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| Hot Cards, Hot Bikes, and Meat on a Stick | |
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| Participants | Gambit Hotwire Jubilee |
| Synopsis | Three strangers 'meat' on the street. |
| Location | Lower East Side |
| Time | January 3rd, 2016 |
| Posted By | Jubilee |
Ah, the Lower East Side. Not the brightest of places in this city… but then again, this city isn't exactly so bright anymore. Especially, well, considering the amount of drama and gigantic robots that are always ready to come bearing down on particular sections of this city. Sections like this one, to be perfectly honest. But as the evening turns to night, there's one particular individual that seems to be quite taken with a particular street light. Nothing too involved or crazy, just using it to lean as he makes his presence known to those that may pass through on this corner. He is, after all, just a random Cajun. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Except for those red eyes. But, in this neighborhood, these red eyes are probably the least of some people's worries.
Hotwire pulls her bike to a stop. She lets out a sigh. Again she is lost. Well, at least she's found a posible place to eat. She parks her bike and looks around. not the best place to be. But she's pretty sure her bike would be safe.
There is a small fwump in the alley nearest the Cajun and a few moments later a young Asian woman sneaks from the entrance and strafes along the side of the building until she reaches the stoop. It is there that she parks herself and swings a tattered pack from her back and rests it beside her. She reaches into one of it's side pockets and pulls out a cloth package. When opened, it reveals itself to be a napkin and in the center are two little delicacies. Meat on a stick. It's almost impossible to say what kind of meat it is. It was given to the young woman quite a number of blocks away.
So here's where things get interesting. There's the sound of a bike. And there's a fwumping sound. Both of these sounds fall onto the ears of the Cajun and he finds himself looking in one direction to see the woman on her bike. But then he's glancing over his shoulder into the alley and spotting someone that's decided to have a meal…. from a napkin. Raising an eyebrow, he finds himself switching positions and leaning back against the pole so that he may see clearly into the alley and still keep an eye on the biker chick… at the same time. "Dat don' exactly look like de best place t' eat, girl." Gambit calls out towards the Asian. "Dere be rats an' everyt'ing back dere."
Hotwire pauses, as she hears a voice. She peers around, seeming a bit jumpy. She looks around now, trying to find where the voice came from.
From her place on the stoop, the teen looks up and parts her lips to say something. Then with a shrug, she gets up and with both hands occupied (one with the pack and one with napkin), she carefully treads a little further out. "Rats are not bad company compared to a police officer, gang member, or …" Her voice drifts off as she looks up toward the skyline. Presumably, she is not talking about the sentinels. The pack is dropped against a wall and the lanky teen uses it as a cushion before unwrapping the meat on a stick once again. Her almond shaped brown eyes flit toward the large bike and then its owner.
[Public] Lucille waves.
Remy catches the jumpiness of Hotwire out of the corner of his eye, which only causes him to smirk a bit. Though, his focus is on the younger girl that looks like she's on the lam. He knows all about being on lams. He's always on it. In fact, they named it after him and a barnyard. Don't ask. "Can't argue wit' dat logic. Some o' my best friends be rats, in a way." Of course, those are the ones that tend to get him the jobs he needs, as well as the cause the trouble for those same jobs, but whatever really works, to be honest. "You been on da' streets long?"
Hotwire cocks her head to the side, mildly curious. She's been on the lam for a long, enough so that's she's tired of it. Tired enough, that it makes her a bit jumpy. She comments in an Arabic accent. "Sometimes that rats are the more trustworthy. Though, not sure how trustworthy a fellow on a street pole can be."
"Hai, I have been walking on sidewalks as long as I can remember, the streets are much too dangerous to walk on." The girl is either evading the question, or she truly doesn't understand it. Her gaze drifts over to the jumpy biker again as she picks up one of the sticks and takes a bite from it. She chews quite thoughtfully for a few moments before swallowing and speaking up to her, "Do you require someone to guard your motorcycle while you dine? I am capable." Is she hustling or making a genuine offer?
"Oh, I know I ain't trustworthy. Ain't ever been. Ain't ever gonna' be. But dat jus' make me easy t' read." Those words are tossed towards Hotwire, though Remy's eyes remain on the Asian for the time being. He's very likely concerned, but he's not about to let that show. Can't let that show. It's weakness. And weakness can't show. "But den, is anyone o' us actually trustworthy? I don' t'ink I'd let somebody I jus' met in an alley watch somet'ing dat's worth somet'ing t' me." Gambit shrugs. "But den, I wouldn't really trust somebody jus' standin' on de corner either."
Hotwire shivers a bit, as the wind blows. She peers at the Asian by the alley. "My bike will be fine. But I speak english alright, I can read but a bit. I am in more of a need of knowledge. In exchange for a good warm meal?"
Looking between her sticks of meat and the woman, then the man against the pole, the raven haired girl licks her lips quickly and folds the napkin around the remaining stick of meat. "What sort of information are you in need of, miss?" She says with a smile, swiftly tucking the napkin back into the side pocket of the pack. It can wait for later… hopefully.
Remy rolls his eyes a little bit, unable to really believe what's going on here. "You gon' give dis girl 'ere a hot meal in exchange for information dat you wouldn't even know was right if she did decide t' tell you da' truth?" Remy chuckles a little bit to himself as he pulls out a deck of cards. Popping them out of the box, he tosses the cardboard and gets to shuffling the cards in his hands. "Ya' more brave den me, I tell you dat right now."
Hotwire shrugs. "I feel it would be a fair exchanged, if she would give me the information. If the information proved right, I might give her a bit more work. If the information she gives proves false, then I am out a meal only."
Jubilation's eyebrows furrow low over her eyes at Remy's words, her dark eyes darting in his direction. "I would tell the truth, I am ever truthful." She raises her chin in a very prideful manner and then purses her lips. "What is the information you require?" Indeed, a warm meal would be nice, as long as the price wasn't too great.
"No one always tell de truth, girl. Dat's jus' de way de world is. Da' sooner you realize dat, de better off you be, non?" Gambit just continues to shuffle the cards in his hands, while he looks from the Asian to the Arabic and then back again. This is going to be an interesting conversation to run commentary on.
Hotwire shrugs, "Not the truth all the time. But what I want is easy enough. I am fairly new in town. I just need directions. Simple easy to follow directions." She's been spending more of her time getting lost just trying find a place that's simply down the block.
Hanging her shoulders in defeat, the young Asian shakes her head and returns to the napkin with the rest of her meal in it. "I am afraid I cannot help you with directions, miss. The directions I could give would not be easy to follow." Slumping back down on her pack, she takes out the second stick of mystery meat and begins chewing on it. It'll do. Really. "Perhaps Red Eye can help you?" She's volunteering Remy, hah!
"Da' name's Remy." The Gambit makes it a point to correct the napkin wielder. After all, he can't have people running around pointing out that he has red eyes all the time, now can he? Oh wait, his eyes kind of do that for him. But his attention is moving from the girl to the woman. "Tell you what I'll do. You give dis girl here da' hot meal an' Remy'll help you get where you need t' be. Sound fair?"
Hotwire nods. "Sounds fair. Shall we go inside? I fear I find it cold out here. I have not yet adapted to land where this is cold and snow."
Standing once again, the young girl places her hands at her sides and bows her head and shoulders to Remy. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Remy. My name is Jubi-Lee." When the woman makes the suggestion of indoors however, the asian hangs back and shakes her head. "I will remain outdoors, if this pleases you." Though her eyes do drift over to the door of the restaurant, she just seems a little uneasy.
"Now don' go tryin' t' get de home field advantage. Everyt'ing we need t' make dis deal is right out here wit' us." Gambit smirks to himself and flips off a card. He twirls it in his fingers and then slides it into the deck. In the next moment he's tapping the top of the deck and flipping it over, fanning out the cards for himself and showing that they are all the same card as the one he just slid in there. Six of Clubs. "I still got it." Not even sounding surprised art himself, Remy looks back at the Asian. "Jubilee. I like it. Remind Remy o' home."
Hotwire watches the man and the cards. She pulls her coat a bit closer. "I am Karam. And if I am going to feed us, should we not go inside? If not, then I guess I could order food." She sighs, and there's a bit of blush. "I but seek where the motel I am staying in is. I went out early this morning to seek other information and I have been seeking my hotel for the last couple of hours."
Jubilee just can't stop watching the cards flipping in Remy's hands, yes, they're just that fascinating. "Where is your home?" Then the jumpy woman introduces herself and the willowy teen gives another head and shoulder bow in acknowledgment. "I am sorry that you cannot find your motel, missy. If you require lodging there is a space that I am familiar with. It is not too cold when there is fuel in the barrel for a fire." The raven haired girl could give directions, but it's nearly impossible to jump from roof to roof with a motorcycle.
"N'awlins." comes the response from Gambit before he folds the pile of cards back to a stack. He tap the deck again and flips it out, fanning to show any and all on-lookers that the cards have returned to normal. How in the heck did he manage to pull that one off, who really knows. A trick is a trick. "You're name got me t'inkin' 'bout Mardis Gras." Remy stares a bit off into space for the moment, proving that he's probably thinking about something more than just the Mardi Gras. Probably thinking about a certain special someone. He's shaken out of his trip down memory lane by almost dropping a card. "An' what hotel might dat be?"
Hotwire smiles at Jubilee. "I have a place for now." She looks back to Remy. "The Charles Hotel. It's not that expensive of a place."
"Nawleens?" Jubilee repeats a little softly, commiting the small piece of knowledge to memory. Mardi Gras, that is something she has heard of, though the thought of it brings a light blush to her cheeks. "My name makes you think of movies where girls lift their shirts?" With a slight grimace on her face, she takes a few paces back from the card flipping man and doesn't stop until the back of her shoe butts against her backpack on the ground. This isn't really the place for a respectable young girl.
"Ah. Da' Chucky. Yeah, I know where dat be. I can show you." Remy smirks a bit, before putting the cards away in his pocket. Of course, he may need those for later, so he commits the pocket to a bit of memory. But then he's smiling at Jubilee. "Nah. Ya' name make me t'ink of de beautiful fireworks we havin' down dere. Dey light up de sky just as much as ya' smile light up dis one."
Hotwire looks a bit puzzled. "I said the Charles. I do not know of a place called Chucky?" She tries to hide a yawn. "So, what of the meal I promise? I will keep my part of deal."
"You like fireworks, Mister Remy?" Then Jubilation smiles brightly, "I come from Chinatown, we have many firecrackers there for you to buy. I can show you." Then she turns to Karam and the smile wavers and quickly fades. "You look tired Miss Karam, are you certain you wish to eat tonight? It is not good to sleep with a full stomach. You might wake up with a pain…" And she points to the middle of her thin stomach, ".. right there."
"Call me crazy, but I trust you." Remy says to Hotwire, since she brought up the whole rest of the deal. After all, he's just trying to be as good as he possibly can. He's up to something Possibly. "I like fireworks okay. But I'll have t' pass on de trip down Chinatown. Remy lke t' make his own fireworks."
Hotwire smiles. "Fireworks. I have seen since I have left my country. I saw them in the beginning of.." she pauses thinking, "July. Very pretty to see." She peers at Remy, "You make fireworks?" She is obviously misunderstanding.
Jubilation is very interested in the answer to this question as well, indicative of the way she leans forward slightly. "They are very dangerous to make." She comments in addition, "When I was young, before, I watched a man make frieworks and he almost lost his hands when his cigarette dropped near the powder." Her own hands are folded nealty behind her back, pinning the tail of her long trenchcoat behind her.
"Can't say dat I do." Remy admits, almost sounding like he wishes he could. Then maybe he could keep the interest of these two girls. "All I remember is dat come Mardi Gras, de fireworks come out and de streets get packed wit' hundreds o' people tryin' t' get a glimpse."
Hotwire nods, looking about her, then back, stifling a yawn. "Talk of fireworks is good. But I would like to eat and keep my promise to Jubilee. I would also like to find my hotel."
"I have eaten my meat on a stick. Perhaps another day we could have dinner. You seem very tired, Mister Remy can take you to your hotel? I can follow so I will know where to direct you if you get lost again." The girl seems a little disappointed by Remy's answer but she gives them both a small smile before hefting her pack back onto her shoulders. With a slight nod, she ducks into the alley. From their vantage point, the pair still on the street should be able to see her jump up to the fire escape on the building and swing up onto the roof.
Remy raises an eyebrow as he watches the Asian girl get up onto the rooftops. "Well. Dat was unexpected." But that's all he has to say about the subject, before he twirls and looks at Hotwire. "Well. I do t'ink dat's our cue." And then he's offering a wink in the direction of the biker chick, before motioning for her to follow. Time to get her to the Charles hotel.
Hotwire mounts her bike, starts it and follows Remy back to her hotel.
