Koreatown
This area, in the northwest section of the city, is characterized by a large number of Korean-owned businesses, serving a primarily Korean community, despite signs that simply label this as the "Asian Trade District". The streets are clean, the storefronts barely containing any English to them at all. Several of the more prominent businesses in the area do have English signs, but they are always below those that name the establishment in Korean. Restaurants, cafes, noraebang bars, grocery stores, and gift stores are among the shops found here.
During the day, Koreatown in Dallas is a bustling city street like many others in the metroplex, but in the evening, there is a little more use of the neon light than, say, Las Vegas. Well, not really that bad, but if the goal is to get the attention of tourists that are willing to be parted with a dollar or five, there is the perfect balance of kitsch and quality.
The streets are a little busier than they have been with pedestrian traffic all sleepy winter, now the nice weather is hitting the area. The skies are clear, the stars are out, and the moon is only now starting its progress, having just passed 'new moon', it begins again.
Dotting along the street, there are tables of merchants selling their wares, hawking them to any passerby who will look. Some are quality pieces, and others… are just pieces. With spring springing, the sidewalk sellers are also in larger number.
Along the street, then, is Brett Coleman, walking slowly and pausing, if only briefly at some of the tables. The one before him currently has lines and lines of watches in all forms, makes and models.
"Good watch, that." A Korean gentleman is gesturing at a watch in Brett's hands.
"Yeah.. uh.. looking for something with a little more," Putting down the watch in hand, blue eyes are led in the direction of the sweeping hand. Has phases.. which is honestly what he is looking for.
"I got over here…"
—-
There was paycheckage! So Josephine's walking the street, cigarette in one hand, two napkined spring rolls in the other as she eyes the shirts and blouses on display. Well, maybe the people buying and selling more than the actual wares being sold, but she's doesn't pry or invade privacy just yet, not openly anyway. But what a mind doesn't know… So yes, she is mentally scanning. Old habits die hard. And she ain't dead yet.
—-
Just a little ways down from the watchseller and close enough to the street to be a possible nuisance to passersby, another vendor, a woman, is selling various bags and bottles, none of which have a particularly pleasant smell. Still, she does get a few takers, sitting as she is outside a store that has no english words at all. However, there do seem to be people who might be considered english speaker, not only stopping at her table, but stepping inside to see the rest of her treasures. She must have something worth paying good money for. And if so, Paige seems intent on being the one to find it, as she stands off to the side, gingerly removing bag after bag from a rectangular tupperware.
—-
Such a lovely evening after so many months of cold weather. With her arm tucked firmly in Michael's, Desiree and her companion stroll down the streets of Koreatown. Desiree is the one shopping, pausing every now and then to look at something in the window of a shop, or on one of the tables. She doesn't fall for any of the ballyhoo, waving the onslaught of merchants away when all they have is junk. "Actually, a few of the import companies here do have some nice pieces. I've purchased a couple for the apartment. That lacquered coffee table, for one, and a carved chest I found at an antique store here. It's in my spare room right now." She seems to be enjoying herself as she looks for just the right dress in the right colored material. It has to do custom fit, since she's going to be dancing in it. "We'll stop by that antique store just as soon as I find that dressmaker. Promise."
—-
Michael nods to Desiree, for his part Michael's not one to wave away junk without making sure it's not the junk people will treasure in the future, which makes Desirees' task of getting rid of the merchants slightly more difficult than it might have been, although few of them seem to take much convincing to leave when Michael asks. "I look forward to it, honestly my experience with Asian items is lacking, I can't have spent more than fifty, maybe sixty years in Asia over the course of my life." He looks at Desiree. "Speaking of which there's an exhibit on at the Museum, it's quite impressive."
—-
'Ah.. perfect for Cole,' Brett's thoughts wandered towards the running birthday gift gag. They had decided early in their formative years that any present given would have to be a useful, but not very serious, gift. This watch would be perfect for the jab about the moon phases.
Brett's hand moved the direction his eyes did, and he found three that could possibly fill the bill. Reaching out for a small gold watch with a leather band, there is suddenly some commotion in the street, a short distance away.
A large black dog is loping down the road, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. There is a small but angry collection of people chasing it, when the loud report of a gunshot goes off, causing the small grouping to shatter. Another shot sounds.. and a loud yelp— and the black animal goes down. (Upon closer 'inspection', it's a black lab.)
Shouts rise in the air again, and the sound of a police car can be heard in the middle distance.
—-
Josephine was about to tell Brett -with the most teasing smirk in her arsenal- that not everything that looks like gold… But before she can even lower her cigarette, or barely notice the dog nearing, she cringes with so many others at the gun going off, the second having her crouching beside the watch display, using any and all fake Rolex's as cover. Poor, but you just have to make do. And while a few start screaming, she's peering by the table.
—-
Desiree nods, pausing to let Michael look over some rip-off Ipods. "Oh, I'd love to see it," she tells Michael regarding the museum. "We can go next Tuesday, if you like," she adds as they approach a table selling watches. "Actually, I could use a stop watch," Desiree murmurs as she disentangles herself from Michael and heads directly to the table where a young man is standing. "Excuse me, but do you have stop watches?" she asks of the attendant. "Timers, for races," she tells him, hoping he speaks enough English to understand.
"I got stop watch. Veddy good price, too." Sensing a sale, the man starts showing Desiree watches; everything from the sublime to the ridiculous is laid out in front of her, including one stop watch with Mickey Mouse on it. She makes her choice, handing over the money as there's a huge commotion in the nearby street. Still holding the cash, she turns, watching the dog and then the gunshot.
Being of sound mind and body, Desiree has no desire to become a target for some idiot trying to kill a dog in the middle of a busy street. "Michael—-!" she calls, and then she's down, crouched in a ball on the ground. "Get down!"
—-
Paige has only just finished taking the last of the bags out of the tupperware, when the first shot rings out, and, for the time being, all of the things she's been perusing go flying out of the woman's mind, as she instead turns to dive forward, not to save herself, but rather, to provide some sort of body cover for the elderly woman who's been showing her wares, "Hyun Jae, get down," clearly, the old woman must know some english, because she doesn't fight the woman trying to tackle her out of her chair. For her part, as the second shot rings out, Paige pops her head back up, a hand ostensibly tossing her hair back from her face, as she tries to pick out the gun-wielding idiot. A split second later, a surprised yell goes up from one of the mob, the woman who seems to be doing the shooting, and even if the commotion does cover the sound, those with keen enough eye sight or just those who might be brave or stupid enough to still be looking, would see the woman's hand spasm, and the gun drop to clatter on the ground.
—-
Michael unlike most doesn't flinch at the sound of gun fire, he also doesn't dive for cover. He does however look to Desiree. "Stay down." He makes his way in the direction of the gun fire, his head turning so fast his face becomes blurred as he looks for the gun. He's not going to try and offer cover to anyone else as he goes, partly because he doesn't know /where/ the shots are coming from, and partly because he doesn't care if most of the people in the crowd live or die. His expression however is one of obvious displeasure, gunfire in the street can upset his evening after all.
—-
Shouting at the top of her lungs in Korean as the gun is dropped to the ground in surprise, the firearm is now hidden in the grey backdrop of the street where it now lays. Others in the street still don't want to approach her, or the now dying black lab is also given wide berth as it lies on its side, brown eyes closing.
Brett's hand is frozen in the motion towards his back pocket as the shots ring out, one, then two.
Ducking down and taking a position very much like Josephine, he's pretty sure that the faux rolexes and the paper formed card table won't stop much of anything should the bullets begin to fly. There is a sudden.. chill up Brett's back, however; a feeling of discomfort. The reason is made obvious to him quickly, though there is little thought given beyond the acknowledgment of the vampire's presence.
—-
If anything, the moment the blur that is Michael is recognizable, Josephine relaxes some, though she cursing under her breath about annoying Americans and their annoying guns. Really, don't they ever learn. And on. And on. Slowly, she starts to rise, a hand to Brett's shoulder aiding in pushing herself up. "So…" she murmurs a bit louder, "Who's going to call Pam Anderson."
—-
Eyes widen as Michael doesn't crouch beside her, but continues to stand. "Michael, please -?" she calls, terrified he's going to get himself shot. Fighting the fear of being shot herself, Desiree almost stands up to drag the vampire down, but just can't make herself do such a thing. A hand is pressed to her mouth, as she looks from Michael to the dying dog. The expression on her face is now one of fury. There's a space around the fallen canine, so Desiree takes it upon herself to disregard the danger and see if there's not something she can do for the dog. Staying low, she creeps forward, her dark dress blending in with dark pavement. If nothing else, she can maybe drag the dog from harm's way, and call someone - She can't just let the animal die.
—-
The gun's noticed just before it's dropped, and by the the time it's hit the bin Michael's making his way through the crowd with all the speed he can muster, the end result is the world seems to stop for him; he's at best a blur, over a short distance he may even just seem to disappear and reappear, either way he's intending to restrain the shooter for the police, no excessive violence on this vampires part.
—-
With her attention on the shooter, rather than the hero coming out of the crowd, Michael is already moving too quickly for Paige to catch sight of who it is, and she's not familiar enough with him that she can pick him out just from a glimpse of his clothes and the back of his head, since that's likely all she can see from he vantage point. So she does what she can do, which is to make certain that the old woman is alright, before she too begins to move towards the injured, possibly almost certainly, now, dying dog. whether it's to help it, or to try to keep people away, well, who knows.
—-
It's the blink of an eye for the Korean woman who was the one who'd shot the dog down. If anyone understands Korean, the hysterical shouting is expressing her fear and anger over the attacks and the fact that obviously she and others have to take matters in their own hands. She doesn't look the type to be a vigilante. Regardless, the blink of an eye, the beat of a heart, the woman is suddenly met with the presence of one that is a great deal older than her ancestors' memories.. and she opens her mouth to shout again.. or perhaps scream?
—-
Michael decides to reason with the woman before doing anything drastic, since she's dropped the gun he's not going to risk the bad press that would undoubtedly follow his attempting to restrain the woman, despite the circumstances. He makes an effort to meets the woman's eyes and thus glamour her, although he's got to pay some mind to the gun incase it should go off as it hits the floor… he's never tried catching a bullet before.
—-
Whatever was going to come out of the woman's mouth is stayed in her throat, though her jaw does remain slightly opened. Her hands are now at her side, and the gun clicks against the street and lies still. In the background, the sound of the police car remains in the middle distance for those brief seconds. Her mind is open to suggestion as her gaze is fixated on the being that is a vampire.
As for the onlookers on the street (not counting PCs!), within a couple blinks of an eye, this will all pass and there is serious question as to whether any will truly remember it.
—-
Michael takes one quick look around making sure everyone's ok, he seems satisfied and then he turns back to the woman still under his glamour speaking very quietly. "You will remain here until the police arrive; then you will do as they instruct and answer their questions truthfully." With that Michael seems to consider his good deed for the day done.
—-
The asian woman nods, her dark-eyed gaze still fixed upon the vampire. There's no question that she'll do as instructed.
—-
With her attention on the shooter, rather than the hero coming out of the crowd, Michael is already moving too quickly for Paige to catch sight of who it is, and she's not familiar enough with him that she can pick him out just from a glimpse of his clothes and the back of his head, since that's likely all she can see from her vantage point. Everything else is happening too quickly for her to pick out anything except for the fact that the hero is a vampire. So she does what she can do, which is to make certain that the old woman is alright, to help her settle, not back onto her chair, but safely on the ground, before she too begins to move towards the injured, possibly almost certainly, now, dying dog. Whether it's to help it, or to try to keep people away, well, who knows.
—-
The sound of the police car grows closer, and as it pulls onto the block, the red and blue lights cause coloured shadows to dance on either side of the street against the sides of the buildings. Moving lights to add to the cacophony of neon. The shooter doesn't move from the middle of the street, the gun lying at her feet. She's silently waiting.
Brett, well.. he's never been in the middle of something like this before and it takes a moment to gather himself back. Rising slowly from his poor source of cover, he notices the vampire is no longer by his side, by their side (if he was to include the vampire's friend) and is in the middle of the street. He'd heard they were quick, but he'd really never met one, or rather, none that he'd ever met as arm's length acquaintances ever put on the speed.
Looking past that and to the black animal on the street, he catches the as of yet unknown Paige heading towards the stricken animal. Exhaling, he puts the watch that he was going to purchase down and starts to head in the same direction.
—-
When the scene is less blurry, Josephine is not amongst those moving towards the dog, instead biting in one of the two rolls, looking at the ground now where she dropped her cigarette in case of tiny burned holes in her clothes and how to prevent it from happening. When her eyes lift, she finds herself alone at the table with watches. "And then they wonder why their life's filled with violence every single day…" she mutters, her mouth still full.
—-
Michael has done, he's not going to hang around any more than the rest of the witnesses after all he never had any direct impact on the crime, he considers disappearing and meeting up with Desiree a little later, but he decides against it, he's not going to run instead he turns his attention to the tables the dog forgotten as he blends in with the crowd, although he makes his way over to Jo when he spots her. "Human life is /always/ filled with violence, at least that's my experience, it's what you're best at."
—-
Paige does give a glance up, as she sees calm movement back through the crowd, and while she notes Michael's appearance, and there is a moment of connecting the dots, she makes no effort to speak to him, or interrupt his movement. Instead, she seems completely focused on the dog, her hands sure and steady as she explores. She's no vet, but growing up on a dog ranch does teach you a thing or two. She places a hand over the wound, holding it steady, trying to staunch the bleeding, hoping, as the police arrive, perhaps that they'll bring animal control with them. She looks up, at the unfamiliar man coming closer, "Got a phone? Call animal control."
—-
Ah… him?
As the lights and sirens close in on the location, Brett honestly considers whether or not this is smart and if he really, really needs to be here. Still, he's caught, and nodding to the woman with now bloody fingers, he pulls out his cell and has to call Information in order to get to Animal Control. While on hold for the number, Brett looks away from the dying animal so as not to burn it into his brain. "The police will probably call, too." It doesn't keep him from dialing through once the number is given, however.
"Yes.. there's a dog that was shot on.. Bowie.. Koreatown. Still alive, and police are almost here." He pauses for the response on the other side and makes a face as the questions begin.
—-
"Yeah, and I think we've had the conversation the follows that remark before, haven't we," Josephine answers Michael before she swallows her mouth empty. Sniff. Then she looks away from the still patiently waiting shooter, asking in a softer voice, "Is that your handy work? I've seen dazed eyes like that before…"
—-
Shrugging Michael looks at the woman and then back to Jo. "It's not my fault people are so inherently violent." He arches an eyebrow to Jo his tone casual. "I convinced her that it was in her best interest to stay where she was and follow the instructions of the police once they arrive." His smile takes on an almost wicked edge "People get a vacant expression on their face when an.. annoyed vampire sneaks up on them at speed, but yes it's fair to say that's my doing."
—-
"Thank you," Paige offers, as she remains where she is, looking away from the man on how phone. Yes, she is grateful, but she doesn't expect him to do much else. Not really his problem, so, she just waits, for either the police or animal control to arrive and take over for her. Truth to tell, she has most of her attention focused on the dog, her brows slightly furrowed in concentration, as if she could use her will along to keep the animal alive, ignoring the blood coating her slightly pale skin and soaking into her jeans.
—-
The police car is pulling up, and with pistol at his side (thanks to the reports of shots fired), the cop comes from his car and begins his approach. Much to his surprise, the glamoured Korean woman turns around and calmly begins to speak to him, the gun still lying at her feet. Mind, everything she says is in Korean…
The rest of the contact with the woman consists of putting handcuffs on her before picking up the gun carefully (no added prints!) before putting both in the car— the suspect in the back, the gun in the front, and the doors locked. Only now can he get a statement, and there are more than a few onlookers who are more than happy to do so.
Animal control, too, is only now beginning to pull up, and as that officer comes out with a lead, he approaches where Josephine is as Brett hangs up the phone.
Not good. The dog isn't in good shape, but Animal Control does offer to bring it to the city's vet hospital—
—-
Josephine glances down at Michael and shakes her head while restuffing her mouth with food. Nudge. "Dwont stawt likinw yoselw woo mupws, neh," she smirks, then starts walking away from the scene, the dog and the police arriving.
—-
Michael smiles faintly, deciding it's best to disappear quietly into the evening without anyone making too many connections to him and anyone else Michael doesn't head back to Desiree, instead disappearing into the crowd with all the skill his lon life offers in such matters.
—-
Paige will move back, once Animal Control comes in to tend to the dog, not bothering to, or seeming affected by the blood on her hands. Perhaps she'd had worse, or well, who knows. A swipe of those hands against her jeans legs, before she turns back to the crowd, making a careful note of the police, as well as the few remaining people looking on at the scene. Most of the key players have gone now, of course, and Hyun Jae is calling her back over.
—-
The vampire was there, and then is gone. Brett knows that he's really gone-gone as the hair on the back of his neck is no longer standing on end, and that feeling of 'not right'ness has departed, so he doesn't have to look for him. Replacing the cellphone into his front pocket, he takes a step back, keeping his gaze from landing on the dog. It's hard— trainwreck and all that, but he has to move, and he has to go.
Turning around, Brett puts his hands deep into his pockets and lifts his shoulders to hunch himself a little as he begins to leave the area. Maybe he'll be back tomorrow for the watch, or maybe he'll find a nicer one in a jewelry shop.
