Entry #A-11: "Asphyxiates" [Audio/Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[It's been a very interesting few days at Espresso Yourself. Project Jump is in the basement, many people have been in and out due to its presence, and today, they are desperately understaffed.

Used to a punishing routine, L wouldn't say anything about this under ordinary circumstances. Unfortunately, today of all days is a terrible time to be understaffed, because the coffee shop is not L's only pressing obligation. His voice on the network is terse and impatient.]

Tony is missing his shift. I've called him eighteen times and have yet to receive an answer. I'm sure his excuse is compelling, so if someone knows it, absolutely forward it to his employer.

[For anyone at the shop unlucky enough to encounter the overwhelmed owner around this time, whether they're on either side of the counter or there about Thundercorp's stolen machine, they'll notice that despite the crackling energy of his negative mood, he's looking uncharacteristically... nice. A new suit has been tailored to fit his thin frame precisely, his shoes are shined, and he looks unusually well-groomed. He glances at the clock frequently, because you'd better believe he has somewhere else to be.]

Comments

audio;

[bronographic]

[Fuck. No, no fuck this, fuck whoever is responsible for Tony's absence from work, because there's no reason he wouldn't show up. Tony's a pretty responsible guy, and hearing this message on the network makes Dirk's heart sink, and his mouth could make a desert seem wet. He takes a moment to reply, trying to calm his overworking mind as it jumps to every conclusion imaginable, but one thing keeps eating at him. Standing out more than anything else, the same conclusion his mind always comes back to...]

[Finally he replies, as calmly as he's able:]

That's not like him. I haven't seen him today, either. How consecutive were your eighteen calls?

[Maybe it's only been ten to thirty minutes (which is still a pretty big tardy) but... maybe Tony got caught up somewhere. But Dirk knows it isn't that. It couldn't be just that, ever since he's been a part of this damn network, nothing has ever been that simple.]

audio;

[dead_black_eyes]

[Unfortunately, even L is not so aggressively obsessive that he will call 18 times in 10 or 15 minutes. ]

Over the last four hours. When was the last time you saw him?

[Because L knows this isn't like Tony, and he is immensely concerned.]

audio;

[bronographic]

[One could hope, and that's all there is to say. Dirk's not too keen on the answer. He doesn't like it, doesn't like any of this.]

A day or two ago. I've been busy with work and dealing with the folks and all this trash that's unceremoniously shat itself all over my lap, that I haven't been able to be around him as much as I'd like.

[Dirk also knows, and so his worrying is now festering. He's making conclusion acrobatics at lightning speed, but he knows, in his heart of hearts, where Tony might be--or at least the cause of this whole thing.]

...Do you have any thoughts on what might be the cause of this? I have my own, but I don't want to be too hasty in declaring anything without notable proof.

audio;

[dead_black_eyes]

I have my thoughts, and if there's proof to support, I'll find it before tomorrow. Either way, I will let you know the second I do; same with Richard.

action

[belphe]

Belle is a far sight better-collected, having had a couple of weeks to recollect herself and settle into the new routine that didn't involve her former goals of being a therapist. It was a very simple arrangement: Lazarus dropped off the paperwork at the apartment, she filled it out, saw to the finances, budgeted out the supplies, and he came back to collect it from her.

Except the last couple of days he hadn't come back, and attempts to reach him on his phone had constantly found her calls instantly going to voicemail.

Which is entirely what drew her out of the apartment and into Expresso Yourself this afternoon, a small stack of papers cradled in one arm. Despite the fact she looks directly AT L while scanning the immediate area for him, her brain doesn't immediately process that its him. A well-fitted suit and combed hair simply did not compute as features Lazarus Lawliet was capable of.

On the second pass, though, her eye is caught by familiar dark eyes and a beaky nose, forcing recognition and jarring her a bit as she draws near the counter.

"L...?"

action

[dead_black_eyes]

The last few days have indeed seen far less Lazarus-related traffic around the apartment; none at all, in fact, because he's been spending all of his time at the coffee shop attempting to keep an eye on the machine and maintain the illusion that business is running as usual on the frontlines. That is plenty to keep a man too busy to breathe even without preparing for a highly risky infiltration mission.

When he hears his name, his head jerks up with an automatic "Yes! ...yes?"

action

[belphe]

The abruptness makes her hesitate before offering him the papers.

"This is ready to be filed. I tried to call you, but..." It feels a bit like talking to a lookalike, really - similar, but vastly different. It's a little disconcerting.

action

[dead_black_eyes]

"Yes, I see..."

Distracted, he accepts the papers, shoving them under the counter where they will not be seen to within the near future. "Ms. G-- Belle, I don't... suppose you would mind working here tonight? I have to be somewhere and it's very important that I'm not late."

[Action]

[radiantchicken]

Perching out on the floor and chatting up the customers just isn't a thing that's going to happen now that Torin's big enough to do things. He's still adjusting to being a humanoid, though he still does want to help. He's just not sure how the customers out in the coffee shop will take his decidedly nonhuman and less adorable presence.

"Do you need me to help out on the floor?" Sure, at this point, Torin's mostly hanging around to guard Project Jump, but that doesn't mean he can't be of some use. Sitting around guarding things all day makes a parrotman restless, after all. He is rather politely resisting the urge to comment on L's appearance for the moment. It's very unusual, and Torin is quietly wondering if there is something else going on he should be aware of.

[Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

Torin's newly increased size has indeed been a tremendous help around the shop, and L appreciates it. He even says so, when he's not at his wit's end trying to balance a life that is both double and demanding.

When the birdlike creature (saying "bird" still would be horribly inaccurate) offers to help L in a more substantial way, on the floor where he is weathering the pressure of handling every order with his poor hands while customers get impatient, he all but drags Torin behind the counter.

"Yes, yes, please. It would be a great help," he said, wholly earnestly with perhaps a touch of desperation tinting his tone. "Do you know how to ring in orders? It's simple, the buttons are all labeled so whatever a customer tells you, just punch it in and it'll automatically add and total."

Though some customers give Torin odd looks, most are aware of Espresso Yourself's reputation as a Numbered haven, and are in fact excited to see someone so clearly receiving pulses.

[Action]

[radiantchicken]

"I can handle it! When I was small, I used to perch back here and watch when we were slow and no one cared to talk with me." Torin is rather pleased with himself for that curiosity back then.

At least Torin is used to the odd looks he gets, and he's not the sort to let difficult customers ruffle his feathers.

[Action]

[dead_black_eyes]

"I... am so glad you were never one to waste time," L said, after a couple moments of simply staring slack-jawed at Torin and his overwhelmingly positive attitude. "Not sure what I'd do without you here. Tony should have arrived four hours ago and he's not answering his calls, so... if you couldn't help for the lunch rush, we'd be in big trouble."

[audio]

[scarlet_devil]

[Yeah, she has pretty much no idea who this Tony guy is, other than him being late.]

Perhaps he got held up with something? Is this kind of thing common with him to begin with?

[audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

Very uncommon, actually. He's typically on time or early; I don't like to brag, but I think he really likes this job and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

voice;

[brotimaeus]

What.

[There's something low and dangerous behind the worry in Richard's voice as he catches this and responds moments later. He'd seen Tony off not long before in his usual, distracted way, from behind a laptop while he rearranged his budgeting to compensate for the expense of needing to fix up his car.

Naturally, there's only one place his mind goes to.

Messing with his property is annoying, but something he can deal with. Messing with the livelihoods of his friends is more of a barb, but again, things can be cleaned and cleared up and repaired. If they've got to Tony, though, there'll be hell to pay. He knows he can't jump to conclusions, however...]

I'll call the police station and the hospital; make sure nothin's happened to him.

voice;

[dead_black_eyes]

[It's difficult to detect. In fact, it might not even be there at all, but something in L's voice, for just a fraction of a second, might quaver ever so slightly.]

I called already. After the fourth time Tony didn't pick up, the ninth, and the thirteenth. No one's seen him.

Has he ever done this before? Just left without warning?

voice;

[brotimaeus]

Shit.

[He'd hoped L wouldn't say that. His voice grows slightly terse.]

Once or twice, after I took him in, when he got to thinkin' he'd outstayed his welcome he up and walked out. I talked him out of that quick enough, he'd not pull that again.

[A pause, then low and through gritted teeth.] It's the fucking mafia, ain't it. I don't want to say it, L, but it's them. If they've touched a hair on his head, I swear to god--

voice;

[dead_black_eyes]

It's unwise to leap to conclusions. If the Mafia is behind it I will know by tomorrow, and alert you, either way.

[As much as he doesn't want to admit it, it's not an unlikely scenario, made more so by the fact that Tony was with him during the break in.]

The timing is really unfortunate, but if it means I have to close the store early, that's all it means.

[action]

[nowi_wins]

[Not everyone is here for crazy machines or missing person cases. Some people just want drinks.]

Do you guys sell smoothies?

[action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[Some normalcy is pretty welcome right about now. Stressed as L is, he is still taking orders.]

Smoothies? Of course. We wouldn't really be any kind of coffee shop if we didn't... were you interested in the normal kind, or the kind for hipsters?

[action]

[nowi_wins]

For hipsters?

[She giggles.]

What do you do, serve unpopular flavors so they can pretend they like something no one else does?

[action]

[dead_black_eyes]

[He responds to that little giggle with a level stare, then reaches for an orange. Well, she asked.

He uses a screwdriver to gouge into its skin and tear it off; it's clumsy because his grip isn't particularly strong and a lot of his fingers appear not to work at all. Every time he has a piece of orange skin, he drops it into a cup, and when he's finished, he jabs a fork into the peelings.]

It's called an orange-peel smoothie and it's $8.

[evowhisperer]

Eighteen calls is a lot of calls for a late employee.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Four hours late, and this isn't like him.

[Text | Switching to Private]

[evowhisperer]

*Cesar is at his computer. He brings up traffic reports, crime reports, and the local news while he texts.*

I'm hardly the last to say 'calm down and ignore a strange disappearance', but four hours is a relatively short period of time. Is this length an absence really so out of character?