Tangled Webs

Participants:

andrew_icon.gif brian_icon.gif veronica_icon.gif

Scene Title Tangled Webs
Synopsis Brian and Veronica run into Andrew in Central Park; each tell lies to cover up their relationship, though Brian's caught in another one. We put the fun in dysfunction.
Date September 29, 2009

Central Park


It is about an hour before curfew, and Andrew is taking the time to get a little fresh air. He's currently running through the park, and the sweat along his forehead would suggest that he has been doing so for a goodly distance. His leather jacket lies nearby, and strapped to his body is a shoulder holster holding a pistol - a Sig from the look of it, similiar to that used by most Federal agencies. He stops by his jacket and pulls it back on, covering the pistol and revealing a bottle of water underneath. He picks up the water and starts drinking it.

Veronica and Brian walk through the park, looking for the most part like any couple — there may be something about their bearing and the fact that no shadow, no noise, no movement escape their eyes, that suggest that they are not a typical Yuppie couple out on a romantic stroll. Veronica has a cup of Starbucks coffee in one hand, despite the late hour. She notices the jogger, and especially the holster. She touches Brian's forearm, nodding in the direction of the gun, but does not seem overly cautious — after all, anyone who has their holster on while jogging in public probably has a permit to carry. "He's as hardcore as me," she says with a laugh. Vee's been known to jog in the middle of the night, at the crack of dawn, whenever fancy strikes her.

Brian's hood rests over his brow, aviators sitting on the bridge of his nose. He's unshaven and generally keeps his head down. No need for anyone to recognize him out here. When Veronica touches his forearm, his hand immediately goes to latch onto hers. Interlacing fingers he tugs her a little closer, not because he's scared of the gun jogger, but he's just in wub.

"You're not hardcore." Brian mutters with a little grin. "You just pretend to be. He's probably very hardcore." He lets out a soft laugh. "Think he's a fed?"

After Andrew has had a drink of his water, he sits down on a bench and takes in some of the fresh air. Assuming the pair don't change direction, they'll pass him eventually, at which point Andrew pipes up with, "Evenin' Brian." Unless he's changed job lately, that answers that question…

The brunette rolls eyes. "I meant at exercising. Not saying I'm a hardcore tough girl or anything, but I bet I could kick his ass if I wanted," she tosses back with a smirk. When the man says hello to Brian, she arches a brow and glances from Brian to him. "Anyone we need to worry about?" she says in a low voice intended for Brian's ears only. She gives a polite smile to Andrew as she waits for Brian to respond to him.

"Oh shutup. You couldn't kick your own ass. Let alone someone else who would fight back." Brian grins, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "How many times did I have to save your ass again?" And on cue, his other hand goes to smack Veronica in the rear and then—-

Oh. Hi. Blinking over to the sound of his name, emotions suddenly flood into his mind. One being, rage at being recognized so easily. His eyes fall on the man sitting down. The jogger. Who… Oh. The bartender. "Andrew, right? Shit man, you've got a hell of a memory." He says softly. Suddenly wishing Veronica and he weren't holding hands he slowly turns and smiles to his girl. "This is Andrew, works at that Biddy's place?" Then glancing to Andrew. "This is my new girlfriend. We met over the weekend, isn't she hot?"

"Aye, well, I tend to be fairly observant. I must congratulate you on your taste," Andrew says with a nod. "And you are?" he asks Veronica before taking another drink of his bottled water.

Veronica gives a roll of her eyes at Brian's declaration of her hotness. "Girlfriend? Wait a minute now, one roll in the hay don't make you my boyfriend, mister," she says playfully in a suddenly-Southern accent. "Andrew? Pleased to meet you," she says with a broad smile that reveals all of her dimples in full measure. She offers her hand. "I'm Nicky, nice to meet you." The lie comes easily enough, as various people have called her Nicky as a nickname in her childhood — a name she detests. "And thanks for the compliment, though I'm sure y'all are much too kind."

"It was a good roll." Brian assures her, his hand going to wind around her and clasp on her rear. Pulling her into him he grins wickedly and goes to plant a kiss on her forehead. Looking down at Andrew he gives a grin and shrugs. "What can I say, I got em lining up. Tell me if you need a hook up. Or you can probably just have this one when I'm done." He grins back at Veronica letting his forehead go to clunk against hers.

"Nice to meet you too," Andrew replies, shaking Veronica's hand with a reasonably firm grip. He chuckles at Brian's comment. "Nah; I'm an old man now; nearly forty five," he says drily. "It's time I settled down. So, been keeping busy these days?"

Veronica hits Brian's upper arm in what might be meant to be a playful punch, but will actually leave a dull ache for quite a few minutes. "I'm not that kinda girl," she says, then smirks. "Well, not usually. But he is kinda cute. For an older guy and all. And I've always been a sucker for a guy with an accent." Her own fake Southern accent is dead on — the knack of turning one-syllable words into doubles, and doubles into quadruples, and yet somehow the drawl isn't over the top. Her husky voice makes it a touch sweeter, very Tennessee Williams.

Going to step around and behind 'Nicki' Brian growls a little down at the ache on his arm. Looping his arms around her necks, he holds her close to him from behind. Though with one hand behind his other arm, he makes a surreptitious movement to pinch down hard at Veronica's chest. Quiet and private revenge for the punch to the shoulder. Setting his chin on her shoulder he smiles happily over at Andrew as if he wasn't trying to tear Veronica's skin off.

"Busy-ish. You still enjoyin' serving drinks and threatening people?" He smiles softly at the other man. Laughing when Veronica claims he's cute. "Shutup. You like me." He commands, that pinch going a tad deeper.

Andrew shrugs. "It's a living. Besides; it wasn't so much a threat as fair warning. People start fights in my bar, I throw them out. Physically if I have to," he says. "And thank you for the complement, but I'm sure you're just being nice."

Veronica's foot goes onto Brian's as she smiles at Andrew. "You're a bartender? What kinda bartender carries a piece like that around while jogging? I figured you for a cop." The heel of her black boots grinds into Brian's foot. All's fair in love and war.

"I wasn't going to hit anybody. Just talking." Brian mutters, lowering his head. Planting his lips against the base of Veronica's neck he makes it look like he's kissing her. But in reality his teeth are bared and he's locking into flesh. Biiite. All without visibly reacting to the heel grinding into his poor foot bones. The fingers on her chest continue to pinch and the teeth to bite. But lifting his eyes up to Andrew it would seem he's just listening.

"These days, a careful one," Andrew replies drily. "I used to carry one of these during my Marine days, and the way things are at the moment, it seems like a good idea to be carrying."

"You were starting a bar brawl?" Veronica says, twisting to look at Brian and grabbing his hand at the same time, pulling it from where it pinches her and digging her nails into it. Yep, it's a healthy relationship. "I thought you were a nice boy like one I could bring home to my mother." She turns to wink at Andrew. "Yeah, I suppose that guns are a good idea, as long as you don't get stopped by a cop for carrying if you don't got a permit. How long you been working at Biddy's? You ever see a redhead bartender girl that used to work there?" She's still wondering what happened to Isis, since Brian kept that one under wraps.

Oh shit. He never told her what happened to Isis. He frowns deeply, having completely forgotten to come clean about that little caveat. His mind tries to race and figure out if he has actually hung out with Isis at the bar lately in view of Andrew. It wouldn't look good to be hanging out with the new big busted bartender without having a chance to explain to his.. 'new girlfriend'. The pain in his hand is ignored. His teeth release skin. "Hey baby. You can take me home to your mother if she looks half as good as you." A grin is given before he tugs a little on her shirt. "We should probably go back to my place. I'm getting 'sleepy'."

"She must have left before I started; I've only been working there about a month," Andrew replies with a shrug. "And yeah, I make sure to keep a copy of my permit with me just in case. Yes, very sleepy at not long after ten at night," he adds with a very dry tone.

Veronica frowns at the cover-up attempt by Brian. "Ah, okay. She was a friend of mine, and I haven't seen her in a while. It's like she disappeared or something. A down right shame," 'Nicky' says in that soft husky drawl. To Brian, she lets go of his hand and steps away from him. "Go ahead on home, then, if you're tired." Her voice is a bit chillier, no longer all sweet-tea and hush puppies.

"But I want to talk to you." Brian whines a little bit as Veronica steps away. He takes a step forward and tries to wrap his arms around Veronica's waist again. "Won't you come with me?" He glan ces over to Andrew then back to Vee.

Andrew shrugs and rises to his feet. "If the two of you really need to talk, I'll head back home. A pleasure meeting you, Nicky; Brian," he says with a nod before walking off. He finishes his bottle of water as he walks, throwing the empty bottle into a bin on his way past.

"It's about curfew anyway. Should all get home safe and sound before the Curfew Gestapo comes around," Veronica says. "Nice meeting you again, Andy the Bartender." She gives a flirty wink to the Irishman and begins to stride with long paces toward the nearest park exit in an opposite direction.

Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Andrew is not in ear shot he look forward again as Veroncia is storming away from him. "Baby." He calls out, going to pick up his pace to catch up. "Vee. Wait. You're not mad. Are you? Baby. Wait."

"Of course not," she says coolly. "Why would I be angry at you? There's no reason in the world that I should be, is there? Everything's just swell." Irony drips from the words, though the sweet Southern accent has been dropped.

"I forgot to tell you about something. Really. I forgot to tell you this part. Don't do this baby. I'm trying to be honest, I just forgot that part. I thought we weren't even getting mad at each other for secrets, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Vee. Come here." He says, frowning deeply, turning his palms up.
ORDER: It is now your pose.

"We agreed some secrets might be necessary, yeah, but that… that…" Veronica begins, giving a shake of her head. "It's not like it was some ally that you had for months or years that you were helping out. It was a stranger, and a dangerous one at that, and you hurt me to help her? She's obviously not gone, or you wouldn't have worried when I asked Andrew there about it."

He glances this way and that. "She helped me steal highly classified information from the government about FRONTLINE. We infiltrated the Pentagon." Brian lets out, completely honest. "After that, she had her face… body changed. To look different. She goes by a different alias. And.. we're friends." He offers, feeling somewhat guilty about actually calling a woman that's not Vee a friend.

Veronica shakes her head. "You 'rescued her,' then used her power to do illegal things… when she was of course going to be all appreciative and grateful to you for helping her — what is she going to say but yes? That's … it's like blackmail, Brian. And you broke into the Pentagon? God. I can't believe you're telling me this… Does Denton know you're doing this? Is this part of your plan?"

"I was honest, Vee. I told her I didn't rescue her with pure intentions. I told her I saved her because I wanted her help. We used her ability to get us into the Pentagon. Where I wired a conversation with Autumn. General Autumn. We shouldn't be talking like this out in the open. Of course not. Denton doesn't know about this. Why would Denton know about this? I'm only telling you because I love you and I trust you. Yes it's part of my plan." Brian says, looking over each shoulder again.

"God. What are we doing? What insane fucking world do we live in that this makes sense?" Vee says with a growl, turning to head toward the exit again, not waiting to see if he'll follow. Of course he will. The fight will continue, and they will make up, only to fight again. It's what happens when two people lie to one another — the web of deceit catches the weavers themselves now and then.


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