[CLOSED]

[baetiful]

WHO: Littlefinger and Locus
WHERE: Maurtia Falls Ambassadorial Office
WHEN: September 1st
WHAT: Locus stops by to pay an impromptu visit.
WARNINGS: None so far. Will update if necessary!

[ It had been an exhausting day. One full of phone calls, meetings, and follow ups. And now, Baelish only had the paperwork left. He carried the folder to his desk, setting it down. Rummaging around in the little candy dish, he unwrapped a mint candy, popping it in his mouth and heading toward the door. Typing in a numbered code to activate the power nullifier in his office, Petyr sealed the door and then turned --

It was a bit of a surprise to see someone there when there hadn't been anyone before. His eyebrows lifted. Without powers, it would be a matter of who could overpower who physically. (And those odds weren't really in Littlefinger's favor, unfortunately.) So he had to hope that he could diffuse the situation with conversation. Perhaps this guy was not an assassin. Perhaps he had some other purpose for being here. ]

I did not expect to have any guests. But I can get you something all the same. Tea, coffee, wine? Preferably anything but my head served on a silver platter.

Comments

[classification]

[ In truth he hasn't been expecting to be learning information at the rate he has been. Seems that when people are taken and held in some sort of captivity, they speak a little freer. Locus can't say he's complaining about that. There's still a lot of different things he doesn't understand, some strings he hasn't been able to connect to other points. But, the fact remains is he's learning. And knowledge is a wild and hot commodity in a world where information talks.

At least that seems to be the same across the multiverse.

There's a boldness to his next self-appointed mission, one he normally wouldn't take without exhaustive weeks of preparation. Locus can't say he knows what's gotten into him, exactly, just that it has and he's going to follow it. What he'd intended was just to gather a little more intel about the local government. That would only help, surely. But, one thing continued to lead to another—no one saw him as he pushed further and further into areas where he shouldn't have access to—and he found his way into an office he knew would have more along the lines of information he wanted.

Except, of course, as he was rifling through some files, the door opens and someone comes in. Years of being a soldier have him remaining calm. Years of being a mercenary have him cataloging his own cache of weapons hidden on his body and what can be used around the room if it came to it. Not that he suspects he'd have an issue with this man. But, Locus has learned from experience not to underestimate any opponent. And in a place where people are bestowed certain powers, one cannot be too careful.

Still, being caught makes him feel sloppy and he can't stand that. He straightens, not out of a means to intimidate, just as a means to show respect that he would face this issue head on. His hands remain loose at his sides—perhaps therein lies the threat, they are empty now but won't remain as such if things get out of hand—and the scar on his face expertly covered; the less identifying marks, the better. ]

I can't say I expected any guests, either. [ Thanks, though, for interrupting!! ] I am not here to kill you.

[ But he's not going to exactly say why he's here either, sorry. ]

[baetiful]

A relief to hear. I rather like my head where it is.

[ Humor can diffuse the tension, but not for very long. And Petyr does feel tense. This man is intimidating, even without making a move or having a weapon in hand. But at the same time, this sort of danger is exhilarating. It's always a chance to see if he can evade danger with a few well-placed words.

Petyr moves to perch against the edge of his desk, adopting a casual lean. He's most certainly not going to fight or make a move. But this does place him closer to the call button under the lip of the desktop -- in case he needed security to come to his aid. ]

My name is Petyr Baelish, Ambassador for Maurtia Falls and fellow imPort. [ Regular people can't make themselves invisible, after all. ] Doubtless you knew that already. Is there something I can help you with?

[classification]

[ This isn't Locus' first brush with someone like this. He has little patience for men who use their words to get them out of anything and everything. They’re often unreliable and unquestionably untrustworthy.

No wonder this man is in politics.

Locus watches him, has an inkling of what he's doing and isn't so gracious to allow it to happen. He'd rather not use force if it comes down to it—so far he's been keeping a lid on everything about himself and keeping a low profile. But, if it comes down to it, he'll act without hesitation; this world's powers be damned. His gaze flickers toward the desk then back, his tone calm. ]

It's disabled.

[ Here, at least, he wasn't sloppy. Probably. Security measures are child's play, but there are always wild cards. In his current state, he believes he's covered his tracks enough. ]

There is likely nothing you can directly help me with. [ He closes the drawer he was rifling around in when he'd been caught. ] Those in charge tend to have more information than most. Currently, that is all I seek.

[ But see, he wants it without having to, you know, talk to people. ]

[baetiful]

[ Baelish does his best to not react in any way when Locus tells him the comm link is disabled. At least that's what he assumes the man is talking about. But Petyr pretends as though he has no clue and he's simply sitting where he's sitting with no ulterior motive. The truth of the matter is, it's alarming. Why disable security if not for the express purpose of hurting him? He said he wasn't here to kill him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't hurt him.

Without powers enabled here, Petyr can't even use his own to call his birds for help. The odds are not in his favor here. But Petyr can never resist a good gamble. ]

Information? Do you believe I would be foolish enough to keep all the important information written down on documents or stored on a computer drive? You can learn all you want about who works where in the government, their contact numbers, some boring proposals I have made, the documents surrounding the RISE investigation. But the real information you seek is likely right here.

[ His lips turn upward, pressing his index finger to his own forehead to tap it a couple of times. ]

Back in my world, I owned the second largest spy network -- second only to the master of whispers.

[ He lets that linger for a moment. If he owned that sort of spy network there, what does he own here, after all? ]

And so I ask again, is there anything I can help you with?

[ His cocky confidence will likely be the death of him someday. Not today, though, he hopes. ]

[classification]

[ Disabling security is one of his strong points and habit at this stage in his life. He'd prefer not to hurt or kill—at least not yet—but his tracks being covered is an absolute necessity. Though, apparently, it doesn't even matter any longer since he's been caught. He may as well left everything linked and just invited everyone on the floor in to watch him.

It burns, still, to have been sighted while on a mission. Even if the mission perimeters were set by himself.

Locus makes a noise that is somewhere along the border of a snort but not quite. Were he the sort to roll his eyes, he would because he's heard these types of boasts before. Many, many, many times. The look that settles on his face is somewhere between disbelief and disappointment. ]

You would be surprised at the hubris of many men. [ There's a beat of a pause and he tilts his head a touch to the side, eyes narrowing into a piercing stare for that moment. One brow twitches imperceptibly. ] Or perhaps you would not.

[ Because there are always mistakes made. All the jobs he's been on have proven that. Some are smarter than average, but a lot just leave all the goods lying around within reach of someone else. Since Locus doesn't quite know everything about the people here just yet, he doesn't know if this Petyr Baelish is a fool like all the others or a step above the rest to provide him with an interesting challenge. ]

I can't say if there is anything you can help me with.

[ Because maybe it's not worth it. He's dealt with cocky assholes before. One far worse and one that hangs around like a bad rash he can't and won't get rid of. This is child's play in comparison. ]

Everyone has a price and I'm not one to play games. You have information worth knowing and I want to have it. We can make nice and negotiate a compromise; make it easy. Or I can get it a different way.

[baetiful]

Knowledge is power.

[ A belief Petyr has had all of his life and one he has stated time and time again. He can appreciate this man for his pursuit of knowledge and information. And he can also understand the skepticism on his face. After all, what he's promising can seem like empty promises. ]

It seems you and I have similar agendas -- to simply know things. I see no reason why our arrangement could not be mutually beneficial. We could talk of prices and bargains for a piece of my information. Or you could come work for me and have all of that information at your disposal. Plus quite the handsome paycheck at the end of the week as well. A man of your talents should have a direction at which to aim them.

Unless the information you hope to collect here is for someone other than yourself. [ Someone could have sent him. Perhaps someone from RISE, even. ]

[classification]

[ Whatever Locus might have been expecting, to be offered a job isn't it. There's a twitch of his brow, as if it wants to arch into question, but he tamps down on that urge to keep his face as expressionless as possible. This is likely a horrible idea—it isn't as if he knows much about this man, and it's entirely possible that Locus could be just as quickly stabbed in the back as he is given an opportunity. He's seen it happen before and he doubts that with a change of worlds it won't happen again.

However, it's still an opportunity. It's something that will put him in the middle of things. Whether he actually needs to be or not is another question entirely, but not one he's ready to fully answer. As much as he knows he needs to do things differently than the path he'd been walking back in his own world, there's no real legitimate reason to turn this down. He'd be a fool to do so, and he likes to think himself above making such foolish mistakes. ]

I'm not here for anyone else.

[ Let's just get that out of the way first. Locus doesn't really do the whole merc for hire thing anymore. Locus is his own boss, so to speak ( and not counting the dog grooming thing ), and he's not so keen on being driven any particular way by someone else. The chance he took today was completely done out of self-interest. His jaw shifts as he contemplates his options. Surely it couldn't hurt to hear this whole thing out... ]

What would this job entail?

[baetiful]

[ That much was good to know -- that this man is a free agent. That he's here for himself. Morality wise, Petyr can't really define where this man stands. But if he's willing to break into the office of an ambassador and disable his security, then he's at least the tiniest bit gray on the scale. ]

It would entail the very thing you are doing now on a contractual basis. I give you a target -- whether that's a person or an entire corporation -- and you do what you do best. Find out everything there is to know about them. We are in a city with a variety of established criminal organizations. Even the police are corrupt. And I have an idea of the worst groups. I can give you the framework of the puzzle, and you would help me fill in the pieces.

[ A beat. ]

I could also use muscle. For protection. And you do not seem to be lacking in that department.

[classification]

[ In truth, there is little about Locus' moral code that isn't  grey. Even while he tries to make things better ( questionable at best since he's here ) or help in some way ( again, questionable ), there's little else he knows how to do than things like this. He may not have been born to be a man of dubious morality, but the world isn't ever just simply black and white. Sometimes the ends do justify the means. Even when someone gets killed somewhere along the line.

Silently, he considers the offer. It's not the first time he's been asked to protect rather than kill. He doesn't like doing those jobs for various reasons, but he's considering now. Because it's a change from his usual. Because maybe it will help in some way.

Because maybe he'll get to do something he shouldn't be doing anyway and it's that thought that's more appealing than the others. It shouldn't be, and yet...

That there are established criminal groups in the city doesn't surprise him, yet it also sort of does. He doesn't know much about that either and that burns in a certain way. Were he to accept this, he'd know. He'd know more because Locus never does a half-assed job. ]

All right.

[ He says it easily, but it's not. He knows it's not because nothing ever is and he's not so stupid to think otherwise.  ]

Under the conditions of if I choose to leave, I can with no consequence and if I believe a job to require more than just me, my [ He hesitates, uncertain if he should use former or not. In the end he chooses not. ] partner is here and will work with me. [ Probably...??? ] He fares better drawing information from people repetitively.

[ Which is just a roundabout way of saying Locus sucks at interpersonal relationships. He uses intimidation. Felix uses cunning. He's also the only one Locus can at least halfway rely on while on a job. ]

Should that suit, I accept.

[baetiful]

[ The agreement comes easier than expected. But then again, Locus seems like the type of man who can see logic and reason. This is an excellent opportunity to get closer to government information, and were the roles reversed, Petyr would have accepted it as well. He smiles easily and nods in response to the terms laid out. ]

You would not be a prisoner. Though, you absolutely will be held to expectations of confidentiality. Something I imagine is not difficult for you, my friend. You seem like the sort of man who can keep secrets. And as for your partner, I would be more than happy to take him into my employ as well. So long as he understands the same confidentiality clause.

[ Having been in this world for so long and even being involved in brothels back home, Petyr Baelish automatically assumes that when this man says partner, what he's really saying is lover. And considering Petyr has Dorian Gray working the bar at a strip club he owns, he doesn't have any problems with that. ]

What is your name?

[classification]

[ Out of everything in this world and his own and any beyond, that is absolutely true: Locus sees logic. He can't claim to see reason all the time, as that sort of thing often falls to the wayside when one becomes a mercenary for hire ( the reason becomes the biggest payout, really ). But logic is one of his best and dearest friends. This is a great opportunity and he would be an idiot to pass it up. He's not going to do that. ]

That is a non-issue. [ a beat; he specifies, ] The confidentiality. For both of us.

[ Because even though Felix talks a lot ( a lot ), he's professional when it comes down to it. Usually. At any rate, he never gives up the goods when it matters. Locus takes everything, torture included, and won't give up anything for personal gain.

He's kind of glad that Petyr doesn't say anything about the whole partner thing. Because. That's kind of awkward. Especially considering. Well, everything. At any rate, he opts for the codename again because it's just easier and such a habit by now that it comes out with no hesitation. Plus, he suspects that if it's wanted enough, his real name will be found out instead. In fact, Locus believes Petyr will have it shortly after he leaves. This man doesn't seem like much of a slouch. ]

And it's Locus. [ There's another brief pause and one brow quirks slightly. ] When will you require me to begin?