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With Rowan gone, Nicky is down two things.
He had been eager to have a spotter to help him, but more than that, he'd been wanting to have someone to act in Joe's stead and help make sure that the people he went after truly deserved what they got. He knows that he can do his own research, but Nicky is in the killing business and that requires good information. With Rowan gone, Nicky is lacking.
Luckily, he's not without ideas. There's one business that will be better than any other. Nicky takes himself straight to the offices of the newspaper to start asking around for investigative journalists, or a research department. "I'm doing a project, on crime statistics," he explains in an easy enough lie (which isn't entirely a lie), "and I'd like some more information."
They give him a list of names to try, some current and some former employees.
Without anything to go on, Nicky is flying blind and so he picks the first name on the list, the one that's come most recommended. It leads him to an office, and a woman that Nicky now needs to convince should feed him information.
It's not the first time he's done this, but it is rare. Where's Joe when you need him?
He knocks on the door, waiting patiently to find out if he'll have to keep moving down the list or if he's found a source.
He had been eager to have a spotter to help him, but more than that, he'd been wanting to have someone to act in Joe's stead and help make sure that the people he went after truly deserved what they got. He knows that he can do his own research, but Nicky is in the killing business and that requires good information. With Rowan gone, Nicky is lacking.
Luckily, he's not without ideas. There's one business that will be better than any other. Nicky takes himself straight to the offices of the newspaper to start asking around for investigative journalists, or a research department. "I'm doing a project, on crime statistics," he explains in an easy enough lie (which isn't entirely a lie), "and I'd like some more information."
They give him a list of names to try, some current and some former employees.
Without anything to go on, Nicky is flying blind and so he picks the first name on the list, the one that's come most recommended. It leads him to an office, and a woman that Nicky now needs to convince should feed him information.
It's not the first time he's done this, but it is rare. Where's Joe when you need him?
He knocks on the door, waiting patiently to find out if he'll have to keep moving down the list or if he's found a source.
As ever, when dinner rolls around, Nicky's door is unlocked and the standing invitation for Rowan remains in place. True, Nicky tends to eat at more European hours, so it takes until the sun has descended in the sky before he even begins. Once he does, though, Rowan will know when dinner is on from the fragrant smell of buttery garlic and onions, which will serve as a base for the sauce he's making, to go on top of the eggplant parmesan.
Tonight is a little different, though.
The table has dishes and cutlery on it, but beside all of Nicky's mismatched pieces of dishware is a completed sniper rifle. He's finally procured the last piece, the scope he'd needed, and he's intending to start with the business of protecting those who need it.
What remains to be seen, of course, is whether he'll get himself a spotter and a partner, or if he's going to do it alone. It's why the gun is in plain sight as dinner cooks, as Nicky figures that if nothing else, it will spark the conversation and he'll get his answer, one way or another.
Tonight is a little different, though.
The table has dishes and cutlery on it, but beside all of Nicky's mismatched pieces of dishware is a completed sniper rifle. He's finally procured the last piece, the scope he'd needed, and he's intending to start with the business of protecting those who need it.
What remains to be seen, of course, is whether he'll get himself a spotter and a partner, or if he's going to do it alone. It's why the gun is in plain sight as dinner cooks, as Nicky figures that if nothing else, it will spark the conversation and he'll get his answer, one way or another.
Each week after the farmer's market, Nicky feels much more confident about cooking for his friends in Darrow. While Rowan has a standing invitation to wander over, the others are more of a challenge that brings Nicky back to cooking in different countries, learning about the local cuisine, and then trying to impress. Tonight, he's brought Ahn over to show off his bibimbap, which he's been working on perfecting for over seventy years.
Yes, it's been a while, but he thinks it will do the trick.
Before Ahn comes over, Nicky makes sure that anything private (or, rather, concerning) is hidden away. That means the sword, Joe's journal, but also the sniper rifle he's building all go in a locked dresser in the bedroom. With that no longer needing to be worried about, Nicky returns to the kitchen, with the door unlocked, eager to have the house smelling of a homecooked meal by the time Ahn arrives.
He knows there's plenty to learn and improve on, and he's hoping that Ahn won't be stingy with any of his feedback when it comes to the meal.
Yes, it's been a while, but he thinks it will do the trick.
Before Ahn comes over, Nicky makes sure that anything private (or, rather, concerning) is hidden away. That means the sword, Joe's journal, but also the sniper rifle he's building all go in a locked dresser in the bedroom. With that no longer needing to be worried about, Nicky returns to the kitchen, with the door unlocked, eager to have the house smelling of a homecooked meal by the time Ahn arrives.
He knows there's plenty to learn and improve on, and he's hoping that Ahn won't be stingy with any of his feedback when it comes to the meal.
Ever since Nicky got his lay of the land, he assessed what to do with the situation. He had a place to hole up, which he checked for listening devices and made sure his vantage points were clear. He investigated places he could purchase weapons and made sure he started to set aside cash for the purchases. He went to the farmer's market, met a lovely old woman, and got a good recipe for gazpacho.
He missed Joe.
Of course he missed Joe, but it's only been a few weeks, and he and Joe have been on missions apart longer than that. Back before instant communication, sometimes it would be months between letters. In his mind, he's treating it like that.
Nicky's new mission is one going very poorly. He's just stepped out of a coffee shop, sipping on their Americano, and it is...well, dishwater disgusting is a kind way to evaluate it. Spitting the coffee back into the cup, he throws it out in the nearest trash before taking a small notebook from his front pocket. Eyeing the shop behind him disdainfully, he neatly crosses it out.
"Che cazzo," he mutters, both disappointed and a little frustrated. How is it that he can find a pistol easier than he's able to find a good cup of coffee in this city?
He missed Joe.
Of course he missed Joe, but it's only been a few weeks, and he and Joe have been on missions apart longer than that. Back before instant communication, sometimes it would be months between letters. In his mind, he's treating it like that.
Nicky's new mission is one going very poorly. He's just stepped out of a coffee shop, sipping on their Americano, and it is...well, dishwater disgusting is a kind way to evaluate it. Spitting the coffee back into the cup, he throws it out in the nearest trash before taking a small notebook from his front pocket. Eyeing the shop behind him disdainfully, he neatly crosses it out.
"Che cazzo," he mutters, both disappointed and a little frustrated. How is it that he can find a pistol easier than he's able to find a good cup of coffee in this city?
