Back in the Game

[Goblin]

Goblin was back in the basement again, sitting on an overturned crate, scratching the head of a scruffy little tabby cat, and waiting for Cav, Tristan, Risk, and Macbeth to meet him down here. He'd never actually talked to Macbeth, but Risk swore she was up to this, and she certainly sounded better suited to the task than Sapphy. He actually felt a little panicked right now, but that made sense. This was it, after all. It was the home stretch of a plan that had consumed his life all year, and maybe that was why he was panicking; he had no idea what to do with himself when it was all over.

Well, maybe you won't even survive, he thought a bit wistfully, watching the stairs. For now, he had only two rules for himself: act like you know what you're doing, and whatever you do, don't think about Maggie.

[tshamien]

Tristan came down the stairs into the darkness of the basement. He let his eyes adjust for a few seconds. "You coulda lit a lamp," He said.

[Cavalier]

Cav came in right behind him, looking bored and yawning a little, scratching the back of his neck. "And ruin the ambiance? Goblin's nothin' if not melodramatic."

[Risk]

It was meeting time again. Risk had told Macbeth about it in passing this morning. He'd mumbled like an idiot before he scrambled out the door and hoped to hell that she somehow understood what he'd said. If anything, he figured her curiosity would bring her here.

He walked down the steps and saw Goblin along with a couple somewhat familiar faces. "No cookies this time?" smirked Risk as he took a crate, flipped it over and sat down on it.

[tshamien]

Tristan lit a cigarette and eyed the group with a raised brow. "Alright kids, can we get this started? I got a seriously angry wife at home."

[Goblin]

"I was just gonna say that would ruin the drama," he said to Cav with a smirk, then winced at Risk's seemingly innocent question. To avoid answering it, he went off in search of a lamp. And almost dropped the match he was lighting it with when someone came pounding down the stairs like a very angry giant.

"Well, I'm here," Macbeth announced, grim-faced. She pulled up a crate between two guys she'd never seen before, as far away from Risk and Tristan as possible.

Goblin gave Macbeth a nervous look, then cleared his throat. "Anyway. If we're sticking with the original plan, with Macbeth in place of Sapphy, she and Risk are going into Five Points to infiltrate the Eastman Gang." He looked at Risk. "We need hideouts, weapon stashes, names and addresses of key members...anything that'll help us take them down." Well, help Tristan take them down. Goblin had only a vague notion of Tristan's whole Five Points/Alex Wisely connection, but he assumed that was why he was here.

[Cavalier]

Cav smirked over at the girl beside him. "Well, ya definitely found a girl who looks like she could kill a person. Don't think you'll have any trouble gettin' into a gang."

((And I JUST caught the cookie line! OUCH!))

[Macbeth]

Macbeth smirked at the boy. She was actually rather flattered. "Yeah? Good to know." And then cast a furtive glance at Risk. And then cursed herself because she was not a bloody twelve-year-old.

[Risk]

He frowned when he noticed how far Macbeth distanced herself from him. He sighed and glanced over at Goblin.

"Got a time frame you're trying to stick to?" asked Risk, trying his best to ignore Macbeth. "How long do you want us to stay there until we pull out?"

((I couldn't help it!!))

[Goblin]

Goblin glanced between Risk and Macbeth like they were a tennis match. This was the kind of stuff that usually intrigued him, but it had been ages since he'd had the luxury to analyze the subtle emotions and relationships of everyone around him. "I'd say that's Tristan's call. Once you two get enough information, this whole thing will come to a face-off between two gangs, from what I understand...so the rest of us are pretty much out of the picture."

Or so he'd let them believe for now. He and Wraith had been up half the night discussing matters he didn't plan to mention here.

[Cavalier]

Cav listened to all this, watching the people around him. He was less interested in the plan, then the weird vibes between Risk and Macbeth. "So, are you two a thing?"

[Macbeth]

((Love him, love him, love him.))

And the guy had just lost whatever points he might have gained with Macbeth. She scowled at him as if she was going to eat the brains of his children for breakfast.

[Risk]

"N-no, I... I, uh... wh-what?" he stammered, his eyes wide. "Wait, who are you? Why are you here?"

[Macbeth]

"Good question," Beth chimed in. "And what makes that any of your fucking business?" She crossed her arms and deepened her scowl. Now it implied that she would also eat the brains of his favorite puppy.

[Cavalier]

Cav smirked, but lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. "Cav. I was in the Refuge with Goblin. His sister busted me out." He stretched his legs out in front of him. "As for why I'm here, that's a great question. I dunno. Chalk it up to not havin' anything better to do."