Welcome to Gaia! ::

Mariana turned toward the door. She didn't really care what his name was, but it was helpful for him to think that she did. She wasn't ready to part with hers--for one, she didn't know how interesting this boy would be, and for another, it wouldn't do to throw her name about when she was supposed to be laying low. She was just going to walk away, but she suddenly spotted the copper getting out of his car. He seemed to be on the job, though he certainly wasn't dressed for it. Do these people KNOW what 'incognito' means? she wondered to herself. It mattered not. She doubted she'd be recognized, but she didn't want to take the chance. Going out the side or back would be too obvious, so she had to go out the front. She was dressed as a preppy, unassuming student--something that should throw nearly anybody off her scent if they knew her--but she had to act the part, too.

"There'll be time for introductions later. We have company. Just act normally, like we're supposed to be here. If he stops you, give him the time of day and move on." With that, she grabbed his arm and pulled him away. As she approached the cop, she began to babble about the first thing that came to her mind. It was important to make herself seem as shallow as possible. "So, I was getting my hair done and Jennifer had to butt in and... are you listening to me? Anyway, she told me what Kyle was saying about Amber and you wouldn't BELIEVE what they were doing after second period!"

As she passed the officer, she turned her head away and made a face as if she were going to retch.

<<

The passing red-head received a sharp glare from Oual, but the detective’s features quickly softened. He laughed at her drastic change in apparel. But he still recognized her. The funeral home robber. He laughed more. “I told her to stay out of trouble,” he explained to Violet. And I promised that I never forgot a face.” He laughed more. Based on what she was wearing, compared to what she had on before, he knew she was trying to stay out of the way. She had not been in any trouble since Dusinane as far as he knew, so he had nothing to say to her, and let her on her way.

The man next to her was new to Oual, though. Oual matched his cold gaze fearlessly, but distrustfully. He documented it in his mind and filed away a mental note to keep an eye out for him. “Hmm,” he murmured when they were gone. Then he smiled at Violet, “Okay. You ready?”

Previous

Violet gawked at the establishment. This was someplace she had never been before, and she wasn't sure exactly what to do in a place like this. She had never been taken to a restaurant or even a fast food joint before (which was, of course, understandable given her condition), so, when Oual told her that she could get whatever she wanted here, she assumed there must be some magic to the place.

"I want kangaroo-flavored bubblegum," she said, almost as if testing the place. When nothing happened, she looked slightly distraught.

"I think it's broken," she whispered to Oual.

JONATHAN JOHNSON

Jonathan Johnson could not believe that he was back in the old part of Delmor where he had used to live. He had made a promise to himself long ago that he would never come back here after his parent's death, yet here he was, and he was feeling extremely nervous. Even now, Jon was jittering around more than usual. He was actually surprised he was even here right now. Mister Eugene Snottsborn had been up Jon's tail 24/7 now that they were working on a new top secret project. Jon needed to try and get all of that out of his mind though, he wasn't in this part of Delmor to think about work, he was here to see his brother, James Cross.

Jon hadn't talked to James in years, but something big had just come up. The lawyer of the Cross family had just gotten in contact with Jon, since he was the oldest of the Cross family, though no longer bore the last name of Cross because of his shame of his father. The lawyer had told Jon that both of the brothers were old enough to discuss about the will left by their mother and father. Of course the reason this was happening so late was because Jon and James's parents wanted all of the boys to be of age before they got the contents in the will. If Mitchell was still around, he'd be 18. Jon guessed that their lawyer thought that Mitchell would be around by now and that is why the wait had been so extensive. Jon needed to clear his head once again. He didn't want to think about Mitchell.

On the way in to the coffee shop, Jon spotted a weird looking couple. A girl, who looked sort of average besides her loud hair color, and a boy who was very tall and extremely slender. His black hair almost covered both of his eyes. He looked sketchy; someone Jon would never want to run into in a dark alleyway, though Jon would never go down a dark alleyway in the first place! Jon shivered a bit at the way the weird looking boy stared at him and quickly went inside. Jonathan Johnson hated confrontation and that is why it would be so hard to talk to his brother James. Maybe that was why he had been holding off talking to James for about two weeks.

Upon entering the shop, Jon saw a pretty popular face of Delmor, Chief Ames Oual. Jon knew that James was working for the police force and from all of the pictures in Delmor's newspaper and all the time Oual has been interviewed on the news, it was pretty easy to figure out who Oual was. Jon had been looking for James all day, following a dozen leads. Now that he had found Oual, Jon figured this was a higher power telling Jon that it was time to get his act together and find his brother. Jon approached Oual, who was standing next to an... eccentric... looking girl.

"Um... h-h-h-hi!" Jon practically shouted, tapping Oual on the shoulder. "Sorry... sorry to distur-ur-ur-bbbb you sir... but I-I-I-I have a question..." 'Damn me and my stuttering...' Jon thought to himself. 'My first impressions suck!'

JONATHAN JOHNSON

"So-so-sorry to bother y-y-y-y-you Inspector... b-b-b-b-but my name is Jonathan J-J-J-Johnson and I know for a fact that you know... know... my b-b-b-brother J-J-J-Jam.. James Cross. I was wondering if y-y-y-y-you knew... knew... where to find h-h-him?" Jon tried to get all of this out calmly, but ever since James confronted him years ago and when he started working for Snottsborn Industries, Jon's confidence was at an all time low. Now, whenever someone in a prominent position was standing in front of Jon, he stammered and stuttered and could barely speak. Pathetic.

He really was pathetic, but he hoped to God that Oual knew was his brother was. Jon just wanted all of this to be over. He was so sick of this mess.

<<

The chief detective’s eyebrows curled up, trying to remember James Cross ever mentioning his family. “James Cross works with me. I can call him if you want, but why are you a ‘Johnson’ while he is a ‘Cross?’”

Oual knew there was some story behind what this man said, but he was also extremely lacking in self confidence. Or maybe he was crazy. Oual kept an eye on Anthony and Violet while waiting for this man’s response.

<<

“Don’t worry about it,” Oual replied, accepting the man’s answer. “You're right, and I don’t need to know the details, but you must understand my confusion?” He continued, not yet trusting the man. “I think Cross is at Officer Listerine’s home. He was injured on the job and I think Laura – his mentor – offered to take care for him. However, I really can’t afford to bring you there right now, and security more than likely will not let you in alone. Is James expecting you?”

Sure, eventually security would bring out Cross and ask if Cross knew the man, but this poor guy would probably have a mental break down if armed private guards started demanding answers from him. Besides, Oual wasn't sure Cross would even want to see this stranger. Relative or not, why should any welcomed guest not know where to find his host?