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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 14, 2016 4:00:34 GMT
Garcon Perdu was the very heart of the criminal world in Bellerouge, a place where the lowlifes, law-breakers and criminals collected and often did their dealings. No one went into the area unless they were looking for trouble and the BPD had tried multiple times to clean out this section of Bellerouge with little success. It was like a stain on the cloth of the city, a dark and dirty mark that would never disappear no matter how many times you tried to wash it away.
And tonight, a truly massive figure concealed in a billowing trench coat and hat stood in the doorway of a gutted out pawn shop. The figure didn't move from the spot and looked as if they were casing out the area, looking for a potential victim to mug or worse. And despite the shady figures that prowled the streets, none made any attempt to bother the figure.
They remained on the same spot for nearly an hour before finally moving. They shifted slightly and squinted down the street towards a man who had just gotten out of a car and was walking down the opposite side of the street. It was clear that, while they tried to dress and blend in with the surroundings, they weren't from this part of the city. They didn't even look around when the figure in the trench coat pulled away from the pawn shop and started to follow them. Despite his massive size, the figure strode forward quickly and on silent feet.
The man didn't even look back once as the figure came up behind them.
Suddenly, they grabbed the man with truly massive hands, using one to hold both of the man's behind his back and the other to cover his mouth, blocking off the sudden cry he was attempting to make.
Glancing around warily, the figure quickly pulled the weakly struggling man into a nearby alley filled with dumpsters and trash. The figure gave the man a hard push, sending him careening into a wall where he turned around and started to gasp out weak appeals.
"Please, please! Take my wallet if you want, but don't hurt me! I have a family, a wife and children! Please don't..."
However, the figure in the coat suddenly punched the wall just above the man's head and his stuttering came to an abrupt end.
"Don't try and feed me that bullshit, Mr. Donner. I know the kind of man you really are."
With his fist still planted above Mr. Donner's head, the figure lifted the hat from his head to reveal reddish-brown spikey hair, a broad face, and brown eyes set into a glare that looked as if it could kill. Ralph stared down at the cowering man, his lip curled slightly in disgust at the figure and what he had done.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 14, 2016 5:22:12 GMT
If a car broke down in Belerouge, the last place anyone wanted it to break down was the slums of the city that became known as Garcon Perdu - French for 'lost boy' due to the multiple child kidnappings that went around in the 1920s. Since then, only the bold stepped into the shaded, grimy buildings, and the bolder were strong enough to go through without being touched or injured.
Elsa turned the key in her ignition. Her car began growling, but there was no sign of life anywhere. She had only gone in for just one look at the apartment the cops she was defending had scorched. When she had returned, her car was just huffing
The lawyer had seen just a few people slither away into the shadows as she adjusted her mirror. Her years in the court had taught her to read body language, These people had their tails between their legs. She glared aat their fleeing forms. She didn't want to get out of the car, so she focused on trying to call for a mechanic in the area. Just outside, she recognized the spiky brown hair of a large trenchcoat clad man scowling down at someone who spelled nothing but bad intentions. Ralph, being the investigator he was. Good to see he had caught someone.
She had been so focused, that she didn't notice the person who had snuck in her backseat. It wasn't until she felt his unclipped nails dig into her arm, and the other hand grabbed her neck, that she began panicking. Her hands gripped tightly on her assailant, freeing her one arm. Her free hand had pressed the horn of her car, both alerting anyone near by and being her closest thing to a cry for help.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 14, 2016 5:55:15 GMT
"I-I don't kn-now what you're t-talking about!"
The man's face was slowly dripping sweat at this point and his body was shaking so badly he could barely stand, but his tone was one of a righteous person being persecuted for no reason. Well, the man might still be trying to make a bluff but the Giant knew the truth. He'd done enough research and found enough evidence to prove otherwise.
"I haven't d-done anything wrong!"
Suddenly, a fist the size of the man's face slammed into the wall once again, this time so close to his head that chips from the bricks peppered the side of his face and he gave a shrill scream.
"Cut the crap! Men like you only come down to this kind of place for one thing. After all, anything goes in Garcon Perdu and what's another hooker gone missing? Who's gonna miss them?"
That had been the man's big mistake, thinking the woman he had killed was just another prostitute with no connections, no friends or family who cared. Well, this woman had had a sister, and when she disappeared without a trace only to be found murdered and left in the bayou, the sister had wanted the bastard responsible caught. Ralph had taken the case and traced the killing back to this man. And he was ready to dispense some justice on this sick, evil weakling.
He was just raising his fist again, this time for a true hit, when the sound of a car horn blowing made him glance behind him. You didn't see too many cars going down the streets, not on this particularly bad stretch of Garcon Perdu. So it was with complete surprise that the Giant realized he recognized the car and who it belonged to.
He was too far away to see clearly, but it looked like some kind of struggle was going on in the vehicle. Ralph paused for only a moment before turning back to the man and dealing a sharp punch to the side of his head. The blow was excellently place and the man collapsed unconscious to the ground as the Giant turned and headed briskly towards the parked car. He would deal with that piece of trash later.
Stepping free of the alley, he had a better view into the car's front window. Yes, it was indeed Elsa and what she was doing in a place like this would have to be a question asked later. She was in trouble.
Suddenly, Ralph's vision seemed to pulse red as he ran over to the side of the car and nearly yanked it off of its hinges. He didn't know WHY Elsa was here, but someone had seen an opportunity and tried to take it. The blonde lawyer was struggling against her assailant as he tried to get a firm grip on her. It wasn't clear if he was just after her car or Elsa herself, but that hardly mattered to the Giant in that moment.
As soon as the door opened, the masked man had only had time to look up before Ralph's huge hand and slammed forward and clenched around the guy's throat. Immediately a gurgling sound began to issue from his mouth and he took his hands away from Elsa to scratch uselessly at the fist cutting off his air.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 14, 2016 17:05:03 GMT
The arrival of help could have been from heaven or from hell. Elsa didn't care by this point. The metallic ripping echoed with a Big Crunch. Elsa only knew one person capable of taking a car up off the road to where it was standing. As the car was ripped open, so was her throat.
Gasping for breath, she touched her neck. Warm. The assailant hadn't gotten as far as she would have liked. But in the review mirror, there were distinguishable bruises
Elsa rolled down her window. Her attacker was being held by the throat by Ralph. And he looked absolutely livid.
"How does it feel now?" she taunted coldly to the man who just tried to kill her. Ralph was no pushover. This man would get a beating like no other.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 22, 2016 23:00:32 GMT
"Elsa, what the Hell is wrong with you?!"
Ralph's eyes didn't leave the face of the man struggling uselessly under his hand, but his tone was filled with unchecked anger and disbelief at the situation in which he had found the young lawyer. Everyone knew how dangerous it was to come down into Garcon Perdu alone unless you were packing some kind of protection. And that danger doubled if you were a woman, so why had Elsa been stupid enough to make that glaringly obvious mistake?
"Why are you down here, ALONE, in a crime pit like this?"
Ralph's voice was accusing and he could feel the anger in him now starting to direct towards Elsa. The man in his fist was hardly stirring by this point and it was clear that if the Giant didn't let go soon, the criminal would suffocate. However, he still didn't seem to notice this fact.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 22, 2016 23:39:16 GMT
The criminal's face was turning blue from lack of oxygen. If she had been the selfish type, Elsa would have started the car and driven off. But, considering her engine had been tampered with, there was no way she was getting out of Garcon Perdu. She hadn't even gone in that deep and yet trouble had found her from the cesspools within. Elsa gripped the steering wheel tightly, turning away as Ralph berated her. His temper had been something that had gotten him kicked off the police force. But she wasn't unarmed. She could...
Oh, throw an ice blast that was resulting from becoming agitated at Ralph's accusing rage.
The chill had sent the lawyer out of Ralph's grip and over to the far side of the road. All the while, he was coughing, regaining the air that was returning to his lungs. He may have been inhaling some snow flurries, but she didn't care. After hearing the high pitched wheezes of the criminal, she looked back to the Giant, clenching the side of her car to let frost collect to avoid injuring him.
"I was going back to the scene of the arson case I was telling you about at the offices." she answered, sounding ashamed. "all the paperwork was useless, and I couldn't get a search warrant with the offices being caught up with this Sapien crisis. So, I came here."
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 23, 2016 2:22:38 GMT
"And nearly get yourself killed in the process! God, did you even stop to think about how dangerous coming into this kind of place, at night, alone, and as a woman would be for you!"
Clearly Ralph's temper wasn't the only one starting to boil, for suddenly the ice-wielding lawyer sent a blast of snow at him that hit his hand where it was still clenched around the suffocating lowlife. The sudden burst of cold forced him to release the man's neck and he fell to the ground before being pushed into the ditch by the icy blast.
The Giant didn't cry out but looked at his cold hand before shooting at Elsa. It was a dangerous, powerful glare and had been known well around the BPD as a sure sign that he was only one step away from blowing his top completely. His whole body turned rigid but when he spoke, his tone was a calm and quiet.
"Why can't you just for once look after yourself?"
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 23, 2016 2:29:50 GMT
"Because you know as well as I do that my job doesn't include looking after myself."
The reply Elsa gave was a voice she had practiced well. It was blunt, but in no way condescending. Ralph may have had his death glare locked onto her, but she just ignored it. Giving into anger would make him win.
"That and I'm tired of staying in an ivory tower looking at out of date statements. If I got myself killed trying to save a client, then so be it."
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 23, 2016 3:00:31 GMT
With that, Ralph's control snapped.
Letting out a yell of pure frustration, he brought his massive hands forward and hit the closest non-living thing to him. That happened to be a row of overflowing trashcans that stood on the curb. The bang was incredibly loud as his meaty fists hit the metal and immediately caved them in, sending them flying across the sidewalk to slam into a nearby brick building. He continued to strike out at the trashcans, causing disgusting garbage to pepper the road and street while destroying the metal cans with ease.
The man who had attempted to harm Elsa had regained enough breath to try and slip away, but he immediately fell back to the ground and coward against the wall as can struck close enough to him to spill trash down on him.
"NO, IT AIN'T SO FRICKIN' BE IT! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU THAT YOU WON'T EVEN LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN DAMN SKIN! IF YOU GET YOURSELF KILLED ITS BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN DAMN STUPIDITY!"
Ralph continued on for several moments, moving from trash cans to battered street meters and graffiti-covered phone booths as his rage seemed to build and continue with no signs of stopping.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 23, 2016 3:26:35 GMT
Says the Giant who couldn't control his own temper. But, given the shocking tantrum, Elsa stayed quiet. Garbage flew from every direction. A banana peel hit the window shield, which she wiped off cleanly. Cans were being dented and trash thrown all around. Elsa also knew there was no stopping Ralph when he was this irate. Not without getting hurt.
"If I'm the stupid one, then why didn't you just let me choke to death?"
She had asked it quietly. Even as a trash can lid went flying, which she stopped in place with a well timed ice grip.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 23, 2016 3:39:01 GMT
At Elsa's words, Ralph turned around so quickly that it looked for a moment as if he were going to hit her! However, as bad as the Giant's temper was he had never hit anyone who didn't deserve it, especially when it came to women. He was panting wildly with his anger and loom over her threateningly, but he didn't raise his hands to her and instead spoke between gritted teeth.
"Because I care about you even if you don't!"
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 23, 2016 3:49:41 GMT
Elsa has held out her hands as he approached. An angry Giant was something no one wanted to have coming towards them. She had hit him once, and she didn't want to do it again. Any passerby would have rushed in, but it was just her ice as a means. She braced herself for a punch or a blow that would have crippled her more than just a regular sized man - who was dazedly wandering away now - could put on her.
The blow he gave was not physical. No, it was a mental smack in the face. He still looked angry, but there was...an honesty beneath the rage.
She blinked owlishly, "What?" She shook her head, "ugh, there I go again, being stupid."
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 24, 2016 2:39:31 GMT
Ralph's fury had still been boiling away inside him, but after a few moments he came to realize the implications of what he had just said. While it didn't completely quell the flames of his anger, it was enough to allow him to get control of himself. A new emotion was starting to starting to blossom inside him as well and that was embarrassment.
He stared down at Elsa's own baffled expression and found that he didn't want to see that look on her face. Letting out a booming sigh, he pushed his spikey hair back on his head and turned slightly away from her. His gaze took in the dirty streets and derelict buildings that surrounded them for several moments before finally speaking.
"Look, just forget I said anything, okay? I'll just call you a cab and they can take you back to your place."
He still wasn't looking at her and instead turned his brown eyes to her car. It wasn't in the best of shape but most likely the damage could be repaired without too much hassle. Still, she wasn't going to be able to take it home. Far better to get a cab for her so that she could make it home safely.
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Post by Zuyuri on Oct 24, 2016 3:44:32 GMT
The only noise that was there after a while was just the whistling of an autumn wind passing through the city. Elsa had lowered her defensive stance, still taken aback at what he had said. He cared about her, despite how selfish and cold she had, and was, being towards him? The anger in Ralph's face was very slowly transforming into an emotion she had never seen him express physically, but mentally. That emotion was shame.
A shame that was brought on by not wanting to look at her and the sigh that could have been another gust of wind. He offered to call her a cab, and she followed his gaze to the back of her car.
"If you call the cab, I can call the mechanics to pick up my car," she offered. Better to have someone en route to grab it as opposed to letting more thugs tear it apart more than it already was.
That and it gave them time to actually talk about this rift that was, in a strange way, patching itself.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on Oct 26, 2016 3:42:14 GMT
"Fine."
Ralph's response was curt and he didn't bother to say anything more as he reached into the pocket of his overalls and pulled out a cellphone. He flipped open the phone and spent several frustrating moments trying to type in the right number on the small keys with his large fingers. Finally, he got it right and held the phone up to his ear.
Soon enough, a voice picked up on the other line.
"Bellerouge Taxi Services. How may I help you?"
"Yeah, I need a cab to pick up someone whose car broke down. We're at the intersection at 4th Street and Laveau Lane. And make sure the cab gets here in half a hour or I'll be annoyed."
Ralph let the slightest hint of danger enter his voice, enough to impress upon the person that any taxi that arrived later would be in for a most unpleasant evening. There was only a brief pause on the other end of the phone before the person answered.
"Right. We'll send the taxi out right away."
"Good."
And with that he closed the phone before turning to Elsa and holding out the device. However, he didn't let her take it just yet.
"Listen, you might think you can handle anything this side of the city can throw at you but even Gifted Humans can end up dead in Garcon Perdu. So let me make this clear, I'm stayin' with you until the cab gets here. Got it?"
He towered over Elsa and looked extremely imposing, but there was still a trace of uncertainty and worry in his brown eyes as he looked down at the lawyer.
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