"Wolfe seems legit," Valentina said, keeping her eyes from the camera embedded in the wall. "Arrogant and cocky, but more or less legit."
"Legit in what sense?" IC asked as she leaned back in her chair. "As in he's got the brawns to punch Sleep out of a tight spot? Or as in he's got the special skill set needed for this particular predicament Sleep finds himself in?"
"The latter. He assures me that Sleep is perfectly safe with him." Valentina didn't look so sure.
"How can you be sure, Ms. Ash?" IC asked with a raised eyebrow. Was there something she had missed about this girl? Like she did (yes, she had to admit that) when they first met? Maybe it was the fact that her kind entirely reconstructed that threw her sense off, a sense that hadn't failed her since she had discovered it. She shrugged inwardly. More investigation was needed, obviously. "And does he... _know_ about you?"
"He knows something." Valentina looked uneasy. "I don't know what." Literally. She didn't know her own origin herself, or exactly what she was.
A frown slid across IC's smooth forehead. Suddenly she pushed the papers she had been working on together and stood. "Let's go _out_ for lunch," she said pointedly and grabbed her purse and light coat.
"Yes ma'am." Valentina was ready already, her ubiquitous leather jacket still on. She never carried a bag or anything like that. She traveled light, wherever she went.
Going out for lunch really just entailed leaving the building and crossing the street. However, IC chose not her favourite restaurant but one she hardly ever set foot in. For one, she hated the scotch they served in this place. And then there was this horribly sterile and cold decor... At least it provided anonymity and relative safety, simply because it was a big place, open and easy to overlook. And it wasn't bugged.
Once they were shown to a table, IC let Valentina choose her seat to best do her job before she sat herself. Then she leaned her elbows on the table and put her steepled finger to her chin. "You do realise what exactly I was asking about regarding Wolfe?" she came right to the point.
"He's not human and he knows we're not too," Valentina said bluntly. "I think he can smell it on people. If he knows what we are, he didn't say." She shrugged.
"I see..." IC said slowly and tapped her fingers against her chin in thought. "I think I'd like to meet him. Do you think him dangerous?"
"Absolutely," Valentina replied. "But that's not always a bad thing."
"Very true. But I didn't necessarily mean dangerous in the form of a physical attack." She pursed her lips, then placed her hands flat on the table. "I mean, can he be trusted? Is he a loyal dog or is he a rat...? It's the attitude I'm worried about. Not all of our kind keep quiet about our kind and therefore put us all in danger."
"I think he can be trusted, as much as any man can. I'll arrange a meeting. He could even be useful." Connections were always useful, if you just used them the right way.
IC smirked at the comment about men. "Good one, that..." She sipped on the glass of water the waitress had placed on the table when they had sat. "Yes, a meeting would be good. I like to know what or who I'm dealing with. And once I know I have a better idea on exactly how he can be useful..." Then she leaned back when the waitress approached their table. "Hungry?" she asked Valentina.
"I could eat." Especially on someone else's dollar.
"Two lunch specials," IC ordered, knowing quick and light would be best. "And why don't you call Mr. Wolfe in the meantime to arrange a meeting. See if he'd like to come on a little stroll in the park."
Out in the open, where no one could hide. It was both the best place and the worst. Valentina nodded and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She watched for dangers while she waited for the call to connect.
The sandwiches with a side of salad greens and a choice of dressings were served quickly, a surefire sign that everything was prepared ahead of time in anticipation of the lunch crowd flooding the restaurants from the surrounding office towers. IC poked at her salad, waiting for the outcome of Valentina's call.
It didn't take long. Valentina pressed end and nodded. "Central Park, The Pond, in an hour," she put away her phone and started eating.
IC nodded. "Great." And they finished their meal.
Mirren H - Valentina Ash
Myr S - IC Rowley
"Legit in what sense?" IC asked as she leaned back in her chair. "As in he's got the brawns to punch Sleep out of a tight spot? Or as in he's got the special skill set needed for this particular predicament Sleep finds himself in?"
"The latter. He assures me that Sleep is perfectly safe with him." Valentina didn't look so sure.
"How can you be sure, Ms. Ash?" IC asked with a raised eyebrow. Was there something she had missed about this girl? Like she did (yes, she had to admit that) when they first met? Maybe it was the fact that her kind entirely reconstructed that threw her sense off, a sense that hadn't failed her since she had discovered it. She shrugged inwardly. More investigation was needed, obviously. "And does he... _know_ about you?"
"He knows something." Valentina looked uneasy. "I don't know what." Literally. She didn't know her own origin herself, or exactly what she was.
A frown slid across IC's smooth forehead. Suddenly she pushed the papers she had been working on together and stood. "Let's go _out_ for lunch," she said pointedly and grabbed her purse and light coat.
"Yes ma'am." Valentina was ready already, her ubiquitous leather jacket still on. She never carried a bag or anything like that. She traveled light, wherever she went.
Going out for lunch really just entailed leaving the building and crossing the street. However, IC chose not her favourite restaurant but one she hardly ever set foot in. For one, she hated the scotch they served in this place. And then there was this horribly sterile and cold decor... At least it provided anonymity and relative safety, simply because it was a big place, open and easy to overlook. And it wasn't bugged.
Once they were shown to a table, IC let Valentina choose her seat to best do her job before she sat herself. Then she leaned her elbows on the table and put her steepled finger to her chin. "You do realise what exactly I was asking about regarding Wolfe?" she came right to the point.
"He's not human and he knows we're not too," Valentina said bluntly. "I think he can smell it on people. If he knows what we are, he didn't say." She shrugged.
"I see..." IC said slowly and tapped her fingers against her chin in thought. "I think I'd like to meet him. Do you think him dangerous?"
"Absolutely," Valentina replied. "But that's not always a bad thing."
"Very true. But I didn't necessarily mean dangerous in the form of a physical attack." She pursed her lips, then placed her hands flat on the table. "I mean, can he be trusted? Is he a loyal dog or is he a rat...? It's the attitude I'm worried about. Not all of our kind keep quiet about our kind and therefore put us all in danger."
"I think he can be trusted, as much as any man can. I'll arrange a meeting. He could even be useful." Connections were always useful, if you just used them the right way.
IC smirked at the comment about men. "Good one, that..." She sipped on the glass of water the waitress had placed on the table when they had sat. "Yes, a meeting would be good. I like to know what or who I'm dealing with. And once I know I have a better idea on exactly how he can be useful..." Then she leaned back when the waitress approached their table. "Hungry?" she asked Valentina.
"I could eat." Especially on someone else's dollar.
"Two lunch specials," IC ordered, knowing quick and light would be best. "And why don't you call Mr. Wolfe in the meantime to arrange a meeting. See if he'd like to come on a little stroll in the park."
Out in the open, where no one could hide. It was both the best place and the worst. Valentina nodded and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. She watched for dangers while she waited for the call to connect.
The sandwiches with a side of salad greens and a choice of dressings were served quickly, a surefire sign that everything was prepared ahead of time in anticipation of the lunch crowd flooding the restaurants from the surrounding office towers. IC poked at her salad, waiting for the outcome of Valentina's call.
It didn't take long. Valentina pressed end and nodded. "Central Park, The Pond, in an hour," she put away her phone and started eating.
IC nodded. "Great." And they finished their meal.
Mirren H - Valentina Ash
Myr S - IC Rowley
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