Participants:
Scene Title | Sushi and Secrets |
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Synopsis | Cardinal and Elle discuss things over sushi one afternoon. |
Date | August 8, 2010 |
Located in the Upper West Side, West Side Sushi is a small sushi bar and restaurant that caters towards a medium income though manages a more upscale environment. The decor is tasteful and modern, vibrant in the tone of wooden floors, reflective glass bars, tricky lighting fixtures and artwork on the walls. A winding bar occupies one side of the building, the other devoted to private, comfortable tables with booths and armchairs. A decent range of Japanese cuisine is offered, from light meals to proper dinners, with a focus on sushi of varying prices. A full range of liquor is also available, including sake.
It has a trendy kind of vibe that implies temporary success and limited lifespan, but while it's in its prime, it's a nice place to go, with a casual if still sophisticated ambience with prices that aren't out of reach of the common man but quality that doesn't guarantee it will be overlooked by the wealthier patron.
It's another sunny day, with the temperature hovering between hot and comfortable, with a leaning toward the former. The little blonde Company Agent, Elle Bishop, has decided to escape the uncomfortable weather and grab herself some delicious sushi in the process. Dressed for comfort, she's currently sporting a pair of flood pants, a loose t-shirt, and flip-flops. Her left arm is still in the sling, but at least it's healing up.
Settling at the sushi bar, she quietly orders a soda, opening her menu to peek over the selection. What kind of sushi to get today?
The one problem with starting up an actual business is the need to visit everywhere during the daylight hours. Really, it's quite the bother when you're allergic to too much light. Fortunately, sushi bars tend to be somewhat softly lit, and Richard Cardinal was after some lunch anyway. So the man - thief, revolutionary, vigilante, whatever he is these days - pushes open the door of the small restaurant and walks along inside with a relieved sigh of breath, one hand lifting to adjust his shades.
He's dressed casually in his usual jeans-and-a-t-shirt outfit, jacket left behind thanks to the weather. He walks along in the direction of the sushi bar, starting to find a place to sit - and then he pauses, noticing the blonde, a chuckle tumbling past his lips. "Agent Bishop," he observes in amused tones, sliding into his seat, "Fancy meeting you here."
Elle doesn't seem to notice Cardinal's enterance, searching over the menu. Hmm, that dragon roll looks pretty good. As her name is called by the familiar voice, she jumps a bit, turning to blink owlishly up at Cardinal as he slips into his seat. A small smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes is offered, along with a wave of her good hand.
She looks him over for a moment, before offering an amused chuckle. "Indeed." She tilts her head to one side. "You're not following me around, are you?" She leans back in her seat, sipping at her soda as it arrives.
"If I was following you around," Cardinal points out with an easy tilt of his head her way, a grin crooking his lips at the accusation, "You'd never have seen me. I run a security and investigative business, you might say shadowing is what I do best… no, just a coincidence."
A hand's lifted to the server, and he orders easily, "Green tea, please." That ordered, he picks up the menu to flip open, asking without looking up, "So how's the arm doing?"
Elle grins back at Cardinal. "Must be fate." She sips at her soda, and as the waitress pass, she hands her the little paper menu, filled out with her order. Then, she turns back to Cardinal, watching him thoughtfully for a moment.
"Still hurts to move it too much, but that's what the vicodin is for. It's itching, though, so I guess it's healing. I still have another week and a half in the sling." The little blonde offers a small grin. "I'm just glad it wasn't worse than this. I can live with a scar. I'm really glad the first shot missed."
"Yeah, sorry about that," apologizes Cardinal as he takes a pencil up and scribbles in a few numbers on the menu - passing it over to the waitress as well, he looks back to her with a wry sort of expression, "I saw the gunman, got to him about a second too late, though."
He leans back slightly, shoulders rolling back as he stretches, "Mm. So your… agency is heading up the investigation, I take it?"
Elle's brows raise at his apology. Oh, he was there! She doesn't remember seeing him…then again, that whole thing was kind of a blur for her after she tried her inept version of crowd control. She offers a small smile, waving her hand. "It's okay. You tried, at least…thanks." She dips her head, slurping at her soda as she watches Cardinal.
"I guess so. I'm taking a little time, so my shoulder can heal a bit." She quietly opens her chopsticks, tapping them against her lower lip.
"At least we managed to keep the guy on the ground until FRONTLINE's speedster managed to get him cuffed." Hey, at least he didn't get away, right? Cardinal's head bobs in an easy nod, and he reaches for his tea as it's set down. After a quick smile for his server, he brings it up for a careful sip, gaze hooding slightly.
"Mm. Don't blame you. Company doesn't have any healers on staff these days…? I'm not surprised," he admits, glancing over the edge of his shades to her, "They're not very common."
Elle watches as the sushi chef begins to prepare the two orders, her head leaning to one side as she apparently ponders life, the universe, and everything. She sips at her soda, almost zoning out for a moment. Then, she smiles to Cardinal. Damn vicodin, making her kinda loopy. "Yeah…I'm glad he was caght, at least." She'd really like to electrocute the fellow. Perhaps zap his eyes first…but those are morbid thoughts best left alone. At least, while in public.
"Nope, not on hand to help me out, anyhow. They just gave me stitches and painkillers." She shrugs her good shoulder. "Healer would be nice, though…"
"I don't know of any civilian healers active these days either…" At least, none that are registered and wouldn't be snatched up by her employers if he sent her to them. A sip of his own tea's taken, Cardinal's head shaking a little, "…still, you'd think they could dredge one up from the Registry. Then again…"
A sideways look to her, "…I hear the Company isn't doing so hot these days."
"You'd think, but…guess it's not that easy any more, these days…" She shrugs her shoulder, watching the sushi chef slice up the fish. She falls silent for a long moment, stirring her straw around in her soda. She doesn't really expect special treatment from the Company these days. After all…
"You hear right. I can't say much more than that…" She frowns mildly. She's not too worried about the Company. They've kept too many secrets from her, twisted her life to suit their needs. She's not likely to have much sympathy for them these days. She turns, smiling slightly to Cardinal.
"Oh, I'm not pushing…" Cardinal shakes his head a little, "…I know all about it. You seem to be on good terms with Liz, though, so — I hope you've got some alternate employment lined up, is all I'm saying. I give it maybe less than a year before you're looking at a pink slip. Could be sooner, depending on how things play out…"
A sip from the cup of tea, and he turns a bit, looking casually around the restaurant.
The girl counters his remarks with a small smile that doesn't quite touch her eyes. "Oh…I'm not too worried about that. I think I have some fairly decent accomodations right now." She sips the soda, then smiles as the sushi chef delivers their sushi, offering a small dip of her head and a thank you. "Right now, I'm kind of just sitting back and watching to see how everything plays out."
She glances over toward Cardinal, her brow creasing in thought.
Ah, there's the sushi. Cardinal sets his beverage to one side, reaching out to pick up the chopsticks and peel them out of their paper. The bound sticks are broken apart and then rolled between his hands vigorously together to round the corners. "Not the worst plan," he admits, "Just watch yourself. There's worse than bullets out there."
Elle pours herself some soy sauce, mashing up her wasabi in it. "Thanks for the concern." She tilts her head to one side. "I'll keep on my toes, definitely." She dips a piece of sushi into the soy sauce, popping it into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. Sushi is just plain good for the soul. Especially when you're healing from a gunshot wound.
She turns, thoughtfully peering at Cardinal. "So, what is it that you do? You know all about me, but I don't seem to know anything about you."
"Mmfh?" There's sushi in his mouth! Chew, chew - swallow, wash it down with some tea, and Cardinal chuckles, "Oh, sorry…" He reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a small stack of business cards, drawing one out and stuffing the rest back before sliding one down the bar to her. 'Redbird Security Solutions', it says, 'Richard Cardinal, President and CEO'.
"We do home security, investigative services, all that sort of thing - which, by the way, if you folk need some help on the Staten Island case, we have a registered postcognitive. And we don't cause riots by showing up in uniforms." A twitch of his lips, and he regards her for a moment, "Mm. I don't know that much about you, personally. I mean, I know a little, but not much."
Taking the card, Elle peers down at it for a moment, before pocketing it with a smile to Cardinal. "I'll be sure to pass that on to my higher ups, then." She pops another piece of sushi into her mouth, and silence prevails on her end for a long moment as she chews it. Then, washing it down with her soda, she smiles back over to Cardinal, her eyebrows raising.
"So aside from knowing that I'm with the Company, and from having been there when I was shot, what do you know about me?" She offers a charming smile.
A spicy tuna roll is popped into Cardinal's mouth, and as he chews he gestures with the chopsticks in a circular sort of motion as if to say 'one moment, I'm hurrying here!' as he savours the piece of sushi. Once he's swallowed, he picks up his cup, washing it down with the tea and exhaling a contented sigh. "Ah, this place has some good sushi."
He turns a bit towards her, then, a smile crooking a bit to one corner of his lips. "Well, you're Bob Bishop's daughter, I'd presume. And dating Warren of all people, for whatever reason. He is still calling himself Warren, right?" Wry, "It changes, from time to time."
Elle's brows raise high at the second remark, her head tilting to one side. "Seriously, he's telling people that we're dating?" She stares at Cardinal for a long moment, sipping at her soda as an amused smile makes its way up to her eyes, finally.
Then, she giggles, pressing her chopstick-holding fist to her mouth. "Ohhh, how cute! He's like a little puppy dog…" She smiles, popping a piece of her california roll into her mouth and chewing quickly. "Maybe in his mind, we're dating, but it's more like…I'm playing with him. It's fun." She offers that amused grin back over to Cardinal.
"I don't remember if those were the exact words he used…" Cardinal's head swings from side to side in a slow, rueful shake, and he brings the cup in his hand up towards her in a little salute, "…well, I'm glad you're having fun. The crazy sonuvabitch is an enormous pain in my ass. It's hard to deal with a mass murdering schitzophrenic on any sort of rational basis."
Hm. Maybe he should've said the murdering part a little quieter. He glances around. Nope, nobody heard, good.
Elle returns the salute with one of her own, using her chopsticks. That amused smile remains on her face, the girl popping another piece of sushi into her mouth and chewing, this time slowly. Once she swallows, she grins to the man. "He's a pain in your ass? How so?" She suddenly seems quite interested in what he has to say. "What does he do to you to make you think of him like that?"
The little blonde leans a little closer, washing down her food with the soda.
"You mean aside from going around killing people, and leaving mechanical time-bombs randomly all over the place," Cardinal asks in quiet, dry tones, his eyes rolling behind his glasses, "And moving into my friend's place while she's… away, and refusing to leave."
A rough snort of breath, and he picks up another piece of sushi, "How'd you meet him, anyway?"
Elle returns with a warm smile, picking up another piece of sushi and looking it over thoughtfully. "I was randomly walking around the ruins of midtown. He was Alex at the time. Sent a little cat thing after me, then ran up at me after I zapped it." She chuckles, tilting her head toward the man as she peers at him with big blue eyes.
"I recognized him, and zapped him. Then I turned him in to the institute." She shrugs. "He somehow got my number, so I've been talking to him. He's…interesting."
"I suppose you could call him that…" Cardinal pops the piece of sushi into his mouth, chewing slowly, swallowing, "…s'pose he'll fit in just fine at the Institute. Maybe he can help out with their 'horrible human experimentation' division." Despite the words, it's said lightly, almost wryly joking. The tuna roll's washed down with green tea, and he reaches over to pick up a california roll with his chopsticks.
Elle grins slightly, picking up that last piece of sushi on her plate and staring at it. "Well, if it'll make you feel any better, I'll try to keep him in check. Can't make any promises, though." She smiles warmly over to Cardinal, popping the piece of sushi into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "So you said you investigate things? Do you find people?"
Chews, chew, swallow. Cardinal lifts a brow over the edge of his everpresent shades, "People? That just might one of the many services we provide," he admits with an easy smile, "Who is it that you're looking for?"
Elle smiles to Cardinal, crossing her legs as she slurps down her soda. "I have interest in finding a childhood friend of mine." She puts the glass down, rubbing at her arm within the sling. "Her name is Odessa Knutson."
"Alright." Cardinal sets the chopsticks down on the edge of his plate, turning to her more seriously, "What can you tell me about her? I mean, you'll probably have to come down to the office so we can do all this right and formal, but - just off the top of your head sort've stuff, here, what do you got on her?"
Elle tilts her head toward Richard, crossing her legs as she leans a little closer. "Well, she grew up in the Company, like me. Stayed with them until over a year ago, I think…" She taps her chin with the chopsticks. "I'm really not sure about her whereabouts now…"
Richard gives her a somewhat dubious look, then, his head tilting a little to one side. "Wouldn't they know better than me, then? I know the Company keeps track of its people… even when they've left, unless they left in a big way and usually with bodies on the way out."
A smirk creeps over the girl's face as she sets the chopsticks down, leaning back and patting her flat tummy with a sigh to indicate that she enjoyed her meal. "Haven't really been able to find much on her, and I'm trying not to give it away to the Company that I'm looking for her…it's more of a personal matter, in any case." She runs her hand through her hair.
"I see." The ghost of a smile, there, Cardinal's thumbnail tapping lightly against the edge of the cup, "Well, I'll see what I can do. No promises - of course, it won't be free either."
Elle offers a faint smile, piling her dishes on top of each other and pushing them away, lifting her soda to finish it off. "Of course. What sort of payment would you expect for such a thing?" Her eyebrows raise. "Just an estimate, so I can weigh my options."
"A favor for a favor," replies Cardinal easily enough, one shoulder lifting in a shrug, "There's someone I'm looking for, too… she used to be Company, not sure about her current status."
Elle's brows raise, and her head tilts to one side as a curious expression forms over her face. "Oh? Who might that be?" She tilts her head toward him, setting her soda upon the bartop.
"The name's April Silver," Cardinal says, one hand lifting up to rub against the side of his neck where he's got a krick in it; a crook'd smile offered, "I don't want to kill her or anything, just have some questions I'd like to ask. Like, ask-ask. Not 'tie to a chair and ask'."
Hunting, kind-of, without the hostile bagging and tagging part. That's what Elle does best. She smiles warmly, taking a card from her purse and handing it over to Cardinal. It's simple, her name and a phone number. "I'll certainly get right on that, then."
The card's taken. He's already given her his own. Richard pulls out his wallet, sliding the card in and pulling out some money to pay off the sushi and drink before rising up to his feet. "Well, then, I'll see what I can do about Ms. Knutson," he says with an easy smile down, "Nice doing business with you, Ms. Bishop."
Fetching her cash out, she sets some out, along with a tip, standing. She dips her head toward Cardinal, a rather jovial smile upon her face. "Thank you, Mr. Cardinal. I appreciate the opportunity." Slinging her purse over her shoulder, she turns a smile to the sushi chefs, complimenting the meal. Then, she's looking back to the man. "I'm sure I'll speak to you again in the near future."