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| The Underground Saloon #1 - ILEV Constable Ep 1 | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 23 2011, 03:13 PM (2,474 Views) | |
| The Underground Saloon | May 23 2011, 03:13 PM Post #1 |
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Welcome to the Underground Saloon. Or just the Underground as it is known by it's patrons. It is an unassuming place from the outside, only a bleak metal facade to the building with a single door with a slot to look out of. This is not your regular place. You have to be a past customer, know someone or have business there to get inside. Some kind of "secret password or gesture" must be made to gain entry. The door is guarded by some rather intimidating men who are more than happy to rearrange your face if you step out of line. Due to its exclusivity, it is often used for clandestine meetings and illicit business dealings, but some patrons return just for the food. The Underground boasts having one of the best chefs from the Core. While people are not quite sure why he works there, the daily specials and especially the desserts are to die for. Their specialties are seasoned steaks cooked to your liking and the Chocolate Death, a dessert with decadent samples of chocolate sinfulness. Everything on this dish is chocolate, even the plate it is served on. But above all... Enter at your own risk and check your weapons at the door. |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:45 PM Post #2 |
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1/28/10 Adria and Andrew came from here. When the door opened and they were admitted, Adria stepped to one side of the doorway and let her eyes roam over everything. Adria took a step forward and was stopped by one of the guards. He held out his hand and looked pointedly at her waist where she had her main gun. Getting the hint, she handed it over, along with the backup gun tucked into the small of her back, the throwing knives up her sleeves, the extra ammo from her pockets, and the combat knife on the opposite hip from the gun. The guard started cataloguing everything, and smirked slightly before pointing towards her feet. She grinned and bent down and removed the two throwing knives she kept in her boots. These guards had been trained well, which meant there was little likelihood of trouble here despite what she could tell of the clientele. "So...where to? A table, the bar, or dancing?" Adria asked turning to Andrew. |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:46 PM Post #3 |
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AKA Panther
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1/28/10 Andrew was already ahead of Adria when they walked in. He had removed his coat which contained most of his weapons and then handed his gun over to the guard. He watched as Vala stripped herself of her weapons. He raised his eyebrows, surprised. “You’re packed awfully heavy tonight,” he said, a mixture of suspicion and curiosity in his tone. He decided to ignore it. After all, he was armed as well, though not quite so much. "So...where to? A table, the bar, or dancing?" Adria asked turning to Andrew. Andrew smiled and gently put his arm over the back of her waist, leading her towards the bar. “I might need a few more drinks in me before I do any ‘dancing,’” he said with a smirk. He took a seat on a stool, resting his arms on the counter and glancing down the aisle in search for the bartender. It was pretty busy tonight, as he could see. He seen many faces he knew, but nobody considered a friend. He had no friends, only acquaintances. “Charlie!” he yelled, trying to be heard over the music and the loud chatter of the crowd. The bartender looked in his direction and although seeming annoyed, he held up his index finger as if to say ‘just a second.’ He turned to Vala. “Hungry?” he asked. “It’s on me.” |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:47 PM Post #4 |
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1/29/10 Adria grinned at Andrew's remark about her weapons. "A woman traveling the 'verse on her own can't be too careful. You go around with weapons you don't know how to use or no weapons at all, you're asking for trouble. You go around armed with things you know how to use, trouble comes along, you can put up a fight." She shrugged slightly. "It goes for men too, not just women." She looped one arm around his waist when he put one around hers and allowed him to lead her over to the bar. Adria took a seat next to him and waited while hailed the bartender. At his question about food, she thought a moment. When had she eaten last? It had been several hours at least, and the mention of food made her stomach gurgle too softly to be heard over the music but enough for her to feel. "Sure. They have burgers here?" Adria had to speak a little louder than she usually did to be heard over the music. |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:48 PM Post #5 |
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AKA Panther
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1/29/10 Andrew was a little relieved when Vala said she was hungry. He was starving himself, and didn’t want to have to order a meal on his own while she sat beside him without. “Burgers?” Interesting choice, he thought. “Yes, of course.” For some strange reason, he found it endearing over what she ordered. From what he could recall, most women he found himself accompanied with over meals stuck to salads and other boring dishes, or simply did not eat at all. When the bartender approached, Andrew ordered the burgers and a steak for himself. Alongside of that he asked for another beer (remembering how he couldn’t finish the last one) before quickly glancing at Vala to say, “how about another virgin pina colada?” When the order was finished the bartender nodded and set off to do his job. “So what do you think?” he asked. “Not a bad place, right?” “I come here a lot, actually... Mostly to find work. It’s surprising, really, how much a person will pay for you to do their dirty work for them.” He stared at her for a moment deciding how much he could and shouldn’t share with her. He wanted her to know he wasn’t some happy go lucky good guy who abided by the law and lived under the influence of the Alliance. He was beginning to like her company, which was rare for him to feel towards another person, and by the way she acted it seemed she liked him too. She had become a fast friend it seemed, and he felt she should know a little bit about the kind of business he was involved in. After years of being a master at keeping out of jail, he could usually tell when he was speaking to a cop... Vala did have certain traits that seemed suspicious, but she definitely no cop. Yet, he couldn’t tell her the truth, of course, so be bended it a bit. “I make the occasional drug run, help auction things off in the black market... things like that. It’s an easier buck to make rather then most jobs that require you to be within’ the law.” |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:49 PM Post #6 |
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1/30/10 Adria grinned at the mention of her drink. She was tempted to make it a real one, but it was a little too risky right now so she just nodded her agreement and continued scanning the place. "Yeah, it's not what you'd expect looking at the outside of it" she replied. She was a little surprised when he told her about what he did. Not at the knowledge itself...she already knew that...but by the fact that he'd chosen to share it. Adria smirked a little at the mention of being within the law. "The law is over rated at times" she said, a hint of bitterness to her voice. She studied him for a moment the way he'd studied her, deciding what to tell him. Like Andrew, she settled for part of the truth. "The reason I left my former job is this. A friend of mine was assaulted in more ways than one. The detectives on the case found out who did it, but there wasn't enough evidence to get a warrant. They were turned down several times. Everyone knew who'd done it and he knew we knew, and made sure everyone involved in the case in any capacity knew that he was aware we knew he'd done it but didn't have enough evidence to take it to court. I got fed up and went to force him into doing something stupid so he'd end up in jail and the detectives would have the evidence they needed to get a warrant and take him to court." Adria looked away for a moment before returning her gaze to Andrew. "I provoked him into taking a swing at me, and proceeded to beat the living daylights out of him. He died in the critical care unit at the hospital. There were enough witnesses to say he'd taken the first swing that it was ruled self defense. I had to resign from my job after that. That sort of thing reflects badly on an employer. Part of what I do is hunt down men like him. Women too when I find them though there are fewer, or they're better at hiding it. Sometimes for pay, sometimes just because I come across them. Rapists, child molesters...that sort. Some faced legal action. Most never made it that far." She looked away again, surprised at how much she'd said and how easily she'd said it. |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:50 PM Post #7 |
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AKA Panther
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1/30/10 Andrew listened closely as Vala told him her story. He felt a strange hopelessness when she declared she used to be a detective, hunting down men such as him. He was right about her being no cop, but it still made him slightly uneasy hanging out with her even if she was one formerly. She had committed a lot of her time to catching monsters like him. The only difference was he was better at hiding it. He was no rapist or child molester, and he found it utterly repulsive that anyone could ever touch a kid in such a way. However, he couldn’t help but question... was he really any better? Was he just as bad a monster as those who would steal a child’s innocence? Andrew couldn’t help but tell himself yes. He sure as hell wasn’t a pedophile, but taking a kids life seemed just as horrible as taking a kid’s innocence. The reality of the truth made him sick to his stomach, and he had to force himself to look normal whilst trying to fight down the urge to throw up all over the bar. He had made a pact to himself that he would no longer take on hits towards children. Despite how much he wanted to deny it, he simply did not have the stomach for it. The ‘Agency’ had trained him to feel no regret, no remorse, no mercy, and yet when it came to that boy he found he was disgusted with himself. It didn’t end with the kid either. As time stretched on and he continued his work he found he had the same feelings towards other past hits. The cheating wife was one. Her husband had offered a lot of money for her death, but when he first saw her he was reminded of someone... someone who he could no longer remember. And then he killed her. The doctor was another. He had failed to save a child’s life and the infants parents had decided to blame him for it. It wasn’t the doctor he felt guilt for, but rather his family. They now had to live on without a husband and a father to take care of them, all because Andrew killed him for a fast buck. There were countless others as well, and he remembered each and every one of them, even the ones he knew deserved it but still felt guilty for anyway. Still, he refused to believe he was that weak. The child was one thing, but there was no way in hell he was going to allow his conscience to stop him from doing what he did best. Or rather, to stop him from doing the only thing he knew how to do. “Do you ever feel guilty?” he asked, his voice somewhat low. “I mean, even though he might have deserved it... Do you ever feel bad for taking the man’s life?” |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:51 PM Post #8 |
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1/30/10 Adria stopped to think. She'd never really thought about whether or not she felt guilty. Any time she started thinking along those lines, she reminded herself of what he'd done to her friend, and what many other people had done. "Sometimes" she replied. "I hadn't consciously intended to do so, but I think part of me did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have provoked him into taking a swing at me." She traced random patterns on the surface of the bar with one finger. "His wife and two children never knew what he really was. Not until after his death anyway. She found some things of his that were indisputable even in court. Evidence not only of what he'd done to my friend, but other women as well." Adria took a long swallow from her drink before remembering it didn't have any alcohol in it. "The pedophiles though...I have never once felt guilt about them. Adults at least have a chance to fight back for the most part. Those people I've even gone so far as to torture until they died a few times. I was hired sometimes for that sort of thing. Parents who found out someone messed with their kid, and either didn't trust the law to do something about it or the law had tried and failed. Mothers who found out their husbands had touched their children or someone else's. Always took the time to make sure the person was actually guilty of the crimes before accepting and work or doing anything on my own." She eyed the bottles lined up on the back of the bar, considering a shot or five. This wasn't the sort of thing she was used to talking about, or even thinking about. She didn't like the way it forced her to look at her life and what she did or didn't have, what she had or hadn't done. Opportunities she'd passed on because she'd been too focused on her work. |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:52 PM Post #9 |
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AKA Panther
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1/30/10 Andrew recalled the information The Broker had sent him concerning Kenrowe. He, like the man Vala was referring too, seemed to have a problem being violent with woman. He felt a little less detached from her as she admitted how she took matters in her own hands, getting rid of those who would get off in court. Clearly, Andrew had killed those who didn’t deserve it, but more often than not there had been times he had taken out targets that in fact did. Andrew became momentarily lost in his own thoughts; the aftermath of Vala’s story had caused him to think about a lot of things. When the food came he surfaced back to reality. The bartender placed their meals in front of them as Andrew quickly chugged down his beer, suddenly having a serious thirst to quench. “You should be proud of yourself,” he said, slamming his empty bottle down. “The ‘verse needs people like that, those who can stand up and clean up the garbage. I agree with you, the law is pretty worthless, too many killers out there running lose.” Now that their food had arrived, Andrew became all too eager to change the mood, and the subject, all together. “So what’s your plan now?” he asked. “Seems unlikely to me at this point you’re really interested in the Cabaret Royale... Any idea’s on where your headed to next?” He picked up his steak knife and his fork and began cutting the steak into smaller parts, occasionally popping a piece of meat in his mouth. |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:53 PM Post #10 |
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1/31/10 Adria raised her eyebrow slightly when Andrew chugged his beer and slammed the bottle down. She couldn't quite tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic...maybe a little of both. "No, I'm not really. The only thing they'd hire me for is whoring. Some of them just can't take the fact that a woman might just be better than they are at their jobs. I've never been desperate enough to do that, and can't understand how some women let themselves get to that point." Adria took a big bite of her burger. It was thick and juicy, piled with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and some sort of salty-sweet sauce...barbeque of some kind she thought. She was a little surprised at how good it was. It had been made with real meat, cooked well-done. "What I plan to do now...I don't really know. Stick around the Docks a bit, maybe see about a ship or something" she continued after she swallowed. Adria took a swallow of her drink. "What about you?" |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:54 PM Post #11 |
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AKA Panther
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1/31/10 "No, I'm not really. The only thing they'd hire me for is whoring. Some of them just can't take the fact that a woman might just be better than they are at their jobs. I've never been desperate enough to do that, and can't understand how some women let themselves get to that point." Personally, Andrew had nothing against whoring. Women who were lucky enough to be born beautiful certainly had every right to use the advantage in order to make a living. Companions certainly brought on some advantages for him as well. He watched for a moment as Vala ate, finding her all the more attractive. He realised he might not have liked her as much had she indeed been a whore. He had always had to pay for company (and sex), and one of the many things he already liked about this woman in particular was the fact that she didn’t seem to have any ulterior motive while being with him “What about you?" Andrew waited a moment, having to swallow the piece of steak he chewed before answering. “I never really have to worry about finding work, when somebody needs me to do a job they know how to reach me. I have enough money saved up to last me a lifetime... I run a very simple, almost boring lifestyle. If I were to quit today, there wouldn’t be much for me to worry about. I only keep myself employed so that I have something to do. My needs and wants are very limited compared to most people.” |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:55 PM Post #12 |
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1/31/10 "That must be nice" Adria replied. "Unless I've been somewhere before, I have to go looking for work. I tend to be on the move too much to establish myself in any one location." She noticed him watching her as she took another bite and blushed a little. She hoped he wasn't the sort who preferred the sort of woman who spent the entire meal sucking on a single lettuce leaf. The fact that thought had crossed her mind made her pause for a moment. When had she decided she liked him enough to care about that? "What are your needs and wants?" she asked, not really thinking about the way the question could be answered. She was still a little distracted by her own slightly out of character thoughts from a few moments ago. |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:56 PM Post #13 |
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AKA Panther
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1/31/10 Andrew paused for a moment, debating on how to answer. He didn’t want to come off as freak, and the few times he tried to be open with people that are what they tended to see him as. So far he had been more truthful with Vala then anyone he had ever met in his life. He knew he was taking a big risk talking with her, especially since she was once a cop. However, if worst every came to worst with this woman and she turned out to be a serious threat to him... he could always just kill her. He sighed and said, “Pretty basic, like I said. I own my own ship; it’s about the size of this bar... not very big at all. It’s my home though; it’s where I truly feel comfortable. When you’re on your own for so long sometimes that’s how you want things to stay. I eat when I need to, and like most men when I’m feeling restless I seek the company of a companion... What I got is all I need really. A place to stay, money I can spend when I need to, and a job that forever supports me.” He paused for a moment, considering his ‘wants.’ It was extremely hard for him to be able to answer, as he had never really thought about it. All he ever did was spend his time on things he needed to survive, but he rarely ever focussed on real goals in life. He didn’t really know he could have more in life. “I can honestly say I don’t know what I want,” he said. “Other then what I have, really. It sounds childish I know, but it’s hard for me to look into the future and wonder what more I could possibly have that I don’t have already.” |
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| Adria Stark | May 23 2011, 11:57 PM Post #14 |
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1/31/10 Adria thought a few moments, surprised at how similarly they lived. "Except for not owning a ship, that's pretty much how I get by" she said. Before she could comment on the rest, someone came up beside her on the opposite side from Andrew. "Hey there, doll. What's a pretty broad like you doing in here?" He leered at Adria and looked her over, his thoughts clear in his expression. "You're wasting your time. He's with me." Adria replied, resisting the urge to give the newcomer a broken nose. It took him a few moments to figure out she was insulting him, but his expression when he did made her grin. |
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| Andrew Williams | May 23 2011, 11:58 PM Post #15 |
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AKA Panther
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1/31/10 "Except for not owning a ship, that's pretty much how I get by" Andrew smiled, it seemed as though he wasn’t as ‘boring’ as he feared. As it turned out, she wasn’t much different from him after all. Aside from being an assassin, of course. "Hey there, doll. What's a pretty broad like you doing in here?" Andrew had just finished his meal when the stranger approached. He had seen the young man around this place before, picking up woman left and right. He felt a little better about himself knowing he never used such idiotic pick up lines towards women. He sat quiet, wiping his mouth with a napkin as Vala handled the situation, turning the man down as he knew she would. He could tell from the edge in her voice the kind of temper she held, and felt all the more fascinated by her. Andrew stayed out of it, not intending to jump in unless things grew heated and the man would refuse to leave. Patiently waiting, he remained calm and continued to drink his beer. |
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