2021.12.28 Enter Vexx

Enter Vexx
Vexx rolls into town in the back of a van and gets his living quarters sorted.
IC Date	Tuesday, December 28th, 2021
Players	Vexx & Kendrick.
Location	Granny and Pa's Flea Market
Spheres	Mortal, Shifter

Tuesday morning is the MOST fun time to be at a flea market. There are old women milling about, looking for a deal, there are young women there - with their mothers and grandmothers who are looking for a deal. There is also a D&D game set up on the warmed patio. "Man, fuck you," says some cute little lady with red hair at the table, as she throws her dice down on the table and hops to her feet. Kendrick, the tall, leggy one, laughs. "Ely.. Oh my god. She TOLD you this was coming." Ely shakes her head. and the game sort of.. scatters a little. No one LEAVES.. but it's clearly break time.

Vexx presses open the plain door that leads into the fleamarket with a rush of December chill wafting in behind him. He's wearing black skinny jeans and a patched up leather jacket, the light from outside winking through the assorted black spikes that burst up from his skull. He checks something on his phone--a picture of Kendrick, if anyone's looking--and then starts to head that way. "Hey yo, Kendrick?" he tells him, standing just off of the paused game. "Sup guys," he says with a quick uptic of his head to the rest of the table. "Sorry to interrupt." His head swivels to focus his green eyes in on the shop owner. "You supposed to meet somebody named Vexx?" he asks, flipping his phone around to show the picture he'd ben given.

There's a chorus of 'hey' and 'how are ya?' before people wander off. Kendrick, however, doesn't wander off. "Hey that's me. Kendrick Greyson. What can I do for you?" He probably DID spot the picture with those eagle eyes of his (or raven's eyes, depending on what you know). Maybe Tiny did too, because he's kind of hanging out nearby. "You're not interrupting anything. Have a seat. Pizza? I know it's early, but it's never too early for pizza, you know?"

Vexx pockets his Samsung Galaxy 6 and slides into one of the freshly vacant seats. "Yeah, take care, good to meet you," he bounces from person to person as they all head off. He puts his elbows on the table and leans into them when he sits, digging a pack of smokes out of his pocket. He plucks one out with his lips before washing flickering orange hues over his face to light it up. "Right so I'm on pretty bad terms in general with the boys and blue. Little birdie told me maybe you'd have a place?" His cigarette bounces up and down between his lips while he talks, sending smoke signals that might just translate into his just as bouncy and quick inflection.

Little birdy. HAH! That's funny. Kendrick nods, glancing around to make sure there are no old ladies nearby. Fortunately, they're out on the patio with a heater to keep away some of the chill. Smoke can still go up and out, so Kendrick doesn't object. "Maybe so. Where'd you get my name?" Kendrick is a CHATTERBOX, but not right now. Now he keeps it nice and low key, his head tilting just a touch to one side as he studies the new kid.

Vexx takes a long pull from his smoke while Kendrick speaks, brow knitting up in the center in thought before he tosses his head back and forth. "Buddy of mine named Aaron Books, his sister's boyfriend introduced me to someone named Delilah before I got here. Said she used to work at the Grocery on 5th and you'd remember her. She not text you? I thought she was gonna text you. Most of those guys call me Vexx but my name's Tyler. That's need to know only though."

"Oooooooooh Delilah," Kendrick says with a grin that just grows larger and larger. "Fierce. I remember her. Of course. She didn't text me, but it's possible she doesn't have my number. It changes a lot. Shit happens, you know? And I hate to give out the work phone. Try to keep things nice and clean, considering the area. What brings you to Prospect? You're not the guy who dipped out on MIT are you?"

Vexx scoffs. "Shit is that really the most interesting thing I've done?" he shakes his head slightly looking off with a chuckle. There's another heavy pull from that cigarette between grinning lips before it's plucked free and tapped to drop off the drooping end of ash. "Little misunderstanding between me and the authorities on whether or not it's okay to manufacture and distribute remote detonated high explosive ordinance to your friends in different states. I call it sharing, they call it a felony. Probably would have been fine if I charged a buck for them and paid tax, the fucking pigs."

Kendrick snorts and shrugs. "I'm still a good deal away. The things I hear are a trickle. I used to be right up in the thick of it, not so much now." He studies the guy for a long moment, possibly uncomfortably long, then nods. "Our boys in blue don't like that sort of thing, true enough. The trick is you don't send it through the mail. You underground railroad that shit. You pass it person to person. More effective, you can do more at a time. But you're right. Taxable items."

He nods along while Kendrick explains. "I mean yeah, that's what we did. Problem is it turns out I have a particular style and invented a new way to filter out false flag signals in the remote detonation process that no one had ever done before or whatever so when 5 popped up in 5 different states they knew they were coming from somewhere. They bust into my lab and find all the same plastics and shit so you know. I had to piss off apparently since the cops know me by first name in LA."

Kendrick nods, tapping his fingers lightly on the top of the picnic table and pushing the box of pizza toward the guy. "Well, that was kind of stupid," he says, not in a mean way, if you can believe it. It's just facts. "Having a signature means you're infinitely more traceable. So what now? Why are you HERE?"

He reaches out to pick up a slice with his free hand. "So what, I'm supposed to make bad tech just because everybody else can't figure out how to keep up?" he snorts. "It's not like I'm signing 'Tyler wuz here' on the inside. The whole reason people were distributing my shit is because it's good, if I make crap stuff what's the point." Mozarella bridges out between his lips and the slice as he pulls it back from the bite he took when he finished talking. "No offensh budh I din si' own and ell you how to..." chew, chew, swallow, "run a flea market. But maybe you've got some shit that breaks once in a while, and I need a place to crash without a paper trail."

Kendrick shakes his head a little, watching him eat the pizza. Only when he's done speaking, does Kendrick speak. "Well, you kind of did. If you were traced that easily, then you ABSOLUTELY wrote 'Tyler wuz here' on the package. I'm not saying you should make crap tech. I'm saying you should pack it up different. I don't know shit about explosives, but I know all about marketing." He considers the guy's further offer and he nods. "I need to check with my people back in LA. Make sure they're not RIGHT on your ass, and if you get busted in my place, I play dumb. Nothing stored here. Nothing made here. I've got a couple of places offsite that you can do work in."

Vexx scoffs at Kendrick's comments and shakes his head slightly. "Dude.. whatever. And yeah, sure, play dumb. You're just my landlord. I've got fake papers so nobody will question you didn't check them close enough, Kyle Power," he says, pulling out an ID that's not very obviously fake. "Got birth certificate, social security, the whole deal. I'm laying low so right now not making any more bombs, just unlocking stolen phones and shit. I don't need to keep any materials or shit but it'd be good if I could have my tools where I crash."

Kendrick nods a little, looking over things. Like REALLY looking over them. "Not bad. Not bad. I don't think your average young guy who owns a flea market would notice something like that. You're in. Any problems, I kick you out. You don't like the way things are here, you leave. If we can come to that agreement, then welcome home."

He gets an actual smile on his face. "Sick man, thanks. And yeah that works. Like I said, something breaks, you need something installed, a guy like me is overkill. Tech though and machines though. I don't touch plumbing or construction." His cheeks hollow out as he finishes off his cigarette and drops the butt down to the ground, a burst of embers coming up from the impact before his boot stamps down and twists over it. "So you wanna show me where I can park up or do you need to check with your people first? I've got all my shit in the back of some hippies van right now. He's probably just smoking weed in the back so he can wait but, y'know."

Kendrick shakes his head and pulls out his phone. "I'll check it right now." He punches a few numbers and waits for someone to pick up. "This is a rough neighborhood. Don't piss off the locals. This place belonged to my grandmother and grandfather and they set up a truce. I don't want a bunch of gangbangers coming in here because some young punk sa---Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey there Delilah. It's Ken. Checking on a guy you sent my way. He wants a place. Cool? Not cool?"

Vexx doesn't look disturbed. He doesn't answer him, not while he's on the phone, but he does get back to that pizza now that his cigarettes finished.

There's talking on the other end, but too quiet and muffled for anyone but Kendrick to hear. Finally, he nods. "Cool. Thanks, Deedee. Yeah, I'll come visit soon. And you've got my number now. Should be good for a while. Thanks." He hangs up the phone and nods. "I'll show you what I've got. It isn't much bigger than a decent closet, but it's got a little kitchenette in it so you can cook your own food. If you'll take up a shift down here once in a while, you can eat from Abe's truck whenever he's got it up and rolling. That's two meals instead of three, but who eats three meals these days, right?"

The young punk is just about finished with his slice when they finish their conversation, standing up and pulling his legs out of the patio picnic table bench. "I mean... are you cool with me grabbing a customer by the neck and pulling their face down into the counter when they come in acting like their shit doesn't stink? Maybe you'd rather I stick to fixing shit." There's a little smile teasing at the edges of his lips while he adjusts his jacket and jeans.

Kendrick smirks. "No security detail then. Gotcha. There are things that can be done. Dust some shelves, vaccuum here and there, clean up after close, help in the trucks. There's a million things you can do to earn your keep. I don't let people go hungry around here, so there's always SOMETHING, but if you want the good stuff, just help out if you're needed."

And so he starts to move, heading into the flea market proper, off along one side. There is a set of stairs that lead upward and that's where he's headed.

Vexx follows easily, sticking close behind. "I dunno if I can say something without sounding cocky but having me as your on site IT guy is a really good deal by itself. Especially once I get my microsoldering equipment in. Everytime you're replacing something entirely I could be fixing it for a $5 IC that just needs soldered on to the board or some mechanism I can spotweld back together. I got a little scratch so if you don't think that's worth some free meals it's no biggy, but you'll get the idea as we go. I'm not just some handyman, trust." When they head up the stairs Vexx goes up them in a half-jog.

Kendrick nods, listening. He's a VERY good listener. He doesn't miss a thing. Tone, inflection, volume.. none of that gets past him. He's a pretty good read on people. Cocky bastard he can handle. No problem. He gets to the top of the stairs and takes a left. To the RIGHT, there's a door marked 'Indahauz', and there's a deadbolt on it. To the left, however, look like open storage rooms and one with a door on it, which Kendrick pushes open. It's pretty small. Definitely larger than closet size, but still pretty small. There's a little tiled area with a small fridge - not a mini fridge, just a little apartment sized one - and a two burner apartment stove. Another door leads to what's probably the bathroom, and there's a bed tucked into one corner. No sheets on it, but there is a full set of linens and a quilt on a shelf up above, that also has a few books on it. "Like I said, it isn't much, but it's yours if you want it. I'll take you up on the IT stuff with the provision that if we need you for something else - set up or tear down for an event or whatever - you'll help out. You don't have to deal with people."

"Sure," he says. "I'm a community player man. I'm used to living in anarcho-communist groups." He's cocky, definitely, stepping into the small place and letting his eyes scan around. "Shit, this is perfect man. "And that wasn't a no. I'll talk to your customers if you want. You just probably don't want." He turns around to face Kendrick again. "Care if I smoke in here? Oh and, you know anyone in town who can get adderall?"

Vexx is already getting another cigarette out. "Yeah no problem. And if you still from me I'll cut your nuts off and mail one to your mother and one to your father with a letter asking why they raised an idiot." He's fidgeting with his lighter, waiting to spark up more antsy than he should be after just having one. Maybe giving up everything you know and starting a fresh identity in a new city with a felony warrant over you is stressful or something. "Yeah I'm gonna start crashing hard if I run out," he explains, looking over his shoulder towards the front door. "Cool, me and Alvin, my van hippy, will bring my shit in through there. I'll put a towel at the bottom of the door when I spark up. I'm gonna be drilling holes and running wires though. Don't worry, it'll look good."

Kendrick nods, watching Vexx closely. Not with suspicion. More curiosity than anything. "Legit. There's a room over there at the end that's full of ... eh, people call it junk. I say that one man's trash is another man's treasure. Feel free to look through there for whatever. Sometimes there's cool stuff that you can find. I KNOW there's a shit ton of wire that I rescued from a dumpster about a month ago. Few hundred dollars worth. Take it if you NEED it. Leave it if you don't. Go ahead and light up before your nicotine system gets too much blood in it."

"Cool yeah. Whatever junk I can't use I'll toss in there," he says. "Maybe I can refurbish some things to. Fix some of that up for folks to buy or us to use." He does light up, pretty quick too, with a hasty chkchkchk of his lighter and a long drag, holding that toxic smoke in for a moment before letting it out in a long, purse-lipped sigh. "Man. You have no idea how much you've helped me out. I was... really starting to freak out a bit man," he tells with a bit of a chuckle to try and hide some of the rawness of his words. "Thanks Kendrick."

Kendrick nods. "Yeah, do that if you want to. There's also a food pantry that I keep locked up pretty tight. It's for the homeless out here. I'm all about saving money and spreading that shit around to make sure that people have what they need. Maybe not what they WANT, but what they need. You can thank me by doing good work and not getting the gangs pissed at me. Do some GOOD in the world and we'll call it even." He offers out a fist for bumping. "I'll see if I can get you a little bit of Adderol. Won't be much probably and for the record, I disapprove, but I'm not going to tell a grown man what he can and can't do."

Vexx reaches out to tap his knuckles to Kendricks after stepping back up to him. "I'm not worried about the gangs man. Gang bangers are alright, you ever hung out with them? Just regular dudes in a tough situation is all," he says. There's another pull from his smoke there before he turns back and begins scanning the walls, clearly making plans. "Hey think what you want but I can't help my condition man. I'm a more of a science guy than an oils and ointments guy personally."

Kendrick nods. "Yup. I have. I've got several dudes out here that I call friend." He also looks around, like he's trying to see whatever Vexx is seeing, then shrugs. "Addiction is bad for the soul. But.. Not judging, just stating my opinion. You do you and I'll make faces at it. You've got every right to do the same for my weird hoarding habits if you feel it necessary." He holds up a finger. "I ALSO have 12 old laptops that are in perfect condition, but no one seems to have needed them. They're nothing fancy, but they're a little better than chromebooks. They're back there too if you need .. I don't know. Parts or whatever."

Whatever Vexx sees it's taking up quite a bit of his attention. He's perhaps mentally measuring things, planning where his desk goes, where he'll keep his dirty clothes pile and clean clothes pile. Or maybe he's planning on refitting the space into some wild science lab. "Are they Apple or Windows?" he asks. "Just find some poor college students to give them to." He's half talking to him and half planning, and he ends up over next to the bed. "Welp, man, I better go get Alvin so we can start getting me moved in yeah? He's eventually gonna start getting antsy, you know how it is. Once I'm settled I'll come find you."

"They're OLD. Windows." Kendrick takes a hint and steps back out of the area and digs around on his keychain for a key. "Here you go. This is the key to the door downstairs. Don't lose it. If you DO lose it, let me know and I'll change the locks. I'm pretty easy to get along with. There'll be food available until about 7 when Abe closes up and he'll leave any extras on the counter. That will be thrown out to the animals when I get up in the morning. Other than that, have fun. Don't steal. I'll bring your shit by soon as I get it." And then he's also heading off, heading down the other direction and into his place.