Riding with Alfred

[runningred]

{from here}

Jay glances across to the monitor on the bench. "We have the garage to ourselves."

He turns back to Alfred. "So how... hot did riding get you?"

Comments

[morethanprops]

"Should we be running?" That's usually the best answer for when being found out.

[runningred]

He shakes his head slowly. "She won't sell me out. Ans if she said it as casually as you repeated, I wasn't a surprise to her. Which means others may know. We safe here but my plans to go home just got a whole lot more complicated."

He downs the rest of the drink. "No, I think we go back to Sasha, tell her the bad news and waste the rest of the night with a particularly pretty young man."

[morethanprops]

"Complications are never useful, but that's a good plan. You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to,"

There are always doors and roads.

[runningred]

"Can't keep running my whole life." Jay muses, slinging his jacket over his shoulder and untying his bowtie, letting it hang around his neck. He still manages to look like a disheveled princeling on a night out.

As they step out onto the street, his head whips around at the sound of gunfire and screams from back the way they came.

[morethanprops]

"It works for me," Moist keeps himself neater only loosening his tie then curses in Uberwaldian at the sounds, "Stay hidden. They have nothing to connect us."

[runningred]

Jay's shoulders tighten ans he strains like a dog in a leash. All instinct and training has him wanting to run towards the gunfire. "The other crews, one of them must have been heavies." Sel will be well gone before anything went down but still he feels the responsibility to do something because he can.

But Alfred is right, he should be walking away.

[morethanprops]

"If you run that way, make it look like you're a guest but I'm staying out of it. I avoid violence,"

But he knows Jay doesn't and he won't hold him back.

[runningred]

He turns to pull Alfred into a kiss. "I won't ask you to do this but I have to. Head for Sasha's, I'll meet you there." He tosses Alfred his jacket and reaches for the mask in his pocket, already running.

[morethanprops]

"Keep as safe as you can,"

He takes the jacket and along the way finds a late night cafe to order some coffee and wait.

Sasha's is dangerous and he'd much rather have Jay with him. While at the party, he lifted a few baubles, a pocket-watch, some tiepins and he listens and watches the crowd as he sips a good coffee. This is a night of parties which means no one looks too hard at him.

[runningred]

It's a good hour or more before Jay comes back his way. There's something different in the way he moves - a little taller perhaps, a little more swagger that slouch. He doesn't spot Alfred at first, expecting to meet him at Sasha's but doubles back a couple of steps to join him.

There's a red mark on his cheek, not quite a bruise but not breaking the skin enough to be a graze. "How's the people watching?" He asks as if nothing has happened.

[morethanprops]

Moist looks him over before standing up and paying,

"Interesting, a few are panicked but not too many. Did you get done what you wanted to?"

[runningred]

"This city has an interesting past. I guess that's why people don't always react to gunfire."

He shrugs and wanders towards Sasha's. "I did what needed doing. Because I knew I could and other people can't. The local police should be collecting the shooters about now."

[morethanprops]

He nods and follows after, its not in his realm at all, "I see."

[runningred]

"Sorry. I know it's not your think." But he looks over to him and smirks. "So? Fumaça? Looking forward to that!" He's definitely a little fired up.

[morethanprops]

"Sasha won't put up a fuss because the job didn't work out?"

[runningred]

"If I don't make noise about the fact she sent us in against the Cat, she won't make a fuss that we struck out. Besides, she would have been more pissed if we'd demanded bounty on a fake." He scuffs his feet and rummages through his pockets. "How did you make out on trinkets?"

[morethanprops]

"A few nice finds, a lot of elegant and quality jewelry. I love people who wear real gold."

[runningred]

"Take them home with you. They'll be easier to sell on there." Jay riffles through his own pockets. Most of his lifts are cash or stoned jewellery that can be remade into something different.

He nods to the door of Sasha's club, the music somewhat more subdued now as the evening wears on. "Ready?"

[morethanprops]

Moist takes Jay in his arms and kisses him, hard and wanting, "Mm, now, yes."

[runningred]

Jay moans into the kiss and holds the door open for him.

Sasha storms at them as they come in, the slow-dancers parting as she comes at them. Jay gently pushes Alfred away from him as Sasha moves to slap him.

"You! You are a fool! Why, why must you make so much noise? I give you a simple job and you makes a mess of it!"

Jay catches her wrist, stopping her just short of hitting him. "We weren't the noisy ones. That started after we left."

[morethanprops]

He leans against the door jamb watching the scene, "Yes, we were discrete."

[runningred]

Sasha pulls her hand back, studying Alfred as if reading his face. "Discreet? I hear gunfire. I hear people are hurt. This is discreet? And I see this one," she gestures at Jay, "I see this one on the news. Don't lie to me, Tinto, I know you. You were gone but you went back!" She sounds almost hysterical.

"Sasha, enough." Jay growls softly, trying to stop her from making a scene. "The Cat was there. She tipped us off that the target was fake so we left."

She glares at Alfred, looking for conformation.

[morethanprops]

"Yes, whatever he did after the job is his business. I'm simply a thief who likes staying alive and likes his kisses. If you don't want anything to do with us then we'll leave,"

Moist moves over to put his arm around Jay, nonchalant because this is only one job.

[runningred]

Sasha huff and steps back, placated as Jay presses a rather lovely necklace into her hand. "You can stay. You are a thief but an honest one. I like that. You take a room tonight."

She eyes Moist closely. "You only like boys, Areia? I know Tinto's tastes and little Fumaça's heart will break if he doesn't get used tonight but I can send up a girl too."

[morethanprops]

"I like both but tonight, Tinto and Fumaca will make me happy,"

In his hand appears a glittering ruby brooch that he gives to her.