Aug 10 10:29:38 105 PA
From Chronicles
The current game time is: Mon Aug 10 10:29:38 105 PA.
The garage is completely neat. Mid-morning, and Caliopa is here, her plait falling over her shoulder as she fiddles with something. Her eyes are blanked, the personality gone as her mind flits through the machine piece. Her face is expressionless for once, her mouth moving slightly as if an internal monologue is going on. The garage itself has completed work in neat and tidy rows, Minnie's pushbike to one side, a motorbike on the other side, and several odd items in the middle.
Kid comes in with just as much careful as she has before, though she seems a bit less harried and haggard than she had been for a while. Still in the same somber, black 'business' garb, the same sort of outfit she's work for quite some time. She eases in and glances about for a moment before moving towards Cali. She'll be quiet about it. Moving near enough to be seen in her peripheral, but letting her come out of her work trance by herself.. unless she takes too long about it.
Caliopa takes a little while, until a loud click comes from the piece of machinery in her hands, and her mouth opens slightly in a silent exclamation of happiness. Then she puts it down, her personality flooding her eyes as she blinks, shaking her head quickly to clear it. She reaches out to put it on the side, her hands automatically going to take another from the pile to her left. "Oh, Kid." She gives Kid a look of surprise, eyebrows rising. "You been there long?"
Kid gives her shoulders a roll and frowns a little. "Little while, but I know how you are, so its fine," she replies. There's a strange sense of quiet about the girl, not just in her voice, but in how she carries herself. At the very least, it seems like she's not got some emergency to present. In fact, she's quiet for a moment before she glances towards the open garage door again and wonders, "Things ok around here?"
Caliopa glances at the doors, and her sunny smile lights up her face. "Sure, ain't a piece of bother. I'm gonna hire me some help but now I'm all caught up." She rolls her shoulders, leaving the pieces behind as she slides from her stool. "You doin' alright? Whisperin' goin' on still?" The bluntness she speaks with doesn't remove the look of concern in her expressive eyes. "Want a drink?" She pulls a can from the cooler for herself, popping it open.
"Yeah.. but I'm getting a handle on it.. sorta. Freaks me the hell out, but I can deal with it," Kid responds lowly. While she is still tense and obviously more than a little wary, the fevered pitch has withdrawn some. "Unless you got something with booze in there that ain't swill beer, not really," she replies. There's a pause as she considers briefly before asking, "Cali, I gotta ask you something and I want you to level with me, ok? You know, real, solid answers, yeah?" She fidgets just a bit with the strap of her bag as she asks this, eats steady on Cali.
Caliopa shakes her head to the first question, taking a swig of her coke. "Jus' coke 'n' things." She comments before moving back to her workstation, hopping up and making herself at home as she gives Kid a thoughtful look. "Uh, course. I ain't that good with stuff but...sure." She shrugs, giving Kid the warm sunny smile that lights up her eyes.
Kid breathes out a low sigh and wonders, "What do you think of me, Cali girl? For real, I mean. Good and bad.. and don't start talking about heart of gold, cause I don't got that. I'm being real here, ok?" She walks over near the workbench, but only leans a bit against it when she gets there, keeping herself away from any of the tools or parts that remain upon it.
Caliopa stares at her, the smile fading slightly and then she sighs, biting her lower lip. "What do I think of you?" She repeats slowly. "I ain't good with this type of words, Kid but I'll try." She takes another sip of the can, her face setting into thoughtful lines, her speech slow as she goes on. "I reckon you got more prickles on you 'n' any creature I ever met, I reckon you ain't so afraid of bein' hurt that you can't let noone near you, see the real you 'case they hurt it. Reckon you'd kill for a friend, without thinkin' it much, 'n' I reckon that sometimes you ain't sure if your friends reckon the same way as you."
Kid frowns slightly as she considers the words given. "But what if I told you the real me is what you see? Cause it is. I mean, maybe I used to be different before.. before a lot of stuff happened. But things change.. people change and I changed. I know lots of people don't think like I do.. which is fine, I guess. I never wanted to be like other people anyway. What tI wonder is, what 'real me' do you think there is to see?"
Caliopa sips her can again, her face thoughtful. "Figure folks are like my pa said, like light through a diamond cut, different pieces from different sides." Her voice is soft, a tiny curve of her lips at the corners. "I ain't jus' what you see, 'n' Atti don't know all sides of me neither." She pitches the can into her rubbish bin, before turning to Kid, hands resting lightly on her hips. "What bought that on?"
Kid breathes out a low sigh and shakes her head a bit. "I dunno.. I'm just thinking.. I guess our little squabble shook loose some stuff. I figure lots of people don't like me, which is fine, I guess. I mean, I can't be other than me, can I? If people don't like it, why should I change? Why don't they change?" As she says these things, she straightens up and starts to pace, eyes dipped as she moves back and forth smoothly.
"My pa used to say something that I reckon ain't wrong. If a load of folks say something is a problem, 'n' you disagree, you gotta look, see if they got a point." She picks up a cloth, rubbing her hands lightly, her face thoughtful. "If you reckon they are people of sense, if you reckon they might have a point, then you got to consider if you care 'nuff about them to change or not."
Kid pauses at that and gives Cali a little frown. "Yeah, how many people have poked you about how you get all spacy when you work, huh?" Her brows lifted, tone a bit defensive. Despite that instinctive counter she pauses and then starts pacing again. "I don't respect many people, Cali. Mostly because most people annoy me. And while I do like you, I don't want to be like you." She pauses and glances towards Cali. "No offense, but I doubt you'd want to be like me either, really. I'll never be.. sunny like you."
Caliopa gives Kid a steady look, unhurt by the comments, the smile unfading. "Would be a borin' world if we all were alike." She comments as she reaches out for an item on the worktop, a small alarm clock. "See this? Goes off at mealtimes, shakes me up 'nuff to wake me from workin'." She puts it down, with a soft smile. "Then I go find Atti, or else he is here already." She shrugs, "I'm hirin' someone to be here, 'cause like you say, it ain't safe to sit here in a daze, not with the folks that are around." She turns the smile on Kid, "See, some folks that I trust told me that it weren't safe. Ain't expectin' you to be me, Kid."
Roulin comes on into the shop, having come over to check on things as he calls out, "Caliopa?" Before letting himself in. He glances back and forth, before spotting Kid and Caliopa, giving them a wave.
Kid frowns a little at that, quiet for a few moments as she mulls it. "But I don't.." She pauses when someone else arrives, the girl tensing up as she glances towards the source of the voice. Frowning just slightly, she eyeballs Roulin. Some vague, distant recognition coming up for her, though just a distant spark. Regardless, she clams up quite suddenly, glancing to the side as she toys with the strap of her bag.
"You don't?" Caliopa repeats before Roulin's call distracts her. "Roulin, how you doin'?" She asks him, her sunny smile lighting up her face with the pleasure of seeing a friend. "Any news on that work? Do you know Kid? Kid, you know Roulin?"
Roulin looks to Caliopa as he gives a simple nod, "We've met a few times, just another face in the crowd though." before he glances over to Kid. "How ya doing? And Cali, no more word on the work yet."
Kid steadfastly avoids answering Cali's prompting query, instead fixing upon the last. She looks to Roulin again and eyeballs him critically. "Seen him.. somewhere before. But I see a lot of people just walking around." Said simply. She considers a moment before she answers teh man's question in a straightforward manner. "Doing bad, but that's nothing new. Not much that can be done about it now anyway, so.." Her shoulders roll. One could see the girl does seem a bit edgy and tense. A little tired, but nothing too drastic.
Caliopa gives Kid an openly caring look, gentle and warm. "Yeah, she is doin' better 'n' she thinks." She comments, the dimples deepening. "Any news on Desmond, Roulin? Reckon..." As she speaks, the alarm clock beside her goes off and her grin broadens, reaching for it to silence it. "'n' see, now I got to go home, Atti got some lunch on today."
Roulin chuckles and smiles to Caliopa, "Havn't seen him today, but I'm sure he's doing better then yesterday." he smiles and waves. "Catch ya later Caliopa, we'll talk." before he looks to Kid and says "Well, ya need help, just ask."
Kid glances towards Cali with a slight frown. "It'll be bad until I can get back to my own place. Go to the Joy again without worrying about psycho bitches." A distinctive grump about those words. She turns another eyeing upon Roulin. "Unless you're good at ferreting out and offing hit men, then you can't do me much good." Then she'll note to Cali, "I got a nap in earlier.. trying to throw off the bitch by varying my sleep patterns. So I'll probably be at the library all night tonight."
Caliopa nods, reaching for the keys to the garage and hopping from the seat. "Gonna lock up, so you two, you go find somewhere to talk." She grins, the dimples deepening. On those words, she shepherds them out, locking the doors behind them and turning with a wave towards her home. Kid's frown slides off her back easily.
Roulin gives a simple nod. "Well, if you need a place to crash, you're welcome to my joint tonight. I got a couch, but it's better then nothing." he looks to Caliopa and grunts as he's pushed out. "Mmm, well, that wasn't very productive."
Kid frowns slightly at being ushered out, but allows it, with some flicker of attitude. Once outside, with Cali walking off, the girl seems a space more nervous. Frowning as she looks around warily, but not missing Roulin's words. "The time I crash at some random guy's place will be the time you see me acting all little miss sunshine like Cali. Which will be never," she asserts firmly, giving Roulin the eye. "I'm staying with Cali and the elf now. I just want my place back."
Roulin gives a shrug, "Suit yourself. Whatever you want then." as he starts to slowly walk towards the north, not really watching to see if Kid comes or not.
Kid frowns faintly after Roulin, shifting her bag again slightly. She glances in the direction Cali went before looking back toward Roulin again. Her lips purse tightly for a moment as she starts to walk after Roulin and asks, "So you want to go get a drink or something?" Some other thought comes to mind and she idly asks, "You find Ordo before?"
Roulin shrugs his shoulders slightly as he says "Nope, never found him, been busy with other mundane things. Demolition derbies and friends getting shot. As for getting a drink, I guess it's possible...where were you thinking?"
Kid pauses when Roulin does, frowning slightly as she considers just where. Ticking through the potential places before she breathes out a low sign and offers, "The Nut and Bolt?" Though there isn't a great deal of enthusiasm in the suggestion. "I need a stiff drink, truth be told." She glances around alertly as she says as much, scrutinizing the street carefully.
Roulin mmms softly and thinks about it. "Sure, why not? Lets head over." as he starts moving in it's general direction. "And, stiff drinks are easy to get in this town."
"Yeah, unless you spend most of your time in the library," Kid replies, shifting her path to move up alongside the man. "Cali and the elf have mead.. which is strange stuff.. too sweet for me after a while," she grunts lightly, showing a slight note of distaste.
Roulin gives a simple nod to Kid. "Yeah, it's like...honey beer or something like that. Havn't had it, but I've spent enough time around those two. Good stuff for you if you can stay there." he walks abit, hands at his sides though he's wearing only his simple clothing right now.
Kid grunts faintly at that and shakes her head slightly. "I'm sick of it.. I'm ready for something with bite," she states. While she'll talk along the way there, the chatter tends to be light, the girl more interested in observing the world around her, which only relaxes a bit when the two leave the dregs for the safer regions of the city.
<<Later at the Nut and Bolt>>
Roulin keeps up the simple conversation, not probing Kid as they go. He really seems to...not mind that she's not doing well, as if he didn't care about it. "So, I tend towards the mixed drinks, and things with Amaretto can be quite good."
Kid grunts lowly as she eyeballs the interior when they arrive. She seems intent on picking where to sit, starting towards a nearby booth, one that provides a good view of the place and offers little of her back to the rest of the place. There she'll head to settle in if Roulin shows not real distinct choice in another direction. "I prefer my drinks simple, really," she replies. "If I wanted fruit juice and stuff, I'd be drinking that."
Roulin nods to Kid, letting her pick as she wants as he takes a seat himself. He beckons over one of the waitstaff as he says "Something deep fried in oil, and a 'Mother Fucker!', make it a bit on the strong side."
Kid slips off her bag before she slips into the booth, laying the bag down between her and the wall, her eyes flicked outward as she waits for the coming waitstaff. When arrived, Kid looks up towards the person and says, "Two shots of whiskey and a glass of brandy," she orders. The girl then looks towards Roulin, eyeing him again for a few moments before she asks, "So what productive stuff were you looking to do with Cali?" Casually asked.
Roulin gives a look to Kid, "You know, the usual for a guy. Get in, get off, get out. Makes for a real bang up job y'know." he says it in all seriousness...well, for a few moments before laughing, "Just to see how she's doing really."
Kid rolls her eyes slightly at the joke, giving Roulin a sour little smirk. "Need to work on the humor, man," she opines, glancing outward again. With the real issue spoken, she shrugs slightly. "Seems fine to me. But she bounces back pretty easy, seems like. And I guess she's finally taking things serious when it comes to her zone out issues." Casually commented on. "Still keeping the place in the Dregs, though. So she's not getting any smarter on that."
Roulin holding up his hands, Roulin says "I'm...not going to talk about Caliopa's decisions. If she wants to stay there, then that is fine enough by me." As the orders arrive, Roulin takes a bite of the meat and cheese foodstuff in front of him, delighting in the tasty grease.
Kid looks back to Roulin and smirks faintly. "You should. She and the elf don't want to pay up to the gang that rules the area that garage is on. Only paying em off for a bit, but they don't plan to do it forever. They're going to lose out big if they get to rowdy. After all, if one person shows up the gang, makes others want to stand up to them too. Weakness like that don't fly, see. Not in the Dregs."
Roulin nods, "I know. But, what can I do about it Kid? She is just as stubborn about things as you are. If Caliopa is going to move things from where they are, she's gonna have to come to that choice by herself."
"Yeah, well, she told me if enough people tell you something is not quite right, you gotta wonder if it is as right as you think," Kid states. "She might have finally caved when it comes to her spacing, but she should listen to some people when it comes to that place. I can't be the only one telling her its bad idea. But then, if people don't say nothing, I guess it don't matter." Giving Roulin a pointed look.
Roulin looks over Kid and says "Fine, fine, don't give me that look. I'll talk to her tommarow about it. But, I don't think she's gonna up and move. No matter how many people say it."
Kid jabs a finger at Roulin. "You give up too easy. I know s he's gong to tell you no, but the more people that say it, the more likely she'll finally realize that maybe setting up there was a bad idea. Then there will be less chance some other punk will up and stab her." She sits back and states, "She don't belong in the Dregs. I like her and all, but its just trouble for her to be there. Even if they appease the gangs, cause that's not the only potential source of trouble."
Roulin tbbts at Kid before he says "Sorry for giving up. I'll make sure to tell you no in a stern voice?" he smiles slightly before eatting more of the fried 'food, gulping it down.
Kid receives her drinks and s norts faintly at Roulin. "I mean in prodding Cali. Is that what you do? You just give it up without even trying at times?" Her smirk lingers on even after she pops back the first shot of whiskey in a single go. A soft tremble passes through her as she pops down the glass after. "Caving to me is just good sense," she states with a playful little grin.
Roulin shakes his head, "As much as a ping pong ball can just give up, I'm sure." He drinks his glass empty before leaning back. "The question is just how many and what kinds of bruises will I have before it ends?"
Kid snatches up her second shot and frowns slightly at Roulin. "What are you going on about now? If you mean me, you don't have to worry about bruises unless you do something dumb. Usually takes a lot to get me to hit someone for real." Casually tipping her glass at him as she says as much before the second shot gets tossed back in a snap. Another tremble as the alcohol hits her system at speed, the girl relaxing back with a contented little sigh, made rough by the double blast that has shot down her throat. With the second shot glass set aside, she picks up the larger glass of brandy, handing it with more relaxation.
Roulin chuckles, "I ment metaphore there." he watches her drink, still working on his first...though his was nothing like an actual shot glass, but rather a nice frozen thing. "Not quite so literal. And more of mental bruising."
Kid snorts faintly at that and takes a far more conservative sip from her glass. "I'd hope you don't get all bruised up just talking to me. Means you need to toughen up." An amused little smirk worn. She considers a moment before asking, "Is there something in particular you were looking for when it comes to Cali? Or just seeing if her gut poke got better?"
Roulin mms? "It was in general, keeping touch. Have a job from NTI, so was picking up drivers for it. Nothing too special though." he idly eats a bit more food as he licks some from his lips and wipes clean with a napkain.
"Drivers, huh?" Kid's eyes narrow slightly as she considers the man. "So what, you do cargo work and stuff? Inside the city or outside?" She pauses, taking another light sip of the brandy before she states, "I work there too. But I deal in computers. Pretty much, I help keep the core of the company working smoothly. Vital.. thankless. The usual." Her lips curve again into a casual smirk.
Roulin nods to Kid, "Whatever the jobs are, I do 'em. Some are cargo, some are bump n' run. Just depends who's paying what." he looks her over for a moment, "I also might be getting a job there soon fixing things. I'm not Caliopa, but I can fix the basics."
Kid arches a brow slightly. "If you knew something about fixing computers, I could always use a hand in that, but most people around here don't know their ass from the elbow when it comes to those babies." She tips back her glass for a more substantial sip before noting, "Hell, if half the people that worked for NTI knew shit all about computers, my job would be a lot easier. They wouldn't screw the stuff up as much as they keep doing all the time."
Roulin puts his hands up. "Not really. I know how to /run/ a computer just fine enough. But, nope, nothing about fixing. I fix machines and engines, tuning them up and adding new things on them."
Kid grunts lowly and hits her drink again. "Too bad, that," she murmurs lightly before breathing out a low sigh. "You ever get the the feeling your life isn't going just where you want it.. what'd she call ya.. Roolin?" The alcohol starting to settle in, mingling with the low grade tired that she has, the girl glancing outward, scanning the bar listlessly.
Roulin mms? "Life never goes where I want it, but dosn't mean I don't stop trying Kid." he gives a simple shrug, leaning back in his seat. "Or for giving up."
Kid snorts derisively at that. "I'm not givin up," she states. "I'm just.. thinking." Her ire risen, cresting and falling as she settles back into a tipsy haze. "I'm just.. thinking. Maybe I ain't going the right way.. I dunno." She laughs then, a brief little bark of amusement. "Hell, who says what way is right? Ask ten people. get ten answers, each as bad as the last." Her amusement lingering as she takes a longer, more substantial draught from her glass. Nearly emptied, though she doesn't seem to notice yet.
Roulin gives an 'mmmhmm', nodding his head slowly as he looks you over but dosn't give any more comment for the moment, instead casting about to finish off his own drink.
Kid frowns as she looks to Roulin. "Not very useful when it comes to talking, huh?" A sense of mild annoyance entering her voice, the remainder of her drink tossed back. "S'fine, though. I should get back to the library where its safe." Her glass set back on the table before she looks to the side, drawing her bag close, slipping the strap over her head, though it takes a few moments for her to get it settled properly.
Roulin watchs Kid, "Are you okay? Want me to walk you there?" he asks simply, "Else...I think you're drunk, and I'd take your keys, but I don't think you have any."
"I walk, I don't drive around, dealing with all the stupid traffic," Kid states as she eases herself out of the booth slowly. "Don't bother, you can just sit here and be all quiet like you seem to enjoy. Don't make no difference either way." Yeah, she's a bit more than tipsy, but when she gets to her feet, she's stable enough to walk a relatively straight line successfully.
Roulin gives a soft sigh and shrugs, "Have a good night." he calls out, before returning to where he sits. He dosn't want to force himself on someone who dosn't want him, so he makes no more action.
Kid takes a moment to adjust her bag's strap, eyeballing Roulin for a few moments afterward before she snorts faintly. "Wuss. You need to toughen up and get a spine," she states before wending her way along steadily. Progressing out of the bar without another glance back, whatever Roulin's response. Short of physical intervention, of course.
Roulin dosn't intervene, and lets Kid go with a simple shrug. Seriously, not his problem right now.
Location:Kingsdale - Cali's Garage
