a day in the life...

[forgottendecade]

A
[ Dick's Bikes was the place to go if you were a rough biker with a few loose morals and not that much money. One can work on their own bike, maybe swap out their bike for another bike, or if one was lucky enough, have enough money to get the mechanics involved in rebuilding a bike from getting turned into so much twisted metal, or do that mysterious thing that swaps out pieces to turn it into a different bike than the one that was brought in.

Joji was one of those mechanics, and a popular one as well. While the other workers look like the type that use bits of metal to chew on, he looked a little like he was just wasting time. At least he usually fixes the bikes he gets and makes them work better than normal. He also doesn't take that long in fixing anything and spends some of his time just hanging around, sitting on his work bench and gossiping with the other workers.

Want to bother him during that time? ]

B
[ There's a rumor going around from one low-life to another. It's not that big of a rumor to catch the ears of most supers - villain and hero alike - but it is something exchanged by the lowly goon and the hard-working average con artist. It's basically goes something like If you find a strangely colored coin, there's a guy at Zero's who will pay good cash for it. If asked around a bit more, someone at the bar might point out a rather normal Asian guy that sits at the counter, drinking tea since whiskey would push the ratings too high. He's only there for a couple hours at the most, and the regulars at the bar treat him like they are scared to make him mad.

Anyone want to bother him about this rumor? ]

C
[ Joji worked hard on converting an empty warehouse into a liveable habitat/workshop. There are still parts that don't work quite the right way, but for the most part, the living area is nice and roomy, with an upper floor for his private quarters and a lower part where anyone can just hang out and enjoy the comforts of urban living. The workshop side is still mostly brick and enclosed metal, with a long built in workbench and space for a few motorcycles (some still in parts), a fancy device that might be a laser scanner or possibly the beginning of a huge gun, and some fancy computers on standby.

Just anybody could walk into the building, but the moment they do, a breathless electronic voice would ask them who they were. Anyone want to see what happens if the voice isn't answered? ]

Comments

B

[candothismuch]

[For Eiji, the rumor about a guy paying money for brightly colored coins was enough to prompt him into looking into it. Though he had checked to make sure he still had all of the Core Medals with him, which he did. But with Maki back it seemed that everything was up in the air again.

He steps into the bar, looking very out of place in his brightly colored clothes, and looks around. Well, this was the place, now to find the person who was buying these coins and talk to them.]

[forgottendecade]

[ He was kinda in the middle of such a deal actually. A rather scruffy character in a B-grade goon outfit was slowly counting out some bills, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth while he does so. Satisfied that the amount was right, he takes out a coin and slaps it down on the bar and tries to make a hasty escape... but Joji grabs him by scruff of his suit with one arm, while looking the coin over carefully. ]

How lucky for you, it is what I wanted.

[ Joji lets go and the goon flees out of the door. Joji picks it up and glances over at Eiji. ]

You're new.

[candothismuch]

Hm? Ah, yes I am.

[He had stepped to the side to let the goon pass him without bumping him on his way out.]

Are you the one who is buying colored coins?

[forgottendecade]

[ There were only a few coins, some of them having been left behind when a group of yummies attacked, some from a little before that. Joji didn't think he would find a lot of them, but every little bit helped in trying to restore a certain Greeed to more coherency. Of course, that was if the Greeed would stop sulking and came back to the apartment for some minor repairs.

Or maybe there was something else going on. After all, Amazon wasn't the only Rider in the city. ]

You were watching so I assume you can answer your own question.

[candothismuch]

[That was true but asking never really hurt either. Eiji recognized Medals when he saw them and turned his attention back to the man.]

So it is you. Could I ask why?

[For all he knew, this could be another one of Kougami's employees.]

A

[triggerhappytraitor]

[Intercontinental travel had not been good to Red Rhombus, despite all of Tachibana's precautions, and there was only so much work he could do on it with the confines of the small apartment he had managed to find for himself.

Having no idea the reputation of the bike shop, he thought nothing of wheeling his in, looking around for someone to talk to.]

[forgottendecade]

[ He was drumming his heels against the battered drawers of the steel workbench, having just casually pointing out to a fellow worker that he just put the engine in backwards. The owner of the garage gave Tachibana a look before pointing his thumb in Joji's direction along with a grunted 'Bother the freak over there.'

The rest of the mechanics got out of his way and Joji hopped off the bench with a slight sniff. ]

What needs fixing?

[triggerhappytraitor]

It mostly just needs a tune up. It hasn't been running as well as it was before it was transported and I don't have what I need to take care of it here. It's a custom build, will that be a problem?

[[His hand lingered on the bike as he spoke. He wasn't exactly happy about having to leave his machine in the hands of a stranger....]]

[forgottendecade]

[ It wasn't a normal bike, at least one of the kind that come into this place on a fairly regular basis. Joji crouched down next to the bike, looking at it and then gently laid his fake hand against it. A faint vibration could be felt when he did that, and it almost seemed that he was listening to it before standing up. ]

No problem at all. I can handle it.

C

[gigigigigigi]

[Amazon was not at all expecting to be greeted by that electronic voice, and he jumped back and gave a startled growl as he looked around for the source of whoever or whatever was talking to him.]

[forgottendecade]

[ There's a couple clicks and then a slightly different voice is heard followed by a low humming noise. ]

Please identify yourself.

[gigigigigigi]

[This gets another growl.]

Amazon want see you, strange voice!

[Because who is talking to him?!]

[forgottendecade]

Amazon is recognized.

[ The humming stops. The voice switches off and the lights slowly flickered on, letting him see just how open and big the former warehouse was. ]

B

[talktothedoll]

[Dr. Maki enters the bar and looks around a bit disdainfully. It's a little too lively for him, and the desires he's picking up on are, for the most part, too crude to hold his interest. But the rumors he's been hearing are of a particular interest, which has forced him to show up.

The doll on his arm is posed with its arms crossed as though mirroring that disdain as Maki quietly makes his way over to the bar. Surely a full grown man walking into a bar with a doll is something Joji doesn't see every day.]

[forgottendecade]

[That doll was more than a little creepy. Several of the more tougher looking people in the bar actually looked at the doll before slinking off with grunted excuses in hope that they were not the target of the doll's ire.

Joji heard them leave and glanced at the scratched and dull mirror over the bar. The man approaching the bar was not a regular nor was he the kind of peron that he would ever expect to show up in this place. Did that mean his careful fishing hooked something bigger than a few coins left behind from a battle with the Omegafriends?]

They have an excellent Jade Oolong tea here. [If anything, Joji was going to be polite until he figured out what was with this guy.] Do you wish for a cup?

[talktothedoll]

[Actually, Maki didn't really want a cup, but he supposed formalities had to be observed.]

I'd like one.

[And he's only looking at that doll when he talks. Weird.]

But I'd prefer information.

[forgottendecade]

[Joji poured them both a cup of tea from his teapot, and then turned on his bar stool to face Maki. That doll was really odd, and that was coming from a man who worked next to a guy that dressed up as Dracula save those times he became a giant bipedal squid.]

Information? About what?

B

[cardsflippedup]

[Well, there were certainly a few rumors that Tomoki had on his list to check up on. The one about the coins was certainly something- thought he didn't know what it meant yet, it definitely could lead to something bigger later.]

[At the very least he could ask about it, and then segue into this Kamen Rider business.]

[When he shows up at the bar he's dressed much less like the crisp, clean business casual reporter he is during the day, and more like the alcoholic he was several months ago. The best way to get information often meant blending in.]

[He comes to sit a stool or so away from Joji, nursing something of his own and just listening to the conversations.]

[forgottendecade]

[ Joji wasn't talking too much after the low-life sold him the coin. Instead, he quietly sipped his tea, maybe engaging in banter with the server before going back to just sitting and listening. As the others approached him and left, he seemed to get even more quieter until he reached the end of the teapot, at which moment, he took out a few crumpled bills and set them on the bartop.

He pretty much was getting ready to leave.]

[cardsflippedup]

[He's been watching, but not approaching just yet. When the last one leaves and Joji's looking to make his exit, Tomoki sets his glass down.]

You must be some kind of collector or something.

[forgottendecade]

I am a collector. [ He tilts his head at the words, stopping before going too far. This looked like it would be an interesting night, especially considering exactly how many people usually take interest in shady conversations in this place. ]

Why do you ask?

C

[birdinthehand]

Ankh is back from a prolonged, somewhat not-unpleasant period hanging around with Hina Izumi. Though he'd hate to admit it aloud, it was... okay... he guessed... to have her fuss over him. But all that fussing wasn't getting him Medals. He needed to check back in with Joji, despite how much he disliked the man.

So there he is, still a hand, floating his way into the building. And only giving that electronic voice the slightest of attention. Just a pause, a flick of his wrist as though he was looking around for the source, then... well, never mind. He didn't need to identify himself. In he goes.

[forgottendecade]

If Joji had neighbors, they would no doubt be taking all sorts of pictures for the Omegafriends' fan-clubs or the Villain Lovers group because he really does have the weirdest of people stopping by at all hours. The floating hand was definitely on top of that list of interesting people. The bored electronic voice again asks for Ankh to identify himself, the lights flickering as the system switches from one mode to another.

[birdinthehand]

The floating hand would be gratified to know that he qualified as 'people', even if it was by the creepy paparazzi. He's certainly important and awesome enough, at least in his own estimation. So much so that he's still convinced that he shouldn't have to say anything to the security system... but it's being annoying. With a sharp huff he pivots, rises higher, and calls out to it. "Ankh! It's Ankh! Why the hell do I need to tell you that?! How many other hands come floating in here?!"

[forgottendecade]

A click and the lights flicked back on, all the while the computerized voice speaks, "I am not equipped with that kind of sensor system yet."

Yes, Joji programed his computer with a dry personality. At least it hasn't started to joke since those would be the kind of jokes that only a select few people would actually like. It takes a couple minutes for Joji to appear, shoving goggles up into his hair and stripping the gloves off of his hands.

"There are other Greeeds around. Who's to say one of them might try to get at me when I'm occupied?"