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.

Comments

[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.

[runningred]

Jay feels Sherral's arrival, and with it the strange rush of warmth that goes with fighting with someone else. Someone who he trusts.

The guys Sherral sends flying panics and runs, startled by the wind that sends him crashing against a wall. Jay growls and touches the guy he dancing with, a blade flashing in the guy's hand.

Someone who knows Jay as well as Sherral does will recognise that he's enjoying himself, perhaps a little too much.

[fluffiest_archadian]

"Chronos Hyacintho Stop Faram," Sherral says, and flings the spell after the fleeing man. If it lands, it'll stop him dead in his tracks, leaving him frozen in a running motion until it wears off.

Then he turns his attention onto another of the men, raising his hands and throwing sharp, quick punches. He's keeping an eye on Jay, though: He doesn't want to risk Jay getting stabbed, after all.

Or, for that matter, Jay killing the guy he's fighting.

[runningred]

Jay's at no risk of getting stabbed. Or killing the guy. If anything, he's playing, Like a cat with a mouse. Finally he grows tired and puts the man on his ass, knocking him out neatly with a single punch.

He sighs and shakes it out before turning to start dealing with the young man's wounds. It's clear the couple are more than a little freaked out.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral knocks out his own guy and then takes a moment to secure both of them, fastening them to a wall with a murmured spell. He's not got any intention of letting them go.

"How badly is he hurt?" He asks Jay, nodding at the man's wounds.

[runningred]

"Bad enough." Jay mutters darkly, binding the wound swiftly. It's hard to tell who the couple are more afraid of - the bad guys or their rescuers. Jay's body language is tense so it's clear he's seen this sort of reaction before.

He tightens the bandage and looks the guy in the eye. "Stay here. I'm going to call for an ambulance." He turns away, touching his ear and speaking in rapid code.

The girl turns to Sherral, tears streaming down her cheek. "Who are you? Who is he? What do you want with us?"

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral's not entirely sure how to deal with any of that.

"Try to stay calm, ma'am," he says, in clipped tones, glancing quickly over at Jay. "We'll have help here for you soon."

[runningred]

Black and red striped tights dangle from the ledge above them. The woman wearing them is making an effort to look nonchalant but has the same tightly wound spring posture as Jay "Hmm, I don't know you. And I really don't like not knowing people on my turf."

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral looks up, and bites back any comment on how she looks kind of ridiculous, at least to his eyes. Different world, after all.

"That's unfortunate," he says levelly, and inclines his head a little. "I'm a visiting friend of Jay's. We hadn't intended to get involved in any crime-fighting, but we heard the noise. Would you have rather we went on our way?"

There's just the barest hint of a sharp edge to that last question.

[runningred]

"Back the fuck off, Squire." Jay comes back before Beryl can answer, looking up at her with a faint growl. "This was meant to be my night off. Ambulance is on it's way and so are the police. Your problem now."

He rests a hand on Sherral's waist and steers him towards the street, folding back his mask once they're out of sight. He doesn't speak for several blocks. "Sorry about that."

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral rubs the back of his neck. "I probably should have tried to be nicer. My apologies."

[runningred]

Jay's thundercloud mood breaks with a soft laugh. "Oh hell no! Personally I wanted to drag her down by her stupid, fucking pixie boots and given her a thrashing for being a dick. Beryl forgets to be nice when other people are doing her a favour. Or her job."

[fluffiest_archadian]

"I presume she's who you're working those drug rings for?" Sherral asks, cocking his head.

[runningred]

"She is." Jay mutters, pushing his hair back. "I don't know about you but I need a drink."

{coo: sorry, been a rotten week.}

[fluffiest_archadian]

[No problem. I hope things have improved, or will soon if they haven't.]

"I won't turn one down," Sherral says cheerfully.

[runningred]

Jay steers them towards a bar he doesn't mind, and old place with dark wood and their ground in beer smell. It also has a view of the sky from the rooftop beer garden as Jay finds the low ceilings and confined spaces unnerving. "Here's to strange cities and ungrateful idiots."

{ooc: thank you! Things are starting to come good, hopefully.}

[fluffiest_archadian]

"To strange cities and ungrateful idiots. I still need to take you to Rabanastre. Properly, I mean, not for any kind of mission."

[runningred]

"I'd take you to Gotham but-" He shakes his head. "I don't mind missions. I'm not well suited to..." He gestures to the normality around them. "Never have been."