Who: JJ Monroe & Lina Okeanós What: We have an offer you can't refuse... When: Friday, 10 May 2019 | Early Afternoon Where: BACO's rental in Snowcap Warnings: Plot like whoa...
Lina was perhaps not quite so baffled as she was making herself out to be over the Head of BACO's decision to have her not only remain in Snowcap but also remain a member of the investigative team. It was another tick on her mental list confirming what suspicions she had about the way BACO was being run and the people of all ranks helping to run it that way, and yet it was actually still a little baffling because she couldn't figure out what purpose it was serving aside from those she and Zophie had discussed Wednesday. Speaking of, though she had not been privy to the phone calls, she knew Zophie had called her boss about the matter. However, she was still in the dark about what had gone on during the calls.
Despite having the 'okay' to remain she hadn't as of yet stepped foot on the reserve itself. Tensions were certainly still high and she doubted her presence would be at all welcomed if she were to try and do her job; and The New York Ghost's recent article certainly hadn't helped matters much. Feeling that the walls were starting to get a little claustrophobic, Lina decided a walk and fresh air would do her good, and if she avoided nearby residences and the reserve then she might not run into anyone who'd have a well-earned grudge against her.
Just as she was about to leave though there was a knock at the door. Lina frowned, and went to look through the spyhole—she didn't relish the thought of opening the door only for it to be Zophie's brother. Luckily it wasn't but she also didn't recognise the young woman on the other side. Opening the door she gave the young woman a small smile. "Hi. Can I help you?"
"Hi, Ms. Okeanós." She smiled brightly at the witch, and probably looked like someone selling something. "My name is Jayla Monroe, but everyone calls me JJ. I'm a trainee over an Brightstar. If you have a few minutes, would you mind if I come inside?"
Lina was perhaps justifiably a little wary of anyone visiting the house, and specifically anyone wishing to visit her. Despite her curiosity as to why a trainee of all people would visit she maintained a somewhat neutral expression. "Uh, of course, JJ. Please, come in," she said pleasantly, stepping aside and gesturing to inside with her arm. Closing the door behind them she directed JJ towards the living room. "Can I get you anything at all before we start?"
Glancing around, JJ took in the bland decorations that were typical for places like this. Tasteful. Utilitarian. Boring. She continued to smile as she headed in the direction Lina had indicated, but glanced back with an even broader grin. "Y'know, I would just love some water, if you don't mind."
"Not at all. I'll be right back," she said. "Take a seat. I won't be too long."
Lina headed straight for the kitchen, and quickly got a glass of water for JJ and herself. Though she took a moment to muse over the request—which had seemed innocuous enough, and yet she'd almost say that JJ was being too pleasant. With a shake of her head she returned to the living room assured that whatever the case was that she'd soon find out.
"Here you go," she said, handing over one of the glasses to JJ before taking a seat just opposite her. "So what can I do for you, JJ?"
Her fingers curled around the glass, but JJ didn't drink yet. Instead, she leaned forward, like they were old friends and she was about to dish out some juicy secret. "Oh, no. This isn't about you can do for me, Lina--may I call you Lina? I'm gonna call you Lina. We're about to get real friendly. Nah, this is all about what we can do for you. Y'see, I represent a certain... element that's worked very hard to make sure you stayed in Snowcap."
She sat back and conjured a brightly colored straw. It fizzed a little as she put it in, and the water turned a bubblegum pink. "You haven't made it easy, what with that little dust-up you managed to get yourself into with Mr. Wyrzykowski. Almost got yourself in a right pickle there. You have no idea what kind of strings we had to pull to keep you here. And to bury this--from legal types, I mean. Unfortunately, there's not much we can do for the wagging tongues at Brightstar, and you made quite a mess there."
Somehow Lina got the impression even if she tried insisting on being called Evelina that she would still be called by her familiar nickname. There was enough of a flicker of recollection when JJ mentioned 'a certain element' that she she couldn't disguise but beyond that there wasn't much of reaction aside from the slight surprise she effected at learning 'why' it was she still here. "I see," she drawled slightly, as the wheels and cogs in her mind turned over the new information.
Lina very nearly piped up with that she hadn't asked for their help. Instead she quietly sipped at her water as she listened to JJ. It made sense of the last couple of days, and raised questions all at the same time. "Yes... well, the truth was long overdue there, and I'm not going apologise for that," she responded. While the information was likely gleaned from the report she submitted to BACO on Monday it was clear that they certainly had their finger, or a few, on the pulse of what went on at Brightstar. "Though I have to say that you make it sound more like I owe you and yours for what you've done for me rather than that you're here to... offer what you can do for me."
For a moment she stared at her glass as she swirled the water around before looking up and across at JJ once more. "So what is it exactly that you can do for me?" she asked plainly. This was her moment to being one step closer to finding out more of the truth, and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to presenting herself as being any kind of pushover. "And what is it that I suspect I'll have to do in return?"
JJ held up her free hand. "Oh, darlin', believe me, we don't much care about the particulars of your past indiscretions. As far as we're concerned, we're much more invested in what you can do presently, in your current position. Y'see, you're really primed to make some significant policy changes at Brightstar, which interests us greatly. 'Cause, really, that's what we're here for at the end of the day, to establish places and spaces where similarly-gifted individuals much like yourself can grow and thrive, with all the rights that the AWC seems to think shouldn't be for you. We're here for you, Lina. So you don't have to hide. So no one has to hide."
It was like a crossroads demon's elevator pitch: sounded great on paper, but it cost something precious. JJ lifted a shoulder, the gesture off-hand. "I was just sent here to accelerate matters, make it finally visible enough to get on BACO's radar. My predecessor--hapless though he was--wasn't cuttin' it. We're on a timeline here. Wheels within wheels."
So simplistically put she was another cog in the machine to further whatever agenda it was they had. It certainly made a certain strategic sense considering what the BACO team was here to do, and indeed what her purpose here was. As she listened attentively, Lina wondered exactly what policies she'd be asked to put in place as she doubted she had any choice in that particular matter. Lina felt like pointing out the decision to hide was of her own making and not because of some law or policy, but she remained silent on that point. "That's certainly quite the lofty ambition," she commented, with a small smile and just enough interest and curiosity laced within her tone. "And certainly something myself, and I imagine others, would be very interested in seeing take place."
Lina was by no means stupid however, and knew that the illusion of choice she was being given was simply that—an illusion and nothing more. While she was certain she could deflect whatever the young witch decided to do if she disagreed or refused to help; the fact of the matter was that this was exactly the in she'd been looking for and to not take it would set her own personal investigation back considerably— if not entirely crash it altogether. "I see. What exactly might be expected of me in order to enact these policy changes?" she asked. "As I'm sure you're no doubt aware I'm not the one that's in charge of the current investigation, and to change that would raise too many questions that shouldn't be asked. I'm certainly... willing to help, of course, but I'm sure you understand that my suggesting, let alone enacting, any changes might be met with some opposition given current tensions towards myself at Brightstar."
Where before there had been an affected indifference, now JJ grinned brightly. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I was not looking forward to having to give you the same treatment you did to our dear, sweet Tony. Complete with life-destructive post hypnotic suggestion, of course. The irony would have been so very delicious. But now it's a moot point! Look, sugar, all you have to do is sit right pretty and wait for our word. Make a couple of suggestions here and there and push some paperwork along that might have otherwise stalled, and you'll be golden. We have a few strategic assets that are ready and set to go. But— the Devil's in the details, as they say. The less you have about the scope of our operations, the greater deniability you'll have. They look out for their own, Lina. We won't move against you unless you force our hand. And who do you think is going to believe you anyway, after what you did?"
Ah, there it was. The not so thinly veiled threat. Lina was confident she could've avoided such an encounter had she decided to refuse her cooperation. Unlike JJ she wasn't reliant on her wand for casting spells and the like, and she determined that regardless of it not being much of an ace in the hole that it was nonetheless one she wasn't going to prematurely reveal. Lina didn't have to pretend at being unamused and had pursed her lips at the threat and the comparison JJ made. "I suppose that'll be accomplished easily enough, or at least without too much trouble or raising any suspicions," she commented. She hated leaving Zophie in the lurch but she'd long ago decided she didn't want to jeopardise her friend's safety, and given the threat she would've been on the receiving end of it seemed a wholly justified idea now. "Hmm, it certainly makes strategic and logical sense—gives me plausible deniability and means that if I find trouble that it doesn't undermine or unduly jeopardise the operation."
Lina gave a slight snort of derision. "I'm quite well aware of my situation and the lack of trust people will have for me if they don't already," she replied, even while knowing it was a mostly rhetorical question. "As it is I don't see why I ought to feel the need to do such a thing when we both want the same thing after all. It would be a rather foolish move on my part." Same goals or not, Lina considerably preferred more altruistic methods compared to their methods of inciting terror and the like to make the point heard. She could only hope that however long it took for them to be dealt with that it wouldn't severely hinder any hopes of proper civil rights for beings and those of cross-lineages.
"Fantastic!" JJ chirped. She vanished her glass, and then cast something else that sent a cloud of glowing grey mist throughout the room and the way she came. It dissipated within seconds. Her wand was old and worn, very obviously second- or third-hand. There would be no evidence of her visit outside of Lina's memories. Standing, she continued to smile brightly at the other witch, and flicked her wand again. The air kind of shuddered as the standard anti-Apparation wards in places like this dropped. They'd come back online as soon as she was gone. "We're very excited to work with you, Ms. Lina, and we'll definitely be in touch. I have to say, while I sincerely hope it doesn't come to it, I'm really looking forward to seeing some of that wandless magic we know you can do."
She waved her fingers at Lina and gave a nonchalant shrug. "We'll be seein' ya! Oh, and just, y'know, FYI, there's eyes and ears all over. Might wanna watch what you say and to whom. Shouldn't be too much of a problem for you, though. You aren't exactly Miss Popular here, so it's not like you'll make friends anyway. Bye!"
There was a pop of Disapparating, and she was gone without giving Lina a chance to respond.
Lina didn't recognise the spell, however, she was certain that it was simply the younger witch's way of ensuring no one else would know she was ever here; she suspected the wand she had likely didn't even belong to JJ to start with. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Well, it had been a long shot, and her comment only confirmed that they'd clearly had their eye on her awhile now—which was both intriguing and just a touch unnerving. There was also something altogether almost unnatural and creepy with the way JJ continued smiling the way she was.
She rolled her eyes at the warning, and watched as JJ disapparated before she could say anything. As if she hadn't already known they had eyes and ears everywhere. Still they had seemed aware of her wandless magic which was troubling but she doubted she'd be finding an answer as to how any time soon. With a sigh she realised the younger witch was right though—she certainly wasn't likely to make any friends at Brightstar now.
It was going to be a long, and probably bumpy, road to get to the bottom of this.