CLOSED ♔ hear the crocodiles ticking 'round the world

[driveangry]

♬ Major Minus - Coldplay

WHO || Liam Chambers & Desmond Descant [Closed]
WHAT || Old business associates catch up - and Des gets a lead
WHERE || A diner in Chicago, IL, America
WHEN || Thurs, Feb 9th, afternoon
HOW || Actionspam

[The broad shouldered man sitting in a booth against the window hardly glanced up as the bell jangled to let another customer inside. He knew what he'd hear as soon as soon as the guy he was waiting on showed.

And sure, enough. Just like clockwork.

"DES? That you, sugar?" Didn't mean anything, really, when Irma called someone 'sugar', other than she thought they were still breathing - she called everybody sugar. But it meant something when she sounded so surprised to see you.

He never got that tone, not anymore, but then again, he'd been hanging around here too long now. Starting to get uncomfortable. But a job was a job.

He slammed his fork back into his grilled chicken Caesar salad again when he felt the man walking up behind him, addressing him without looking up. His gravelly voice was dry with something like humor, and he didn't bother with salutations.]

Ordered you a triple-meat. Figured one of us better have something worth eatin'.

Comments

[driveangry]

[He shakes his head tightly, though his tone's apologetic] I wasn't the one doing the questioning. Just tellin' you what's trickled down to me.

But I got something better. [He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ziploc bag that's got a small round pearl shaped object in it. He merely flashes it, and then drops it back into his pocket] If you're up for it, we got our hands on one of these pills that's supposed to induce the dreamvite process. Wash it down with something, take a good nap, and supposedly when you wake up, it'll lead you right where you gotta go.

[He leans back, slinging one arm over the back of the booth]

Tell the truth, I'd do it myself, but no one knows more about spotting the fakes on this thing than you do. Wouldn't have called you back for less. [He taps the piece of paper still lying between them with two fingers] I got a theory about gettin' info out too. Everybody's so tech crazy these days, they don't even think about how easy a Degauss spell is. But if you make a hard copy, find a place to stash it in case they frisk, you might be able to get some solid info out.

[nothingsodivine]

[Figures. Hearsay was the cornerstone that PI services were built on.

He leaned forwards at the sight of the pearl and swallowed instinctively, as if he was already thinking how much of a bitch that would be to go down. Of course, he'd do it. Desmond D. Descant? Resist a mystery like this? Anyone would be a damn fool to think he'd turn it down. And of anyone, he'd get out alive.

Too bad his immortality didn't do shit for his memory. His short-term was fine, but long-term was practically dead in the water and he chalked that up to his curse, which meant his brain sure as hell didn't heal itself the way the rest of his body did. If they got to his memory, he'd be just as shot as the rest of those kids.

But he also knew what he was doing. So that was something.] And here I was thinking about just smugglin' in a moleskine. [He smirked. Magic was never his first impulse, but that was because he wasn't gifted with any natural affinity. Easy spells were good. He could hack easy and leave the rest to his own deductive skills.] Gotta love it when people have faith in me instead of tellin' me I'm in over my head. I ain't sure I'm not dreaming right now.

[He leaned back.] You know this is all gonna turn into one big hairy furball, right? It sounds too easy. [But the grin on his face said he wouldn't have it any other way.]

[driveangry]

[Liam actually gives a dry chuckle at that.] Easy. Right.

[He pats his pocket where the pearl's hanging out] I can count on you to share anything you find, I take it? If it turns out I gave this sucker out and you end up keepin' things to yourself, well...

[He clucks his tongue and shakes his head] Might not end well for me. And much as I like you, Des, some of us gotta watch out for our own necks in this business.

[nothingsodivine]

Mouth as big as mine? You'd be lucky if I didn't tell the whole damn block. [Which wasn't true or they wouldn't be having this conversation, but it was Des's sardonic way of making sure Liam knew where he stood- he did a job and he did it well.] I get it, pal. It's all 'quid pro quo, Clarice' in this job, so if I go in and it turns out you and your boys know somethin' I don't, it ain't gonna end well for nobody. [He grinned a toothy predator's grin.] Good thing we're all friends here.

[driveangry]

[He grins wolfishly back] Just like old times. [There's an ironic note of humor there, but he reaches into his pocket to take the bag out again and slides it across to Desmond, pushing out of the booth and yanking on his jacket] You know who to call when you've got somethin'.

[And with that, he walks straight towards the door.]

[nothingsodivine]

[The irony isn't lost on Des, who just holds his grin, although it's twitching into more of a grimace. He claps a hand down over the pearl and slides it easily into his pocket and is back to his burger before any patrons can start chattering about people sliding suspicious shit back and forth. Even in Chicago, there's always a few idiots who would rather start rumors than tend to their own shit, the rubes.

He's halfway through a bite before he realizes that Liam's leaving and almost chokes when it occurs to him that he's stuck with the check. He thuds on his chest a few times when the meaty abomination doesn't go down right and glares in Liam's general departing direction.]

Yeah. Just like old times.