NIGHT SHADE

Marco Santos 37 yrs. Chef at Salt Flats Station. If there's one thing gods love, it's tragedy. With wings that burn and men who fall.

[marcosantcs]

Full Name: Marco Gabriel Santos

Nicknames: Santos

Age & Birthday: 37 years; July 25th, 1986

Occupation: Chef at Salt Flats Station 

Preferred Pronouns & Gender: he/him; cis-male

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Hometown & length of time in Salt Flats: Houston, twenty-seven years

Neighborhood: Settler's Valley

Family: Juan Santos (younger brother), Gabriela Santos (niece)

PINTEREST | CONNECTIONS | PLAYLIST

Marco’s mother died when he was pretty young. From that moment, his little brother, who was just two, pretty much became Marco’s responsibility. Their father did his best, but raising two sons on his own was hard work. When Marco was about 10 years old, his dad got a job that would would require him to travel a lot. So he sent Marco & Juan to go live with their grandparents in Salt Flats. Shortly after moving to Salt Flats, Marco met and befriended the girl next door. They became best friends and remained so for the rest of their childhood.

Marco worked really hard to be the best that he could be at… everything. He studied hard, practiced any and every sport he played as much as he could, even worked as hard as he could at being the best big brother. He wanted to make sure that by the time he graduated from high school, he would have several options to ensure he started making enough money to help his family out. But his brother didn’t have the same goals as Marco and after falling in with the wrong crowd when they were kids, continued on a downward spiral that kept getting him into bad shit.

After graduating from high school, Marco managed to get a scholarship to a world famous culinary school in Austin. His time in Austin made him realize that cooking, and simply being in a restaurant environment, were his passion. When he left Salt Flats, he asked the girl next door to keep an eye on Juan, and with the physical distance from constantly looking over his shoulder for his brother, he was finally able to focus and really thrived while in Austin. When Marco graduated, he got a job working at a restaurant there. He planned on staying in the city, at least for a couple years and working his way up the ‘ladder’ so to speak. But after receiving a frantic call from his grandmother about how out of control Juan had gotten, Marco packed up his bags and moved back home, feeling like his brother had been and always would be his responsibility.

Over the years, Marco has worked at different restaurants in Salt Flats, until about 8 years ago, he finally got his big break and landed a job at Salt Flats Station. Despite how bad things were with Juan, Marco’s professional life, at least, seemed to be doing pretty well. Then, things got turned upside down six years ago when Juan got one of his flings pregnant. From the moment his niece was born, Marco fell head over heels. Gabriela, named after Marco in an effort to show how much Juan appreciated his older brother, became the single most important thing to him and for that first year she was alive, Marco took care of her just as much as Juan did.

Five years ago, things came crashing down when Marco caught his brother breaking into someone’s house in a wealthier part of Outpost. With Juan already having several priors on his record, Marco went in after him to try to get him to leave, afraid of the repercussions his brother would face if he were caught. A silent alarm was triggered & before they knew it, the cops arrived. Not wanting Gabriela, who was less than a year old at the time, to grow up without a father, Marco took the blame so his brother could escape & was arrested in his place. Because it was his first offense, Marco only received 7 years with a chance of getting out on good behavior. He got out after 5 and is now on the path to getting his life back, including trying to adopt his niece who he’s learned his brother basically abandoned after he went to jail.

[marcosantcs]

Task 01. Character Arc & Development

What does your character want (their goal or challenge)?

He wants to be able to legally adopt his niece, so she won't be reliant on an absentee father anymore and so that he can officially take the responsibility off his grandparents' shoulders.

He also wants to be able to open his own fine dining restaurant.

Finally, he wants to get out from the shadow going to jail has cast over him. He desperately wants his innocence to be shouted from the rooftops but as long as his brother is MIA, there's no one to prove his innocence.

What are their external needs/desires?

He needs to save enough money so that he can afford a really good lawyer. With a record hovering over him, he knows he's going to need to fight like hell to get any judge to grant him custody of his niece. On top of this, Marco just needs to find his brother. He won't be able to make much progress with any of his goals without tracking down his brother.

What or who stands in their way and could stop them?

The biggest thing standing in his way right now, of just about all of his goals, is money. After being in jail for the last five years, he has next to nothing and the legal fees alone to adopt his niece are going to be a huge barrier to him being able to save up to open his own restaurant.

His brother is the other factor standing in this way for a lot of this. If Juan wanted to, he could make it really difficult not only for Marco to adopt his niece, but also to clear his name in the eyes of the public.

What will they do about it?

Now that he has managed to get a job at Salt Flats Station, Marco is going to save each and every penny he makes. He's currently staying at Juan's apartment since his brother has been MIA since before Marco was released, but eventually he's going to probably move back in with his grandparents so he can be closer to Gabriela but also so he can save even more of his paycheck.

He's also desperately trying to track down Juan. He's been asking anyone around town who might know him.

What happens if they fail? 

If he fails, Marco is worried Juan could show up and take Gabriela. He's already proven he's an unfit father and Marco is truly terrified for Gabriela's wellbeing and safety if that were to happen. If he's unable to ever open his own restaurant, it will be like the nail in the coffin that Marco truly sacrificed his life for nothing. He's really been feeling like taking the blame for Juan so Juan didn't have to go to prison was a mistake and that will just solidify that not only was it a mistake, but it was a complete waste thatMarco is the only one who paid for. Same goes for restoring his name in the community.

What sacrifices might they have to make?

His financial freedom, his living situation, his relationship with his brother. Marco doesn't have much, but he might just have to sacrifice it all.

What motivates them inwardly and why?

Marco has always been motivated by the desire to take care of others. Something was instilled in him when his father left Marco and Juan in Salt Flats that it was Marco's responsibility to make sure they okay. And this has bled into just about every facet of his life to this day.

What is their internal struggle?

Finding his self worth in his ability to take care of others no matter what. When he's not able to do that, even because of things that are out of his control, Marco tends to really struggle.

What are their flaws? How do their flaws play into their internal struggle?

Needing to feel in control all the time, holding himself to an impossible standard, hates change, has far too high expectations for those around him, over protective.

What fundamental changes do you want to see in your character?

I want him to no longer find his value in being able to take care of everything and everyone around him and to not be consumed by the regret he feels for going to jail for his brother.

 What heroic qualities must emerge for them to succeed?

Vulnerability, self confidence, and forgiveness of himself and others.

[ronniehudson]

Starter for @marcosantcs

The last thing Ronnie had expected to happen that morning was the fact that she was going to bump into someone from her past. Someone she hadn’t seen for years. The woman knew that she had changed her life for the best when she moved away from the people she had seen as her friends during her youth. It also meant leaving behind Juan. The man who had definitely been her first love. His family had always been there for her, especially his grandparents but also his brother. And it was Marco who she suddenly came across with that afternoon when she walked into work. A new chef had been hired, that was something Ronnie had known. The woman didn’t know that it was going to be him “Marco Santos? Is that really you? How long has that been? How have you been?” She was shooting question after question at him before realising that she was doing that. “Sorry, I should at least give you some time to answer.”

[marcosantcs]

How many times had Marco done this before? He knew the drill when starting at a new restaurant, could usually fall into the routine and tune everything else out seamlessly. Cooking was his escape from the real world. And yet, this time felt different. This was his first job after being released from prison, in the exact town he had been arrested in. He couldn't get himself out of his head wondering what everyone else was thinking about him on his first day. His nerves were drawn tight and he was very much on edge when a familiar voice startled him out of his spiraling thoughts. "Ronnie??" he questioned, a grin immediately coming to his lips as he moved forward to close the gap between them and wrap her up in a hug. He couldn't tell you what a relief it was to see not only a familiar face, but a familiar face who's first response to seeing him wasn't judgement. He chuckled at her deluge of questions. "It's been too long, hermana sister." He glanced around them at the kitchen. "I'm working here now. How about you? You work here too?" he asked, excited at the prospect of getting to see her on a regular basis.

[paxtontinsley]

As the door knocked — well, kicked — she made her way to the front and opening it, she immediately moved to help him with the groceries. "I know you're not totally an animal, even if you braise a lamb like one," Paxton said with a good natured joke. "Come on, come in, I have some ideas I think could be really good that I wanted to run by you." Paxton was something of abuzz with a new direction she was working on. The Wangs were gracious enough to hire her to manage the restaurants but she'd been here a few months now and things were already getting better. It was time to start looking forward. "Not just menu ideas, I got something else I am working on."

[marcosantcs]

He let out a chuckle at her jab, shaking his head as he followed her into her house. "Should I be running for the hills?" he teased as he set his bag of groceries down in her kitchen. He was joking of course. This was part of what he loved most about being a chef - when the inspiration struck and you couldn't wait to test out new ideas. Paxton had a similar drive to him in that she actually enjoyed trying new things, experimenting on what did and didn't work well together. It was refreshing honestly, to finally, after all those years being locked up, to finally have someone on the same wave length as him. Placing both his hands on the counter, he leaned forward a bit as he looked over at her, cocking his head a bit. "Not just menu ideas, huh? What else you got?" he asked, curiously.

[duttonremington]

"Can't hurt in trying." At least there was respect there - family sticking up for family. Or at least one's whereabouts. Whether how flawed Marco's relationship was with Juan. It was still there and existing. That was more then his own dead beat family. Who long ago had hung him up to dry. So, it was moments like this that he would stay and provide any information. Well, not that it amounted to anything but it was better then just brushing off the other. Which Remington hadn't been against. "Really, I haven't seen him. I'm sure you can question that or not. But that life of chaos I left behind. I am not any boring idiot by any stretch. However the life I built now with working and all that normalcy - I value more then pushing everybody's buttons and see how far I can go." There was no playing pretend. Remington guessed everybody had their own version of paranoia. Given the history and things. You can teach an old dog new tricks. Even if that analogy was one of the cornier things he stood by. "The only thing I can suggest is maybe start with checking out The Silos? I know that was a popular spot back in the day. Even without all the events. People would sneak in and have their own fun as my memory recalls." That description being put lightly.

[marcosantcs]

Marco nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Just sorta shooting in the dark here, trying any and all options at this point." he admitted. He didn't normally share about this process of trying to track down Juan, but with the way things were going, Marco had nothing to loose. As Remington began to explain why he hadn't seen Juan, a small seed of envy began to take root in Marco. Why couldn't Juan have done what Remington had? He nodded again, indicating he had heard Remington and believed him. He appreciated the honesty more than he could say. "Thanks, man. I'll check it out." Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he almost turned to leave but stopped. "Look, I know you don't know me really or give a fuck what I think, but uh..." he paused, trying to think of the right words to express what he was trying to say. "For what it's worth, I think it's a pretty cool thing, what you've done with your life. I wish my brother had the desire to build something like that."

[coltonwrights]

The shop was going to be all his one day. Colt was working towards making sure that it was his name on the place rather than simply someone that was barely scraping by before it'd end up belonging to the bank once more. Sure he wasn't going about it completely legal, but the fights were what kept the lights on and the doors up so that people could drop their cars off and keep him in business. One day it would be all his without the fear of losing it every other week, put a couple of kids to work, and then spend his time fixing up the older classics that he wished that he could roll into the lot and call his own.

Until then, Colt was there to work and keep everything moving towards his goal even though it felt as if it was only ever going to be an uphill battle. He was underneath the hood of some truck that had been running hot when he heard someone call out his name, saying there was someone at the front looking for him. He wiped his hands on the rag hanging out of his back pocket as he made his way towards the front of the shop when he saw someone that looked more like a ghost than a real person anymore. "Marco? Hey. Uh, what're you doing here?" He hadn't seen the other in years, but he'd never forgotten the other.

[marcosantcs]

Marco scanned the auto shop. Why couldn't Juan have done something like this and gotten his act together? Why did it seem like everyone else in his crowd had managed to pull themselves out of that lifestyle except for him? Marco just couldn't understand it. Couldn't fathom how having a daughter wasn't enough to motivate his younger brother. He let out a breath and shook his head in frustration before turning once he heard a voice calling his name. "Hey man!" he greeted, a friendly smile coming to his face. The Wright's had lived in the same neighborhood as the Santos family and apart from Colt & Juan running in the same circles as kids, Marco had always felt like Viv was like a little sister. He had love for their family, and that transferred to Colt too. "I was just dropping off my grandparents' pickup, it's ancient and needs just about everything done." he explained with a shake of his head. "How've you been?" he asked, genuinely curious to hear how the younger man was doing. Just because he had another reason for coming to see Colt didn't mean Marco didn't want to catch up as well.

[pocmuzings]

“I have survived, but I have not been spared.”

— Deathless, Catherynne M. Valente  (via charwrites)

[duttonremington]

And then there it was. That clarity he needed. A name to the face. Though, Juan that name he hadn't heard or seen in years. Shit - was he still around? Those memories were just as destructive as Remington once was but chaos attracted other versions of that. "Yeah, I haven't talked to him in a long time. It's been years." Some lives moved on and some stuck in place. However it seemed memories would start to appear more distinctly. "Wait. You haven't been around have you? You got into some kind of trouble right? I remember now about that shit in Outpost." Remington was sure he got some time in the slammer for it. Now it clicked why the questions. "Really, I haven't seen him but surely with our small town if someone's around they will show up." Eventually and most likely when one least expects it.

[marcosantcs]

Marco let out a frustrated sigh at Remington's answer. Of course he hadn't seen Juan in years. Because unlike Marco's brother, the chaotic phase of getting into trouble had been just that, a phase, for Remington. While Juan had decided to make it his entire lifestyle. "Right. Yeah, thought so, but just thought I'd check. Thanks-" And there it was, the recognition Marco had expected and yet still a tiny part of him had hoped against. He pushed his hands into his pockets. "Yep, that's me." he said with a shrug, almost with a 'what of it?' sort of attitude. "Juan seems to be hiding out since I was released so, doing what I can to try and track him down for my grandma... and you know, his daughter." If Remington was by any chance lying about knowing where Juan was - something Marco wouldn't put past his brother to ask of his friends or acquaintances - Marco wanted to make It clear he was just looking out for his niece. He wasn't trying to settle some score or something.

[kimmivalle]

It was a surprise, Kimmi could agree with his statement, and yet his smile was infectious reminding her of the quiet nights at the restaurant in Austin. When she went there late most nights after a long day of filming, Marco was one of a few that stayed after closing hours with her. "It wasn't planned," the brunette stated with a grin, "just eventually felt like a need." A few months ago, all Kimmi could recognize in the mirror was the façade she'd become and not the woman she really was deep down. Then again, who was that woman?

Moving back home to Salt Flats where she could recharge and refamiliarize herself with herself seemed the best option. "I didn't think I'd see you here either. I always thought if I ran into you again it'd be somewhere like New York." Not only had he seemed deserving, Kimmi believed in him. Those nights in Austin she'd come to know his talent. "Oh," a chunk of her natural brunette, no longer starlet blonde was tucked behind her ear, "I'm finding myself again. And I think Dell needs some time away from all of that. She thinks cameras following us is normal." Still at odds with her personal mission, Kimmi sometimes believed she was really here for her mini. "What about you— what brought you back here?"

[marcosantcs]

He couldn't imagine feeling like Salt Flats was a place one needed, right now all he could muster up was a lot of resentment towards a town that had raised him and yet had been so quick to judge him. But, he was glad she was doing something for herself for once. From the tiny bits and pieces she had shared with him during the time she was filming in Austin, he could imagine how the hollywood lifestyle had been tough. "Well, good for you! Taking time for yourself was a really brave thing to do." he said with a nod of his head.

Marco had to work hard not to let the resentment he felt building since his release from prison show on his face. New York had always been the dream, a dream which had seemed within reach 8 years ago. Now, he knew that dream was never going to come true. And he hated that his brother had taken that away from him. He waved away the compliment, a grateful smile finally coming to his lips. "Yeah, well, my niece needed someone to take care of her and my grandparents already raised two generations of kids, so the least I could do was come back so I could help out." he explained. But his face lit up as she reminded him she had a child. "Hey, how old is Dell again?" he asked, an idea already forming in his head.

[liv-li-deactivated20230327]

It was difficult to see Marco as anything other than the boy next door. She also was a firm believer that crimes like breaking and entry were rarely done just because someone had nothing better to do. For years, Liv narrowly made it by, so who was she to judge anyone else? Especially, someone who had only been friendly to her. So, she found herself smiling as Marco talked about his niece and grandma. “I can imagine her excitement. How old is your niece now?” Liv asked, pausing as the question was turned on her. A lot happened in the past couple of months never mind the past five years. She thought better about talking about her brother.

“I’m doing well. I’m a school nurse now — I needed a slower pace for awhile. Not with Kev anymore either. Not sure if you remember him,” Liv said with a little chuckle. “How about you? Your grandparents are good and your niece, of course.”

[marcosantcs]

His face split into a grin as he talked about Gabriela. "She's somehow six going on twenty-five." he answered with a chuckle. Gabriela was truly his favorite person in the world and he was so grateful that he had gotten out even just a few years earlier so he could spend this time with her. "Oh, wow! A school nurse... you know, that actually sounds pretty perfect for you." he said with a smile. "Looking forward to Gabriela getting old enough to go to school, knowing she'll have you there." Marco racked his brain for a second, trying to put a face to the name she mentioned. "Ah, Kev, right!" he shook his head. He'd never really liked the dude. Thought Liv could do much better. But it wasn't really his place to say so. "Well, can't say I'm too sorry about that. You seem to be a lot better off now." He hoped he wasn't overstepping. But his ex's little sister was one of the good ones. And he couldn't help feeling a little bit protective. Even if he and Allie had been split up for years now.

But as the conversation wound its way back to him, Marco let out a sigh. He turned away for a second, burying his hands in his pockets, wondering how much he could even say. He supposed a little realness couldn't hurt. "Oh, you know... adjusting." he admitted with a shrug. "It's weird growing up in a place and then... coming back and feeling like you don't know it at all anymore."

[marcosantcs]

starter for: @viviann-art location: downtown salt flats

There were few people Marco was truly excited to see upon his release from prison. After all the rumors he could only imagine had circulated through town since his arrest, he felt more inclined to start over fresh than try to re-start in a town full of people who thought they knew everything about him. If it weren't for Gabriela, he absolutely would have packed up what little he had and left Salt Flats as fast as he could. But he owed too much to his niece to give up like that. And besides, back to the point, he was excited to see Vivi. His former neighbor had always felt like a little sister and Marco was excited to check on her, see how she was doing, hoping and praying all the while that she hadn't believed the worst in him all this time.

He was actually on his way to try and track her down, when he spotted her across the street. Glancing both ways to make sure he wasn't about to get run over, Marco jogged across the not so busy street to catch up with her. "Vivi, hey! Wait up a sec!" he called, as he approached.

[marcosantcs]

starter for: @coltonwrights location: the service station colton works at

Since his release, Marco had been trying to do all that he could to help his grandparents out. He felt bad that so much weight had fallen on them because he was locked up and his brother just blatantly refused to take responsibility for anything, including his own daughter. He hated the burden his grandparents had had to take on in raising another baby, but he could not be more grateful that at least Gabriela had had them to fall back on. He knew he was going to spend a long time trying to lift some of that burden off of his grandparents.

Hence, why he'd volunteered to take their old pick up to get serviced. Well, that and as the days continued to pass and Juan didn't come home, Marco had spent a good bit of energy asking his grandmother about Juan's old friends, tracking them down to see if any of them knew anything about his little brother. So far, it seemed like all of the 'kids' who had been in 'that crowd' with Juan had all managed to work their way out of it, unlike Juan. As he stepped into the mechanic's shop, Marco looked around to see if the person he was really here to see, Colton Wright, was actually here.

[duttonremington]

Remington usually switched up on the spots he frequented on his off days when he wanted a few drinks. So here he was at the Sombrero. Least he didn't have to worry about some fake cowboys trying to try their hand with the smooth talking with women. As desperate as he could be for entertainment it was the same shit show over and over again. Like a damn soap opera. However he was broken out of his thoughts upon his exit. He was almost to his motorcycle when he heard his name being muttered. Hues looked back at the person behind it. He looked familiar but in that moment Remington couldn't put a name to a face. "Well, something tells me you're going to whether or not I say no or yes. So have at it. But do I know you?" He replied back with his own question in turn.

[marcosantcs]

Well, at least he wouldn't have to deal with Remington immediately realizing Marco had just gotten out of jail. "Name's Marco Santos. Juan is my brother. I think you guys used to hang out when you were kids." he answered as he reached up to scratch at his temple. He had a headache already. Just like he always did when he was in any way trying to deal with Juan. "I just got back to town and uh... I'm trying to track him down." It was true, he wasn't exactly lying. It was more so withholding the exact reason he'd been gone in the first place. Besides, if Remington remembered who Juan was, he'd probably immediately remember that Marco had been thrown in jail. The way gossip moved in this town, there was no way it hadn't gotten out.

[liv-li-deactivated20230327]

The voice that spoke her name was familiar. Liv whipped around to get a look at its owner only to recognize Marco Santos. He used to date her sister. Just like he was in jail for the past, what was it? Five years? Both the status as her sister's boyfriend and his jail sentence were the past tense, apparently. Liv still found herself smiling in the present, though. She never looked too deeply into the circumstances surrounding his arrest. Liv just chalked it up to something that wasn't truly any of her business and assumed Marco's crime was borne of desperation rather than true criminal intent. "Hey Marco," she said, hitching the Tupperware bin onto her hip to wave. "How are you doing? How are your grandparents, too? Haven't gone to our block for, well, over ten years."

[marcosantcs]

He let out a breath of relief when her first question wasn't about him coming back or anything related to him being gone. He knew he had to expect those kinds of questions in any conversation with people who knew him, but it was nice not to be bombarded with them first thing. "Doing pretty good, just unloading some of my niece's dresses. Abuela has been far too excited to finally have a girl around to make clothes for." he explained with a chuckle. "They're doing alright, definitely getting older, but you know them, can't keep still for longer than five seconds." Marco shook his head, rolling his eyes just a bit. He would have liked if his grandparents allowed him to help out more, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. "How about you? How've you been?"

[kimmivalle]

For tonight, Kimmi had decided she was going to treat her parents and Adella to a home cooked meal. It was a family recipe and a comfort food, one that she'd actually learned from her mother, but decided that she needed a night off. They'd been so helpful in Kimmi settling back into her hometown, helping with Adella, their granddaughter, whenever needed and spoiling her as grandparents should. The visit to the farmer's market had been a leisurely one, she knew what she needed and wanted as fresh as possible, but wandered around to enjoy her time.

At the touch, the brunette hadn't actually thought anything at first but turned to the voice. Immediately a smile painted onto her lips. "Marco." His name came out breathy due to her surprise and simultaneous intrigue at seeing him here in Salt Flats. "Hi," she gently cleared her throat a little and turned toward him, "Hello. What are you..." The smile stretched further and fond memories swung back to the forefront. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise."

[marcosantcs]

It really was her. Sure, part of what they had bonded over all those nights at the restaurant in Austin had been the fact that they both grew up in Salt Flats, but he hadn't expected to ever see her back here. It felt like she had outgrown the small town. He couldn't help the smile that came to his lips as she turned towards him. "You're telling me!" he agreed. "I never thought I'd run into you back here of all places." he explained. It was nice, refreshing even to see her. And not just because she hadn't been here when he had been arrested. He had always enjoyed his time with Kimmi, and it was nice to have someone around who also knew what the rest of the world, outside of Salt Flats had to offer. "What're you doing in town?" he asked, unable to keep his mind from wondering how long she was around for.

[marcosantcs]

starter for: @carter-wang location: salt flats station

Marco was seated at the bar, filling out a few forms he'd been given. He needed this job. Badly. If he didn't get this, he'd probably end up serving nachos and salsa at Lime Time and while he wasn't knocking it, that just wasn't what Marco was meant to do. He was meant for more. He knew it. And he refused to let his brother's screw up royally fuck over his life any more. As he looked up, he noticed the only other person at the bar, Marco glanced around to look for the manager who'd placed him here, to see if he was about to be called into some other room for the interview. When he saw no one, he turned his attention back to the other person at the bar. "Hey man, you come here pretty often?" he asked. He wasn't usually one to make small talk with strangers just for the sake of it. But if he could talk to a regular customer, get a feel for what they liked about the place, maybe that would help him in his interview.

[marcosantcs]

starter for: @duttonremington location: the sombrero

Marco had kept a bit of an eye on Remington since he'd spotted the man enter the Sombrero a while ago. It had been years since he'd seen him, even if you ignored the fact that he'd spent the last 5 of them in prison. The two just hadn't run in the same circles. But you know who had run in the same circle as Remi? Juan. Of course, that had been years ago as well, back when they were all much younger, and Marco kept a closer eye on who his brother was hanging around. But with Juan having up and disappeared just a few days before Marco was set to be released from jail, Marco was was leaving no stone unturned.

Just as he finally made the decision to get up and ask Remington if he'd seen his brother, the man began to move towards the exit. Marco quickly pushed himself up out of his chair and followed him out into the parking lot, hoping not to miss his chance. "Hey, Dutton!" Marco called out as he stepped into the night, wanting to make his presence known as soon as possible, so Remington didn't feel like he was being stalked or whatever. "Got a sec?" he asked, as he closed the gap across the parking lot so that they were standing just a few feet from each other.