Sour Candy and Celebrity (Marzena)

[Gavin XIII]

Axxila... Just the kind of place Gavin was glad he lived in. When he didn't feel like hunting anyone down he could hole up in his apartment and eat junk food, and when he needed to justify his paycheck from the Vitae, there was no shortage of criminals that needed catching or a beatdown. It didn't hurt that the majority of the people on the planet couldn't cause him permanent damage.

On this particular day, the blonde Sithspawn was wandering around the streets with a bag of candy in his hand, looking for something to do. Rooting out criminals seemed a bit too labor intensive for the morning, so he'd decided to find out if there was anything close by that he hadn't seen.

[member='Marzena Choi']

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena walked off the set and stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. It had been another long day of shooting for her new HoloDrama, even though she had been cast in yet another supporting role. It was a bit odd to be ending her day when the light of morning had just risen, but such was the life of one in the entertainment business. She waved a goodbye to a few of the crew members and she began the walk back to her hotel. It wasn’t all that far, so she didn’t bother trying to hail a private car... besides, they were all probably taken by the principal cast. The actress was still wearing her costume, but she felt comfortable being out in public, as she still looked classy in her trench coat and boots. She carried only a small clutch purse with her, and had it tucked in the crook of her arm as she went along.

This world was a bit unfamiliar to her, as it was her first visit to Axxila... but it didn’t seem all that different from other cityscapes she’d seen before. She listened to the heels of her boots clicking on the pavement, and she walked at a leisurely pace. A sound coming from the alley way made her pause, she glanced behind her for a moment but saw nothing. It was surely just her imagination. Marzena pressed on, this time her pace was a bit faster. The sound of footsteps behind her made her heart leap, but she didn’t dare turn back... ‘just keep going’ she thought to herself.

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

Gavin heard heels clicking on the pavement ahead of him, but he ignored it. No shortage of women -or men- walking around in high heels at all hours of the day. He munched his candy, watching his own boots on the ground. They needed polishing... Or a permanent marker. Whichever his bored brain preferred later. Actually, everything about him needed a little polishing. He'd basically rolled out of bed and pulled his clothes on.

His attention was grabbed for a minute when a man pushed past him out of an alleyway. But then he just shrugged. Another one of the decrepit street rats that lived everywhere on the planet. No big deal. Certainly nothing to pull his gun over. He kept walking and humming to himself quietly.

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena tightened the grip on her bag as she walked along, eyes darting back and forth as she continued on her way. The footsteps behind her were growing closer, she was sure that someone was in pursuit of her now. After a few moments she realized that she had taken a wrong turn, and had been walking in the opposite direction of her hotel room for quite a distance. The actress swore under her breath, there was no way she was going to pause or turn back the way she came. Not a moment later, she felt the impact of someone bounding into her from behind. She felt the small bag slipping from her grasp, but she held on with all the strength she could muster.
Her dark eyes shifted to the mugger, his face was mostly shadowed by a large brimmed hat... but she thought she could make out a thin scar running the length of his cheek.

“Let go or I’ll scream!” Marzena shrieked at him, but it was no use...

The man’s large hand finally pulled the bag from her grasp and he pushed her roughly to the ground. Marzena fell onto the sidewalk, and found herself on the pavement next to a pile of trash. When she looked up again the man’s shadow was making a fast break for the winding alley ways of the city and was soon gone from sight. She stayed there on the ground, for she had twisted her ankle a bit on the way down.

“Great... what am I going to do now!?”

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

The shriek was what brought Gavin out of his candy-eating reverie. He immediately ran in the direction that the man had pushed past him to get to, not seeing the lady in the street until he tripped over her. Ouch. Well, seemed like he found the shrieker. He didn’t even pick himself off the ground to look at her.

"Um... did you just get mugged?"

What a wonderful way to start a conversation.

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena was climbing to her feet when someone tripped over her, sending the actress back to the ground. She clutched at her ankle and frowned deeply seeing that the man was now on the sidewalk next to her. Her brows rose slightly when he asked if she’d just been mugged... surely he had just seen what had happened. Anyone on the street with at least one good eye could have seen!

“That’s the way it looks, doesn’t it?” She asked, her voice had a bit of a cold tone.

For a moment her eyes remained on the spot in the distance where her mugger had disappeared. Thoughts began to form and she felt a shiver of fear shoot through her. What if that man was working for the paparazzi? She didn’t want any of her personal business revealed to the press, not that she had any skeletons to hide. Her dark gaze shifted back to the man next to her, and she gave him a look as though she were expecting something.

“Well? Are you going to help me up?” She tilted her head.

Marzena was the sort that had no problem bossing people around... even those that she had only just met.

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

Lucky for this chick that Gavin was the nice sort. He had too much bullcrap to deal with when random women didn't boss him around. He picked himself off the ground in a slightly bizarre manner, kicking himself up into a handstand, then dropping down to his feet. Theoretically, that was supposed to allow him to draw and fire while recovering from a fall, but it was a little bit too fun to restrict to combat situations. He offered his hand to the woman on the ground, smirking a little.

"You know, it takes serious talent to get mugged here. Safest area in this city."

Belaying any doubts about his profession, the extremely heavy blaster pistol Gavin favored was holstered to his belt and completely visible over his jacket. On a different planet, his weapon and uniform-ish old coat might have marked him as a cop. On Axxila, it marked him as a fairly successful mercenary.

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena raised a curious brow as she watched the man get to his feet in a rather round-about fashion. What a strange person... she thought to herself. Nevertheless, she accepted the hand he offered her and pulled herself up to standing. Her ankle was still a bit sore, and she stood favoring her right side ever so slightly. She blinked a few times when he mentioned that this was the safest area of the city, and that she must be quite talented. Was that meant to be a slight? Or had he simply been making conversation?

"Well, I am talented." She answered. "I'm an actress, and I suspect that may be why I was targeted. We're filming down the street from here."

Her dark eyes had seen the weapon he was wearing, and she wondered exactly why one would go out with it so plainly visible. Perhaps he worked in law enforcement, or he felt the need to protect himself, or it was more than likely that he too was a deranged criminal. Marzena didn't know which option fit the bill, but she decided to take a chance on the stranger.

"Can you help me catch the mugger?" She asked, and then added quickly. "I will pay you, of course."

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

At the mention of acting and filming, Gavin took another look at the woman. He was humming to himself again, loading both the gun that had been holstered to his side and the other, shorter and heavier, one that was always nice and ready inside his coat. There was a vague look of recognition, and a tilt of his head as he squinted at her.

"You always play side characters. Marzipan Something-or-other."

Trust Gav to mishear somebody's name as a kind of dessert. Yum. He locked and loaded one gun with each hand, holstered them both, then stuck his index finger out at miss dessert-actress-lady. Always the one ground rule before he started a job with someone else.

"I'll get him for ya. Just one thing - you stay behind me, always. I can take a bullet or a blade, you can't."

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena's expression became blank, as it was the most neutral ground between being happy that he'd recognized her and sad that she was already associated for playing side parts. Oh well, at least he know who she was... even if he had called her Marzipan, she had been been called much worse. She listened to his terms and nodded her acknowledgement. Marzena had absolutely no problem with him taking any blades or bullets, she certainly didn't want to, unless it was on the set of a film.

"Agreed." She said simply with a nod of her head. "The man had a scar on his cheek, if that helps in any way."

The star shrugged and pointed into the distance towards the spot where she'd seen the mugger disappear.

"Let's go."

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

Gavin grinned wildly when the woman pointed down the alleyway. So strange how even the smallest hunt made him smile. He simply put his hands in his coat pockets and started walking, looking over his shoulder a couple of times to see if she was following. She was definitely a strange one. Most women would just cancel their cards and get them replaced, rather than hire whatever guy with a gun came along to go get their purse. Maybe it had something with the bossy tone she'd taken earlier.

"Ah... Lucky for me I ran into you, Marzipan. Almost had a boring morning."

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

She followed along at a brisk pace, having to take at least two strides for every one of his. Sure, she knew that it may seem a bit silly to hire someone to get her purse back. However, the purse itself had been a special gift from her designer friend. It had been the prototype for his most successful design and was one of a kind. The bag was a key conversation piece and was coveted by many of her fashionista friends. It would be well worth it to get it back, just to ensure that she had something that others did not. There was also the issue that there were things in that bag that she wanted to keep. Were there also photos from a late night of drinking? Possibly. It was nothing too shameless, but they were photos of a fun night that she did not necessarily wish to share with others.

"Just so you know, my name is actually Marzena." She said, but had the feeling that this man would keep on calling her by Marzipan.

"And what exactly are the chances of catching this guy?

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

Gavin just shrugged, poking his head into open windows and dark corners. The lack of signs pointing to this scar-faced mugger didn't particularly bother him. What was bothering him was the question of just what civvie women kept in their purses. Most of the women he'd known were military or mercenary types, the kind with a million pockets and more than that number of nasty surprises. He had no clue just what other people carried around that might possibly constitute preparedness.

"Well, Marzipan, you gotta give it an hour or two. Chances are, the guy lives close by... and is desperate as hell. If he's selling your stuff someplace, I know a couple good spots to check."

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

The thought of some strange man rummaging through her bag made her feel a bit angry. However, it appeared that her hired gun had some ideas to go on. She only hoped that they could reclaim her belongings before anyone else had the chance to lay their hands upon them at some shady marketplace. Images of dark figures exchanging goods in the shadows formed in her mind, and then she looked back towards the man in the bright red coat.

"You never told me your name." She said as they walked along, pausing every now and then as he looked here and there.

She wondered if he had some sort of intricate plan in his mind, or if he was just making things up as he went. Judging by his behavior so far, she would have guessed that he was not the sort of person that planned in advance. She shrugged slightly at the thought, supposing that improvising could be just as successful... it just depended on the sort of scene and characters. Her comparison was more based in the world of acting, but she hoped very much that it would translate.

"See anything yet?" she asked after a few moments, looking back and forth with her own dark eyes.

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

"Name? Oh... It's Gavin. Thirteen. Whatever you wanna call me."

He was only really half-listening to Marzena as he looked around. This was how he always worked. Once he was on the ground, nobody else's voices mattered. It was why Vulpesen needed somebody to keep a leash on him. He simply didn't take restrictions on his operational capacity too well. To her credit, this particular woman hadn't tried to boss him around on the job. Maybe didn’t trust that he knew what he was doing, but that was okay. He could deal with people underestimating him.

"Oh, no, nothing yet. We're on our way to a pawn shop, actually."

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

"A pawn shop?" She echoed him quietly, her nose wrinkled just slightly. Marzena had never set eyes upon a pawn shop, let alone step inside one before. It was just a level of retail that a high class lady would never frequent. She had little idea about what sort of items a pawn shop would carry, but she imagined that it was an awful mix of just about everything. However, she had mostly associated them with the more unsavory things like weapons. For some reason she also had the image of poorly groomed men with beards and dirty clothing. She was not looking forward to this experience.

"Lead on." She said with a wave of her hand, though she could see that Gavin was barely listening. At least he did seem focused on the task at hand. Perhaps she would get her money's worth after all.

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

The wrinkled nose was almost audible, and it made Gavin snort. Apparently little miss actress had never been to the darker side of the city. Wasn't that always the way? He figured that whatever stereotypes she could think of were probably true, though. Old dudes with big beards and missing bits of their hands or arms. Obviously, he wasn't going to tell her that. Seemed like a bad idea to freak out the client when she was walking with him.

"I'm already leading on."

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

As they continued along, she spotted a rather scruffy man sitting on a box on the sidewalk up ahead. Even from a distance she could see that he was smoking something, and was occasionally taking a sip from a can. Marzena suppressed a shudder and she looked up to see the sign that the man was sitting under. She wasn't surprised that it read: Pawn Shop. The celebrity wasn't about to wait outside the shop alone, so the pushed her way into the door and made her way inside. She hugged her arms in close to her body to keep from accidentally touching anything.

"You go see if they have my things..." She said to Gavin, nudging him in the back with her elbow.

For now she would stand near the door, figuring that she would watch to see the people coming and going.

[member="Gavin XIII"]

 

[Gavin XIII]

Gavin rolled his eyes at Marzena as he walked up to the counter inside the shop. It was almost funny to watch her squirm, except for the fact that there really did seem to be some dangerous characters here. A man with a not-so-well hidden shotgun was leaning against the wall, staring at the actress, while the man next to him seemed content to keep his one working eye on the blonde man. Gavin kept his hand on his gun the whole time.

The man behind the counter was unimpressed by both Marzena and Gavin, but he still tapped im.his finger on the knife that was sitting in front of him. Cheerful type.

[member="Marzena Choi"]

 

[Marzena Vaas]

Marzena grew increasingly nervous with the strange man's eyes upon her, she didn't like the way he was leering at her. She watched as Gavin made his way to the counter, wishing that he would just hurry up and find her things. However, she knew that some people just couldn't be rushed. It had been her intention to remain near the door, but she moved from her post when the man with the shotgun began to approach her. Maybe he had recognized her and was hoping to get an autograph, but she was unwilling to stick around to find out. She slid up to the counter and stood next to Gavin, feeling only slightly safer in the presence of her armed companion. He didn't seem to be speaking with the man behind the counter yet, so Marzena felt entitled to speed things along.

"Excuse me." She said flatly. "We're looking for something... a white purse... have you seen anything like that?"

The man only looked down at his knife and shrugged his shoulders, snorting rather unattractively. This was usually the part in films where the shady character was offered some sort of bribe... but she was a bit empty handed at the moment. She turned her gaze to Gavin, giving him a look that said 'do something!'.

[member="Gavin XIII"]