|
Post by Chloé Flannigan on Feb 26, 2010 23:24:07 GMT -5
Chloe had no idea what it was about this city. Her entire life had been spent in the meadows and sparse seaside forests of Wicklow. Although at school she’d had her fair share of crushes, nothing had ever come of them. She’d never been worried about it. Her mind was usually distracted by thoughts of fairies or elves. She spent more of her time daydreaming than she did thinking about the real world. And it was the same when she went to University at Dublin. There were plenty of men around, but she was immersed in her studies, in history.
Then she’d found that journal and she’d come to Ravenblack.
Everything she’d fantasized about, she realised was actually real. Her whole life had been building to that point; everything had accumulated and now everything was happening at once. Her shyness and general incompetency when it came to social behaviour didn’t hinder her relationships in this city. The men seemed to flock, but she would never be vain enough to think that she was the cause.
She called it a coincidence, a rare streak of Irish luck, now that she was outside of Ireland.
Here was another one. A stranger, who looked so much like her former childe Christopher Rivers, whom she once had a rather passionate time with in some deserted alley. He was no longer around. Whatever the case, Chloe was well aware of the man’s light touch at the small of her back, and she found herself picking up the pace to get away from it.
She had a bubble, and she didn’t lightly let any old stranger inside of it.
And who knew, really? He may have been leading her away with a protective gesture, but what if he was no better than those lewd catcallers? There was no guarantee that she was not getting into the car of an absolute pervert. She supposed she had to trust her instincts.
All such thoughts vanished when she saw the car, however. She laughed. How fitting, in this city. Shame he wasn’t a vampire.
“I’m assuming you don’t sparkle...” She muttered as she rounds the car to the passenger seat, swiftly hopping inside and relaxing into the seat. It felt good to be out of sight of the general masses. She spared a glance for the backseat—as always, she was the curious type.
And then the man was in the car and, in a round-a-bout way, asking where to go.
“Oh, if you hope onto the 79th and turn left, and then keep going until you reach Cobalt.” She said. It was easy enough. This city was always easy to navigate.
“Hey, what’s your name, anyway?” She asked, finally gathering the courage to ask the question. If she was in a car that belonged to an absolute pervert, it was probably best she knew his name.
|
|
Moved.
CITIZEN
Moved.
Posts: 36
|
Post by Moved. on Feb 27, 2010 1:25:58 GMT -5
Reaching towards his hairline, he pushed his tresses back and relaxed into the driver’s seat as she inquired about his name. Gingerly poking the dry blood above his eyebrow, Tyler glanced at her as he replied: Rupert McPherson
He made eye contact briefly before looking out his window to switch lanes. Of course he was undercover and could not introduce himself as Tyler, needing to keep up appearances for as long as the mission was in progress. It only took one exception to blow an entire operation, and he’d be damned if he would let anything come between him and success this time. Lumpur Liberty had been a catastrophe, both on a professional and personal level. After turning on to 79th, he cast a sidelong glance at his coat.
Tyler was a silent driver, not prone to communication when manoeuvring the car with passengers in it. Additionally, his jaw was beginning to ache, and he preferred not to move it too much if he could help it. And so, he turned his face to her fully as they came upon a red light, You aren’t from here. Have you lived in this city for long? His gaze reverted back to the road, left hand reaching once more to prod at his injuries; it was a bad habit of his.
|
|
|
Post by Chloé Flannigan on Mar 1, 2010 7:12:14 GMT -5
Chloe couldn’t help the smile that lit up her face. Rupert. Two images flashed in front of her mind simultaneously—that of an awkward teenage red-head wielding a broken want, and the other of a flamboyantly gay, though handsome, middle-aged actor. Both inspired different kinds of respect in Chloe, though she tried her best to separate her new acquaintance from the images of popular culture.
Her gaze slid from the physique of the driver and out of the front window; she was a passive passenger, much of the time. As much as she was prone to violent road-rage when driving, and on her own, when she was a passenger she was quite happy to sit back and enjoy the ride. Rupert had gone quiet, which was fine. Chloe understood some driver’s tendencies to need concentration when driving. She was one of them. She was always making stupid mistakes when she had company in the car, mainly because they succeeded in distracting her.
But the silence wouldn’t last long, which was expected. Chloe turned back to Rupert as he uttered his question, and she paused a moment to think about it.
“No.” She didn’t know why she answered his first statement—he knew she wasn’t from around here, he’d already made that assumption. She moved on to his second query.
“About two years, give or take. Probably give...” She tried to think back to the month, the date of her arrival in Ravenblack. It hadn’t coincided with anything noteworthy, and so much had happened afterward that she had lost track of time. The specific date was always evasive. She finally concluded that it had been about two and a half years. So she didn’t elaborate upon her final answer.
“And you? You’re not from around here either, right?” She asked. She was curious, but she was also trying to fill in the silence. She would be home, soon, and in their short acquaintance she wanted to know more about this man. He intrigued her. It could have been that vague familiarity that she clung to—it gave her the feeling that she should know him better than she did, or perhaps ever would.
|
|
Moved.
CITIZEN
Moved.
Posts: 36
|
Post by Moved. on Mar 2, 2010 20:13:02 GMT -5
Tyler continued to discretely poke at his injuries, left hand on the steering wheel, when the light turned green. Lowering his hand to his lap, he set his left elbow on the window sill, quite content with cruising on the right lane as the lunatics on the road pulled all sorts of manoeuvres in the passing lane. It seemed a majority of drivers here were extremely careless; little did he know that it was their immortal streak that catered such freedom of concern. Glancing over at the company, he remained quiet for a few seconds as he tried to consider being in one place so long. The longest time he had spent somewhere after graduating and joining MI6 was New York, but that had only been fourteen months. Idly he wondered how long he would be staying here, in Ravenblack City. On that note... No, I am not... he admitted, eyes smiling at her as he cast a glance in her direction. The best way to keep himself incognito was to not give out information so willingly, and so he did not elaborate. Reaching for his jaw once more, he scratched its underside as he came to the conclusion that she would be a good source of information. A young woman was an easy target for a man of means such as the one he was portraying, and Tyler was far from daft; he knew very well his looks and manners were to the lady’s liking. Still, he did not know what to think of the woman, not under these circumstances...
And then he remembered he had an unanswered question from earlier, Why exactly is it that you are naked?
|
|
|
Post by Chloé Flannigan on Mar 4, 2010 8:24:16 GMT -5
Chloe’s eyes widened expectantly when he concurred. He was not from Ravenblack. Usually, after such a statement in answer to a question, there came an explanation. Chloe was waiting for that explanation, and some clue as to where he was originally from. But none was forthcoming. Instead, he veered the conversation back to the alley in which they had met, and Chloe immediately averted her gaze and stared out the window, as if whatever was out there was far more fascinating than what was in the car.
She had never been good under pressure. To answer this kind of question on the spot and not tell the truth was incredibly hard. She cleared her throat and coughed twice to buy herself some time, but it didn’t really work. She was still stuck on what she wanted to say. She had counted too much on the guy connecting the dots and figuring it out for himself. Of course she didn’t factor in regular human avoidance of the obvious when it came to the supernatural.
“Hmm. I ah...” She glanced sideways at him, gauging his facial features as if she could gather some kind of clue as to the kind of story he would believe. How would he react to the truth? Should she just... tell him the truth? She grinned, then, as she was struck with brilliance. Idiotic brilliance, but brilliance nonetheless.
“The fox stole my clothes.” She said. It was the truth, in a roundabout way. The process of changing into the fox had relieved her of her clothes. Therefore, the fox had stolen them from her. The fox was wily.
She was smiling because it would have no doubt sounded idiotic to Rupert, that the fox could have stolen anyone’s clothes on purpose. But she was also smiling because she’d told him a half-truth, and could get away with her sanity, in his eyes. Had she given him the whole truth he might very well have thrown her from his car, or in the very least driven her straight to a hospital instead of to her home. Either option she was happy to avoid.
Glancing back out the window she spotted the little cluster of stores that indicated she was close to home.
“Oh, it’s the next big building on the left.” She said, gesturing over to the left as she said so, as if the direction were not obvious.
|
|
Moved.
CITIZEN
Moved.
Posts: 36
|
Post by Moved. on Mar 4, 2010 21:37:32 GMT -5
Tyler had spent sufficient time in interrogation rooms and across from uncomfortable subjects to pinpoint the telltale signs of deceitfulness. He could appreciate her humour, but despite his spontaneous chuckle to her comment, his hazel eyes remained sharp. To be frank, he was willing to play along with her story (after all he was curious about said fox as well), but before he cold vocalize his next inquiry, Chloe continued. He wondered whether she was looking for a quick escape and if so if she was lying about her address. Letting out a discreet sigh, he glanced out the windshield in the direction she pointed and signalled to pull into the left. Once he had manoeuvred the car near the curb, stopping short of the street corner, Tyler leaned his head forward to look past her at said building.
Offering her an uncomfortable smile (which only appeared that way because it was forced to mask his mild irritation), the male leaned back into the driver’s seat and dropped his hand from the wheel. His right hand shifted the vehicle into park before reaching to put on the hazard lights.
Well... Awkward pause. I guess we are here then [/SIZE]
|
|
|
Post by Chloé Flannigan on Mar 8, 2010 4:30:52 GMT -5
The guy’s smile was hardly gratuitous and Chloe was again struck by the insecure thought that he really wasn’t happy about helping her out, but was only doing so out of some gentlemanly obligation. Her head bowed and a generous blush painted her cheeks. She reached behind her ear to tend to an idle itch, causing her hair to form a curtain over her features.
They’d pulled up to the curb and Chloe’s hand was already on the handle.
“Yeah. You can wait here or ah... give me five minutes and I’ll buzz you up.” She said, opening the door and swinging her legs out. It all made sense to her, but she soon realised that Rupert may not understand why she wanted him to stick around.
“I need to give you your jacket back.” She explained, glancing over her shoulder. The way he’d hung onto the thing, she figured it was a garment he wasn’t willing to just give away to some random naked woman. She stood, skipped up onto the pavement, and was just about to close the door when she realised she’d forgotten one crucial piece of information.
“Oh! I’m number six.” She said. The building had three floors, each one sharing two apartments. Chloe’s was one of the ones right at the top. The door was then shut with a thud, and Chloe made her way down the alley beside the building. Luckily, the faulty fire-escape was out of sight of the street, so she could make the inhuman bound from ground to broken ladder without being seen by Rupert.
Once she’d reached the first level, she bounded up the rickety steps until she could slide through the window of her own apartment. Inside she was uninhibited. She stripped the coat from her shoulders and slung it over the back of the couch. She took the stairs two at a time up to her bedroom in order to find something quick to pull on. From the laundry basket she retrieved some simple underwear, skinny jeans that she proceeded to struggle into, and a plain white, thoroughly crinkled singlet. After which she headed back downstairs to the bathroom; she’d freshen up her face, and by then if the door hadn’t buzzed, she’d take the jacket back downstairs again.
|
|
Moved.
CITIZEN
Moved.
Posts: 36
|
Post by Moved. on Mar 9, 2010 2:23:04 GMT -5
Chloe appeared awfully eager to be home, which he couldn’t blame her for given the circumstance. Tyler was about to protest, tell her that the coat could be retrieved at another time, but she shut the door and sauntered off before he managed to get a word between hers. Women. Rolling his eyes, he leaned back into the seat and reached up to tamper with his injuries; he really would have to get those cleaned soon else they’d get infected. Sighing as he watched her disappear into his blind spot, the young male glanced out his window to see if he was impeding any traffic. Luckily she lived in a relatively calm place, at least at this hour, which he had lost track of long ago. Sniffling, he glanced down at the time stamp on the radio and sighed. Cradling his jaw for a few seconds, he glanced out the windshield towards the pavement where the glaringly obvious red sign indicated: NO PARKING.
Relenting to her wishes, Tyler signaled his way around the corner, where he would look for parking to no avail. He circled the block twice; traffic must have been light because everyone was parked along the goddamned pavement. Returning to his original spot, he put the hazard lights on and made his way out of the car, keys in hand as he walked up to the building. Once he reached the door, he looked for number six and pressed the buzzer. Once the speaker crackled, he leaned forward: I am parked in a no parking zone, I cannot come up.
Tyler then stepped back onto the pavement, running a hand through his hair as he pushed it out of his face. It was chilly standing without his coat, and he found himself muttering for her to hurry up. Turning his back to the door, he glanced back at his car and a few blocks down the street; he did not want to deal with the law, not yet at least. His attention was seized by the few shops along this particular block, and as he took in the surroundings (eyeing his car often), he slipped his hands into his trouser’s pockets.
[/SIZE]
|
|
|
Post by Chloé Flannigan on Mar 14, 2010 0:23:09 GMT -5
Chloe had retrieved the jacket after washing the grime from her face and pulling her long, wavy locks of hair up into a single high pony-tail. The buzzer had not gone off, and she’d started to wonder whether he might have driven away already. But as her fingers grasped the handle of the door the buzzer beside her rang harshly, sending her a foot into the air. When she regained her composure she hit the button that would allow Rupert to speak.
As he gave his explanation, Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes. What kind of person actually paid attention to those no-parking zones?! The police wouldn’t around this time of the night...
But she couldn’t judge Rupert. No person ever liked to be afraid that their car might be taken away from them. Their only form of transportation. Nor did they like paying exorbitant amounts of money for something so stupid as a parking fine. So although she might have dismissed these things and taken the chance herself, she acceded to Rupert’s wishes.
Instead of answering him, Chloe instead left the apartment, careful to place the keys into her pocket and to close the door behind her so that Pandora would not feel the need to run out into the hallway—she was a cat, and by nature was curious. Chloe would prefer that the cat’s curiosity would not get her into any untoward trouble.
So Chloe took the stairs down, happily and with an energetic spark to her step. Before the exited the front door, she checked that the keys were still in her pocket, or that she’d put them inside to begin with. It was a habit. She’d locked herself out far too many times.
When on the street, she found Rupert and approached, holding the jacket out with a thankful smile.
“Thank you.” She said. It was not only a thank-you for the jacket. It was a thank-you for everything he had done.
|
|
Moved.
CITIZEN
Moved.
Posts: 36
|
Post by Moved. on Mar 14, 2010 2:05:58 GMT -5
When he heard something behind him, Tyler glanced over his shoulder to confirm that it was indeed Chloe with his coat. Upon seeing her step out, he turned on his heel so that he could approach her too. His gaze fell to her feet and back to her face in one swift motion as he evaluated her attire; she looked much more at ease. Reaching for his coat single-handedly, he thanked her out of habit quietly, before humbling himself. In the back of his mind, the wheels were turning. Tyler was not the most calculative of men, but he did his fair share of quick thinking. If he left in good standing with the woman, perhaps they would meet again under less awkward circumstances, and then she could explain this night to him fully. Reaching up for his nose, he scratched the bridge idly as he spoke.
I’m glad I could be of assistance...
Lowering his hand to his side, he shifted the coat into said arm, and glanced down the street briefly. Licking his lower lip, he opened his mouth and inhaled as though ready to say something, but closed his mouth just as rapidly. Letting out a quiet chuckle, as though enjoying a quiet joke as he lowered his gaze to the ground between them, Tyler took a step back.
May I call upon you again, Chloe?
After all, he was new here and could use some acquaintances. His intentions were not reprehensible, for he enjoyed forming relationships with those around him when he was in a given place. Connections often made it easier to navigate a new city, let alone one as complex and massive as this one. And then he wondered as to whether the city’s inhabitants were aware of the danger that appeared to reside in this city. Was it only the agents who had been targeted, or was every member of this city a target? After all, the agents had been working on individual murder and disappearance cases when they had gone MIA. Letting out another chuckle, he glanced up from the ground to look at her.
You know what, he began, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. Flipping it open, he slipped an off-white business card. Once he’d set his wallet back into his pocket, he extended it towards her. On the left corner was a logo, a heavily contrasted, abstract image of a skier and mountain; beneath it read in bold blue letters: XTRim Gear, and to the right above the phone number and website:
Rupert McPherson Chairman of the Executive Committee and Vice-President Why don’t you give me a ring if you ever need something... Tyler was purposely vague; he sure hoped she didn’t find herself in such situations often. Smiling broadly at her, he rearranged the coat in his grip before reaching into his trouser pocket for the car keys. [/FONT][/SIZE]
|
|
|
Post by Chloé Flannigan on Mar 15, 2010 8:50:26 GMT -5
Rupert took his coat, and Chloe half expected him to just nod and take his leave. She wouldn’t have blamed him. Anyone would have thought she was a crazy person, being found naked in an alley and claiming a fox stole her clothes. If it had been Chloe in Rupert’s shoes—well, she believed she would have beat a hasty retreat as soon as was possible. Rupert didn’t, though. Although he took a respectful step backward, he seemed hesitant to leave.
He was glad he could be of assistance. How absolutely proper! Maybe it was just a single phrase and his words would be ordinary otherwise. Chloe frowned as he looked like he was having trouble deciding what to say next.
Chloe’s chuckle seemingly echoed Rupert’s, as if it was only a polite chuckle, as if whatever it was he found amusing, she found amusing too. But really, she was chuckling at what he said next. He wanted to know whether he could call upon her. Chloe was a big fan of Jane Austen, and this man sounded like he’d jumped right out of the pages of Pride and Prejudice. She idly wondered whether he spoke like this to everyone, or whether he was just trying to impress her. Whatever the case, it was refreshing. She stopped laughing once she realised it was refreshing. She hardly wanted him to stop acting like a gentleman just because some nut had laughed at his expense.
Chloe had hesitated in her reply, however; her thoughts had immediately conjured images of Thaddeus. They had never said, outright, that they were attached. But they spent a lot of time together. Would it even matter if she said ‘yes’? It’s not as if she was cheating on him by uttering that single word...
Whatever the case, she was interrupted by Rupert before she could even answer the question anyway. Instead, he handed her a card with his name on it. She instantly wished that she was just as professional, so that she could hand him a card in return. That way, the ball would be in both their courts rather than just in hers. She hastily considered asking whether he wanted her number in return. But not only did her shyness prohibit her from presuming he’d want it, she again thought of Thaddeus. So instead of answering the question, Chloe simply took the card handed to her.
“I’ll make sure that I do.” She said, her smile steadfast. She didn’t know whether to be disappointed or not, but her smile did not waver. She fiddled with the card between both her hands, the corner already frayed even though she’d only been holding it no more than ten seconds.
|
|
Moved.
CITIZEN
Moved.
Posts: 36
|
Post by Moved. on Mar 15, 2010 15:05:50 GMT -5
Tyler had nothing to lose by handing her his card. He could have easily asked her for her number in return, or assumed she’d offer it; but neither followed as Chloe took his card. There was no true disappointment, for there were so many people I this city that he was bound to find company sooner or later. Romantic pursuits were not things he managed well anyways, and so his intentions were not as forward as it may have appeared. A romantic at heart, it was hard for him to pursue an honest relationship when in disguise; only in London could he be himself. Stifling a yawn, his smile faltered as he retrieved the keys from his pocket and broke eye contact to look at them.
Well, I hope to hear from you soon, then. I best be off, he said cheerfully, albeit looking the part of a relatively well marred man given the injuries he’d sustained. The whole ordeal confused him, and as he found himself thinking about it, a dull ache began to seep through the delicate fibres of his psyche. It was surely best he return home, tidy up, and get some sleep; else Harvey and Tim would be asking questions when he met with them tomorrow. Clearing his throat, he did not offer to shake her hand as he stepped away, turning his back to her only once he bid her goodnight. Then, he disappeared around the back of the car and made his way into the driver’s seat, setting the coat in the empty spot besides him.
Within minutes, once the headlights had flickered on and the engine purred to life, Tyler settled himself and flicked on the GPS; he had no idea what way he should go to return home. Luckily, the machine did. Glancing over his shoulder at the entrance of the building once, he selected ‘Home’ on the screen, and turned his attention to the road. Within seconds, the silver Volvo disappeared around that very corner, interior well masked by the tinted windows.
|
|