Exploring London with Sherral

[runningred]

Jay opens the door out into a very expensive hotel suite. "Let me just grab my own gear." He gestures towards the balcony and the view across the city.

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[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral gives Jay a quick nod and settles against the balcony, looking out over the view.

It's - different to Rabanastre. There are many, many more lights, and more metal and plastic and glass where Ivalician cities are all stone. But the skies are less busy, even almost empty without the crowded airship traffic.

[runningred]

Jay straps on a belt of his own, a set of goggles resting in his head.

He comes up behind Sherral, carrying a second set of goggles for him. "It's impressive, isn't it? Very different from my city. London is older. It feels like it has deeper roots." He wraps an arm around Sherral's waist, looking over his shoulder.

[fluffiest_archadian]

"The skies are a lot less busy than I'm used to," Sherral says, taking the goggles. "But it's bigger and brighter than any city I've been to."

He angles his head a little so that he can look Jay in the eye, curling one arm back to brush through the other man's hair.

[runningred]

"The planes run out of a couple of small airports on the edges of the city. The idea is to keep things quieter here. It's a very old city. Nearly 2000 years old. And like any place that old, it's grown and spread, cannibalised itself, been knocked down and bombs and built itself back up again."

He leans into the touch with a slightly sad smile. "It's too wild and old for my tastes."

[fluffiest_archadian]

"You prefer newer cities?" Sherral asks, cocking his head.

[runningred]

He shrugs. "Just homesick, I guess." He tries to make it sound like a joke but there's hurt there. He'd love to be showing Sherral Gotham but it wouldn't be safe for either of them.

He shakes it off. "So, where first? Touristy things, fine dining or the rooftop tour?"

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral laughs. "Well, we're all dressed for climbing, so it'd make sense to start with the rooftop tour, I should think."

[runningred]

He smiles and steals a long kiss.

Behind them is an easy path to the rooftop, a good climb to start with. The view only gets better the higher they go. "Are you okay using the jump line?"

[fluffiest_archadian]

"I should be. It's been a while, but I've used one before," Sherral says, following him.

[runningred]

"We'll take it slow till you've got a feeling for it." Jay takes him up onto the roof and casts his line to a nearby building. "It's a pity this place had underground trains. I'd love to take you train surfing."

He takes a slow swing to a lower roof, waiting for Sherral to follow.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral swings over without too much trouble, testing his footing briefly once he's over.

"Would've been interesting," he says, giving Jay a small grin. "Another time, maybe. Well, another time and place."

[runningred]

"I'll have to find us a city with an good overground train system." He desperately misses Gotham. But he's never say that. "So, beer in Soho?" He points across the river to a busy looking area.

[fluffiest_archadian]

"Aye, that sounds like a fine idea to me. What's Soho like?"

[runningred]

"A bit trendy for my taste but the run to there is good fun. And there are some nice old pubs over that way."

He throws his line again and jumps, flying like he's born to it. He picks a path that easy enough until Sherral's feelings confident.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral picks it up again quickly, although he'll never be as graceful as Jay.

"How long have you been here, then? London, I mean."

[runningred]

"Only a couple of months subjectively." Jay answers between jumps. "After Christmas, I'm kinda... between places at the moment." He lands on a rooftop at least three hundred years old, one foot resting against a gargoyle. "I'm thinking of making a break for Hong Kong next. Once I finish up shit here."

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral peers at him for a moment, but decides not to pry for details. Yet, at least.

"What's Hong Kong like?"

[runningred]

"It's just as old but it doesn't hold it's age the same. It's moved on, constantly revitalised. It's still got it's dark parts, a fairly hefty underground scene. I don't know. Maybe I just need a change."

He swings again. "When I'm finished here."

[fluffiest_archadian]

"You have work here?" Sherral asks, following. "You mentioned a job, a while back."

[runningred]

"This territory belongs to a friend of a friend. She's got an issue with people pushing drugs here. Dangerous drugs. I offered to help her clean things up. I've been working my way up the ranks to find the source."

"Can't say I enjoy it. My mom was a junkie. Playing nice with these pricks just to find the next boss up is a maddening but it's what I said I'd do."

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral grimaces. "At least you'll be helping to get them off the street. Sooner or later all that playing nice will pay off."

[runningred]

"I'd really rather it was sooner. The bar's been letting me dump the drugs with her for cash so I'm at least getting the shit off the street."

There's s scream some distance off and Jay's head snaps up in a heartbeat, years of instinct called him to run towards trouble. But he's there with Sherral and it's not his town. The conflict has him almost vibrating.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral notices, watching Jay for a second, eyes flicking towards the source of the scream.

"We should take a detour," he says firmly, after a moment. "Be good citizens and such."

If this was Rabanastre, after all, he wouldn't let the sound of someone screaming pass without checking up on it.

[runningred]

"Thank you." Jay whispers, pulling something from his belt that folds out into at compact form of his helmet.

It means the world to him that Sherral gets it, gets him to know he wouldn't have walked away even if he'd wanted to. He runs towards the sound, throwing his line and jumping before it even grabs, flying on instinct towards to sound.

A couple, cornered in an alleyway. The guy is on the ground with a knife through his arm where he put himself in the way. The girl screaming as three guys try to rip at her dress.

Jay falls on them from two stories up, kicking and punching with brutal accuracy. He trusts that Sherral is following him.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral is, and he lands a moment later, murmuring a quick Aero spell to soften his landing before bringing it up with a flick of his hands and directing the whirl of air into one of the men with another force to send him flying.