---| 21 guns |--- | open | ---

[AUBREY NOELLE FARNSWORTH]

Do you know what's worth fighting for?
- - - - AUBREY NOELLE FARNSWORTH - - - -
When it's not worth dying for?

Ever since arriving in Switchblade City a dark cloud had laid over Aubrey's life and experiences like an impenetrable mist. It was as hard to shake off as a persistent spider ... and just as frightening. It clouded her mood and her will power, everything seemed so much worse and so much harder to get over. Of course it was an objective impression - like basically every feeling was - that the studied psychologist knew all to well. But being aware of the problem didn't always help dealing with. There were things, even by knowing the clinical basics for the treatment, Aubrey couldn't help herself about. Sometimes life took over and it didn't listen to reasoning, just like it had when she'd fallen in love. Ever since then all the slender brunette had done - been able to do - was let the flow drag her with ... wherever it lead: Dependence ... crime ... exile ... and ultimately Switchblade. The crime riddled center of the mobster universe. Perfect place to hide.

Turning the reasonably hot cup of coffee in between her hands on the counter Aubrey watched the dark liquid's surface ripple slightly at the movement. Little waves bouncing off the walls and meeting in the center. The drink was watered down slightly by a pitch of fresh milk, not the condensed one, and two pieces of sweetener, that's how she liked it. Luckily this was a personal favoritism she was able to celebrate everywhere on the planet where there was coffee ... and milk and sweetener of course. It wasn't like she was going to the Himalayas any time soon so the generalization of getting it 'everywhere' was quite valid for now. Filling her active mind with random thoughts on her surroundings was the best she could do right now so not to face the more important and urging questions. She had left that stuffy motel room for a while that had started to smell like her and Nick all to much to grasp even the most ordinary of thoughts right now. Her alleged felon of a boyfriend was out to look for a job, no questions asked, which probably wasn't hard to come by in this town.

Looking up across the bar, the slightly smoked up interior in the warm lighting of the night, Aubrey scanned over the people, a recent habit of hers. Trying to evaluate possibly threads, detectives, agents, undercover officers ... she always felt more relaxed going out alone though. The unattractive notion ever present in the back of her mind that IF she was to be spotted by the arm of the law she at least had the option of saying she was innocent and had been tagging along against her will - which would've been hard if they found her on Nick's lap in some dark backseat of a shady bar whispering her eternal love and devotion into his ear. Which was a bitter pill to swallow ... the possibility of betraying Nick if there was no other way out. The simple fact of even having a backup plan! But as much as the brunette trusted the blond hunk and her love for his crazy antics Aubrey was never one to let herself depend on one thing entirely and she hadn't yet learned to do that, even for love.

Sighing deeply with a light frown, despair written on her pretty facial features ever so lightly, she brought the cup to her lips taking a long sip. The sweet brew trickling down her throat warming the cold insides on this winter day. The tall girl hadn't even bothered to take coat or scarf off, she was still wearing it albeit the little snowflakes on her shoulders and head had melted by now. Leaving the chestnut hair slightly straggly. But hey, this was a dimly lit diner/coffee place not the Four Seasons. The most sprucing up you could expect on a good day was an only semi abundantly used paper coaster for your glass. Or peanuts in the common bowl that didn't give you a rash. Sadly enough as of late this was the only places the girl from LA could hang out without having to feel on edge or even scared. She had been avoiding brightly lit places like a freaking vampire! Hell, even her sleep cycle was moving harshly into the day so she could avoid the high sun around noon when going out. It was a tragedy ... really ... and all she could think off at times was how to get out.

[VERONICA R. J. HOLLIS]

|complete|491|hello!|

Perhaps it was the dimly lit atmosphere of the place. The art, the people, the cheap coffee taste, or possibly because it was one of the few shops in the city that her brother didn’t much care for. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, he never really hated a place, unless of course it was someone’s house who did him wrong. Though, very few did him wrong and lived to tell about it. Nevertheless, this place was one of her favorites for one reason or another. Perhaps it was the coffee. More than likely it was the fact that it was one of the few places deemed safe by her bodyguards, to a point where they didn’t feel the need to call her brother to tell him where she was. Though, really, it’s only because that Benjamin Kanst guy wouldn’t dare hurt her, cuz of his baby’s momma. Bella would be rightly pissed if he tried to hurt her, that she could swear by. Now, if this were a club or some other place where she could do something, dare she say, bad, then they would call him. That was how it worked.

It was how her brother operated things. Ever since their parents were killed off, he’d always been her protector. Or was it ever since he saw the bruises on her from her ex? Probably both. She didn’t much care about that. Well, she cared that her parents were dead and a man felt he could control her, but she didn’t much care dwelling on the past. It didn’t do her any good, make her any money, gain her any real friends, or anything that was even slightly productive. So, in a sense, it was pointless. Sometimes it was nice, but in too much quantity, it was stupid.

Looking up, she watched a girl come into the place. She looked rather pretty, maybe even enough to model. It was rather hard for little Ronnie to not connect people with her line of business. She was always, after all, on the look out for new clients. New people to make clothes for. This woman looked interesting, like a new person to chat with. Once the girl took her seat, she began profiling her body. Yes, her body. Mentally going over what would look good with her body type, hair color, skin type, and so on. It was one of her favorite past times, and she knew she did it well. Finally feeling as though she’d go through the basics enough. She got up and made her way over to the girl. It was as simple as sauntering over, and standing behind an empty chair. “Excuse me, miss? Would you mind if I joined you?” she asked with a friendly smile. So the ball was in her court now, she could either agree and they could talk about the plan Veronica had going or she could shoot her down.