Players:
Summary: Tabitha has been holding onto a case of Toad Juice for awhile and finally manages to hand it off to Iron Man.
Date: March 28, 2011
Log Title: Making a Pick Up
Rating: PG-13
Patches' old apartment in a run down building.
The apartment building that Tabitha has been staying in is not an inspiring place. Old brick walls, small windows, and balconies that look like they are ready to collapse — and in fact have on one side — form the outside of the building. The place the rat girl lives in is on the fourth floor, out of ten; suite 404. Getting into the building is easy, since the security door hasn't been fixed since the last time someone smashed it. The stairwell looks dubious at best, but fortunately the elevator works; even if it does smell of urine, and there are two bullet holes in the back of it. up on the fourth floor, the door to suite 404 was once a deep, cherry red, though most of the paint has long since peeled off, and the brass numbers are heavily tarnished. All in all, a vibrant specimen of the lowest end of society.
A message had been delivered to Tony early on Monday morning that Tabitha needed him to speak with her ASAP about that issue she mentioned over the weekend. There was a location given on the note that gave enough information for Tony to be able to find the run down apartment building that looked like it needed to be condemned. Since Tabitha had been staying at the Towers this is the first time he's glimpsed what the young woman's life must have been like before she dropped into his life. Barely a few steps into the main entrance of the apartment and Tony turns back around heading off out of view into the nearby alley to summon his armor. There was no way in hell he was going through the building. Geared up he floats up to the correct apartment and taps on the dirty window with a finger. The glass breaks. No big deal.
Inside, a figure lounging on the lone, soiled couch jumps with a start, and snathes up something from the floor. Tabitha rolls off the couch and into a kung fu stance, holding a long, smooth wooden staff in one hand as she turns to face the window; and then promptly winds up dropping the staff with a clatter. "Jesus," she declares, as she comes to the window. Coming into view, she's dressed in her jeans and a bikini top, and that seems to be it, as she pushes open what remains of the window. "Come in then? You uhm… yeah, sorry, wasn't expecting you to come in through the window. Most people use the door. Not like… criticizing or nothing, just saying."
Climbing in through the open window the building protests under the weight not to mention the grip from the gauntlet. "I'm surprised there are any doors left in this place to speak of. In fact, I'm not entirely sure that I can stand on the floor. Not that I'm not in LOVE with the place." There will not be enough expensive body wash at home to make up for this experience. Hopefully whatever Tabitha must show him is worth dragging him all the way over here. The floor does protest when Tony attempts to take a step so the armored man stands still nearby the window.
The inside of Tabitha's apartment is about what one might expect, given the condition of the rest of the building. There are, in fact, no doors in sight save the one leading to the corridor outside; there is a grimy beach towel hanging over what is presumably the doorway into the bathroom, but otherwise all rooms are clearly visible. The bedroom has a bed with a threadbare, badly repaired quilt, and in the kitchen the fridge hangs open with nothing in it. The living room which Tony stands in does have a television, and it works; there's a show playing, and surprisingly it's a borrowed training DVD about mechanical engines. " — Advantage of fuel injection over carburation, allowing for more efficient burning of — " the man's voice is cut off as Tabitha kills the TV; by a button on the front, not a remote. "Sorry for dragging you out here," she mumbles. "Just…wasn't sure I should bring this to your tower." She kneels by the couch, and reaches under it to pull out a briefcase. "I haven't opened it yet, but… I figured if anyone might be able to figure something out about it, maybe you could."
Tony is attempting to keep his focus on one thing at a time and that is currently what Tabita is pulling out from underneath what shouldn't even be considered a couch. "Do I need to bother with the inane question?" Reaching a hand out to accept the case when she comes closer. As she hasn't mentioned what is in the case only that she hasn't opened it. That leads Tony to believe she's dragged him all the way over not knowing what's inside. "Or are you trying to sell me a bunch of stolen Rolex's?"
Tabitha shakes her head quickly. "I've got way better things to be doing," she replies. "Anyway, you don't seem to trust me yet, and I haven't done anything to earn it… aside from breaking into your warehouse, emptying a clip into your chest, and generally being rude, so I don't blame you." She shrugs her shoulders, as she lets Tony take the briefcase off of her. "So… anyway, like, there was this big fight in the Park a couple days ago between all these thugs, right? Some of 'em were all about selling Toad Juice, others were big on the… the whatever you cll it. MGH I think? Anyway, there was this vigilante and a dude with six arms and they pretty much pasted all of 'em. And I helped. I did!" She pauses, and shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Yeah well, anyway. So there were a bunch'a these briefcases lieing around, so I grabbed one. I thought maybe you'd be able to analyze it or something and… I dunno… move up the chain. Or something." She blushes, and scuffs her feet a little as she backs off a step. "I mean like.. if it's not beneath you or something."
Popping open the briefcase while Tabitha speaks of how she found trouble and went about acquiring the case itself Tony looks over the contents pulling up information as best as he can without a lab present. The case is closed then brought to hang next to his leg as he stands there for a moment of silence. "Beneath me?" The comment wasn't worth getting riled up over so the gaze of indifference remains. Honestly, anything he'd say about her safety, or that the case should have gone to the police will just start up conversation that will spin out of control. "If you're done finding trouble there's contact information for that school in the area that I mentioned. It's sitting on the counter in your current digs."
The briefcase is full of toad juice, quite unmistakably; and despite the rat girl's knowledge of locks, the lock remains intact until Tony snaps it open. Meanwhile, Tabitha's eyebrows shoot upwards. "I wasn't looking for trouble! It was the park, I was just walking through because I thought it'd be pleasant. And I only got involved 'cause I saw another girl I met the other day and she was about to get squished by this guy who took some drugs and grew like ten times his normal muscles over it." Her shoulders sag, and she stares down at Tony's feet. "I mean… I couldn't just let her die. I was just trying to do the right thing, that's all." She sighs heavily, and continues oggling the famous hero's feet. "She's okay, by the way. I got the big guy's attention and he didn't squish her."
"Getting someone out of harms way is one thing," Tony tells the young woman as he shifts in place then glances down at the case in his hand. "With the drug situation running amok through the city there are very few places to stay safe, however…." pointing a lone finger at the girl who can not see it because she's staring at his feet at the moment because he's expressive with his hands regardless. "Either I've got a very low tolerance for your conversational approach or I'm correct and you're deliberately being snotty." Shaking his head he uses the lone finger to gently tip her chin up so that she's looking up at him instead of his feet. "Helping others is NEVER beneath me."
The rat girl's chin tilts upwards with no resistance, and a bead of water sits in the corner of each of her eyes as she looks up into Tony's gaze. "I'm not being snotty," she whispers. "Not… I don't mean to be." She pauses, and bits her bottom lip. "I dunno, I guess I was suddenly worried you might have way more important criminals to be busting than a bunch of gang bangers." She sucks in a deep breath before continuing in a rush, "But that was a dumb thing to be thinking anyway." Tabitha coughs softly, and the blush coming over her face is evident by the coloring of her ears, at least. "I'm going to stop talking before I say even more of the wrong things. I'm just trying to be a good person. I'm trying *really hard*. Please believe me, I really am."
The finger barely grazing Tabitha's chin falls away slowly. "I understand what you are trying to say. Despite all appearances I am not a good person I merely try to be. That can be said for a great many." Heading over to the window Tony turns about, "The police should have been given this case as it was evidence but your heart was in the right place."
Tabitha lifts her hands to rub at her eyes, as Tony heads back towards the window. She sniffs softly, but thankfully does not burst out into full blown tears. "Thank you," she murmurs in a voice both soft and flush with emotion. She grabs her backpack from the floor, and goes to stand beside Tony; on a damaged cupboard by the broken window stand… three My Little Ponies of all things, and a cracked picture from with a picture of a smiling woman in it. Tabitha puts all four things into her backpack with great care, and zips up the top. "I'm never coming back here again," she murmurs.
Tony lowers his head then manages to get out of the broken window to hover just outside of the building with briefcase in hand. "I should certainly hope not. When you're ready call the school and set a meeting. I have a feeling you will like that particular school over the other I could have suggested."
Tabitha nods quickly. "I will," she replies. "I will tonight… unless they're closed, then I will tomorrow." She snatches a shirt up off the armrest of the couch, and pulls it over her head in a hurry. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I… I owe you a lot." She plucks her leather jacket up off the same armrest and shrugs it on. "I always figured I'd make my Dad proud of me, y'know? But… I can't. And I don't think I want to, anyway." She shakes her head. "So I'm going to try to make you proud of me instead."
Lowering down a bit Tony's head is on level with Tabitha's as she moves about picking up what little belongings she has in the beat up apartment. "Do your best for yourself, Tabitha. Strive to be the best person you can be and then you'll find that there are many people who will be proud of your accomplishments."
The rat girl hooks her foot under the staff she grabbed earlier, and kicks it up into the air; she catches it in one hand, and looks at it for a couple of moments. Tabitha finally grasps the weapon in both hands, then puts her knee to it and breaks it in half with a loud snap. She works it to get both pieces apart, and tosses them down again beside the couch. "I'll do my best," she agrees. The DVD is popped out of the almost antiquated player and back into the case, which goes into an empty pocket in her backpack. "Just gotta get my bike I guess," she adds, as she walks towards the door where her shoes are waiting for her.
"That's all anyone can really ask for," the metallic sounding voice speaks from outside the window just barely above the noise emitted from the boots. "Drive carefully, Tabitha." In all seriousness and also a slight tease due to the conversation that took place in the park on Saturday. With that the roar of the boot jets lift Iron Man up and out of view as the Avenger races towards a friend that will be able to take a look at the briefcase full of illegal drugs.
