Description: It's amazing how effective the five-finger discount can be, especially when those five fingers are a fist that is beating you senseless.
So much to do when you're a new resident in a city, especially when the place you've set up as your living space-slash-home office hasn't been lived in for a year and is covered with what can only be called an epic layer of dust. The morning was spent going through what was probably every Swiffer pad in Southtown, the afternoon by polishing and moving furniture. Even for someone in good shape that's exhausting work, so Soma showered, got dressed, and went out to get something to eat.
What he's doing now, in the orange haze of light pollution, is walking down one of the tree-lined promenades that is meant to give the mostly steel and glass industrial distict a more organic and 'pretty' sort of look. Rows of red brick sidewalks are lined with carefully groomed trees and antique lampposts, but for the most part this garden space is only really inhabited during the day. At night, destinations like Sound Beach are much more popular.
In another time and place, Soma's dark clothing might mark him as some sort of 'night stalker', perhaps obsessed with bats. As it is, the patches of silver-grey in his appearance stand out in stark contrast as he turns his walk home into a stroll. Perhaps if he didn't have so much on his mind with the move he'd pay more attention to his surroundings, but as it is he simply wants to relax and enjoy the spring weather.
Welcome to Southtown. It's a lovely city, and a yet another gleaming metropolitan jewel in the crown of Japan. At least that's what the travel brochures say. A lot of them only touch briefly on the fact that a karate fight breaks out every ten minutes across the city and that there's a fairly good chance of being caught in collateral damage from a stray hadouken as there is getting into a fender bender. They also tend not to talk about random crime. Petty theft is a way of life for some of it's residents. Thanks to the fact that some legislator thought it would be a genius idea to legalize street combat, it doesn't take a genius to come up with the basic plot of beating on people under the guise of it being an official fight, then taking their money once they hit the ground.
Of course, there's always the risk that you pick on the wrong person. Elle's done her fair share of eating crow, along with pavement, when she's bitten off more than she can chew. Mostly, she's wary of little kids and seriously old people. Anyone in her age range seems a little less prone to unleashing torrents of destruction.
Lucky her. Still, she's learned a few things: don't do anything flashy if you don't have to, run when you need to, and try not to be overbearingly chatty and wax philosophic. Flapping your lips tended to invite punches to the mouth. With one last check up on the rules of the road, Elle slides out of an alleyway behind Soma, boots scraping across the red pavement.
Pulling her armor plated instrument from it's holster on her back, she's already charging forward. "Nice outfit," she says offhandedly, appreciating the style for the split second between swinging and smashing the steel plated instrument across Soma's back. "It really sets off the color splashes."
COMBATSYS: Elle has started a fight here.
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Elle 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Soma has joined the fight here.
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Elle 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Soma
COMBATSYS: Elle successfully hits Soma with Medium Strike.
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Elle 0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0 Soma
There might be some satisfaction for Elle in that her victim does indeed turn with a surprised look in his violet eyes just as the improvised guitar (MUSIC IS THE WEAPON) collides with his side, a last minute attempt to turn out of the way only changing the direction of the blow rather than its intensity.
Stumbling forward a few steps from the force, however, it would appear Elle's current mark knows more about fighting than first appearances would warrant, for he brings himself to a stop and turns to face her at the same time. The dark-skinned face goes cold as he shakes out his sleeves... and a pair of daggers slip out of them and into his hands, held hilt-forward with the blades pointed at the ground. "Thanks. The S&M look sets off your breasts," he adds, before dashing back at the girl and aiming a stab right at stomach with the right-hand dagger.
COMBATSYS: Elle endures Soma's Medium Strike.
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Elle 0/-------/-----==|==-----\-------\0 Soma
"That's the general idea," Elle replies as she advances, seemingly heedless of the incoming attack. The knives stab into her stomach as she moves forward, and the pain sends a shudder through her body, a grimace corssing her face for a split second. As nasty as the stab wounds are, Elle doesn't seem to dwell on them or even so much as stop to nurse them. All the attack has ultimately done is make her a little more wary of this one. After all, normal citizens didn't carry concealed weapons on them. Well, no more so than usual. Wrist knives were definitely flashy enough to be a concern.
The guitar's momentum is capitalized on. Instead of resetting her arm, she swings it around again over her head like a sword in a full circle to get the full force hit. The motion sends the axe towards Soma's head this time, as if the woman was trying to decapitate him. "I was thinking of adding the jacket to the ensemble."
COMBATSYS: Soma endures Elle's Pour Some Sugar On Me.
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Elle 0/-------/-----==|====---\-------\0 Soma
Two can play at that game. Soma barely has time to bring his wrists back toward his body before Elle is ready to smack him a good one again... the guitar's an interesting weapon, certainly outside the range of Soma's training, but he's quick-witted... and can adapt. At close range there's not a lot of maneuvering room, but he can't just take the blow on the neck OR the skull... so instead he meets it coming head on, throwing the damage into his shoulder and sides instead. He grits his teeth with the pain -- that hurt an awful lot -- but doesn't let it stop him.
In fact, when his hands come up again his daggers are gone... sort of. In each hand is a 'dagger' of energy, crackling silver with an outline of dark black. Slamming the two 'daggers' together at the hilt to create a sort of double-bladed energy polearm, Soma glares at Elle dispassionately. "You can still walk away from this," he says. It's his only warning. Spinning his 'weapon' expertly, he simply tries to slice Elle with it from head to toe.
COMBATSYS: Elle blocks Soma's Ashvinau.
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Elle 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Soma
Elle is obviously not listening, the incoming attack taking priority. The weapon grinds expertly against Elle's defenses. It shreds into her like a hot knife through butter, and it's debateable whether or not she would have taken any more damage even if she had just stepped into the attack like she usually does. Something in her, however, tells her that she's just avoided a minor catastrophe.
A part of her wants to let off a sigh as she checks off yet another 'you can walk away from this' on her running tally of people that she's jumped. "Insert cliche'd comment here." Is her halfhearted response as she begins to marshal her energy. Clearly, evaporating this one is going to take precedent over taking his jacket and his money. What a shame. Power arcs out of the ground, and infuses Elle with the energy she needs, the electrical arcs splashing across her body and feeding her additional power necessary to start unleasing the really nasty attacks.
COMBATSYS: Elle gathers her will.
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Elle 1/------=/=======|=====--\-------\0 Soma
There's nothing but a shrug in response as the comment Elle gives, though the undercover agent does back off once Elle begins the gathering of her energy. He's not used to muggers having their own special effects, so it's intriguing... and it puts him on the defensive fairly quickly. Soma's a prudent individual when it comes to fighting, kamikaze tactics aside.
But as he steps back, what Soma is really doing is studying the situation, watching the line of Elle's movements, mentally running a 'systems check' of his own. Flexing his fingers, the man in black similarly goes into a somewhat defensive stance. There's no big burst of electrical energy or anything of that sort, but a faint silver-black glow, like faerie fire, hints at the edge of one's vision if you look right at him. "That's the extent of my stock dialogue, lady," he adds, tense.
COMBATSYS: Soma gathers his will.
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Elle 1/------=/=======|=======\=------\1 Soma
It takes a second to figure out what to do. Normally, she doesn't make a display of it, but Elle has a pretty decent level of strength. She normally favors speed and alactrity over power overwhelming. Nevertheless, Elle not about to let Soma sit there and take stock of the situation. Without a moment's hesitation, Elle reaches over and rips a tree from the ground with one hand. It takes some effort, causing her to scowl, the pain from the cut shooting off again.
With a single heave, she sends the roadside decoration at his face, the dirt falling from the roots making a nice contrail behind it as she sends the innocent foliage towards the man to spear him through the chest. "Well then now's a good time to practice," she replies drolly.
COMBATSYS: Elle successfully hits Soma with Large Thrown Object.
- Power hit! -
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Elle 1/-----==/=======|=======\====---\1 Soma
The plan had been to push on through the tree and really bring the pain to Elle with a surprise attack. But as long as we're talking about cliche dialogue, let's make a comment about the best laid plans of mice and men while we're at it. Soma misjudges the angle and arc of the arboreal projectile, the thing splashing against his side and sending him careening off the sidewalk, clutching his side. That *hurt*. An awful lot. His attack blunted, he decides to play it safe and stay right where he is for the time being, reassessing the situation. "Something something rock music corrupted youth," he growls at Elle, eyes narrowing somewhat. "How's that?"
COMBATSYS: Soma gains composure.
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Elle 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Soma
"Needs more sass," Elle says in her usual flat tones, obviously a disaffected, tuned out rocker. "Try snapping and head bobbing while you do it. Maybe wag a finger at me and ask me if it could be Satan." At any rate, Soma will probably be wary of any tree based assaults Elle has in the future. As Soma falls into a defensive posture and attempts to regain his footing from the rocker's less than pleasant assaults, Elle starts to reroute her power set. The electrical aura around her grows yet again as she points a hand at Soma as if she were pointing a gun.
"Time to put the hammer down," she says in a mildly singsong tone as she brings down her thumb. The result is a stream of electrical power, the sharp bolt arcing towards Soma's body like a sparking bullet. It looks thoroughly unpleasant in all kinds of ways, and it will hopefully keep the strange man at bay while she figures out what his deal is.
COMBATSYS: Soma overcomes Pure Energy from Elle with Nova.
- Power hit! -
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Elle 1/-----==/=======|=======\===----\1 Soma
He's not going to be caught offguard a second time, this much is clear, and Soma has Elle's entire speech about how tired she finds his tired act to think it over. Slipping a hand inside the jacket she so wants, he slips something into his fingers, perhaps... even though his hand appears empty when he drops it back to his side. "Look, I really don't care how bored you are with people's perfectly understandable reactions to being mugged," the Interpol officer sighs, a little bored himself. "Your parents didn't love you enough blah blah whatever. A criminal is still a criminal."
He doesn't wait for the lightning to strike; instead he flicks out his hand almost lazily but with a speed so quick his arm is but a blue, a silvery shape slicing through the air at the bolt and all but cutting it apart, the electric energy splashing off to the sides as the small throwing knife Soma hurled continues on toward Elle... and when it impacts, the thing explodes in a sparkling burst of that black-limned silver energy. "So quit your bitching and knock it the hell off already!"
COMBATSYS: Elle overcomes Nova from Soma with Depeche Mode.
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Elle 0/-------/----===|=======\===----\1 Soma
Elle watches the slicing burst from Soma shoot towards her as it cuts through her blast, and she raises an eyebrow. Hm. Usually Tran is the one tossing things back in her fact. Oh well. In response, she raises both of her hands. In a display that would make Emperor Palpatine's pruney face wrinkle even further with glee, she lets out a powerful burst of electricity, the meager bolts turning to bright blue streams of lightning, smashing straight through the incoming attack and swallowing it whole before attempting to charbroil Soma.
"Nah. I like bitching. Makes people mad, and then they start screaming and shouting. It's like watching Comedy Central," is the less than passionate response. As for the aspersions that her parents never loved her? Well, again, there's the usual claptrap that rattles through the air. No, Elle just a bad person, thanks. But then again, sharing her life's story with some person she's trying to barbecue on the streets isn't really her bag. Maybe if she was Athena.
COMBATSYS: Soma overcomes Depeche Mode from Elle with Supernova.
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Elle 0/-------/----===|===----\-------\0 Soma
The fact that he wasn't prepared for that particular attack is a testament to Soma's reaction time, because even as the multitude of bolts is coming his way his hand slips back into the jacket and back out, a fan of knives splayed out across his knuckles. They spark for a second with power before he begins tossing them in a highly methodical fashion at the incoming streams of electricity, each knife finding its mark and both stream and charged blade disappearing in a burst of silver and blue.
Of course, there appear to be more knives than there are bolts... which means Elle still has the rest of the attack to contend with as Soma responds to her verbally, lessened in power though the salvo may be. "Wow... you've even got the arrogant disaffection down. Advances in petty thug technology are really fascinating these days."
COMBATSYS: Soma successfully hits Elle with Supernova.
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Elle 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Soma
The blades hit Elle repeatedly, riddling her body. Howlever, it would seem that even as Elle fails to block the incoming hits, the blades just don't do as much damage as they reasonably should have. Having had the opportunity to watch the incoming salvo, she's able to steel herself against the cutting edges and therefore stands stock still as they pummel her with significant force. When it stops, she lets out a sharp exhalation of breath, and yanks the knife embedded into her shoulder out with a grunt. "Ouch," she says irritably.
Well, time to provoke more response. Despite being a little disoriented, she has mind enough to make a concerted effort to close the gap with Soma, her hand outstretched. Should she connect, the woman will slam him into a sphere of electricity already forming behind the man. "I'm the latest model," she replies drolly. "Custom built."
COMBATSYS: Soma fails to interrupt Rock Me Amadeus from Elle with Eclipse.
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Elle 0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0 Soma
It looks like Soma spent too much time going for the daggers in his sleeve and not enough watching Elle's attack. Perhaps the prickle of energy at his back before she even connects distracts him, or some random factor... regardless, he's caught and shoved back before his abortive counterattack can take place, but he's able to at least turn his body somewhat and, even if only a small bit, mitigate the damage done. As for commentary, he can't help but smirk. "I'm sure there's a 'Greased Lightning' joke here somewhere, but I'm not really into musicals."
Elle estimates that she can keep this up for a while longer, but the incoming damage compared to the outgoing doesn't seem to be matching up as well as she likes. That means it's back to basics. Fancy tricks only work so far, but nothing beats good old fashioned punching, and especially punching in the face. It works for boxers, after all, and there seem to be a lot more of those running around nowadays. There must be something to that. But she puts her musings on hold for a moment.
"That's what I'm talking about," Elle says, already rearing back a fist for a right cross. "If you're not going to be creative about it, you might as well just grunt and look constipated. Works for all those people that train all day and dress in pajamas." With that, she goes in for the punch at Soma's jaw, trying to knock him flat on his butt.
COMBATSYS: Elle successfully hits Soma with Medium Strike.
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Elle 0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0 Soma
'Standing there and taking it' is actually a weird core of Soma's strategy; he knows he's tough enough to suck up a few good hits. But apparently there's something about Elle's style -- maybe it's the guitar -- that is just completely overwhelming his ability to judge and time blows. Of course, she didn't HIT him with the guitar, so that's not really applicable.
Forced to take a back step AGAIN from the punch, Soma frowns a little, chiding himself mentally for letting a common criminal get the best of him. Rubbing his jaw, he keeps to himself for now, trying to take stock of the situation. There's *got* to be a crack in the defenses somewhere. "I don't know about creative, but I don't wear pajamas," he quips, shaking the daggers in his sleeves back into his hand. Time to start doing this right. "Though there may be some grunting and sweating."
COMBATSYS: Soma gains composure.
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Elle 0/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Soma
"Now you sound like Tran," Elle replies cryptically. Whomever Tran is. Apparently Elle is well connected with the dark, criminal element! Or maybe she just knows a sawed-off little munchking that shoots team chi. It's a toss up. Channeling the spirit of her erstwhile if not crazed partner in crime, Elle goes in to pound on Soma like a drum in a questionably berserk, Hickory-Smoked-Is-So-Crazy manner. Elle hops back to give herself distance, and goes in for a close range door-buster style kick to Soma's gut that will hopefully keep Soma well aware that perhaps standing around to watch yourself bleed is an inappropriate thing to do in a close action battle to the death.
The heavy booth is thrust forward with considerable strength. "You know, you could just give me the jacket. I don't suppose that's an option here though huh?"
COMBATSYS: Soma interrupts Fierce Strike from Elle with Saturnalia.
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Elle 1/-----==/=======|=======\-------\0 Soma
Soma has no idea who Tran is but thankfully for him, he doesn't let it distract him, either. The first few blows land without too much of a problem, but only because the Interpol agent is using the time to let his hand drop behind him, somewhat out of sight. "If I thought it'd make you stop doing stupid shit like mugging..." he says, suddenly twirling and lashing out with the dagger... in a highly unorthodox way. The hilt stays in his hand... the blade, attached to a length of wire, heads into the air. Spinning in a complete circle around his body and hopefully pushing Elle back, the path of energy-charged knife makes a sparkling ring of silver light in the air for just a moment. "...I'd buy you five!"
"Well, it wouldn't, but it would pretty much keep me from continuing to beat on you. Most people see that as a plus," Elle responds, her tone conversational and unchanged since the beginning of the fight despite the multiple stab wounds. She's getting used to being stabbed now. She doesn't like it anymore than anyone else normally likes to get stabbed, but hey. When your primary profession is beating on people, you're going to get a few knives poked into you and you had better learn to handle it.
Still, she's not going to handle it much longer. As the knife and wire stab yet another gash across her ribs, Elle scowls briefly. "This is the third knife attack I've had this week. Is there a convention?" She grasps at the wire, attempting to pull Soma in. "Get over here!"
If she succeeds, she'll toss Soma into the ground before lifting him up, and batting him across the street with her armor plated guitar. Such a well refined and graceful attack.
COMBATSYS: Elle successfully hits Soma with Guns N' Roses.
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Elle 0/-------/------=|=======\===----\1 Soma
Oh, hell. Soma's luck with walking into attacks today pretty much proves that the dangerous part of doing that is occasionally 1.) you mess it up and 2.) good lord that hurts. The wire grab isn't exactly expected -- Soma's never played Mortal Kombat -- and so it works, though the recoil on the thing puts the dagger back in Soma's hands the second she lets go. Elle's attacks aren't exactly much for subtelty, but they certainly get the point across; Soma goes sailing across the walkway toward a lamppost, bruised and battered by the attack.
But it was a mistake not to send him right at the ground. Right before he hits the lamppost the Interpol agent spins and extends his feet, effectively landing on it perpendicularly. "Alright," he murmurs, before kicking off. "Have it your way."
Then he disappears.
When Soma becomes visible again, it is only as he passes by Elle, having crossed the intervening space at near lightspeed, the wire from a single dagger looking to catch her around the throat as Soma drops to the ground past her in a crouch...
COMBATSYS: Elle blocks Soma's Orihime's Loom.
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Elle 0/-------/---====|-------\-------\0 Soma
The wire around the throat really isn't the thrust of the attack, however. Gaining purchase, Soma rises and, with surprising strength, *hurls* Elle into the air, using the wire as a sort of slingshot. The goal is to continue this teleport-grab-toss cycle three times in a row in random aerial directions before finally creating the double-bladed energy sword and slashing Elle down to earth. Of course, it's a complex technique... there's many ways in which one could minimize its effects...
One of them is just being a mean-ass bitch. Though thoroughly choked, Elle makes an effort to flails about as much as possible. It's not graceful, it couldn't possibly be expected to do any significant, but it's enough to throw Soma off his game. Despite the failure for the technique to be completed, it causes damage not from the initial attack, but from the fact that landing is a bitch unless you're one of the scant few people that take 'flying' as a convenient way of personal travel. Elle slams back into the ground like a sack of bricks, smashing pavement and sending up a dust cloud.
Being tough as nails helps a lot, though, and when all is said and done, Elle clambers out of her small crater with a look of disgust on her face. This is too close for her liking. Time for like retaliation. Though not as powerful, Elle hurls her weighted guitar cord after Soma, attempting to wrap it around one of his limbs, and sends a considerable amount of voltage down after it. Hopefully that'll be enough to put down this opponent and call it a day.
COMBATSYS: Soma fails to interrupt Rock Me Amadeus from Elle with Kaleidoscope.
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Elle 0/-------/--=====|
COMBATSYS: Soma can no longer fight.
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Elle 0/-------/--=====|
The truth is that Soma's just too flat-out exhausted to do much of anything. In his mind there was this great wire-fu exchange of... well, wire-fu... between the two as she lashes out with the guitar cord. Sadly, Elle's not exhausted and Soma is, so her electrical attack stuns him but good, forcing him back a few steps and then down on his knees. Not exactly out, but certainly out of the fight. Gritting his teeth, the Interpol agent grimaces and stows the daggers back in his sleeves. "Ow... damnit."
He can't take her in, because she's going to keep resisting and he really doesn't have the energy to keep resisting her resistance. But he knows her face... and if he can get out of this without giving up his wallet, well... there's always next time. Plus there's something atypical about her... Soma has the sense, somewhere in his head, that Elle doesn't really want to be mugging people. So he files it away as he strips off the bolero jacket, holding it out with one hand. "Here. It was worth getting beat up to fight you anyway... you might make a good character in my next book."
What? Elle blinks. Usually they start squalling about how she's evil, how she's going to pay, yadda yadda yadda. Elle almost reflexively tunes out Soma the second he starts talking, in fact. But the fact that he's just handing over the jacket surprises her mildly. After all, most people aren't as gracious. Granted, she's used to punching the hell out of people who are prone to getting butthurt over the slightest thing. "Interesting..." Elle says, taking the jacket and shrugging it on.
It would be rude to ask such a good sport for his cash and wallet, too. It really would. Elle eyes the man for a moment, adjusting the trim of the coat. "So you write books?" She asks, and then shakes her head. "Never mind. A deal's a deal. You gave me the jacket, I stop kicking your ass." As much as she hates to follow her own rules, Soma shows good, clean sense. And she can't beat on people that show that. As sick and twisted as the track that her logic train follows, it's a kind of honor extended to people that behave reasonably when disadvantaged and given an easy way out. "Here," she says, reaching into her pocket and tossing him a small plastic bag. "Asprin, cold pack, bandages," she explains. It's her usual patch-up kit before she can get to Tran Central Care Unit. "Oh yeah. Welcome to Southtown."
COMBATSYS: Elle has ended the fight here.
%Soma doesn't get off the ground just yet. He was effectively tasered repeatedly, after all, which is what he suspects being around Elle is like, super guitar powers or not. He appears to be a fast healer regardless, though he does fold his arms over his chest for a second. All that was left under the jacket is the tight, dark grey turtleneck that's cut for fashion, not warmth. The plastic bag catches him by surprise, but rather than reject it, he decides to hold onto it. The sympathetic part of his brain says she's making an overture. The cop says 'fingerprints! o/~'.
"My publisher says I need to start saying 'novelist'," Soma grunts, pushing himself standing and regretting it for a moment from the sudden head rush. "I think he's being a pompous ass and wants to be respectable. I'm not Chaucer, I'm like Chuck fucking Pahlaniuk only not a self-obsessed nihilist dick." Apparently someone didn't like Fight Club. The baggie goes in a pocket and Soma glances at Elle again, knitting his brow for a moment. She looks familiar somehow, but the agent is willing to chalk it up to having been brain addled by 10,000,000 gigawatts of pure rock and roll. "Soma Travedi. And if you'll let me get in one last cliche phrase before we go back to real conversation, there's got to be a better way to do... whatever it is you're doing than mugging. Unless you're just a fashionista who has a thing for black jackets."
"Probably," Elle admits, "But I'm a stupid criminal whose daddy beat her and whose mother was a whore with a heart of gold that sang in backlot bars and would cry herself to sleep every night before having to leave me in a ratty studio apartments where I lived in constant fear of rat attacks and crack dealers." Elle's face is deadpan, but anyone that would swallow that story is probably a wide eyed anime character or something. "The jacket fits nice, though, thanks. Maybe now I'll turn some tricks and fill the pockets with cash." The tone is a tiny bit sardonic, but calculated not enough to cause major offense. Just enough snark to show that she's not the garden variety criminal. Give her that much in the way of pride, society.
"Anyhow, you go ahead and write your books or whatever. I'll keep smashing people in the face for money and shiny objects. God willing, we'll never see each other again, and this will just be another funny story to tell over cocktails and salads at La Amour," she says, referencing one of the higher class famous restaurants in town. "Soma, you say? Good luck. You're gonna need it around here. It's cold outside, and frankly, there's no kind of atmosphere." With that, she turns about and starts to stride away in her usual fashion: Scaring Japanese people by being an inordinately huge American woman.
Log created by Soma, and last modified on 12:23:00 05/09/2007.