The Sins of Our Fathers

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony jumped in shock as the map was suddenly ripped from her grasp. She turned with a gasp and stared at the man now in front of her with wide eyes, "How... I-" She shook her head and ripped the map back from his hands, "I don't think that's any of your business," She said, head lifting, nose in the air, "How I get there is my concern. Be content with the fact that you have your wallet back." She sniffed, "Most don't even know I've taken it until it's too late, so you should pat yourself on your back as you walk away." She made little shooing motions with her hands.

---

Edna
She smiled, holding out her hand, "I'm Edna... and you really don't have to do this. I don't mind paying for my own food, I was going to anyway," She said softly, "I don't want to be a bother." She could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable. He seemed like one of those quiet people who preferred to watch what was going on around them rather than join in, "And if I'm bothering you I can leave. I pretty much interrupted your lunch. You don't have to socialize with me if you don't want to."

---

Faye
Faye smiled at him, "Don't worry about me, He-Man," She said softly, "I can handle my own." The waiter walked up and suddenly the biker routine was gone, a large smile splitting her lips as she gave her order, "A large plate of waffles, please. Oh! And some hot chocolate. Do you guys have the little marshmallows? No, darn. Oh well. Just the waffles and hot chocolate then." When she turned her attention back to Mariah she was once again in acting mode, waiting for the waiter to finish with their orders before saying, "I have an eidetic memory," she said, her voice returning to that bedroom rasp, "Anything I read, see, or hear I can call up in the future." She didn't state that sometimes it took longer for her to remember - longer to bring it out of her memory bank - but he didn't need to know that. All he needed to know was that she could carry her own weight in this job.

@ JaguarsHeart

Mark
“So you don’t want a ride, then?” He said, a slightly amused undertone to his voice. “Because it seems to me, if I were a pickpocket, that is, I would want to get away from the scene of the crime as fast as I could if I were caught. So why can’t you?” He tilted his head, eyeing her curiously. “There are a few options. You are either that confident I won’t haul you off to the authorities or you don’t have a car and no fare for a cab. So, do you want a ride or not?”

---

Maverick
“Nice to meet you, Edna.” His larger hand dwarfed hers as the shook and he let go quickly, feeling an odd little zing when they touched. Now what did that mean? He refrained from asking his imp, having nearly cut off all communications for the last three years. Surprisingly, the imp seemed ok with that and only rarely tried to speak.
“You aren’t a bother,” he said, trying and failing once more to offer a comforting smile. Was he really so ruined? He reached up to scratch his cheek and was shocked to discover at least a week’s worth of stubble on his chin. When was the last time he’d shaved? It couldn’t have been that long ago, could it?

---

Mariah
Damn, if she kept up that bedroom voice, things were going to happen. Non-work appropriate things. He shifted, trying to get comfortable. His imp was practically jumping up and down with glee, sending him wave after wave of impressions. He sent it a blast of anger, trying to make it stop, but it was futile. The damn thing made it very hard to concentrate on anything but her, even when she switched back to her regular attitude to order waffles and a hot cocoa. He idly tossed out an order for an omelet and a coffee, considering the woman before him.
“Eidetic memory means you got a good memory, sure, but can you actually make the drinks? You need the muscle memory to make any drink these guys want, no matter what they order. Despite how sveeky this place is, they do pretty good business. Last bartender was always busy, making drinks or talking to the guys until he pissed off the wrong mobster.”

@ Mother.Of.Dragons

Matt
Her answer was pretty rote, and he hardly expected any different. He’d asked the same question who knew how many times today, and received the same answer almost as many. He nodded in approval of her musical choice, hoping she’d be a strong enough player to catch the rest of the band’s attention. They’d never had a girl in the band before, primarily because they couldn’t find a girl who didn’t have ulterior motives. As such, they’d all already tuned her out, including his manager.
Her fingers began to dance across the strings and he was transfixed as she breathed life into the old song. It was an effort to keep from humming along, so he instead opted to nodding with the beat. She was a strong contender, he thought, listening as she missed not a single note, even in the riff, definitely worth a callback. She attracted a bit of attention from his mates, but he could tell they were still offput by the whole concept of her simply being female. Sexist assholes. He’d turn them around.
He smiled at her as the song came to an end. “Thank you, Victoria,” he said, reaching for his pencil only to realize it had fallen to the ground. Shamelessly he scooted back and crawled under the table to get it, popping back up with a triumphant grin, brandishing it like he’d found some great treasure. “Hah! There you are. Sorry about that.” His wicked little boy grin caused a couple of his bandmates to snigger, he had a well-deserved reputation for the ridiculous. He took his seat once more and put a star by her name on the list. “If you could just wait outside, we’ll talk things over and get back to you!”

---

Maddock
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her and failed. “Mice,” he said simply, his deep, gravelly voice rumbling around in his barrel chest. The cats kept the docks free of vermin, which kept them out of the warehouses, keeping the goods from being spoiled. They were a valuable and essential part of dock life, which was why he was so concerned about the missing strays. If the cats started to disappear, they’d have more mice, and everyone would suffer.

@ Aikofox
Amelia
Amelia turned her head for a moment, not quite sure what he was talking about. Though it only took her a moment longer to realize what he was talking about. “Oh yes! The mice. Ah so they’re like your little hunters.” She smiled widely. Amelia turned back to see that most of the cats had went on their way. Though the pregnant one was rubbing against her leg, either wanting more food or attention. Bending down again Amelia began to rub the cat behind its ears. “And you know you didn’t have to roll your eyes at me. I think that it was a fair enough question. I mean…”
She wrinkled her nose a bit, realizing that she really should bring up him feeding them daily. No it would be no good if this man knew she had been watching him for three days now. It wasn’t like that was her goal when she came to the docks to eat but he really was the only interesting thing around here. “Anyways I am just trying to be friendly. Oh! My name is Amelia. What is yours?” Amelia now looked up at the male. While he did not really talk much she did expect him to answer this question. Maybe after a while she would be able to wear him down and he will actually give her a full sentence.

---

Victoria
Victoria glanced over at all of the faces in the room. She gave them a small nod before speaking. “Thank you,” With that she turned and headed out of the room. At the moment she was not quite sure how the audition went for her. While she knew she played especially well, and knew that they knew it to, she was unsure if they were convinced she would fit well. No she was never particularly good at interviews. Normally what got her the job was the fact that she could play, not what she said. Besides she knew she was a rather quiet at first nor did she like to talk about herself much with strangers- another reason interviews did not go well for her. Hopefully this band was looking more for someone who could play rather than someone who would be good for the media. She definitely was not here to get the limelight.
Victoria went straight back to her secluded spot in the waiting room. At least they were considering her for the part-or at least she hoped that they were. As she waited Victoria retuned her guitar for a different song in case they wanted to hear something else from her. Once she was done with that Victoria began to mess around on her phone, just trying to pass the time.

@ Mother.Of.Dragons

Maddock
Was she really trying to engage him in conversation? He didn’t want to know her. In the end, he knew, he’d have no choice, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t push her away until then. He glanced at his watch. His lunch break was almost up, and with the colder weather slowing down trade, he had to work extra hard to keep from being laid off. He’d held the same job for eleven years and had never even had so much as a complaint about him, so he doubted they’d fire him now, but it was also a good excuse to get away from her. So without answering her he turned and began to walk away, but not before bending down to give his favorite cat a final pat.

---

Matt
The auditions continued, and Matt did his best to consider all of them fairly, but his mind kept wandering back to Victoria. He wondered what that fiery hair would feel like between his fingers how soft her skin was, how…he shook his head, pulling himself from his thoughts once more. He smiled at the young man that had just finished butchering one of Matt’s own songs and let him down gently, immediately dismissing him from his mind as he realized that was the last name on the list.
“Finally!” He crowed, jumping up to stretch. Around him the others were doing the same, and he winced as his drummer cracked his neck in a way that always made him cringe. It sounded like bones breaking! He glanced at one of the security people. “Hey, Bobby, can we get some grub? I’m starving! I have to have something in my stomach before we go on!”
Bobby laughed and made a call, and not two minutes later several boxes of pizza and a salad were laid out for their dining pleasure. They knew him too well. He dove into the extra-large supreme as he picked up the list.
“So, what do you guys think?” He said around a full mouth. “I think we got some strong contenders here, but I think my favorite was Victoria.”
“Who?” Grant said, stirring the dressing into his salad, the vegetarian heathen.
“The redhead,” he elaborated. “The girl who played Blinded by the Light?” He reached over to the laptop they’d used to record the performances and selected her video. “This one. Didn’t miss a note, obviously cared about what she was doing, I think she’s got talent.”
“Yeah, we noticed,” Rich said, rolling his eyes. “Usually it’s the girls drooling over you, not the other way around.”
Matt protested, trying to turn it into a joke. “What! You know that’s one of my favorite songs, and she did fantastic you have to admit.”
“But you know what happens with chicks,” Grant said, frowning. “Something happens, every time. It’s bad luck, man.”
“Oh, what do you know. We have to give her a fair chance!”
The discussion continued on as they ate, narrowing the list down to their top ten favorites. Matt made sure Victoria’s name was on the list, though she was the only girl. As the crew set up their equipment for callbacks, he sent Bobby out to let the lucky picks know and send everyone else home. He wondered what it would be like to play with her? Well, he was about to find out, he thought, warming up his voice. Her name was first on the list.

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony glared at the man before her, "You expect me to ride in a cab with you?" She threw up her hands, speaking in rapid Spanish as she pointed her finger at him. The entire time she cursed her hands were in constant motion, flinging into the air, her wrist flicking to-and-fro. When she finally calmed down she was breathing just a little rougher, "Let me guess, I get in that cab with you and BAM!" Her arms went into the air again, "You've abducted me, taking revenge for me trying to take your wallet." She shook her head, "No. No, I'd be better off walking."

---

Edna
Edna gave him another small smile, "Are you sure? I mean, this is nothing against you, but I'm getting that 'awkward moment' feeling." she shrugged, pulling her book back to her to check the pages, "I really don't take offense, truly. I'm going to go on a limb here and say you don't normally get smacked in the face with a book and so don't normally have to carry out the polite conversation that typically followed."

---

Faye
Faye shrugged, still playing the part. She crossed her legs, placed her elbow on the table, and lightly drew a finger over her lips to distract him, "Trust me, if I do mess up they won't care all to much. Word is the last bartender was a brute of a man who tended to yell at his customers," She smiled, "Me? They'll forgive me for any folly." She laughed, the sound husky, "They'll probably even think my failed attempts are cute."

@ Jaguar's Heart
Mark
He’d been to South America enough times to passably understand what she said, and he had to admit, he was impressed. “Well, then,” he said, “tell me how you really feel.” Her actions had attracted a crowd, but he ignored the curious glances. Instead, he stuck his hands in his pockets and considered her. “Do I really look like the kind of man to do that?” It didn’t matter that he was associated with men who would do much worse, but he tried to make a habit of treating women with respect. “I was merely trying to help out someone in need. I’ve been where you are, trust me. Pickpocketing isn’t as lucrative a business as it might appear.”

---

Maverick
Maverick rubbed the back of his neck again, grimacing. She was right. Things were getting awkward. Then, right on cue, almost as if he’d been watching them, which he probably had, the little brat, Max appeared with two meals and placed them in front of them.
“On the house!” He said, smiling. He turned to Edna. “If it’s not to your liking, feel free to look over the menu and pick out whatever you like. It’s the least I can do to repay the damage to your book.” Then, without giving her the opportunity to reply (or refuse) he was gone again, off to the kitchen.
Maverick shook his head, but was grateful for the distraction. “So…” he said, fumbling. “Bon apetite?”

---

Mariah
Damn it all, she was trying to distract him. And it was working better than he liked. He focused on her gorgeous eyes and glared. “Little Jimmy was also Girotti’s wife’s cousin, and look what happened to him. You, he doesn’t know. The bar may not look like much to you, but these people don’t mess around.” The scar in his side where he’d got stabbed breaking up a fight itched, not even Jason knew about that one. Perhaps he should have told him about the necessary hospital visit, maybe then they’d have thought twice about throwing a rookie to the wolves. This wasn’t a break-in assignment, he couldn’t afford to look out for her and think of saving his own skin. “I need definite proof you can play the part, and play it convincingly. A little quick-change and some acting won’t cut it with me.”

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony had to admit that h had a point. Pickpocketing wasn't lucrative at all - obviously, since she was thirty and still doing it. With a sigh she ran her hand through her hair, "Alright, I concede." She glared at him, "But no funny business. I might be just a simple pickpocket, but I can take care of myself." She pointed her finger at him again, "Got me?"

---

Edna
Edna tried to stop him once again, but dropped her hand with a sigh, "Does he always flit around like that?" She asked softly, turning to give a little smile in Maverick's direction, "Bon apetite." She picked up her fork and began eating, groaning just a little at the taste, "This is really good." She took another bite, still smiling at Maverick, "So... are you two related? You kind of look alike."

---

Faye
Faye shrugged, "My hotel room has a mini bar if you really want to quiz me," She said softly, just as the waiter brought their food. So grinned at the man, sending him a dazzling smile that caused him to blink before digging into her waffle, happy that they'd added strawberries, "Thanks!" She said as she added some strawberry syrup. When the waiter was gone again she returned her smile to Mariah. She knew she was taking a chance at letting him try any drink she made. She wasn't going to tell him that she'd been practicing what she'd read - he'd take it the wrong way - and instead just hoped he'd assume she at least sort of knew what she was doing.

@ Jaguar's Heart
Mark
Mark gave her a small smile that on any other man would have been a smirk. “I’ve got you.” She was a funny one, his pickpocket. So untrusting. But then, he really couldn’t blame her. Turning to get into the cab line, the smile fell from his face. If she knew what he really was, she’d run for the hills and never look back. So he wouldn’t tell her. He was used to keeping secrets.

---

Maverick
“You get used to it,” he replied with a half-hearted shrug. He took a bite of his food, watching the way she obviously relished hers. He knew objectively it had to be as good as she thought it was, he certainly remembered it being drool-worthy, but he hadn’t really tasted anything in years. Food was food to him. Nothing more. Instead of voicing these thoughts, he said instead, “Of course it is. He made it himself. No one else gets to cook for me but him. And yeah, we’re related. Max is my little brother. He’s the new owner. Or will be, once he finishes paying off the place.”

---

Mariah
He was interrupted by the arrival of food. Whereas the waiter was dazzled by Faye, he seemed terrified of Mariah. Not that that was anything new. He could be a very scary guy, and he liked it that way. He dug into his omelet, but not before liberally coating it with ketchup. Max called him a heathen for liking lots of condiments on his food. He chewed, watching her eat. Damn, even the way she ate was sexy. Even without his imp twisting his emotions he’d have wanted her. But then it would have been just another one night stand to get her out of his system and move on. He had a feeling if anything ever happened between them –which it would not- it would end up being a lot more permanent.
“I’ll take you up on that,” he said between bites, pausing for a sip of coffee. “And if I don’t think you’re up to snuff you’re out, no bitching, no protests, no nothing. Got it, Pixie?”

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony slowly followed the man, her gaze narrowed on his back. It was then that she realized that she didn't even know this man's name. She rushed forward and stepped in front of him, holding her hand out to stop him, "Wait. Wait, wait, wait," She rushed, breathing a little hard, "Wait." She narrowed her gaze on him, "I'm getting into a cab with you and I don't even know your name." She shook her head, "This is insane."

---

Edna
Edna's eyes widened and she chuckled through a mouth full of food before swallowing, "Well, no wonder both of you keep saying that everything is on the house," she smiled and shook her head, "He really is a wonderful cook. I'm glad that he bought the place - or is in the process of it. I hope he manages to pay it all off." She took another bite, still watching him, "What about you? You have any talents?"

---

Faye
Faye's brow lifted, "Really, He-Man?" She drawled, "As if you have a say." She pointed to Jason, "Even he doesn't have a say. People high than him have ordered my position." She licked some syrup off her finger without even thinking of it, "So yes, you'll taste my alcohol, but no matter what I'm bartending at that place." She grinned at him, "Don't worry so much, He-Man, I can handle myself."

@ Jaguar's Heart
Mark
He blinked as she stopped him. She had a point. She was his soulmate, however unknowingly, and she didn’t even know who he was. And for that matter, he didn’t even know her name, either. He supposed he out to fix that. “It’s Mark.” He said, offering his hand for a shake. “Mark Maledire. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. And you are?”

---

Maverick
“He will. Even if it takes him years, Maxie’ll pay off the place to Flanders, with interest. That’s the kind of guy he is.” He took another bite of his food, nodding. “He learned how to cook in this place, it’s his temple. He won’t give it anything less than his best.” Blinking, he considered the question. Did he have any talents? He didn’t particularly consider himself talented. Unless you counted foolishness a talent. He seemed to have excelled pretty handily there. “Not really,” he said finally. “I’m a bit of a nobody.

---

Mariah
He scowled. “Who the hell did you sleep with to get this job? Really, I’d like to know so that I can punch them in the face.” He snarled the last five words, shooting a look at Jason. His handler shrugged helplessly. So not even he knew why this was happening. Did the higher ups really think so little of him and his case? He wasn’t a teacher, and his case wasn’t for rookies. They’d given him this one for a reason. He had the background, the look, and the attitude, plus the record, to get this done. Did they realize how difficult his job was? And they were only making it harder!

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony stared at Mark's outstretched hand. She hesitated for a few minutes before taking his hand, giving it a proper shake, "Antonella," She said softly, "And why are you doing this?" She asked, "I picked your pocket... so why are you helping me?" She lifted her hand, "And don't tell me it's because you've been where I'm at. I want the real answer."

---

Edna
Edna snorted a little, "I doubt that." She grinned and gestured to her book, "I'd say you're a lifesaver. You didn't hesitate to help me with my book," She shrugged, "Trust me, I would have been devastated if it had gotten damaged." She sat back, "But I doubt you're a nobody. There's got to be something you do."

---

Faye
Faye glared at him and tossed a piece of waffle, the syrupy gooey breakfast landing against his chest, "I didn't have to sleep with anyone, you bigoted butterfly!" She sneered, "I have the skill to do this, big shot, so just toss your little temper tantrum down the proverbial trash can and deal with it. I'm going to be at that bar, tending it, and I'm going to do it without your help." She continued to glare, "I'd prefer working with you, but I won't hesitate to work against you, either."

@ Jaguar's Heart
Mark
“Antonella.” He nodded as he shook her hand. Her skin was soft, and he found he liked the feel of it. Just one more manipulation of his imp, no doubt. The air practically seemed to sparkle around her, drawing him in. “A pleasure.” He let go of her hand, hiding his reluctance to release her. “And as for why I’m doing this,” he said, moving forward in the cab line, “because I really have been where you are. I used to do the same thing, when I was a kid. I wish someone had given me a hand when I needed it.”

---

Maverick
He looked away, reaching up to rub the back of his neck again, his nervous habit. “But that’s just common courtesy. I was able to help, so I did.” He didn’t like her complimenting him. It was nice. Why was she nice to him? “I don’t really do anything,” he said at last, reluctant to explain. He’d spent the last three years since then in somewhat of a fugue state, just existing and not really caring one way or the other about anything. He was still in that state, though it wasn’t as intense. Hence the continued Mav-sitting. He supposed he should be grateful to his siblings for taking such good care of him, but honestly, he just couldn’t bring himself to care that much. He doubted he ever would.

---

Mariah
Mariah looked at the syrupy bit of waffle oozing down his white shirt. His eye may have twitched a bit as he picked it off and began trying to clean the oncoming stain. “Was that really necessary?” He said at last, deadly calm. “You’re how old? If anyone’s throwing a tantrum here, it’s you. I’m just concerned about the integrity of my godsdamned fucking case!”
He didn’t yell. He didn’t have to. He spoke with an eerie calm that was more frightening than his earlier snarling and growling could ever be. Even the bikers in the bar paid attention when he used that voice. It was a voice he usually reserved for people who had poked at his name one too many times, a voice that spelled trouble. His imp flooded him with impressions, working at his emotions as quick as it could in an effort to calm him down, turning rage into lust for the impertinent little pixie in front of him. He broke, snarling as he looked away taking a deep breath as he fought to regain control of his haywire emotions. Now was not the time!

@ Aikofox
Amelia

Amelia's smile immediately dropped when the male turned off and went into his own direction. One word? Really?! She had only been able to get one word out of him during that entire time? A dark exposure came over her, and a deep frown came over her lips. Now this was something she really could not believe. Honestly Amelia had thought she would be able to get a little more out of him. This had never happened before! Wait...this had never happened before.
Immediately Amelia began to cool down. Truly this was odd but all in all it only made the male more interesting. Perhaps he truly would become her new buddy. How long did she think it would take her to get a full sentence out of him? Probably by the end of the week- if she was more appealing to his sense of self.
She then looked down at the pregnant cat, giving her one last rub down. "Well I suppose that I will see you tomorrow." With that Amelia got onto her feet and headed back to her own job.
[linwe]
Victoria
As time began to pass the waiting room turned more scarce. When the lady came out and read the list of ten, a huge smile came over her lips. She was so glad to see the others go. It only meant less competition and an even better chance for her. Victoria glanced around the room at the other contenders. Immediately she noticed that she was the only female left, which was odd, maybe even a little worrying. She suppose that the may excuse her simply because of her gender. After all it was an all male band...
The lady at the front then called her name, snapping Victoria away from her thoughts. A soft smile came over her lips as she picked up her guitar and headed back to the audition room. When she came in Victoria's smile grew. Immediately she understood what was happening and was then thankful she had practiced their songs. "Hello again." She told them as she walked properly into the room. Victoria pulled her guitar around herself before turning to them. While she knew what was happened if was still a better idea to wait for instruction.

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
Maddock
The rest of the day Maddock had a difficult time concentrating on his work. His mind kept drifting back to his lunch, and the woman who had interrupted it. His feelings on the matter were twisted around, swinging from a longing to see her again to wanting her to stay as far away as humanly possible. He knew it was just the imp messing with his feelings, but that didn’t make them real. It also didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight it with every fiber of his being. He didn’t want a soulmate. He just wanted things to stay the way they were. He debated on making the drive up to Portland to see Mark, but then he remembered his oldest brother was coming in from off a plane today. Mark was never in a good mood after a job. Best wait a few days. But in the meanwhile, what was he supposed to do? Those thoughts plagued him all day and all night, making sleep impossible. The next day he approached his usual lunch spot with trepidation. The cats were already waiting for him, but was she?

---

Matt
A smile blossomed on Matt’s face as she walked in again, and it was all he could do not to rush over and hug her. He felt like a giddy schoolboy. But he had to keep his cool. “Welcome back, Victoria!” He said instead, motioning her over to her place. “We’ve got a bit of a test for everybody. Since we’re in the middle of a tour right now, we can’t afford to hire someone who doesn’t know our current songs. Think you’re up to doing a few numbers with us?”
His manager walked over and handed her the sheet music for the three songs they had selected. They were all varied, challenging songs that would put her abilities to the test, and Matt desperately hoped she was up for it. As much as he wanted her in the band, he had to put the music first. If she wasn’t up to snuff he had no choice but to give the spot to someone else and be forced to get to know her some other way. But perhaps that would be best? They always said not to mix work and pleasure. Oh, who was he kidding? For him, worse was pleasure! Even still, he worried. The first two songs were two of their more popular songs off of his current album, and the third song was his current number one, a piece he’d written just for their former guitarist Adam’s incredible talents. It was a challenging, demanding piece for the guitarist, but she had to be able to play it.
“Let’s get started, ok?” He said, giving her a friendly look before picking up the mic and flipping it a few times in the air. Even if it was just auditions, Matt felt a buzz of excitement. He loved to sing!

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony continued to follow Mark, this time walking at his side as opposed to behind him, "Still, most people get mad at me after I steal their stuff." She shook her head, "So forgive me, but I'm having a hard time accepting all this." As they reached the line for the cabs she couldn't stop herself from watching those around them. Her eyes landed on another traveling man. He looked tired and exhausted - even more so than Mark had - and she considered trying to pickpocket him. She bit her lip, trying to control herself, and sighed. She really shouldn't, not right now. She'd wait until she got to the park. That and it would be rude to Mark... he was helping her. She sent Mark a suspicious glance, "You really are just taking me to the park, right?"

---

Edna
Edna gave him a smile and a shrug, "Well, I guess that means you have more time to save damsels with books in distress- books!" She suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide as she looked at her watch, "I'm late! Crap, Mary's going to kill me!" She grabbed her book and stood, "I've got to get back to work," She leaned toward him, reaching out and giving him a quick hug, "Thank you, again, and if you ever need something to do you can come visit me at work. I'll be at the library three blocks from here." She turned and walked to the front desk, heading to Max, "Thank you again, I appreciate the food." She gave him a hug as well before rushing out, already fifteen minutes late.

---

Faye
"It was completely necessary," Faye said, still glaring at him, "You've been incredibly rude to me and I've taken it all quite well, I'd say, but that was just too much." She pointed a finger at him, "You need to watch that potty mouth of yours. I'm sure it's necessary at the bar, but here you will act like a gentleman. And gentlemen don't accuse ladies of sleeping with men." She leaned forward, "Plus, if I'd have done that, you think I would have been saddled with your sorry behind? No." She sat back in her chair again, "No, I would be running this damn thing. I'm that good." Her eyes narrowed on him, "And the integrity of your case was already damaged when they put you on it, if this is the way you work with people."

@ Aikofox
Amelia

Amelia showed up to at the docks like she had done the past few days. Though instead of taking her spot at the bench she marched right up to where the male was sitting and the cats were crowding around. Then she plopped down right next to him, giving him a wide friendly smile. Then she turned to her lunch
At first she didn't say anything to him as she unpacked her food. Most of it was normal: a drink, sandwich, carrots, chips and a cookie. Though then she pulled out a can of sardines. It was that point when she started to talk.
"I thought the cats would like it." She told him as she opened up the can and handed them a few pieces of fish. Amelia glanced over at him again before taking a bite out of her sandwich. Now she wondered if she would be able to get him to speak to her today.

---

Victoria

Victoria took the sheet music, glancing over the songs for a minute or two. She knew how to play their songs. Even made sure that she had them down perfectly. If Victoria was going to show up to an audition- especially one where they were in the middle of their tour she was going to know how to play their songs. Victoria tried to research her employers before she came to an audition. It seemed to work best for her if she knew what she was getting herself into.
Once she was done looking them over, Victoria placed the three songs onto the floor, setting them to the side. She then turned to the band, her fingers already in the position of the first note. "I am ready when you are." She told them. Then once their was an agreement to start, Victoria began to play.
After that they played one song after the other. She kept with the beat, followed the band, crescendo when the music became more passionate and quieted down when other parts were more pronounce them hers. Really she knew what she was doing.

@ Jaguar's Heart
Mark
“I’m not most people.” He said, unruffled as they finally reached the front of the line. He handed his bag to the waiting cabbie watching carefully as the man loaded his things for him. “After you,” he said, moving to hold the car door and motion her inside. “And I can take you to the park, if that’s what you want. But I just spent nineteen hours on a plane, and while stretching my legs sounds like a grand idea, I was thinking something along the lines of having some actual food. Care to join me?”

---

Maverick
He froze as she suddenly turned into a flurry of movement, reaching around to hug him before rushing away. He could do little more than stare, mouth open, as she gave Max a hug as well before darting out the door. He blinked. Well then. He gave Max a helpless shrug of confusion as his brother turned to him. That had certainly been interesting. She really didn’t look like a hugger. Who’d have thought?

---

Mariah
Before Mariah could rip her pretty little face off, Jason decided it was finally time to interfere. “Okay, okay, okay,” he said, waving his hands in a placating fashion. “I think tempers are just a little bit keyed up here, don’t you? Let’s all take a step back and calm down. Mariah, watch your temper. Now’s not the time. Like it or not, she’s part of this case now, you’ll just have to suck it up and deal with it. I really don’t want to have to tell my boss you’re getting too close to this. Faye, stop pushing his buttons. Maledire’s good at what he does, even if his people skills suck. But it’s part of what makes him perfect for this one. He doesn’t break character because he is the character. You need to do the same. Once you get out there, you aren’t Faye anymore, you’re Andrea, and you need to believe it. If you don’t, they don’t. You’re new at this, so I’m trying to give you some advice. Mariah’s an asshole, but he gets the job done. You can learn a lot from him. Now, why don’t we go back to your hotel so you can show us what you can do, okay?”
Mariah sat back with a huff. He was getting too worked up over this, and into was all his damn imp’s fault. He purposefully ignored the glare Jason was sending him. Just because she was his soulmate didn’t mean it had to interfere with his job. So his imp had made its choice. Big deal. So she was a smoking hot rookie. He could work with that. He ran a hand over his face, gritting his teeth to hold back the reply he’d been about to give. ”Fine.”

@ Mother.Of.Dragons
Maddock
He’d barely sat down to eat when she appeared, plopping down next to him like she owned the whole of the docks. He leaned away, subtly but firmly ignoring her. He unwrapped his own lunch, nothing fancy, a couple ham sandwiches and a thermos of coffee. He looked down at the cats, noticing once again the calico and the tom were missing. Silently he started to eat, every now and then tearing off a bite of ham to throw to the waiting mouths. He noticed her bring out the can of fish, but said nothing. She wanted to feed the cats, she could feed the cats. No one was stopping her. He would just ignore her.

---

Matt
The moment the music began, it was as if Matt turned into another person. Gone was the excited boy looking for some fun, replaced by an intense man who put everything he had into his craft. Everything faded away as he began to sing, losing himself in the music. Victoria was doing excellent, he thought. More than excellent. The band felt more together than it had ever been. Even his bandmates noticed the difference. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed them glancing at each other, driven to play better, harder, than before. The girl knew what she was doing, turning the music into magic. They got through the first song, then the second, and without a breather the drummer launched into the beat of the final song. This was what he’d worried about, but he hadn’t any need. The difficult riffs and chords he’d written for Adam seemed to flow from her, and by the time the song finished, it was all he could do not to grab her up in his arms and kiss her. She was perfect!
He turned to his bandmates, grinning from ear to ear. “There’s no reason to keep looking,” he said, triumphant, “We’ve got our girl!”
“But Matt!” His manager said, stepping in. “We have to finish auditions, there could be someone else you like better!”
Grant, the bassist, shook his head reluctantly. “No, he’s right. It was a little rough, but the girl’s good. She fits.” He looked around at the rest of the band, who were in varying stated of agreement.
Matt practically crowed, holding out his hand to Victoria. “Well, Miss Pollix, welcome to the band!”

@ Aikofox
Antonella
Tony narrowed her gaze on him as she scooted into the cab, "Food?" She sighed, "Where were you thinking?" She asked, knowing that if he picked some place expensive she could always just order a water. She shifted to the very far seat, allowing him to enter the cab behind her. She glanced at the charges of the ride and her eyes widened. Since when were cabs so expensive? She turned to Mark as he got in, "How far away is it? Because you may end up going broke before we get there."

---

Edna
Edna rushed to work, entering the library in a rush, "Sorry!" She whispered to her coworker, "Had a bit of a mishap at the cafe," She held up her book, paper towels still between the pages, "But you can go now."

---

Faye
Faye pouted a little, then sighed, "Alright, but I'm taking the rest of my waffles with me," She waved down the waiter for a box, then packed up her food once she received it. She stood, "Let's get going." She lead the men from the dinner and to Jason's car, "The hotel isn't far from the bar, that way my part in all this is that much more believable." The area wasn't the best in town - actually probably the worst, but the people who frequented the bar would believe her more if she lived in the area, "I call shot gun!" She called as she skipped to the car, sliding into her seat.

@ Jaguar's Heart

Mark
He sighed, looking at the fare rate. He’d had worse, but it was still ridiculous. He ducked into the cab, folding his long legs uncomfortably to fit. He hated cabs, they were always much too small. He gave the cabbie his home address before finally turning to Antonella. “I can afford it, as much as I might not like to. And anyways, I’m not the one who’s going to pay for it.” He fully intended on milking Murel for all she was worth for this. It didn’t matter that he could pay it. It didn’t matter she now probably had pricey auto bills to pay. If he had to suffer, so would she.

---

Maverick and Max
After Edna left, Maverick felt himself slipping back into his customary depressive state. She’d been interesting company, a distraction he’d well needed. He’d been sitting with a half-eaten lunch for about half an hour when Max returned to take his plate.
“You know, you looked like you were having fun with that girl,” he said in an offhanded manner, gathering the dishes.
Mav shrugged. “She was different.”
“What was her name? Did you get it?”
“Edna. She works at the library.”
“Really?” Max sat down in Edna’s vacated seat. “She told you that?”
Maverick nodded. “Invited me down if I ever needed anything.”
It took everything Max had not to jump for joy. This could be exactly what Mav needed, a friend! At last, something to bring him back into the world! “You should go visit her,” he said, trying to act casual. Mav, in his fugue, didn’t notice.
“But…”
“Go!” Max stood, pulling his brother’s chair out from under him. “Go visit her!” He practically shoved the mildly protesting redhead to the door. “And don’t come back until you do!” He pushed Mav out, closing the door in his face with a triumphant grin.
Maverick stared at the door, not quite sure what had just happened. He looked around, trying to decide what to do. He’d had the last several years all planned out and dictated for him by others might as well do as he was told. So, feeling more than a little awkward, he turned and made his way towards the library to visit Edna.

---

Mariah
He shook his head, following her. This was going to be very interesting. One minute she was an angry bitch, the next she was a happy little schoolgirl in Disneyland. Ignoring Jason’s look, he climbed into the back of the van with his equipment. He couldn’t ride up front anyways. What if someone saw him? So he rode in the windowless gloom of the back, holding the ‘oh, shit’ handle for support. He liked the dark better, anyways. He functioned better in the dark. His imp did too, unfortunately, and he kept having to shove aside the rapidfire impressions it was sending him. This was going to be a long case…