Hard-Boiled

[Guest]

A small plume of smoke raised up before him, curling and twisting, making shapes in the air as it flew around. The man chuckled to himself, having blown the smoke out into the air himself. Thank god for smoker's areas in places like this. Chuckling to himself, Menoitos leaned further back on his chair, closing his only visible eye and tilting his head forwards, as if he was going to go to sleep. A half-drunk cup of coffee sat in front of him, cold, stony, just like the world that he existed in. A foot tapped out a beat on the ground, a song that he'd heard years and years on end. He was, as they say, a rester. One who rarely left, just came, and sat. He'd sit there for a couple of hours, and leave with money left on the table. The bartender would always give him a strange look, but he'd never heeded their calls. He just didn't care. This wasn't a game for Knights, as they say. And he was not a Knight, he was a King. He was the King of this little world, moving a single place across the board of life. Couldn't let anyone get in his way, 'cuz he was the most important part of this, wasn't he? The killings, they had been going on for a while now, and he'd been scoping out this cafe to see what the deal was. The man smirked, and took a long drag of the cigarette in his mouth, pushing out a plume of smoke once more.

"Interestin'. He hasn't returned once. It's been a week, I thought his contact..." He leaned forwards on his chair, white suit fluttering a little as he did so. He slipped the hat off of his head and placed it onto the table for a second, green locks of hair shown to the world. He laughed to himself, and slowly stood up, taking his coffee back to the bar and handing the bartender another note, watching him go off to brew him another one. Long. Hard. Black. Just how he liked it. No sugars; no milk. Kept him going on the long and painful nights. He played with something on the table for a second, before the barman returned with his drink. Meno nodded in acknowledgement, and took the cup with a smirk. He turned away from the bar, preparing to make the long walk back to his seat. Cold place. Cold city. Always interesting. He yawned a little, closing the amber eye, before hearing the voice of the barman behind him. He turned back, studying him carefully. Blonde. Blue eyes. Apparently had a twin.

"S-sir... you're becoming more regular now. Can I have your name? Just for... honesty's sake?" The man smirked. He would normally hide his name. He had done so while he was a mercenary. Kept the people he knew safe. But he had no need to do so now. He could be whatever he wanted to be, so he chose to be himself. Grinning, Menoitos turned back to the seat in the corner of the Jolly Roger Cafe.

"Menoitos. Pleased to meetcha."

[Guest]

"Last night a DJ saved my life~
Singing ah-ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Staying alive~
Cause youuuu make me feel~
That thats the way uh-huh uh-huh I like it,
Vogila di dance all night~"

A voice carried out on the air, her black coat covering her arms and half of her throat, cutting off just above her breasts and sloping down a little around her back. The shirt that she wore beneath that was a lovely pale blue, almost seeming like a leotard in its shape. Except a rather interesting cut to be sure since it got rather skinny at about the middle of her stomach, making one wonder what must be beneath those white pants she was wearing. Oh, can't forget the black belt and fingerless gloves, a pair of rather unique orange sunglasses covering her eyes. A faint smile was upon her lips, the trace of her accent when she spoke surprisingly absent when she sang.

Her black boots slowed as she stood before the ever faithful Jolly Roger Cafe, reverting to a hum as she pushed its door open slowly. Harumph, it was a bit colder than usual wasn't it. Ah well, tis why coffee was an amazing thing! Especially a good Creig Coffee, oooooo that hit the spot! Huh. Rebecca was used to being greeted with a cheer from some of the regulars but it seemed rather quiet tonight. Meh, meant more quiet for her to... think... Cigarettes. She smelled them. Her eyes began to drift along the room to the source, quickly resting upon a man dressed in bright white. How had she taken so long to notice him? Mm, it had been a while, maybe she should...?

"Oi! Rebecca! Wasn't expecting you tonight." Came the call from the bartender, her purple hair swishing as she turned to her name. Waving with a relaxed smile to the bartender, her boots made a dull thud against the hardwood floor before coming to relax at the bar, slowly sliding the orange sunglasses from her face. Bright crimson eyes greeted him with laughter, placing them down upon the counter in front of her. "Ah well, ya know... Fel' a bi' cooped up in tha ship. Can I ge' a Creig coffee please mate? Seems like tha perfec' time for i'." Her cockney accent rolled slightly into her Amestrian, leaving a rather odd sound, but few here would question it. "Oh I hear you. Oh yeah! Do you think you could help me with something?" The barman continued, immediately beginning to make her irish coffee.

Her eyebrows raised at that, "Now Karis, ya know info don' come for free." He immediately shook his head which made her wonder. Just what DID he want? "Hold on." He spoke before tending to the others that were there, passing her drink along the way at one point. "Take your time, I ain't goin' nowhere." And with that, she shifted on her stool, looking about the familiar cafe once more. Though, it didn't take long for her eyes to settle upon the stranger once more. Ooo, green hair. And an eyepatch! Well now didn't he look snazzy! Wonder what brought-

"Your drink Rebecca. Sorry 'bout the wait." Karis apologized, having to move on again, but not before placing an envelope in front of her. Well well, guess she did have some work to do. "No prob Karis. Jus' keep servin me drinks." Chuckling, she took a sip and hummed with happiness. Perfection! Now... About this new man....

Pushing herself up from her stool, she discretely slid the envelope into a pocket along with her sunglasses, turning away from her usual spot. Her feet carried her to this mysterious man, a warm smirk rising to her lips as her ruby eyes rested upon him "Beggin your pardon sir, but d'ya mind if I join ya?" She asked, brushing some stray purple strands from her face.

[Guest]

Voices. They carried far, in a place like this. He could hear the conversation between the barkeep and the woman at the bar, and smirked to himself, keeping a careful eye on the pair through the single amber orb. The smoke obscured his vision, but it also meant that she wouldn't be able to see him watching her either. To be honest, that broad intrigued him. Bein' in the business of Private Investigatin', Menoitos had met and spoken to a number of broads, all of'em wantin' to see if he could find the same thing. It was always the same thing wi'broads. They just wanted to find cheatin' husbands. He laughed to himself, puffs of smoke pushing themselves up with each laugh. Menoitos looked down again, quietly listening to the voices some more, using that hearing to his advantage. Cockney accent. Meant she was a Cretan, most likely. Maybe Cretan... might be Creig. He wasn't sure. The footsteps neared him, Meniotos listening the the sound on the hardwood floor. He was guessin' about 70 kilos, from the weight placement. Average-sized woman, that was for sure. He waited for a second, until the sound of the footsteps stopped, grinning internally. She was a good one metre from him, by his guesses.

"Beggin your pardon sir, but d'ya mind if I join ya?" Hrn? He took a second. Waited, as if he hadn't heard her; he was mullin' this over. If she joined him, could she be a threat? He had heard the barkeep mention somethin' about a 'job' for her. At least, he'd asked her to 'help' with something. He smirked. Nah, she seemed legit. Looking up slowly, his amber eye met her red, and he reached up behind his head, sliding the eyepatch off to look at her more carefully, and give him a better scope of vision. Revealed to Rebecca was a yellow eye, one that glowed slightly. Alkahestry... at it's finest. He grinned, and nodded briefly, pushing the chair out from under the table with a single leg, tilting the hat back on his head and lookin' into her eyes, as if challenging her to reveal all of her secrets to him. He wouldn't play with this one, he'd be honest... for once. Leaning forwards again, Menoitos landed the legs on the hardwood ground and looked at her as she went to sit down (hopefully), taking the cigarette out of his mouth, blowing out the last of his smoke and putting the burned-out nub into the ashtray on the table.

"Go right 'head. Seen y' a few times b'fore, so I reck'n you ain't gonna be any danger to me." A throaty laugh left his throat, before he leaned onto the table and smiled softly at her, removing some of the mysterious exterior but leaving the rest up; he wanted to keep her guessing, obviously. Picking up the cup of coffee, he took a couple of sips of the highly bitter liquid and swallowed it back, relishing in the flavor of the dark drink, "S'what brings ya t' me table? Unusual, if y'ask me." He grinned roguishly at her, and placed the cup back onto the table, looking over at her and waiting for her reply, if any. On further study, she seemed... attractive. The hair was an interesting color, he couldn't tell if it was dyed or natural, and she had red eyes. Characteristic of an Ishvallan, but he wasn't sure. He'd find out eventually.

[Guest]

As she waited patiently for his reply, she took notice of his eye, a rather lovely amber that made her think of a ring she used to have. Boy had she loved that thing dearly. Maybe it was still amongst her things on the ship, she couldn't be sure. In any case, she couldn't help but wonder how he might respond to her sudden request. Only a few reasons someone might spontaneously ask something like this, and some were rather... unpleasant. Heh, hopefully she wasn't deemed so.

Then the eye-patch came off, and she was met with a shimmering golden gaze. Oooo lala! How gorgeous! Not technology, no, would have had different sort of glow. Alkahestry then. Wouldn't be alchemy, alchemy didn't do things affecting the body. So logically it was alkahestry. Still, glow unusual. Perhaps she'd have to look into that when she got back to her set up on the ship. She did perceive that challenging air in his gaze, yet it only made her smirk grow, especially as her answer came in the chair that was pushed out for her. Taking the seat that was offered to her, she took another sip of her lovely coffee before placing it down towards the right side of the table. Cigarettes and coffee darker than hell. Heh, she liked. Probably just as strong as it was black. Had to be a detective, he looked like one straight out of some movie in the 1940's! Not that she was complaining really.

"Go right 'head. Seen y' a few times b'fore, so I reck'n you ain't gonna be any danger to me." Oh? That so? So he was an observer then. She couldn't help but chuckle at that, her features softening to the relaxed feel when she had walked in the door. "Unless ye be crossin' me mates a' all, I dun' think ya go'a be worryin about 'at." He had a rather interesting accent himself she found, or more the style in which he spoke. It really was like a film noir. That tickled her. It really did.

The roguish grin only made her smirk slightly once more, her eyes lowering briefly as she had to ponder her answer to his question. "Well, y'see, I dun really know. Spur o' a moment kinda deal. You sir, seem in'erestin' I mus' admi'. Not loike dem folks I usually see. Wo's your story mate?" She had to answer honestly, didn't seem like much use to lie to him. What would it gain her? Absolutely nothin'! Besides, she was feeling particularly friendly this day. Least if you could still call it day what with the sun setting outside. Her eyes rose to meet his, a rather dainty eyebrow raised in question. He really was a handsome man.

[Guest]

Heh. She'd been looking over him. He could see it in the way that she acted towards him. It interested the man, to be honest. She could be seen as an interesting one before him, and each movement of her's caused him to wonder more about her. She seemed soldier-ish, but not a soldier. Almost like she had some understandin' with an army. He smirked. That was strange on it's own, but he didn't ponder on it more. Instead, he just gave a light chuckle and drew in another sip of the bitter liquid in his chipped white cup. He'd already taken a moment to study the cup, see? It was sorta white, off-white, they called it. There were a few chips in the ceramics, and the cup itself was pretty cool to the touch, even with the hot drink in it. He chuckled lightly, looking up at the woman to study her further, as she began to speak to him in response to his allowing her to sit down,

"Unless ye be crossin' me mates a' all, I dun' think ya go'a be worryin about 'at." Ah, one for the friends. He liked that. A real loyal one. The man grinned a little more, and lowered the brim of his hat, creating a shadow across his brow, hiding something about his features, making him look all the more mysterious. The green-haired Alchemist leaned in over the table, and continued to listen. Her voice interested him, in fact the entire being of this woman interested him. That in itself was a rarity. For the man who investigated the dead, the living rarely gave him the need for the time of day. So to meet someone who was still standing and breathing who interested him like this one, Menoitos certainly wanted to continue with the conversation. He would take it, and see where things went from here.

"Well, y'see, I dun really know. Spur o' a moment kinda deal. You sir, seem in'erestin' I mus' admi'. Not loike dem folks I usually see. Wo's your story mate?" That was a different answer for the question. And she wanted to know his story? One like himself rarely gave off hints of his story. But she seemed smart; she could work it out from clues, he was sure. Slowly moving from his place on the seat, Menoitos turned and stood, picking up the cup of coffee and turning towards the window, watching the sun fall in the distance. A great orange orb. That was the sun, in his eyes. It was just there to light the world, was it not? It had it's purpose in this game, it lit the board. It was all just like a game of chess.

"M'story, huh? Y'seem like a smart gal. I think I'll make it a game, y'know?" He turned back and sipped his coffee, grinning lightly at her and nodding a little bit. He tilted his head to the side, and watched her carefully. She had the air of someone... who wasn't common, but not high up. Maybe a special forces type? Someone who knew secrecy. Secrets were common in the world. They made and broke humans, "I'm guessin' you've already worked summat out from me appearance. Why don't y'give me what you have. I'll tell you if you're right, might even give hints on where you're wrong." He slowly approached the table, and leaned in closer, letting their faces come level with each other, staring into her eyes with a smirk, "Bin a while since I had me some fun."

[Guest]

A jingle signaled another entrance into the cafe, her red eyes looking up before a smile rose to her lips. She gave a lazy sort of salute with two fingers, her fingers gripping the piece of paper she casually slid between her fingers. More jobs. Or maybe more info. Julia had both sometimes, like others that she went to when she needed to do actual leg work. The wide web and various technologies didn't hold all the answers sometimes. Physical paper trails were still sometimes the best things in the end. The slip of paper vanished into a pocket, crossing her legs carefully beneath the table as she seemed to lean to one side in her chair. Mr. Observant probably noticed, but she didn't really care. It wasn't like she hid what she did. Though... was he merely a private eye? Or actual police?

She had noticed how he adjusted his hat and leaned forward ever so slightly. Ack, why were mysterious men just so.... so... enthralling? Hell, any mysteries! Like.. puzzles. Puzzles that were waiting to be solved. Code waiting to be translated into data. Riddles to which there may be no answers so you had to forge your own or just do as best as you could. Lifting up the glass mug, the creamy brown liquid swirled down her throat, the liquor leaving the perfect sensation upon her tongue and down her throat. Did she want to potentially spoil it with a cigarette? It had been a while... No, no real reason. This wasn't a stressful day at all! She was rather enjoying the... company right now.

Observing him rise from his chair, she merely let her eyes follow him with an impassive expression that spoke mild curiosity. Had she said something incorrect? Mmm, no. Not the feeling she was getting. Though she could hardly call herself a master at reading people. There was always that barrier of complexity that didn't necessarily exist in code. Various layers upon layers, philosophies, etc. Beside the point right now. Her eyes moved past him to also look upon the setting sun, the orange seeming to melt within her eyes and swirl, like a liquid fire that was... cool. She couldn't help but want to see it reflected in his eyes as well, it was probably gorgeous. But given the angle she was at, she was sadly denied. Oh well, perhaps another time. If there was another time.

A game? Now Rebecca certainly couldn't hide the smile and chuckle that followed, folding her hands in her lap. "A game, eh? This ough'a be fun." The question was, just how would he play this? It was her turn to cock her head slightly to the side, having to brush some of her bangs out of her eyes. "I'm guessin' you've already worked summat out from me appearance." She nodded. Aye, she had indeed. So a 20 questions sort of thing. Alright, she could dig that.

As he drew close, she didn't move except for her eyes that followed him, and the smirking sort of smile that had spread upon her lips. Let the games begin. She stared right back into those mismatched depths, her head straightening so they were exactly level. "Alroigh'. Now lesse..." Folding her arms over her chest, one remained at an even level across her chest, her hand hanging in a loose fashion. The other was touching her index finger to just beneath her chin, eyes flickering over his face. Ok, let the guessing game begin.

"You are a hoighly observan' man. Ei'er because you are merely 'is way already, or for yer job, or bot'. You're shimmerin' eye 'ere? Alkahes'ry. If i' were made o tech, would be diffren'." She began, lowering her hand so it seemed like she was almost holding herself except for the fact she was quite relaxed. "Occupation... Ei'er privute eye, or detective of some sor'. Investiga'ive for sure. Hmm..." Then her gaze grew deeper, trying to peel away what she could see in his face. Without looking, she picked up her glass and paused before taking a sip, her crimson gaze glancing down before resting upon his face once more. "You... You 'ave seen much sir. Tha' you have. Done much probly too. Man of the world. How am I doin' so far?" She asked with the slightest tilt of her head, a sudden, almost cute sort of smile on her lips. Ah! Right. "Ah yes, 'fore I forge'. Tis only fair tha' you ask questions should you wish to. Same rules apply though o'course." And the smirk was back coupled with a chuckle, still not moving away from how close he had drawn.

[Guest]

"Alroigh'. Now lesse..." When she spoke, he pulled away a little. Not far, not too close as to ruin personal space, but close enough that she would remain interested enough to keep the gaze. Just being there made him feel like he was interrogating a suspect; not fer a crime, but for a small thing. He enjoyed this, it was rare for him to find someone to play his mind games with. He wasn't going to torment the poor girl, no. He was just havin' himself a lil' fun. 'Cuz what was a day without some fun? He laughed dryly, though not making any noise. Instead, his eyes were locked onto her's, Menoitos not speaking, just watching. Because there was no fun in speaking over someone who had the floor. His mouth curled into a smirk.

"You are a hoighly observan' man. Ei'er because you are merely 'is way already, or for yer job, or bot'. You're shimmerin' eye 'ere? Alkahes'ry. If i' were made o tech, would be diffren'." Two for two. His eye was Alkahestry. Replaced by a man in Xing, for a price. Good eye, too. It didn't do anything additional for his sight, but it made for cool party tricks. He chuckled, and nodded, not letting anything else slip for now. In fact, he was watching deeply into those red eyes, trying to glean whatever information on this woman that he could. He'd already seen the woman pass. He wasn't that dim. In fact, he'd been pretty certain of something for now, but he wasn't going to go any further with that. The mysterious killings of the one killer he'd been chasing meant that other leads had no real use to him, "Occupation... Ei'er privute eye, or detective of some sor'. Investiga'ive for sure. Hmm..." Oh? Well done. He'd have clapped for her then, but it would be... irrational to do so right now. Three out of three. He was certainly impressed. Her gaze deepened in his, and he unconsciously started to drift closer to her.

"You... You 'ave seen much sir. Tha' you have. Done much probly too. Man of the world. How am I doin' so far?" He gave her a light wink, and grinned. How does one put this when someone manages to glean the basis of their personality from simply watching and talking? He gave a couple seconds careful thought, and grinned at her again, "Four from four, miss. Ain't half bad."

"Ah yes, 'fore I forge'. Tis only fair tha' you ask questions should you wish to. Same rules apply though o'course." He nodded lightly, and gave it another couple of seconds thought, compiling it over and over in his head, trying to get his facts straight. Okay, he was pretty sure he had it. Shifting slightly from his position, he resumed his gaze into her red orbs, and began to speak in rough tones,

"Yer not military, but you got a feel 'bout it. Mebbe special forces o'some kind. I'unno, ain't too bothered. But yer a bit'o at techie too. Obvious when you talked about me eye. Nobody'd think tech at first sight." He smirked and placed a hand onto the table to balance himself in his standing position. With a quick tilt of his head, he continued with, "I seen the woman come in. Y'have contacts. A few of'em, too. Prolly would'a known 'bout me if I was less hidden wi'me stuff. Hmm... to look more personally, I'd say you've 'ad... not a rough life, but not an easy one. Way'o speakin' derives ya from Creta, but yer eyes are Ishvallan. I ain't sure about anythin' with yer heritage, but I s'pose that's a good thing, fer a first meetin' an'all." He moved around her body a little, moving in the path of the golden light, color now reflected in his eyes as he stared at her...

"How'd I do?"

[Guest]

His reactions to her words hadn't quite escaped her, the smirk that grew here and there upon her words. Maybe she was doing rather well. Especially when she sensed him draw closer even though she was rather absorbed with her guess-work. This truly was fun. As much as she sometimes preferred tech to live people, sometimes human interactions were just flat out better.

Oh that wink... The grin that grew was light, a happy gleam flickering across those ruby eyes. Perhaps her human skills weren't as rusty as she believed them to be. They shouldn't, it was part of her job! Well... both of them... Ah, but leave the other out of this for now. It wasn't her main one, least not to her as important as it was. True, it was something she had chosen, but.... but it could just get so heavy sometimes. Had to keep things light you know? Life was too short. That, and you met some real assholes along the way. Made it all the better when they fell. Hehehe....

Now it was time to see how he'd fare. Oh she had no doubts he'd do well. Her gaze locked upon his, her expression sliding easily back into that relaxed sensation. She was in her favored cafe amongst friends. Least she'd say that. "Yer not military, but you got a feel 'bout it. Mebbe special forces o'some kind. I'unno, ain't too bothered..." So he had noticed that huh? She couldn't help but chuckle in her head, the corner of her mouth twitching into a seconds worth of a smirk. "...But yer a bit'o at techie too. Obvious when you talked about me eye. Nobody'd think tech at first sight." Oh she knew that was obvious when she had said that. Still, good. That fact would have still gone over some peoples head. Oh she knew, surprising but it still happened.

Sipping at her irish coffee, she placed the glass gently upon the table with the smallest of sounds, listening as his voice rolled through the air. "I seen the woman come in. Y'have contacts. A few of'em, too. Prolly would'a known 'bout me if I was less hidden wi'me stuff. Hmm... to look more personally, I'd say you've 'ad... not a rough life, but not an easy one." She was right, he had noticed. The smirk flickered across her lips again, gone as quick as it had come. Even got her life right. What a roller coaster of a life it had been so far. But she certainly wouldn't trade it for the world. Not at all. "Way'o speakin' derives ya from Creta, but yer eyes are Ishvallan. I ain't sure about anythin' with yer heritage, but I s'pose that's a good thing, fer a first meetin' an'all." Another silent laugh within the confines of her mind. She supposed that her accent had come from her time there. Damn her mates there haha! An eyebrow raised at his guess towards her heritage, but then again, it wasn't like she knew where her eyes had come from either. Considering that was the most logical place, she decided she'd give him that point too.

Now she let a smile spread across her features as he finished, tilting her head slightly. Mmm..... The light danced forth creating such a molten glow in his eyes. Truly, gorgeous. Ok, so he fully held her interest now, she had to admit that. A man far more than appearances, a man of mysteries. More coffee and discussion must be shared, she demanded it. Men like this were not common, not at all. Besides, who could resist the whole noir feel he had? "Mos' excellen' sir. Only fuzzy poin' is the Ishvallan bit, bu' i's not like I know either. So still a success on tha whole." A rather light laugh followed, uncrossing her legs as she sat up a bit more, tucking her feet beneath her chair.

Hmm.... Yes. A decision had been made. "Full name's Rebecca Wong, one of the boatswain upon The Ole Miss. Though, no' like tha's my only job." She might as well grant him her real name. Not like he hadn't already heard it from when Karis said it earlier. "So ye on a case up here in the cold, cold north? Mayhaps I could 'elp if ye'd wan' i'. I understand if no'. Figured I'd offer though. Seemed like ye were wai'in for someone earlier." Shrugging lightly, wasn't like there was a lot going on up here. There was still fighting, or clean-up something like that, going on in Drachma. She sometimes wondered how Commander Shep and Joker were doing, or if they should have left as early as they did. Orders were orders though, had to listen to them. Downing the rest of her drink, she leaned forward a bit with her elbows upon the table, her mind refocusing upon the delightful company she was now keeping. Quite a lovely change she had to admit.

[Guest]

Oh , her reactions were absolutely priceless. She wasn't making them obvious, but they were some certainly... intriguing to this man of mystery. Normally, he wouldn't be so interested by a woman sitting before him, but he couldn't help but grin with this one. She interested him no end. To approach a man that you'd never met before, completely out of the blue was one thing. To engage him in such a conversation was another. He grinned slightly, and continued to hold her gaze, watching her face slightly shadowed by the burgeoning light from the setting sun. As he finished a smile spread across her features, and he couldn't help but chuckle at that. She had a brilliant smile, or so he thought. Maybe it was just the light, and the general feel of the late afternoon that they were now sharin'. Maybe it was just him. He laughed internally, watching her carefully.

"Mos' excellen' sir. Only fuzzy poin' is the Ishvallan bit, bu' i's not like I know either. So still a success on tha whole." He smirked. No, he was pretty iffy about the heritage bit. Shaking his head slightly, he finally stood back up straight, slowly walking around the table, not losing his gaze onto Rebecca's features, grinning as he did so, waiting to hear the rest of her reply as he slowly and deliberately took another seat. One move at a time, just like the game of chess. He was the King, the pawns all before him; all he needed was the Queen. The one by his side, "Full name's Rebecca Wong, one of the boatswain upon The Ole Miss. Though, no' like tha's my only job." She gave him her full name. Good. That meant that he'd be able to be honest with this one. At least, it didn't sound like an assumed name. His might, though. He had always thought that, but it was 'cuz it was. An assumed name from his old identity... No longer Terios, but Menoitos.

"So ye on a case up here in the cold, cold north? Mayhaps I could 'elp if ye'd wan' i'. I understand if no'. Figured I'd offer though. Seemed like ye were wai'in for someone earlier." A case? He laughed. Not a bellowing laugh, but not a small chuckle either. Refined, careful, calm. He didn't just have a case up here, y'know?

"Well, if you wanna know, m'name's Menoitos. No las' name. At least, if I had one, I ain't rememberin' it anytime soon. Heh. Call me Meno, wha'ever. Used to go by th'name of Wrath at one point; so if you wanna go'head an' call me that, do as y'please. And my cases take me all o'er Amestris. Creta. Xing. But I always got a place I call home. M'office is here, in North City. Managed to survive them explosions too. Heh. Lucky, I call it." The man smirked and leaned back in his seat, looking up at the ceiling, picking up his coffee cup and downing the last half of the cup of bitter liquid with a relishing sigh. That drink was refreshin'. He smiled internally, and spoke again, "That said, I am on a case at the moment. 'M sure I can trust y'girl," He leaned in, his voice lowering. Menoitos was in "business" mode now, "Y'heard of the recent serial killings 'round North City? Th' guys that have th' crosses etched in their chests after death? 'M assistin' the police wi'it. I ain't a cop, no, no. Jes' in it for th' cash." He nodded, and smirked, "So, y'say you wanna help me? I s'pose I could always get an assistant, at least fer a lil' while." He leaned back in his chair and yawned.

"An assistant of the kill'r is s'pose to meet a contact in this place. Hasn't done so in a while, though. Kinda pisses me off, t'say th'least..." He chuckled, before resuming his look at her. She was, to say the least, very pretty. He was resisting the urge to just pouncehug her. She wasn't a kitty, of course.

[Guest]

Mmm.... Right now she was very thankful for her more nomadic nature, never really wanting to stay in one spot too long. Granted, she had just gotten back but still... staying cooped up on the ship? Not for her, not for her at all. She too followed his movements as he sat down, having to resist how her smile wanted to grow at his grin. Maybe it was just all those film noire movies she used to watch as a kid, but to see such a man smile felt.. rare? Or well.. at the very least unusual. But really really welcome. Then again he had been smiling a lot upon her arrival, and to that she had to inwardly chuckle. Was she really the cause of that? Possibly, but she didn't really want to toot her own horn there. Just enjoy the company!

Her eyebrows raised slightly as he began to laugh, the sound filling their space as if they were in a bubble within the cafe. It was a strange phenomenon, one that she hadn't experienced very often when amongst friends. Again, not like she'd complain! Hrm, almost seemed restrained despite how natural it sounded. She could almost hear her parents telling her to stop being so damned analytical. She couldn't help it! Hell they'd be happy she was off of her computers for once probably. Bastards. And she meant that with all the affection in the world. Seriously.

"Well, if you wanna know, m'name's Menoitos. No las' name...." Menoitos. Unique. She liked that. Probably would end up calling him by his nickname, would roll off of her tongue easier. But then she tuned into the rest, her mind kicking into overdrive. "Used to go by th'name of Wrath at one point; so if you wanna go'head an' call me that, do as y'please." Wrath. Homonculus. Piece of Father. Presumed dead, but confirmed missing. New Wrath now. No longer Homonculus. Known for compassion and attraction to cute things. Especially kittens. Possibility of continued humanistic personality traits, 98%. Possibility of lingering Homonculus traits, 87%. Prowess in battle, high. Knowledge of full background? Limited. Would have to check deeper into files later, for digging could always be done. Likelihood of findings affecting current standings? 2%. Excellent.

And just as suddenly as her mind had turned into a computer, she was back. "...M'office is here, in North City. Managed to survive them explosions too. Heh. Lucky, I call it." Ah, now that would explain that. Right. He had been saying how his work caused him to travel. "Lucky indeed." A chuckle rumbled in her throat, looking up as Karis came over and took her glass. Murmuring a thank you, she paid him with a small smile, nodding as he returned to his place behind the bar. But back to the mysterious Meno....

She hoped she seemed trustworthy! She hated backstabbers. Ohhhh the things she'd do to them... Last time shit went down they had to chizzel away at the burnt charcoal of a carcass. Anyways, works. She couldn't help but lean forward a bit more as his voice lowered, her expression once more impassive. Killings... killings... Crosses in chests. Her crimson eyes lit up, she had seen reports of this. Rather concerning it was. Like that bloke that used to run around London in Creta in 1888 killing all of those women, mutilating them. Plain unpleasant stuff, yet rather fascinating in its macabre. Ah money, it did make the world work a lot easier. Nodding in understanding, she felt a smirk of her own alight her lips, folding her hands together atop the table. "So, y'say you wanna help me? I s'pose I could always get an assistant, at least fer a lil' while."

"Sure. I could roll wit' 'at. Moight 'ave to 'ack into sum gov'nmen' files, bu' I ge' a feelin' tha's not really an issue." She was already pondering which programs to use, and where to start. Probably best to see what he knew so far though. The fact that he was meeting someone who was helping this murderer was fantastic. If she got a name, she could probably work her magic. She realized then, that she had been staring rather pointedly at the table in thought, blinking twice before raising her gaze to meet his. "Always possibul his mate caugh' wind or sume'in'. Bu' 'ats an obvious possibility. Moigh' jus be an idji'. Plen'y o those abou'." She murmured half thoughtful, half serious. She had to consider him again for a moment, pursing her lips as she had to carefully consider what she might ask of him. Nobody liked to give up all the information they had on something, not usually. Least not in her experience.

She had to take that risk though if she was really going to help him. "Alroigh'. If you're willin', le' me see wotcha go' so far on 'is. The less overlap, the be'er. Trick is... if 'is guy knows how to wor' the sys'em, moight be a bi' tricky to mine for da'a. Be' I can still work my magic though." This was rather exciting. Last time she had done any sort of work like this was.... hrm. Far too long ago she felt. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair, her eyes remaining upon him. "Entirely your call mate. Comple'ly understand if ye'd ra'er keep 'at to yerself." She added softly with a faint smile, enjoying the rather lovely view before her.

[Guest]

He'd noted a slightly different reaction when he mentioned that he was known as "Wrath" at one point in his life. Instead of simply nodding and agreeing, she seemed to be analyzing that fact. It was interesting, at least to him. With a cold grin, he continued talking, watching for any small reactions that may give her intentions away. She didn't seem like the type to break away loyalties to anyone without good reason. Good, good. He needed a Queen in this caper. One who could move more than he, one who wasn't known by the killer. He had that, and more. The man leaned forwards, placing his elbows on the table, interlocking his fingers and watching with a cold and calculating gaze, watching her reactions exactly as she spoke. She certainly made things interesting, today. "Sure. I could roll wit' 'at. Moight 'ave to 'ack into sum gov'nmen' files, bu' I ge' a feelin' tha's not really an issue." Aha! He had bet a small amount on that. Not the hacking, but on the idea of her maybe wishing to assist him. She had been the one to ask, and he had accepted. But he had his doubts about her, he had doubts about everyone. These doubts were always in the back of his mind, pushing like the hammer of a Thompson with every thought, "Always possibul his mate caugh' wind or sume'in'. Bu' 'ats an obvious possibility. Moigh' jus be an idji'. Plen'y o those abou'." He nodded and thought on it further. No, his contact wasn't an idiot. Could've caught wind of him being here, but the messenger wouldn't have. He placed one of those hands on the temple of his head, and thought some more...

"Alroigh'. If you're willin', le' me see wotcha go' so far on 'is. The less overlap, the be'er. Trick is... if 'is guy knows how to wor' the sys'em, moight be a bi' tricky to mine for da'a. Be' I can still work my magic though. Entirely your call mate. Comple'ly understand if ye'd ra'er keep 'at to yerself." Psh. What information? He had nothing, except this lead. The guy was keeping his tracks clear. Meno had to dig just to get this, and that was difficult on it's own. It wasn't he who was keeping information from anyone, the police had kept their investigation separate to his. He sighed and shook his head, leaning in closer to the table, chuckling dryly, "I got nothin'." He spoke those words with total honesty, before noticing something in the reflection of Rebecca's eye. ...no. That's why he'd missed the bastard. He turned sharply, in order to see a man running right past the large window of the damn cafe! That was the bastard! That was the contact! Menoitos stood up sharply, and checked the pistol that was holstered on his hip, gritting his teeth. He looked down at Rebecca and, apologizing quietly, gripped her wrist.

"He's here. Come wi'me. Migh' have a use f'ya." He nodded and pulled, bringing her along with him, and taking her out of the Cafe, nodding at the man behind the bar, holding his hat on his head to stop it from flying off. They went around the corner, and Meno suddenly pulled her against the wall, looking over the corner into the alley. There he was; the contact, talking to a man shrouded in shadow. Menoitos growled; he smelt blood. Alright. Turning back to Rebecca, he sighed, and leaned back, "D'ya trust me? I got shit to do for this, an' I think y'can help. Just... act drunk." He proffered a kind smile, and gripped her wrist again, starting to stumble into the alleyway, laughing loudly. The man in shadows and the contact looked at him for a second, before looking back at each other; a couple of drunks wouldn't be a bother. They wandered a little further into the alleyway, until they were within earshot. Okay, it was right here. Without warning, he brought Rebecca to the wall, and gulped a little, blushing slightly. This was idiocy! He pushed her up against it, and whispered lightly, "Can y'trust me?" He nodded briefly, and pushed his face against her's, first kissing softly, before pushing in harder and forcing something of a passionate kiss against her, taking his hat off his head and dropping it to the ground; a listening bug was inside the headpiece, he'd activated it when he'd taken it off.

"Have you discovered the next target, Markov?" Oh, so the contact was Drachman, and his mark-finder. An interesting role; one that would get him paid well and offered the bonus of staying alive during this all. He continued the kiss against Rebecca, staying sloppy in order to keep up the illusion of drunkeness.

"Da, sir. She is a young woman; blonde, green eyes. Interesting young lady, honor student at North City's High School. Her crime: She desecrated the shrine of the great Sun God, Lito." Oh, fuck. Religious killings.

"Good, good. Lito will be pleased with this sacrifice. I shall create the false trail, make the police think that I'm after a different target, maybe someone close to her. It shall be glorious, as per usual..."

The conversation between the pair continued on for a couple of minutes, but didn't leak anything more useful than a target and an intended date. He didn't know a name, no personal details, nothing. But it was enough. If he took this to the police, they'd act, or would they? He didn't know. Markov walked past Menoitos and Rebecca, brushing his back and pushing him closer into her, but he kept his composure. This had to be perfect. Watching out of his eye, Menoitos saw Markov leave the alleyway; and so pulled off of Rebecca. The man in shadow had already left. He took a deep breath, getting air back into his lungs and shaking his head, looking at her with a slightly apologetic expression.

"Deepest 'pologies. Had to work with that medium. If y'got a guy friend of any kind, he can beat me up when we're done," Leaning down, Menoitos picked up his hat and deactivated the recorder, placing the white material onto his head. He breathed out and looked back at her, turning towards the other side of the street and sighing. He was waiting for a slap. A kick. A gun. Anything.

[Guest]

Hmm.... judging from his reaction, he was as puzzled as she, perhaps even moreso. After all, this had been his pursuit before hers. Heh, she probably could call it hers now. She had basically volunteered herself to help him. Sure she accepted random contracts out of the blue, but somehow this felt... different. She couldn't quite place her finger upon it. She'd killed terrorists before, investigated hackings, people, places, other governments.... Surprisingly few killers. Maybe it was just him. A man she had met only a short while earlier. Now she was helping him track down this serial killer.

A shift. His sigh made her eyebrow raise ever so delicately, a frown beginning to crease her face. Wait... he really had that little? Blinking twice, she had to admit she was surprised. Then she needed to get on this-- He suddenly turned, her eyes immediately following where he was looking. A hand clenched. Shit, that must be the guy. What the hell weapons did she have on her--that was quite a firm grip he had.

"I--ok." She pushed herself up and stretched out her long legs to follow after him. "La'er Karis!" She called before the door shut behind them, almost stumbling over Menoitos' feet. Rounding the corner right behind him, pressing herself against the wall as he pulled her to it. She had to admit, this was sort of a first. Any sign of lightheartedness had been replaced by a more stoic expression, calm yet serious as she watched him. This was his show, she would follow his lead. Otherwise it could cost them. And that was the last thing they wanted. An acrid, metallic scent filled her nostrils just as he growled. Blood. She smelled it too. A grimace formed upon her lips, softening to a more neutral shape as he suddenly turned back to her. A look of expectation and patience was what greeted him, fully awaiting whatever orders he would give. She nodded, of course she trusted him. Wait. What? She..Well.. yeah, she supposed she did. "Yea, I--""--Just... act drunk." Oh that was easy enough! The smile that had followed after stirred something within her not that she could really focus upon it right now. Good day.

Stumbling after him, she found herself giggling like an idiot, her one hand coming around as if to steady herself by gripping his arm. Softening in volume, it was replaced by a small laugh, a lazy and lethargic stare shifting from the figures at the end of the alley to Menoitos. She knew how to act drunk, she was a pirate after all! Her mind had kicked into overdrive again considering the possibilities that could arise here. No, no stop analyzing. Focus upon what they might say instead, let Meno lead! She noted where they stopped, her laugh getting cut off almost in a hiccup as they shifted close to the wall, giving a small 'eep!' of surprise as he pushed her up against it. A sly, seductive (if not outright mischievous) smile slid into her entire body, cocking her head to the head slightly as her eyes bore into his. His blush was cute. It really was. She sort of wanted to see it more outside of this context, or maybe in it. Both sounded good.

"Can y'trust me?"

The corners of her mouth lifted into a rather warm, if not affectionate, smile, her arms instinctively sliding about his body. Well.... This definitely had never happened before. One hand slid up from his lower back to stop between his shoulder blades, the other running through those green locks as he knocked his hat away to the ground. So soft and sweet to begin, then more forceful. Fake or not, she liked this. It could be surprisingly difficult to find a man who was as good a kisser as this. It still gave a warmth in her belly, still called her blood to race which was probably best to help with their cover. Keep it convincing. Her lips danced with his in their "drunken" passion, her ears open to listen even as her fingers slid, gently, through his hair.

Keywords. Markov. Description of given target. Reason for choosing target. Keep up the act! Lito. Other name. Important to note. Also, sacrifice. Enough keywords to find something when combined with each other. She wasn't too worried. Though the shadowy pair did in the slightest. Had to be careful how she tread when searching for info, they might be more knowledgeable than they initially seemed. She called up an almost amused sort of giggle that remained in her throat as Meno's body pressed more against her own due to the Markov character moving by. As soon as the footsteps had faded, she slid her hands away from him just as he pulled away, her eyes opening slowly. Exhaling slowly, she ran a hand through her hair and stared after where the dark pair had gone before she refocused upon the detective before her.

"Deepest 'pologies. Had to work with that medium. If y'got a guy friend of any kind, he can beat me up when we're done." Combined with the apologetic expression, Rebecca couldn't help but chuckle, taking a deep breath. Smoothing out her jacket and shirt, she sort of paused before chuckling again. "Guy friend..." Hah! She merely straightened up from the wall, her ruby eyes still sparkling with amusement. "Dun' worry 'bout i'. Best first da'e I've 'ad in a whoile." She teased, unable to resist a shot for a joke. As the humor faded, she noticed how truly serious he was, and it caused her expression to soften. What a strange man she had found this day.

Stepping forward, she placed a hand upon his shoulder, gently pulling him to face her. Though it was more of a slight tug, if he wanted to face her, then he could do so himself. Not like she wanted to force him into anything. "Hey... Seriously, dun worry abou' i'. 'ere's no guy friend or nu'in'. Trus me, you'd 'ave to work a lo' 'arder to offend me. I know 'ow the job is sometoimes. 'sides, you're a good kisser my friend." She spoke softly in a low voice, a slight chuckle popping out at the her confession. Not like she would lie about that. Maybe it'd make him feel better about it.

[Guest]

A tug on his shoulder broke the stupor that the detective had placed himself into. His mismatched eyes followed the turning of his head, and with that his body. They both moved in space for a second, before facing the purple-haired woman. Meno gave a dry smirk, and tilted his head to the side, slightly calmed at the fact that she hadn't gone and given him something to hurt on. Honestly, he felt better with that fact in the back of his mind. Chuckling lightly, he gave her a more genuine smile and listened to the words that this woman had to say to him, "Hey... Seriously, dun worry abou' i'. 'ere's no guy friend or nu'in'. Trus me, you'd 'ave to work a lo' 'arder to offend me. I know 'ow the job is sometoimes. 'sides, you're a good kisser my friend." His cheeks tinged with a slight red hue, lighting up the face that was fading into the darkness. He gave a brief nod, and reached out a hand, offering it to her in a friendly handshake with a now-growing, confident grin, "Par'n'rs?" Waiting for a shake, Menoitos took whatever would've happened and turned away, walking back to the cafe with a wave of his hand. He needed to clean up what he was using, pay Karis and then get back to his office. Wait, ho.

He turned around on the heel of one of his shoes, and pointed at Rebecca with both hands, grinning lightly. She said that she was a techie, right? Or at least, that was what he'd gathered. So... that meant that she had access to some nice technology. That dingy lil' office that he had back in town was dreary; it had something to use, but it wasn't much. And so, he spoke, "So, yer a techie, righ'? Then y'got some shit to use? I can use th' shit I got back a'me 'ffice t' decode th' tape, but it won't do shit as evidence 'less someone can ge' rid of th' background noise an' make th' voices clear. Reck'n y' have th' capab'lties?" He tilted his head to the side, proffering the question to her, wondering if she would accept his offer or not. There was nothing hidden behind his words, just questions. But, he decided to add one last thing, in case she felt like... oh, he didn't know; he just wanted to say it, "Didn' get th' chance t' say i' b'fore, but y'are quit' beau'iful..." He looked away for a second, now not sure if that was the right thing to say in... this sort of situation...

[Guest]

Her eyes searched his face, the mismatched eyes, even his body language. It bugged her for him to feel... well.. whatever it was exactly. Out of sorts perhaps would be a good, broad term for now. He seemed to relax, and there was that smile again. It really did light up his features, as if it let down the shields kept up to keep everyone else guessing. To keep them out. Haha, and she did get that blush again! Success! Far too adorable. Truly. Her eyes glanced to his offered hand before returning to the faint glow of his eyes in the fading light, gripping his hand firmly yet gently as they shook. "Par'ner's." Their hands slid away from each other, and she fell into step with him back towards the cafe. She'd probably be going to her den (as it was getting called by popular demand) tonight. Sal and the others would understand.

Rebecca caught herself midstep as he suddenly rounded on his heel to face her, blinking as he pointed at her. What? "Sudden though'?" She murmured, wondering just what he was on about. It didn't take long for her question to get answered, to which she promptly began to laugh. Nothing mean spirited or anything, she was just... amused. Capabilities? That was childs play! "Oh quoite. Easily done really. I wos already plannin' on compilin' a search usin' wot we overheard." She answered, hands resting on her hips as she shifted all her weight to one leg. Then she was rather caught off-guard.

"Didn' get th' chance t' say i' b'fore, but y'are quit' beau'iful..." She was mostly just surprised, eyes widening in the slightest as her eyebrows raised. More of a stunned sort of facial reaction perhaps. But the faint flushing in her cheeks followed by a warm chuckle smoothed that right over. "Well, thank ye Meno. Ra'er swee' of you." Whether or not it was really the proper thing to do, she didn't really care. Walking up next to him, she kissed his cheek, winking as she continued on ahead. "C'mon. 'ere's work te be done." With that she'd wait for him to pay his bill and gather up his things, trying to remember just what state she had left the den in. Meh, should be clean enough. Not like she liked it dirty. Cables easily got tangled, smaller cables could get lost, sometimes connections got fuzzy... it could be a mess even without an added mess. So the new partners would set off into North City, the pieces of the case waiting to be unraveled...

[EXIT THREAD]

[Sponsored content]