Feb 16 09:49:52 109 PA - New Face and Grumpy

From Chronicles

Feb 16 09:49:52 109 PA.

MAIN STREET

Late. Dark. Cold. Sorta normal night. Just drier. Cold 'n dark don't bug Bella none. Ain't so bad. Ain't so scary. She's even grinnin a li'l while walkin.

A man in factory coveralls comes out of Happy Burger, one of its greasier monstrosities in his grip. His eyes glance around, and with his lunchbox in his other hand, he begins a slow trek south, avoiding traffic and generally being weary with the world. Such is Marek's life.

Whatcha know? Bella's goin south too. Course ain't all that much south. Not 'fore the neighborhood starts gettin way worse. She don't worry none bout guys comin outta Happy Burger. Don't really even look that way. Too damned bright 'n shiny 'n happy. Greasy too.

Marek continues on his way, looking up only enough to dodge other pedestrians, apologizing now and then when he bumps into them. Whether or not the place is bright and happy seems to be lost on him, not important one way or the other. The River Walk gets a bit of a longing look, but otherwise he seems to have no important business here. After a few minutes, he takes a moment to stop at one of the city-provided benches for a rest.

Normal people're borin. But the guy stoppin gets a li'l look. Walkin round at night ain't safe. He looks maybe too normal. So bein out late's kinda odd. Bella keeps walkin. But now she headin fer the bench too. Ev'rybody gets tired sometime right?

Looking up from the bench, Marek continues to munch, his lunchbox set at his feet so that he can wipe some grease off of his hand right by the dulled 'Pro-Tech' insignia above what is presumably his name: Marek W. There's a lot of vehicular traffic about, enough to keep his tired eyes interested. Perhaps a short and homely girl receives a look, but little else.

Bella ain't pretty 'n ain't big. But she can smile Ok. "Heya mister. Spare somethin fer a girl lookin fer a drink?"

Fortunately, Marek knows who Bella is. In a way. "No thanks, but you can probably pick up a guy at the Nightingale if that's what you're looking for. Bench's open, though." He gestures to the large open space next to him, checking on other people passing or loitering in the area.

"Aww. Bein stingy huh?" Bella plops down onna bench. Grins bigger. "Even if I ask all real nice?" Uh oh. Now he's got big beggin eyes lookin his way. Ok. Sorta beggin. Don't work quite right when she's still grinnin.

"I don't know, maybe if I offer you something to suck on for a few bucks?" Marek suggests with a raised brow. "Where're you coming in from?" His half-burger is waved north, then south, then toward the River Walk. "Been seeing anything interesting?"

Bella perks up. Grins even bigger. "Really? Can do that." She winks too. Then shrugs. "Nothin interestin yet. Sides you." She points a finger at him.

"Thank you for considering me interesting," Marek says with a wave of his burger. "I guess sometimes nothing interesting's good though, right? As long as it's not just that you're overlooking something." His hand is once more wiped on his overalls. Apparently he decides not to further pursue public fellatio. "Some things are hard not to spot. Others? They can hide, if they want to. Like bein' in the factory, gotta be watchin' where you're going all the time.

"Don't think I missed nothin." Bella shrugs. "But maybe. 'N course yer interestin. Mostly cause ain't really nobody else 'round." Now she's smirkin. "Whatcha doin anyways? Ain't safe just walkin round at night. Lotsa nasty people 'round."

After a moment of consideration, Marek shrugs one tired shoulder and nods semi-randomly. "There's still people out. Just not as many. 'n they can't all be bad out stealing and killing, not out here in the city. Maybe in the 'Dregs, sure, but not here. Even the PD's notice that." There's a vaguely southwest tone in his voice, and a weariness that a thirty-year old man shouldn't have. "But thanks, I suppose it's nice to be interesting, s'long as the right kind of people are the one's being interested. Lotta bad stuff happening that I don't want any part of. How about you?"

Bella quirks a brow. "Bad stuff like what? Try 'n stay outta mosta that kinda shit most times. Ain't healthy ya know. But guess I'm interestin. Mostly ta the wrong kindsa people."

"Try makin' friends with the right kinda people?" Marek eyes Bella over his burger. "You know they got gangs 'n shit down 'n the 'Dregs? S'not right. Man tries to make an honest living making armor plate, hot as fuck, dangerous chemicals. Gotta shell out the whole damn wad when it comes time for rent. Why ya think I eat this stuff?" He waves the burger semi-angrily in the girl's direction. "But yeah, yeah. I don't get it. People say they hate it, right? The som'tn happens, they don't say shit. Just let it go. Piss you off, too?"

"Got gangs ev'rywhere." Bella shrugs. "People're like that. Killin people fer creds. Fer food. Fer fun. Killin fast 'r slow. Happens alla time. Long's it's Ok witha right people ain't no big deal."

Marek bobs his head, possibly resigned to the fate of the world. He spits to the side. "Prosek. Fucker drives ev'rbody here, they get into 'Dregs faster'n they can handle it, BOOM. Quarter of the city's just a lawless shit-hole. Gotta dream of the day when someone strong enough, or enough people getup the balls to raid city hall, overthrow the Council's fat asses and do som'tn about it. Those vampires, they're smarter 'n the city is."

Bella grins at that. Pretty big. Fangy big. "Kinda looks like't don't it? Course dunno 'bout somebody just takin over. That kinda pisses people off."

"Yeah. People don't like change. Even good change, people don't like it." Marek looks around as if he was hopping to find a bottle of beer, but finds none and frowns. "People with lots ta lose with change 'r the ones who like it the least. Kinda wonder who lost the most, right? Maybe if a guy was tenacious, or stubborn, or too fucking stupid for his own good, he might find 'em, get 'em to pitch in 'r som'tn." It's nighttime, and Main Street is still busy. At one of the city-provided benches sits a man, clearly a factory-worker, from a distance, and a girl. There seems to be some bit of conversation going on.

"Heh." Bella snickers. "Know a guy like that. Mostly stubborn 'r too stupid fer 'is own good. But dunno who's losin what. Maybe ev'rybody. Ev'rybody wants somethin. 'S losin somethin sometime."

Marek snorts. "Yeah, well, stupid people 'r ev'rwhere. Usually ends up that ev'rbody loses, right? Someone steals a truck, they chase 'im down, trash the truck to get 'im, then expect lotta bull to thank 'em. No thanks." He kicks his lunchbox, which rattles around on the ground. "Trick's ta catch the guy without blowin' up the damn truck, but not gettin' killed doin' it. See, nobody wins. Maybe a dumb stubborn guy'd find a way 'r som'thn."

Bella smirks. "Betcha somebody stupid 'nuff finds a way ta get hisself dead. It'sa not gettin killed part people ferget 'bout. 'Til it's way too late. Kinda like they sorta just blow up ev'rythin."

"Maybe somebody'd find the right people? Not blow't up too bad, settle things down in the 'Dregs? That'd be a nice right thing, wouldn't it?" Marek pauses for a few minutes to finish off his burger and wipe off the grease, this time his pants being the target. "Killa bitch, keep't open, people who're pissed off by 'er like 'im for bein' only stubborn guy ta do it? Guy like that, if he'd managed to do that, could really clean things up, wouldn't you think?"

Bella shrugs. "Nope. Ain't thinkin that. Thinkin he just get dead. Maybe getta buncha others dead too. Maybe piss 'em off. Stir shit up. Make 'em take it out on other people."

"Don't think a guy'd be able to find the right people? Cuz if ya just blow up the whole thing, people're gonna be coming after a guy anyway, for blowin' their shit up. Nobody likes nobody." Marek stamps his food, then scratches behind his ear. "But doin' it right, knowin' the right people, that'd keep more problems from happenin' afterward. Y'know no empty hole left fer someone else ta come 'in take over. Kinda like, if the guy knew those people ahead'a time, might even help 'im out."

"Oh. Sure. Can maybe find good people. Ain't easy though." Bella smirks. "Maybe just getta buncha good people dead too. But if it's all worth it." She just shrugs again. "Bein all stubborn 'n stupid ain't good alla time. Means friends gotta get tough right back." She eyes him. Perks up a brow. "Thinka guy like that'd still be all ready ta go start shit with broke legs?"

Marek smiles wearily. "I think a stubborn guy like that us'lly has som'n ta get people ta help out. Don't always gotta be tellin' 'em its ta do a good thing. Ever'body's got som'n they want, an' a stubborn guy might know how ta play with it, long's he's not intrested 'n gettin' rich himself. Think that after all this time that she shit's been happn'n out in the 'Dregs, maybe a guy'd like that might already know people who know people who are the ones that count. Y'know?" He coughs twice into his hand. "I dunno, I just slap slabs of armor together. But fuck, been long enough. Never know what a guy with time like that might've already done with the big people, y'know?" The young man look across the bench.

Bella smirks. "Ever find a guy like that we better watch out. Get outta 'is way 'r somethin. Ain't never seen nothin even close yet." A shrug. "But wouldn' make no matter. Can blow up alla fackin Dregs. Still be there. Still be shit goin on."

The factory worker smiles. "Hell, never know. Ya get the right guy with the right people behind 'im? Could make a big change, even if'ts only a little corner, right? Kinda funny that way, really. Find a man like that? Fuck. Could sit down right next ta ya, goddamn future of a little bit 'a hell 'n 'is hands already, ya might not even know it." Marek wobbles his right hand. "Never know."

"Never know." Bella nods. Grins at him. "Ain't gotta be no man. Maybe a woman. Know some'a 'em that changed stuff. 'R workin on it." A li'l shrug. "But like ya said. People're scareda it."

Marek stretches and looks like he's getting ready to leave. "Well, ah... I gotta git. Laundry, sleep, get to work again tomorrow. I bet if someone like you went 'n hit up a nice spot like the Nightingale, you might find a interesting guy. 'least, someone different. Stubborn type guy maybe hangin' out somewhere nice for a while."

Bella grins s'more. "Go 'n git then. 'N stubborn guys're easy ta find. They're all over. Even in nice places."

With a nod, the messy Marek makes a noncommittal grunt, grabs his lunchbox and heads south again. Not always a necessity to be real nice to strangers.