Betrayal Who: Noah/NPC Evelyn (Written By Char) What: A deal Where: Las Vegas, the Rabbit Hole When: Present Ratings/Warnings: Low-ish
The longer she was alive, the more Evelyn appreciated places like the Rabbit Hole. Quiet corners out of the way of prying eyes and human affairs. There was also the value of networking places like these afforded. Over many years, Evelyn learned the ways a quiet word to the right person in the corner of the room led to introductions of people of skill and use. Such was the method that arranged her appointment tonight. Evelyn hadn’t spoken to him directly but a few conversations a few nights ago had led to someone offering he "might know someone who knows someone who helps with that." Much of the cloak and dagger affair wasn't truly needed as the task Evelyn had in mind wasn't dangerous or even overly difficult.
She sat at a table in the corner, simply dressed in a green dress and a few delicate golden necklaces, sipping a martini and waiting.
Noah was provided with a name and general physical description of the woman he would be meeting tonight, though the nature of said business was unknown to him. The meeting was to take place at the Rabbit Hole, a venue that he was more than comfortable in. The little burrows and warrens inside the club were like a second home. It didn’t take him long to locate an elegant-looking brunette with a martini glass.
He took a seat across the table from her, the low lighting catching a glint of gold from her jewelry. “Evelyn?”
"Hello." Evelyn extended a hand, shaking Noah's politely. "Thank you for meeting me. I'm sure your time is valuable, I'll try not to take too much of it."
He returned the handshake, inwardly amused at the amount of civility. “That’s appreciated.” Noah was drinking some concoction offered to him by an adventurous bartender, an experimentation involving top-shelf vodka and a ‘secret ingredient’. Ever the risk taker, he accepted it and sipped from it now. “What are you looking for?” The pyrokinetic studied her from across the table. She was beautiful, there was no denying it, and there was something about her high cheekbones and honey brown eyes that felt familiar.
"Nothing too complicated. Something I don't have the skill to do myself. I'm looking for someone." Evelyn produced a handbag from beneath the table. It was a simple shape in leather and only the designer insignia on the clasp revealed it's value. She retrieved a paper from inside and laid it on the table between them.
The page was clearly a printout of a Facebook photo. In the center a couple in formal wear smiled brightly beside a gaudy flower arrangement. The people in the background were similarly dressed, including a pair just beyond the main couple's left shoulder. The onlookers were a handsome man with well-groomed facial hair in a three-piece suit and a pixie-haired woman in a tuxedo and red lipstick, her crisp white shirt unbuttoned low enough to reveal a pixelated collection of tattoos on her chest.
Noah looked at the picture, his face betraying nothing even as he recognized the people in the background. Something internal did something funny, a weird swooping feeling that he couldn’t quite interpret. “You’ll have to be more specific,” he told her. “Which someone should I be looking at?’ The pyrokinetic wondered when the photo was taken.
"Ah." A fingertip reached out and tapped the woman with the pixie cut. "Her. We've lost touch. I'd like to reconnect."
"Heartwarming,” Noah commented, leaning back in his chair and spinning his glass by its stem as he contemplated. He thought of the last time he had seen Ro, the words he had lobbied against her, a verbal tactical onslaught meant to break what semblance of connection they had, the dependence. What were the odds of a job bringing him back into her orbit? Either way, he knew she wouldn’t be happy. He had to decide if he cared or not.
“So, just a location job?” The pyrokinetic decided to test the waters. “You’re not wanting her...taken care of?”
If Evelyn was surprised by the offer, it didn't show on her face besides a brief ticking of an eyebrow. "Not necessary. Just her location."
Noah was quiet for a long moment, and covered it by working on his strange drink. The taste was acceptable, but there was a strange sensation that occurred afterward, a bubbly, light kind of feeling that he was in no way used to. He even broke into a rare smile. “You’re in luck, then. I happen to know her.”
"How convenient," Evelyn said and sipped her martini.. Not surprising in a place like this. Theirs was a small community. "In that case some background information would be helpful. Your impressions, perhaps? In addition to how to find her, home address, etc cetera. Also what name is she using these days? The one I have is probably...out of date."
“That’s a lot of questions, considering I haven’t seen any money yet.” Noah leaned in, smiling. He studied her closely as if trying to solve a complex puzzle. The gaze he gave her wasn’t leering. There was something going on behind his dark eyes, though it would be hard for most people to put a name to it. Finally, the pyrokinetic spoke again.
“Are you like her?”
"Always discuss the terms and conditions up front. Speaking of, I'll need assurances of your discretion since you're familiar with her. Don't want to ruin my surprise. I assume there will be a fee for that."
Evelyn sipped her drink before answering. "That's a personal question. Reveals something about your relationship. Are you sure you want to help?" It was not a denial.
Noah chuckled and drummed his fingers against the table. “I wouldn’t have been recommended to you if I didn’t know how to handle myself.” He decided to dangle a little morsel of information. The first taste was always free, after all. “She never wants to speak to or see me again. I made sure of that.”
A slow smile spread across Evelyn's face. "What an interesting offer this must be for you. You let me know what you need and if you want to know what I am, I'm sure we can negotiate."
He liked to write down amounts rather than say them out loud. It carried a certain gravitas that he liked. Noah pulled out a pen and a cream-colored business card and flipped it around to the blank back, scrawling a number on it and sliding it toward Evelyn. “I need half up front and half after,” the pyrokinetic told her.
“And she goes by Ro now.” He clicked the pen closed. “That one was for free.” If she wanted to play coy, he couldn’t stop her. He could, too.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow, her facade cracking a little to show something like disapproval. "Ro? How unique."
The handbag made another appearance and after a few discrete moments fussing with something inside, she produced an envelope and handed it over.
He took the envelope in hand, weighing the thickness of it in his palm before untucking the flap. His fingertip ran over the bills, and after a moment, Noah nodded, apparently satisfying before tucking it away. “Ro is short for Arrow,” he elaborated. “She works as a pastry chef now. Makes a good breakfast.”
A pursed lip joined the eyebrow before Evelyn's face returned to its careful blank neutrality. "Good to know. And you were sleeping with her then? I'm not sure if that's more interesting to know about you or about her."
Noah shrugged lightly, aware whether he had slept with Ro or not was irrelevant to the job. Yet it seemed to be a point of interest to Evelyn. There was a personal connection, which only confirmed his suspicion that she might be an etheric, too. That was interesting. He had been wondering where another one might be lurking, and he’d be lying to himself if he didn’t think about the feelings Ro had elicited in him. The ones she insisted weren’t real. Just a drug.
“Do you care where she gets her food?”
"Not at all," Evelyn said casually. One fingertip tapped against the stem of her martini glass. "You had a relationship with her and now you're betraying her. I think it's interesting. That's all."
“Oof. Betrayal is such a loaded word.” Noah’s mouth edged into a smile, almost playful, though in the way a cat might be playful with a mouse. “So is relationship.” He tapped his fingers against the table. “And speaking of betrayal, you artfully dodged the question of how you know her, but I won’t hold that against you. I like guessing games.”
Evelyn shrugged slightly, a 'what can you do gesture. "Irrelevant but it's much less interesting than anything you're imagining, I'm sure."
There were several different options that Noah could see, just laid out before him for the taking. He could keep her money and warn Ro. He could string Evelyn along and draw out the job. Or he could give up everything he knew about the etheric vampire, sit back and watch the fallout. His smile widened.
“I’m sure. Is there anything else you’ll be needing?”
"No, thank you. You've been very helpful." Evelyn finished the last dregs of her martini. "We'll be in touch, I'm sure."