tushanshu | 003 ♛ video

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003 ♛ video

Good morning, Keeliai.

[ Monet's seated, her clothes neatly pressed, colours deliberately chosen to contrast the comfortable seat in front of her console, one leg crossed over the other. She hasn't found any nail polish a-turtle yet, or she'd be wearing that as well. Her tone is pleasantly pitched, and even-keeled. ]

My name is Monet Saint-Croix, and I'm acquainted with several kedan who're willing to accept temporary assistance from Foreigners for tasks our gifts are more suited to handling [ i.e., with superpowers ]. This is an excellent opportunity to get more involved with the local community, and perhaps improve relations. [ a polite smile to punctuate ]

If you're interested in helping, kindly come to the office [ a location ping in the Metal Sector ] provide your name, the types of cases you're accustomed to handling, and where we can reach you if a suitable match turns up. Should you wish to be a part of the venture but under a [ her nose wrinkles, just barely: she can't believe she's about to say this ] superhero identity, that can be negotiated. Payment will be by commission, depending on how satisfactorily you complete your task.

If you have any questions you may direct them to this console. [ A short pause, for another smile. ] We look forward to working with you.

[ And with that, she turns off the feed. ]

[ooc: feel free to jump straight to action, she'll be at the office all day. ooc planning post is here, job list is here, and do fill out telepathy permissions if you have time, thank you.]

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[He's somewhat surprised to see her turning to face him before he even knocks. Almost by second nature, he feels an instinctual tenseness overtake him, as though his body is bracing for possible danger without him. It's enough to bring the rest of his guard up. While he has no particular reason to be wary of her... this is their first meeting in person, after all. He's hard-wired for caution, and everything about her - from her smooth, pressed look in the dim light to her expectant words - screams to him that she isn't someone to be taken lightly.]

[Never underestimate a good chess player indeed.]

[Although her voice is slightly muffled through the glass, he's able to make out the words well enough, and his mouth twitches upward in response. He isn't sure how well she can see him from there, but he's starting to get the feeling that she wouldn't be surprised by a giant talking turtle either way.]

[He doesn't reply verbally, but dips his head as both a gesture of acknowledgement and a request to enter.]

[It's the first time she's seen someone react to her like she's a threat, and that gives her a moment of pause. To most people, super-hearing is a parlour trick, or indeed, something that's treated with revulsion, but no one has immediately thought enemy; they go through the phase of she's a mutant first, and run away, or her father's influence makes sure they treat her politely.]

[She can see fine in the poor light, and once she's focused on him her head tilts slightly in curiosity - she didn't expect a giant talking turtle, but she isn't that put-off or pushed away by one. Stepping towards the window, she unlatches it and then retreats, an allowance for him to enter once he feels safe enough to do so.]

[She steps closer, and Leonardo is sure at this point that if she hadn't been able to see him before then she certainly can now - but all she does is unlatch the window and move away. Almost immediately, he feels himself begin to relax. Having hardly a flare of reaction to his appearance goes a long way.]

[He politely waits several moments, then pushes the window open and steps inside, sliding it closed behind him. The lamp seems to swallow him into its light, turning his skin a warm green and outlining the twin katana on his shell. He can't help but feel exposed as he walks forward into this mysterious woman's office. It's a familiar feeling - walking the edge of an alliance in an ambiguous domain. He can only hope this one will work out better than the last.]

[Leonardo pauses at a humble distance from her, and then dips forward in a deeply respectful bow.]

Leonardo. It's an honor to finally meet you, Miss St. Croix.

[and he certainly means it. While he's cautious by nature, he has nothing but regard for her thus far.]

[She's seen mutants of various shapes and sizes, and after meeting a four-foot tall goblin today really nothing is going to surprise her. Once Leo's in the light she looks over him approvingly - eyes resting on the katanas, perhaps assessing how fast he can draw the weapons and close the distance between them. It wouldn't matter either way - she's invulnerable - but it's a fact that might be useful to know.]

[She inclines her head politely. If she were in the mood, she'd tease him by holding out her hand for him to kiss, but as it stands she simply offers a handshake.]

Likewise, Leonardo.

[He waits quietly as she looks him over in the proper light. It's an experience that never gets any more comfortable, and without quite meaning to, his own eyes scan the darker reaches of the room for danger - or escape routes.]

[He's no fool: she holds the cards in this meeting. In no short part due to his offering her what few left he possessed. It's a gamble he's confident enough to take, but then, his brother always did say he was a bit too trusting.]

[Nothing for it now. When she offers a handshake, his gaze returns to her, and he allows a smile as he extends his own three-fingered hand to grasp hers.]

Glad your secretary could pencil me in after all.

[The nearest escape route is out by the window. There's a very small air vent in the corner: big enough for a normal sized turtle, not mutant ones. No thanks to Jaime Madrox and Layla Miller, Monet's well familiar with noir tropes; she's not about to fall into a plot hole.]

[The other exit is the front door, which is visible down the corridor. It's closed, and at this distance the area is dark enough for Leo to blend in.]

[Monet's handshake is cordial and professional. While her grip is far firmer than any other young lady her age she knows her own strength. After that, she gestures not to the seat opposite, but the one next to her, where Layla'd sat all day. It's within striking range if Leo draws his katana, and she hopes it's a sufficient show of trust that he can lower his guard.]

Now, what do you have for me?

[It only takes him a moment to catalogue the escape routes, and a second more to conclude that they're just about as straightforward as is possible. Either this place isn't designed to live up to its title as a chessmaster's domain, or its owner is confident enough in her own abilities that she doesn't deem such measures necessary.]

[He'll assume the former for now.]

[She motions him towards a close-sitting chair, an apparent olive branch that he accepts without fuss. He turns it towards her and scoots it back a bit before sitting down; still within reasonable reaction distance, but far enough for him to lean forward and steeple his hands without getting in her personal space.]

You see what I am. I'm sure you can guess what I do. I'm more interested in what you want.

[charity is nice and well, but a little unenterprising for someone of her intellect.]

[He assumes correctly. That and Monet just isn't expecting to be attacked or robbed. There's little of value in the office, she doesn't even keep the cash here.]

[She sits back in her chair and crosses one leg over the other, waiting for him to speak or move... and it's an open ended question. She can give him any number of answers that'd all be true (and a few would be lies) but she has a feeling he wouldn't appreciate it much, and she doesn't want to alienate somebody she's trying to trust.]

I want to go home.

[She purses her lips faintly, indicating this is a far less innocuous statement than her tone suggests.]

Since we've no idea when we disappear, the quickest way is to get rid of Tall, Dark, and Walked Out of a Cheap Horror Movie. Hence [she gestures to the stack of files on the table.]

[His eyes flick to the files and then back to her in quick succession. There's not much more than that to indicate his train of thought, except for the lines tightening slightly around his eyes, and the slight kneading of his folded hands.]

[Her goal is simple. On his way here, he'd conjured up all sorts of scenarios in his mind: this was a front, he'd been sure, for something deeper and perhaps morally gray. He came here hoping to explore their alliance and, if appropriate, strengthen it by laying a foundation in business. But if she's to be believed... maybe this needn't be so complicated as a game of chess.]

[Maybe.]

[A few more heartbeats pass, and then Leo tilts his head curiously, his hands lowering from his face so that his mouth is visible.]

You're keeping as many ears to the ground as you can. Kedan included.

[That's the conclusion he's drawing, anyway, and his tone is approving.]

[It's a front, but a simple one. Monet herself liked to build up the image that she was the brains of the outfit - she had a genius level intellect to back it up - but she vastly preferred being glorified muscle. As much as she likes chess, the real world wasn't a game, wasn't simple. As much as she liked to give Madrox lip, she was loyal to him, and his goal was to help people, that was as black and white as it got, for her. Even her own goal... why make enemies when she could make allies? - there weren't mutants here specifically, just people who'd been made victims of something they had no power to control.]

[They'd been victimised and left powerless. She can't stand for that - the wound is too close to her own heart to ignore.]

[His silence is refreshing, and she speaks after a half-beat.]

My own ears can only do so much.

[A small smile.]

And it's useful to know who's here and what they're willing to do. Money is a powerful motivator.

[Leo's mouth twitches upward in a smile, and just like that, his firm countenance breaks into one considerably more relaxed. He pulls himself straighter in the chair, placing his elbows on the armrests. It's a markedly less guarded position overall.]

Never had much use for it myself. [A good-humored dismissal, almost an inside joke. When you spend your whole life either scavenging for food, stealing it, or accepting freebies from your human friends, money doesn't hold a lot of swing over you.]

Besides... [his gaze drifts to the side, contemplative. After a beat, he snaps it back to Monet, his mouth thinning.] I've got all the motivation I need. Brothers, waiting for me at home.

[It's his silent offer: count me in.]

Making life difficult for me?

[She uses people where she can; there's those she can't bribe, bully, or sway to her own side, Monet doesn't mind seeking them out. She'd vastly prefer their goals aligned with hers.]

How long have you been here, anyway?

One year... give or take.

[Said without much hesitation. Of course, he doesn't feel the need to bring up that his lamenting a one-year anniversary with metaphors was what led to them meeting in the first place. No one needs to know that.]

One ye—

[The shock is out before she can disguise it, and she does her best to be a bit more restrained.]

I'm sorry.

[Her reaction earns a wry smile from Leo. He hadn't been expecting her sympathy, but it doesn't surprise him, and it's pleasant to hear from her.]

I only wish I'd been able to spend more of it being useful... but it's all the more reason to keep things moving. I'll help you out wherever I can.

Being away from family isn't easy, and frankly there's not much we do know about the summoning process. Now that the former Emperor is dead, I doubt we'll get much information about it.

[She thinks it's the key to going home, and she trails off, uncertain where to go next.]

[It's Leo's turn to let his reaction run away before he can control it; his face sours, jaw shifting as it clenches. It lasts only a moment before his expression smooths out, but his voice nonetheless carries a strained note when he responds.]

People are still being summoned here thanks to her failsafes. There has to be something that keeps it going.

[Instructions, charms, magical tools, whatever. A whole system can't just survive off of nothing forever, right?]

[She didn't expect her words to trigger something that deep in Leo - her expression and body language both soften.]

My sources say our opponent uses blood magic; it's possible she did too. It appears particularly potent in this world.

[It's certainly not her fault - Leo's had a brother come back recently, and neither of them are entirely happy about the circumstances under which it happened. But he leaves it behind quickly, and at her next statement, he raises an eye ridge that is not at all approving of the concept.]

Can't say I've ever had the pleasure of running into blood magic in my world. Mind giving me a crash course?

[Even if it sounds pretty self-explanatory. And very very ominous.]

[She laughs, more because she's a bit tired and exasperated by the whole concept at this point.]

I would if I knew anything about it, [shaking her head] but we can't go wrong if we guess that blood or sacrifices are involved with the spells - I don't know if they'd use circles or symbols. Before we arrived they probably used kedan. Now... those dead clones have to go somewhere. A mutant's blood? Or a metahuman's? Who knows what that does to the process?

...and who knows what our enemy could do with it. [He leans forward again, eyes narrowing.] Okay. We're obviously out of our element here, but you've got the right idea. The kedan are the only window we have into this world... and apparently, the Foreigners are the only ones with the power to change it.

[Gently, she corrects:] Is doing with it - kedan blood, anyway. There was some nasty business with a few cults about half a year ago, [she had to stalk a few kedan for some weeks but it was information well worth it. She sighs, softly.] I spoke to Messieurs Temeraire and Enjolras. From what they said [and she read their minds, or tried as much as she could, but she has no clue whether Leo would necessarily suspect her of that or not] it needs something from us. Fear, or turbulence.

Edited 2014-02-23 10:41 (UTC)

[He nods his agreement, because he had indeed followed the train of thought to its inevitable destination: their blood. If Foreigner blood could be used for more powerful magic, as their pet theory went, then it's unfathomable what their enemy would be able to do if he got his hands on it. Leonardo has never been particularly adept when it comes to magic, but he does know that this is something that is bad.]

And they're friends of yours? [He recognizes Temeraire's name, at least, but the secondary question is still clear: does she view them as trustworthy?]

[She gives him a smile that says oh you sweet summer child.]

Do you think I'm the sort to have friends?

[Okay, he set himself up for that one.]

Point taken.

003 ♛ video

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