InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Pop quiz, no talking."

Grace Lockhart (gracefullylived) wrote in utr_logs,
@ 2008-08-03 23:53:00

Current music:	"Mad World" by Gary Jules
Entry tags:	grace lockhart, kennedy bradford

Who: Grace Lockhart & Kennedy Bradford
What: Dinner, planning the grand reopening of Exile, & getting their first assignment as assassins
Where: Their loft apartment above Exile
When: Tonight
Warnings: Probably language and maybe a little overt flirtatiousness.

Grace stood in front of the t.v., unmoved from where she stood watching news reports of some reported madman running around New York creating havoc and calling himself "the Joker". He was pretty terrifying, even to the sister of a slayer and despite her own powers. Several feet away from her in the kitchen, a pan full of baked shells was getting ready to burn in the oven due to a lack of attention from her.

She finally looked up as Kennedy entered the room before crossing over to her and taking the remote control out of Grace's hand and muting the dramatically narrated reports.

"I think we should hold off on Exile's big grand reopening for a few days." Grace decided grimly despite the fact that it was the last thing she wanted to do. She'd poured so many hours, so much hard work into the remodel and making the place something truly fantastic. But it was hard to imagine anyone wanting to party under the current circumstances. Unless they were like her sister who could probably sit calmly and drink even as the world was burning down and not so easily unnerved or derailed.

Heading back into the kitchen, she rescued the dish just before the sauce could start burning and slid it out on to the oven's surface to cool. Mentally, Grace made a note to invite everyone over some time for dinner. She was a great cook, and back in their world, she had done most of the cooking for all of them since Solvei had an uncanny ability to burn water. She wasn't sure if Faith would come, all things considered, but she knew Em and Dean and now Xander too would all be up for a home cooked meal.

"What?" She said, frowning slightly defensively as she noticed that Kennedy was just standing there, giving her that look. "What?" She repeated.

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slayer_brat
2008-08-03 11:47 pm UTC (link)

Kennedy wasn't in the best mood. This crazy Joker character was blowing up buildings in her city. Didn't matter if she hadn't lived here in several years, she was born and raised in New York. It was home. And now some madman was terrorizing the city and the people in it. She wanted to do something about it herself, but the fact remained that he was human. Which to her, he was just as evil as any demon so he was fair game. But it didn't work like that, plus from what she'd been watching on TV, he was pretty dangerous.

Sighing, she walked away from the window and back towards where Grace stood watching the TV. A frown appeared on her face when she saw what was on the screen and she reached out and took the remote from her girlfriend's hand, aiming it at the TV and silencing the sound. She couldn't stand to hear anymore about it. Not when she couldn't do anything to stop it.

Grace launched into her big spiel about how they should hold off on reopening this club they'd found themselves owners of, which made Kennedy arch her brow curiously. She'd only spent a lot of time (and money) redecorating it for the big event. It had been all she had talked about and Kennedy knew she'd been really excited about it. But now because of this guy, she wanted to postpone it.

Following her girlfriend into the kitchen where she was cooking dinner, Kennedy's lips twitched into a smirk as Grace continued to babble and move around the room. It was a habit she had sometimes when she was nervous. Kennedy found it cute.

"I didn't even say anything." Kennedy said, holding her hands out in mock surrender. "Then again, I haven't really had a chance to since you've been sort of talking non-stop." She smirked. "You wanna put off the reopening because of what? That Joker guy?" She asked curiously. "No way. We open on schedule. It's all you've talked about. All that work? Yeah, we're definitely opening." A grin found its way to her lips as she crossed the kitchen and rested her hands on Grace's waist gently. "It's gonna be cool. So stop freaking out. Okay?"

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gracefullylived
2008-08-04 12:18 am UTC (link)

"But you were thinking plenty of things." Grace knowingly countered, unable to help the slight edge of defensiveness. Sometimes she felt like the silly, nervous, helpless one. The rest of them, they were all so strong and brave and she was the one watching the news reports and placing the back of her hand over her open, shocked mouth like an ordinary citizen.

"And I haven't been talking non-stop." She added pathetically before a sheepish smile overtook her features because she knew that she had been. She couldn't help it! Things happened and she got talk-y. She was the lamb among a sea of lions. Lions who preferred to hit things and then ask questions later whereas the reverse was true for her.

Her lips pressed into a tight, grim smile when Kennedy began insisting that they open on schedule instead of kowtowing to the danger that the monster known as the Joker posed to everyone within their city. Well, it wasn't really her city. Grace had lived in a few places but had only been to New York after meeting her girlfriend. This was her home state.

"I can't help it. He's blowing up buildings and killing people and so far, no one can seem to stop him." Grace fretted mildly as she toyed with the fraying edge of a dish towel that was hung over the handle of their oven. "Even with all the supposedly powerful people in this city, some madman is still able to terrorize everyone. It just really doesn't seem appropriate to be throwing a party amidst all of this." She admitted though she had a feeling that Kennedy wasn't about to back down or to let her do so either.

Her hand reached up, tugging a strand of Kennedy's long brown hair as she crinkled her nose. "You're not gonna let me back down, are you?" She asked rhetorically, admitting defeat.

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slayer_brat
2008-08-04 01:21 am UTC (link)

Kennedy's brow stayed lifted as Grace tried to explain why they shouldn't open on time. It was almost like she was trying to convince her own self that it wasn't a good time to have a party. Or maybe she was just talking to talk because of that whole nervous thing. Either way, Kennedy just watched her, not even bothering to hide the smirk or that knowing look on her face.

"Not a chance." Kennedy replied, shaking her head. "You should know me well enough to know that by now." She laughed, stealing a kiss. It was true though, Kennedy wasn't really one for backing down. Though with Grace, she did seem to have a harder time. But only on certain things. And this was definitely not one of those things. "We open on schedule." She said with finality. "Maybe a party will be good. Who doesn't love a good party?"

Pulling away from her girlfriend, Kennedy looked around her towards the stove. "Is that almost done, 'cause I'm totally starved."

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gracefullylived
2008-08-04 01:46 am UTC (link)

"Fine, we can open on schedule." Grace assented since she hadn't really been giving much else of a choice. "But if some crazy guy in clown make up decides to blow the place up or create a massacre on my white decor, I'm holding you personally responsible." She informed Kennedy, pointing a bluntly filed acrylic nail gently in her girlfriend's chest before letting a half of a smile curl her lips as she returned the kiss before pulling away, not answering the question about who didn't love a good party.

She was pretty sure everyone did, she was just more concerned with just what other people's definition of a party might be.

"It was actually about to be burned." Grace reminded her as she nodded toward the pan of stuffed shells that were still slightly simmering and giving off just a little bit of steam. That's when she happened to notice the black envelope laying on the counter that seemed to have appeared from the thin air. Eying it curiously, she reached for it and picked it up, noticing their names in silver calligraphy.

"Where did this come from?" She asked, eyes moving back up to her girlfriend's face.

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slayer_brat
2008-08-04 01:56 am UTC (link)

"I'll have someone at the door to enforce a strict 'no clowns allowed' policy." Kennedy shrugged it off. Why would some high profile criminal who blew up the Times building bother with their club? That's right, he wouldn't. But still, just in case she would make sure they were set for security both visible and undercover. Apparently even in this alternate universe, money was no object for her. Which was a good thing, she wouldn't know what to do without it.

"Oh yeah." Kennedy replied when Grace reminded her that the pasta she'd been cooking had almost burned. Though, for the record, she would still eaten it. Slightly burned and all.

Her brow wrinkled in confusion when her girlfriend reached past her, sliding a black envelope off the counter, questioning where it came from. "Don't ask me." Kennedy shrugged, taking it from Grace's hand and opening it up. Pulling the paper from inside, she unfolded it and started to read. The confusion gave way to a raised brow and her eyes widened as she looked back up at Grace. "Oh."

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gracefullylived
2008-08-04 02:05 am UTC (link)

Grace rolled her eyes halfway when her girlfriend offered to enforce 'a strict no clowns policy' at their big opening. She guessed it was all futile anyway.

Kennedy took the envelope from her, and Grace grew suspicious when she admitted to not knowing where it came from. She knew that she didn't put it there, so if Kennedy didn't...then who could have? Her eyes carefully studied the shifting of emotions on the slayer's face as she began to read whatever was written on what looked like pretty expensive paper to her. Whatever it was, it wasn't good and when Kennedy could only come up with an 'oh', Grace's heart jumped a little into her throat.

"Oh?" She repeated. "Oh?" Oh wasn't good. At least not from Kennedy it wasn't. Her girlfriend was kind of known for being pretty mouthy. Especially when it was something bad.

Frowning, Grace reached forward and took the paper from Kennedy's hands, her own eyes pouring over it before it slipped from her hand and fluttered to the floor.

"No." She said firmly, her delicate hands balling angrily until her acrylics were digging into the flesh of her palm. "No."

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slayer_brat
2008-08-04 02:22 am UTC (link)

This wasn't good. At first it had seemed cool when Kennedy found out that not only did they own a club and have an amazing loft above it but they were also secret assassins. It seemed so bad ass and like something in a movie. A title, but not really something for real. But apparently, it was real. At least according to the paper Kennedy had found in the mysterious black envelope. How the hell had it got there in the first place? It didn't matter, because it was there and it was an assignment. Their first one since they'd got to this crazy, alternate universe.

Kennedy chewed her bottom lip as Grace grabbed the paper from her hands, her eyes scanning over it, the emotions registering on her face. This wasn't gonna be good and she knew it.

As the anger in Grace's eyes was finally vocalized, Kennedy sighed, closing her eyes for a minute. "We have to." She said, opening her eyes to meet the other girl's. "You read it. How the hell are we supposed to avoid it? That's right. We can't." Kennedy informed her, thinking about the switch she'd found in the bedroom closet when she'd been checking the place out. Once she'd tripped it, a secret room had opened up to reveal a lot of weapons, mostly guns. Expensive, high powered ones. She hadn't exactly told Grace about that little discovery yet. But it seemed like now, she was gonna have to.

"I need to show you something." She said, taking her girlfriend by the hand and leading her into the huge walk-in closet. Shoving her hand behind some of Grace's new clothes, she hit the button, taking a step back as the wall slid to the side, the bright florescent lights of the secret room flickering on. "I kinda found this the other day when you were down in the club working on stuff."

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gracefullylived
2008-08-04 02:46 am UTC (link)

Grace's frown turned into a downright angry twisting of her mouth. They had to? They had to? Says who? There were people who had said that they didn't have to be what the things in their pockets said they were. The website even said it! She was fine with owning Exile. It had turned into a project for her. Something she could really throw herself into. But she could not and would not throw herself into? Killing people!

She was about to make this abundantly clear to Kennedy when the mood shifted a little, raising a pricking sensation in the hair follicles on her neck. Her girlfriend needed to show her something? There was a suspicious narrowing of Grace's eyes as she was led to their bedroom's big closet where...wait, what?!?!

"You knew about this and you didn't tell me?" Grace all but exploded as her eyes went wide and she blinked against the sudden bright flood of light from their secret room. A room so secret, Kennedy hadn't even told her. She was irritated before, but now she was furious as she stepped inside the futuristic room.

Weapons, computers, a selection of dark, form-fitting clothes, and all kinds of things. It was like the freaking Bat Cave in here. Her hands ran over the length of a sleek black military-grade shotgun before she picked it up, looking it over. She couldn't help but feel like Faith would be in Heaven in this room.

"The answer is still no."

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slayer_brat
2008-08-04 02:59 am UTC (link)

Kennedy frowned as Grace's anger became apparent. "How the hell was I supposed to? I knew you'd freak out." She said as they stepped into the secret room. "I was waiting for the right time, or maybe I was just hoping that whole assassin thing wasn't like, for real or anything." She added, watching as Grace looked around the room, checking everything out.

Shoving her hands in her back pockets, Kennedy followed Grace around the room as her eyes drank everything in. Her head tilted and her brow quirked when her girlfriend reached down and picked up a shotgun. Kennedy couldn't help but find it hot, the devious smirk playing at her lips. Until Grace finally spoke up, her words shaking Kennedy out of her thoughts.

"I don't know that we have an option." Kennedy replied, sliding her hands out of her back pockets as she walked over to the computer and double clicked on something on the screen, pulling up some information she'd found the same day she'd discovered the room. "Read that."

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gracefullylived
2008-08-04 03:12 am UTC (link)

"They can't just bring us to some alternate universe and not give us an option in whether or not we want to kill people!" Grace still insisted furiously as she leaned over to look at yet another thing Kennedy had discovered but then still kept hidden from her. Blah blah blah, contracted killers. Death being the only opt out? Before she knew what was happening, Grace's hands struck out and sent the computer flying from its glossy black desk. It splintered into pieces and it short circuited out of life.

With a sigh, she waved her hand and the pieces rose from the ground and put themselves back together as they were until the screen flickered back on.

"I can't do this." She whispered, close to tears as she placed the shotgun down and instead moved to a filing cabinet that she began to sift through. A name popped out at her, and she realized it was the same one that had been in the black envelope. Her hand curled around the expensive folder and she pulled it out, staring at the front of it for a long few minutes before opening it.

There were several photos, a profile, notes. Anything and everything that could possibly want or need to know in order to track down their hit and take care of the job. Grace picked up one of the pictures and studied it.

"What if he has a family?" She questioned quietly.

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slayer_brat
2008-08-04 03:36 am UTC (link)

Knitting her brows together, Kennedy frowned,clenching her jaw slightly as she kept her eyes on the computer screen, re-reading the words she'd read just a few days earlier. Until Grace decided to destroy the computer that is. As the computer flew off the desk and shattered on the tiled floor, she took a step back, to avoid getting hit with any of the debris. And just as soon as it hit the floor, the pieces lifted back, reforming to what it once was with just a wave of Grace's hand. That never seemed to stop amazing Kennedy. Shotgun in one hand, working her magic with the other. It was definitely a sight to see. A good sight.

The softness and emotion in Grace's tone made Kennedy look down at the ground, feeling bad about the whole situation. It wasn't her choice either, but apparently that had been taken from them when the vortex brought them here, giving them this new life. A heavy sigh left her small frame and she looked back up as the girl moved from the now fixed computer over to the file cabinet in the corner.

Licking her lips, Kennedy walked over to where Grace stood, holding a folder but not opening it. Apparently they replaced some people who'd done a lot of research on this guy because the file was full. So was the file cabinet for that matter, but that was something Kennedy couldn't think about right now. One thing at a time. Grace was upset and Kennedy hated it, but she knew from what she read that if they didn't do this there would be serious repercussions. One or both of them could be killed for not going through with it. A risk Kennedy couldn't and wouldn't take. Not when it came to Grace.

Her eyes flickered over the picture of the guy. Their mark as it was called and she sighed again as Grace wondered aloud about his potential family. "Here, let's take a look at it. Okay?" Kennedy asked, sliding the file from her girlfriend's hands and taking her hand to lead her over to the table, pulling out a chair for Grace and taking a seat in one herself. Scooting her chair closer, Kennedy opened the folder back up and started reading over the notes inside. Her jaw clenched as she read over the crimes and behavior of this Marcus Jamison guy. "Definitely no family. Couple of ex-wives though." She continued to read, getting more and more angry at the things she discovered about this guy. "This guy is worse than any demon. In fact, there could be a possibility he is one. See, read this." Kennedy said, pointing at the long list of heinous activity this guy had been involved in.

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gracefullylived
2008-08-04 01:05 pm UTC (link)

She relinquished the file as Kennedy's hands slid over hers, removing it. Grace couldn't help but wonder who these people were that they had replaced. People who ran a clandestine murder-for-hire business behind the front of a New York hot spot. It seemed...risky. To mix a high profile with a low one. But then again, she knew almost nothing about any of this. She was just a witch. A witch who'd been locating slayers for a little while and then had been tracking down the supposed father of vampirism itself in order to avert the apocalypse being sold on the black market.

I wasn't a killer.

Together, we poured over this guy's file and Kennedy wasn't wrong. Marcus Jamison was pretty evil as far as humans went. But she still couldn't seem to justify it in her head. They knew next to nothing about the organization that was handing them orders and expecting them to end lives, the same organization that would kill them if they didn't comply, so they definitely didn't know why they wanted this guy dead. She somehow had a feeling it wasn't because he was such a bad guy and they wanted to rid the world of them. No, Grace was pretty sure it was probably because this guy owed them money, or knew something he shouldn't, or had just messed with the wrong person.

Now he had to die. Criminal record or not. Would there always be a criminal record? What would her girlfriend use to assuage her guilt, her apprehension, when it came to files that were considerably thinner and didn't contain any reasons someone "deserved" to die?

"I don't know." Grace finally said, closing the folder and pushing it away from both of them, back across the table. "We're not God. We don't just get to decide who lives or dies." There was a subtle tone of surrender in her voice. She knew that they weren't deciding. Someone else was deciding for them, and they were just the messengers.

"Can you really do this?"

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slayer_brat
2008-08-05 01:00 pm UTC (link)

This was so screwed up and Kennedy definitely wasn't happy. She just didn't get it. Wasn't it bad enough they got jerked out of their own lives and shoved into this crazy fucked up world? Now they had to be some kind of contract killers too? And apparently by contract, it appeared the only way out was getting killed themselves. It was a hard pill to swallow. For both of them.

Kennedy's eyes were staring at the folder in front of them, the words blurring as she ran over in her mind all the reasons she had to do this. Whether she wanted to or not. She didn't like not having a choice. It wasn't her style or her nature to follow orders, unless it suited her. The slayer stuff was different, she could follow those orders, 'cause they were mostly just the go here, do this vagued up orders. Once she got there, she could do whatever she wanted, just like she always had. But this? This was different, this was someone deciding for her and telling her she had to kill this guy or risk getting killed herself. Or even worse, getting Grace killed. A risk she wasn't willing to take.

Grace finally spoke up and shook Kennedy from her thoughts, but she still didn't look over at the girl. Her eyes were still glued to the folder. "Apparently it's not us that gets to decide that. Someone else is playing God and using us to exact the revenge." She said bitterly, unblinking. Reaching her hand out to the file, she slid out the guy's picture from beneath the papers they'd been reading over and held it in her hands, just looking down at his face.

"It's not really a question of whether I can or not anymore is it?" She finally lifted her eyes up to meet Grace's. "I kinda have to. Unless you want us to be the ones in one of those files and have someone coming after us." Kennedy reminded her girlfriend gently. "That's just not a risk I'm willing to take. So, he dies or we die." She shrugged. "Sucks, but it's how it is."

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