Mutual Favors and Inquiries

Participants:

elisabeth_icon.gif minea_icon.gif

Scene Title Mutual Favors and Inquiries
Synopsis Minea and Elisabeth run into each other at the Owl and questions come from both ends as well as cautions.
Date February 27, 2009

The Nite Owl

The Nite Owl is a survivor from ages past - one of those ancient diners with huge plate glass windows, checkerboard linoleum floor, and a neon owl over the entrance that blinks at those entering. Inside, there's an L-shaped main counter, complete with vintage soda fountain and worn steel stools. All of the cooking is done on the ranges ranked against the rear wall. The outer wall is lined with booths upholstered in cracked scarlet vinyl, tables trimmed with polished chrome. Despite its age, it's been lovingly maintained. The air is redolent with the scent of fresh coffee, vanilla, and frying food.


Late evening, a few hours to go till curfew. Minea can stay out past it, if she really wants, but it might blow her cover. Tonight though, she's going to do just that. No urge to be rushing back to Staten island since she hasn't seen hide nor hair of her quarry since then. Fucking teleporting time travelers. popping in and out wherever they please. It's annoying her somewhat. She's working her way through a big burger, dressed to the nines as, something that Elisbaeth has never seen before. She tended to dress down like normal around phoneix members. Hair up, nails done in some scarlet color, thin heeled pumps. A mix between secretary and High class woman. Though maybe a bit more chest than is necessary.

There's a day planner out, notes being jotted down and dates checked, double checked. The cellphone is out, going through the history, comparing as the familiar face is parked in a booth near the back of the diner, away from people immediately.

By contrast, Elisabeth tonight is dressed so far down as to be a college student. Frayed, comfortable jeans, a heavily lined denim jacket with a SUNY sweatshirt that's seen better days peeking out of it. A warm black hat covers her blonde hair, which then stands on end when she pulls it off once she's entered the place. She waves a bit toward the counter, her expression tight. She's barely hit the counter to pick up her coffee when she double-takes at the sight of Minea at a booth near the bathrooms. An eyebrows raises, and she murmurs to the waitress that she'll come back to the counter if she needs anything else. Then she takes her coffee and heads for Minea's seat. "Well, well, look what the… well, I'd say cat dragged in, but considering the looks of you, that'd be a bit of an insult. Nice outfit," she comments mildly as she slides into the booth.

Good god. last person she expected to see, but then again.. look at this place. "Harrison. Slumming today?" She pulls her stuff away so it's not spread all over the table and in Elisabeth's way. "How goes the life of patrolling the streets and keeping the world safe?" It's an honest smile offered to the blonde woman. "Lancaster, by the way, Minea Lancaster" Hint. Big Hint.

There's a faint smile as Minea introduces herself. "Nice to catch your last name finally," she says mildly. And then just as calmly as ever, raises that silence bubble that has become second nature to her as she sips her coffee. Once it snaps into place, Liz murmurs softly, "Been busy lately? Or just avoiding my calls?" She jerks her chin sideways. "Not slumming, just … visiting friends. I used to teach just down the road before they bombed the place and I almost died."

Blessed silence bubble. "You knew my name before. Lancasters my new cover. Need a new once since Flint Deckard fucked my old one up" But, avoiding calls. Minea glances down to the new phone and then shakes her head. "You've been calling the blackberry, haven't you?"

There's a faint shrug and Liz says, "I figured." with regard to having known Minea's name before. "Probably… the only number I had for you." She smiles faintly. "Given that you're undercover, though, seems like you wouldn't be carrying that phone. S'okay… not like you didn't warn me that you'd be hard to get hold of," she says.

"I wasn't sure they'd keep me here in the first place, but they opted to" Minea scribbles down a number, tearing it off of a notepad before the digits are slid across the table. Just her number on it. 'Call, in an emergency. They watching me close since Christian bit the dust" She picks up her coffee, taking a pull from it then putting the cup back down. "I ran into Ygraine a week or so ago. Had a package to get sent, she turned out to be my delivery girl. She said you guys were doing good. Was glad to hear it."

Reaching over to take the number, Elisabeth tucks it into her pocket quickly. She takes a sip of her coffee. "Doing good's relative, I guess," Liz says with a faint smile. "Dealing with Homeland Security agents all day — one in particular that I'd like to just resonate her bones right into dust — is wearing on me. But … decent, for all that." There's a tilt of her head and she says, "I'm sorry they're watching you so closely."

"I've had a run in with a few, got a name for your agent?" and speaking of which. She shouldn't, she really shouldn't but she's sure that they're still worrying. She brings the coffee cup up to her lips, pretending to take a sip. paranoid about lip readers. So the coffee cup disguises her lips but Elisabeth and her hearing… "I've seen your wayward clone"

"Kat Marks," Elisabeth replies softly. Her back's to the diner, so anyone wanting to read HER lips is going to have to figure out a cool way to do it. "Every time I bring in someone lately, they seem to vanish — it's becoming an epidemic. And I'm pretty sure she's behind it." She grimaces. And then she looks up. "Wayward…. " She tenses. "Brian?"

"Wayward clone. He's in one piece, safe. Homeland's got him. More than that, I can't say, but I've run across him. Calls himself Winters. Not Fulk" She brings her cup down, reaching over to take a bite of her burger. Kat's name gets a nod, aka, she's familiar with the name. "Ran into her, at a combat gym on the other side of the island. She got something in her craw, cause I beat her in a sparring while I was injured."

Elisabeth snickers softly. "Good! I gave her a nice shiner myself. Made me feel a little better." She shrugs. "Guess she got her own back today… pissed me off so bad I couldn't even see straight." She shakes her head. "So … wait? Brian's working for Homeland? That's…." She bites her lip. "That's bad."

Back up goes the coffee cup to take a sip. "Best of my knowledge. I haven't come across him since. But then I haven't had reason to go back there yet" Back down comes the cup. "How's your family? How's SCOUT handling the shit that's been flying lately. I heard there was a jumper in the news, and then that woman who kissed her baby and killed her"

Watching Minea, Liz comments mildly, "I hadn't realized you were working for Homeland, Min… no wonder you're worried about running into me here." She shakes her head and sighs quietly, taking the conversation steering with ease — she can hold both conversations at once. She makes a point of looking aggrieved so that in spite of the silence bubble anyone watching Minea can see that they're just two cops chatting. She doesn't lower the bubble, since raising and lowering it just draws attention. "SCOUT's spread far too thin, honestly. They're pairing us up with our partners some of the time, and Homeland's people some of the time. And it's kind of a conflict of interest — SCOUT's goal is putting away Evolved criminals and dealing with Evolved situations. Homeland wants to bag and tag every Evo we come across, which is complicating matters immensely. The jumper and the woman on the news are both tragedies, but they're not CRIMINALS… " She glances at Minea. "Don't get me started. I fully realize that as yet, the system isn't sufficiently capable of dealing with the differences there, and my soapbox is not too far away." She just shakes her head, looking upset. Partially for the benefit of anyone who may be watching, partially in truth.

"Actually, that sort of brings me to what I was hoping to contact you for." She looks at the other woman and says softly, "You offered fully fleshed out identities to certain members of the group, and if the offer stands … I'd was hoping to take you up on it." She looks … well, somewhat chagrined. "I had a blowup with Marks today that sort of clinches it for me. I have a feeling I'm going to end up on a watch list, if I'm not already there."

"They transferred me. Only way they could feasibly keep me here to keep doing what I'm doing. Chunking out ID's. We'll see if it pans out or not, or whether I go back to the ISA. The new cover they gave me though. God" She shakes her head then listens, a tilt of her head to let her hair et in the way of her face as she runs a hand through her locks. "The offer stood as long as I was in town. Might be a bit harder to get em done, but, I can see to making you something. I'll have to disguise the quality and you'll need your Technopath to make em real, I can't do that anymore. Not the same access level" Flip goes her hair back. "Most aren't criminals. Just people with genetically gifted abilities. There's just the percentage of the evolved population that fucks it up for everyone else. They're the ones that you have to deal with"

There's a long, slow nod to the information that she'd need Hana to make it real. That part will have to wait, what with Hana in HomeSec hands. "Yeah, I was going to ask about this cover you got going. You a high-class call girl or something else?" she asks with a grin. "Interesting look on you. Con would have loved it." Then she shrugs to the rest. "There's always bad apples, I guess," is all she says to that part. "I just resent that the agents I'm stuck with seem to be treating innocents like bad apples."

"Well, sadly, you won't be getting me. Typing out reports" Minea smirks though. "You'll find out, some day. I dressed like this before, just, not so much chest. Hey.. stupid thing to ask. I ran into someone, who was looking for some paintings. Then he told me to forget about it. Forget he ever talked to me. There something up in the station or someone in the know, about some paintings? Might have been stolen, or they're about to be fenced. Seemed an odd question to come from a stranger"

Elisabeth frowns at that question. "Actually, it's not a stupid thing to ask. Who was doing the asking?" she queries thoughtfully.

"I never got his name. He was more concerned that he'd seen me the day before getting my ass smacked by some guy and chiding me to not troll for more work" Minea rolls her eyes. "It was just a strange thing to ask a .. call girl, really. It piqued my curiosity. He asked me where to find stolen paintings, or where one would buy them"

"Uhm… yeah, now *that* is really kind of bizarre. I saw a report not too long ago about some paintings, though — Daniel Linderman filed it. Said some paintings of his had been stolen, and well… given what all is going down on the streets, it's not like they're terribly high on the priority list. But definitely if you hear something, give me a call, huh? Maybe it'll get *some* people off my back about doing my job." She rolls her eyes. "I swear to God, Min… I've been up to my eyeballs in hostages, riots, jumpers, and domestic disputes with Evolved people… it's like the worst of the worst that life and being a cop have to offer," she tells the other woman.

"Sounds like you need to go camping for a weekend and leave the phone in your desk" Minea murmurs. "It's the times right now. The curfew and all. What with all the announcement of those new tests, and with the focus shifted to all the evolved destructive events that have happened, can you blame them?"

Elisabeth shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. "No.. I can't. And truth? People like the jumper on the bridge *need* to be kept somewhere until they get control of their powers. Everyone deserves to feel safe, and right now? No one does. Not the unevolved, not the evolved."

"Your friend T tell you that my place was broken into? My old place?" Natasha comes around, time to fill up coffee's and Minea pushes her cup to the edge, offering a smile to the redhead.

Looking up as Natasha comes over, Elisabeth drops the bubble to greet the woman and make sure things have been quiet since the photo shoot. She thanks her for the refill, too, and then waits until Natasha heads back before raising the bubble again. "No… I don't see my friend T so much lately. What were they looking for?"

"That, is a mystery. Seemed to set T on edge. Broke open my wounds, and they almost had me if they hadn't have let my window stay open a fraction of an inch. They took nothing. Just roughed me up and then left, taking their guys with them that I got done. Cost me a gun. Freaked me out enough that I went to a hotel for the night and left soon after. T thinks it might have been Homie's, Someone else wonders if maybe it was the same people who dealt with Christian. so far, I haven't had any repeaters. Maybe I walked in before they could get what they wanted or needed or because I got the upper hand, they changed their mind"

"Shit, Min…" Elisabeth frowns. "I've been looking into Christian's accident, and it still so far looks like just what it was reported to be. But then again… you know, hit and run is probably the single cleanest way to take someone out of the equation, you know?" She grimaces. "I'm still digging, though."
"Someone suggested, that maybe it was who we worked for. He was a loose end. He was starting to go off the range, I just tried not to see it I think. That they took care of it how they take care of spooks. Nice clean 'accident' Maybe it was just a run at me to make me stop looking into it?"

Elisabeth grimaces at that. "Oh good… just what I want to think about. Getting offed for looking into it." She rolls her eyes, though. "Well, if they come at me too, I guess we'll know for sure that's what it was, right?" She seems philosophical about it.

"Tell me about it" Minea doctors her coffee, stirring in some cream but no sugar, letting her hair drop over her shoulder and hide her lips again once the sound bubble is back up. "I'll see, what I can dig up discreetly, about the wayward one, and i'll set up a PO box, over in Chelsea, for you to drop off pictures, and the information needed for the ID's. I told Conrad I'd cough up a handful, and just because he's dead, doesn't mean I get to renege on it" Hairs flipped again, back behind her shoulder. "Can probably stop looking into Christian's death then. Rather you safe than.. getting a home invasion as well"

"I'd appreciate it… I don't know if it'll do me any damn good at all if I blow it, but… better safe than sorry," Elisabeth replies. "If you want me to keep at it, I will. He didn't deserve that, Minea. Home invasion or not, I'll keep at it."

"Only so long as your safe. He was an as at the end but, it'd put me at rest to know whether it was an accident in truth or whether it wasn't and I maybe need to turn in my credentials and get the hell out of dodge" The burger, though getting cold, gets one last bite from the brunette then a wipe of her lips with a paper napkin. "Just don't turn up dead. Who else will keep the streets safe" The coffee comes back up to her lips. "Besides, I told the others that I was cutting off contact with phoenix, but.. With running into the English woman, and then seeing the Fulk copy" Minea shakes her head. "It's probably a good thing I ran into you here. Tell them not to approach me, keep it through you. I know they probably won't trust me, being that I'm now under the lovely Auspices of homeland but.." Minea shakes her head, putting the coffee down after a second sip. "Least that I can do, for you looking into Christian's case"

There's a faint smile at that. "Hell, Min… at least we've got reason to talk when we need to. I appreciate the IDs, and I'll let them know you're being monitored," she tells the dark-haired woman. "I'll do my best not to turn up dead." She pauses. "T tells me he's spotted some of our missing people out there on Staten too… so if you see anyone you recognize, if you could get word about where you've seen them, that will help too. Don't worry about what they think of who you work for… I work for the corrupt Man too." She shrugs. "Take care of yourself out there, okay?"

"Homeland doesn't exactly make people feel fuzzy Elisabeth. Especially after I was transferred right out of ISA after the whole you know. I think I'm being punished. Maybe. I don't know and I don't care, just so long as I keep doing what I'm doing." There's a raise of brows then she nods. I've been back and forth on the island, I'll keep an eye out. Who's missing?"

Elisabeth replies quietly, "Abby, Sergei, and now Teo's gone missing too." Elisabeth looks worried. "We're all offline with the cells, though — Wireless has been picked up by Homeland. So we're having some technical difficulties."

'The healer?" Ygraine had told her about Sergei on the island, had she told her about Abby. Minea frowns. And now Teo. "I'll see, i'm not there too much, except when I have to go there for my cover, but i'll keep an eye out. You still at the same number?"

Elisabeth nods. "I am." She hesitates and adds one more thing to Minea's plate. "Rumor has it that Matt Parkman's gone on a job for Homeland too… it's possible that he's over on the island undercover. I mean, yeah, he could be ANYWHERE in the country, but he's local and has local ties. Be careful around him… I'm not entirely sure where his loyalties fall, though he's always struck me as honorable — and if he wanted to run us all in, … well, just like you, he could do it in a heartbeat. But he went off right after I told him about Abby, so he may be trying to locate her."

"Telepath?" Minea nods, though mentally there's not really any worry. He's homeland. "I'll keep my nose to the ground and my ears open."

Elisabeth nods to her, finishing her coffee. "I'll leave it to you to initiate contact if and when it's safe, then. Be careful out there, Min."

"you too Liz. You too. Go do your stuff" The 'call girl' waves the woman away from her table. "Go keep the streets clean"

Elisabeth pffts mildly and slides out of the booth. "As if *that's* gonna happen anytime soon." She waggles her fingers over her shoulder in farewell, bidding Natasha good night as well.


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February 27th: Fluids
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February 27th: Old Leads
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