GREG'S JAPANESE AUTO

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

This garage is mostly one big space inside, dotted with tools and a few random cars, plus a small office at the west entrance. The rolldown doors are rolled down, and there's a fire pit, table, and chairs in the middle of the large space. This business is the central of the three divisions of El Corazon's building, accessed by the enclave through the back doors in THE ALLEY.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

In the center of the concrete floor, a fire pit burned gently. Three people sat at a table. They regarded the intruder with dark, sparkling eyes.

[DKender]

"It sure is toasty in here! Hello! I was following a white rabbit. HAHA! Joke!"

Tough crowd.

People Around the Fire-     "..."

"My name is Alex, a diplomat from the building at 403 Westlake. Me and five others got here earlier, but now they're all missing, so I figured, gosh, maybe they went this way. Guess not. But it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! Are any of you from Capitol Hill?"

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Fire Woman-
"Alex the diplomat, I am Dr. Ortiz..." She seemed reluctant to continue. "I worked on Capitol Hill."


Creepy Lunch Lady Lookin' Person-
"Ya play five card stud?"

[DKender]

Well, at least they weren't playing spin the bottle.

"Sure do! Deal me in. What are we betting? I have ... lots of square-shaped paper in this backpack."

Alex boldly inserted himself next to the lunch ladyesque individual. Of the three, she seemed the friendliest. No great accomplishment, to be sure.

"Dr. Ortiz, Are you a doctor doctor, or a professor doctor?"

He didn't recall any Ortizes working at Seattle University, but maybe she taught something he avoided, like any subject related to math.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Creepy Dude with Deep Jabba-the-Hutt-styled Voice-
"We're playing for souls. Ante up."


Lunch Lady-
"It's papers, kid. Have some." She fished in a bucket nearby and pushed a bunch of paper money at him. "It's all the same value to make it easy. A twenty or a hundred is still a one."


Fire Woman-
"Doctor doctor. I worked at Virginia Mason. General Practice."

[DKender]

"Thank you. I'll leave this garage a rich man, or lose it all trying!"

Alex started playing. Though technically proficient, his poker face was awful. He had a half-dozen tells: lip biting when the hand was bad, nail biting when it was really bad, mischievous smiling when he bluffed, and so on.

Tucked within a flood of idle chattiness, he asked one question related to the investigation.

"I last saw my friend in at Seattle University. Do you know what it's like up there? Can somebody reach campus without ... too much trouble?"

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Through the chit-chatty investigation, he learned that Phil and Karla had just worked at businesses in the neighborhood - Karla a mechanic, Phil a salesman. Dr. Ursula Ortiz worked a little up the hill, but not far enough away to have been at all close to SU. She implied the hospital had degenerated into some kind of twisted hellscape, and the people of Capitol Hill had chopped up the 'hood into brutal little gang enclaves - no easy way to go.

Dr. Ortiz-     "You talk too much... Keep your stupid origami."

She seemed even less personable than Doc Vic on a bad day. You got the impression she didn't like anyone in her enclave either. Sometimes she spoke Tagalog mixed with Spanish and English, when Statler&Waldorfing with Phil.

Strangely, though, when Alex had almost lost all of his papers, Karla threw more at him. He'd have to excuse himself to get away from these surly jerks. The brightest light in the cool concrete garage now was the flickering fire. The poker-playing cavemen looked like the last humans alive in a dying world, cold rage and bitter humor the only things animating their dark eyes.

[DKender]

"It's been been fun, guys, but you own my soul times infinity, and the dream team oughtta get home. If they're done goofing off. Hmph. Those deserters."

He tucked an origami flower behind his ear and gathered his belongings.

"Good luck, all."

It was hard not to feel discouraged by the gloomy atmosphere and attitudes, especially since Capitol Hill was obviously bad news. Plus, he was hungry.

Alex waved and left, intending to meet his friends in the concert hall. If they weren't there, he'd track them down, by golly!

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Skip the alley and go straight to horrorboys.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=elcorazon&action=display&thread=400

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

A while later, Jordan came into the room.

Dr. Ortiz-     "What are you doing here, fool?"


Jordan-
"Making you happy, Ursula! You're going to be really impressed."


Dr. Ortiz-
"I don't have time for the riddle-master. Spit it out."


Jordan-
"The spirits gave me a hot tip. There's enough vital energy in this spell to make everybody healthy again. Can't you feel it in the air?"


Phil-
"Hohohohoho... I love you, Jordy, but you're fucking nuts."


Dr. Ortiz-
"I don't feel shit, and this magic stuff is all bullshit. You shouldn't brag
until after your hocus pocus works, or you just look like an asshole."


Jordan-
"Words of wisdom, Ursula. Words of wisdom.
I am still missing one special ingredient..."

He went on his merry way.