Participants:
| Scene Title | Charges of Grand Theft Human |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Isis was having a great day! - Till evil Aude showed up at her job. HomSec to save the day!-ish. (I'm extremely tired, I'll edit this bit later. :P) |
| Date | July 27, 2009 |
Ambient lighting blankets the establishment in a soft luminescence, glowing in tones of appealing orange from the front face of the bar and low hanging light fixtures overhead. Old style brick walls given the pub an appealing depth, reflecting the tone of lights in a more amber hue down upon the lengths of the polished, wooden floors. The bar counter of lacquered dark wood stretches along the northern wall, the forefront for shelves of numerous liquors and the substantially sized LCD televisions spaced liberally behind it. The screens flicker with the latest games and news as the labeled spirit bottles wink from lighted shelves with a beckon of their own. Barstools and high tables welcome tipsy patrons to their support, scattered with throughout the barroom with a few wedge into the darker, quieter, and more secretive recesses. Over the bar are a few banners of sports teams, most notably one of English football club Manchester United.
The thick wooden door to the west is fitted with a single neon sign sponsored by one of the brews on tap, glowing in the door's center window to shed its light onto the sidewalk outside and summoning in new customers when the bar is open for business.
Isis stands at her place behind the bar. It was quiet - a small crowd expected for a Monday evening. The little redhead serves one of the few bar patrons a tall beer, flashing a flirty smile before stepping away. Sliding a few bills into the register she looks down at her hands. With sly, triumphant sort of smile she begins to peel off her gloves with an almost ceremonial attention, wiggling each finger once the slender digits are free. She's dressed flatteringly to fit the job - a fiery little halter and fine black slacks, even a brush of bronze shadow and dark line around her large, chocolate eyes.
Aude is out, back to work, and treating herself to a night at the bar. She's by herself, but that doesn't stop her from having fun. No, the dark skinned riot curled officer is making her way in and towards the bar of the pub in search or a Pint.
She's never been to this bar, but it's the address Brian gave her. She's dressed in casual wear — baseball cap, t-shirt, jeans. She slips into a corner table, the darkest table, her view of the door unobstructed. She picks up the drink menu and flips through it, but watches the door through her deepset dark eyes between page flips.
Brian's never been to this bar either. But, after casing it for a bit, he's relatively convinced that it's not a hang out of anyone he's avoiding. When you have a lot of people to work with, and you need to be careful, casing places is worth the trouble. So when Veronica enters, it's not too long that Brian comes in after.
Aviators balanced on the bridge of his nose, he looks directly to the right, where Veronica is seated. He's dressed nicely, in a black suit with a white shirt under, the first few buttons undone. Glancing behind the bar, Brian gives a little wave of his finger to Isis before making a beeline for Veronica's table. Letting his hand slide along the table, Winters settles down next to Veronica, closely. "Hi." He grins.
The familiar sound of the door beckoning in new arrivals draws Isis's dark attention back over a tiny, pale shoulder. "Hey there, guys," she welcomes the small crowd. She gives a little nudge of her chin towards Veronica and her newly arrived companion - whose thoughtful wave draws a less practiced and more sincere smile to her ruby-painted lips. "I'll be right with you," she calls over the bar before turning, rapping her knuckles across the counter as she steps up to where Aude's selected a seat. "Hey there. How you doin'? What can I get for you?"
Aude's just settling in, not quite looking up. Yet. "yeah i'll take a pint of whatever, and the special today" She's preccupied, busy, not looking up. The voice not clicking in. "Plus some wings, hot. You got wings right?"
Veronica doesn't notice Aude, the officer from the precinct, or she might have gotten up right away. Being recognized is not what she wants. "Hey," she says with a smirk. "Well. We look like Mutt and Jeff. Or like James Bond and a 12-year-old boy or something," she points out, her overly casual wear clashing with his suit. Still, she tilts her face up to kiss him. "How are things?" she says quietly. She nods to Isis when the bartender acknowledges them.
"Who's Mutt and Jeff?" Brian asks, tilting his head with a brow cocked. Meeting and returning the kiss, his arm instinctively curls around her. "Something only old people know about?" He quips, moving his lips from her mouth to her neck. Planting another kiss he leans back with a grin. "Ew. Twelve year old boy? Vee. That's gross. Especially after I start making out with you." Glancing over at Aude and Isis, he quickly remembers he's supposed to remove his sunglasses. Placing them on the table he glances back again. "I'm fine. How are you?"
"What's a good bar without spicy wings? I'll put that right in." On Isis's part there is not recognition of the officer. Even while obviously ignored she puts on a friendly smile before turning away, leaning back upon one foot to dip her head into the kitchen. She calls back the order before giving a little skip off to the tap. Yes a skip, it was a good day thus far and she rather enjoyed her job behind the bar. She pours a light brew into a tall, frosted mug before sliding it along the counter. "Your order'll be right up," she offers by way of dismissing herself temporarily before slipping out from behind the counter with a little swing of her hips and making a line for the newly arrived couple.
Isis leans against the chair opposite the duo, the loviness of their affectionate presentation for once not irking her as it might usually. "Cute," she teases the pair with a friendly tone. "Sorry to interrupt. Can I get either of you anything?"
'Thanks" Aude offers, finally looking up. The pause on the womans face though. No, seriously, that couldn't be… Aude's hand closes around the beer, but she doesn't take a sip from it. A hand though, goes to her cellphone in her pocket. Seriously is that the body jumper?
"You know, it's something my grandma used to say," Veronica admits. "So yeah, it might just be an old people thing, and don't you dare be suggesting I'm old," she says, reaching out to hit him lightly. "I think it was maybe a comic strip or something." She smiles at him, reaching up to touch his cheek as he takes off the glasses. "I'm fine." Her arm's out of the sling it was last in, but someone who knows her well might notice she is favoring the left.
She turns to smile at Isis, actually blushing at the "cute" comment — a word not usually used to describe her or her relationships. "I'll have a whiskey sour, double," she tells to the woman.
"Aw. Grandma Sawyer." Brian says in an enamored tone of voice. He grins a little bit as she hits him, moving his shoulder defensively to protect himself from the pat attack. "You're Mutt right? So is that like Beauty and the Beast? Beast?" He asks, turning his face as her hand moves along his cheek so that his lips briefly brush against her fingers. When Isis arrives, Winters grins.
Pulling Veronica into his side snugly at the compliment Brian smiles brightly. "Aren't we, though?" His eyes go over to the menu. Sighing he glances back to Isis. "What's a good drink here? Something that tastes good. Not alcohol-y." Then he looks down to Veronica, "You hungry Mutt? You like any of the food here…?" Winters eyes go to Isis' chest momentarily in search for a nametag before flicking back up to her eyes. "Lady?"
Isis remains pleasantly oblivious to Aude's expression, and the realization that accompanies it, at her back. Instead, Veronica's blush earns the duo an even brighter smile from bartender's cherry-hued lips. She chuckles as the man embellishes their affectionate pose. "Alright. Alright. Gunna make me sick with all that sugar," she jests.
She gives a little nod towards Veronica's order before her attention alights back upon Brian. She follows his venturing gaze with a lofted brow and ends up looking down at her own chest. Well that's a first - there isn't really much there to look at, even with her flattering top. She shuffles awkwardly and clears her throat before reapplying her smile. "Isis," she introduces herself. "Non-alcoholic? Can't say I know much on that count. I'm a fan of Sherley Temples, myself. But, if you mean alcoholic without the bite? In that case there's plenty - B52 or Chocolate Cake shots. A Grateful Dead will give you a good buzz without the 'alcohol-y' flavor." She lofts a brow, waiting to see if any of her suggestions strike the man's fancy, before looking habitually back over her shoulder to check on the other patron's - finding instead Aude's strange gawking. "Everything okay over there?"
Aude's jaw is tight as Isis gives her name. Shit, damn, fucking Evo. "Actually, no it isn't, can I talk to you for a moment Miss?" Aude pushes back from her chair giving herself some space. "I have a problem"
The brunette agent's eyes narrow playfully each time Brian calls her "Mutt." "Keep that up and you're not getting my apartment key after all," she says. The locks were changed a long time ago, of course, but since he's returned, he's always knocked on the door. "Not that hungry, but you get something if you are," she adds. When Aude calls over, clearly tense, Veronica looks over, recognizing the officer. She doesn't flinch or say anything, but merely glances down at the menu so the baseball cap she wears obscures her face once more.
"I would be most grateful if I could get a.. grateful dead." Brian starts with enthusiasm but eventually is disappointed at the level of corny-ness in his own joke. "Your apartment." Winters says, his arm slinking off of her somewhat. "We moved in together." Brian growls a bit, though when things start to get tense, he eyes his companion's features. Leaning in to plant a kiss on her ear, he whispers softly. "What's up?"
Isis can read people to some degree - her unfinished psychology major was good for something even in her place behind the bar. She lofts a brow at the obvious tension in Aude's appearance and words alike. "Um. Certainly. Give me one moment, yeah?" She tries to affix a comforting smile, but such things aren't her strong suit. She looks back to the pair before her with a more apologetic expression and listens to the man's decision. "Sure thing." A last smile to dismiss herself and she wheels around, sliding over towards Aude. "Is your drink alright?" Please let it be the drink - her day was going so well, she didn't need to deal with one of NYC's finest wackos this evening. "What can I do for you?"
Aude's slips a hand into the jacket of her windbreaker, bringing out handcuffs. "Isis O'Conner, You are under arrest" That's what's wrong. "For kidnapping and Theft. And, violation of the Linderman Act. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law" Aude attempts to put the handcuffs on the woman, try to snap one into spot as she slides off her stool. "You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you.." On she goes, arresting Isis right there in the pub.
"I know her—" Vee is starting to say, about Aude, when suddenly Aude is arresting the bartender. "Oh shit. We should… maybe go…" she whispers. "Come on." She pushes him to get out of the booth, since he's trapped her in. So much for the combat position, eye on the door. What good is that if your significant other traps you against the wall? "Plan B?" she asks.
"You—" Brian's brows go up high as Aude opens her mouth and starts arresting Isis. Grabbing his sunglasses he places them on the bridge of his nose. He continues to trap Veronica, not moving for now. "Really, we should go? When there's a perfect opportunity to rubberneck here. Let's just watch, it's suspicious to bail out during the middle of a.. whatever." He pushes her in a little bit, slinking his arm around Veronica's shoulders. "Let's just watch."
"What!? Who do you think you are? I didn't do anything, you crazy bitch!" All those pleasant smile are gone, proving that the little redhead's doll-like features are equally capable of a sharp sneer. One wrist is met with the cold embrace of the first cuff, before Isis flails both arms, keeping the remaining arm free and trying to pull the officer with the leash created by the metal wrist restraint. "Get off of me! How do you know my name?" The few patrons that were here before the small group's arrival begin to stand and filter out. The mention of the Linderman Act has the lot of them spooked. She suddenly glares at Aude and drops her voice to a soft hiss. "Don't touch me." And then a louder shriek. "I'm not going in a test tube!" Way to go for putting that nightmare into her head, Trask.
"Kidnapping Of Patick (insert last name here)" Aude's trying to get that last handcuff on her. "Got Jumping into another persons body and imitating them. For Identity theft, missy, you're in a great heap of trouble" Aude takes no small glee in it all. Bagging the Evo. "Now, you can sit and we can go down to the precinct like a good little unregistered evolved and get this sorted out or we can do it the hard way"
"Body swapper," Veronica echoes in a whisper, her hand, on auto pilot, going to her back, reaching for her tranq gun before she winces. Tranq hand is usually her left, gun is her right. She didn't think, reached with the left arm, forgetting the dislocated left shoulder for the time being. "Fuck," she winces as her shoulder refuses to let her finish the gesture. She reaches with the right instead, ready to tranq one or both of the women should things start to go badly. She glances at Brian — they're not really on the same side of this debate these days.
"Give me your Homesec badge." Brian insists, "You look like a homeless person," His eyes widen at his own words. "A very, very beautiful homeless person. A homeless person that I would love to be around all the time—" Cutting himself off, his hand goes under the table. "Come on, give it to me. Watch me work." Winters insists.
He told! They told! She had a deal with those bastards! Isis shakes her head abruptly. "I didn't mean to! Listen this is a mistake!" She's yelling over the officer's last remark and last threat, looking back around the bar and finding only the sweet couple left. She scowls and looks back to the officer. "You're making a mistake." She's stalling, debating her own ability. Could she do that flittery disorientating thing? What if she swapped? How would she get her body back? She suddenly grunts and shoves her weight into Aude, trying to upend her before making an effort to turn and run. Running wasn't usually her style, but then again her fight wasn't usually with the law.
"Tell that to the cops down at the station and your lawyer Girly" Aude barks out, all 5'5 of her weight put into her voice. Handcuffed criminals trying to run are not uncommon to her and Aude takes the shift in weight, and the added weight, using the momentum to try and get hte second handcuff around her wrist. This puts her in of course, skin to skin contact. We be to Aude for that Mistaketm.
"You never turned yours in, you should still have it. Get out, I'm a better shot than you," Veronica growls. "I look sporty, not homeless." She aims the tranq gun at Isis. "Goddamnit, I hope this doesn't go like the last time that officer and I saw each other," she murmurs. "Home Sec. Don't do anything stupid," she announces in a loud voice.
"I still have it?" Fffuuu. "It's in your apartment then. Damnit. We have to find it. Better shot? In your dreams." He hisses before sliding out of the booth. Standing up and immediately taking on an authoritative presence, Brian motions at Aude. "Homeland Security, officer. We'll take it from here." Aww, just like old times. Taking a step forward, Brian fixes a look on Isis. "Calm down Isis." His gaze goes to lock onto hers, his face softening for just a moment. "We can work this out alright?" He offers in a soothing voice, his hands going upwards showing he has no weapon in his hands. Even though Veronica has a weapon trained on her. "You just listen to me, and everything's going to be fine. I promise." Placing his back to Veronica and Aude, his right eye closes for just a second at Isis.
Wink
Isis grunts as the inertia of her body is used against her, the click of the cuffs teeth locking into place around her last wrist. Contact. Salvation. The touch begins to kick start her ability. God, luck was on her side that she'd finally figured out how to train it just this morning. Between Aude and herself their psyches begin to flutter, a hook that sinks into the pit of one's stomach and begins to tug, taunting the consciousness from one's body. Isis is just about to give in to her ability - the bite of the cuffs, the line of the trained tranq gun… she'd surely end up in a test tube. And, then Brian approaches. She suddenly looks like a hopeful puppy, brows rising and knitting nearer to one another. "Don't put me in a test tube," she mumbles.
"Oh great Homesec coming in to save the daaaaa" Aude doens't quite finish that sentance and the scowl on her face gives way to one of confusion as the black woman pulls her hands back, stumbling back from Isis.
Finally. Veronica is out of the seat, eyes flicking from Aude to Isis and back. "Officer Castalides. How nice to see you again. I seem to get more use of this gun with you around for some reason. Where did we meet?" she asks of Aude, or who she thinks is Aude. If the woman can't answer the question, she'll know they've swapped. She also watches Brian out of her peripheral vision. "You should go," she hisses out of the corner of her mouth.
A sharp look is directed at Aude, sharply. "Your name and badge number, officer?" A flick of his hand at Veronica as if expecting her to get said information. Glancing over at Veronica, Brian gives a small grin. He waves her off. "I'm fine." Winters grunts, taking a step forward at Isis. His hand comes out, offering it to her. A body swapper has had a go at him before, and he was able to resist. Thinking he'll be able to do the same he takes a step forward. "Isis. No one's being put in a test tube. I'm going to help you. Do you believe me? I need you to believe me." Brian insists, giving a nod. "I'm going to need you to put on the cuffs okay? But it's going to be alright."
Isis glances back over her shoulder as Aude steps away, her gaze flicker then to Veronica as if the little redhead was a trapped mutt looking for a chance to flee or even bite. She watches Veronica's weapon - she watched just enough television to know what it was. It used barbs, needles really - a fear of which turned her stomach into knots until she visibly gagged. She coughs past the ache in her throat and centers her attention back on Brian. "You promise?" For someone that didn't put trust in many thing, she still trusted the childish things such as promises.
With a sigh and an obvious anxious fidget in her body her fingers shift at her back until the last few teeth of the cuffs can be heard clicking into place around her wrists - securing them more tightly in a job the disheveled cop didn't get to finish.
"M…my what?" Fucking evolved just…. evo'd her. Evo'd HER. Aude's eye's flutter, holding up a hand, let her get her bearings as whatever Isis did, the half aborted body jump has thrown her mind for a loop. "My Ba..Badge number?" What the hell. What. The. Hell. Aude looks over at Isis and quick as a flash, up comes the womans fist, attempting to connect with her jaw. "You god damned Evo bitch!"
Vee rushes forward to try to intercept Aude's fist, take it for Isis — not because she wishes to protect the bodyswapper, but she knows that if Aude makes contact again, chances are the body swap will be completed. "No!" she yells, grabbing for Aude's wrist, hoping to bring her down without injury — to either of them.
As Veronica goes to grab Aude's fist, Brian's elbow flies up powerfully directed squarely at the middle of Aude's face. "You over-zealous bitch!" Winters yells out angrily, directing his gaze at Isis. "Now she's getting away! She's going for the back!" Veronica wrestling with Aude, and Aude probably either suffering from a mighty nosebleed or tumbling backwards or something. Winters gray eyes lock on Isis. One thing could be said by those features.
Run.
"I'll go after her!" Winters yells out, taking a leading step. A glance is sent to Veronica. We'll talk about this later. Goes unsaid.
Isis doesn't need to be told twice. She's not even foolish enough to let her confusion hold her any longer than is necessary to read Brian's expression. She turns on a heel and dives around the edge of the bar, shouldering through the swinging back kitchen door and out through the back. The cook gives a shout before the sounds of clattering pots and pans, and the shattering of falling dishes cover up the wild thuds of her heavy boots. She kicks at the metal bar of the back door, setting the heavy thing entry swinging wide into the fresh air before she drives out. She doesn't stop - thankful or not, she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and stick around any longer. She tucks around the alley's corner before her legs kick her off into a sure sprint. She was a tiny thing, but any muscle she did have was in her legs - thank the Gods.
Fist intercepted, going downwards thanks to Veronica. Elbow, not and there's a crunch of cartilidge and Aude's head snaps backwards. What the fuck now. Homesec is attacking her and letting the bitch go free? That's a really pissed off scream from Aude. They were stopping her from doing her god damned job! Down the petite woman goes, blood flowing freely from her nose and an frustrated and angered scream slipping out even as her eyes water uncontrollably. "Assholes!" Little speckle of blood go flying with that word.
"Goddamnit…" Veronica growls, extricating herself from Aude and shooting Brian a look. She follows the path that Isis took, but just as she's slipping through that heavy door, it's closing, knocking her dislocated shoulder. The pain is white hot and the shoulder's newly out of its socket, causing Veronica to slump to her knees, sobbing for a breath.
"Now she's going to get away, you bitch!" Brian yells out at Aude, taking off. One final look is directed at Veronica over his shoulder. An apologetic look. Bobbing over the bar, Winters takes off after the back door in hot pursuit of Isis. Sprinting towards the back door, Brian gets out of the back door, and then it slams on Veronica. Guilt springs up through his person, and his feet skid to a stop. Half-turning, he stares at the door. Almost running back to check on her. His arms dangle at his side helplessly for a moment. Feeling horrible, it's not like he can go back. Then the charade of chasing after Isis would be shattered. "I'm sorry." He whispers before, running again. Thouhg, the opposite direction that Isis went.
But in the direction that Isis ran, a engine is heard as a car pull sup rather hastily. Leaning over, the door flies open. "Get in!" It's Brian. Or at least someone who looks exactly like the man who was just in the bar, though he's dressed a bit differently. "Quickly!" He yells at Isis.
Isis's heavy boots skid across the concrete and gravel before *THUD*, she falls to her ass. She looks into the car that has swung open beside her. "What?!" He, or his twin brother had helped her out already… With a groan she throws her cuffed self awkwardly into the passenger seat, leaning her shoulder into the cushion so she can reach behind her and yank the door shut with a defining clang. "Who are you?" She asks staring at the man for only a moment before anxiety has her looking out the back window to be sure they aren't being followed.
"I'm the only one who's going to help you." Brian growls, leaning over to make sure the door is closed all the way. "You can't go back to your job. We're going to find a safe place to stay." Winters informs quickly as the car kicks up onto the road and turns sharply onto another street. "My name is Brian, Isis. You were in trouble and I helped you." Asking her to help him, will come up later. "I'll give you a place to stay, temporarily.. and you're going to have to lay low. Like I said, that job is gone." Winters explains, focusing on the road. "But first. We have to go to some jewelry stores and several florists."
"I think I just broke my girlfriend's arm."