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 Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 12:39 am
ChibiGingi Let me know if I need to edit this post.
One name in trade for another. "Alois. Scholz." He added his last name almost as an afterthought. "If we're going to do zis, I haf' to get rid of this dog." Not every place in town was dog friendly, and he didn't want Tschambes pissing him off while he was trying to play nice. After pulling his phone from his back pocket, he flipped it open and texted a quick message before snapping it shut and slipping it back into its proper location. Unfortunately, now he had to look forward to his sister jumping his s**t for not walking the dog home and bugging her into doing it. That would likely snowball into how irresponsible he is, and unreliable, and character flaw after character flaw until she'd picked away his personality into nonexistence.
If that wasn't reason enough to drink, he didn't know what was.
Tschambes let out a loud grunt, followed by a huff, before he collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk. He wanted to go home; the ground here was hard and there weren't very many dogs to play with over here and it turns out that other pup and his owner weren't all that nice but he didn't know what made them not nice but he also didn't care because his feet hurt and he was bored and his owner was in a bad mood as usual which meant he wasn't getting treats so why bother behaving? In an attempt at early telepathy, Tschambes tried to communicate these thoughts to his owner via a pitiful stare.
Alois knew his sister wasn't far. She'd take no longer than six or seven minutes to reach his location and take the neurotic dog off his hands. Whether she'd do so without chewing his ear off was anyone's guess, but he suspected she'd behave in the presence of a stranger. Since she coveted men in a way, she'd probably try to appear as appealing to Richard as possible, which was a perturbing thought.
He had less time to wait than he expected. Katarin's battered old Acura pulled up to the sidewalk not four minutes after she'd responded to his text. A redhead wearing a summer dress stepped out from the driver's seat and waved curtly to her brother. "Next time, you're walking him home. This is ridiculous." Upon spotting her brother's companion, she nixed the acid from her tone. "I'll pick him up this time, since I was on my way back from the store. Come on, Bibi." She gave Tschambes a broad smile and patted her thighs for him to return to her, and the dog happily complied. Conveniently, Katarin always kept treats on her.
"I'll see you at home, Alois." She waved her goodbyes, and flashed a sultry smile at Richard before leading Tschambes into the car and heading back toward the house.
Without the constant stressor named Tschambes around, Alois could finally relax a little. "Sorry about that." He offered. "I don't sink zat many places are dog friendly. Besides, you don't want to drink around him." Spoken from experience. For some reason, that dog gets even more neurotic around the scent of alcohol, which didn't go over well in his hometown. "Lead ze way."
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 10:45 am
Richard had no objection in Alois dropping his dog back off, though the dog himself had long since stopped grating on Richard's nerves. He hardly noticed the trouble maker in lieu of his slightly unhinged owner and his hostile nature, but he understood Alois' reasoning. However, the place he was going had grown accustomed to Baldwin's presence by now and had Alois brought it up, Richard would have assured him that he could get Tschambes in as well, but he wasn't going to argue with him. "Do what you must. The bar isn't closing anytime soon."
So Richard and the ever patient Baldwin waited, and he wasn't too concerned with Alois' problems with his sister and the headache that she'd cause for the poor guy. He didn't know Alois' sister, and unless she was attractive and had a nice personality to match, Richard wanted little to do with her, but he'd save his judgement for later. He stroked Baldwin's head and neck while they waited, thinking that he'd have to break in some peculiar topics for them to discuss while they waited, but surprisingly enough she was quick. And while her Acura looked like it needed a complete overhaul, she was at least pleasing to the eyes in Richard's taste. He noted her initial venom and how quickly she hid it when she spotted him, and that told him that any thought of dating Alois' sister may have been a risky gamble.
But then again, when did Richard not like a few risks? He kept his thoughts to himself as he scratched behind Baldwin's ears, and flashed her a wink in response to that sultry smile she graced him before she left. He straightened up, just as Alois appeared to be relaxing, and his apology wasn't necessary. "It's no problem at all. I'm lucky Baldwin's so laid back at times, and the bartender rather likes him as well. Now, follow me. You look like you could use a few rounds."
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:47 pm
"You haf' no idea." Alois hated the dog, except he couldn't bring himself to hate the dog. To be precise, he hated the dog's behaviors, and since he couldn't institute any effective behavioral training due to his sister's lax and frankly detrimental policing of their canine companion, Alois had to live with his grating nature. However, since his sister responded so quickly, his primary irritant was gone and he could finally enjoy what was left of his day.
Alois walked behind Richard and Baldwin, keeping them in his sights despite his wandering eyes. He walked with his hands in his back pockets, where he could feel his wallet and cell phone. His gaze darted toward alleys, to passersby, back to the man in front of him. Sometimes he took note of unusual rooftops, but his mind always remained grounded in his current situation. Just because Richard was playing nice now didn't mean that he'd changed his mind about possibly mugging him or arranging some other horrific encounter.
However, he'd never noticed any cell communication from him, so this may be his first opportunity to finally let his guard down. If not, well... The alcohol would ease him into it regardless.
They progressed to a seedy area of town, where Alois figured assaults were a fact of life and the police regularly patrolled the area if they wanted to fulfill their quota of arrests and tickets. No wonder the bartender wouldn't bother with ID... That probably garnered half his business in this cesspool of DC. Still, shitholes still had pretty good drinks, and an interesting atmosphere worth visiting at least once. Maybe he'll get lucky and get jumped after the bar, rather than before.
And it looks like his luck would hold out.
The Busted Knuckle, what looked like a dive bar, was straight across the street from them. It prominently displayed a bloody fist with a tooth sticking out of the wound, though the neon lighting outlining the fist constantly flickered. Its windows were tinted, and various beer companies were displayed as window stickers. The building itself looked fairly old, and unkempt with chipping paint and a warped frame on one of the windows. Maybe someone ran a car through it on one drunken evening. One thing was for certain - no one would visit this bar for its aesthetics, and it was bound to be as shoddy on the inside as it was on the outside. He supposed he'd find out momentarily.
Fortunately, he was pretty far off the mark. The place cleaned up well enough, with simple black and white tile and retro bar stools. It wasn't anything fancy on the inside, and the decor spelled thrift store budget, but overall it didn't look particularly tacky. Strangely, it didn't smell of cigarette smoke; he assumed there must've been a lack of smoking area in there. That was odd for a bar. Still, between the billiards table and the plethora of beers on tap, he'd still give the place a chance. He just wouldn't smoke for a while.
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:29 am
The Busted Knuckle wasn't usually the kind of place that Richard would go before being awakened as a Negaverse officer. The location of this bar was a bit questionable and even a trip during the day would have been out of the question for one Richard Moreau, but he had three things going for him that gave him the courage to venture back into this part of town again. For starters, he had a rather large and therefore terrifying looking dog at his beck and call- if he appeared in danger, then Baldwin would drop his laid back demeanor and jump onto the defense mode real quick. Secondly, he was now a Negaverse lieutenant and was confident enough that, as low ranked as he may be, he could easily take care of whatever troubles came his way. And thirdly, and most importantly...
Alois needed a ******** drink, and Richard was going to oblige. He looked stressed and he needed something to help him relax. What else could help him relax besides liquid that was riddled with so much depressants that it would tranq a horse after a few mugs? That, or it'd make matters worse and Richard would only have himself to blame. If he was this wiled up before having any alcohol, he didn't want to imagine if he was one of those angry drunks.
The thought of a bar fight was fresh in his mind, but the deed was done. They were already there, and it was too late to go back on his word. The moment they entered the bar, Richard paid little attention to the interior- he had been here a few times before, though incognito and heavily 'guarded'. Today was different- all he had was his usual business attire, a well-behaved dog, and a high strung friend that needed to relax. "Harold, give me your best! It's been a long day and my friend here needs a drink!"
Harold, a rather fine looking bartender that didn't fit the outer appearance of his bar, gave a firm nod and motioned to a table in the corner. The bar was empty, but Richard knew better than to take a seat there. A dog at the front of the establishment for all to see? That certainly wouldn't do. "What will you be having?" Harold asked, looking to Alois and not at all concerned about his appearance, nor his age.
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Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 1:26 am
Alois took a seat across from Richard, albeit silently. He didn't think it pertinent to introduce himself or express his enthusiasm to a complete stranger. Richard covered the amiable greeting well enough. It was strange; the man was unnaturally good at projecting a charismatic image. Despite Alois's typically discouraging appearance, he still struck up conversation (despite picking the touchiest subjects) and tried to refrain from pissing him off. However, he got the impression that he found it quite invigorating to spike Alois' blood pressure. At least now he was finally making up for it.
However, the drinks weren't on the table; why the ******** should he act happy to be here yet? It did imply that their abrasive relationship was finally taking a step in the right direction. Richard would make amends via the purchase of copious alcoholic drinks, and Alois would respond in a socially acceptable way by polishing off as many of those beverages as he could. It was only fair.
If anything could turn the misanthrope into an agreeable person, it was alcohol. Perhaps Richard would soon learn this.
When the waiter assailed them for their orders, Alois found himself floundering for words. he stupidly hadn't considered this before entering the bar. Not only that, but he couldn't remember the English names of any stiff drinks, and muttering their German slang names wouldn't do him any good. What a pisser. "Is absinth legal here?" He asked, more to Richard than to the waiter. It was sweet, highly alcoholic, and thus highly approved by him. That was about the best he could manage. He looked to Richard for suggestions, since he couldn't name any familiar drinks himself. "You pick. If it has enough alcohol in it, I'll drink it anyway." It was pretty close to the truth.
Alois placed his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand. What a strange place to be, with even stranger company. He wouldn't have imagined, at the start of their meeting, that they'd be sitting face-to-face at a bar. No, he would've guessed their company would end with Alois walking off with a few bruised knuckles and Richard sporting a shiner. Maybe it was better this way. His only regret was that he had the tendency to let his guard down when booze came into play.
Idly he traced the square tiles embedded in the table, the red ones in particular. "Tell me," He began, gaze shifting to the tiled surface. "Zere must be more to you zan candy and dogs." it was the closest he'd get to asking Richard to explain more of himself. He never drank with strangers, so it was time to ensure Richard wasn't a stranger. The best way to start was to get him talking.
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Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 11:45 pm
When Alois requested absinthe, Richard couldn't help but give him a baffled look, and suddenly, a lot of the young man's issues almost seemed to make some sense to him. If he loved that stuff as much as he loved his bourbon, then no wonder he was about ready to sock people in the eye for the smallest provocation! Baldwin seemed unaware of the implications and actually laid on the ground between them, looking around the place with his tongue rolling out of his open mouth and his tail wagging with delight to be someplace different. Richard looked to the waiter and gave a nod, before ordering his own. "He'll have the absinthe, I'll have my usual."
He knew that drinking anything that wasn't absinthe might as well have been drinking a weak man's drink, but he wasn't expecting to get that drunk today. He still had to get himself and Baldwin home, and being pisspoor drunk wouldn't have boded well if he was attacked by a Senshi on the way home. Best leave that to Alois to handle, Richard thought with a grin.
When asked what more there was to Richard, it took the confectioner by surprise. Considering he was moments away from knocking him out at the dog park, this was certainly a different chance of pace for Richard, and certainly one more desirable to him. Assuming he didn't say something that would trigger his rage again, anyway. "Many things. The candy store is only a means of getting the money I need to live the lifestyle I enjoy. I enjoy parties, night clubs, gambling and the thrills that come with it... there's also other extracurricular activities."
And he wasn't just talking about his sexually active lifestyle. But that wasn't for Alois to know, at least not yet. "And you, Alois? What makes you... you?" Strickenized Gaia ate my first post, so forgive me if this is a little short.
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Posted: Sun May 05, 2013 9:38 pm
ChibiGingi That's ok! I'm kinda glad I never write my posts in the Gaia reply window.
Then there were those extracurricular activities as he so eloquently put it.
"Zat's a difficult question to answer," he replied honestly. Ever since he moved to the city, he found his life altered so greatly that he couldn't easily explain his typical ventures. "I help run a bookstore. Deal wis' my sister." Who probably likes you. "Sings haf' changed since I moved here, from Germany. I guess I'm still finding some kind of... interesting routine." He liked routines. They gave him something to deviate from, which lent to a rebellious sense of satisfaction.
"Lately I'f just been walking zat dog and watching some weird news clips on terrorists." Destiny City sure had a lot of them. "Nossing like zis happened back in Saarland. Americans are strange creatures." Curiously the majority of the terrorists were teenagers, so he surmised they must not be receiving proper intellectual stimulation, or their parents abhorred the thought of actually raising their children. Speculating on it was moot; nothing he said would have any bearing on the events, so why bother? "I need a life if I'm watching zat s**t." He laughed, for the first time in a long time. It sounded strange to him, as foreign as English did, but he couldn't help himself.
The bartender passed by with the drinks, served atop brightly colored coasters, before making his rounds to the other tables.
Absinthe. Why the ******** did I think absinthe was a good idea? He scrutinized the curiously green drink in front of him and stirred it gently with the thin straws protruding from the top of the glass. It would be cheaper in the long run, as one was plenty, and his wallet was still pretty stuffed with euros he hadn't bothered to convert. Unless Richard really wanted to pick up the tab, it was better this way. Alois didn't like the implications of someone else paying for his drinks. Then again, he might just get too shitfaced to care. Considering they hadn't bothered to order any food, getting drunk was an absolute certainty. How responsible of him.
Richard received a much more respectable drink, at least. Bourbon... It was a man's drink. The things he picked? Probably feminine at best. Green apple vodka mixed with cranberry juice, among other fruity drinks. Yeah, whenever he visited bars, the respect meter of the surrounding strangers wasn't exactly high.
Alois took a sip of the drink, and tried to hide his reaction to the strong alcohol quantity. Incredibly stiff, but delicious. Though, he wouldn't have minded if the majority of the drink was ice. That'd save him from being drunk and ruining his reputation by actually being nice.
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Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 3:51 pm
"Strange creatures? Quite..." Richard said, enjoying his bourbon and pretending to be more interested in his drink than what the young man across from him was talking about. Admittedly he was interested in what Alois had to say, about where he came from (which explained why he got so offended by his earlier comment) and other things, but what really caught his interest was the mention of 'terrorists' in the news. His mind immediately shot to Tag Swagger and his recent work with him, and he brought the glass to his mouth to prevent Alois from seeing the way his lips twisted into a rather sly smile. It was only when he managed to get a gulp down that he was able to return to his usual charming self. "We're given all of this freedom, so much that some of us have no idea what to do with it!"
Richard knew what he wanted with his freedom, but that wasn't a discussion for the time being. As far as Alois was concerned, he was nothing more than a playboy that worked at a candy store and then gambled his money away at casinos or a date. Baldwin came to rest his head on his lap, and Richard gave him the attention he desired, scratching his head and ears as he carried on. "Those news clips you're talking about would be a prime example of that."
Then, he added with a soft whisper, his words meant for Alois and Alois alone. "Taking the fight to the terrorist, that'd be an entertaining life, wouldn't you say?"
Perhaps it wasn't the best time to broach the subject, given the type of drink his friend had ordered and the already foul mood he was in. But what was Richard if not an opportunist that liked to skate on the edge of danger? He couldn't think of a greater method of using that raw anger he had seen in Alois than pitting him against the senshi threat, and while he could not be the one to awaken him, he could at least get the ball rolling. Assuming he was interested in that sort of thing. It was, ultimately, up to him to decide- would he understand Richard's proposal, or would he think Richard crazy? He continued to pet his dog, hoping the act would be enough to hide how eager he was to know the answer soon.
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Posted: Wed May 08, 2013 5:18 pm
Alois had the sneaking suspicion that Richard wasn't paying attention to him. Why ask about him if he was going to be disinterested in the answer? That bourbon must've been goddamned delicious for him to simply glaze over like that while hearing the story of a foreign transplant. Being from Germany wasn't interesting enough, apparently. C'est la vie; what was he going to do about it?
However, Richard may have been right about Americans being given too much freedom. When the redhead leaned in close and commented on retaliating against the terrorists, Alois couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't at Richard, or his comment, he was just starting to become... personable. "You're talking about some sort of COIN operation? Like Israel and Palestine? What, you aren't planning on suicide bombing them, are you?" Though Richard didn't seem the type for such things; it'd do much more than simply mar his face. No, the man seemed largely interested in himself and things that benefitted him, as evidenced by his disinterest in Alois' previous explanations.
The more he thought about it, though, the more it reminded him of previous instances in history where people took on a similar approach. Of course, there were more than a few movies made on the subject. From the urgency of Richard's words... was he in on something like that?
Maybe it was just the liquor talking. Speaking of which, he took another sip.
Alois sat back and eyed the other man with a much less severe expression. "I don't figure you ze type," he commented plainly. "But, you can still surprise me." He wouldn't have figured a confectioner to be a player, but stranger things have happened. People were surprising creatures, when he had enough alcohol in him to take interest in their actions rather than offense. Or was he offering such a role to Alois? That would've been an odd proposal indeed. Sure, he was ornery and volatile, but he was never one to act in the people's interest, if his criminal record was of any indication. However, he was fairly sure he had a clean slate in the States. Did he want to ruin that with some charming schemer in the middle of a dive bar?
Why the hell not? It wasn't like his actions had any effect on the grand outcome of things. "I'd do it if i had the opportunity. Beats ze s**t out of wasting my time in a bookstore, or harassing strangers at a dog park." He flashed Richard a wry smile. Alois would've petted Baldwin with his foot, but he wasn't sure of how the dog would react. It wasn't an aggressive breed, to his knowledge, but the conflict between the two might be enough to instigate an adverse reaction. "I gazzer zis isn't entirely hypothetical, is it?" Hopefully he wasn't saying such things to lure people into bed, or he'd be the loneliest man in the world. Then again, his charm might be his saving grace.
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Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 2:53 pm
On the contrary, Richard was very interested in Alois and his home. He had visited Europe a few times in his life but he never stayed long enough to consider the option of living there. And of all the places he went to in Europe, Germany wasn't on his resume, but perhaps he'd have to make a visit there. Maybe get a few pointers from his friend here.
Yes, friend, because Richard was determined to make this fellow his friend in some manner or another. He simply had to keep the peace, and if keeping him drunk or assisting him in finding a good outlet for that aggressive energy of his. He openly chuckled at the notion of him being part of a COIN operation, and Richard was quick to wave off that theory. "Oh please, I enjoy the joys of life to throw it away over something as foolish as that. Besides, what good will that do? Besides tarnish my reputation and ultimately do nothing but cause pointless death and civil unrest?"
He shook his head, taking another sip and grabbing a pretzel from the tray on the table and tossing it at Baldwin. The dog gave it a curious sniff before munching down on it, his tail wagging and hitting both Richard's and Alois' feet. He wasn't distracted by his dog's mannerisms, though, and decided it was time to cut to the chase. "The opportunity may present itself soon, Alois. There is more that goes on in this city than most life-long citizens can ever hope to realize, and most of those choose to become sheep, rather than take the staff and lead the herd. I chose to be a shepherd. What about you, Alois? Sheep? Or shepherd... or, heaven forbid, the wolf that threatens the flock?"Strickenized Sorry for the delay! Finals hit and my brain was moosh.
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Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 10:06 am
ChibiGingi it's alright! brains are for zombies anyway
It didn't matter, though. He sipped his drink once more and watched Richard amusedly. Alois tried to listen to the small speech and take it at its face value, but he found it more and more entertaining. He couldn't help but laugh when Richard's spiel reached its conclusion. "It sounds like you're offering me ze ability to become a superhero. Let me tell you somesing, Richard. I am sure you'f noticed it yourself. I don't care about anyone else. Why would I want to 'become a 'shepherd' and save all zese people from terrorists? Seems too risky, and not enough in it for me. As for you... I am surprised you call yourself a 'shepherd' at all. If you're as lecherous as I sink you are, you don't really fit the part of people's hero. No offense," he sat back against the chair for his next response. "You'f probably come up wis' a way to use zat and chase tail."
Alois purely wasn't interested in signing up for the cause and defending Destiny City, a city that he barely knew, against its terrorists. They could keep on terrorizing the place for all he cared. If it got bad enough, he'd simply pack his bags and head back to Germany. It wasn't like his parents needed him here, so why the hell not? People were a scourge on the face of the Earth; a few dozen deaths from terrorist activity was probably a boon.
"You're an interesting man, Richard." An unusual one, to be certain. "But be careful who you talk like zat to, or you're bound to get your face stomped in someday." He grinned. It was about as close as Alois could get to a brotherly word of advice.
After finishing his drink, he stood and stretched, albeit slightly off-kilter. "I haf' a feeling I'll be seeing a lot of you," especially given the fact that he had an atrocious sweet tooth. "Maybe I'll find your shop, but I won't bring Tschambes next time. Yours is far better behaved." And Richard had better cherish that compliment; those didn't come easily from him. He was about to leave the table, but he paused and looked over his shoulder at Richard. "As for your question... I'd razzer burn dem all to de ground." He offered a smile. "Maybe next time it'll be me buying you a drink."
Alois stooped down and rubbed the back of Baldwin's neck in a silent goodbye, then started toward the door. He gave a quick wave without looking back at Richard and tried to push the door open. It didn't budge. After realizing it swung inward, he left the building and considered how in the hell he'd navigate himself home.
What a strange day.
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 10:19 am
Richard suspected that there'd be a chance that his fancy speech and theatrical behavior wouldn't impress or convince Alois, though while the possibility was there in his mind, it didn't make his words hurt any less. But Richard didn't dwell on it for long, nor did he think to take it personally. He did get a humorous chuckle out of the 'chase tail' part, even if it wasn't the complete truth, but it certainly sounded like an interesting idea to put into practice later.
"I would chase tail, given the power... women like a man in power, you know," Richard said, enjoying every bit of his drink and his conversation. He listened intently to Alois, and rather he knew it or not, Richard was doing his own kind of evaluation of him. The job he was unknowingly applying couldn't be found at Sugar Shanty and despite his disbelief and rather cold 'burn them all' stance, Richard felt that he was a perfect candidate. Or, at least someone they didn't want to be awakened on the other side. "Glad we could have this talk instead of beating each other's faces in, Alois. I'll be sure to keep you advice in mind the next time I see a lad with an overexcited dog terrorizing the park."
Not that he meant to be insulting towards Tschambes or even his owner, as he was certain that he'd grow to like the both of them, assuming his assessment was correct and someone could pull this kid over. He watched him pet Baldwin and then leave, and it was surprisingly easy to not laugh at the poor fellow's mistake when his mind was already moving off to other things. More important matters, such as the potential ally that just walked out the door, were on his mind, and the only thing to pull his mind off of it was the heavy head of his pet resting on his lap, as he often did when he felt his owner was spacing out. That meant it was time to pay the tab and go home, and Richard wouldn't make his dog wait any longer. Besides, he had a report to go turn in, preferably before Alois got himself in trouble with the law or happened into a White Mooner's hands.
"He's no shepherd... but he's certainly not a sheep. Good to see there's another wolf in the fold, then..."Strickenized Woooo, that was fun! c: They need to meet again!
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