the group, he felt.
He closed the door politely behind him and turned around again, the smile seemingly plastered on.
“Hello everyone. My name is Erik. Evidently I was expected.”
Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?
Nate Faire
Well, it seemed more and more people were showing up here. Some he recognized from the place. Others he didn't. After all, not everyone was introduced to everyone else there. Some were kept away, to be developed in privacy. Erik, Walt, Setsuna, Katie, Angie (he wasn't going to try with that name)... it looked like everyone was getting here as per somebody's designs. Much as it didn't thrill Nate to be once again marching on orders, he did think it would at least this time probably let him have a bit more freedom to develop his own ideas and game plan.
"And I suppose everyone here can cite that place in their history?" Nate said in a tone conveying some fear remaining of it. Fear that didn't actually exist in him, but was convincing enough. Seeing Erik here, he introduced himself, "Hey, my name's Nate Faire, I think we came from the same place. I'm trying to figure out what might be going on here."
Nate then looked around, and said, "Were any of you told anything about this meeting aside from, y'know, meeting up here?"
AKA Nixer
Katie Sullivan
“Nope,” Katie responded to Nate's question, popping the ‘p’ for emphasis and shaking her head. “Well I... can't remember anything anyhow. Hope it wasn't important! I'm sure we'll be told what's going on soon...”
Unperturbed, she turned her attention towards Setsuna instead, her tone becoming kindly as she internally d'awwwed at how awkward she seemed to be.
“Just a cinnamon roll's fine for me, sweetie! You're doing great!”
bork
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Sarangerel Sherburn - Marie's Cafe and Bakery
Sarangerel did not expect that. She covered her mouth trying not to laugh while Setsuna stood blue-screened at the counter. And then this Erik came in asking for cinnamon rolls out of nowhere. She lost it then. "Sorry yes. Cinnamon rolls are fine." She wouldn't eat one because they weren't worth digging out later, but she remembered them being good.
"Sarangerel Sherburn," She said to Erik, following up on Nate's introduction and pointing at herself. "Though, I suppose you all could call me 'Ange.'"
She gave Nate a second look then. "And of course I can cite the company in my history," Sarangerel answered Nate with a small smile. "They did make me after all." She spoke of the place without bother; though as some acknowledgement to the others she did not say its name. Did they think saying its name would summon it? Honestly if VC were listening and wanted Ange so bad, they should have proven that they wanted her in the first place.
"This place, well, they want some paranatural talent and they want very private meetings." Sarangerel shrugged then. "That's what's easy to gather, but they didn't tell me much. I'd gather more, but we have an invite inside here anyway. They'll tell us something, true or not. At worst we get free coffee."
Edited by CenturyEye on Oct 15th 2021 at 10:19:23 AM
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Setsuna
"...sweetie?"
Setsuna wasn't sure whether to run away, make a scene, or both. Katie meant well, but she felt like she was being talked down to. From the way she looked, she was about the same age, and they'd both been locked up in there for only God knew how long. And now she was congratulating her for something a child could do in their sleep, and that she probably didn't have any more experience in than her. Maybe she was being stupid, but it felt condescending.
But Ange didn't help. Not only was she being talked down to, she was being laughed at. It'd be infuriating if she hadn't shown such generosity. She tried not to get upset, but she couldn't stop her hand from half-forming into a fist.
"Uh, sorry, but can both of you just... stop? I mean, I guess you already did, but..." She shook her head, glancing at Katie. She knew what she wanted to say, but was never too good at how she said it. "...not like you'd be any better at it..."
Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 15th 2021 at 9:04:51 AM
Nate Faire
Well, it seems she is quite sensitive to that kind of behavior. Things to remember for later, Nate catalogued mentally as he witnessed the way Setsuna reacted to Katie and Ange. Ange had quite an unusual reaction it seemed to what had happened. They'd created her apparently, and she apparently had less negative connotations with them. Interesting. He cringed as if Ange's positive experience was something he was taken aback with.
But he did figure that he needed to look into her.
It seemed Katie didn't remember much...
Which considering Nate very much did remember what went on, it could be a positive thing for him. "As far as experiences with them, I was...just living with my family out in Maine. Our house was really, really big. Just...one day, I got brought in to VC. Out of the blue! And I was told I had a special gift." Nate raised his hand and produced some odd white smoke from his finger tips briefly before making it withdraw again and dissipate.
"My...gift, it deals with...vitality. Giving it or taking it away. I don't like using it very much."
The staff and customers moved along like normal, those who had gotten up to get their drinks and food received it with a simple wave banishing any thought of payment for what they got. When they returned Setsuna would find two servers lifting up a larger chair and putting it down in the seat in front of her name and taking away the ill fitting chair. The odd thing was that both of the servers had the exact same face as the cashier. In fact what they might have thought of as just one person running around seemed to be at least five young women that could pass as exact copies of each other. Once the two with the chair disappeared back into the service area the woman at the counter flipped a sign that said 'café closed for private function'. A few customers still waiting in line for things groaned but made their way out, along with those who had been sitting at other tables.
The young woman came over to the table and smiled. "He will probably be here soon," she placed down a few urns of coffee and cups for those who hadn't had time or inclination to order anything and smiled. "If you need anything during your meeting just knock on the table and one of me will be there right away," and with that said the woman in front of the table simply disappeared into thin air.
There would be a few moments of silence before the door opened and let in what looked to be a young man with heavy bags under his eyes and messy hair. His eyes went straight toward the table to group was sitting at, until landing on the coffee and taking long strides over to pour himself a cup, practically draining it before taking the empty seat. "Sorry about running late, I was dealing with a situation with another group and couldn't pull myself away," he rubbed at his eyes and looked around. "So introductions, my name is Mikael Roth, my ability is Synergy. Essentially I have the ability to connect couples or groups of people who will work together in ways that provide extra benefit. Think of it like the old adage that two horses who've worked together for a long time can pull more weight then three horses who just started together and you'll get the idea."
He let his explanation sink in while refilling his cup, taking a more slow drink this time. "As to why you are all here beyond your effectiveness is that there is currently an issue that will have wide spread ramifications if allowed to continue," the young man reached into a bag and pulled out a small laptop, adjusting it so that they would be able to see the screen. The laptop played the video of the bank 'robbery' including the man putting the gun under his chin, through Mikael was quick to hit the pause button before the final deed could be shown. "This and a variety of other videos have been hitting the internet recently, entitled as 'Prank Videos for Discerning Psychics'. All of them have a person performing some act of violence or terror before..." he closed the laptop and coughed uncomfortably.
"The exact nature of the ability displayed narrows the exact person performing it, but there is a bit of a snag. Valiant and Chaos Cell both want this person removed for different reasons, and that honestly makes it difficult for either faction to actually get anything done. So a shared fund was put together by interested parties to make sure that the subject is brought to justice...one way or the other," he sat back and spread his hands. "And thats pretty much it, I want you to try and find this person. If everything works out I will take a thirty percent finders fee of the bounty, and you can split the rest from there. The total 'pot' is around 60k at the moment and growing, so that leaves each of you with more then enough money for the trouble. So, any questions?"
Edited by Kingxana0 on Oct 17th 2021 at 6:39:52 AM
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
Sarangerel Sherburn - Hunting Trip
Sarangerel listened to Nate attentively, all the moreso when he seemed to flinch. His story explained the reaction well enough though. Sarangerel nodded as she was paying attention, but she did not get excited. She knew of stories like this from her time at Vex already. Were she alone, she would've rolled her eyes. All that kidnapping was a waste of brilliance, doctor. And you had me.
"Its up to you," she answered Nate simply. "You're outside the lab now. And since the city's not currently on fire, not everyone is using what they've got as much as they can as often as they can." She did not chime in with what she could do, and her being created at Vex was her truth.
Sarangerel rotated to face Setsuna when the girl called her. "I'm sorry, Yeah, that was kinda bad." She raised both her hands in playful peace gesture. "Try again? After this, I can introduce you to some other place, recommend the good things, and not laugh at all. Unless someone slips on a banana peel."
Sarangerel's carefree smile gave away her amusement at the robber demanding pens. Aside from that, some old instincts showed. She had a notepad out and was scribbling away before Mikael had finished introducing himself.
"Are we going to keep calling them 'this person'?" Sarangerel asked as soon as Mikael left the floor open for questions. "Or do you not know and want us to narrow it down? Either way, I'll need files please."
"And I kind of wonder how you recruited this bunch for your job." In her case, there was probably not too many Sarangerels to choose from in the lower 48, let alone in LA. And she did not think that the others were looking for trouble. So, how did this Mikael or his people gather them together?
The money she had no questions on. After the split, it was better than she made in two months with overtime. And sadly offered far past the time when she had the concerns of the living. Still useful.
Edited by CenturyEye on Oct 15th 2021 at 11:37:26 AM
Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
AKA Nixer
Katie Sullivan
“I... I-I'm sorry, swe– Setsuna. I'm sorry, Setsuna...” Katie winced, visibly downtrodden by her apparent mistake. “I didn't mean to... talk down to you. I just thought it was cute! Is there... anything you'd like me to call you...?”
Ultimately, it was overshadowed by the stirring of activity around them. Katie seemed to snap into a more serious frame of mind once the majority of people left the café, and gave a tense smile to the man who walked in. She listened carefully to his explanation, but widened her eyes and looked away when it seemed like the person in the video was going to do the deed—sheepishly looking back only once she realised it'd been paused just in time.
“You want us to track down this guy, under the radar, basically anonymously? Well, maybe not. If folks know our powers then we'll get tracked down quick. But I'm guessing you want this done outside the responsibility of the other groups, huh...?” Katie guessed, before leaning back and crossing her arms with an affirmative nod. “That's a deal for me. Could use a little cash, but... really, I just want this guy off the streets. Or out the land of the living, if necessary...”
She paused, her lips pressing together as she looked the apparent man in charge of this whole job up and down from head to toe.
“...all that said. You want him taken in, or taken out?”
Edited by Enirboreh on Oct 16th 2021 at 12:17:48 PM
bork
The day had started out rather ordinary for most of the clerks within 'Stronghold' city bank, the typical lines of customers coming to pay off some bill, dispute a charge, or any other mundane activity that a bank of their size saw day in and out. That all ended the moment a man in a suit more expensive then most of the cars in the parking lot came in with a handgun and began to fire wildly into the ceiling. "Everyone on the ground!" his voice was strained and there were tears in his eyes. The man walked forward in a jerky fashion, as if each movement was difficult.
The various bank goers hit the deck along with bank security, nothing here was worth getting shot over at the moment and the guards on duty weren't going to risk firing when they could hit someone. The man walked to the bank counter and pushed the gun against the window. "Give me all of your pens!" he shouted the demand loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room.
Bewilderment painted the clerks face, but when they didn't immediatly move the man's arm jerked back and fired another round close to a young woman and her child, which caused the clerk to fly into movement, grabbing any pen she could find and practically shoving them past the window. Whoever this person was clearly was unhinged, and she was pretty sure the bank could take the hit of losing a few pens compared to a lawsuit. The man swept up as many pens as he could in one hand and turned around, suddenly giving a deep bow to the captives. "This has been fun, but there isn't any color but blue here, I prefer," the mans arm swung up, placing the gun under his chin as his eyes widened in terror. "Red!"
Miles away a figure watched the chaos from their laptop before closing it, a smile darting across their face. "Okay, get that into the editing room and figure out what the next prank will be."
_____________________________________________
Downtown Los Angeles was always a busy place, people either running about on work or just taking in the sights meant that finding any open space that wasn't filled was difficult. And with so many people any shop on the street was always guaranteed to have at least a small crowd either waiting on an order or killing time until they needed to go elsewhere. All except for one small building sandwiched between two shops, a pink sign labeled it as 'Marie's Cafe and Bakery', a cute little shop that felt at odds with the larger stores and more flashy environments around it. To add to this there was not a person in sight that seemed to give the building more then a glance.
If one were to pull someone from the streets and ask about it they would say it had been there forever but they hadn't had the chance to go. If offered they would say they were busy, even if whatever they ordered was paid for. A small anomaly on an otherwise busy street that only those with psychic powers could truly comprehend. To them the field meant to keep those without abilities away was a beacon of warmth and comfort in a world that either feared or hated them.
Marie Hasworth was one of the many psychically enhanced people spirted away by Charlie Newcastle's breakout, and she was known for being both kind and extremely powerful with her ability, Household. Anywhere she marked as her own would be fully under her control, able to set rules and restrictions that anyone who entered would be forced to follow. Most of which were simple things such as 'no violence' but could also range to small things like 'don't put your shoes on the table'. It was one of the few places that any paranatural could enter and feel safe, and was also one of the locations that members of the Valiant forum used to meet up and conduct in new members.
Which was what brought the crowd who was entering in today, finding the inside of the café a mix of warm colors with a table set with nameplates for each of them and drinks put aside.