Dialektike: The Choose-Our-Own-Adventure [Open; No Sign-Ups]

[Manson]

The dingy apartment they live in should be home to a bunch of people. Young runaways also sometimes camp there.

[The Grim Reaper]

Part 2: Eye Wide Shut

Lucille, or Lush, was Marco's drag brother - and his real sister. They had struggled together, fought together, and finally succeeded together - for whatever success this could be called. A drag king, performing under the name Kevin Heavensent, Lucille was the palace's most storied resident.

Lucille was once a prostitute, in her younger days. An older female client had taken a liking to her, and that was where the persona of Kevin had been born. Eventually, she passed away, and Lucille was willed a meagre fortune. Not enough to buy her into a better life, but enough to give her the kind of power that could insulate Marco and his Empire from the drug dealers and the petty gangs that had once called these streets their turf. Enough to pretend she lived a better life in a better place, until it came to actually living.

A full floor of the rent-controlled apartment building they resided in had been acquired, by hook and by crook, for Lucille's purveyance of the sex trade, and another two formed the core property of Catty Jeje's palace. It was an acquisition based not on contracts, but on street credence. It was one infamous across the suburb. The family-sized apartments had long been filled to their capacity, as the former residents of Lucille's commercial units were stuffed into the residential units that formed the palace. Below, the trade plied in bodies stood in dark contrast to the refuge it funded above; two alternatives for those standing in between homelessness and their own sexuality.

The brutalist, utilitarian brickwork and concrete on the facade of the building hid a lively, if oppressive lightshow and informal economy. Between Marco and Lucille, they imposed a regime of peacible cooperation and coexistence on the residents of the building, a pair of iron fists holding tight the dank, shady corridors of the building into a single, semi-cohesive community, no matter how tentative.

Kevin didn't technically live with Catty, but that hadn't stopped him from copying her key and using Catty's apartment as a home-away-from-home - or, more to the point, a home away from a loud and sweaty business. The two were sworn to each other as siblings without another, a relationship that bled foundation as much as one founded on blood.

"You should take a look at this."

Marco groaned. "Lush, seriously. It's like...early. You could pull a pint from my heart right now."

"You're the one who was dancing in the window topless showing off that new fucking tattoo of yours all night. Stick a thumb in your throat, leave the shit over there, and then get your ass over here."

Marco swung his head back, now groaning with emotion. For just a second, it seemed likely that he was the most unfortunate person to ever walk the earth. Lush was too cruel to care, continuing on in her cynical, clinically interested monotone.

"I can see from here - God, could you stand in the light a bit?"

Lush rolled her eyes, but acquiesced.

Marco squinted at the familiar view. Across the street was the ancient city cemetary - it had long ago stopped accepting new internments, the tiny thing now effectively a heritage site rather than a functional part of the city's last rites. A small mausoleum and furnace allowed for wakes and cremations to be held, with bodies or urns quickly moved to their long-term homes within the week. The minority of the corpses here, as a result, were those buried decades ago. The majority were those still waiting to be buried by an overdose, a stabbing, or exposure, with benches, tombstones, and the funerary complex itself offering a precious illusory security.

Enclosing the cemetary on all sides were the oldest buildings still in the area, many of which had been the proud family homes of generations, tied to their walls by lease rather than ownership. Some stayed stubbornly in apartments that technically no longer existed, condemned as too dangerous to retain, but too essential to remove.

The only real claim staked to the buildings was wall-to-wall graffiti. Their owners had long given up on the area, collecting meagre rents supplemented by the state sight unseen. They were held together virtually by spraypaint and the hopes of a hopeless neighbourhood. They changed occasionally, serving as a giant message board for the residents of the buildings as well as the transient population that appeared, disappeared, and reappeared about the streets, wary of drawing the attention of law enforcement by moving from sheltering to settling. Everyone in the neighbourhood had virtually memorized the composition of the tags and the murals - every change carried valuable information, from births to deaths.

"Hey, what the fuck!"

Lush grinned, stepping back into the light as Marco recoiled.

"Thought you might like a better view. You see it?"

"God, no, what is it?"

"I thought you might know better. It is your phone number."

Marco glanced at Lush, suddenly leaping over the bed. Lush rolled her eyes, sidestepping into his headlong flight before he slammed his head against the opposite wall.

As he lifted his head, Lush pointed lazily at a wall across the street, where Marco's phone number had been sprayed over a couple of metres of length partway up the building.

"Have fun with that."

"Wait, wait, wait. Lush, come on. I'm expecting a call. Can you get someone to go over and cover it up?"

"What, can't do it yourself?"

"Come on, you know it'll have more weight coming from you."

"And you don't remember if you did anything to piss an outsider off enough to spraypaint your phone number on the side of a building."

"Yeah. I'm not sober enough to win a fight."

"Just fucking go and beg tomorrow, I have a fucking business to run."

"Lush, come on. I'll owe you a favour. I'm expecting a call today, I seriously need this done, like, immediately."

"Oh? Well, let me think. I think I might also seriously need something done, like, immediately."

What phone call is Marco expecting,
what favour does Lush want from Marco,
and what unexpected boon, asset, or advantage is Marco about to receive from an outsider?

[Manson]

Marco is expecting another call from his latest hookup, Jon. Out of all of the men and women he has pursued, Jon clearly can't get it through his skull that Marco isn't about relationships.

Lush wants Marco to help her manage her business, an underground (unknown) fighting arena.

Marco is about to see Jon at his door, with the traditional gas station flowers and chocolates.

[Nakari]

There's been an outsider sniffing around here recently, hanging around drug dealers outside, visiting some people inside, and coming to one or two shows, with a few too many questions and clothes that look suspiciously well-tailored. Lush suspects they might be an undercover cop investigating both this area and the palace in general. She hopes to be proven wrong. Marco is a bit better with people than she is, though. And anyway she has a business to run.

[Nakari]

Perhaps recently, Marco suffered a mysterious and acute episode of bad health - bad enough that he went to a doctor, or perhaps was taken against his will (by Jon?), which is a rare occurrence. He's waiting for results on tests they ran, and is expecting them today.

[Manson]

Perhaps recently, Marco suffered a mysterious and acute episode of bad health - bad enough that he went to a doctor, or perhaps was taken against his will (by Jon?), which is a rare occurrence. He's waiting for results on tests they ran, and is expecting them today.

Maybe he overdosed, Jon drove him to the hospital. He's trying to reassure Jon that they aren't a thing and never will be and Jon is just pushing it.

[frattastan]

What phone call is Marco expecting,

Marco is expecting a call from Jon, who is his ex boyfriend. He had left a message the previous evening, saying that he was a bit busy at the moment but that he needed to speak to Marco the following morning. Marco has no clue what this is his about, but from Jon's tone he knows that the call isn't going to be romance-related. Thankfully.

what favour does Lush want from Marco,

Delivering a McGuffin of some type.

There's been an outsider sniffing around here recently, hanging around drug dealers outside, visiting some people inside, and coming to one or two shows, with a few too many questions and clothes that look suspiciously well-tailored. Lush suspects they might be an undercover cop investigating both this area and the palace in general. She hopes to be proven wrong. Marco is a bit better with people than she is, though. And anyway she has a business to run.

I like this character (the mysterious outsider). I think his apparent motives should be stated early on and that he should be the one giving an unexpected asset to Catherine (in exchange for something).

[Bluie Gamer]

What phone call is Marco expecting,
what favour does Lush want from Marco,
and what unexpected boon, asset, or advantage is Marco about to receive from an outsider?

Marco is expecting a call from the government. He/she has been in contact with them to bring down a nefarious gang that has been sighted moving towards his/her neighborhood. In return, he/she will get a chance to live the rest of his/her life in relative normalcy, with Lush if she comes with him/her. He/she is tired of the life he/she lives. Marco has already been grooming a replacement to his/her position. However, he/she isn't getting any luck, and his/her window of opportunity is closing. That is, until last night. The government only calls once a week, so it is imperative that he/she answers the call, or else Marco and Lush are doomed to spend the rest of their days in the hellish suburb.

Now, Lush has had a worker of hers disappear recently. This isn't an uncommon thing in this hellhole: people come and go as often as birds fly. She now needs a replacement, or maybe a temporary worker to fill in the hole in her lineup.

When Marco steps outside, his/her eyes (and tattoo eye if you want ) are somehow drawn to one of the "corpses" in the cemetery. Not recognizing the extremely mangled face of Lush's missing worker, he/she looks again, and catches the extremely small glint of a key. Surprised that no one, not even the magpies have gotten it, he's/she's not about to pass up potential free stuff and takes it.

[Manson]

Just a little sidenote that doesn't matter much but I want it to be like this.

Marco's phone should be a bedazzled pink flip phone. Ringtone is a Spice Girls song.

[Bluie Gamer]

Just a little sidenote that doesn't matter much but I want it to be like this.

Marco's phone should be a bedazzled pink flip phone. Ringtone is a Spice Girls song.

It should be inside a pile of clothes, but it vibrates really hard

[Deadeye Jack]

Whatever call Marco is about to receive I think is definitely deeper than relationship drama. I like the seriousness of Nakari's suggestion about something health related. But it could also potentially be some kind of important business venture.

As far as the favor Lush wants, I could definitely see it as something challenging. Lush seems like someone who would make big or at least illegal asks. Maybe something along the lines of going to make a drug pickup but to some less trusted/known dealer.

[Manson]

/OOC


Is this dead?

[Altasund]

Is this dead?

No.

As far as the favor Lush wants, I could definitely see it as something challenging. Lush seems like someone who would make big or at least illegal asks. Maybe something along the lines of going to make a drug pickup but to some less trusted/known dealer.

Now, Lush has had a worker of hers disappear recently. This isn't an uncommon thing in this hellhole: people come and go as often as birds fly. She now needs a replacement, or maybe a temporary worker to fill in the hole in her lineup.

These fit together quite nicely; perhaps Lush had tried to get one of her workers to make the pickup, but they ended up being "disposed of" by a gang, as it required going across that gang's territory. She now needs someone else to try and make the pickup, but she knows that if she sends one of her workers, they might just desert her rather than risk being killed

[The Grim Reaper]

Part 3: Out of the Fire

Marco spit out a grimy mix of cheap toothpaste and hard water, the questionable solution making an audible dink against the side of a cracked porcelain sink. He heard Lush slam the door open, returning from a quick liaison somewhere downstairs. It had only been a minute or two; just enough for Marco to relieve himself down the shower drain and to wash his face. He groaned as he heard Lush call out his name, in a sing-song, mock flirtatious tone.

"Marco, Marco, Marco, mon ami - won't you come and entertain me?"

"Yesh, yerh - gffh, fh -" Marco spit in the sink again, this time with more conviction and phlegm. Lush sniggered at Marco's momentary misfortune, taking some sick level of pressure in his respiratory distress, no doubt yet another welcome slice of karmic payback for years of Marco wasting her time with hare-brained fuck-ups. "Yeah, what's on the program?"

Marco walked out of his bathroom just as Lush thrust a brown paper bag into his abdomen. He had a moment of naive, childlike innocence before the weight of what he was about to possess hit him, along with just a little more of Lush's force than was strictly necessary. Man he was, he simply exhaled deeply, giving Lush the evil eye. Lush launched into a monotonous monologue, as if to distract Marco from his pain.

"Some time ago, one of my girls made a connection with the group whose turf is past the cemetery. She was dating one of their enforcers or some foolhardy shit like that - she never wanted to explain what their relationship actually was, but you could tell. Everyone in our business knows what the walk of shame looks like. You know what it's like; why pay for what you can get for free? Anyway, one day, the girl doesn't come back. We find out later that she's been fucking with the wrong crowd - her boyfriend wasn't the only one getting product for free. For whatever reason, someone ended up deciding to get her to go State."

"State?"

"Jesus Christ Marco, did the last decade just not happen to you? Do you just pretend that when I talk it's the instrumental soundtrack to the sick fantasies in your head?" Lush had fallen into one of her trademark trances at this point - her vitriol was simply checking the boxes, as her eyes glazed over and her mind ended up a million miles away. Though she appeared disconcertingly lost, and confused, those who knew her best knew that she could see the entire world she was presenting in her mind's eye, recounting details and memories as if they were happening to her in real-time.

"State is short for state witness - she became an informant for the police."

Marco swore under his breath. This was more to assuage Lush, as he did not yet particularly care. Although the bread and butter of the palace was not quite legal, they were also not a particularly high-priority target for the local authorities. Lush was worried, Marco presumed, because it meant they would be obliged to slow down activity for a while, cutting into her profits, but he didn't expect any serious ramifications.

Lush, of course, could read Marco like a picture book.

"You could at least try lying a little better."

"Sorry - I just don't know what the problem is. Why would the cops want any of your girls to turn informant? We don't do anything they can't find out by just using an undercover cop, and even then, we could just make some payments like we always do, right? We don't do anything worth them coming down on us like a sack of bricks, not while the rest of the neighbourhood is at war with itself and everyon around it."

"Usually I'd just leave her to hang herself, but word on the street is she had a - or was - key to something."

"To something?"

"Couldn't find out what. I just know that her squeeze from past the cemetery wants her back, and not just because of romantic longing. Seems that there was a 'dead-or-alive' clause attached, and it's being pursued by his entire fucking gang and everyone they have dealings with."

"Sure, good luck to him. Not our problem."

"Asshole, I'll make it your problem. This is my favour."

"What, you want me to make a state witness disappear? Don't think this is the right time to start pushing the envelope."

"Yeah, just make sure you've cleaned your grave up first so we can toss you right in there. Jesus Christ Marco, no. Talk to Jon for me."

"Jon? What does my ex have to do with anything?"

Lush's eyes veritably bulged. It was as if the heavens themselves had parted, to throw to her an opportunity that could be grasped just but once a life-time. It seemed that this moment, of all moments, would be the one that she would remember last on her grave. Her lips broke into a dark, troubled smile. She cackled like a harpy.

"I have no fucking idea what you're laughing about, this is your problem too."

"He's a narc, shit-for-brains. The entire block knew it."

Marco grit his teeth. Of the mild inconveniences that had happened today, finding out that everyone on the block knew he'd been dating a narcotics officer - a drug enforcement agent - was the least mild. There went his street rep.

And then Marco started to sweat. He was pretty sure he dated Jon during a bit of a tough time, and he'd never been a heavy user anyway. They'd...never actually done drugs together, had they? Jon was a narc, he wouldn't have. Marco never used unless everyone else was using, he always thought it was trashy to be the only one in the room using. At least...he thought he never had.

"More importantly, he's a narc who wants to talk to you."

Marco offered a weak smile, a facade hiding a slowly descending fog. "What, does he want to break out the handcuffs again?"

"Dunno, he just said he wanted to talk. He got to us through our aforementioned little birdie's emergency contact. Doesn't he have your number?"

"I blocked his mobile when we split. Not a chance he can get through to me."

"What, couldn't handle someone actually giving a shit about your body when it wasn't nude? You finally meet someone who'd go out of their way to make sure you don't die, but it turns out he's a narc, but you break up with him without even knowing it. And the cherry on the pie? He has a phone at work, genius."

Marco pulled out his phone - a beastly thing, several years old and built to handle a warzone, with a case of hardened plastic that was both dust and water resistant, bedazzled pink. Lush berated him throughout the process of pulling and browsing - "What, were you too drunk to tell the difference between your ringtone and a cheap DJ?"

"Ah, yeah. He tried to call me yesterday. From two different numbers -"

"Hmm?"

"From two numbers. These are both cop numbers, right?"

Marco gave Lush his phone. She took an inquisitive look at the screen, and a confused look back at Marco. "Yeah, but...these are different precincts. Look, that one's the - here." Lush showed Marco the number on her phone, an internal number used by the local police department to which Jon was, they assumed, seconded. "And that one's...wait. It looks like a cop number, repeating digits and nice sequence and all, but if it is, it's no precinct I've ever seen. Trust me, I'd remember calling a number as pretty as that. Could be some fancy old business, could be some other government agency, could be some lucky asshole. Who'd have your number without you recognizing theirs?"

"Maybe they saw my number on the side of that building."

"Jesus Christ, just hurry up and I'll make it go away."

"Hurry what up?"

"What? Call it back, man."

"Hang on, there's a text from the same number - huh."

"What's it say?"

"Meet me outside."

The two exchanged nervous looks, sharing for the first time all day a familial concern.

"Well, I guess we'd better meet your friend."


Marco and Lush are about to meet the Outsider, a mysterious individual they've both noticed hanging around in recent days.
What activities have made the Outsider most visible to their pair and their various allies,
what is the Outsider's connection to Jon, the unmasked police officer,
and what exactly is in the brown paper bag that Lush wanted Marco to hold onto?

[Bluie Gamer]

I was about to suggest that Jon is the Outsider, but it wouldn't have made sense: they've noticed the Outsider hanging about, so if it was Jon, Marco would've recognized him.

The activity the Outsider has been doing to make her visible? It's the lack of one. She has just been seen hanging around, mostly, but since the neighborhood isn't that large, everyone knows mostly everyone, so she stands out like a sore thumb. Adding to that is that she never looks back over her shoulder to watch her back. She clearly has someone spotting her to keep her safe.

She used to be a drug pusher that Jon busted a few years back, before he and Marco met. Following rehabilitation, she is seeking the officer that she views as her savior, but he's gone missing. Using whatever connections she has (she could be a government official), she is trying to track Jon down, which has led her to the siblings.

It is a heavy red cubic box, which opens down the middle. An ornate padlock is built into the box's side, and the hinge is kind of inside the box's side too, making all of the surfaces level. The lock appears to be green, but is actually rusted copper. Lifting and shaking the box shows that it is almost solid all the way through, but if you put it to your ear while shaking it, you can hear the very faint sound of metal shifting against wood.

[Manson]

The box has someone's initials carved into the bottom.

[Altasund]

The outsider could be Jon's new bf. I like Bluie's idea of something happening to Jon; maybe the outsider thinks that Marco might know something, or the outsider needs Marco's help in finding out where Jon is?