A Work in Progress

Log Archive » Logs for October 2008 » A Work in Progress

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Scene Title	A Work in Progress
Synopsis	Munin and Ethan do some work on Amato's apartment.
Date	October 21, 2008

Cliffside Apartments — Amato's Apartment

Not much has been added to this apartment by its current inhabitants. In the living room, a single wooden chair and a rickety wooden table make up the only real furniture. Against one wall is a bean bag that has seen better days, with various, more feminine articles strewn about it. The kitchen is stocked, but has no more appliances than what was already here. The single bedroom houses a single mattress and a half-empty duffel bag big enough for at least two moderately sized bodies. The bathroom is at least clean, but that might be its only good quality.

It's amazing what a difference forty-eight hours and a splash of colour can make. The last time Ethan visited Amato's flat, the walls were drab and the floors were covered in a layer of dust and grime left behind by the previous tenants. When he steps through the door this late Tuesday afternoon, he's greeted by a disparate sight — an fullsize wooden mirror, painted blue and most likely procured from the nearest Salvation Army, sits propped up against one of the far walls and makes the apartment look bigger than it really is. Lengths of fabric in varying patterns, colours and fabrics hang from the windows in lieu of curtains, lending the living area a warm glow as the light from the outside filters into the den. The floor, too, has been swept clean of any debris.

Munin sits in the beanbag that occupies one of the flat's brighter corners, her small body partially engulfed by the lumpy folds of fabric. Admiring her handiwork, she holds a steaming cup of hot chocolate between her dainty hands — no marshmallows, not because they can't afford some, but because she outgrew her sweet tooth many years ago. "D'you like it?" she asks Ethan when sets foot inside. "It's still a work n'progress."

Kicking the door close behind him the Wolf brings his large frame into the room where he spends a moment surveying the place. "You did a lovely job, Princess." Ethan admires with a bit of a smile. The man wears a black t-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans. He holds large duffel bags in each hand. Dropping them both to the ground with a resounding thud, Ethan scans again. "Where is Amato?" He asks. Turning around the man locks the door and then takes a few steps into the flat. "You're making it a nice place, lovely." He murmurs as he waits for the answer to his question.

Munin's eyes shift from Ethan to the bags at his feet and she tilts her head to the side, birdlike. She doesn't rise to greet him; either she's too comfortable where she is, or she isn't sure the beanbag won't swallow her whole if she tries. "Amato's out," she says, voice soft, "looking t'get in touch with Kazimir over at Eagle Electric, I expect. You wanna stick around an' wait for him to get back? Or should I take a message?"

Frowning deeply, Ethan shakes his head as he strolls into the room. "Yeah, you can take a message." He walks in front of the new mirror, and for a moment looks into it, checking himself out. Apparently satisfied he nods then walks over to the bean bad, with one hand he ruffles her hair a bit before walking back towards his bags. "You can tell 'im that he's a fuckin' idiot." Ethan says as he goes to one knee by one of the bags. Unzipping it, he reaches in and takes out a a power tool. A Saws-all. Picking up a small yellow battery pack, he slaps it into the saw. Pulling the trigger the little saw starts humming. Standing up to his full height, he lets the powertool hang at his side. "Tell me, princess, do you know any of our neighbors very well?"

"Not real well," Munin admits, reaching up with one hand to tuck several strands of disheveled hair behind her ear. "I'mma knock on some doors tonight or tomorrow so they don't think Amato's a total recluse." The saw earns Ethan a wide-eyed look, both her dark eyebrows shooting up so high that they disappear beneath the jagged fringe passing for her bangs. His 'message' for Amato goes ignored, at least for now — she's spent enough time around both of them to know when he's being serious and when he isn't. She's not about to ask him what the tool is for, either. Not when she suspects she'll sleep easier if left in the dark.

"Maybe you shouldn't do that, dear." Ethan says gravely, taking a step to the side he leans against the door. "There's dangerous people in the world." The man who is called the Wolf says. The saw begins to buzz lightly, but before that Ethan goes back on his knee again. Reaching into the duffel bag, Ethan retrieves another item. This one? A little boombox radio. Bringing it out of the bag, he sets it on the ground beside the bag. Punching play, the little radio begins to play 'Back Up' by Ludacris. Turning up the volume level a little bit he looks up at Munin. "'Ow do you feel bout this type of music, darling?"

It's true — there are dangerous people in the world. Munin is looking at one of them. "I don't mind it," she says, making a face that suggests the opposite. Not a big fan of American rap, this one. "You worried about being overheard or something, Ethan? The walls here are pretty thick an' I don' think nobody'll care much. S'just a saw, righ'? Lot'sa people do their own home renovations these days…"

"I'll be quick. Besides. I kind of like this song." Ethan says as he turns to face the door frame. Bzzzz! The saw cuts like easily into the doorframe, making a small cubby. The sawing goes quick and soon the buzz of the saw dies down. Tossing the saw back into the bag he kneels and stops the little stereo. Looking back to Munin, Ethan grins quietly. "Tell me, how did Amato get shot by the En-Why-Pee-Dee? Did he tell you the whole story? Tell me everything you know bout it." With that, he reaches into the duffel bag again, but this time he produces a shiny silver revolver. Holding it up so Munin can see it, he stands and then slides it into the little cubby he just created, barrel first.

"He was keeping a lady detective over at Sea View, holding her hostage so the police'd stop sniffing around Kazimir." Munin explains, pausing to take a slow sip of her hot chocolate. The music isn't that bad now that she actually stops to listen. If nothing else, it has a nice beat. "Her friends didn't like it none, though. Two of 'em went rogue, s'all I know — s'all anybody'll tell me."

Taking up the piece of board, Ethan places it against the whole that reveals the pistol. Producing another element from his duffel bag, Ethan slaps a thick amount of some type of white paste onto the board. Before you know it, the door looks just as it was before Ethan tampered with it. Besides saw dust on the ground however. He'll sweep that up, after all, Munin had just cleaned. Looking to Munin, Ethan tilts his head. "I really should be told everything." He insists. "Did they have any names, darling? Anything else you remember?" Running his finger along the doorframe Ethan smiles at his handiwork. "So you can tell Amato, if you apply a certain amount of pressure here… Instant gun. In case of emergencies."

Munin nods. "Yeah," she says, "but Kazimir's told us t'leave 'em alone. Some sort'a bargain he struck. Not even Amato's privy." The cubby receives a quick once-over from the teenager, and she offers Ethan a rueful smile of approval. She likes him, sure, but she can't say the same of his guns. The world would be a much better place, at least in her opinion, if firearms didn't exist. "That's real clever. I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"What are the names, Munin?" Ethan asks, "I'll leave em alone. I just want to know who on the force knows Amato's pretty little face." Putting away his supplies, Ethan starts to zip up the duffel bags. Kicking them to the side, the man stands and walks forward to the woman once again. He ruffles her head again as he circles around her. Going to the rickety chair, the Wolf takes a seat as he watches the woman. "And, oh yes. There is one thing you could tell Amato. For real."

"For real?" Munin seems not to mind Ethan's fingers in her hair. There's very little he could do to mess it up more than it already is. She'll run a brush through it later, after she's taken a shower in the apartment's bathroom and popped down to the local Vietnamese place for some take-out. "Judah Demsky an' Felix Ivanov," she says, reciting the names by heart. "One of 'em works for the FBI, so be careful if'n you poke your nose around. They'll do worse'n pop you with some birdshot like they did him."

Frowning a bit, Ethan sighs as he walks his way towards the door. "FBI." Too many coincidences. Could Amato really be that blind? He will have to double check. But. This does not bode well. "I need to go, love. I'll see you later. You best be makin' me supper some time soon." The Wolf says as he walks toward the door picking up the duffel bags, he slings one over his shoulder as he unlocks and opens the door. Turning slightly, he looks to Munin. "Gillian Childs lives in the buidling. Downstairs. And by the way, tell 'im he needs to fuckin' pay attention."

Munin raises the mug to her lips once more, this time to hide the smirk that her smile has grown into. "Y'know I can't cook for shit," she murmurs, her lips moving against the rim, "but drop by later in the week an' I'll see what I can fix. You take care of yourself in the meantime." Ethan can rest assured Munin will pass the message along to Amato. She might not know who Gillian Childs is or why she's important, but the fact that she is important guarantees its delivery.