Starring:
Summary: Everyone loves a yard sale
Date It Happened: February 9th 2002
Log Title East Side Yard Sale
East Hills Teen Center
Converted from a large old house, East Hills Teen Center is a place for city kids without any other place to go. Though in the Badlands, it's closer toward the part of the town that's nicer, or at last has something resembling yards. Two curtained multi-paned glass doors make for the front door, always open during the day and kept locked after curfew (ten o'clock). Inside it looks like a well-used, but loved house. Many couches and seats take up the living room and almost every day there are kids there playing cards or gossiping. The upstairs bedrooms are stuffed with bunk beds to allow as many teens as possible a bed to sleep for the night. While it has seen better days, the house is large and obviously made by someone with money - the stairways are of a dark wood and there are many large windows that let in the sunlight. There's even a few fire places spread out on the first floor. Though most of the furniture is second hand and mis-matching, the house is kept clean by the kids that stay there. Anyone kids looking for a place to stay are welcome to stay for the night.
[ Players ] [ Things ]
Penny
Ezekiel
Vivian
[:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::[ Available Exits ]::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::]
Out <O> Badlands
The Players
Ezekiel
There are worse afflictions than a youthful appearance, but with Ezekiel he seems somehow stalled. His youthful Asian features look no older than maybe seventeen at the most, but his dark brown eyes simply don't match up. They're too weathered, too cool to belong to a man quite so young. Still his frame was lean and limber, not unlike a dancer or a gymnast. His light almost ginger colored hair left to grow long, and largely unattended.
In terms of apparel at least Ezekiel does have some tells. Finely tailored black leather trousers and matching jacket, affixed with minimal armor and stitched in bright red thread so as to offer at least some basic contrast. Well worn boots, affixed with a single simple silver buckle. Underneath that jacket is a plain red long sleeved T-shirt, decorated plainly with the visage of a jolly roger in simple white ink. Around his neck a fine red and black Shemagh, which too bore the stereotypical pirate flag in a simplistic pattern.
Vivian
Vivian has long, auburn red colored hair. With most people with red hair, it tends to be the first thing that you notice about her. While combed out of any knots, when it's not pulled back into a bun to keep out of the way, it tends to be a little messy. Like many people with red hair, her skin is a palish white with bright blue eyes.
Her outfit is feminine, while at the same time undeniably business-like. She's wearing a knee-length pencil skirt in a light grey, the slit in the back just long enough to allow her to walk - nothing scandalous. The top looks vintage. It's a dark navy blue v-neck with white and red polka-dots in the shape of flowers.
Penny
On the short side this little lady has one very noticeable trait. Primarily her funky colored hair. Today it's a mixture of pink and blue streaks that frame her face and strip through the top of her shortish blonde hair. From the colors likely inspired by some cotton candy. Her makeup is likewise colorful, the shades in her hair. Pinks and blues outline her hazel eyes and on the left side a curving triangle of blue comes down to a point over her cheekbone. Bubblegum pink lipstick is on her lips. While she isn't what one might call a great, dashing beauty she is cute.
Only standing about 5'4 she is curvy for her stature. An off the shoulder black shirt hangs asymmertricaly down over her hip, streaks of electric blue shot through the shimmery material that hugs her frame, tied at the top of the shoulder. In direct contrast to the glam style of her top are her hot pink military style pants with copios pockets, zippers and buttons and the sturdy violet Doc Martins on her feet. Black fingerless leather gloves are on her hands, dangly thin metal bracelets of all colors around her wrists. A large goemetric white earring hangs from her left lobes and clacks as she moves, a small silver stud in the right. An overall guess at her weight might put her between 112 and 120.
Greg
You see a human male, around six feet tall, with a lean build and curls of brown hair poking out from under a black and white dodgers baseball cap cracked slightly to the left. His face is thin and angular, almost gaunt, but calm gray eye's and a ready smile soften his otherwise hard features.
Aside from the baseball cap Greg is wearing an XL plain white T-shirt and a pair of baggy dark blue jeans. He also wears a pair of plain black work boots. He has a small gold chain around his neck that is mostly hidden by his shirt.
Francis
His features look like they were hacked out of granite by a sculptor with more enthusiasm than skill. He's not badlooking, really, but he can't be described as anything but harsh-faced. The stern lines and set immobility of someone who's spent his life guarding his expression don't help either. The deep-set eyes, however, are a startling shade of blue, like a gas flame. His hair is straight, blonde, and cut short.
To put it bluntly, he's big. He's tall, but not lanky or skinny. He's well muscled, but lacks the lumbering quality of one who's put on muscle by nothing more than gym work.
His suit is beautifully tailored, in a medium gray - presumably both to hide the bulge of the gun under his shoulder, and to keep him from looking like an aspiring mafioso.
The Scene
Late afternoon finds the meager yard of East Hills Teen Center filled with tables and people. While it's still not in the best neighborhood, there are people who live around the Center and those people accumulate stuff. And there are other people who need stuff. Which is what the Center is trying to accommodate by hosting a large yard sale meant to benefit both those who sell as well as the center with a fund raiser. People mill from table to table talking about items for sale and haggling.
Over near the doors is a table of a different sort of manner. It's not filled with things, it's instead covered in fliers and clipboards. Vivian sits in a fold out chair, straight backed and smiling pleasantly at any who pass. "Your health is your greatest possession!" She'll tell anyone who even pauses close by. "Sign up for a free check-up! All money donated will go to making sure children get proper treatment and exams that could save their lives!"
Penny strolling through the tables, looking at this and that, the multi hued haired Penny spots a box FULL of old vinyl records. "Jackpot." she says as she kneels down and begins leafing through them, picking out a few and setting them out as she goes through it. She has a lamp under her arm already, a small jobby. Nothing much to speak of but a lamp. She glances over at the woman advertising free check ups and is curious, telling herself she'll have to see what that's about.
Frankly it was pretty humilating, he'd talked such a good game about killing Jack but now that it was time to pay up he hadnt seen the wolf. Of course putting like ten rounds into an innocent bistander didnt really make him feel better about affairs, so with each passing day his shame only deepened. So that would make this something almost towards the desperation spectrum of things then, wandering blindly around places where kids gathered. Ezekiel had remembered you see, Jack had a young companion with him.
He milled through the crowd, our favorite fox's shemagh pulled high around his neck to keep his already sunburned neck from further irritation. His helmet was hung from a backpack, with gloves stuffed absently into a back pocket. His eyes were sharp sure, as he slowly meandered through the crowd, but what the hell was he even looking for. A guy in a jack the ripper costume, or maybe somone going bare chest to show off the telltale scarring he hoped his wounds might leave? "Fuck.."Oh hey. Theres penny, goodness does he want to bump into her? Sure, why not. "Penny!"He calls out, just barely over the din of the crowd. Not like he was getting anywhere.
A beat up late eighties model lincoln towncar cruises past the teen center, Greg in the passenger seat smoking a cigarette. The yard littered with debris catches his eye as the car passes by the teen center and parks a couple blocks away in front of one of the better looking houses in this neighborhood. Greg talks with them, pointing toward the teen center, they look at him quizzicly but just shrug and head up to the house as Greg makes his way to the yard sale. The man in the drivers seat enters the house while the other two sit on the porch, sniggering at Greg and smoking cigarettes.
The red-headed doctor smiles at Penny and Ezekiel, even if they're not technically coming to talk to her. "People who see the doctor still get a lollipop," she says enticingly, picking out a bright red lollipop from the bowl nearby her elbow. She'll get people to sign up for check ups, even if it requires bribery. As the woman scans the other participants, she wrinkles her nose at the people smoking cigarettes before putting her smile back on. Don't let them spoil the good atmosphere!
Penny has to grin at the lollipop thing. Hey.. she's could use a little somethin sweet. It's about that time that she is standing up and hears her name. She doesn't seem to register it right away, after all she really doesn't know people in this town.. well not many. But after a second she looks over at Ezekiel and tilts her head quizzically, a bit of her pink and blue hair falling over her eyes. "Foxy." she says simply, most likely leading others to believe she finds the Asian attractive but ah well. She has about 20 vinyl records in her hands and lays them on a table, going to open her messenger bag to pay the person at the table for them.
Ezekiel is all smiles, but hell when isnt he. "And what is the beautiful Penny doing on this fine and dandy day?"He slips up beside her, nudging playfully before peering across at the doctor. "Hey, do you have a translator on call?"Is that a strange question? Well goodness maybe, maybe not but for a man who feeds himself by the rapidity of translated documents perhaps its slightly less strange.
The playful Ezekiel is given a bit of a study as Vivian peers up at him from her table full of fliers - and one large bowl filled with lollipops. Tucking her hair back behind one ear, she responds quite seriously, "We do have some translators. Mostly Spanish. But I'm sure we could always use some volunteers." The rest of the tables are less informative in nature, the charity yard sale for East Hills Teen Center having gotten off to a good start this afternoon, people chattering as they move from one table to the next.
Greg finishes his butt and tosses it into the street as he approaches the teen center proper. He strolls onto the yard, wandering through the tables and among the people. He stops near a table with stacks of old vinyl records and starts going through them, handling the old weathered cardboard jackets with apparent relish as he searches the music.
Penny stands at a table near the Vivian's and has a stack of vinyl albums in her hands, dolling out some crumpled cash to the person sitting behind it as she glances sideways at Ekeziel. Finally she has to set down the small lamp under her arm and finishes counting off the dollars. "Bargain shopping of course. How 'bout you?" she says to him, her eyes glancing over at Greg as he approaches and suddenly feeling great that she found the records she did before someone else got there. Shopping is a jungle after all.. Hooking a thumb over at Vivian and looking at Zeke she grins and blows a bit of breath upwards to get the colorful blue an dpink hair out of her eyes "So.. think if I pimp his services out to ya I can get two or three of them suckers in the bowl there? I'm rather fond of the purple ones." she says to Viv.
"My pimp, would have a really great hat my dear Penny and you lack any hat at all."Before he adjusts his gaze to Vivian"I'm a japanese translator, I do alot of medical documents. If you need a little volunteer work I wouldnt be abject to lending my assistance."He steps around Penny to snap his fingers and from them produce a business card, which is offered to Vivian. "My friends call me Ez-Ito, unless your name is penny. Then you must call me awesome."
There's a raised eyebrow, as if Penny is really offering a hard bargain. "If you dole out his services as well as sign up for a free check up. Then, you're more than welcome to a lollipop. In fact, you could have two. Rules are rules." She holds up the clipboard with a pen attached to it on a thin rope and smiles brightly at both Zeke and Penny. "I'll give you the card to Good Samaritan, then," she tells the Asian man with a nod. "I'm sure they would always welcome the help. I'm Vivian." As for the nearby Greg, she leans over just a little and calls out to the man, "You look like you could use a good check up as well, sir. Sign up and get a your choice of a lolli."
Greg looks up from an especially worn old Wings album as Vivian addresses him, he flashes her a warm smile and says, "Naw girl, I don't like candy, but you can give me a check up any time."
"Phhhst! You don't wear no hat when you got hair this hot." Penny answers Ezekiel with some attitude but playfully so. She fits some of the albums into her messenger's bag , all but about five of them fitting. She carries the rest and tucks the small lamp under her arm as she follows Ezekiel over to Vivian's table. "Yeah… I usually just call him, Hey You.. or Dude." she says jokingly but dead pans it, a wink tacked on at the end. "Hey..he's gonna offer anyway so why not reap the benefits right? But as if that check up includes any poking with needles I'm gonna have to pass. I hate needles." she says and sets down her records and lamp to take the clip board. She doesn't sign yet though, waiting to hear the verdict. Her eyes wander over to Greg when Vivian addresses him and take advantage of him being distracted to enjoy the opportunity to give him a good long once over, smiling a bit secretively to herself. Hey… she's still a red blooded gal even if her hair looks more like something from a different dimension.
Frank doesn't particularly -need- new music, but bargains are very hard to pass up. So he's there, in polo shirt and khaki slacks - casual off-duty gear. It's the vinyl he heads for, unerringly, craggy face curious.
Ezekiel seems dubious a moment"No candy for me, but seriously heres my card just call me. I'm happy to help if I have the time."He smiles broadly, nudging Penny again. "You should just cowboy up and get checked out, considering where you work its probably a very good idea to stay on the top of such things?"He glances around, pausing as he curiously notes Francis.
"Only time you'll need needles is if you're in need of vaccinations." Grinning as Penny takes the clipboard to sign up, she surreptitiously starts moving the bowl closer to the young woman so that she can take her pick of sweets. As for Greg, she rolls her eyes a little and pushes over the clip board. "That'd only happen if you sign up for a check up. In a professional manner, of course."
Greg pushes the clip board away and offers Vivian another winning smile, "I didn't know they made doctors like you girl, have to keep that in mind the next time I come down with something." He says, then winks, then pulls out a cigarette and walks to the edge of the shoppers before lighting up.
Penny frowns a little at Ezekiel and glances at the sign up sheet. It's not like -she's- one of the dancers there. She glances up at the red head again and then to the sheet as she starts signing "I don't need any of those, that's for sure." she mutters a bit under her breath. Her name 'Penny Layne' scrawled on the sheet and handed back before she digs through the bowl and comes up with two suckers, one blue, one purple opening the purple one and popping it in her mouth. Around the sucker she adds "I'm only doin this cause you got some awesome hair too.. well that and the suckers." As she glances around the rest of the yard sale, looking for any other item that might be cheap for her residence to-be, when she spots the dude she saw in the club a few days ago, remembering him as either Mob or police. She lowers her head and kinda turns away from Frank mutterly lowly, quietly under her breath toward Ezekiel "5-0, 5-0". Those closest to her /might/ hear her but only if they were paying attention.
And it's that….wait. The voice is familiar. Francis has glanced up from flipping through old jazz vinyl to eye Ezekiel with a frown. Where does he know that from?
"I see the smokey, good buddy."is Ezekiel's return. He catches eyes with Francis, and then he's sort've screwed. "Last time we met, there was some sort've asshole, three badguys and a damsel in distress?"Cryptic or what, well maybe Ezekiel was in a mask but Francis sure as hell wasnt.
"Unless you come down with something life threatening, I doubt I will see you." Vivian gives Greg a tight sort of smile and takes the discarded clipboard back. Looking at her bowl of lollipops, she frowns for a moment before smiling at Penny and Ezekiel again. "I should get another bag. When you're done with the form, you can just slip it into one of the folders here," she gestures at them at the end of the table. "But I should be back before you're done. And, thank you, I'm quite proud of my hair." Pushing up from her seat, she quickly turns and dashes out in order to get more treats.
Penny's eyebrows disappear a bit up into her multi colored bangs that hang across her forehead at the sound of that. Remaining quiet as she puts the sheet where Vivian had told her she whispers toward Zeke "Dude.. somethin about him.. just gives me the willies. Can't put my finger on it.. maybe he's 5-0.. maybe he's mafiosa…I don't know. Don't care. I just wanna steer clear ya feelin me? Aint nothin but trouble down that road." She steps up to wait her turn in the line for check-ups, dragging her lamp and records along with her.
That has Francis watching Zeke like a cat in front of a mousehole. "I take it you're the one with some rather strange evening extracurriculars?" he ventures, straightening up from where he'd been leaning over, trying to scan through the racks of vinyl.
Ezekiel cant help but smile at that"Well I'm certainly not the maiden in distress, if thats what you mean."before glancing back to Penny. Aww, his little friend was scampering from the negative vibes Francis was radiating like seventy pounds of depleted uranium in a blender. "Hey, you got a moment. I reckon I could use your help then, if your really eager to serve and protect."
Greg continues smoking out near the edge of the group of shoppers, returning any dirty looks he gets from parents with children or especially self righteous teenagers with a hard stare. His gaze wandres over Franics and he sizes him up, a smile creeps up his lips and some sort of joke involving pork products can be heard by those around him. After carefully directing his attention elsewhere he takes out his phone and makes a call.
Penny waits to get checked out, casting glances toward Zeke and the copper. Her bottom lip is chewed on a bit and she lets her eyes wander over to where Greg stands smoking. What she wouldn't give for a drag off that. She'd quit about a year ago. When all the bad stuff had gone down in Vegas but now.. well.. it's just darn tempting. Instead she sucks on her lolipop and glances left and right before sneaking another sucker out of the bowl.
"I'm not Sherlock Holmes, but that much I gathered," Francis says. "What precisely inspired you to an evening of costumed vigilantism?" he wonders, voice dry.
Ezekiel frowns a touch too. "My sense of duty, besides a proper getup is difficult to construct. I've already replaced most of the costume with useful stuff, not just show. In anycase, I'm looking for somone who's not a fine upstanding citizen."
Penny looks toward where Vivian took off to and grins slyly as she sticks her suckers in her pocket and then gathers her other things off the table, slinking away as she does. She looks over her shoulder as she walks down to where the dud with the cig stands, away from both booth and Zeke and the scary guy. She stops beside Greg and sets her lamp down by her feet "Don'tcha hate that crap?" she asks him out of the blue, not really expecting him to know what she's talking about.
"… Whatever, just an off duty cop, don't worry." The tail end of Greg's conversation can be made out before he puts away his cell phone and turns around, noticing Penny. He looks from her to her apparent purchase, and smiles. "Not exactly an interior decorator but it looks… aight." He says, obviously referring to the lamp.
Frank must have ears like a fox. (Present company please pardon,) Because he turns just enough to favor Greg with a feral and humorless grin, before he looks back to Ezekiel. "Oh? What for?" he wonders, with genuine curiosity.
Ezekiel produces a business card with a familar flick of his wrist."Not here, too many people. Why dont you call me, I promise its an interesting story."Ezekiel steps back, smiling still until a gang of teenagers passes infront of him. Ezekiel of course, is nowhere to be seen after that. Just poof, off into thin air.
Penny plays with the sucker stick a bit, twirling it in her mouth. Her eyes continuously cut over to Frank and Zeke but that strange wicked grin makes her blood run cold and she looks away, back to Greg. "This? Nah. This my friend is illumination. Or it will be.. gotta have an interior before you can decorate one after all." she says and grins "I'm more into performance art." she says and gestures to her hair streaked blue and pink today. Turning her back on Zeke and Frank trying to look casual and down the street she says quietly, "Scary dude's given ya the hairy eyeball man."
Greg only half pays attention to what Penny is saying as he notices Francis actually taking an interest in him, he keeps him in his peripheral vision while trying to appear to be engaged in conversation with Penny. "Yeah, I'm in the market for a new interior myself." He smiles warmly, "Though I'm likin the /ex/terior I'm seein right now." He says with a self aware chuckle, following it with some closely whispered words. "Yeah I know, off duty cop, looks like he was pressin your boy over there…" He takes a step back and puffs on his half finished cigarette while trying to pick Ezekiel out of the crowd again.
"I hate it when they do that. Goddamn ninjas," says Frank. But he doesn't toss the card away. Far from it. It's tucked away into the pocket of his slacks, and he reflexively looks around. There's Greg, but he's not up to much. For now. So the cop heads back to the stacks of vinyl, pausing to pull out a worn edition of Tom Waits' Black Rider.
Penny grins a bit at the bit of flirt. Flattery will get you darn near everywhere. There's a glance toward Zeke and Frank, or at least where they were. Zeke apparently pulling another Houdini act "I hate it when he does that shit." she mutters at the total lack of Ezekiel. "But nah.. apparently he had somethin to talk to him about. Couldn't imagine what.. the dude gives me the willies.." She looks at Frank a bit closer and says quietly "You sure he's 5-0 off duty? Could be one o them hitmen or somethin… he's just creepy man." So says the gal that hates authority in any of it's forms.
Penny
Greg nods, and casually exhales a few smoke rings barely visible in the sunlight. "Nah he's one of the boys for sure, can't really do shit though, or at least he shouldn't." He finishes his butt and tosses it before taking out a pack of cigarettes and removing another one. "Fuckin pigs turn me into a chainsmoker." He mutters, still trying to keep Francis in his peripheral vision without making it obvious he's keeping tabs. "Want a square?" He asks, attention returning to Penny.
Creepy. Were he close enough to overhear, Francis'd be flattered. The idea that someone might take him for a mob hitter - well, he'd be roaring with laughter. He's only occasionally glancing over at Greg. Like a well-fed lion who keeps his eye on the antelope more out of habit than anything else.
Penny tries not to eyeball his cigarette, she really does but those hazel eyes do follow the stubbed out smoke to the ground and she bites down on the sucker, making it crackle and break in her mouth. She Hmmms? softly as he offers her a smoke and seems to debate it a minute or two before giving in and nodding. "Yeah man.. thanks." she says and accepts the smoke. For her part she tries not to see Frank, gripping her own albums tightly to herself.
Greg smiles at her as she accepts the cancer stick, "A woman after my own heart." He says, offering to light her cigarette before he lights his own. "Now I'm sure I'd remember seeing you around before. New to the city?"
Penny grins at Greg and accepts the cig, leaning in a bit to catch a light. She knows she shouldn't but she can't resist. Inhaling slowly with a look of bliss she exhales with a sigh "Ahhh sweet nicotine.. how I have missed ya." she says to no one in particular. She nods and shifts a bit to one foot, bending to rest the records against her leg. "Yeah.. just came to town last week. Job. You know how that goes. I take it you're a lifer here?" she asks Greg.
Gregs nods, "No way I'm gettin out of this city, but hey, sometimes it has its perks. Names Greg by the way." Then his phone chimes off and he flips it open, smoking hands free while he considers the screen. "Speaking of work, I got some stuff that needs attending to. But you should get my number, hit me up and come party down my way sometime."
Penny squints a little as she looks over at Greg, enjoying the moment that he's distracted by his phone to take a good look at him. She flicks her ashes off to the side and reaches into her messenger's bag to pull out a pen. "Well Greg….I'm Penny." she says and once he has a hand free she reaches for it, careful not to tag him with her smokie treat. Should he not resist she would write her name and number on the palm of his hand. "Tell ya what.. you hit me up sometime and I'll have your number. It's good to know a few friendlies in this place."
Greg makes no effort to resist, and smiles as he looks at the name and number written on his hand. "Good meeting you Penny, I'll definitely see you around." He says. At that point however a short honk rings out and he looks behind him in time to notice his ride pulling up to the curb. With a wave to Penny he makes his way to the front passenger seat of the car, which speeds away as soon as Greg slides in and shuts the door.
