Wolf Noir

CHAPTER III - STAKEOUT PT. I

Following a day that Wolf would've labelled as fun on a good day yet one that had turned frankly boring, he found himself encased within a taxi alongside two other animals on his way to his destination; Marina Del Rey. He may have had faith in Mr. Piranha. However, upon hearing about how many people had gone missing in that region ever since holding a massive public discussion with everyone inside of his waiting quarters, he saw it as unnecessary to wait around doing nothing.

He had already informed Foxington of where he was heading for the night, although he forgot the part where she mentioned bringing an umbrella considering the hail outside was now rattling the windshield of the taxi with roughly two minutes to spare until he would be forced to step out. Already, he could see the neon signs that lit up the area surrounding the port whilst also coming to terms as to why Piranha loved this place so much.

Wolf was still conflicted about the deal he had made with Jakob and it clearly showed within the fact his stomach was twisting and turning more than usual for a canine locked in the back of a taxi for several hours. One of the first things he had on his little checklist of things to do was find a place to eat, yet using the map app embedded on his phone proved to be problematic considering most of the area's eateries and entertainment joints had yet to be mapped out or listed.

Part of Wolf felt lost on his way to Del Ray, yet another part of him felt like he had sold his soul to secure more information. This day was supposed to be an easy day yet he should've looked over the private investigator's handbook twice to read the line where it said it was going to be easy. Nevermind the fact that line was non-existent and he had now enrolled himself within a life that would be filled with an extensive amount of mystery solving.

Not only that, he truly wondered what Jakob's intentions were. Jakob could've turned up at the best private investigator's office California had to offer yet this rich bear with weaponry that resembled something more akin to a private militia as opposed to a small security firm chose him to investigate the case of his missing wife. Part of Wolf could sympathise with him whilst another side of him saw it as suspicious, all the while a third side fought with him to take him on as nothing but another client which had signed a business deal with him and to not ask any insensitive questions.

Unfortunately, asking questions was now going to become a part of Wolf's main workline and it was going to turn into something that he would do creatively. He had spent his entire life conning people out of the things they loved the most, even if they were material possessions all the while building up a reputation for himself and his friends. If anything, the person who felt as if they got the short stick when being released from jail was Wolf considering he knew he would undergo much training to pursue his true dream before turning to crime and that was being a private detective or a private investigator; both were practically the same thing to him.

Whilst Mr. Snake was running his own acting agency whilst employing Mr. Shark as his top personality as well as comedian. All the while Ms. Tarantula was off working at one of the best cybersecurity agencies the country had to offer as she remained in the state. The shining star above it all was Mr. Piranha and the fact he had turned his singing and acting passion into something he could use to become a social media sensation. Sure, Mr. Wolf had a lot going for him when it comes to ambition and being at the forefront of it all, yet his reputation had now mostly transitioned from being a sensation to merely being that one canine that used to rob everyone accompanied by his friends.

Even Foxington, his own soon-to-be wife, seemed to wield more talents than he could ever dream of. Of course, it wasn't easy for Foxington, either. She had an insatiable side of her which didn't relent whenever robbing those she loved, those she had friendships with or perhaps those who were foolish enough to step in her way on a wrong day. Yet, with her ability to turn around her life in a measly three years and Wolf already being at year one since his release from prison, he was beginning to question whether or not he would truly succeed in his objective of rooting out some of the chaos that had consumed the city since.

Yet, his pondering would have to come to an end as the taxi pulled up to one of the only free parking spots on the street and Wolf was forced to hesitantly unbuckle his seatbelt. His disguise consisted of nothing but a moustache as well as a bowler had in the hope that people would merely pass him off as another canine, which seemed plausible ever since the animals hiding under the shadows soon resurfaced after Wolf's disappearance.

"That'll be sixty dollars and fifteen cents, Moe," The taxi driver asked as Wolf reached into his wallet. For the first time, he was using his real name as opposed to the alias he had constructed for himself in the hopes that he wasn't too obvious to the crowds he was interacting with. Wolf soon managed to bring the required amount of money from the depths of his wallet considering he was one to pay with his card nowadays before handing it to the taxi driver. "Stay safe out there, try and get yourself an umbrella. Tonight's going to be a stormy night," The taxi driver, a young badger, cryptically warned as Wolf nodded, opening the door and slamming it shut behind him as he was showered with a torrent of rain.

"Well, this could be a lot worse. Right, before I do anything else, I should probably withdraw some money from the ATM over there to make sure I'm not clocked for paying with my card. I don't want to know what sort of technology some bars have but this is where I'm going to start beyond everything else," Wolf scouted out a nearby ATM with two people lined up behind the elderly grandpa who was withdrawing his pensioner money. Even with the rain obscuring the nearby neon signs, he found himself able to take cover underneath some scaffolding that seemingly stretched the entirety of the street he was wandering, protecting him from the rain yet also reminding him that a gust of wind was all it took to ruin his fun.

He watched as cars of varying colours passed by him slowly whilst taking in his surroundings. He had yet to find a bar yet he spotted a shop known as Odie's Umbrellas, which presumably sold umbrellas alongside other things to assist him with dealing with the cold weather. Mr. Wolf also had to remember that for tonight, he wasn't 'Wolf', he was Moe, a mere investigative journalist or better yet, a writer wishing to write a true crime story based around Marina Del Rey itself sent by a crusade of curiosity whirling around in his brain. At least, that's the story he was going to be passing off to the locals if anyone tried to interact with him.

One thing that was surprising above all else was the fact that animals didn't have the feral reputation they once held two years back when he was locked up. If anything, the one thing that had changed during Foxington's tenure was the fact that racism against all forms of animals was pretty much a relic of the past now, except for your group of miscreants running their mind on outdated ideas wishing to cause trouble, that is.

It was unfortunate that this reputation was mostly being tarnished by the New Blizzard, which seemingly was using this favourable reputation to tarnish it whilst completing their own selfish objectives. Wolf still couldn't fathom the motives of the New Blizzard, it seemed as if their objectives were beyond being a mere motorcycle club turned crime syndicate. One other thing that was notable to him was the fact that it seemingly hid under everyone's nose until around three months ago, which is when everything seemingly had some influence from the New Blizzard.

Even Foxington herself had received letters threatening her career or demanding that she accept a bribe. Thankfully, Foxington isn't your regular pencil-pusher and she's very familiar with how criminal minds work, they're often a little too patient if you can persuade them that you're on their side whilst also placating towards justice as well as integrity above all else. As a crack of lightning ripped through the skies, briefly disturbing the neon signs as well as distant music with a brief interruption to the power, it was sure to humble Wolf who had become entangled within a web of his own thoughts on his way to the ATM.

By the time he had reached his destination, he had finished taking in his surroundings for the most part. One thing he wasn't a fan of was going anywhere in California at night time unless he was there to rob someone. He had to admit, it was quite beautiful but only when he was stealing something, which filled him with a sense of unease and unfamiliarity. He soon slotted in his bank card, input a humble three hundred dollars to withdraw and allowed the ATM to do its thing before taking his money in the hopes of spending part of his stipend at Odie's Umbrellas.

Above all, Wolf was thankful that some of the money he had already taken from his clients at the receptionist's desk earlier that day had cleared which subsequently funded his whole stakeout alongside the trip to begin with. He anxiously waited at a zebra crossing before booking it across the road when rain poured from around him and cars had slowed to a crawl in the hopes of surviving the outburst of rain hammering down as he rushed for the door leading into the black and gold outline which made up Odie's Umbrellas.

He jumped onto the three black steps that made up a small walkway up to the singular door before grabbing the handle and rushing in, immediately greeted by a sense of warmth as well as the white lights that hung above as Odie himself welcomed him to the right.

"Why hello there, friend! It looks like you're in need of an umbrella! Guide yourself on a tour and take your pick when you're ready; maybe get yourself a raincoat too considering you can never truly be safe from nature's wrath!" Odie, a spotted leopard with orange eyes, chipperly smiled as Moe nodded in acknowledgement.

"Tell me about it! I brought a trench coat with me but it's not enough, I need something a little more industrial to go with me. I'm not sure if I'll be buying an umbrella though, sorry Odie," Wolf took a moment to look at the shelf splitting two humble aisles from one another. This store wasn't very huge by Californian standards, then again, for an umbrella store that had little place inside of a state that was mostly filled with sunshine; he was thoroughly surprised to see that such a place of convenience existed in general. "I honestly don't want to be zapped by lightning, unless there's something magical about these umbrellas that make them lightning resistant."

"I believe they're made out of less electrically-conductive metals but the risk is as high as walking in a forest filled with trees when it's storming! No matter, a raincoat should do you justice! Let me guess, caught by the storm that's been brewing since this afternoon?" Odie attempted to make smalltalk, it wasn't often that he sat with just another customer inside of his store, which was even more surprising to him as he never knew such an endeavour revolving around umbrellas would work out this handsomely.

"Kind of. I'm an out of towner looking to have some fun whilst doing some research on their novel idea. I want to write a true crime thriller based around Marina Del Rey but I've never actually come here to visit; I figured my best plan of action would be to come and get some inspiration for when it's dark but hey, looks like I already got a piece of the tropical weather, huh?" Wolf let off a little chuckle whilst Odie erupted with laughter from the corner.

"Not sure if a true crime thriller would get much more realistic than the cases this place has already caught in the past year and a half. You could most likely write fiction based off those cases alone but I understand if you're willin' to write something a little more original in nature... This state can sometimes suck when bringin' out the worst of folk," Odie responded, keeping a close eye on Moe as he grabbed a royal blue coat from the shelf adjacent to him. "Ever heard about the New Blizzard?"

"Unfortunately, yes. And it's a shame that they're most likely going to be the focus of my novel. It's kind of interesting but also not really my thing, I'm a little conflicted on how to feel about the whole ordeal. All I know is they're a bunch of frat animals turned into a crime syndicate, it can't really be that big; right?" Moe feigned his reaction in such a way that even Shark and Snake would be proud of him, almost as if they had taught him this when going off to pursue their individual careers after being released from prison.

"Eh, they haven't gotten to me yet but I know some people on this block who are on the New Blizzard's payroll. There's a new bar on the block that opened up not six months ago called the Casa Encanta and I'm almost certain those people signed a deal with the New Blizzard. Bunch of out of town folk go there all the time, especially those that have connections with the syndicate. If you're looking to find out a little more about politics for ya little novel then I'd recommend going there, just don't get distracted by the feline ladies they got on offer," Odie's insight was somewhat enlightening to Moe, who had only just got into town and knew so little about the politics of the area. "I won't bore ya with that, though; I know you're just here for a raincoat."

"I mean, I'm still picking out which one and so you can talk about it a little more if you'd like. It would help an aspiring author out a bit knowing a slight bit more about this joint. It might be a little piece of the puzzle but it would be nice to have it be at the forefront of some shady business inside of my novel," Wolf encouraged Odie to go on, which was admittedly a risky game for him to play but one that he wasn't afraid to shy away from considering he had his disguise mobilised and ready to go already; fake passport and all. "I never knew the New Blizzard was that big, they've gotta be quite a big fish if you're curious about them as a humble umbrella shop owner... Which, excuse me for being rude but how does this place make money when it rarely rains here?" Wolf raised a very good question, one that Odie had yet to answer despite living in his humble abode for three years now.

"I hadn't given it much thought. Some people just come in here and randomly grab umbrellas and raincoats. Running this place is dirt cheap considering it's on the border between the good side of town and the bad side of town; plus it's so small to the point where nobody really bothers charging you for more than utilities. I guess my biggest stream of profit happens to be tourists and those who always try and plan for everything; or those going across the state into wetter environments," Odie answered back, thoroughly enjoying the small talk he was having with Moe as Moe finally made up his mind about which raincoat he wished to buy. "As for the Casa Encanta? Well, you can call me a little bit jealous but I've seen their profit margins and they're insanely high. They get V.I.P guests almost constantly, a stream of revenue from investors that obviously are hiding their assets overseas. This is the rougher side of town, I will admit that, you've gotta journey closer to the docks themselves to live big. It's almost illogical to open up a bar turned gentlemen's club in such a rough part of Marina Del Rey when it can be vandalised but nobody has dared to do more than graffiti the fences at the backside of the property ever since it was bought; it's almost like it has some sort of strange vandal immunity which further leads me into believing they're in cahoots with the New Blizzard!"

"Hmm, that is quite shady. I'll make sure to write that down in my notes when I get a chance. It's been an educational experience, Odie. Now, as for my raincoat. How much will this large royal blue piece of kit cost me?" Moe inquired as Odie assessed it merely from eyesight, placing on his half-moon glasses before ringing up the price using his manually operated cash register. "Only sixty dollars? I'm not complaining considering this thing is quite comfortable!"

"It's usually eighty but I make enough, plus I think you deserve a handsome discount for letting me ramble a little bit without judging me. I wish you the best of luck with your novel and I appreciate ye for not shoplifting considering a lot more folk are prone to doing that than you'd think!" Moe was thoroughly surprised as he handed over the sixty dollars required to pay for his raincoat before heading for the exit. "Hey! If you're going to go to that bar, be careful. A lot of shifty people hide there. There's a pocket on the inside of your coat, hide your wallet in there and zip it up to avoid being pickpocketed... Have a nice day!"

"Thank you for the advice, Odie! Have a nice day, too!" Upon departing the store and listening to the ringing of the tiny bell that was mounted to the door to signal there was someone entering or exiting, Wolf found himself wrapped within a blanket of comfort as most of his fur now felt invincible to the recklessness of the weather above. Furthermore, the only thing that realistically was getting soaked was his tail and there's nothing he could do about that other than wag it extra hard whenever getting to cover. "Next stop, Casa Encanta... That seems like a good place to start. I better be careful and follow Odie's advice, though. I don't want to step somewhere that I don't belong," Wolf whispered to himself, stuffing his wallet inside of the hidden pocket Odie had told him about before putting up his hood and following the pathway in the hopes of locating his next destination of the night.

Wolf may have been quite a while away from finding Lana, yet he was hoping that this club would offer him some insight in one form or another. Maybe, by sheer coincidence, he would run into her but he seemed mostly pessimistic about that as he continued his long march forward. Sure, it may have been a rather fancy bar inside of the rougher region of Marina Del Rey but part of him instinctively assumed that Lana would retreat somewhere a lot nicer, especially given the fact that she radiated suspicion itself when factoring in the circumstances that lead to the disappearance of Bernard's son.

As he marched closer, he found himself captivated by the neon signs that were outside which depicted a cocktail being drunk by a tiger dressed up in a red dress. Unbeknownst to Wolf at the time, she would most likely become instrumental to assisting him with his so-called novel at a later time but one thing that disappointed him above all else was the fact that the line containing those eager to enter the club was seemingly endless, wrapping around a corner store before stopping a mere twenty feet away from Wolf.

Then again, Wolf didn't exactly have anything better to do and there was always something called surfing the internet on his phone in the hopes that the line would advance around him. Therefore, he made the decision to take one last look around before joining the line, which was mostly filled with human men, some canine ladies as well as a skulk of foxes that were about to enter the establishment through one of the side entrance ways as per orders from the bouncer. Wolf keenly observed as they entered from afar before paying attention back to his phone, texting Foxington with an update about the situation along the way as time melted around him and person by person, he shuffled closer to the bouncer that would decide the fate of the night for him.

"You don't look like you're from around here. State your intent," The bouncer, a large and intimidating snow leopard, shot through Moe as if he was nothing despite him wearing a moustache and bowler hat. This snow leopard may have been none the wiser to his costume yet his job was to be suspicious of those entering.

"I'm taking a trip around California, looking for novel material. I'm exhausted, I have money and I'm too tired to catch a ride home so I've got a hotel room booked. I'm just here to kill some time and perhaps enjoy the time I spend here in the meantime. Do I need some sort of membership pass?" Wolf remained incognito, not wishing to blow his cover of being an amateur writer passing through town.

"Yes, you do. But you can grab a lanyard with a night pass on it once you get inside. You're allowed in, but I'm going to keep my eyes on you. What's your full name?" Moe had only prepared for the question being his first name and therefore was forced to make up something on the spot, to his dismay.

"Moe... Moe Martini, sir," He spotted a giraffe waitress bringing in a massive plate of martini's at the time and thought it would make a convincing surname, to which it did as the bouncer got a laugh out of it.

"That's one of the best surnames I've ever heard. What's the backstory behind that? I mean, surnames have family history behind them, responsibility and such; why Martini?"

"My grandfather loved drinking them and passed the same day I was born, mere hours afterwards, actually. My actual surname is Roger. Moe Martini-Roger. Martini ended up in my name as a little tribute and it stuck. You can see my I.D if you want, although Martini had to be cleared from the document because it's apparently illegal to have an alcoholic beverage in your name," Moe rolled his eyes over his own comment all the while the snow leopard patted him on his shoulder.

"Hah? Your I.D. Nah, we only use that for cats and dogs who are trying to get in whilst being under eighteen. You're free to enter, Moe Martini-Roger; pick up a membership lanyard and fill out your information with the receptionist when you enter and veer to the right. You don't want to be caught without one as management comes through every three nights to make sure nothing illegal is going on and tonight's the night," The bouncer advised as Moe nodded before the massive obsidian purple doors were opened up in front of him by two elk dressed in tuxedos.

Almost immediately, Wolf was caught off guard by how surprisingly lively the environment was, from the waitresses carrying things throughout the main hall to the cougar near the entrance way that was dedicated to guiding newcomers around mixed in with the soothing jazz music; Wolf felt at home inside of his bar... Although if there was one thing that Odie was right about, it was the fact that the interior resembled something akin to a gentlemen's club instead of a bar.

"Why hello there," Wolf approached the cougar holding up a sign detailing the events of the night whilst remaining as respectful as possible. "Can you guide me to the reception office? I'm new here and looking to get my pass for the night," He inquired, to which the cougar smiled whilst pointing forward and to her right. "Thank you!"

"Enjoy your stay at the Casa Encanta, sir!" She chirped back before turning her attention back to the incoming stream of customers to ensure she was able to show off the events of the night. Speaking of which, the events happened to be karaoke, a movie night, something called a 'Scrappy Dinner' which was made up of some fast food brought through for the V.I.P's as well as a personal show of ladies dancing within the club quarters itself.

Wolf peered down to see that the carpet was mostly composed of neon pink, blue, lime and gold stars which were neatly arranged whilst lights flashed in the distance. Neatly enough, he found himself confronted by a sign which pointed directly towards the reception alongside a vixen with a grey coat. Upon keeping it together so far, Wolf sought to remove his engagement ring, not because he was uncommitted to Foxington but because he thought it would bring suspicion to himself as he hid it inside of the internal pocket of his raincoat.

"Good evening, sir. I assume you're here for a membership pass?" The receptionist remained relatively blunt and up front, not even peering at Wolf himself as Wolf looked towards the membership tier options. "If you're struggling to choose which one is for you, you can grab the nightly pass which is five dollars and ninety-nine cents. If you wish to have a pass for three nights, that's twelve dollars and ninety-nine cents, if you're wishing to up that to seven nights, that's twenty dollars and ninety-nine cents. If you're wishing to stay for longer or to become a regular, you can grab a yearly pass for one hundred dollars and ninety nine cents," She finally peered up to see Moe looking back at her with an awkward smile on his face.

"I'll go for the three nights pass. I'm going to be sticking around for a while and I might need to come back here. What are the terms and conditions?" Wolf was curious considering he had been ejected from clubs for insensitive reasons in the past before.

"Be a good boy and you won't be kicked out. Full name, sir?"

"Moe Martini-Rogers," Wolf confidently responded, to which the vixen snickered slightly.

"Either that's a really good fake name or an even better family name. Okay, Mr. Rogers. I'm going to call you that whilst having Martini in quotations. Please step into the photobooth and remain still for ten seconds as I take a picture of your face to print onto your lanyard," The grey-furred vixen rapidly filled out the information provided all the while Wolf stepped into the photobooth which was obscured by a royal blue curtain, a colour he had gotten used to seeing ever since architectural reforms for basic things such as this became less flashy and more samey whilst trying to maintain some form of originality. "Alright, sir. Remain still. If you are going to be wearing that hat the whole night, keep it on for the picture or keep it on hand if you take it off... Three, two, one," Wolf was blinded by a massive flash to the eyes as he found himself soon stumbling out of the photobooth, the vixen giggling slightly as she positioned his picture using her computer software before sending it through the printer and laminator.

"Damn! How bright do you need to flash a light to get a picture of some guy's face!" Wolf exclaimed, flabbergasted by the aggressiveness of the flash that rattled his eyeballs as well as vision in general.

"Hah! You handled that surprisingly well, Moe. A lot of people run around in circles, although that's mainly our feline friends. Now, let me just punch a hole through the card, fix it up for you and then you'll be ready to go. Got any colour preference for the lanyard? We've got blue, yellow, purple, green, white and black if you're feeling a little drab..."

"I'll go with purple, it'll make me feel slightly royal considering the business I'm here for isn't exactly pretty, nor is it fun in the eyes of most," Wolf may have alluded to slightly too much information, which led to the vixen raising up her eyebrows with a smirk on her face.

"Huh, really? What could be so bad? A lot of the people who come here just spend their money tossing dollars at the ladies dancing on the poles. It's become a standard, not one that I'm too into but hey, they pay a ridiculous amount for good receptionists. What are you doing exactly?" Her curiosity sung like the thunder above as Wolf's ability to lie on the spot whilst being convincing was further tested.

"I'm obviously here for that but at the same time I'm doing some writing, most likely in the corner. I want to take some notes as I'm working on a true crime thriller and was hoping to use this place for some inspiration in the story. So, I'm basically your commoner but at the same time I'm doing something boring. I honestly don't know what's worse, coming here for some linear entertainment or coming here to jot some things down," Moe's answers in the vixen's eyes were legitimate enough and henceforth, she affixed his lanyard and passed it to him through the hatch that lifted up beyond the glass window. "Thank you very much!" Wolf subsequently handed her the money and started reversing, walking backwards whilst keeping his eyes on her briefly.

"Have a nice time watching the show and enjoy getting some writing inspiration; take it easy on the booze, buddy!" She waved at him and he saluted back using nothing more than his fingers before turning towards the corridor once again, instead stepping on the right side of the red bannister as opposed to entering the wrong way around the first time as he made his way around the labyrinth and into the belly of the beast itself.

Almost immediately, his thoughts were drowned out by jazz as a few vixens hung around a table at the back, coupled with some cats playing poker with some glasses of milk next to them all the while a few hares discussed business plans with one another. This truly was a place of enjoyment for all ages considering the bar was centred in the middle of the establishment and was designed to be circular, except for the part that was attached to the dance floor alongside stage where some singers would perform on some nights whilst on others, ladies would dance to jazz or romantic songs to earn their paycheck.

One thing that was striking about this bar to Wolf was the fact that it smelt like it was scented by strawberry. Usually places such as bars had one smell and one smell only, which happened to be the pungent smell of alcohol and occasionally tobacco depending on the regulations. Not only that, the lighting wasn't exactly something that was rough, either. It seemed as if this experience had been carefully crafted to be a mix between soothing alongside comforting as well as rough around the edges and seductive.

Wolf sure felt like he was being seduced by the environment as it took him a moment to remember why he was there, he was looking for a coyote lady by the name of Lana and so far, other than the coyote and the skunk making out in the only shadowy corner of the room, he hadn't seen her anywhere. It wasn't like he was going to make himself stick out, he was there to stick to his story whilst genuinely enjoying the time. Of course, he made sure to tell Foxington what was up once again, to which Foxington merely responded with "Just don't oversell and end up pulling off a heist with some other lady... I'm your stolen jewel, got it?" which admittedly brought a blush forth onto Wolf's fuzzy face.

Upon being reminded that he was Foxington's good boy and to not push it too far, which he wasn't going to concern himself with in the beginning, he sought to act the part by placing his phone in his pocket and bringing his arms forth onto the top of the oak wood which made up part of the circular bar, taking a seat onto the red-seated stool whilst catching the eye of a distant feline figure from afar.

Whilst his ears were tickled by the piano solo that was thrown into the otherwise angelic jazz music, the white-furred wolf who was the bartender for that night made her way over to Moe, noticing that he hadn't been served yet and he had recently sat down. Although he may have been distracted by the calming yet simultaneously dazzling light, he was sure to keep his eye out whilst becoming one with the environment surrounding him.

"Mr. Roger... I believe that's what it says on your lanyard. You look new around here, can I get you something to drink to help you settle in?" Her accent definitely belonged to none other than the country of Canada considering she was softly spoken as Moe read her nametag, finding her to be called Lucy.

"That would be wonderful, Lucy. I'll take one ice-cold root beer, I'm not feeling fancy and I don't want to get drunk instantly as I need to stay somewhat focused tonight," Lucy's crystal eyes fluttered as she nodded in understanding, her uniform consisting of nothing more than a sports bra which had been covered in glitter alongside some grey jean shorts that were ripped near the thigh area whilst being accompanied by none other than her red high heels.

"Understood, you don't want to end up passing out here on your first night. At least some newcomers have manners nowadays, yet manners like yours usually mean being from out of town, correct?" Wolf was surprised how everyone was making him out to be someone who was from out of town yet still was technically in the greater Los Angeles area.

"Kind of, I live in the city and was raised in the suburbs, still live there. I've just never been to Marina Del Rey before," He smiled as Lucy reached into the fridge to grab him two bottles of two ice cold root beer, handing him two brown opaque bottles with a blue band and gold maple leaf drawn into them.

"That'll be two dollars and ninety-nine cents. Also, ooh~ - What's gotten you so interested in this area? Not a lot of people come here unless something really catches their eye," The curiosity of some of the people Wolf was meeting started to get under his skin slightly, yet he knew that if he didn't wish to blow his cover, he would be required to maintain his cool in front of those he met.

"Writing a novel, or at least planning one. It's based on true crime and it's supposed to be a thriller, I want to build up an environment for the protagonist and I thought I'd come here for some inspiration; it is based on Marina Del Rey so I figured coming to the liveliest place I could find would assist me in making it more realistic for those filler scenes," Wolf firmly stated, which is when Lucy smiled and nodded.

"Understood, I'll try not to be a disturbance, I wish you good luck with the novel writing, I just hope nobody else disturbs you in the meantime!" She joyously wandered over to another patron, a regular from the sounds of the conversation she started opening up with him all the while Wolf cracked open his root beer and took a swig. He peered down towards his notepad and decided if he really wanted to seal the deal, it would most likely be best if he got to work actually writing his so-called novel he had been boasting about the whole day.

Besides, there wasn't going to be a better excuse for him to create something that he had become convinced was a good idea ever since stepping out of the taxi. The environment he was sitting in spoke to him, sung to him as well as enchanted him all the while he ensured that he kept an eye out for Lana; who had yet to make an appearance quite yet to the point where he was convinced he was looking in the wrong spot. However, there was no rush, he wasn't destined to strike gold on his first night.

On the other hand, none other than Garcia Melrose, the founder of the club, had her attention alerted to the presence of their newest patron. His disguise may have been enough to fool most but she could tell, with a martini in her hand, that he was none other than the notorious Mr. Wolf who had turned into a private investigator. Part of her hoped that he was there to merely visit her fine establishment yet as she wandered closer, Wolf quite literally emanated the will to remain incognito as she took a seat next to him and peered down at his notes.

"Hm, quite a nice novel you have there, Moe," Her hispanic accent immediately brought Wolf's muzzle up from his scribbling to face the same woman, almost exactly reproduced within the club as the same woman who stood on the neon sign outside. "I hope you're enjoying the environment so far."

"Is it just my lucky day or am I meeting the same lady that's on the front of this bar? You wouldn't be her, would you?" Wolf placed down his pen and drew his focus towards her shimmering amethyst eyes. Her orange stripes beamed in contrast to the rose-pink lighting that currently filled the room as well as the spotlights of blue and green which erratically moved across the ceiling all the while that same glittered red dress covered the majority of her body except for the window into her cleavage, her arms, her head and her striped tail.

"Oh, I make sure to dress to impress. Plus, who would I be if I forgot about those who made the Casa Encanta so wonderful, hm? It's nice to get to know the newcomers to convince them to come back. I assume you're out of town and a little far away from your original place of living, here on a business trip?" Wolf's ears twitched but he understood that holding his patience together was key as he put on his best smile and turned to face her using the bar stool.

"In a way, yes. I'm writing a novel, true crime, thriller; you know, the nasty stuff with a bit of intrigue thrown in there. I know this place probably has enough murder cases to make up an entire novel franchise for some lucky sucker who has enough time to pour into it but I wanted to be as original as possible. I hope you don't mind but I actually plan on using the lively environment as a bit of inspiration, don't worry, I won't make it too grim, hah~" Garcia took a second to reaffirm her judgement. She was sure that she was confronting Mr. Wolf yet she wasn't sure at the same time considering Wolf was the last person to talk novels, plus the fact he was missing his engagement ring really tossed her mind into the ringer.

"Got any plans for the characters or are you an environment first kind of guy?"

"I dabble with environments and worlds before tossing characters into them. However, it can work both ways. I just prefer to ensure my worlds are beaming with light before throwing my characters into them as it gives me a sense of standardisation. I want to ensure that my characters reflect the light of the world whilst soaking it in, being different from their surroundings yet also belonging. So, that's where I am at the moment. Drawing some inspiration before putting together the environmental draft; it all begins with a pretty meadow and some raging rivers, I guess," Wolf's poetic manner with words didn't assist with Garcia's turbulent emotions, yet she couldn't help but feel as if her suspicions were correct.

"It's quite ambitious, but I wonder what you're doing so far away from Foxington, Mr. Wolf? I did hear you were starting your own detective agency... Oh, don't tell me you're here to creep on some of my patrons, huh?" Wolf had one chance to correct himself as he let off a slight chuckle.

"I'm honoured you'd think I'm Mr. Wolf but no, I'm not that prestigious or courageous. I'm just Moe Rogers, someone who likes to write their novels whilst being inspired by their environment!"

"You're not a good liar, you've never been a good liar. You get used to that after being good friends with Mr. Piranha for a while," Garcia quipped, an arrogant smile on her face and all. "Don't worry, you're not in trouble."

"How did you know? Did Piranha give you a heads-up?" Wolf questioned, amazed by her ability to read right through him.

"Indeed he did. He wanted me to keep an eye out for a lady named Lana. A coyote woman. She's a regular here but I haven't seen her tonight. I will admit, though, for someone who's put together quite a neat disguise; you've done great at remaining incognito. None of these people could tell who you are and even I had to second guess my own judgement. No engagement ring either, huh? Naughty..." Garcia teased him by raising up her paws, bringing out her claws and giving him a fake roar to enjoy. "I'm your friend for tonight, but don't piss me off. I know a lot of these people have cases against them, I know you're not a cop but I know you could get a few of them in trouble; especially if you're looking for New Blizzard connections."

"I thought your club was part of their inner circle?"

"Pff, who told you that? Nope. A lot of our higher-ups are deep in their pockets but not me. I made sure to differentiate myself a long time ago. I already heard that you're looking into Lana and she's honestly one of our highest paying patrons yet she's gotten a loud mouth and a sense of entitlement. You know what. If you sit here and act the part for half an hour, I guarantee that she'll show up and I'll assist you with either talking to her or keeping an eye on her until she leaves... At that point, you can do whatever you wish, so long as you promise to keep her alive," Garcia nudged Wolf to look forward so they didn't draw any unwanted attention.

"Got it, just half an hour of waiting and talking to you. I can manage that, I've already told enough people about my fake story but if you want to know about it then I can tell you more. I've got a lot of time to kill and hey, Moe Martini-Rogers or Mr. Wolf; I might actually end up writing this and publishing it sometime," Wolf peered into his notepad to see that almost the entire page was filled with notes and observations he had made about the environment. If anything, he was awe-struck that he was able to observe so much when bringing pencil to paper.

"Well, take it away, Moe Rogers. I've got the entire night to chat away; just try not to send me to sleep considering I tire easy," Wolf cleared his throat all the while Garcia Melrose eased herself up, taking off her small purple fedora with a black and white set of feather tied around the right side before placing it on the desk as she prepared herself for her greatest challenge in a long time... Putting up with half an hour or so of Wolf's consistent rambling about a plot he had made up on the spot today.

...