Chapter 8: Turf Wars
Dec. 29th, 2023 09:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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Even though it was nearly 6pm, the sun was still relatively high in the sky compared to just the month prior. The days were getting longer and the air was getting warmer. With the heat brought energy--especially in the particular stretch where Teru had asked Mob to meet up. It was in the southeastern district of Seasoning City, an especially dense urban stretch near the freeway bordering on the industrial part of the city.
Factories and and their smokestacks were in the near distance. Workers in uniform were shuffling about with purpose, disappearing in and out of the narrow alleys that snaked through that part of town likes veins. The scent of street food was strong. There was one food stand that Teru asked Mob to wait near in particular, one with especially good yakitori. A gust of wind carried the delicious smokey glazed scent of it--along with laughter and jeers from one of the alleyways just behind Mob.
"Hey, ain't that a Salt uniform?" A boy jeered as his friends formed a loose-but-coordinated semi-circle behind Mob. Their own uniforms were a rusty red with enormously tacky gold buttons down the center.
Factories and and their smokestacks were in the near distance. Workers in uniform were shuffling about with purpose, disappearing in and out of the narrow alleys that snaked through that part of town likes veins. The scent of street food was strong. There was one food stand that Teru asked Mob to wait near in particular, one with especially good yakitori. A gust of wind carried the delicious smokey glazed scent of it--along with laughter and jeers from one of the alleyways just behind Mob.
"Hey, ain't that a Salt uniform?" A boy jeered as his friends formed a loose-but-coordinated semi-circle behind Mob. Their own uniforms were a rusty red with enormously tacky gold buttons down the center.
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Date: 2024-01-01 01:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-01 01:16 am (UTC)"Are you ready for this?"
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Date: 2024-01-01 01:18 am (UTC)"Yeah," he said with a nod.
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Date: 2024-01-01 01:33 am (UTC)He identified the key skyscrapers - there were 3 of them, including the one they occupied, in the industrial district. They offered the clearest vantage points and were to the north, south, and east respectively. The one to the east overlooked the shipping bay. Teru emphasized the importance of rotating locations and not staying at any location longer than an hour.
"I know you work as an exorcist, but have you ever tried scanning for other psychics before?"
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Date: 2024-01-01 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-01-01 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-01 04:30 am (UTC)Teru backed away from the edge and dug in his pocket to hand Mob a black phone. It was completely unremarkable, unlike Teru's regular phone. "Here. It's a burner. It's got end-to-end encryption with mine. We're going to split up, so use this to call me if you see something strange. We're going to rendezvous on the roof of Kōji Tower at 7:30pm. That's the east building."
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Date: 2024-01-01 04:32 am (UTC)"Got it," he said, grasping the phone tightly in his small hand. "I'll see you then."
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Date: 2024-01-01 04:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-01 04:46 am (UTC)Mob gently lowered himself down onto the street. Unlike Teru, he didn't do well bouncing from building to building or zooming through the sky. The ground was Mob's terrain.
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Date: 2024-01-01 04:56 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-01-01 05:02 am (UTC)A few smaller mews sounded from behind the pallet--about three tiny kitten heads poking around it to observe the newcomer. They all had spotted fur in unique patterns but were clearly the kittens of the cat that Mob was petting.
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Date: 2024-01-01 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2024-01-01 06:23 am (UTC)From one end of the alley passed a small gang of Miso thugs--followed by greater and greater numbers of delinquents. They were making their way down the street with intent--not noticing Mob in the side alley at all.
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Date: 2024-01-01 06:30 am (UTC)Mob peered out at them from behind a dumpster, trying to get a clearer picture of what they were doing.
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Date: 2024-01-01 06:39 am (UTC)"Salt? No way, no goddamn way--"
"That's why he's got us out here, man! Word on the street is that--"
Their voices faded into the din of the street's noise as they continued their march.
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Date: 2024-01-01 07:11 am (UTC)Mob tried to tail them as inconspicuously as possible, which for him, was not inconspicuous at all. Whenever they stopped, he stopped too, nervously scrambling to figure out what was the inconspicuous thing to do.
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Date: 2024-01-01 07:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-01 07:24 am (UTC)"Yes?"
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Date: 2024-01-01 07:29 am (UTC)"Here. Pick one," he said gruffly. It was less like an invitation and more like a stern command.
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Date: 2024-01-01 07:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
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