Gathering Post - 5/7-5/15

[lcrpg_npc]

 

WEATHER || LONDONIST || BBC NEWS

(Rather than write the same vague drivel, here is a pretty gif to inspire you, a link to the weather for the week, and a link to londonist, a great resource for all things London related. As always this post is open all week. Tag in, tag others, check back often!)

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[taxi_d]

"I know loads of people. Got loads of jobs on the line. Why don't you take my number and if you don't go tomorrow or if you go and it ain't right, you give me a ring."

It sounded so kind, so generous, but Davey never did anything if he couldn't see a way to make a profit from it. There was no such thing as a 'goodness of his heart'.

[london_spy]

Danny nodded a little, pulling his phone from his pocket and handing it over.

"...Don't suppose, um, you'd come with me tomorrow. To meet this friend of yours? I'd pay you. Give you a cut of whatever I earn on my first job, I just- Don't fancy going alone."

He'd done a lot of dumb shit, but never like this. Not for a profit.

[taxi_d]

Perfect. Right on time.

"Oh, mate, I don't know. I get a lot of fares around seven. People off work, going to dinner and such," he replied hesitantly, then paused as if in thought, and sighed.

"I could. I could. If you give me a cut to make up for what I'll lose, I could go with you. I mean, you don't know him, he don't know you...might ease the way. I could do that. If you're sure."

[london_spy]

"I can do that, sure," Danny nodded. "Thank you. For, um, everything. The ciggs, the ride, the work.."

[taxi_d]

"Don't thank me yet, Danny. Thank me tomorrow when you've got a job. A ride is my job and cigs are necessary," he replied, chuckled softly, then stubbed his own out.

"What about St. Michael's? Still out? Still rather go to the club and stand in the rain hoping someone will cover you? Or should we just sit here for a bit? They won't kick us out of the place until after midnight."

[london_spy]

Glancing at his watch, Danny did the maths in his head. If they left now, he could walk around the block once before heading inside, and just tell Hex he'd had a headache and left a bit early.

Pulling the money he'd intended for his ride to the church from his wallet, he held it out in offering.

"It's late enough that I can just go home now, I reckon."

[taxi_d]

"Want me to drive you home, or just close enough a walk's no trouble and I don't know your door?" he asked. But he took the money. He was no fool.

[london_spy]

"Do I need to worry about you knowing where my door is?" Danny asked bluntly.

[taxi_d]

"Not if we're friends," he replied honestly. He didn't know yet if they might be, chances were good not, but it could happen. Danny seemed an okay bloke, bit down on his luck and desperate, but he could be clever, he could be useful. D liked to keep a lot of friends who were clever and useful.

[london_spy]

"And are we friends?" Danny asked.

He was desperate, but he wasn't thick. He'd known blokes like David before, generally they were nothing but trouble- But he liked to try and give people a chance.

"Or am I just someone you can cash in on later?" he added bluntly, not seeing any reason not to be direct.

[taxi_d]

"Don't really know," he shrugged. If they had to be friends to cash in later he'd do that. But, then again, being friends might make him less eager to see Danny in a bind. There was really no telling.

And it wasn't something that was going to weigh on him until hindsight made things clear.

"I'd like to think we could be. You seem a good bloke. Don't know much about you, though. Music, movies, first date shit. Fill me in while I take you home. What's your address?"

[london_spy]

Danny offered his address, then sank low in his seat, looking pensive.

"Isn't very much to know about me that you couldn't have read in the papers last year," he admitted.

[taxi_d]

"Oh yeah? You're famous?" he asked as he backed out and set off. He looked over at Danny briefly, then went for a fresh smoke. "You on telly?"

[london_spy]

"No, was just- Never mind, it's not important," he said, trailing off and falling silent again.

[taxi_d]

Like most people, Davey didn't have any memory for the pablum the tabloids and chat shows churned out. Oh, it might come up some time in his life, on a quiz show, maybe, but for the most part when the news cycle was done, he was done a day before. He didn't know who was at war or why, what was going on with which sex scandal, couldn't give a shit about politics if you paid him. But he could nail a pub quiz most of the time with sixty percent and he knew most of the songs on the radio. That counted for something.

"Alright," he said, letting it go because it seemed a sore spot and he had no reason to be a twat. "So? Tell me something. Like, I don't know. What's your mate's name you live with? Where'd you grow up? What's your favorite food?" he listed.

[london_spy]

"My mate's name is Hex. ...He, uh, he actually is kind of famous. Does that youtube show about safe kinky sex. I worked on that for a while, as, like, a model or whatever," Danny said, choosing what he shared carefully.

[taxi_d]

"Haven't heard of it," he shrugged. "You're a model? You've got a pretty face, I can see that. They make you wear make up?"

Traffic was slow because of the rain but that didn't bother him. Traffic never bothered him, really. As long as people weren't mad behind the wheel he didn't care.

[london_spy]

"Sometimes, yeah," Danny admitted. "Like I said though, he's not doing great right now, so I don't know when we'll be shooting again."

[taxi_d]

"Hmm. That's too bad. Be good if you can help him out. You been mates a long time?" he asked then, eyes on the road as this sort of chatter came naturally to him.

[london_spy]

"No- Well, kind of. We hung around in the same circles before we became close," Danny shrugged. "He's been really good to me. ...I want to return the favour."

[taxi_d]

"That's noble. Real sweet. It's great you've got a mate like that. Important. I don't think I've got a mate like that. Maybe...I've never been tested, really," Davey replied. "What do you do for fun? I'm sure you don't go to St. Michael's for the fun of it so what do you like?"

[london_spy]

"Clubs, sometimes," Danny replied, not wanting to admit he didn't go out and have fun very often anymore.

[taxi_d]

"What kind of music do you like? EDM? House? Does it mater?" he pressed. D was used to all sorts of fares and he could generally pull some kind of chat out of even the quietest.

[london_spy]

"Doesn't really matter. When I'm alone I like- I dunno, music that means something, I suppose. In a club though? Just has to be loud and thumping," Danny said, glancing over, then looking back out the window.

[taxi_d]

"That's it. That's more like it. Club music is impersonal, but fun. Who do you like that has a meaning? Not pop tunes, I'm sure," Davey said as he came to a stop at a light.