Tyler Phero
Castelia City
The further they walked the more familiar the surroundings became, and the more on edge he felt. Everywhere he looked he saw himself. The slow movements, the watchful eyes, the slippery hands, and the same dead look, but they weren't the same. Tyler wasn't like them, he wasn't. They had given up, part of them had been consumed by the pit that was Castelia. There was something in this city that hungered for the dreams and hopes of the people dwelling within it, and it was only more visible in the slums, but it was everywhere. No one escaped it's pull, but he would. Somehow, he would change. He wasn't like them, he wasn't broken like they were scurrying from shade to shade because it was all they knew.
Tyler stopped for just a moment to look at a small worn bench outside a rundown diner that was the spot he confessed to his first crush, and where he was crushed by his friends. It had happened years ago, but it felt like just yesterday that he had run crying into his mother's arms. He knew that those children suffered just as he did. Hunger, terrible parents, addiction... But he was patches. The one slightly worse then they and just looking at him made them feel a little better about their own lives; it was his place in life to make the sufferings of others just a slightly bit better at the cost of destroying his own.
Turning back to Nolan, Tyler resumed his walk flicking his almost spent cigarette into the streets, and in moments the cigarette was scooped up by a man who lifted the still burning cigarette into his mouth trying to get the last of the nicotine before it burned out. Tyler could picture the amount of needle marks that lined that man's body, but it wasn't his problem. Everyone had to fight for themselves, there were no heroes in this world, and that was the first lesson he had ever learned as a child.
CASTLING - OOKS, Tyler glanced at the sign then the rundown store, honestly, it wasn't surprising the Kings had evaded law enforcement for so long. So many old buildings littered Castelia that it was impossible to keep track on all of them, much less a watchful eye. How many times had he run past this very building and never notice it? Tyler chose to be silent and let Nolan lead them into the store as he really didn't have a joke for this. Well, if he stopped and thought about it he could make one, or most likely, in five minutes he would think of the single perfect joke he could have said at this moment, but that really didn't do him much good.
Keeping his suitcase held as naturally as he could, Tyler flashed the older woman a smile as her and Nolan shared words. Having worked as a freelance contractor on various jobs from smuggling to drug drops, it was obvious that this was a pass phrase, but depending on how well dug in they were, knowing the pass phrase was worthless. Tyler had seen a fair number of places that had certain pass phrases issued out to select members, so what worked for one would not work for another. For all their bluster, most successful gangs were smart.. If they weren't, they wouldn't be successful.
Street urchin. Those two words sent a shiver down Tyler's spine, it was one thing to be able to tell the others and how they were like him; it was something else to have someone point it out like that. Despite him wearing, reasonably, nice clothing, the same as Coriander's, she knew he was just a street rat.
Dressing up a rat doesn't stop it from being a rat.
Yes, someone had told his mother that when she begged for money. Just like bone-deep, it fit far too well for his liking. Honestly, he would rather be a brat then a urchin. Tyler glanced back at his two companions and couldn't help the small smirk, well, they did look like kids compared to the rest of them in the room. He wasn't sure how old Coriander was, but he was reasonably sure dragon boy hadn't gotten past 21. Tyler wasn't sure how old Coriander was, sometimes she appeared young and, almost, vulnerable, other times she seemed older then him. She would make a killing at carnivals.
Tyler shot his head around at the sound of a door being opened and had to not smile at that. How... God, what was the word for that? He tried to remember, but for the life of him he could not remember the word for something that is overused an unoriginal. Damn it, this would be one of those things he would remember after five minutes.
"You, city boy. Think your foxy pet can make it through? Tight fit, I'd imagine. I s'ppose it could squeeze in…may-haps if you'd be willing to part with a few tails? The Chessmaster pays well, you know. You look like you could use some dough."
Well that happened. It wasn't the first time someone had told him something similar. Tyler reached into his pocket for a cigarette to buy himself time to think of an answer, but stopped when he saw the fur on Lily's back bristle, and her golden eyes narrow. Instead he stretched out his hand and laid it on her head; well, he supposed if anyone had the right to be pissed it was her. Honestly, she made him pay when he skimped out on pokechow. The last time he had insulted her for being smelly, granted they had been traveling for days, she had somehow managed to unleash Rose from her pokeball just as he was in the shower. Having the water suddenly freeze was just cruel. He wans't sure he would survive crossing her like that. That, and he couldn't do it. Not to lily.
"Well," Tyler started before Ren cut in, and he expected some kind of snide comment, but instead he tried to move them along, granted he did it in his normal dragon-like fashion, with not tact, but well, that was something. Of course, Tyler also assumed he had some sort of agenda, but Lily seemed to calm down a little from dragon boys support which was a good thing. When a ninetails lost their temper, it was best not to be in a mile radius.
But, Tyler had a job to do, and while he appreciated Ren standing up for his friend, and turning Nolan hostile so close to their goal was not their best option, so Tyler looked down at Lily who met his eyes with her bright golden ones, "Well..." Tyler said continuing where he left off, "You are a little fat."
Those golden eyes narrowed dangerously once again, "Nothing wrong with that," Tyler said, "I like chunky." Yes, he was going to pay for that sometime, but he didn't really want to die right now.
"Sorry, while I may need the money," Tyler said looking back at Nolan, "Some things just don't have a price." Well, one thing didn't, and she was that one.