news report/text

[wonk]

[Late at night, starting at around nine, most local Locke news channels turn to the same story. It occupies the media's interest well into the next morning.]

"...reports of a fire on Cherry Street, started somewhere in the middle of the building. Firemen currently believe that it began on the fourth floor..."

"...evacuations proceeding smoothly. Residents at the top are saying they were notified by the building's sole teenage occupant, Roxy Kurosawa. Ms. Kurosawa has not been accounted for among the evacuees..."

"...traces of blood found near Ms. Kurosawa's room, theorized to be hers. She still has not been found, and is the only casualty whose status is unknown. Suggestions are coming in that the fire may have been started by her, although..."

"...found a corpse of a woman in the lobby with sharp claws on her hands. Despite the burns, LCPD forensics is reporting that she shows signs of having been suffocated by the smoke. This makes one casualty who is not known to be a resident of the building, ten injured, six dead, and one missing, with Ms. Roxy Kurosawa still nowhere to be found three hours later."



[Roxy's voice comes over the network at midnight, just as news coverage turns mostly to the survivors and at a time when the city is still mostly active. She's clearly exhausted, and her voice is scratchy, almost like she's sick.]

Yeah, so I'm gonna need a place to hole up for a while.

Man, my - [a couple of ragged coughs] - my shoulder's totally shot. Bitch got me good. I'm surprised, I didn't think they'd find me, but I guess they got into the school system or something and got my address outta there. [Some more coughing.] Also, if anybody could get me a water bottle or something, I don't think I wanna walk into a store like this.

Comments

[Voice]

[oncedevil]

I don't think we've ever talked but you sound like you're in pretty rough shape. Meet me [insert address here], I'll bring water. I haven't asked but... you can probably crash at my place.

voice -> action

[wonk]

Hella rad, I'll meet you there.

[When Roxy arrive, she goes straight for the water bottle. There's a bulge in her right shoulder where the mobster injured her and she wrapped a torn-up t-shirt around it to stop the bleeding. Thankfully, Roxy is left-handed. She drains the bottle in seconds, and wipes her mouth.]

Shit, I needed that. Thanks, dude. What's your name?

voice -> action

[oncedevil]

You got it.

[And as luck would have it he brought more than one bottle of water, offering another as soon as she was finished with the first. Geeze, girl did not look like she was in good shape.]

Tony, and you? Say, you sure you don't need to go to the clinic?

[He was eyeing that t-shirt bandage with his one good eye, frowning.]

[wonk]

[Roxy drinks more slowly from this one, actually managing to sip instead of chugging the damn thing.]

It's fine, mostly just scratches. Long 'n' they sting like a bitch, but they're pretty shallow. 'm Roxy, nice to meet you. [She yawns.] I'll check in tomorrow if I still feel bad.

voice;

[purestambition]

Well.

At least you're alive.

Albero's handiwork, I'm presuming.

voice

[wonk]

Good guess. Nothing on the water bottle?

voice

[purestambition]

I could get you a whole lot more than that, if need be. I'd suspect you need a whole lot more than that.

[wonk]

...got any spare apartments in Locke you ain't using?

handwritten

[wastingtime]

[GOOD LORD. he doesn't have a house, but-]

Who - or what - came after you?

text

[wonk]

mobsters

3 of em

i didnt see the first 2 that well but this one bitch w claws attacked me after they set the building on fire

took her out p quick but she got me by surprise first

think i inhaled some smoke 2

Re: text

[wastingtime]

[he'll excuse the language. really, if someone with claws came after him-]

Are you someplace safe?

[wonk]

in the city rn

dude hooked me up w a water bottle

tryna figure out where 2 sleep tonight

[Audio]

[dead_black_eyes]

If you need to leave Locke City, even if just to recover, others would understand.

audio

[wonk]

Oh, nah, dude, I'm stayin', I have so many things to tell these guys you don't even know.

audio

[dead_black_eyes]

I've got a few ideas, I think.

text;

[drama8om8]

H8LY SH8T NEVER LE8VE EVERY8ODY HANGING TH8S LONG AG8IN I TH8UGHT YOU DI8D A PERM8NENT HERO DE8TH OR S8METH8NG HOLY SHIT TH8T WAS ALL K8NDS OF INCONSIDER8.

ALL OF THEM.

[wonk]

i was RUNNING AWAY FROM A FIRE

[drama8om8]

TH8T IS NOT AN EXCUSE F8R M8KING PEOPL8 THINK YOU WER8 DEAD YO8NG L8DY GO TO Y8UR ROOM AND THINK A8OUT WH8T YOU DID.

[disdainfully]

There is a safe numbered colony in Vegas where you could claim a house or room, if you want to leave Locke.

[wonk]

Nah, stayin' here. I got a bunch of things I wanna say to these assholes.

[disdainfully]

If you need anything for that that can be bought at a hardware store, I can arrange for it to be sold to you without too many questions.

[Video, sometime in the next morning. Emi was busy getting staked on the night of the 2nd.]]

[scarlet_devil]

[Here's Emilia, looking considerably paler than she ever was. Much more pale than living people tend to be, for that matter.]

They just don't know when to give up...

[Voice]

[gobybessie]

Is it a good guess that you were in the vicinity of that fire?

[wonk]

My apartment, dude. Mafia got fed up with me, I guess.

[gobybessie]

They seem to be getting fed up with us in general.

[ It's making him consider moving, even if he really doesn't want to budge out of principle and pride. And because his family is here. His whole life of the past three decades. ]