New Orleans by Night: The Stroke of Midnight

[B4UTRUST]

Jax glanced at Ally when she made her comment about Rumor making her keep it a secret. He opened his mouth to question her then shut it. Honestly, he knew it would bring nothing but brain hurty to him and he had had enough of that for one night so far.
'You know, if you used your brain more, it wouldn't hurt so much when people told you things.'
'Aint you in my head too? You seem to use it an awful lot!'
'Far more than you do it seems. Something you should remedy before it atrophies...'
'Trophies? Dis aint time for sports!'
'...It seems we're too late.'
'Late for what? We aint even gotten started noways. Can't be late yet!'
'...shut up and pay attention, okay?'

Jax watched Cole's hand signals to Ally, trying to translate them in his mind.
"Dis aint no time ta walk to no massage parla for no happy endin, cheef, plus I dun tink Ally be wantin dat noways. Plus we gotta go after dis der vampire for da old man. And I dun know, but I dun tink dey end up in no 'sagge parlas neither. You sure da old man didn't rattle ya brain up when he be hurtin ya, bra?"

[LadyTevar]

"No, Jax, it's more like he's shaking something..." Ally frowned. "Get that pad out and write what you want to say, or let me and Jax go get my car, ok?"

[Jans]

Cole sighs and get the pad back out, scribbling a quick note.

Are we walking or driving?
And yes, I understand its a bit of a distance. I like walking.

[B4UTRUST]

Jax glanced at the note and shrugged.
"Ally and I are gonna go get her car. You can wait here or start walking, either way she'll pick you up. But we need to get goin, ya? So my number is 523-1533. Call or uh...text whateva ya decide ta do. Ally, ya ready girl?"

Jax walked over to his bike, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket. He grabbed the helmet and mounted the motorcycle. After starting it up he revved the engine once, twice while holding the helmet out in Ally's direction.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Ally said as she turned to follow Jax to the bike. She gave Cole and Eddy a short wave as she grabbed the helmet and slid it on. She mounted the bike behind Jax, smoothing her skirt down to make sure she was still decent and wouldn't accidentally flash anyone. She tried to repress a smile beneath the helmet as the rumble of the engine passed through her. Leaning forward she wrapped her arms around Jax's waist.

Jax felt her arms tighten around him and turned the bike to get back on the street. He barely heard Ally's call of "We'll be back soon," as he gunned the engine and took off heading back towards the square where he had met up with Ally at the night's start.

[Jans]

Cole flashes a thumbs up and a grin as they leave.

As they move off he turns to Eddy and gives him a searching once over, then raises an eyebrow expectantly.

[SirNitram]

"I don't know what you expect me to say." Eddie commented simply. "I'm just here to keep you lot out of serious trouble."

[Dark Silver]

Jaxon and Allison had little trouble reaching the crowded French Quarter coffee shop from Hermetica Esoterica, making excellent time as the Orphan handled his bike.

Meanwhile, as Cole and Eddie stood waiting in the alley, a old man, dressed in rags with a tattered long coat and newspaper wrapped around his feet walked drunkenly towards them, a bottle of cheap Mad Dog 20/20 held loosely in his hand - the old drunken fellow didn't even bother to keep it in the brown bag it was sold in.

"scuse me...spare sum change?" the man said, swaying slightly in front of Cole, his breath heavy with the smell of liquor .

[LadyTevar]

"OK, my car's over there," Ally said, leaning against Jax's back to make it easier for him to hear. She had to admit she liked riding with him, there was just something about a rumbling bike and a man to hold onto. It was with a little reluctance she swung herself off the bike and handed him back the helmet.

"Meetcha back there in a minute, ok?" she said, grinning at Jax as she dug out her keyfob and unlocked her car.

[B4UTRUST]

"Uh, actually, I'm, uh, Imma goin go on head o'er der. I might know few people I maybe be able ta talk at. Be a lil easier if there aint so many people round, ya? You, uh, got mah numba. So just give me a buzz when you guys git over der."

What Jax wasn't saying was that the people he was going to talk to were the people like him who lived out on the streets. The homeless were invisible to most people, background noise that faded out. But they saw things that most missed. You had to pay attention to your surroundings when you were out there. Had to notice who was around you. You learned to spot the predators and avoid them. You also learned that regular society people weren't your friends. Some would pass you a few bucks or a sandwich but most would just as soon spit on you or ignore you. Jax was the street people, he knew them. They might talk to him and he'd have a better shot if he wasn't walking around with the others.
'And you're sure it's not just that you're embarrassed for the others to see you in your natural element?'
'What you talkin bout?'
'The girl, you idiot. The others wouldn't matter. You just don't want her to see you like that.'
'She know me, she fine wit it.'
'You sure it's not just pity? She's a successful woman with a good career. You're a orphan living in a storage unit rented under a fake name. You are absolutely her type. Poor, dirty, drugged out and probably insane. You just want to go without the others so she doesn't see you for what you really are.'
'Ya really are a buzzkill yknow?'
'So you've said, yet you don't bother arguing my points.'

Jax sighed and pulled on the helmet, waiting to make sure Ally got in her car safely.

[LadyTevar]

Ally paused, looking back at Jax in surprise, before grinning widely. "That's a *Great* Idea!" she enthused. "We need all the help we can get, and if you know folks that can help, that's going to save us a lot of time! I'm guessing they're not the type to like questions, but you're not Cops or Strangers so they'd talk to you and tell you things they'd never tell me!" She bounced in place, which was a sight into itself. "You are fantastic! Get going, I'll grab the others now and you can get back with us once you find something, ok?!"

She rushed into her car, throwing her seatbelt on before blowing Jax a kiss. "I'll tell the others about your great idea, and we'll start at the clubs in the area, ok?"

[SirNitram]

Eddie was not, as a rule, without sympathy to the homeless. He had lived with Bone Gnawers for years in London, and he himself was more squatting with legal papers than owning a home. But this man, with his cheap booze and slurred speech, was somehow off. He turned his pockets inside out, showing no money of his own.

[B4UTRUST]

Jax watched Ally's bouncing and was momentarily distracted by the display. He felt certain parts of his clothing get a little tighter and had to adjust the way he was sitting on the bike to compensate.
"Oh, um, ya. I see you o'er der, Cher!" he called back to her, giving a little wave. Once she had pulled out he reached down and readjusted himself again and shook his head. He pulled back on the throttle and headed over towards the square to see if he might be able to find some people to help him.

Once he got over in the area he found the parking lot of a bar that was close to full. He could hide his bike in the crowd for a few hours without having to worry about it being towed by some pissed off owner. He parked near the back of the lot where there was still some space, making sure not to take up more room than he needed. That was a surefire way to get someone pissed off at you and the last thing he needed was some drunk ass in a pickup tying a chain around his bike and dragging it out of their way. That had almost happened to him once and it wasn't something he wanted to deal with again. His motorcycle parked and keys in hand he hit the street moving away from the crowded bar to find the dark corners and alleys where the less fortunate would be looking to bunker down for the long night. Away from the crowded bars he'd have better luck since most homeless didn't want to get hassled, mugged, or worse, attacked by drunks looking for cheap thrills. When you were out here you had little to nothing and every scrape and bruise was a serious medical problem waiting to happen. You took care of yourself as best you could and didn't take unnecessary risks, and that meant avoiding potential predators before they found their prey.

He knew where he would hide out for the night and places where he had done so in the past. That's where he'd look first, and maybe someone had seen something. But first things first. He ducked into a convenience store and drew the max cash advance off one of his credit cards that he had gotten under a fake name. Snapping the card after he pulled it out of the ATM he tossed the two halves into the trashcan on his way out. He set his cellphone on vibrate, stuck it in the inner pocket of his jacket where it would make less noise. Running his fingers through his hair to muss it up he headed into the shadows, small amounts of his money distributed in several pockets. Here was hoping for some good luck...

[LadyTevar]

There was a law somewhere, that the faster you wanted to go somewhere, the slower the traffic. Ally estimated another 10min to get back to Eddy and Cole. Until then, she waited at the stoplight with the rest of the evening traffic. Booooring!

[Jans]

Somehow that answer pleases Cole, and he gives Eddie a closer look over before turning to the man approaching them. He observes the vagrant for a brief second...

Cole slaps his thigh loudly, as if suddenly thinking of something; though a more observant soul might notice he does it to get the man's attention more than anything else. He roots around in his pockets for a moment before pulling out three heavily crumpled singles out of the right, two quarters, a dime, and a few pennies out of the left. He grabs the man's hand and presses the lot of it on him. With a bright grin that doesn't seem to notice the smell, he gives said hand a firm but not forceful pump.

[Dark Silver]

The bum took the cash, his hand wrapping around the bills and coins eagerly, as the dirty face seemed to ripple for a few precious moments, before rearranging in it's previous format.

"He Devour you son" he slurred, as the breath changed slightly, the smell of rotted meat tinging the alcoholic smell ever so faintly...as his the bum's hand wrapped around Cole's with immense strength. The bum held the mage's hands tightly, his lips twisting slowly into a rictus grin, just before he threw Cole over his shoulder and down the alleyway.

[SirNitram]

"Well, this is what I guessed might happen tonight." Eddie grunted, before his hand.. Wrist up, in fact.. Rippled, then shredded. The skin fell away, leaving scales and five horrific claws extended. (Partial shift; Metamorph merit gives me 4 automatic successes to all shifting.) He lifted the weaponized arm and faced the bum. "You really shouldn't have done that, punk."

[Jans]

Cole flies through the air, and even has a moment to enjoy it before old man gravity tries to reintroduce him to the ground. He lets his training take over, tucking his limbs in, shifting his shoulder forward and his head away. The roll wasn't the most graceful of recoveries, he hadn't exactly been expecting the old man to display freakish strength, but he comes up with gun in hand anyway.

With a quick glance over the alleyway to asses his surroundings Cole drops his left hand to his belt and draws his knife as well,
leaning into the wall and covering Eddie with the pistol. The alleyway was a boon, no-one to see a drawn firearm in the middle of the city. Muzzle flash might give him away, noise definitely would. He'd let the other two engage first and decide from there what to do. A strike from behind with the knife had served for the purpose of taking out a supernatural predator before, and a warning shot might serve as a good distraction. Actually shooting the man... That'd put down a normal man, and maybe a ghoul, anything worse could run the gamut from wounding to simply shrugging it off.

A quick shake of the wrist slips the prayer beads that were his arcane focus closer to his hand. If the bum proved to be a heavy hitter he had a few surprises of his own...

But maybe the man just didn't like being touched.

He could hope, right?

[LadyTevar]

"Ok, this is Not Cool," Ally said, staring at yet another impediment to her progress -- a car wanting to turn left, waiting for the line of traffic to open up to make the turn. Unfortunately, the line of traffic was not willing to end, and Ally was half-tempted to "twink" the odds just to get back where she left Cole and Eddy faster. "I hope they're not walking towards me, that would be Really Bad."

[Dark Silver]

The man grinned a rictus grin, as he threw the money at Eddie. He swayed a bit, the face changing as the flesh shrunk down and the skull seemed to strech outward, into a form of muzzle.

"Master will consume everything...even you" the creature said, even as it leapt onto the wall of the nearby building and began scaling it like a lizard, moving faster than Eddie or Cole could have expected, till he was over the roof and away from the duo.


--------------

As Jaxson walked into the dark places between buildings eyes were watching him. The homeless which were apart of any major metropolitan area, more so New Orleans even six years after the storm, watched him. Many recognized Jaxson as one of their own, but didn't approach, the chill of the night kept the homeless huddled around the barrels and bins which offered warming heat and flickering shadowy light.

[B4UTRUST]

Jaxson could feel their gaze on him as he moved among them. Huddled forms pressed close to the sides of buildings, trying to keep the wind away or draw the last bits of warmth from the stone around them as they all mentally steeled themselves for staying alive another night, to see another sunrise. Sunken eyes, filled with a bone-deep weariness that never went away, watched him from beneath the piles of rags, from behind the flaps of cardboard boxes. There was an oppressive feeling in the air, one of desperation, despair and hopelessness. It sunk into you, into your soul, leaving you feeling empty and cold and drained. Jaxson unconsciously drew his jacket tighter around him, a feeble gesture to ward off the chill that the temperature was only partially responsible for.

He purposely let his gaze drift to the ground, avoiding eye contact with those lurking in the shadows, by the dumpsters and under the blankets. He could hear the subtle movement as people pulled their packs closer to them, holding them a little bit tighter as he came near. It was an instinctual thing, protecting what little you could call your own. Your whole life existed in those packs. To lose one could spell disaster for you. They were leery of him, even though he was one of them. True trust, here, was a rare commodity. It was like a safe place to sleep, or feeling full. Seldom had, because the person sleeping next to you could share their bread with you tonight but rob you blind tomorrow for your blanket. It wasn't always that bad, that depressing, but it could be.

Luck played a big part in survival here. Jax was proof enough of that. But being smart, being disciplined could get you to where you could claw your way out of this, to get back into regular society. It was a hard road and a long one, but it could be done. And you could tell the smart ones, the ones who still held on to hope, or something like it. They laid out on tarps, under emergency blankets, trying to stay both warm and somewhat clean. Their packs probably held things like soap and toothbrushes and even a cheap disposable razor. Things most people took for granted were gold down here.

He paused for a moment in his wandering. Near him he could hear the soft sobs of someone beneath a torn blanket. The small shapeless form made him think that it was a child. Something that wasn't uncommon here. It was worse right after Katrina hit, but it hadn't improved much in the meantime. Runaways made up a decent amount of the people who wound up here. And in the end all the stories were much the same. They came down to a few things like sex, drugs, money, pain and sometimes just plain stupidity. Mommy wouldn't believe you when you told her your stepfather was touching you. Hit you for lying about her new husband. Sometimes it was the parent just walking out, or smoking away their home and their childrens' futures. He fished inside his jacket pocket for his pack of cigarettes and pulled out a fresh smoke. He also palmed the two joints he had in there and put those back in the jacket pocket and grabbed one of the bills out. He kept it folded, slid it into the cellophane wrapper around the quarter-full cigarette pack and tossed the pack so it landed right next to the shivering form. $20 wouldn't make a huge difference to their life, but it could do a lot of good. $20 could buy you a blanket, clothes, food. It could keep you alive for a few days if you spent it right. The cigarettes could be traded for something else you needed. He didn't dare approach them. They were already scared half to death without some stranger coming up to them in the night offering them money. They'd find the cigarette pack, find the money. That was one of the first things you picked up on, on the streets. People around bars would often slip a little cash in their cigarette packs, sometimes even an ID or credit card and toss it, forgetting to pull them out first.

He took a drag off his cigarette and continued further down the alleyways to a courtyard of sorts. It was an open area for deliveries bunched between a few buildings. More homeless were here, more boxes and mattresses and blankets. More people hunched around the ever present barrels where fires roared. They were usually the more 'social' of the homeless, the ones who weren't as leery as others. Making his way over to one of the barrel fires where a group was warming their hands he joined them. He didn't say a word and they didn't either. That was just the way it was a lot of the time. Reaching into his jacket once more he pulled out his flask, unscrewed the top and took a swig off of it. Without a word he simply passed it to his right. There was no hesitation in the others. A little alcohol could warm you up on the inside, dull some of the pain and take away some of the cold. Most homeless people weren't druggies, weren't winos or drunks. Most simply couldn't afford to be. But free booze to take the chill off was a blessed thing sometimes. By the time he got the flask back it was mostly empty. He wasn't concerned about that. He could refill it later if needed. He slid it back into his jacket then held his hands back up to the fire, warming them.

Jaxson looked over the men around him, trying to make guesses as to how helpful they'd be. He coughed, clearing his throat a bit before he looked at the one to his right.
"So, uh, a friend of mine.. I'm kinda lookin' for him. He useta hang 'round this area. Haven't seen 'em in bout a week. Hopin, uh, maybe someone seen 'em round. Name's David, David Butler."

Jax pulled out the picture and held it so the man could see it.
"Any, uh, chance any you seen 'em?"

[Jans]

Cole tracks the man as he goes up the building, but doesn't attempt to take a shot. He frowns and stashes his kit before walking over to Eddie, giving the claws a glance before retrieving the cash and staring at it thoughtfully.

[SirNitram]

Eddie's hand warped and restored itself to normal, as he grunted. "...That's trouble. You any good at sketches or writing descriptions? Some people will need to know about that."

[Dark Silver]

The homeless man crouched near the edge of the roof, looking down at Cole and Eddie, it's body slowly changing as time went on, till it resembled a human lizard more than the bum it was before. It waited for several long moments, till the headlights of a car illuminated the side street, and skittered over the edge of the roof, and out of the sight of the Mage and Shifter...


-----------

The gathered men looked at each other, till the eyes all settled on one man, and it wasn't Jaxson. The man was gruff looking, larger than every other guy who stood around the barrel, his hands encased in moth eaten mittens missing a finger on each, and several holes revealing ashy reddened flesh beneath. The man's beard was bushy in the way one could think of a "Mountain Man" on a TV show from the 60's would appear, and his coat was dingy and worn, "Nice coat you wearing..." he said in a rumbly voice, before spitting some blackish flem into the barrel.

"

[LadyTevar]

The headlights belonged to a low-slung car that looked like a Crown Victoria: wide grill, black polished paint, and angular sides. The classic cop car, for decades. However, it had obviously been decommissioned, for all the stickers and extra lights, as well as the extra antenna for the multiple radios had been removed long ago. Instead odd silvery shallow s-curves shown on the rear quarter panels, while the rear windows were tinted darkly.

"There you guys are!" Ally called out as the drivers window cranked down. "Why are you in the alleyway, looking up at the roof?" she asked, tilting her head and seeing nothing, having missed all the excitement. "I tell you, the traffic today was just horrible! I caught all the stop lights, and the slowest stupidiest drivers in front of me. So that's why I took so long." she continued in her stream-of-consciousness way. "Oh, Jax went off on his own, he's going to talk to some of the street people to see if they saw anything, which I thought was a really great idea, cause we're not really the type they'd trust coming up to them, but Jax knows the streets and knows how to get them to talk."

Ally pauses, looking at the two men still standing in the alley. "Well? Are you getting inside or not? Call Shotgun, Eddie, you need to be up front for the room."

[Jans]

Cole nods thoughtfully at Eddie's question, but doesn't elaborate. He spends a few more moments looking at the money before glancing back up at the roofs, then squinting in the sudden light.

Ally's words get a fairly thunderous frown as he heads for the back seat. Whatever part of her litany disagreed with him isn't immediately apparent, but he fishes a small paper card out of wallet and passes it up front her as he gets in. It states please return to if found and has a street address on the other side of the 10.