City of Shadows Mux City of Shadows Mux

What's Your Deal?
"...there would be consequences for breaking your word, of course."
Players Javi, Solomon	7 July, 2022 Javi comes to find Solomon with a few questions. Solomon has answers, plus an interesting proposition.
Javi is not a frequenter of the University of Chicago, for any number of reasons. Not least of which is that he doesn't even go here. However, today he has a purpose. Solomon may not know //his// name, or where he lives, or really any other potentially incriminating details about him (which is, of course, by design), but he knows about Solomon. He has his card. So, he has come to find him today, in the daylight. He knows just enough about things that go bump to prefer it to darkness. Yet not enough to realize that Solomon's not the type of thing where darkness matters. He's actually right at the point of knowing just enough where that knowing is highly, highly dangerous. He's looking pretty grim as he gets pointed by one of the actual students in the direction he needs, and he starts that way. His hands are shoved into the pockets of his jeans, shoulders hunched against nothing visible, as he makes his way to the illustrious professor's office. He has some questions. It's not that illustrious an office, all told. Javi passes some illustrious offices, with nice furniture and good views. Those are the tenured folk, full professors. Solomon is the most junior faculty member. He's got a small office with just enough room for his desk and some chairs. The walls have his diplomas, and several framed boards of pinned butterflies and other insects. And Solomon himself is at the desk, writing in a notebook - an actual notebook. He's dressed for work, in a sober tweed jacket, button-down shirt, and actual tie. Ignore the few bruises on his face and his knuckles. His door is half open, signifying that he's willing to be interrupted, and he's idly reaching into one of the drawers for his _secret stash_ of candy. Out comes a little box of candy coated chocolates. Ms might be involved. Even by itself, the campus would be intimidating. Javi does not look like he belongs -- but it's more because he clearly doesn't //feel// like he belongs. Had he been walking along with confidence, he would not look particularly out of place at all. But every one of those fancy offices with their tenured professors and their expensive furniture and their good views has him shrinking a little more into himself like he wishes he could disappear as adeptly as he had the night before. By the time he reaches the place he actually wants to be, he has to make an effort to straighten up and square his shoulders and not look quite as much like a puppy that's expecting a kick, but he does make it. He's not about to enter the office like //that//. He does at least give a cursory knock on the door before he bursts in, though he doesn't actually wait for permission to come in. "Yo." "Yes?" Solomon says without looking up at the knock. When the door swings the rest of the way open and someone walks in, his head comes up with a jerk, a glare at the ready. When he sees who it is, though, the glare fades into simple surprise. He settles back in his chair. "Javi. Hello. I didn't expect you to come by." He doesn't seem displeased about it, though. He flicks his fingers towards one of the other chairs in a silent invitation. Some of the manic energy he's displayed before is...not gone, but it feels leashed. Controlled in this environment. He opens the box of M&Ms, then offers it to the other man. "Want a candy?" Had the glare been meant for Javi, it would have worked very well. As it is, it almost works even though it isn't. The younger man flinches back visibly, and he glances over his shoulder like he's considering rethinking this whole plan. But the indecision is long enough for Solomon's expression to shift, and that's what ultimately decides him. He steps inside, and a moment later he even closes the door behind him to start forward. "Sure." The approach is still wary, but he gets there eventually. When he does, he reaches for the candy, but he doesn't take very many out before he pulls his hand back. "Thanks." The whole 'melts in your mouth' is about to be tested, because he doesn't immediately eat them. "So, like...what's your deal, man?" Well, might as well get down to it. "You're a fucking college professor who's into stalking random dumbasses and picking fights in bars. You gotta have a deal, right? So what is it?" It's not accusatory. On the contrary, surely the only thing that would have brought him down here voluntarily is intense curiosity. Solomon shakes a few into Javi's hand, then takes a few for himself. He pops them in his mouth, and doesn't hesitate to crunch down. He watches Javi with amusement. "I wasn't stalking you. I mean, yet. I couldn't find you." Because thaaat's totally reassuring. The way his eyes gleam says he knows that it isn't. "And there's nothing wrong with blowing off steam. You'd rather I pick a fight with the undergrads?" An arch of an eyebrow there. Then, casually, he asks, "What do you think my deal is?" Javi snorts, and doesn't reply to //that//. Tomato, tom-ah-to. Instead, he says, "Think you wouldn't last that long here if you did, so that's probably why you don't." Whether that's true or not. Look, he hasn't been to college. Maybe they have fight clubs all the time! As for the rest, though, he shrugs, a movement that ends up with his hands spread out wide at his sides, though one is still in a fist around those m&ms. "I got no fucking clue," he says. "That's why I'm here asking you. I just know you got one. That's it." "Maybe I just don't think beating up nineteen year olds is all that cool to do," Solomon says, dryly. He gives Javi a thoughtful, up and down examination. "Maybe I do have a 'deal', but maybe I'm just a guy who likes to party hard." He grins. "Why should I tell you, huh? I don't even know your name, despite my best efforts." "Hm. Maybe." Whether Javi believes it or not, he's content to leave it there. He's more focused on the rest of it, anyway. His head tilts to one side as he studies Solomon appraisingly, right up until the end -- and through it, too. That's when he brings his hand up to pop the handful of m&ms into his mouth, and he takes the opportunity to chew them thoughtfully as well as consider the question at hand. It's a while, far longer than anyone needs for m&ms, but eventually he does reply. "It's Reyes," he finally says. Maybe against his better judgment, but he says it. "Javier Reyes. Live on the south side." He doesn't give the exact address, sure, but it's definitely an offering of significance. At least, he seems to consider it so. "Mr. Reyes. Thank you." A smile flickers to life on Solomon's face at the offering, and he seems to take it for what it is. "I used to live on the South Side. As a kid, anyway." An easy shrug. He considers Javier for a while, then says, "Let me ask you something. Let's say there was one thing in your life you could...chase off. One person or people...or whatever else...that you could make go away, make so they'd cross the street when they saw you coming. You got anything like that, Mr. Reyes?" Javi nods, and with it comes some internal acceptance or other. "Oh yeah?" It's just something to say, not a true invitation for Solomon to continue talking about where he lived as a kid. The man could if he wanted to, but after all, he is not really here for that. He stays quiet as Solomon begins to explain. While it doesn't actually clarify anything //yet//, he doesn't rush him through the telling. There's a certain order to these things that must be observed, and he won't disrupt it. He gets his turn pretty soon anyway. When he does, his eyes shift, gaze flicking over to somewhere above Solomon's shoulder. They don't really land on anything, just somewhere in the middle distance, but he's probably just considering that, too. "Yeah," he replies as he looks back. "I got something like that." Solomon doesn't volunteer anything more about his own past and living situation. He does shake a few more treats into his palm, and offer the box back to Javi, in case he wants more candy. He nods a little when Javi admits that. "Maybe my deal, in so far as I have one, is that sometimes I make those kinds of things happen." He bares his teeth in a smile. "In exchange for something, of course. Nothing in life is free, and I suspect you know that as well as any." Javi looks at the offered box, and after a moment he sticks his hand out again with murmured thanks. Maybe he shouldn't be taking them with this talk about bargains, but hopefully those bargains don't extend to candy. "Mmhmm." He knows that much. "But you ain't making mine go away." It's not exactly skeptical -- actually, it's not skeptical at all. He does seem to believe him, insofar as he can believe something that this kind of creepy college professor is saying. No, it sounds...rueful. He shakes it off, though, and shrugs. "But okay. I get it." He pauses, then ventures, "So you like...what, scare 'em away?" Well, it tracks. He's certainly scared Javi at least a little bit, if only somewhat on purpose. "Oh?" And in a mirror, Solomon doesn't sound disbelieving about Javi's return assertion, but he does sound very curious. There's a moment of silence, before he nods. "Something like that," he says, lightly. "Doesn't work all the time. While everything fears _something_, I don't claim to be that thing for every possible target. But I've got a decent track record." Another flash of those teeth, before he pops his candies in his mouth and crunches down. "Mmhmm." Javi doesn't expand on why -- but who knows, maybe he doesn't think it would be interesting. He's already claimed he isn't, so that would track, too. And anyway, he's come to learn about Solomon, so that's where his mind is. He takes another moment to study the other man, this time very closely, a purposeful decision even though it does make a little shiver run through him after a few moments. "Yeah," he pronounces, "I could see that." He pops the remaining m&ms in his mouth, and as he chews his brows pull together. Thoughtful, and also at least a little concerned. "So that girl yesterday," he suddenly continues. "She was gonna kill that dude, huh." It's not really a question. Apparently he hadn't left the entire place before he'd seen at least some of the fight. Just the immediate vicinity. Solomon hesitates at the question. His lips press into a thin, disapproving line. He shrugs, but it's unconvincing. So is his, "I'm not the boss of her. I don't know what she was gonna do." His fingers tap out an irritated rhythm on the edge of his desk. "I do know that her regrettable lack of self-control meant that I acquired a hangover for absolutely no good return." His mouth went crooked. "I figured you took off. Why'd you hang around when you didn't want any part of it?" It's certainly enough of a non-answer answer that Javi's able to take it however he wants, and it's pretty clear in what way he's taken it. He just nods, and doesn't ask further questions. Instead, he smiles, though his own is a little crooked, too. "Told you, man," he says with a shrug. "Didn't wanna waste the cover charge. Some of us don't got twenty bucks to blow on shit every day of the week." But it's also not a real answer, and the smile fades a moment later. "I dunno," he eventually admits. "Not sure, to be honest. I bounced after you pulled her off him." Solomon sighs. "Yes, well. I'm sorry you had to see that. It wasn't my intent for the evening, I assure you." Like punching people who (maybe) didn't deserve it was much better? He morosely eats a couple of candies, then runs his fingertips over his bruised knuckles from the one decent punch he got in. Then there's a lift of his mouth, a spark of amusement in the creepy blue eyes. "I think you vibe with it, though. Just a little. Most people would have told me to just fuck right the hell off." Javi snorts -- there's not much amusement there, but there is a little -- and shrugs. "No big. I mean," he amends, "kinda big for that dude." But he'll be fine! Surely. And if not...they won't ever know. "But it's whatever for me. Not like I don't know there's weird shit that goes on here." Even if he clearly doesn't know the extent of it, at all. His eyebrows raise at the end, though, and after a moment's surprise another laugh escapes him. This one is a lot closer to a real one, even though it's quiet. "Maybe," he allows. "Guess it's, like...you know. When you got stuff going on you kinda...wanna just make sure you're not the fucking weirdest one out there. Or something." He doesn't seem totally satisfied with that explanation, but ultimately he leaves it. Solomon winces. "Yeah. Kinda big for him." He actually looks distressed about that, for a moment, and mutters, "Should have thought my way through that, better. I didn't know she was there and then..." he breaks himself out of it with a little grimace. "I was drunk. It was stupid. I hope he's okay." His attention shifts back to Javi, and smiles. "What's your stuff, then? You've seen a bit of mine. But you seem moderately normal, aside from a delightful overabundance of curiosity." "Eh." Javi shrugs, spreading his hands out at his sides again. "What were you gonna do? Like you said. You're not in charge of her. He'll prolly be fine." Maybe. "Gonna have some nightmares for a minute, though. Unless he just forgets about it. Seems like there's a lot of that going around." His mind still seems to be rumbling down that track, though, so it takes him a second to refocus when he actually gets asked a question. "Huh?" But he gets there. "Oh." His smile fades, eyes going a little bit wide as his voice lowers significantly. "I see dead people," he says, quiet and a little raspy. He looks from one side of Solomon to the other, his hands coming up again like he's trying to push away something invisible. "They're everywhere." His brows pull together again as he stares at a very specific spot in the air, leaning back as if he's suddenly actually frightened. Then, his expression clears and he laughs, dropping his hands and looking back at Solomon with another of those wide, bright grins. "But for real though," he says in a normal tone. "I see dead people." Does Solomon follow Javi's gaze when he looks at that very specific spot? Oh yes, absolutely. Although it's less fearful, and more eager, like Javi might manifest a ghost right there in his office. Alas, nothing rattles or whispers (at the moment) that Solomon can hear. There's a flicker of disappointment on the professor's face, and he glances back to Javi. The wide grin prompts an answering smile. "That sounds fascinating. If disruptive to day-to-day life in a city with as high a violent mortality rate as Chicago." No sign he doesn't _believe_ him. Although he is staring at him like he wants to ask something but isn't quite there, yet. "Yeah," Javi admits, now back to very matter-of-fact, though he seems at least a little pleased with himself for the reaction. Eager is fine, apparently. They've already established that Solomon is weird. "There's a whole lot of 'em here. But they really are kinda everywhere, too. Usually hear 'em more than see 'em, but yeah. Kinda weird at first but I'm used to it now." And besides being a little jumpy in general, not particularly affected by it outwardly. You can get used to anything. He stops talking, his head tilting a little bit to the side in response to Solomon's stare. It's still a little disconcerting, but this time he doesn't shrink back. Maybe he's getting used to //him//, too. "What? You wanna know if there's really one in here?" Solomon shakes his head. There's even a little finger flick at the idea; let the ghosts stay unknown to him, apparently. At least the ones that may be in his office that he can't get rid of. Once he thinks about THAT a bit, he might come back to it with a different opinion. But for now, it's not what's on his mind. "Just wondering what that's like. Seeing ghosts. You're not the only one in the city who's...weird. If you don't wanna go it alone, you don't have to." "Oh." Javi lets out another laugh, and does not share whether there is or isn't one in Solomon's office. Maybe it's RIGHT NEXT TO HIM. But he won't know today! "Yeah, I mean...it's weird. You know. They ain't, like...their real whole self. Just a piece, kinda stuck here. Most of 'em don't say much except like, 'oh, my daughter, where's my daughter,' or whatever. 'Don't kill me, aaaaa!' Like that." How nice! It seems he hasn't considered the last part, though, because there's another look of surprise when what Solomon says actually penetrates. His eyebrows raise, and he returns to his more appraising study of the other man. "I mean," he continues after a long pause, "I kinda do, right? My deal's not like, you guys'. No pack or whatever, can't do nothing special or helpful. Just regular, except the ghosts." "Ah, yes. Seeing the spirits of the dead is rather famously not special. They teach that in elementary school now, do they?" Solomon's voice is deadpan. "It's been a minute since I've been there, so I don't know." The lift of his eyebrows suggest that he's pretty sure that they don't, though. "And people don't have to have your exact _thing_ to be a support, Javi. Or at least a...network. Of sorts. Favors traded, that sort of thing." Then he grins a shark's grin. "For the record, I don't have a pack. Seriously, do I seem like a team player to you?" Javi snorts, rolling his eyes, but he smiles, too. "Fine," he concedes, "it's special. Yay." He raises his hands and wiggles his fingers as though in excitement, before they drop again. "How's that gonna be a good favor, though? 'Here, help me and you can have this weird old ring with a pissed off ghost on it.'" He's not //completely// serious -- but he's a little bit serious. However, he does have to laugh at the image of Solomon having a pack. Or whatever it's called with beings like him. "Okay, not really," he has to admit. "But you got some useful stuff going on. Being strong and stuff, right? Even being scary. Like you said, you do that for people and they give you something back. But it's gonna be something you want, right? Not just like, whatever." Solomon snickers at the finger-wiggles. "You'd be surprised. I'd be very pleased with a weird old ring with a pissed off ghost inside. That sounds most intriguing." He smiles. "And I've got some useful stuff. But so do you. You're quick on your feet, you're perceptive, you've got just enough self-preservation instinct not to get yourself stupidly killed, but just _little enough_ to still be interesting. As for the something back...it's not like that. It's more like, I might ask you to do a thing every day. And it might not be a thing that makes much sense, but it won't hurt you, and it won't be hard to do. Ritual, if you like. 'Useful' doesn't come into it, in the way you mean." "Oh yeah?" //That// is interesting. Javi looks pretty pleased all of a sudden, too, even if not completely serious. "You want it? 'Cause I got one back at my place and it's been bugging the crap outta me for a minute 'cause the guy won't tell me what the fuck he wants." What a jerk. Ghosts, right? He doesn't spend too much time on that, though, because the rest is new information. Well, not so much the part about him, but the other stuff. "Huh." He reaches up to rub his forehead, pressing his lips together a bit more firmly as he considers it all. "Like what kinda ritual?" he finally asks, the lack of self-preservation winning out this time. "If you're offering, I wouldn't turn it down. But we'd have to work out a price for it. You can't just give things away," he chides. "Maybe I could help you figure out what he wants." He peers into his box of candy, then offers it one final time to Javi; there's just enough to split with a few pieces for each of them. "As for the ritual, hmm. A capful of cream and honey left on a windowsill every morning? Leave your shoes turned over every night before you sleep? Always make a second breakfast plate and make sure it's undisturbed for four hours? The ritual itself isn't as important as DOING the ritual." "Believe me, this guy's annoying as fuck so you'd be doing me a favor," Javi says with another grin. "But yeah," he continues, "maybe you could. You can get rid of 'em by destroying the thing they're stuck on, too, you know what I mean? But I don't like to do that 'cause it feels kinda shitty. So I usually try to do what they want instead, if I can." He does accept the candy, holding out his hand with murmured thanks before he pops the last few into his mouth. "Oh yeah?" He looks surprised by that, though also still quite interested. "How come? Thought that kinda thing had to be something real specific." Solomon chuckles. "Well, if you want to try and figure out what's chafing his spectral ass and sending him on to the great 'whatever', then I'm happy to help where I can. I'll do it just for the experience of it. I enjoy learning things." "It would be something very specific, but...the power is in keeping your bargain with me. Not that wearing your clothes inside out has power in itself." He sniffs. "Don't worry about it. Just know that what I'd ask you to do wouldn't be harmful to yourself or anyone else. And that there would be consequences for breaking your word, of course." He bares his teeth again. "Well, then sure," Javi decides after another moment. "Wouldn't mind the help. Kinda takes a lot out of me to do it sometimes, you know? Especially if they're stronger. So it'd be nice not to be doing it by myself." For whatever reason, he doesn't seem to mind that this would mean Solomon would be around him in a potentially weakened state -- but maybe that's because he knows Solomon could pretty much do anything he wanted in a //non//-weakened state, too. And so far, the man hasn't proven dangerous. Just a little creepy. So, he doesn't even seem to mind that baring of teeth now. It just gets a smile. "Hey," he says, "If I say I'm gonna do something, I'll do it. I'm not a dick. So I do it and then you'd what, be in my corner when I need you later or something?" Something else seems to strike him, though, and he asks, "How come you need someone else to do it? Whatever it is. Is it just like, more people's better?" "Glad to hear it," about doing what he says that he'll do. To the rest, Solomon shrugs. "I could provide a small service for you. We'll work it out when we talk terms. Which," he adds, with a glance towards the hall, even if it's shielded by the door, "will not happen here, Javi. It's dangerous. But let me swing by your house one evening; think about what you might /want/ me to do, in exchange for a small task I'll set, and if we can reach an agreement, we'll make a bargain. If not, no harm and no foul." Javi glances over his shoulder at the door, too, and he doesn't argue. At least, not with it being dangerous. The whole 'stopping by his house' thing does seem to give him a little bit of pause. However, it's not too long before he seems to acquiesce. If he's going to make a bargain with Solomon, small though it may be, it's probably a little past the point where he should be withholding his address. "Okay." He takes a moment to cast around for a pen and paper, but surely he can find one in a professor's office. Whenever he does, he writes down the address -- an apartment in Oakland, apparently -- as well as a phone number, and pushes it across the desk. "Maybe text when you're on your way," he says with another little huff of amusement. "You don't need to be all creepy about it, yeah?" He straightens up once he's given that very helpful advice, stepping back from the desk so he can leave the man to his work. "See you."