If there was anything LeBlanc was good at, it was games.<br/><br/>For example, his favorite game of the day was seeing how long it took Taka to tell him to please, for the love of all that was decent, put on pants. He was a cute hawk, that one, but so far he had resisted LeBlancâ€™s advances towards a good shagging.<br/><br/>But of course, the game was most of the fun. Still, he was certain that dancing around the bathroom with the door open and music blaring would eventually chisel through the birdâ€™s saintly patience. LeBlanc paused in front of one of the many mirrors heâ€™d acquired for their bathroom and struck a pose.<br/><br/>He was tall, but a more adequate description would simply be long; his thin body was covered in fine, well-manicured scales that were by all appearances black, save for a slight iridescence that was more reminiscent of the comparatively more colorful ancestors and cousins. Though he remembered very little from his life outside the island, he was quite certain he had a very specific pedigree; after all, most people seemed to get a bit of a start when they saw an eastern dragon. He had the requisite dangling whiskers and a long, shaggy mane of preposterously blue fur that extended all the way down to a bush-shaped tuft at the end of his long tail which, in defiance of his often rather lazy demeanor, was seemingly always coiling to and fro, or around someoneâ€™s thigh. He let out a breath and relaxed his rigid posture into a much more comfortable slouch that lessened the long shape of his body slightly, even as his tail dragged behind him for a ways.<br/><br/>He cleared his throat and rapped his knuckles on the doorframe to the bathroom, leaning on it as Taka looked up from his map with the same polite blush he always had when confront with a rather naked dragon staring him in the face. â€œYouâ€™re doing pretty well today, Taka, youâ€™ve not begged me to put on pants yet. Am I growing on you? Or have you just caught on to my tricks? Such a smart bird you are.â€ LeBlanc teased, his dark form silhouetted against the light of the bathroom.<br/><br/>Taka stammered lightly and raised a feathered wing in protest, but Leblanc quickly waved him off. â€œNo no, Iâ€™m just teasing cutie. I get it, waitinâ€™ for that pink haired vixen of yours. Iâ€™m just so dreadfully bored.â€ he interjected, striding around the birdâ€™s desk and leaning on it, his tail coiled high behind him as he shifted a bit to the music in the bathroom.<br/><br/>â€œIâ€™ve had no luck gettinâ€™ into that door, though. Iâ€™m pretty sure that even with all my inherent brilliance that I canâ€™t outhack whateverâ€™s on the inside trying to keep me out.â€ LeBlanc added. â€œOh, and if your girlfriend does show up, donâ€™t tell her my first name. I like to keep it between close friends, yeah? Cute close friends especially.â€ he tossed out.<br/><br/>Taka adjusted himself and moved some things off the table so that LeBlanc could get a better look at his map. The handiwork was gorgeous and very detailed for a hand-drawn affair. Still, the bird always had something to add; perfectionism seemed to run through to his core like an obsession. â€œWell the Golden Laurels has a clear enough path to here assuming the Bosses are all busy, and judging by the gunshots I figure they are. If Roxxie sees weâ€™ve lit up the lighthouse, sheâ€™ll head this way with whoeverâ€™s around.â€ Taka explained, examining his own work. â€œI only wish we had an idea of what was behind that door.â€<br/><br/>â€œThereâ€™s no use in fretting over it, featherhead. Remember what I keep telling you, lifeâ€™s a game-â€œ<br/><br/>â€œThe important part is that you win it, yeah. But this game the Stalkerâ€™s gotten us into seems unwinnable.â€ Taka replied, making sure to avert his eyes from LeBlanc as the dragon stood up, leaving his unmentionables at a rather uncomfortable height for the poor bird.<br/><br/>â€œWell of course, but only an idiot plays by the rules. Weâ€™ve just got to cheat our way to winning, hmm? Get everyone out of here in one piece, get out and see the worldâ€¦ I think Iâ€™ll go visit Hawaii or something. An island without prudish birds and murderous monstrosities would be nice, especially since you wonâ€™t let me download porn when I puncture the signal barrier.â€<br/><br/>â€œYou know we need that information to-â€œ<br/><br/>â€œYeah yeah, I know cutie. Youâ€™re so cute when youâ€™re gullible.â€ LeBlanc added, grinning wide at the bird with a hand on his hip. â€œAnd thatâ€™s all the time~â€ he trailed off, striding back around the desk to his own little work station and giving a computer a light kick with his paw. â€œRise and shine my little babies, weâ€™ll give you one more shot at opening that door before I crack open every motherfucking car battery on the island and poor acid all over it.â€ Leblanc chimed before pausing â€œThough I probably couldâ€™ve just done that in the first place.â€<br/><br/>Much to Takaâ€™s relief, the dragon soon slipped on some loose linen pants and flopped into his computer chair. When theyâ€™d first met, LeBlanc put a bullet through the birdâ€™s left wing leaving the poor hawk as LeBlancâ€™s target for as much sexual harassment as he could muster. All of it was in good fun, of course, though he did sincerely wish that Taka had been more eager to trying out some of his more recent chemical concoctions. Some people just didnâ€™t share his penchant for the more science-oriented things in life.<br/><br/>Still, basked in the bluish light of his computer screens he couldnâ€™t help but smile to himself. He was certainly of the promiscuous sort like he put on, but he found it to be rather disarming in an odd way; people were less likely to notice they were being manipulated when they were worried about other things, and it certainly kept the birdâ€™s prying eyes away from most of LeBlancâ€™s work which was, in the dragonâ€™s opinion, as brilliant as he could ask for.<br/><br/>Since heâ€™d awoken heâ€™d made no effort to venture outside save for a single instance wherein he encountered the thing Taka called Clockwork. The nasty brute had been quite keen to make a belt out of the dragon, it seemed, so he saw no need to leave the safety of his lighthouse afterwards; it was surprisingly well stocked with military rations and equipment and far more tech than would be reasonable. Indeed, its function as a lighthouse was secondary at best; from what he could tell it was a very, very powerful broadcasting station.<br/><br/>It took more than a bit of tweaking to be able to punch through all the interference around the island, but he never really got any replies after the first month. An errant growling, a hushed, gasping series of breaths that were soon snuffed out, or even a scream. If anyone was out there, they sure as hell werenâ€™t listening.<br/><br/>But there was no reason to tell anyone that yet, and there certainly wasnâ€™t any reason to speculate aloud on what was causing all the interference. He just had to get into that stupid door and check for himself, and then heâ€™d be satisfied.<br/><br/>Besides, if this was a game, someone had to win it. It might as well be him.<br/><br/>â€œSo how long do we have to wait for your girlfriend, because Iâ€™m totally up for a three way. We can even make it all about you.â€ LeBlanc called out to the melodious sound of Taka knocking over all his writing utensils.<br/><br/>LeBlanc leaned back with an easy sigh, eyes scanning lines of code and, more interestingly, a great number of camera feeds heâ€™d managed to tap into. He still didnâ€™t understand what practical reason there was to run the entire island on a central security network, but the place was insanely well monitored. It was also, for reasons he delighted in guessing at, preposterously well preserved. Saved for messes in very particular locations, the entire island was pristinely manicured. All the streets were clean, food stayed fresh in all the supermarkets and was even restocked if taken, there were no cars, and besides places where scuffles had broken out with the bosses, no apparent damage. For all LeBlanc could tell, the place was ready to open for business and simply never did. All of it reeked of the supernatural, in his not-so-humble opinion, and he was eager to find out more.<br/><br/>But right now, his eyes hung on a particularly attractive and large minotaur exiting a building. He snatched up a microphone and tapped it twice, watching Taka clean up his things. â€œHey there big guy. Yeah, you, the one with the horns. Look up at the nearest streetpole and give a wave to the camera.â€ He chimed, feeling the hawk watching him from the other room.<br/><br/>â€œIf you take a left and keep walking, you should see the lighthouse down by the marina soon enough, big fella. Do be a dear and not try to swim away, it doesnâ€™t end well. Drop by~ I canâ€™t wait to see you in person.â€<br/><br/>~~<br/><br/>Maccus huffed lightly, a puff of ash on his breath making it apparent that he probably did indeed breathe fire, though he wasnâ€™t going to do so inside. â€œProbably. Iâ€™ve not tried since I woke up. This is a big place, though; I flew some ways and still didnâ€™t hit the city limit. Youâ€™ve got one of those little notes too, then?â€ Maccus asked, producing his own, the detective branch hanging around his neck glinting in the artificial light.<br/>â€œBlessed are the meek, fear the sound of hooves. Well, I understand that last one now, anyway. Some guy on horseback was the one taking potshots at me, but they didnâ€™t do much but sting.â€ the dragon explained, still hunched rather awkwardly.<br/><br/>â€œI donâ€™t understand the other one of mine, though. Sounds biblical or something; hopefully this isnâ€™t some religious nutjobâ€™s work.â€ he concluded, looking at the picture the young boy had presented. â€œYouâ€™re the first human Iâ€™ve seen since I woke up.â€ he responded. â€œBut if sheâ€™s around, hopefully sheâ€™s staying out of the way of that metal man out there.â€<br/><br/>Maccus shifted a bit, his wings tucked tight against his back. â€œSo did you have a plan besides us getting in the stairwell? Itâ€™s going to be a bit difficult for me to walk down from here of all things.â€<br/><br/>~~<br/><br/>â€œThis barâ€™s been good to me. Kept me and more than a handful of people safe from the hell that can roam around this place; Ivy Cityâ€™s nothing but a sugar-coated nightmare, Iâ€™m sure of it. The notes are something Iâ€™ve taken to studying. Theyâ€™re clues, or advice. Sometimes theyâ€™re really easy to get. I had â€œHold the Fort.â€<br/><br/>Roxxie gestured playfully around her. â€œSo here we are, in a bar called the Fort. Iâ€™ve held up here and helped folk since I woke up and found the place. Yours areâ€¦ cryptic, sometimes they get like that too.â€<br/><br/>Roxxie hopped down off of the bar and walked to look out of the window. â€œAnd I think I know who leaves us the damn notes too.â€ she remarked, her ear catching the sound of footsteps a floor or so above the high ceiling of the lobby. â€œSomeoneâ€™s upstairs? And you didnâ€™t see anyone else?â€ Roxxie grabbed a shotgun from behind the bar and shouldered it. â€œCan you check on the lilâ€™ guy thatâ€™s back in the kitchen resting? Iâ€™ll go take a look.â€