Match of the Millennium

Description: A series of strange magic-related murders at a night club in Metro City, prompting Sol and Velvet to investigate. Sol however is having none of the half-darkstalker's shenanigans.

[SOL BADGUY]
The city street is quiet here, though normally it would be hopping. Not one of the larger clubs but a small one sits here with its door closed. Police tape is over the doors and around the entranceway and a couple of chalk outlines rest on the floor.

It's late enough that the authorities have left. Having reasoned it just a simple altercation, nothing to warrant anyone of a higher magnitude with. Some people got into a fight, some fireworks went off, and two of them ended toes up with the daisies.

But something about it wasn't completely normal. A minor irregularity, invisible to the normal, waking world.

Sol stands here, dressed down from his usual outfit in all black, simply staring at the scene from the other side of the street. Black jeans, tight black t-shirt, and a cap over his head, brim pulled down low with the words "ROCK YOU", mimicking his usual headband. Which is probably under the cap. Hopefully. For everyone.

And what Sol sees isn't what the denizens of the mundane see. There's a tiny trace of something not mundane at all. Something unique, something potentially dangerous. A tiny trace of magical energy.

Hence his presence. When the altercation went down last night he was close enough to sense something, but didn't bother to get himself out of bed, dressed, cleaned more or less, and outside until this evening. It's better to wait until everyone's gone anyway.

Sol Badguy @help

[VELVET BLUE]
There is a glimmer of... something up atop the roof of the building, just above the marquee or sign that the building used to advertise it's presence. It looked like something moved... but was too dark to see. Or like something had passed over the side of the building onto the roof--blocking the light from the signage, not allowing it to pass through. How queer.

In truth, none other than Neo Tokyo performer star and half-Darkstalker vigilante Velvet Blue had come onto the scene, but was keeping a low profile for the moment. Not that Sol wouldn't have been able to see a dark shape that suggested some kind of arrow-headed tail slip over the edge of the building's rooftop. No creature in nature had a tail like that. So... what was it?

[SOL BADGUY]
Sol was busy looking intently at the trace energies and only caught the movement up above the ground floor from the corner of his eye. But he caught something.

His eyes narrow, focusing up at the shadows. A single glance in either direction without moving his head; the streets aren't completely empty, even at ths hour, so he shouldn't make a scene. No, he should do things the boring way. Like coming to the city undercover late at night. The boring way.

Afterall, there was an altercation last night. If that movement is the person who did this, he can't give away his notice so quickly. If it isn't, any excess noise may cause them to flee whatever hole they're holding up in, somewhere else in the city.

So. The boring way. Nothing flashy.

Another sideways glance without moving his head; the street nearby is clear. His eyes dart back up to the spot where he saw movement, but there's nothing more. It would take a subtle hand and a careful mind to slip up there undetected and see who's there.

Sol isn't subtle. He bends down, picks up an empty soda can, then hurls it at the roof with enough force that the can embeds itself in the side of a corner outcropping. Not subtle at all.

[VELVET BLUE]
As the soda can sailed upward there was a hollow resounding *PING* followed by an 'Owww!' and then something dark and humanoid-shaped dropped down from the side of the rooftop, coming to rest with a flutter of a jacket and something thudding against the ground of the alley.

"What'd you do that for? Hmph--and you didn't even wait till I started singing to throw shit, typical..."

The... entity speaking to Sol is what appears to be a set of yellow cat-like eyes, like a black cat's--floating in darkness--while a set of ivory teeth works beneath it, the lips shadows over the bright and visible chompers. It's like someone took a dark paintbrush and rubbed out all of a person except their eyes and mouth, hovering in the shadows.

The concealment begins fade however, as the rest of the figure's body fades into view slowly, like paint thinner being dumped over a black painted canvas, revealing the picture beneath.

Long dark hair, long suede black jacket--what looked like white 3-inch heeled long boots... the jacket open at the front to show off a kind of spandex suit beneath that, crossed with a belt and pouches, a long white enameled wakizashi tucked into the hem of the right boot.

"So what was that for, Freddie?" the figure gestured with their chin toward Sol, reaching up to feel the side of their head where the can struck. The face was normal enough... if you discounted the cat eyes and long bat-like ears, that is. Plus that tail.

[SOL BADGUY]
One moment Velvet is rubbing his face, the next and Sol is gone.

Something hard presses against his back, then against his tail. Something large and heavy.

"I'm sorry /friend/. I must have forgotten your name, because you seem awfully friendly for someone who's about to lose a tail." And likely more than that.

"Now you can explain to me what you're doing here, climbing around on rooftops, or I can try my hand at pest extermination." There isn't any hint of sarcasm in his voice. Only pure, ice cold malice.

Somewhere in the city a cat was just run over by a car and subsequently lost one of its nine lives. Perhaps he wasn't the only one.

[VELVET BLUE]
"W-Woah!" Velvet is suddenly very still, with what feels like something very large pressed up against his back--plus what is also likely a weapon.

"H-Hey, no pests here! I've had all my shots, honest!" he squirms a bit, not daring to move from the spot at first.

"I heard there was a murder here--I came to see if it was darkstalker related," Velvet fidgeted, his tail lashing about behind him, as if it was nervous. "You know, like the disaster when Jedah attacked the city--I literally just got off a plane here a few hours ago, I'm kind of jet-lagged! I don't even like flying!

[SOL BADGUY]
"Jet lagged." Sol snorts, but the pressure doesn't leave his back. Instead, it begins to grow warm, them quickly hot. There's a sound in the background like kindling, a kind of crackling sound.

"The name is Sol. Not Hey You. Not Hey Friend. Not Hey Bud or Champ or whatever the fuck else you feel like saying. Sol. If I hear anything else come out of you, you won't have to worry about talking because I'll cut your tongue out of your head."

Somewhere in the city, said cat was just run over by bicycle, then promptly hit by another car. Two and three down.

Then, finally the pressure and heat leaves him, followed by an abrupt chill. Sol is back by the entrance, already squatting down over the chalk outline, scrutinizing what he sees.

[VELVET BLUE]
"Damn--" Velvet is not only put on edge (literally, in this case) by Sol, but the stress being held is another thing. It makes him feel... captured, which is not a great sensation for him.

He shakes and shivers, patting himself down and feeling up along the length of his tail, making sure everything is still there, then brushing his long hair back with his dark-nailed fingers.

"Didn't even call you any of those things..." he huffed under his breath, taking stock of the rest of him before pulling his coat tighter around him. He had the weirdest sansation of heat behind him, and he'd heard the crackling, it made him paranoid of fire, for a brief moment.

The sound of heeled boots as Velvet takes a few steps closer, scrutinizing the marks. "Looks like he zigged when he should have zagged, if it was dark ones there'd be a lot more of a mess."

[SOL BADGUY]
The sound of Velvet's voice is grating. Not because of any flaw in the tone or pitch, but because the company is unwanted.

He could be alone right now. Not bothered by some punk demonspawn who talks too much. Things are always easier without other people getting in the way, but the situation has changed. No point dwelling on what if's.

"Likely." He grunts. "Same with a Gear. There wouldn't be enough for a chalk outline." But Sol isn't thinking Gears. There's that tiny trace of magic here. Perhaps just an amateur toying with forces he shouldn't, but it could always be something greater simply out for a night and losing control or treating humans like playthings.

Sol traces his fingers over the spot where the human died. He does this for several moments, deep in thought and concentration.

Then finally he stands up, dusting his hands off and looking at Velvet with his slit-irised eyes. "So that's that. No hellspawn, no darkstalkers." He narrows his eyes a bit, tone shifting to condescending.

"Thanks for coming. Close the door on your way out."

[VELVET BLUE]
"Probably," Velvet nodded, before looking up at Sol with a wan expression. Then tilting his head to the side.

"What? you don't want to ask for my help? not even about the ambient magic traces left here?" Velvet shrugs, making a show of it, before lacing his hands behind his head and turnong on his heels to walk away.

"I guess so then, who knows did it, might have been someone with super powers, or whatever," Velvet sighed, walking off slowly. It was unclear if they were trying to shine Sol on a bit, or perhaps tease him with the offer of assistance like that.

[SOL BADGUY]
Sol offers a small little wave, then abruptly turns and goes back to work studying the ground. He doesn't give Velvet another thought.

He goes over his options. If he's really looking to find this person, he could create a familiar and send him off to find them. Follow the minuntae trails in the air back to the source. But it's unlikely to lead to some kind of lair. It'll probably just end in conversation, investigation, interviews. Those things are all inevitable when tracking people.

Bounty Hunting isn't all fighting and blowing things up. Sometimes it takes a bit of uncomfortable wor--

He sighs. One hand reaches up and presses against the bridge of his nose. He weighs his options. It would be best to simply stomach it and deal with the crappy people he's undoubtedly going to run into. Or he could have someone else handle that part. Someone who likes conversation.

"Yo." He calls out as Velvet walks off.

[VELVET BLUE]
"Yyyyeeesss?" Velvet says, doing their best answering-butler sort of impression, turning on their heel again as they had one leg fully out in front of them in a lackadaisical walk. It's almost like they were goose stepping.

"Might you need some... assistance?" Velvet asks, idly standing there with a file of all things, inspecting their nails. "Something I can help you with? maybe not threaten me again? Maybe I can help you find who you're looking for," Velvet smoke more plaintively now, no guile, more business.

[SOL BADGUY]
The reaction from Velvet suggests he was waiting for something and Sol curses under his breathe. Fuck my life.

His head momentarily drops, one hand massaging the back of his neck. Do Gears even get migraines? He looks back at Velvet and points at him.

"No I'm pretty sure there'll be more threatening. And not undeserved from the look of you. Or I could skip the threatening and go straight to violence but I've been told diplomacy is often appreciated."

Sol's idea of diplomacy: Shut the hell up and do what I tell you and I won't break you. You can accept my terms or we can renegotiate. Outside.

"But." He flexes one hand, closed tight, open, squeezed tight, open. When he continues he speaks slowly, straining. "I could use a hand with certain social aspects of tracking this particular individual down. If." Flex. "If it turns out he has a bounty, or warrants one, I can share some pittance of it. With you."

His expression almost looks pained.

[VELVET BLUE]
"I can look around, but it might not be a simply human kind of crime if you can sense something here too--could be a chi-user or someone with magical powers, like I said," Velvet tilts his head again. "So you want me to investigate and look around? I can do that--if it wasn't a darkstalker there is still some good to be had with finding out who did it, I don't like murder anymore than most people," he slips his hands into his pocket, the file disappearing.

"I'm Velvet, by the way--usually when people try to kill me it's because I'm a darkstalker, not just for standing around," he comments, eyeing Sol again.

[SOL BADGUY]
Sol narrows his eyes again. He can think of reasons other than being a Darkstalker to kill him. But not right now. Right now he could be useful.

"No, I don't need you to investigate. I have ways of finding them. But it's never as simple as going in and beating them senseless." He walks as he talks, heading over to a nearby ally, then steps inside.

"There are always people you have to talk to. Interrogate or interview or whatever. To make sure it's the right person, or that he acted alone, or whatever drama school story circulates around him like flies on shit."

He bends down and starts tracing his finger along the ground again, like prior. Whatever he's doing is invisible to the naked eye, but someone sensitive to magic can sense a kind of spell he's constructing. He continues. "If you haven't noticed, I lack the silver tongue to get to where I need to. Now this vermin could be nothing. Some kid that got mixed up with the wrong book, but he still has to answer for what he did. Or it could be something bigger. And bigger likely means bounty."

After a minute he stops. He stands, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms, checking his work. It's important not to make mistakes when you're dealing with your soul.

Sol extends a hand and snaps his fingers. A glowing red magical circle, horribly complex, materializes on the ground where he worked. A kind of alchemical geometry. A burst of flame emits from above it, hanging in the air like a wisp, then shifts and changes shape until a small fiery drake hovers in the air. About a foot wingspan, beating softly to keep itself aloft.

Sol holds out his other hand, offering it to the familiar. His fingertip has chalk on it from prior.

"Go. Find them, but do not engage. Observe and report back."

The small drake flips in the air once then flies off. Not fast, but slowly, at about the speed you'd expect a butterfly. It passes Velvet, circling above him once, then continues upwards. Up up, and gone.

"And stay out of trouble!" Then to Velvet. "He'll be fine. This time. Now we wait."

[VELVET BLUE]
"And you want the money I assume for yourself? That's fine, I make my own, and solving the murder is it's own reward for me," Velvet shrugs, looking a little sullen as he gazes over at the chalk outline. The already fading outline of white dust that used to be a person. Velvet's gaze lingers on it just a beat longer before he looks back at Sol.

"Alright. You want me to get us takeout, snacks...?" though he shuts up when he likely gets a look from Sol again, putting a stop to that.

This is a pretty awkward buddy cop script in the making. Too bad neither are cops, or even human.

Log created on 21:11:45 07/14/2019 by Velvet Blue, and last modified on 23:32:17 07/14/2019.