A new chapter, I'm trying to get some sort of script written, even if just a small skit or something for next week, I had something hand written, but I it needed more thought than 20 minutes. Next week though, i will have a script, for now enjoy a new chapter of the story (I don't really have a name for it yet, if you've got an idea send it my way)
3. July 23rd, 2140
Damn, I lost him! And he had the damned Sapphire. Getting away from that oaf in the suit was easy, how tacky, a blue suit. makes me wish I still had eyes to roll. Now, if I were Rojo, where would I go? Think Val, what did the Old Man talk about all the time? He talked about Rojo, calling him "Red," some dumb cat he found, then something about how he missed me, well isn't that just great? Think! A restaurant... or a bar... oh! I believe he mentioned some old dirty Jazz bar, Rosten's? Rojo can't go home, so maybe he'd be dumb enough to go to that bar, of course he has no idea that the Old Man was telling me all about him, so why should he think it's not safe, I'll get there, get my Sappire, and get rid of him. Rojo was one of his favorite humans, that will make this even more satisfying. I dedicate this murder to the late Hex Achord. Love, your old pal, Val.
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It had been a couple hours since the shoot out at his attic room/office, the rain had stopped, Well that's a plus, he thought. James wondered if it was safe to go back, Go back? You're insane! It was already dark, and this part of Grey City was not the best place to be after dark, of course James didn't have much to worry about, he was used to these streets by now, and this was The Colonel's turf, James had helped him on more than one occasion, so it probably wasn't as dangerous for him as for some others. Then it hit him, The Colonel! I could ask him for protection, or at the very least a weapon, in all the commotion and having just woken up James forgot to grab a weapon, not a gun, or a knife, not even that tazer he found the other day, all he knew was to get that Sapphire out of there. Who were those two people? How did the man claiming to be Bass Clef know him? "You are a very bad liar James, you always have been" What did that mean? And that Muerta, what the hell was that all about? Damn, my bed, I paid a lot for that. The only thing he could now do was find The Colonel.
He walked for a mile to the building that was The Colonel's HQ, a four story building that looked like it was made out of garbage, or at the very least old cars and mattresses. All the windows were covered in blankets, any color they once had was washed away, replaced by a grey, although clearly some of the residents had tried to recolor some of them with their own yellow dye. The place smelled like most of the homeless looked, filthy. That's not to say that the place was a shit hole, it just smelled like one, many of the people who lived there were pretty happy, they weren't living like kings and queens, but they were out of the cold, The Colonel protected them, and they had a pretty interesting rent system. Essentially every man had to work for The Colonel, and his army of homeless bandits, and a family got a nice sized garbage apartment. The Colonel saw himself like Robin Hood, except that he looked like a crazy homeless santa clause, a big bearded man in bunny slippers and a filthy trench coat, he wore contacts that made it seem like he was blind in one eye, just one of the ways he came up with to trick people. He united a large percentage of people in this part of Grey City, and they all loved him for it. Surely if there was somewhere he could hide for awhile it would be among his people, he almost already looked the part, he just needed more grey to blend in. He approached the door and knocked three times, a small slit opened, piercing blue eyes appeared. "Oh hello James," said a small woman's voice, it was Clover, one of the tenants living there, she must've been on guard duty. "I'm sorry James but The Colonel is out at the moment and he gave me specific instructions not to let you in." She said shakily.
"What?" James retorted, "Why?"
"I'm not sure James, all I know is that he came home, dropped off this strange violet stone and said that you were not to be let in until he came back, so if you want to wait outside until he gets back, you are more than welcomed to."
A violet stone? Oh please don't tell me he's the one who's been collecting them, does he know that Muerta or Bass Clef? Shit.
"No, I think I'll head out, just, uh, tell him I'll be at Rosten's, I really need to talk to him. Ok? If he doesn't want to meet me there just have him call me there."
"Ok, I'll let him know. James what have you gotten yourself into? The Colonel likes you, but something's gotten him all shook up, please be careful?" She sounded like she was tearing up. Oh right, she's got a thing for me, forgot about that, so sorry Clover, you're just not my type, he thought.
"I'll do my best." And with that he took off for Rosten's, it wasn't too far from HQ, maybe a block and a half? He remembered how he used to take the Old Timer there when he was Undead, cause he could only guess that he was dead now, and he certainly wasn't alive then. People gave him trouble the first time, staring, whispering things about Muertos and he thinks he's better than us. From what James could tell, they were, but they would never say that. This one time in particular stood out to him right now though, mostly because it was the last time he'd been there with the Old Timer, it was, what, a few months ago?
The Old Timer was waiting for him, "You're late, Red" he greeted him. "Yeah sorry, I got stuck on a case." The Old Timer always enjoyed hearing about James' cases, he even helped him out once. James regaled him with the tale of his latest case, "The Councilman's Wife and the Tit Doctor" he called it, it had everything the Old Timer liked to hear about, cheating spouses, angry husbands, dead lovers, illegitimate children, fire, and ice cream sundays. Then he asked James, "Red, how come you ain't settled down and found yourself a nice girl to marry?"
"I've got my reasons"
"Such as?"
"None a your business Old Timer, what about you? You got some Muerta waiting for you somewhere?"
"Ha! Always changing the subject, yeah I got me a Muerta, a real looker too"
"How can you tell?"
"What are you trying to say, we all look alike?"
"Well, yeah, you're all skeletons"
"Good point" They laughed, they were well on their way to their fifth pitcher of beer.
"I met her on the banks of the River Styx, in the summer of 1782. It was a good summer for love, and we had it. Well, Red let me tell you, a marriage can only be so happy for so many centuries, and for the first two, we were pretty solid, then things started going downhill."
"Sorry to hear that"
"Well, that's ok, cause I'm here now, with my old buddy Red, me and Red!"
At that point the owner, Bailey Rosten, of the Grey City Rosten's gave James the look she gave him whenever the Old Timer had had enough.
"Alright time to head home Old Timer"
"Oh alright, I'll tell you more about Val while we walk, that was her name, Val, beautiful beautiful Val"
"That's a pretty name"
"For a pretty Muerta."
James hadn't even realized that he had already made it to Rosten's, he hoped Bailey was there, he did enjoy seeing her these days, gave him somebody to talk to now that the Old Timer was gone. He entered and noticed the usuals, Jimmy the Stableboy, he always smelled like the horses, Karen the "Lady of the Night," she always had great stories, and Brian, the painter, he never said much, but James was the most interested in him, he was always drawing and doodling, and painting, he'd done a few of James and the Old Timer, I wonder if he has any of those still? He sat down at the bar next to Brian. before he could do anything someone sat next to him, a white dress shirt, and a blue coat. Shit! It was Bass Clef.
"Can I buy you a drink James?" he said with a big cat like grin, he caught his prey, James the mouse was at his mercy, he didn't want to cause a panic, what if these people got hurt in the process, where was Bailey? Why was nobody taking note. Right, they have no idea who this man is... Not that I do either. "No, I'm giving it up, I uh, gotta go." James got up and Jimmy the Stableboy closed the door and switched the open sign off. Karen shut off the lights and Brian broke a bottle over James' head knocking him out. "Sorry Mr. Rojo, but if you would've just listened to him, this wouldn't've happened."
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