withregret | IC CONTACT savetheearth

[ Normally Rue would stay at the gym to take care of work that others had neglected, but seeing that now she had plans, that could sleep for now. She showers once she's done and dresses neatly, black boots with a knee length black dress, and her red scarf wrapped loosely around her neck.

It doesn't take her long to catch a train down to the restaurant to meet Elle. What could the other woman possibly want? She ponders it a bit on the way, looking out the window as the dark walls of the subway zips by from one stop to the other. But only meeting the woman would tell, so she strides into the restaurant when she reaches it, heels clicking on sleek tile. ]

[Seeing Rue coming toward the table, Elle resists the instinct to stand. This isn't the family dinner table. She doesn't have to rise out of respect. No, play it cool. Act normal. She does her best to keep still, waiting for the other woman to sit.]

[ She spots Elle fairly quickly since it isn't a big place, and walks over to her, taking the seat across from her. ]

I hope you haven't been waiting long.

Not at all. I just prefer to be early for all my appointments. Shall we order?

[Always tricky. She'd been taught to consider a multitude of factors when sharing a meal. How messy would the food be? How much would it cost? What's the serving size? Never order soup or noodles. Too much of a risk in terms of losing grace. Never order a crustacean or anything that comes in a shell. Wrestling with your dinner is unseemly. Safest choices were the ones you could easily handle with a knife and fork. This was a chopstick place though. It made things a tad more complicated.]

Yes, I'm familiar with the menu already.

[ She hangs her bag on the lip of the back of the chair and slides into place easily, resting her hands on her lap as the waitress comes to bring fresher water and see if they know what they want. ]

Have you decided?

What would you recommend?

[When in doubt, take a suggestion.]

If you enjoy curry, theirs is very good.

[Hm, spicy choice. That's a risk.]

As long as there's an option to go mild, I'd be happy to try that.

Of course. Yellow curry is quite mild.

[ Honestly, that's the one she'd be going for, herself. ]

So two of those, then.

Looking forward to it.

[Handing over her menu to the waiter, she steels herself, pondering how exactly she's going to bring her plans up to Rue. Subtlety would be ideal. When the waiter's out of earshot, she mulls over her next few words.]

As you may already know, I share your concern over the state of the city...

[ She watches Elle as she begins speaking, keeping her own face smooth and devoid of any emotion. She's pretty good at that, and has gotten better at it ever since the manic-depressive thoughts began. ]

Yes, we've spoken of it before.

[ Where was she going with this? Was she planning to run for Mayor? ]

I think I may have a plan to keep the peace. Something a lot less haphazard than the measures currently in place.

Is that so?

[ Sounds ambitious. ]

Please, do go on.

[ Casually, she takes a sip of her water. It's refreshing after a long day of work. ]

Truth be told, I'm not entirely certain I can pull it off. It would involve getting in touch with my father's old contacts. I need leverage on them and someone's been willing to provide but I may need more.

That sounds fair.

[ Relying on one person, after all, is risky. ]

What do you have in mind?

Phase one is heavily reliant on the acquisition of information for profit.

[That's a nice way to put blackmail, isn't it?]

After that, we use those funds toward measures for defense. That's when it gets tricky.

[ Measures for defense? Well, that certainly interests her. She'd rather not see another Werewolf Hunt go on - give a bunch of children weapons, indeed. ]

How so?

Drones. The government has them and I may be able to get in touch with a weapons developer with prototypes they're eager to test. Unobtrusive weapons we can control from a distance would be a great help to our cause.

[ She has to hand it to, Elle. That is very ambitious. ]

You really think this is feasible?

[Her mother may be estranged from her but she still took after that damned woman. The old harpy had a way of pulling strings to get whatever she wanted. Here's hoping the ability's genetic. Elle would put it to better use than her mother ever did.]

I just need to set everything up to put things in motion. The path's been mapped out.

[ She places her glass of water back down on the table, letting her hands rest once more. ]

And how is it that I can help you?

I need a face. A liaison of sorts. Someone to relay my messages for me when getting in touch with certain contacts.

[ That gets Elle a small smile. I need a face. ]

And what makes my face better than anyone else's?

You're a mature upstanding woman well-versed in the nature of war and loss. Who could be better?

Someone who isn't known for associating with you. A hired -- [ bimbo ] -- hand.

[ She pauses for a moment. ]

Unless anonymity isn't completely what you're after?

I've tried a hired hand. Aside from being expensive, they're not exactly easy to give instructions to. I want to be able to trust the one I lend my voice to. Not someone who can be bought.

[ She's silent for a moment as she thinks.

If she agrees to do this, she's putting herself at risk. Even her mother -- God bless her soul, still wrapped up in whatever Church nonsense she had always been, could be in danger.

What does it matter?

The words whisper their way across her mind.

Who cares? This gives you a purpose. You can make a change. A direction.

What did it matter if she was hurt, or even died? That's what they'd all do in the end anyway. They'd die. She'd die. But she could die as a player or die as an unwitting pawn, with no choice.

Choices. Choices.

What are we without choices?

Other than her mother there was no one else put at risk. And even then, she was so separated from her mother at this point... she hadn't even spoken to her in months. She didn't hate the woman, but years of struggling with her had given her a good deal of disattachment from her. Snuggled deep in her Church, she would be safe.

What did Rue really have to lose? And what did she have to gain?

A purpose.

A choice. ]

So you've really thought this through.

Every second of every day since everything was sent off-kilter. Of course, you can decline as you please. Trust is for the foolish but we can't afford to meet everybody with enmity. This is my wager.

[A seventeen in Blackjack. You don't know whether or not to hit it. She's choosing to hit it. What's Rue's play?]

Yes. Trust should not be easily placed. Neither should wagers.

[ Another second of silence. But, in her heart, she knows she already made the choice she wants to. And she'll see it through - for that is what makes her human. ]

All right.

Promises aren't worth much but I assure you that I'll do all I can to make sure our mutual efforts aren't in vain.

Then I can only promise the same in return.

[The waiter passes by, presenting their food before making a hasty retreat.]

Best of luck to both of us.

[ooc: and i guess we can end there :U]

IC CONTACT savetheearth

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