Subway Within the Depths

[Markus Eldridge]

Appearance
Dressed in a long winter coat, a black turtleneck, and with a scarf wrapped around his neck to protect against the biting cold, Markus lifted his coffee cup to his lips one more time, savoring the caffeinated vanilla goodness. With a deep sigh, he looked down the stairwell in front of him. As always, he found himself pausing at the entrance to the subway tunnel, freezing for the briefest moment as he recalled the serene landscape of the strange underworld environment he had encountered long ago.

Shaking his head, he took a step forward, pushing himself onward. He had been in the subway plenty of times since that event, and he hadn't had another... encounter. Logically, he knew he had nothing to worry about; he had been learning and preparing, and he wasn't as helpless as he had been before. Steeling himself, he continued to walk down the stairs, feeling the subtle shift in the air as he descended underground.

It didn't take him long to reach the station proper. As always, Oldtown had a strange feeling to it. Markus had started to wonder if it was magic or some other supernatural force, but then again, he knew it could just be his nerves. Taking another drink of his coffee, he leaned against a wall, allowing himself to see when the train arrived, as well as to people-watch the comings and goings in the station.

[Tanaka Gokiburi]

Outfit

If there were any misgivings about going down into the station that day, Goki had sufficiently silenced them with three substantial scoops of dulce de leche ice cream in a cavernous, chocolate rimmed waffle cone. It did not go well with the weather, but he was aleady sporting a naturally heightened body temperature, so burying his face in ice cream just brought him back to baseline, really.

It helped that he wasn't going it alone either. A chance meeting with Brooke at the creamery and the knowledge that they'd be heading back in the same direction and could continue their meandering conversation distracted him. Not so much, however, that by the time they reached the bottom of the stairs that he did a double-take at the coffee-drinker leaning against the wall across the platform.

Did he look familiar? The red hair was difficult to forget, but finding that man here on the train was a wild coincidence, wasn't it? Goki tried not to stare, but even with Brooke's company, he couldn't help squinting at the guy over the edge of his ice cream.

[Brooke Hansen]

look

The thing about eating ice cream in winter was that it didn’t melt on her. She could take her time and not feel rushed like in the summer heat. The lack of urgency leant to a leisurely stroll. Coincidently, both her hands were cold; the one holding the bowl of Very Berry Strawberry, as well as the one pinching the tiny shovel-like plastic spoon between finger and thumb. Brooke shaved off a curl of pink ice cream and popped the spoon in her mouth.

Sweet and fruity, a little tart, with berry bits churned into the strawberry, Brooke pulled the spoon from her lips clean. She caught the change in vibe, and went for another spoonful. Goki was always laid back, like nothing bothered him, so the shift wasn’t difficult to notice.

Brooke followed his squint as she ate, spoon hanging from her lips like a cigarette, and eyed the man who seemed to have Goki’s attention. She didn’t stare, but took him in with a glance, then looked back to Goki, almost casual about it.

From her quick assessment of the man leaning against the wall and sipping a coffee, he was well dressed; professionally casual against the chill. The grey and black suited him with that shock of red hair, that seemed all the brighter for the apparel. Like them all, he watched the platform, presumably waiting for the next train.

“Friend of yours?” Brooke asked conversationally, her eyes returning to her ice cream as she peeled free another spoonful.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus was enjoying another long sip of warm, delicious coffee, his eyes closed as he leaned back against the cool brick wall. As he relaxed, he heard the echoing sound of footsteps approaching the station. At first, he didn’t open his eyes, seeing no reason to worry, as he tried to keep the concerns that had been bothering him at bay. However, after a few moments, his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned his head toward the sound, opening his eyes.

It didn’t take long for the redhead to recognize the man before him. He had always been good with faces, and even if he weren’t, it would be hard to forget the face of someone he had threatened with a firearm. Whether or not Marcus was in his right mind when he did it was another question. His eyes narrowed as he recalled the events of their last encounter on the train—the water, the feeling. He flicked his gaze to the woman with Goki, realizing he didn’t recognize her, which was probably a good thing. If Max or someone else from the supernatural community had shown up, Markus would have been genuinely worried.

Even so, the redhead couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. Logically, he knew it was coincidence that they had run into one another again in the depths of the subway. Deciding he was being paranoid, Markus blinked a few times to clear the lingering fears from his mind. He gave Goki a slight nod, adopting a smile as he greeted him from a distance. He didn’t feel comfortable enough to approach without a sign that it would be welcome, but a gentle acknowledgment wouldn’t hurt.

[Tanaka Gokiburi]

With only a few other people on the platform, they were left with little choice. Either they noticed one another or they played dumb—Goki had already made his choice, so while he stared, it was up to Markus. The other man went with a nod, which had the half-blood unconsciously cocking one eyebrow.

Goki didn’t feel completely hostile toward this man, if at all—deeply wary was a better word for it. Markus, to him, was associated with some level of misfortune, and it didn’t escape his notice that they were meeting at the trains again. Still… he offered a curt nod as Brooke spoke up.

“Nah,” he muttered, deciding on honesty. “Just like… a guy I met a bit ago.”

He more or less left it at that, an unsatisfying explanation, as a gust of wind blew over the platform ahead of the train. Its approach was heralded also by a low rumble under their feet, and Goki’s stomach swooped a little. Should they get on this train?

[Brooke Hansen]

Brooke ate another scoop of ice cream as Goki replied, his voice low. She caught the nod he gave the man, which wasn’t entirely friendly. That, combined with the unsatisfying explanation, caused her to think there was something more to all this, but she didn’t push the issue. Curious as she was, Brooke just grunted, showing more interest in her next spoonful of strawberry than any beef.

The wind in the station picked up in advance of the train’s arrival, and soon Brooke heard the grind of steel as the train came into the station. She started towards the tracks, aiming for where she expected the carriage doors to open, only something seemed to bother Goki. She turned her head, glancing back, puzzled. Maybe the guy had him spooked? Was this his train also?

“This is us.” She said in place of asking what bothered him.