-l Barton Town l-

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

((Darn Saturday nights...forums are always so dead on Saturday nights. lol))
((And poor Nat is still racking her brains trying to remember what McGrath looks like. She has an eidetic memory, but when her memory is messed with...yeah. lol))

[Taifu_Takashi]

[ Im about to create an OOC thread for Barton Town so things can be discussed out of character there etc. Im also going to post soon and get involved. I'll elaborate on certain situations aswell as the werewolf epidemic, I have a Assassins guild located under factions on the first page of the thread if McGrath is interested. They specialize in killing monsters and creatures for a price instead of other Gaians making it a bit more legal and profitable. ]

[Taifu_Takashi]

[ The OOC thread has been created, message me there or in a Pm if you have any questions regarding Barton Town or creating plot etc. ]

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

Natalie had so much on her mind today that she had to get out of the house. At home she couldn't stop thinking about what had happened this weekend, but maybe if she got out and did something, she could clear her head a little. After breakfast she decided to take Bogey to the park. Maybe a walk and a game of fetch would do them both some good. She put the little puppy on his leash and grabbed his pooper scooper and a ball, heading out from her home towards the Barton Public Park.

A little while later, Natalie was walking Bogey in the park, hoping that today would be peaceful and that the people they met would be friendly.

arrow Barton Public Park

Bogey
Natalie's dress (She is wearing a red coat over it.)

[Taifu_Takashi]

arrow Barton Town - Outside the Guild Directory/Regulator Barracks

Taifu finished his meeting with the other Barton Royal Guard discussing some important issues and other conflicts around Town before he exited the building and made his way down the cobblestone streets towards the fountain in the middle. Leon was present at the meeting and informed them of the many dangerous factions gaining influence in the general area, including the Werewolves and the Marauders keeping most of the guards alert and on edge, behind the magical walls of Town the BPD police department were protecting their jurisdiction either on foot or patrolling in their vehicles keeping in radio contact with each other.

The former thief wasnt reluctant to do this all on his own and was only following the orders given to him by the Baron to clear his name and save his new friend Kaze from being locked up in the dungeon and executed for crimes they both did not commit. Regardless he was a good hearted man and wanted to help the Gaian's of Barton with so many sinister forces surrounding them attempting to change their humble way of life. He was still wearing the magically infused armor given to him by Leon knowing it would come in handy in dealing with any strong opponents even though a heavy set of armor wasnt his style and a bit clunky making clinking and scraping noises with each step.

He was told a shipment of silver weapons would be delivered to Town soon from the Gambino shipyard on the outskirts to the north and he was supposed to make sure the roads were clear so they could make it here safely. He checked his utility belt around his waist straightening it out before he started patrolling the area making his way towards the nearest exit out of Town letting his eyes dart and survey every detail while the other Regulators exited the directory behind him and took their positions standing guard at one of the four entrances into the Town.

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

Natalie was sitting on a bench with Bogey, racking her brains and trying to recall some details about the guy she'd had that weird chat with the other night. She still couldn't remember his face or his hair color. But she remembered the conversation vividly.

She had been walking Bogey from the doggy daycare to the parking garage where she always parked her car on the days she drove to work, and the murder scene was right on that same street. And seemingly out of nowhere, this guy had approached her and asked her what was the news on the murder. He had on a leather jacket, that she was able to remember, and it seemed a bit more...bulky than what a body alone would fill.

She'd admitted that she didn't know much, and little Bogey, meanwhile, was apprehensive because he smelled blood and because the man made him nervous. Guy seemed to know a bit about the vic, which could have come from rumors...or something else. He also admitted that he made animals nervous, and he started messing with his watch as he crouched down in front of her puppy.

And then, out of the blue, he'd asked her what she knew about Chen Ning. She got the distinct impression that she was being pumped for information, and the guy had attempted to assuage her suspicions by saying that he wanted to thank the cop for solving his sister's robbery. But there was something about the story, and the way the man told it, that made Natalie think he was just coming up with an excuse to sniff around. So she'd done her best ditzy act...and then the guy was messing with his watch again, turned up his collar, and walked away.

"There's somethin' about that watch," Natalie murmured as she sat on the bench with Bogey in her lap. "Probably not even a real watch...but was that what he used to wipe out my memory, or did he do somethin' else?"

arrow A bench in Barton Public Park

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

Bogey sat up on Natalie's lap, smelling smells the way dogs so often did. But suddenly he hopped off the bench and trotted down the path, and Natalie, holding his leash, followed, wondering what the little pup was up to. At first it was just the normal puppy things, like sniffing around and going potty, and even attempting to dig before Mommy made him stop.

But then, suddenly, as they got nearer the entrance, the puppy tore off toward the gate, straining at his leash. "Bogey, what are you doin'?" she cried, deciding on a whim to give the retractable leash a little more slack and see what in the world had gotten Bogey's attention.

arrow Barton Public Park
arrow Barton Public Park, entrance

((It's up to Maybe whether they meet or not. yum_puddi ))

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

Just as Natalie reached the gate after her little puppy, on his leash, had already exited, she heard the unmistakable sound of retching, and she made a face. She never could deal well with puke. Even living at her old place, the Four Colors Cafe, and dealing with Moo the constantly drunk-off-his-keister landlord, Natalie could deal with just about anything except barf. But as soon as she got a look at the hurler, she realized why Bogey had been so hyper all of a sudden. She knew that coat. "Holy smokes!" she murmured.

She concentrated for a few seconds, and even as she was running behind her pup, who was trying to pursue the drunk, a tiny ladybug dropped off of the hem of her dress and fluttered in the air, heading in the direction of the man in the leather coat. The insect looked just like an ordinary ladybug except for the pattern of dots on its back. People who knew braille would recognize the letters "N" and "P" on the creature's back...but the bug was also very good at not being noticed. Natalie had scouted fortresses with these things before. She hoped that the darn ladybug would actually FIND its target this time!

"Bogey, what's gotten into you?" she cried, the very picture of a woman who didn't know what her puppy was doing. Really, though, she had every intention of giving up the chase very soon and letting her little insect spy do most of the work.

arrow Barton Streets--Near Public Park

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

"Bogey, hold up!" Natalie called out. "Mommy doesn't feel like trippin' and ruining her dress today!" Inside, though, she was feeling a mix of apprehension, excitement, and even a little fear. The pup wasn't showing any signs of slowing down, and now he was barking. Bogey usually didn't bark unless it was playtime, he was seeing an old friend who hadn't been around in a long time, or he was trying to warn her about something.

And sure enough, Natalie paused for just a few seconds to catch her breath, and she took a glance at the ladybug on her hand. It was displaying a hologram-like image of an alley, and a drunk in a leather jacket stumbling into the alley. Ohhhhh no, I am NOT following that guy into an alley, whether he's drunk or not. I don't wanna die today, nope nope nope nope nope...

And her little puppy rounded the corner into the alley. CRAP. Natalie groaned inwardly. "Bogey!" she called out. "Come!" She really didn't want to have to collect her barking puppy from the alleyway. If this guy really was the murderer, then he'd have no qualms about hurting her or an innocent animal. She had Bogey's leash in one hand and her phone in the other, to call the police at the first sign of trouble.

But the problem was that the more she looked at the guy, she still just wasn't sure. The coat looked familiar, and so did the thing on the guy's wrist, now that Natalie was getting a better look. And Bogey didn't even seem like he felt threatened by the man, so maybe the little pup was just having a rare day where he wanted to misbehave just for fun. Still, though, going off on a tear like this wasn't in Bogey's nature. But neither was rushing into potential danger. What the heck was going on here?

And Bogey sat down, barking as if to say, "I did good, right Mommy?" Natalie's eyes turned upward for a second. Give me strength... "Bogey, come! Leave the man alone before you get barfed on..."

arrow Barton Streets--Entrance to Alley

[Mademoiselle Alvinette]

Natalie approached the man slowly, still feeling more than a little apprehensive about being alone in a comparatively dark alley with a man who could be a drunken homeless man, or even a murderer. She didn't have any particularly hinky feelings about the guy, but he was wearing the same kind of coat that the weirdo from the other day had been wearing. And why was Bogey so insistent on following this man, even though his collar was yellow now? He usually bristled and growled and stayed away from people who made his collar yellow, because the collar also played some kind of sound effect that only dogs could hear. Bogey did seem a bit nervous, but nothing like he usually did when there was potential danger.

The man's voice, as he muttered, sounded familiar to Natalie too. She didn't know whether she should just turn and run, or call the cops, or try to talk to the man. He was either drunk or ill, and either way, he would need a place to sleep. Natalie's Good Samaritan instincts were starting to kick in, even though she wasn't discounting the possibility that he was dangerous. Whether he was the guy who'd been sniffing around the crime scene the other day or not, his coat seemed a little too bulky to be covering just his body. Natalie didn't dare approach too close, even though she always kept her own gun strapped to her thigh, under her skirt. But she still wanted to help, just on the off chance that he was just some poor unfortunate and not a killer.

"Mister," she said softly, "d'you want me to call somebody?"

arrow Barton Streets--Alley

[Taifu_Takashi]

arrow Barton West - The Zen Gardens

Taifu exited the Town Square to the West and found himself near his old stomping grounds where he used to live and stay in the Zen Gardens when he was still just a wandering drifter. The local botanists and families of asian descent in the area were kind enough to give him a place to sleep and provided him with food, it was kindness and selflessness such as this was the reason he was still putting all of his time and energy into protecting the innocents of Gaia. Just past the gardens was the Zen Village where most of the inhabitants were of Chinese descent making Taifu feel a bit more at home since he was half asian himself though being part Japanese he was somewhat despised by some of older residents. He spoke very little chinese but could understand it and had visited China many times before feeling sort of connection there since he didnt really have a place to call his own drifting from place to place.

Past the Zen Village were the territories of Ninja clan's of Gaia, they were hidden deep in the Forests and far from prying eyes but Taifu was aware of their existence aswell as their influence in the surrounding area. He was more of a Knight than a former Ninja now wearing the the Royal Guard of Barton's clunky but powerful magical armor trying to keep his word and wear the proper gear while doing job's and patrolling the area.