InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Hey, Dr. Badass!"

Bethany Richards (hard_edge) wrote in free_form2,
@ 2008-06-02 23:28:00

Current mood:

stressed

Drowning Her Sorrows
The truth was that Bethany had been a little more ruffled by her arrest than she’d allowed the government agent to see and she felt the best way to deal with the nerves was by getting herself a drink.

But she didn’t go to any old bar, she went to a well known if not ridiculously priced cocktail bar that catered to some of the biggest names in Vegas. With contacts like Bethany’s it wasn’t hard to get yourself into a place like that, the only tricky thing was catching the bartender’s attention for long enough to get your drink.

And her mood was not as good as it could have been, given that she was still nursing a slight concussion and the bruises had blossomed into vivid colour. They wouldn’t be there for long, she knew that, but they were there and that was enough to put her ill at ease.

She tapped her nails against the metallic surface of the bar, hearing them click in subsequent rhythmic motions, impatience and irritation clear in the tune they played out. It finally took her reaching across the bar and tangling her fingers in his collar for him to look at her. “I’ve been waiting twenty minutes for you to get your act together and frankly my patience for your ineptitude has worn rather thin.”

The bartender blinked and looked much like a deer caught in headlights. “Can I… uh, take your order?”

“Better,” Bethany purred. “Dirty Martini.” She untangled her fingers and pushed him back across the bar. “Let’s see how quick you can do your job.” She gave a sweet smile tinged with danger. “Ready. Set. Go.” Her eyebrows lifted with the last word and she watched with some amusement as he scrambled to make her drink.

She shook back her hair and tilted her neck into her hand, closing her eyes as she blocked out the world around her. Not that she could ignore the sensation of being watched, it was a cold indifferent gaze. That much she could tell by how the hairs across the back of her neck rose and stood on edge.

God, she hated feeling on edge all the time.

Bethany needed to relax and then see if she couldn’t find somebody who knew anything about where captives were taken, see if there was a way in. She’d slaughter anybody who stood in her way. She had made mistakes by being too rash and too impulsive in the past, she wasn’t about to make the same decisions and risk everything.

The drink was settled in front of her and Bethany ate the olive first before she indulged herself in the alcohol itself.

[Thread: Open to Darian]

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sinister_darian
2008-06-03 07:32 am UTC (link)

Darian was not a mood swing man. It wasn't that he lacked extremes. He simply stuck to them for weeks, months, or years at a time. The better half of the 20th century had been spent in relative indifference. This being said, his most recent mood could be deemed 'provocative'. He had developed an aptitude for being the finger that struck the first domino, just to cause chains of events. It was the adult, demonized version of being meddlesome. This would likely continue until he grew bored of his newfound ability to stir up shit-storms without recrimination. When that was likely to happen, who knew?

Take for instance Project Integration.

The Dealmaker entered Davey's Locker relatively unopinionated on the subject, so long as it didn't interrupt his business or personal life. Then walked up the former marine. GW Robichaux committed a simple act of patriotism (which had become cowardice, by Darian's way of thinking, the minute the Cajun refused to see his 'captive' out to the transport vehicle). What resulted from Darian's unexpected acquiescence was a hostile takeover of the government vehicle, followed by a tip-off to the media.

He was looking forward to seeing how it all turned out. The bigger the scale of chaos, the more likely it would land in the plus column.

One way or another, it was no longer any skin off his back.

The night he found Bethany in an upscale martini lounge, the Beacon's story had barely hit the stands. The demon walked up behind her and braced his palms on the bar, blocking her inside. "Hey."

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hard_edge
2008-06-03 04:54 pm UTC (link)

Bethany jumped and her head turned sharply at the sound of Darian's voice. "Darian?" She asked, eyes wide and full with confusion. Her table at home was filled with papers upon papers, with plans and weapons as paperweights, all of which strategised a way in which to get into any facility and out without alerting anybody to their presence.

She turned and the stool swivelled with her. "I thought..." She'd practically killed her way through the crowd to get to the Cajun and had left her mark on him. Without really thinking Bethany curled her arms around his neck and practically crushed him against her chest, stealing a kiss a few seconds later. She noticed the beard and her thumb ran along it after she'd pulled away once she was happy he was alive and well.

Bethany looked at Darian closely, letting him see what she had felt when she'd watched him get taken away. "I should have known better." Of course Darian would be okay but Bethany had reacted instinctively rather than rationally at the time. "I wasn't thinking." She'd acted, killing several.

"Do you want a drink?"

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sinister_darian
2008-06-03 05:22 pm UTC (link)

Under the attentions of Bethany, who'd instantaneously gone from scary to crushingly affectionate, he smiled in his tight way and put an arm around her back. For her remark about knowing better, he said, "I'd rather you didn't. I'm enjoying the concern." Especially if the dividends kept paying over the coming hours. At the raid, the blonde Slayer watched as he got carted off without so much as a skirmish, which may've been confusing (given his temper) but must have been worrying.

As to her query about a drink, he answered, "In a moment. I'm looking at you."

Darian leaned back and exhaled. His eyes roamed her face at will, stalling at her mouth. Bruises aside, she looked good. He nuzzled her ear. "Tell me you snapped his neck."

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hard_edge
2008-06-03 05:27 pm UTC (link)

Bethany's lips softened, a startling contrast to the sneer that had been painting them a few moments ago. Her eyes closed and her arms wound back around Darian, holding him tight.

"I would have," she murmured softly. "If his friends hadn't come along and helped him out." Bethany reached up and threaded her hands into Darian's hair, relief clear in her eyes. "I guess I won't need my plan of attack after all. Even if it was somewhat lacking without an actual designation."

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sinister_darian
2008-06-03 06:05 pm UTC (link)

Darian's hands skirted her hips. "You might not need it, but it could still be fun." He smiled. It was a nice idea, but getting a lock on location was probably the easiest part of an infiltration. Darian had wrecked the van before getting to the party, but he probably wouldn't have gained entry. Security measures on government installations had come a long way. He guessed that even a demon who could teleport might wind up stuck halfway through the ether. Nothing about that option appealed.

"However," he said, taking the stool to her left. "Their location might not matter for long." He ordered a drink from the bartender, who had become expertly attentive.

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	hard_edge 2008-06-03 06:19 pm UTC (link)
	As Darian settled so did Bethany, sliding one leg over the other. "No?" She asked, having not seen the Beacon's front page story because of spending a large majority of her time in police and federal custody. "I've been a little out of the loop." Bethany finished off what remained of her drink. "What am I missing?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sinister_darian
2008-06-03 07:12 pm UTC (link)

"The local paper. By tomorrow, probably all of them."

The Clark County Beacon's star reporter didn't publish his footage the moment he filmed it. Instead, he did the intelligent thing. He spent a few days researching, piecing together previous Las Vegas oddities. In the end, his news story had only the footage of the government transport vehicle as solid evidence, but he added a lot of valuable speculation. It would be, in the Dealmaker's estimation, a breaking news sensation.

"After the raid, one of the government vehicles crashed on the interstate ramp. The back door got opened. A reporter caught the captives on tape."

Had the martini lounge been the sort of establishment to have televisions, it was likely that news coverage would've interrupted regular programming. All Darian and Bethany heard was low music.

"I expect the video's gone viral," he said. "The government's going to need a reactionary press release." Darian swallowed his drink and kept his face blank. He did not consider his role traitorous. He was as 'supernatural' a creature as the next. He expected that going public would result in either partial disclosure or complete denial (with 'proof' of video fraud). Either way, he considered it better than going into lockdown in a government facility.

Darian's scope was admittedly narrow. He didn't consider it likely that the government would consider 'full disclosure', or that their hand might be forced. Neither did he care that there were some for whom 'disclosure' would be utter disaster. Nevermind such catastrophes as the 1938 radio reading of 'War of the Worlds'.

Should public outcry endanger lives, he was arrogant enough to assume (whether wrong or right) that he had nothing to worry about.

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hard_edge
2008-06-04 12:53 am UTC (link)

Bethany listened to Darian and her brow drew together as he revealed what he knew and she sat back a little, trying to take it in. She turned and ordered herself another drink, figuring she might need it. "Sounds like the shit might be about to hit the fan." Bethany wondered how the government would react to that sort of publicity and found herself considering the other supernaturals and what might happen as a result of this.

"It might get ugly," she muttered thoughtfully. "Depending on how the government and the world at large reacts." Bethany paused for a moment. "Some creatures might choose to embark on murderous rampages given that they no longer need to hide and where better than to make their presence known than Vegas? Others might run. But then there are those who might dig in their heels and refuse to be moved, there are a lot of American citizens amongst the monsters that hide in shadow."

Bethany took a sip of her drink. "I'm sure the government will find a way in which to deal with the sudden exposure. Can you imagine what they could say if the supernatural world stood up and did not allow itself to be swept under the carpet? The only worrying thing would be the public, not sure how well they might react to the news."

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sinister_darian
2008-06-04 04:37 am UTC (link)

Darian shrugged a shoulder noncommittally. "And maybe they'll claim it's a fake." He sipped his drink. "I was more or less aiming for an expose' on covert government programs. If the press can put enough pressure on the government... or governments... they might be forced to shut down their experiment before it goes public."

His impromptu van crash wasn't suggested to him by Elfleda, but he did know the Corruptress thought the Project was an unnecessary and unwanted intrusion into their territory. Whatever resulted, she was likely to approve.

"Right now, I think the public's more angry with the government for hiding it than afraid of it being true. Of course, I'm not a human," he allowed. "Perhaps I misjudge."

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hard_edge
2008-06-04 04:48 am UTC (link)

"Humans tend to do the unpredictable," Bethany shared. "It's the one thing you can count on them for."

She probably shouldn't be drinking with a concussion but what Bethany should do and what she did do were never exactly the same. Bethany finished off her drink and simply pushed the empty glass back over the bar, smiling sweetly as the somewhat nervous bartender collected it on his way past.

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sinister_darian
2008-06-04 05:02 am UTC (link)

The Dealmaker didn't know whether Bethany thought exposing the Project was a positive or negative thing. He thought it likely that she'd reserve judgment until things shook out a bit and she could tell if it would help or hinder her. He wouldn't deny his involvement if directly asked. Neither would he offer up the information. The video was fairly anonymous, revealing little more than Darian's jaw beneath the cap brim. The only person who'd actually seen him in the driver's seat was Grace, and the reporter David Fuller didn't know his identity.

Darian went further into his drink.

"If it all goes public, I can boost revenue at the Ring. Curiosity's going to draw people." He tossed the rest of the bourbon back and set his glass down. "How are you managing the club's closing?"

Darian reached over and rested his hand on her thigh.

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hard_edge
2008-06-04 05:15 am UTC (link)

He was right about that, Bethany would wait and see. She didn't believe in judging something until she'd seen some kind of response, she'd learnt that method in her dealings with other people and their business. Darian's involvement would stay between himself and Bethany, she wasn't about to offer her lover up to the lions if they decided to gather.

"It's frustrating," she shared with a wry smile. "I currently have lawyers fighting for the reinstatement of my licence." Bethany sighed and reached down, threading her fingers through Darian's. "Hopefully I should hear something soon. For now, I'm kepeing busy and maintaining the club's upkeep for when I reopen its doors." No question of it just when.

Bethany turned her head. "I might swing by the ring. Blow off some steam."

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sinister_darian
2008-06-04 05:46 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, interesting thing about that." Darian's thumb made circles on her skin. "My business partner joined the federal payroll." He cocked his eyebrows. It was difficult for him to imagine how that looked in debriefings... Grace with her feet kicked up on the conference table while a figurehead spouted propaganda like a neo-nazi. "She says it's nothing to worry about. We'll see." His tone suggested cynicism. More than any suspicion that the vampire would rat out the operation, he worried that they'd follow her connections right to it.

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hard_edge
2008-06-04 05:58 am UTC (link)

Bethany's eyebrow lifted. "Now there's a turn up for the books."

She wouldn't have pegged Grace for an easy mark and she'd thought Grace had more disrespect for authority than that. Perhaps there was more to it than first met the eye? Stranger things had happened.

Darian's thumb brought about a softer side in Bethany, clearly shown by how her eyes closed and she leaned into him. "Never hurts to be cautious," she muttered softly.

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sinister_darian
2008-06-04 06:16 am UTC (link)

"Cautious?" With a hand raised, he stayed the refill that was offered to him. When the bartender left, he added, "I'm already in disguise, what else would you suggest?" The semi-joke referred to his informal clothes and beard growth. It was as far outside the box as Darian went.

Another man joined them at the bar, but he had the decency to slide onto a stool farther down the line.

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	hard_edge 2008-06-04 06:29 am UTC (link)
	Bethany opened her eyes and offered Darian a smile. "I had noticed. Quite a change." She reached out again and ran her thumb along his beard. "It suits you." Her eyes took in the man that had joined them at the bar then she allowed her attention to return to Darian, keeping the other guy in her peripheral vision. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

sinister_darian
2008-06-05 04:25 am UTC (link)

"I wouldn't go that far." He ran his thumb and forefinger over the beard growth. It no longer itched, but that only meant it took Darian by surprise when he looked in the mirror. He took some money out of his coat and paid for the drinks. He was too keyed up to spend all night drinking in an isolated martini lounge. Call it morbid curiosity; he needed to know what was going on outside. "What are your plans for the night?"

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	hard_edge 2008-06-05 04:51 am UTC (link)
	Bethany chuckled at Darian's comments before she tipped her head, thinking over what she might have had planned for the evening before Darian had appeared. "I didn't really think about getting a drink," she admitted with a smirk. "Shall we get out of here?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	sinister_darian 2008-06-05 07:33 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah." Darian half-turned on his stool and looked past her, to the street beyond the door. Right now, it felt like he'd conducted an enormous science experiment and wasn't able to watch the results. "I want to get a feel for things. You're welcome to join." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	hard_edge 2008-06-09 12:45 am UTC (link)
	Bethany tipped her head to one side in thought and then nodded. "Why not? I always did love spectator sports." She slid off her stool and rose to her full height plus about five inches with the heels. Bethany slid her arm through Darian's. "Let's take to the streets of Vegas, see if we can't find out what's happening as a result of your endeavour." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	sinister_darian 2008-06-09 07:21 am UTC (link)
	END THREAD (Reply to this) (Parent)