Everyone Out of the Way

Affiliated with Citta Alveare Apartment C-5 Ability: Balance Cards on Head Weapon: Wooden Cane

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Ladd nodded, glad everything was going so smoothly thus far. Clubs was very agreeable, but he wasn’t quite sure if it was due to a sense of naivety he felt that his new companion had. Well either way, he was proving to be a good partner so far with his child-like, yet seemingly destructive nature that was complimentary to Ladd’s.

“Absolutely, there is strength in numbers, my friend~” he replied with a whimsical smile.

He made a mental note of where to find Clubs. He often went to sector 05, so finding him if he needed to wouldn’t be much of a problem.

“Sounds good, can’t wait to get the ball rollin’!” He knelt down to Clubs’ height, extending a hand to him for a deal-sealing shake.

“It was a pleasure, Clubs. I’ll see ya around soon.”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You can almost feel the EXPLOSIVES in your hands. There's something oddly reassuring about having a block of C4 in your tiny little palms, or better, balanced on top of your head. And Ladd was about to help you get these bombs. In Hearts' book, that would make your new friend much less likely to get his face pounded in by the crew.

"Yup, yup!"

You extend both of your arms and grasp Ladd's hand. One hand certainly would not do for a deal such as this. Your hands shake up and down as you nod your head and smile.

"We'll get those bombs, yeah! See ya 'round, boss!"

Though you still equate Slick to being the true leader of the Midnight Crew, when this little crew gets itself going, you just know that Ladd will be the boss.

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Ladd nodded at Clubs’s response.

  “That’s what I was thinkin’,” he replied. 

“Right now it’s lookin’ like there ain’t a lot of gangsters around. There’s one in sector 3, and one in sector 5. But… There’s also a duo of thugs hangin’ around sector 2. Perhaps we should try to get to know our potential allies first, hm? See what kinda resources they have and whatnot,” He suggested. It might be a good idea to try and scout them out before actually joining a gang to see who would be the most reliable allies.

“Let me know if ya happen to run into one of ‘em, kay? You can usually find me in sector 2 or sector 6. Where can I find you if I find out anything, Clubs?”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

The amount of CREWS in this are paltry at best. You can imagine how bad it would be to have to work on your own, planning SHENANIGANS and HEISTS. You don't know how Slick pulls off the leadership position. It's something that you definitely couldn't do. Maybe you ought to try and talk to some of the other GANGSTERS and see if you can't get some bombs out of them.

"Yup! We gotta go find some help! Maybe even get 'em to join our crew, right? More people means more BOOM!"

As bad as your memory normally is, your HOUSING INFORMATION has been bouncing around in your spherical little head for a while. C-5, that meant Sector oo5. That's what that meant, right?

"Oh, uh, right! Sector oo5 is where the white coats put me! So I think I'll be there!"

[3moreseasons]

[3moreseasons]

Meta Knight smiled beneath his mask, giving Clubs’s hand a firm shake. “Excellent. I am glad to have someone of your… abilities on my side.” Explosives were definitely not Meta Knight’s strong point. Leading a team, on the other hand…

Meta Knight’s demeanor became serious. “I will keep you informed if I find anything, especially if it pertains to bombs. I trust you will do the same? And be on the lookout for anyone might be useful to our cause. This is a big city, and I doubt we can do this alone.”

He brought up a hand, clenching it into a fist. “We will find a way out. And if we do not, we will make those scientists wish we had.”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You're sure glad that you met Meta Knight. You might actually be able to get back to Hearts. He's probably tearing up the town trying to find you. Still, you give a BIG SMILE.

"Gotcha! I'll look around, yup! You just tell me the places you want to go boom, and I'll make 'em go boom! Droog always said, "Clubs, there ain't nobody better than you with a bomb, see?' Just leave it to me!"

You nod again and again. No one in this city likes these WHITE COATS much, do they?

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Ladd was pleased to see Clubs become so enthusiastic about joining a gang. His excitement was rather contagious.

He thought about his question for a moment, unsure of whether or not they should join an existing gang or start their own. He weighed the options in his head. Starting their own gang would be a good idea, seeing as if they could find like-minded individuals that wouldn’t clash with them. But at the same time, neither of them knew how to get a hold of weaponry and explosives, and a gang that has been around for a while should know- he wasn’t positive if they did, but how would gang operate around here if they had nothing but plastic/wooden weapons and restricted abilities? They had to know how to bend the rules somehow. He decided to run it by Clubs to see what he thought.

“Well, we gotta apply for the job with the white coats. They can either stick us with a gang that already exists in one of the sectors, or we can form our own in a sector that doesn’t have one yet. What do ya think?”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You really should put what little amount of brainpower you have into deciding whether to JOIN or CREATE. You know, as of now, that you won't be able to find explosives without the help of some other people, and Ladd probably doesn't know where to find them. If you both started a CREW of your own, it might be easier for both of you to achieve objectives. Who knows? You might be able to scare the scientists enough into letting you go home.

You THINK about the idea for a few seconds, before making your choice.

"We gotta go find some other guys, yup! They oughta know where to find bombs and stuff, right? They gotta have it easy!"

[neon-senida-deactivated20130301]

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Some of what Clubs explained was still rather esoteric and vague to Ladd. But what he did understand was the ‘blow ‘em up’ part- as in, Clubs had bombs. But they must have been taken from him by the scientists. 

But knowing this city, gangsters must have had some way to get bombs and ammunition. 

“Well, I’m sure ya can be part of a gang like that here,” Ladd began, cogs turning in his mind as he spoke.

“In fact… I can even join one with ya.”

Ladd wasn’t really known for ‘playing well with others’, so to speak. His own uncle, head of the Russo family saw him as a nuisance. As far as he was concerned, killing was the only thing Ladd was good for. He was just too much trouble to keep around in an organization like the mafia, with his violent, childish and unpredictable nature. Ladd also wasn’t fond of the hierarchy involved in the family, when he worked with someone, he preferred them to be equals.

But he liked Clubs- he gave him a good laugh, after all. The reason why Ladd didn’t join a gang in the first place was because he figured there was nobody he could work well with. But now that he already knew this little guy a bit, maybe things would go a lot smoother. 

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You're rather excited that you could join with a crew that'll give you bombs. You might as well lose your shit when Ladd volunteers to join you. You now have to decide whether or not you want to go ahead and find a little crew, or continue the Midnight Crew without Slick. You tragically have no idea how to do the latter. Oh, well.

"Now all we gotta do is find a crew, right? Some people to blow stuff up with? Right?"

You wish Hearts was here to be part of the crew, and Droog and Slick, too. Then again, Hearts would probably be at Ladd's throat for even mentioning the idea. Once you get a hold of some explosives, though, you'll probably have forgotten about that. All that was left to do was wait. Maybe some of the people you have met would want to help, too.

[3moreseasons]

[3moreseasons]

Meta Knight nodded, pleased with the way things had turned out. Clubs was obviously not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but if he was willing to help, the knight could hardly fault him. And the knight was used to command, maybe they could even find a few like-minded people…

“Tell me clubs, you don’t want to stay in this city forever, do you?” said Meta Knight, dropping the hold on his cape. It pooled around his feet as he paced back and forth. “You want to get back home, to this Slick fellow, correct? So why don’t we help each other? If you have bombs, maybe we can use them to strike back against the scientists. Even if we can’t destroy them outright, every little bit helps…”

He held his hand out to Clubs. “What do you say? Shall we work together to escape the city?”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You could tell that there was a PLAN being thought of in Meta Knight's head... ball... whatever. As long as you could get your hands on more bombs, you would probably do anything that was asked of you. That is, of course, one of the reasons Slick wanted you along. Following orders unquestioningly is a good trait to have in a crew. Sort of.

"Me? Back home? Sure! Slick n' Droog n' Hearts've gotta be tearing up The Felt trying to find me, yup! Cause Hearts said, 'Deuce, if ya' get lost somehow, we're killing every sonofabitch in our way 'til we find ya', and that's the truth!' And they'd wanna get the white coats, too!"

You eagerly shake Meta Knight's hand and nod your head. Even if you can't get back HOME, at least you can BLOW SOMETHING UP.

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Clubs immediately took interest as Ladd described how some of the underworld jobs were actually good ways to make money. His eyebrows raised with intrigue as Clubs questioned him about gangs. This little guy was part of a gang back home, huh? Interesting… Of course he didn’t know who this Slick person was, but he was curious to find out more about Clubs and the nature of his business. It could prove to be quite pertinent information for him. 

“Well that depends I guess, what kinda crew were ya in back home?”

If his crew was anything like the mafia, Ladd kept in mind that the two could form quite a beneficial partnership. 

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You really ought to remember how Slick got the crew started up again. He said something about some Doc, you think. But of course, you could think of that later. There's a lot that you can remember about the Midnight Crew. The broad spectrum, at least.

"The Midnight Crew, yup! There's Slick, and he's the boss! Then there's Droog and Hearts, and then me! We look after each other like a family, yup! Cause Droog says, 'Deuce, we'll stick it to tha' Felt anyway we can, cause that's what we're here to do. So you just get ready and blow 'em up when we tell you to,' uh-huh!"

The Midnight Crew, like a mafia? Not quite.

[3moreseasons]

[3moreseasons]

Suddenly Clubs was not so endearing anymore. Meta Knight made a disapproving sound as he wrapped his cape around himself again. “What a shame,” he said, voice never changing its tone.

Then a thought occurred to him.

It was a shame, wasn’t it? Bombs in the wrong hands were dangerous, but if Clubs could be convinced to hit the right targets, say, the Core of the city…

“Tell me Clubs, can you make bombs?” said Meta Knight. “If I could procure the proper materials, would you be willing to assist me?”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

All of this conversation about EXPLOSIVES is starting to sink into your head. If you ever get to meet one of the scientists, you'll have to ask them for your bombs back. You feel positively half-naked without them. Good thing they didn't take your HAT.

"Make bombs? Slick made me the explosives one for a reason, yup! Making things blow up is expensive, Slick says, so sometimes I gotta make my own to save a little! Why?"

Of course, your homemade explosives don't do as much damage as the normal explosive that Slick tends to give you. If the objective was to destroy an entire building, you would fail miserably. Put a hole in a building, and you would probably succeed.

[3moreseasons]

[3moreseasons]

Meta Knight shrugged. “For the average citizen, life is peaceful and uneventful, for the most part. But for a warrior like myself, I am always fighting to protect the people.” Not that he was bragging or anything… That’s just what he did. Clubs reminded him of one of Dreamland’s citizens; that sort of innocent ignorance that was, for some reason, so endearing.

He wasn’t quite sure what Clubs went on about next; something about Felt and Droog, and… and bombs. Meta Knight’s eyes narrowed a bit; bombs were never a good thing. “The bombs. I see. How interesting.”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You try to imagine a PEACEFUL AND UNEVENTFUL life, and fail miserably to do so. Life just wouldn't be the same without Slick screaming his head off at everything. Still, in a laid back place like that, there's bound to be some sort of THREAT to take care of.

"Yup! Bombs! I'd have some now, but the white coats kinda stole 'em from me." Droog would probably have slapped you around a few times if he ever found out you lost your bombs. Those things are extremely EXPENSIVE.

[crossfalkhanna-blog]

Meanwhile Hanna was staring at the fedoras and (despite himself) thinking about which ones would fit his zombie friend as opposed to himself. Nostradamus had a thinner, longer sorta head, didn’t he? So he would need a smaller one than Hanna, whose head was all round and man, it was weird to think about your own head shape. Like… brain-ception or something.

Yeah, that’s where you want to keep your thoughts. Brain-ception.

“S-So uh… find anything you li—whoa.”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

After giving your selection a few moments upon your cranium to see whether or not it would fit, you decide against the COLORFUL CRANIAL CAP. Instead, you find yourself staring at what looks exactly like one of The Felt's hats. It wouldn't hurt to try it on...

"Hey, I found one here, and there's the one over there!"

You gesture to the hat now adorning your head, and to the more colorful one on the shelf. If you didn't know any better, you would have said that the jester's hat was probably more fitting for a Courtyard Droll.

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

“As do I, my friend…” Ladd commented when he heard Clubs say he wanted to meet the scientists again. The sound of his voice dripped with venom despite the calm smile on his face.

He then watched as Clubs seemed to be in thought regarding his question. He emptied his pockets, implying that he needed some way to bring in some money.

“Well, the white coats can give ya a job if ya apply for one. They even allow ya to apply for assassin, thief and gangster positions…” He explained with a chuckle.

“Can ya believe that? It’s actually a legitimate way to make some money around here.”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

Meeting the scientists really does seem like quite a good idea. Maybe you can ask them to give you your explosives back. Your really aren't the same person without a block of C4 EXPLOSIVE balancing on your head.

Still, you're going to need a way to get some money. You listen carefully as Ladd recommends possible employment opportunities. Some of them, you have never heard of before. Gangster, though? That one seems to stick with you.

"Gang? You mean, like a crew? The Midnight Crew? You think the white coats'll let me get the crew running without Slick?"

You probably shouldn't be thinking about this. You can barely remember where you put your hat the other day, never mind running a crew.

[pocket-deuces-blog]

CD: Look.

You've returned from your unexpected absence, only to find MANY MORE PEOPLE. Whoever these people are, they certainly didn't look like anyone you knew. But, if they were here, they were in this city for a reason. And as much as Hearts hates you meeting people you didn't know, Hearts ain't here to look over your shoulder.

"Hey, I'm Clubs! Clubs Deuce! You new or something?"

...You had better not be thinking of showing them around the city. You barely know the layout of this place yourself.

[crossfalkhanna-blog]

“Is, uh, is he a friend of yours? I mean I guess he must be, but—”

They walked in. These were some fancy hats. Maybe if Hanna had a fancy job (unlikely to ever happen) he could buy one of them and show off his fancy hat to Creon. Or Lynne. Or just—anyone, really.

“Man, these are really cool!”

And really expensive.

[pocket-deuces-blog]

"Uh-huh! Slick's the boss!"

And as you examine the amount of hats in this place, you just want to grab all of them and shove them inside your BATTLEDROBE. Of course, you don't have your trusty storage unit on you right now. So, instead, you walk to the nearest hat and examine it.

Coolest.

Hat.

EVER.

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Ladd didn’t know what Clubs meant by being “on TV”, but he assumed that they were definitely being watched as they spoke. They probably also knew about the alliance he and Ankh formed, and how it involved killing them and returning to their worlds. And yet, nothing was being done about it. They must have felt pretty safe despite that threat… And that thought only fueled his bloodlust even more. Although this was a world of their creation, they were by no means Gods, and therefore could be struck down at any moment.

He nodded at Clubs’s question.

“They probably are watchin’ us right now…” He paused, pocketing his hands as a smile formed on his lips at the thought of having them at his mercy… or lack thereof. It was quite hard to mistake that sly grin for anything other than such dark thoughts. Despite that though, he kept on with the friendly conversation.

“So, is there anything I can help ya with, Clubs?”

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You could tell that Ladd didn't have much of an inclination for the WHITE COATS. Logically, you shouldn't like them either, since white is the opposite of black, which is a color you so lovingly approve of. Besides, they took away your BATTLEDROBE, C4 EXPLOSIVE, and BULL PENIS CANE. But, if they're in charge of a city, they must be doing something right.

"Haha! I hope they're having fun watching us! I wanna meet them again sometime!"

Now, you start to think about Ladd's question. Was there anything that you needed in this city? Directions? A map? Perhaps MONEY? Yes, money should be quite important if you ever hope to buy a map and get around without getting lost.

"Oh! I need to buy things, but I can't!"

You empty your POCKETS to emphasize your point. Ladd'll be able to help you find a job, right?

[pocket-deuces-blog]

CD: Examine Group

You really have no idea who any of these people are. Hearts would probably pound 'em if you started talking to these strangers. Then again, Hearts isn't here, and you've already met a few people here that wouldn't end up getting beat. And there's always room for more.

"Heya! I'm Clubs, Clubs Deuce!"

And... you can't really think of anything else to say once you've introduced yourself. So, you will simply wait for your crowd to make a move.

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Danger, Danger~ (@ Clubs Deuce )

[thankyou-fuckyou]

Clubs’s response made Ladd laugh once again. He was quite the interesting character who, oddly enough, seemed to have a bit in common with Ladd. They both got a childish delight from violence.

“I couldn’t agree with you more, my friend! Our scientist pals don’t seem to agree, though…” He began to feel riled up at the mere thought of the scientists that brought him here against his will. He was not fond of the idea of being a lab rat…

“Who the hell do they think they are, anyway?! They think they can just sit back and watch guys like me lose their goddamn minds for shits and giggles… They think they’re pretty safe just watchin’, huh…?” Ladd chuckled, and stopped himself in the middle of this tangent. 

[pocket-deuces-blog]

You hear, yet again, laughter, and continue to enjoy it. Sure, Hearts would probably throw a fit if he found out you were standing around someone you didn't know, especially if there was a dead body involved.

You then listen on as Ladd begins to RANT about the white coats. They didn't like seeing things blown up? That's not fun at all. And, are they really watching everyone all of the time, laughing at... whatever it is that seems funny here?

"Are they watching us now? Does this mean we're on TV? Cool!"