[Sodium_noir] En Route from Cardboard City

[Jennie Teakle]

Christine
Orphan

Friday 10.15 am

Christine makes it across the Square without incident although some  
of the conversations she falls into are on the surreal side. No one  
asks her for money though. This is perhaps a reflection on the way  
she looks - rumpled is putting it kindly - but it's also because she  
is becoming a Cardboard City regular; a familiar face amongst  
Gotham's Lost. As Christine picks her careful way through the  
Homeless, she reflects warily that nothing and no one seems to be  
triggering the Sight. A good thing but she wishes she knew why. Still  
puzzling on this she finds herself staring at the potted palms and  
pale stone pillars that mark the entrance to The Chaste Dragon. A  
gorgeous, if badly parked, silver grey sports car lounges by the kerb  
nearby and . . . ah.  Christine spots the rental she drove here last  
night with Damien. Mara's rental actually. Still here. Peachy.

Christine hesitates a second before rummaging in her pocket, finding  
the rental car keys and a pair of soft black leather gloves  
invitingly lined with red fur. Christine wonders again about the  
message in this odd gift but gives up trying to second guess. She  
might become a pretty sharp Seer - who knows? -  but somehow she  
doubts that she will ever fathom much about the giver. Nothing he  
doesn't choose to let her see anyhow. She shrugs. All the same, she's  
prepared to bet serious cash that the elegant, shark-like sports job  
in front of the Dragon is Panic's. Fishing in her wallet she finds  
one of her now redundant business cards and a pen. On the back she  
scrawls 'Thanks. Father B says hi.' and signs it with a simple  
dragonfly doodle. People sometimes forgot her name but rarely her  
bright red hair and trademark dragonfly clip.

The rental starts easily and Christine drives back to Neon City, back  
to the Downtown Holiday Inn. She still has a room there which she  
needs to clear out and pay up. She wonders briefly if there's any  
point in trying to claim back the expense from Legal Services . . .  
but gives up on that idea. That would mean going to see Mara cap in  
hand. No fucking way.

Letting herself into the hotel room silently, Christine gazes at the  
trappings of  an old life: laptop, briefcase and some files, two dark  
suits that hang in the tiny closet. Her fingertips brush lightly over  
these things but rest on the little statuette of Bast that Mara gave  
her the day before.  Christine picks it up - it is small but solid  
and heavy -  and stares at it.

A half hour later, showered, changed into clean jeans and a dark  
green Placebo tshirt, Christine throws a small case onto the rental  
car seat. It contains her wordly goods - a change of clothes, a few  
toiletries, a personal stereo, a cell phone. She drives out of the  
hotel lot and the short distance to Market Street and the offices of  
Gotham Legal Services. She uses her key  and to her mild surprise  
finds that the locks to the main door have not been changed. Not yet.  
Just in time then. Christine places her briefcase, the files, the  
neatly folded suits, the rental keys and the statuette of Bast on a  
desk. She's keeping the laptop. Call it severance pay; a parting gift  
for a faithful and hardworking employee. She considers leaving a note  
but decides against. She can't think of anything to say that won't  
reduce her to tears and she'll be damned before she makes her newly  
applied mascara run over something that is so royally fucked up and  
that can't be fixed. Anyhow, thinks Christine fiercely, the pile of  
discarded things kind of says it all.

Closing the door sharply behind her and relocking it, Christine  
leaves the car and goes in search of a bus. One that's heading into  
Chinatown and to the Temple of the Five Dragons. She's going to meet  
a girl and a date with Fate. Someone who might turn out to be both  
ally and friend.


TBC


OOC: FF I'll email you with some jp stuff if you're still up for  
that? Let me know, though, k as the restart is now fast upon us -  
eep! :-)
OOC: Hey Spikey :-)




















		
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