HQJUPITER NPCs.

— npc blog for hqjupiter.

[hqjupiternpcs]

jupitersummon·:

“Not particularly,” Belladonna replies, habitually blunt. “I find no satisfaction in your answer. But you have suitably answered the question I posed, I suppose.”

If he sold, Angel would have to purchase a new piece of property for the company. Though Belladonna has a limited grasp of the more complicated economics of Jupiter, he wonders if that would be an adequate deal, or if Realtiven would underpay, leaving Angel unable to afford a new property. And therefore unable to continue the business.

“Is it a fair price you are offering?” That comes with a real note of curiosity; humans and their money are strangely fascinating.

               There’s a pause in which Jetta gives Belladonna a strange,   curious look,   tilting her head just slightly.   ❛   It has been increased since the original offer,   ❜   comes her reply,   then promptly becomes distracted as she begins to fumble around in her briefcase.   After a few moments,   she pulls out a folder,   then pulls out a sheet of paper from the folder.   

       ❛   Here are all of the details,   if you’re curious.   I don’t mind leaving a copy with you,   Mr. Belladonna,   in case you find that you’d like to persuade Angel into selling.    ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

jupitersummon​:

         Ah, thank all the stars above; he has an excuse to stop eating the pancake. His attention has been caught by what Rosette is saying. Sufficiently interesting chatter does often make humans forget how to multi-task.

Carefully, Belladonna puts his fork down, and listens carefully, studying her expression. She looks unhappy, and wary. Clearly she has seen something.

“Them?” he asks, his curiosity piqued. “We only saw the aftermath of some suspicious activity. What do you mean, them? What did you see, Rosette Flanigan?”

              ❛   W-Well,   ❜    Rosette clasps her hands nervously,    obviously recounting the experience in her head before she hesitantly starts to recount it out loud to Belladonna.

      ❛   I was out taking the trash last night,   ❜    she frowns,   ❛   when a vehicle pulled up and three people got off,   just in the middle of the street.   That would’ve been it,   except I noticed one of them was injured,   ❜    she frowns deeper still,   ❛   it didn’t seem like a normal injury...    they were injured all over.   One of the other people was helping him stay upright,    so I approached and offered to call for medical attention,   ❜    Rosette stops for a deep sigh,    ❛   but I suppose I did overstep.   They made it clear they did not want any help.   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

hqjupiternpcs​:

               This time,   Dirk’s eyes do a closer assesment of the newcomers.   He stares at Fox for a moment,   but he seems to be easily bought over by the free alcohol the SOLDIER passes him.   Despite only being halfway finished with his previous drink,   Dirk takes it and gives it a good swing.   When he places it down,   there’s still no smile on his face.   Instead,   he looks between the two with unease.   Particularly,   he looks at their eyes.   

        ❛   You two,   uh,   SOLDIERS ?   ❜    Dirk lowers his elbows onto the bar,   putting a physical barrier between them.    ❛   Thanks for the drink,   buddy,   but I’m not looking for any trouble…   ❜

                       [ JACE AND FOX LOWER DIRK’S DEFENSES... ]

       After downing every drink placed in front of him as if they contained nothing more than water,   Dirk begins opening up to the pair of ex-SOLDIER’s.   ❛   I arrived at the district last night,   from Stygian,   ❜    he sighs,   hand around another glass,   and looks off into the distance.   

        ❛   I came with a buddy,   Nikos,   but he was badly injured.   Dropped him off at the hospital.   So I’ve just been here,   waiting to hear back all night...   ❜   His words trail off as he gets distracted with rubbing his eyes,   exhausted from the lack of sleep. 

[hqjupiternpcs]

nconangel​:

“Let me do the math here.” A finger points out the lump sum they’re giving, a bare five percent increase, one that makes his insides roil with indignant anger. Marginal increases, a half-promise to give him what was a good sum that would dry up within a year, not accounting for emergencies and expenses. A lesser person would have said yes two offers ago. Angel just smiles, sharp and horrid.

“Your company is giving me this offer, and they assume it’s enough for me to uproot my business and home for? I know that property value is hardly their game, and I just am very curious why you want me to sell my…” He looks around and sighs, no need to put any candy on it, “My humble shit pile?” 

              ❛   It’s a good location,   ❜    Jetta doesn’t waste a breath to reply,    ❛   down a narrow street from the only restaurant in the district,   it’s a busy area...   not to mention,   the district over is booming with business.   Of course,   Harp would never let a real estate company touch district Eight,   but I imagine that even a small percentage of the business in his district trickles down to Seven.   Simply put,   this is the best we found.   ❜

       ❛   And that flyer was given to me several times by who I assume were employees in Harp’s casino,   though they looked more like thugs.   Apparently,   he’s added a new expansion.   I have three compies,   you can have that one.   ❜

       Finally,   Jetta takes a breath from talking,    only to begin talking again,    ❛   so,   what do you think ?   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

               Finn is taking a drag of his cigarrette when he’s approached,   and when he notices,   he turns his head down as he exhales,   keeping the smoke away from Eriksa.   With a brief glance at her,   but quick to avoid eye-contact again,   he lowers the death stick and awkwardly shuffles his feet,    ❛   Um,   sorry.   I’m on my break right now.   ❜    @eriksawei​.

[hqjupiternpcs]

               ❛   It’s so nice to see you all right after the solstice !   ❜    Rosette places a jar of honey down on the table,   smiling warmly at Eriksa,    ❛   How was your day off,    dear ?   I always see you guys working,   doing this and that around the district,   so I hope you got plenty of rest  !  ❜     @eriksawei​.

[hqjupiternpcs]

jupitersummon​:

         Mr. Belladonna. Hmm. Yes, he enjoys that more than Angel’s various tedious nicknames for him.

        “Yes, Angel is in his office,” he confirms, and makes no motion to move. Clearly there’s more coming, but Belladonna takes his time to get to it, content to stand, hands clasped behind his back, studying Jetta the same way she studied him. He takes care to only do it for the same length of time; he is pretending to be human, after all, and humans apparently have an internal inner clock for how long is too long when it comes to staring.

        Finally, he gets to his next words. “I am aware that you owe me no particular information on your plans. This deal you seek to make is not with me. And yet, I would ask for the sake of my own curiosity: what would be done with the property, if your company procured it?”

               Jetta doesn’t appear surprised by Belladonna’s curiosity.   For the past three weeks that she has been in the district,   she has raised the eyebrows of many locals.   When she answers,   it sounds rehearsed,    like a teacher who is giving the same lesson for the tenth year in a row.    ❛   Well,   ❜   she glances past Belladonna and at the building behind him,   ❛   the current building would be torn down,   and a brand new one would be built by the Realtiven company.   We are a real estate company,   you see,   so we have a specific way of doing things.   In other words,   ❜    her eyes return to Belladonna,   ❛   the building would also serve as marketing for the company;   just an example of how our architects and engineers work with layout plans and the like,   while at the same time being our branch office in Gossamer wall.   ❜

       Jetta tilts her head,   ❛   Does that satisfy your question ?   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

jupitersummon·:

         Belladonna forces himself to swallow the piece of pancake he’s chewed into mush, but the revolting taste lingers. Worse, he knows he must consume more of it, because humans do not call things delicious and then stop eating them. He can do this. He must.

“I am from Sector Four,” he replies carefully, cutting another small piece off the pancake with great care. It’s true enough, he supposes. Close enough that it does not feel like a lie. “I found the view of the fireworks enjoyable enough from here.”

He braces himself, and consumes another portion of pancake. It is both pleasing to make Rosette happy, but additionally, he requires information. Once has has painfully swallowed that morsel, he asks, “May I ask a question, Rosette Flanigan? Did you hear anything unusual around the diner at the time of the fireworks? There was a crime committed.”

               ❛   Oh,   Sector Four !   Then I suppose you are used to the fireworks from out here.   I enjoyed them myself a great amount--   I noticed they used more of the red ones this year,   ❜    she says,   but as Belladonna’s question shifts towards darker matters,   her smile fades from her lips and she stares at him with a look of growing concern. 

       Rosette takes a long pause to form a response,   like something is holding her back from speaking.   By now she looks visibly uneasy,   but she still manages to nod.   ❛   I know the summer solstice is usually the time when things get a bit chaotic,    that with people getting into drunk altercations and all...   but I did witness something very unusual last night,   ❜    there is a note of distress in her voice,    ❛   did you folks over at Robin Co. encounter them too ?   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

kieranfox·:

                       After getting into two consecutive fights within less than a day ( granted, neither were his fault — entirely ), being paired with Jace feels like an absolute blessing. A possible way of restoring his reputation and proving his worth to ROBIN CO. One would expect the SOLDIER to be a nervous wreck by now, but the truth could not be any further from it. Contrary to his partner, there’s a spark in discoloured eyes; lips curved into a hint of a grin. Without the prying gazes of certain individuals at the company, it is as if part of his freedom has been returned to him. He does not share the same concerns that Jace throws at him, convinced that a mission carried out by the two of them cannot lead to anything but success. 

“ Yeah, yeah. You really did save my life there, and I am positive you’ll do it again should I need you to, ” Fox speaks, teasing his friend with a playful nudge. “ Come on, now. This should be a piece of cake. Trust me. ” It is his turn to place his hand over Jace’s arm, dragging him along towards their target — only to realise that he indeed does not have a plan. Except improvising. “ Another round of whatever this guy is having, please, ” Fox calls to the bartender. He pays the bill directly, thanks the lady with a charming smile, and then turns to the stranger to pass him his drink. “ Cheers to surviving The Stygian, buddy — and to being the last man standing in this disaster area. You must be one hell of a fighter. ”

               This time,   Dirk’s eyes do a closer assesment of the newcomers.   He stares at Fox for a moment,   but he seems to be easily bought over by the free alcohol the SOLDIER passes him.   Despite only being halfway finished with his previous drink,   Dirk takes it and gives it a good swing.   When he places it down,   there’s still no smile on his face.   Instead,   he looks between the two with unease.   Particularly,   he looks at their eyes.   

        ❛   You two,   uh,   SOLDIERS ?   ❜    Dirk lowers his elbows onto the bar,   putting a physical barrier between them.    ❛   Thanks for the drink,   buddy,   but I’m not looking for any trouble...   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

nconangel·:

A good person around these parts were rare, and anyone that Angel liked with all his heart was rarer. Rosette knew him at the start, and by all accounts, was the one that knew Angel the longest, with Robin gone.  In the beginning, he dreamed, but now, he has no time for it, so he settles on an order; better than dwelling on fantasies in his spare time. “Tune-ups, repairs, you know how it is,” Angel replies, grumbling for mock effect, “The arm’s still sore, but at least it isn’t scrap metal, right?”

               ❛   Oh,   I’m happy to hear about the repairs,   ❜    Rosette nods,   but there is a pained undertone to her voice;   empathy for the cyborg who has become a treasured regular.   ❛   Come sit down,   I’ll serve you some coffee dear.   ❜

     She gets to work right away,   turning this way and that,   and reaching through several places while she grabs a mug and cream and sugar,   and makes sure the coffee machine is up and working.   ❛   At least you had a day of rest yesterday !   How did you folks over at Robin spend the solstice ?   ❜    She looks at Angel with a smile,   ❛   Celebrating and having fun,   I hope ?   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

jupitersummon·:

.

Belladonna bites back a sigh, and regrets ever volunteering himself to accompany Eriksa and Nerv. “Thank you,” he says distantly, distracted, waiting for the apparently famous Rosette to go away and leave him so he can ignore the food in peace.

But she doesn’t leave. Belladonna falters, blinks slowly, and then, braces himself in resignation in the face of her expectant expression. There is to be no negotiation here; he must capitulate to her terms if he wishes to maintain his human disguise. She has the terrifying look of a woman who will not back down.

So Belladonna carefully picks up a fork with a gloved hand, shears off a small bite-sized piece from the stack, and starts chewing it slowly. As he understands it, pancakes are made from ground wheat, the unfertilized byproduct of a hen’s reproductive cycle, and what cows feed their young. They are disgusting. “They are… delicious,” he makes himself say, dutiful. “Thank you for your labor.”

               The giggle that comes from the diner owner’s lips is giddy and grateful.   For a second,   it seemed that Rosette was holding her breath while Belladonna carefully cut himself a piece of her pancakes and thoughtfully chewed on it.    Needless to say,   she is pleased with his response.   

       ❛   Oh,   you’re too kind !   ❜    Rosette waves her hand in a dismissive motion,   though it’s clear that she enjoys hearing her cooking being complimented.  After all,   it’s her life’s work.    ❛   And so polite !   You don’t sound like you’re from around here,   ❜      Rosette looks understandably impressed by Belladonna’s careful and polite manners,   used to serving loud and chatty customers.   ❛   Are you visiting,   perhaps ?   Though,   I’m afraid you didn’t pick a very good weekend if that’s the case !   I hear the fireworks during the solstice look better from the inner walls.   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

jupitersummon·:

         Though Angel has not exactly had a heart to heart with him about what is happening with this company, Belladonna has excellent hearing, and a fondness for lurking unseen where he might hear interesting conversations. He knows the basics, he thinks. A real estate company named Realtiven wants to buy the land that ROBIN CO. is built upon, and though Jetta is in fact the first agent that Belladonna has ever met, he has been lead to believe that real estate agents are only slightly less evil than SOLDIERs.

What she is trying to do would jeopardize Eriksa’s future. Thus, Belladonna cannot allow it.

         “Jetta Regio,” he greets, standing at the entrance to the office. “We have not been formally introduced. My name is Belladonna. I work for Angel.” Sort of. It was close enough to the truth. “Have you come to continue to negotiate?”

               Her eyes move across Belladonna’s features thoughtfully;   considering everything she can gain from a glance of him.   The smile remains on her lips,   though this time there seems to be more of a genuine nature behind it.   

       ❛   It is a pleasure to meet you,   Mr. Belladonna.   I would introduce myself as well,   but it appears you well know who I am,   ❜    Jetta nods in acknowledgement,   then again in confirmation of Belladonna’s question.    ❛   That’s correct,   ❜    she says,   ❛   I have a new offer for Angel,   a better one.   Do you know if he’s around at the moment ?   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

nconangel·:

Hate is hardly a word that Angel ever uses; it’s singular in its resolve and purposeful in a way that he hardly ever was, but it’s that which runs through his mind before he takes a good, long look at Jetta. He sits, in clothes that fit an assassination better than a business deal, before appraising her. It’s a shame he hadn’t made Minnie apply the assessment orb onto his existing software, but Angel could do this without that.

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to look it over then, seeing as how an adjacent department did so much trouble for our humble little spot.” Angel clicks his tongue, a humorless smile plastered across his face. “And I hardly ever offered you a seat. How inconsiderate of me.” In a flash, two of his blades were on a desk, allowing a seat to be pushed gently behind her. “Sit,” he continues, poison in his grin. “I insist.”

               Jetta’s eyes linger on the blades for a pause,   her body still before she carries on with deliberate movements--    she looks away,   sits,   sets the folder on the desk.   She returns Angel’s smile with one of her own,   and the air hangs tensely around them.   

       ❛   I am grateful for your time,   ❜    Jetta sighs,    like she’s relaxing into the seat.   Still,   though,   her shoulders remain stiff.   Almost as if she has never relaxed a day in her life,   and this is as far as she can do it.   ❛   I promise I’m not trying to hound you,   ❜    her lips press together,   ❛   even though it seems a lot like it.   I’m just trying to follow through with the job I have,   Angel.   I’m happy to wait while you read through the offer and answer any questions you have.   ❜

[hqjupiternpcs]

               ❛   I am honored that my food has been so highly recommended to you,   ❜   Rosette doesn’t hide her bashfulness in front of Belladonna--    in fact,   her face is always flushed from one emotion or another.   ❛   These folks in Robin Co.   sure come around often,   so I’m surprised that this is your first time actually eating the food !   ❜    As she speaks,   she places a plate of stacked pancakes in front of him.   She doesn’t show any indication of leaving their table,   rather,   she seems to be anticipating Belladonna’s first bite.    @jupitersummon​.

[hqjupiternpcs]

               ❛   I was told to wait,   ❜    Jetta greets Angel with a perfectly pleasant smile,   ❛   however I was not given a place to wait at,   so excuse the sweat on my person.    I have been standing outside the office while I waited for you to return from breakfast,   ❜    her words and her tone of voice contradict each other;   one is polite and friendly,   the other is passive-aggressive and clearly peeved.   

       ❛   I hope it was to your liking.   ❜    She gives a final polite smile before she’s already pulling a folder from under her shoulder,   ❛   I was hoping to present you with a new deal regarding the purchase of the land,   ❜   she says,   ❛   I know there were certain clauses in the previous offer that you didn’t agree with,   so I revised with corporate and this is the new offer.   ❜      @nconangel​.

[hqjupiternpcs]

              Jetta kicks dirt and pebble behind with each stride she takes towards Robin Co.,    resolute in her posture and firmness of shoulders as she prepares for another day of being an absolute pain in the ass.   Her attempts to purchase land from the owner of Robin Co. have been unsucessful thus far,   though it seems that it hasn’t chipped away at her steely demeanor as of yet.   Today,    as Belladonna sees her,   she seems as determined as ever. 

       And a determined woman does not like to be interrupted;    it is seen in the way that she slowly comes to a halt and plasters on a begrudging smile when the summon stops her in her tracks.    ❛   --... Yes ?   ❜     @jupitersummon​.

[hqjupiternpcs]

               ❛   Oh,    Angel !   ❜    Rosette’s rosy cheeks become rosier upon Angel’s entrance.    As always,   her smile is wide and bright when she greets him from behind the counter.    ❛   How are you,   honey ?   ❜   The words are spoken with all of the endearment a mother would have for her child.   ❛   Should I get your usual going ?   ❜    @nconangel​.