Bay City

"A rocker, is it? I could have guessed," Ariana said and allowed a slight smile. She practically beamed when he mentioned his upcoming concert. "I'd love to go to a concert! It sounds so bohemian without at all being precious." Ariana knew the wrinkled old slags who made up the Tan Ladies would be very jealous of such a potentially trend-setting endeavor, but she forced the thought out of her mind. "Oh, rats. Tonight's a school night and, well, I'm already at my limit for acceptable truancy. I don't know how I'll make it through the rest of the year. I suppose a rocker wouldn't need to finish off high school, would he? Or she?" She stopped talking and picked up her mug of mocha for a long sip. Recharged, she thought to add, "Although if it's not too late a show, I'm sure I can make the beginning of it."

She watched Joshua's eyes drift to the table where Kenzie had walked and she turned to look at her friend. What was she up to? She would have her answer soon enough, though, as Kenzie and the delicate-looking young man--what was it about cafes and delicate-looking young men?--she had accosted rose to join them.

Kenzie couldn't stop herself from flinching as Kenneth extended his hand towards her, old habits died hard and all that. Still, she'd started this, and she was bloody well going to finish it. He was just trying to be polite. "We shall," Kenzie said, with a forced smile, she took his hand, but rather than letting it go when she'd gained her feet, she made herself keep hold of it. She used the hand to tug him along behind her to the table. She really was going to have to get used to touch males too after all.

"Hey," She greeted Ariana and Joshua. "This is Kenneth, I kinda messed up something he was working on, and I owe him a coffee. Kenneth, this is Ariana, and Joshua. This really seems to be my day for gather men folk doesn't it?" She addressed this question to Ariana, as she retook her seat. They really were running out of space to put more people, unless he sat beside herself or Ariana. Joshua had taken the one spot on the booth that a chair could be placed. Ah well, whatever was going to happen would be.

Kenneth's hand twitched and retracted slightly as Kenzie flinched at the prospect of accepting a hand up, though she suddenly clamped down on his hand, so he pulled her to her feet. Next, came the smile; the false smile that Kenneth knew so well. Not necessarily Kenzie's, but simply the way the smile was presented. He was immediately able to discern the reality of the smile, as he had given his fair share of false grins in his past. Perhaps too many to be considered "fair", even. Though this troubled Ken, his face remained stoic. Neither a smile, nor a frown as he was nearly dragged to the other table, and introduced quickly. From the way she acted and spoke, he could easily come to the conclusion that she was about as socially awkward as he was, which came as something of a relief to the young man. Perhaps It'll be good for her to be around someone just... No... More socially inept. he thought, as he looked over the small group to whom he was just recently introduced.

"Hello," he stated a bit timidly, with his hand raised in a grim wave. With a glance to Kenzie, Ken shook his head and sighed. "I told you it's alright, really. I can still copy over what I've already done." He took a seat next to Kenzie, seeing as she was the only one here he'd really been acquainted with so far... Though, he kept his distance, keeping a mite closer to the Joshua character nearby. Though Kenneth never really was comfortable around strangers, women were a different story all together...

Soon, Ken set down his computer bag, and retrieved his notebook once more, placing upon the table in front of him. Next, he flipped quietly through the pages until he came across his annotated Bay Tower sketch, with another blank sheet on the right page of the book, opposite the existing sketch. Already Kenneth went to work, and began re-sketching the Tower with the binding of another book he'd been reading, Sun Tzu's Art of War, being used as something of a straight edge. Within a few minutes of work, he had successfully copied over an exact replica of Bay Tower, and his sketch, minus the dark line across the page. He looked back and forth between the calculations, and the new sketch with a satisfied smirk. "There.... That should do it for now, see?" Kenneth slid his book toward Kenzie and Ariana, displaying the renewed drawings, with the absence of the calculations.

Taking a sip of his nearly empty coffee, Ken placed the cup back to the table and waited for the return of his book while glancing about the cafe in order to avoid eye contact with the group he seemed to have been dragged into.

"Kenneth, nice to meet you," Ariana said with a nod. After their first encounter together, during which time Kenzie had not hesitated to berate a leather-clad tough idling by her locker, Ariana was sure she was a man-hater, a breed of girl she just didn't understand. But now it seemed as if Kenzie was attracting them like honey attracts Pooh bears. She also seemed about as forceful with them as one had to be with big fat orange cartoon bears. "You don't like to be called 'Kenny' do you? It would be too cute if she were Kenzie and you were Ken. . ."

She stopped talking when Ken opened his sketchbook and began copying over his sketch like a fiend. It wasn't what she would call charming or picturesque, but it was stunning in its precision, a mechanical beauty she had never really seen before, not even in Bay Tower itself. "It looks so much nicer all clean-lined like that," she said as he finished the building outline. Only then did she notice his straight-edge. "'Art of War?' We certainly have different ideas about what makes for art, though it does take a genius to find the artistic in the non-obvious." She took out her orange traffic warden's hat and was about to ask the boys what they thought of it when she remembered how people always seemed exceptionally honest with her and especially brutal. One appreciated honesty as far as it went, but sometimes a little difference of opinion was better left unsaid.

"Joshua's an artist, too, but of a different sort." She turned to Kenzie. "He said they have a concert playing tonight at some cafe tonight. We should go, if it's not too late, that is."

"Sounds g-" Chris started after hearing the waitress suggest the city centre and it's historical architecture but he was cut off by Maria offering a somewhat similar suggestion... He laughed. The woman was not without her charms.

"Sounds great, can't wait" he said with a smile. He had heard that Bay City was filled with a huge variety of influence in it's older buildings, as well as wonderful events all year round.

"Shall we?" he inquired, offering his looped arm to escort her through the busy eatery and out to the street. He wondered how easy it would be to get a cab at this time of day or whether it was within walking distance. He had, despite all his preparations, not memorised a map of the city. He would jot a basic one down in his notebook on the way, probably noting places of particular interest as he did. It was quite unlike him to have forgotten to plan that out before leaving but then again he usually made his way around the places he visited alone, on the first day at least, so had no one to distract him from his meticulous note-taking. Not that he was complaining about the company, he was growing rather fond of his female accomplice and couldn't help but wonder why her nephew had seemed so exhasperated with her.

"So tell me," he started as the made their way towards the door. "Why hasn't your nephew opened his place as a hotel?" He was curious, a trait which was the main persistent quality that had taken him into such a job. "I mean, he could make a lot of money out of that place, the tourist industry here in staggering, he should take advantage of that. What exactly does he do?" Perhaps it was too soon to be asking about family details but Maria seemed someone he could trust, whether that was wise or not.

Kenzie tensed as Kenneth sat beside her. She didn't want to, she just couldn't really help it, she wasn't entirely used to guys being around her. Now there were two of them more or less within arms reach. Even if they didn't seem to fit into the imminent threat category, well, that just made it worse. Ass holes, and dangerous guys she knew how to deal with. You laid down the law, and if you did it right they got the idea and shut up. It went against the grain to be that rude to someone who was being sweet, which left her with no idea how to respond.

"It's awesome that you can do that," She commented, noting in passing the book that he was using as a straight edge. It was a horrible misuse of said book, but it wasn't hers to say what he did with his things. The awkwardness of it all was just starting to get to her when Ariana saved the day. A concert didn't seem like her scene really, groups in general made her nervous. It was easy for threats to hide in crowds. Still, it was something to focus on, something to think about. Something that would appease the aunts, especially if they knew you were going because of a boy.

"Sounds like it could be fun." She commented. "We should do that." She smiled as she espied the hat that she conned off the police officer earlier. It really did look wonderful on her friend. "What do you think Kenneth, would you be interested in going to a concert?"

The server waltzed by with a large stone mug and a carafe of coffee held in her strong, claw-like fingers and the first item on their specials list. She lowered it in front of Joshua and said in a monotone, "Surprise."

She looked to Kenneth as if he had not just moved tables and disrupted the diner's orderly functioning. "More coffee, kid?" From out of nowhere she seemed to conjure up another large mug and place it before the slight blond. "I saw the spill. I appreciate you kids trying to clean it up." There seemed to be some strain on the word "trying."

The middle aged woman sighed, put her hands on her hips, and looked squarely at Ariana. "I hope you guys don't want split checks. There's nothing I hate more than split checks and if you ask me for one, I'll just hand you a piece of paper and a pencil so you can do the long division." She blinked after speaking and then tried to regain her composure. When she couldn't, she just walked away.

Ariana laughed it off, hiding the blush spreading to her cheeks with her mug raised, covering her face. "Some people just have no filter, do they?"

As Kenneth waited for the return of his notebook, he took the time to respond to Kenzie's commentary about his skills. He set his cup down, and smiled as he looked toward her once more, grateful for the compliment, and proud of his work. "Thanks much." He said simply, accepting his book at its return. "After so many years of doing stuff like this, is sort of become second nature." Kenneth spoke calmly, rather unnatural of his usual awkward self. Then again, he was the adult here, and looking confident for the younger of the generation was an important aspect of society. Though the girls hadn't directly revealed their ages, he could tell they still belonged in highschool, simply from their youthful appearances.

When a waitress appeared at the table however, Kenneth stopped, and looked toward her as she refilled his cup without even waiting for his response. "Uh... Yes... please..." He watched quietly as she continued to speak, and then promptly disappear all within a few seconds of a somewhat rude snap. With a sigh, Ken took a sip from the coffee, and shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. You would think people who worked in a social situation every day would though..." Ken set his mug down. "Then again, that's Agatha for you." he referred to the waitress by her first name, with a slight chuckle at the concept. "As for the bill, I can divide it up accordingly. Math is my line of work, after all."

The mention of a concert, however, broke Kenneth free from his comfortable attitude and posture, now slumping over softly as he stuttered, looking for an answer. "A... concert...?" he looked down toward the table. "I'm not sure... Crowds aren't really my thing." He looked back to Kenzie now. "What kind of music is it...?"

The bullet whizzed past Guy's head as he ducked behind a nearby car.

"You lunatic! Stop shooting!" He called out over the top of the makeshift barricade. The crowd around Harry and Guy seemed more amused by the scene than worried for their own safety, jostling for a better look while the blonde man took pot shots at his rival's head whenever Guy peeked over the bonnet.

"They're only rubber bullets! Stop being such a chicken and face me like a man!" Harry bellowed, firing another volley. Guy's eye twitched in irritation and he gritted his teeth in anger.

"What did you call me?" He asked calmly.

***

Maria sighed with a shrug.

"I don't know. He's an odd one, that boy." She seemed to have asked the question many times in the past. "He does odd jobs around town for friends of ours. Teaching at the school, waiting tables at the cafe and restaurant. Bartending at his local watering hole. But mainly he's a photographer and freelance writer. At least that's what he says. It seems more like an excuse to avoid getting a proper job so he can lay around all day like a lazy layabout. And he dares to call me a freeloader! The nerve!" She started to rant, clenching her fists in anger and she shook. Chris had seemingly hit a soft spot for Maria. The sound of gunfire startled her and she leapt behind Christopher almost on instinct, shielding herself from the direction of the noise.

Raven was admittedly a little more than slightly bewildered by the entire exchange, and she continued to ponder the overall strangeness of it even as she, too, took refuge behind the same car as her tour guide.

"Uh... A friend of yours, I take it?" she inquired cheerfully, practically molding herself to the cool exterior of the giant metal deathtrap. "Is this the average greeting folks receive around these parts?"

She hoped not. As agile as she may have been, she was about 100% sure that she wouldn't be able to survive such a close range 'greeting' like that, let alone dodge it. The thought of it was preposterous in and of itself.

"I wonder how my brother handles this on the day to day..."

At the mention of the bullets being rubber, Raven relaxed minutely, already reaching a hand into her right weapons pouch to rummage around in search of something to help... diffuse the situation, if it continued to escalate.

"Oy, tour guide," she stage-whispered, stretching a leg out to try and tap her foot at the outer side of his calf. "What're you gonna do?"