Who: Ruby Coldiron and 2 Rogue Hellhounds What: Ruby's first few days in Austin really suck. Where: UMCB District, Near the new graphiti When: Early morning, July 6 Rating: R for language, violence, possible TW
It hadn't been the sun that dragged Ruby out of a restless sleep, but it certainly helped. The new place she'd found inside one of the 'regulated' areas of Austin, thanks to her run-in with the hardnosed-but-okay ladycop, was a hell of a lot better than a stuffy church office on a dusty pew. She actually had a bed- a nice luxury, but not one she'd been used to for a very long time. Her body had adjusted out of comfort zones, so when she found herself back in one, it rebelled. The first rays of dawn had immediately found her face through the east-facing window, and Ruby was up for the day. She had shit to do anyway.
Even at the asscrack of dawn, there were a good number of people already out. She'd made a mental map of the UMCB campus and surrounding areas yesterday (when she happened on one of the clearing crews expanding territory), now it she needed a deeper look. Memorize faces behind little shops or front doors. Check out the hospital, then meet up with her crew for a quick rundown on what everyone thought about Austin over the last couple days.
Munching on a dry protein bar that had been deemed breakfast, Ruby veered west down a street that lead away from the neighborhood and into the more congested area of the medical campus. It was already hot, so she tied her canvas jacket around her hips; the weathered Jansport bag anchored on her scarred shoulder shifted as she adjusted where it rested. Her hair was already twisted at the crown to keep off her neck. Among the vivid aromas of morning, like distant coffee and the hint of diesel fuel, when she turned another corner, her nose suddenly twitched, assaulted by the strong smell of paint.
"...huh," she breathed to herself. Ruby had seen plenty of graffiti in her life, and while the art certainly looked like a rush-job, it carried a pretty vague message. Promise, or warning. Could be both. She only paused long enough to look at the new mural a moment before moving on, angling left into the shaded parking garage for the hospital as a short-cut to the campus proper.