[ 008 ]

[defies_reason]

[ VIDEO ]

So, [Isaak says, his tone neutral,] what are the chances of this mess sticking around past midnight?

[He's got a big pile of assorted photographs in hand, snapshots of any number of people, gathered without much rhyme or reason.

Actually, he's not paying much attention to them.

He takes another photo off the table, and moves it in front of the camera, half-covered so only the other man is visible, smiling.]

I'm looking for photographs of this man.

[And that's all he has to say.]

[ooc; you can still comment to coordinate stuff here or see them embedded here! Feel free to imagine something of your character's is in his pile if you like <3 multiples of everything in those comments are allowed]

Comments

private;

[mortemscintilla]

[ What Isaak finds Dull or Interesting is beyond Hei's sphere of concern. Self-preservation and paranoia, especially after Heaven's War, are deep-seated things. Especially when it comes to maintaining his cover. (But, if Isaak proves useful, Hei would consider being more obliging. Allowing a Question Mark to transition into an Asset can be a delicate balance. But often, it's its own reward.) ]

[ His chin tips, and for the moment that he takes, all calm silence and unblinking stare, he reveals nothing. Then, almost dryly, ]

I guess I'm shy. [ re: operational security takes precedence over honesty in Hei's life. Still, no sense wasting his or Isaak's time further. He draws the photo from his coat: the elder man in a prison uniform. ] Orange isn't your color.

private;

[defies_reason]

I'm inclined to agree.

[Which would be why he had someone arrange to have the incriminating evidence lost. But, that's a story for another day, perhaps.]

Well, then, all that remains is to decide how we should make the trade.

private;

[mortemscintilla]

A face-to-face meeting. [ Hei's expression doesn't change, but his lack of reluctance is evidence in itself of how dangerous he usually is -- and of how much his cooperation is an improvement to the other, more messy alternatives. ]

[ Still, there's nothing but mildness in his shrug. ] Preferably neutral territory. Xanadu, maybe.

private;

[defies_reason]

Remote territory.

[Hah. No. If he knew more Isaak might be more cagey about agreeing to meet face-to-face to begin with, but really, considering the photographs themselves, he'd have to be a fool not to be cautious at all.]

Try again.

private;

[mortemscintilla]

It doesn't have to be remote. [ Secluded or crowded: all that is superfluous for Hei. When you can kill someone with a simple handshake, without any trace of evidence, the venue barely makes a lick of difference. That said, he has no intention of letting this escalate into a bigger mess.(Hei's not much interested in pretense these days. But old habits die hard. His cover is something he's trained to preserve at all costs.) ]

[ His tone is businesslike, not reassuring. But more genuine as a consequence. (Even if that, too, is a lie.) ] A restaurant. A park. Your own bar, if that makes you comfortable.

private;

[defies_reason]

[Isaak sees no reason for any mess at all; honestly, this is little more than a curiosity to him. And an equitable trade, more or less; a secret for a memory.]

Not mine. Blue Light?

private;

[mortemscintilla]

[ Good. Pare it down to the basics. A transaction of give and take -- that's what Contractors function on, that's the rationale they practically embody. Hei may not be a Contractor anymore. But he can appreciate the cleanliness of a quick exchange -- one step up from a brush-pass, really -- as opposed to the endless snags and petty tugs-of-war that were constant in the Syndicate's structure. ]

[ More than ever, he's glad to be free. Well, a given level of free. Certainly, it makes it easier to rationalize letting Isaak go, instead of erasing his memory. The man was already suspicious of 'Li'. This will leave him with considerably less left to ponder. And less reason to pry. And if not -- ]

[ Well. He'll deal with it once it's a problem. ] Fine. I'll be there in half an hour. [ No. He'll be there considerably before that. Blending into the scenery, scoping out the venue, waiting for Isaak to arrive first. Not a paranoid precaution, but old habit. ]

private;

[defies_reason]

[Live and let live. Now, if Isaak had managed to make the connection between Li and that creature from some weeks ago, he may not be quite so willing to overlook it, but there's no such suggestion in the photograph.

He rarely trusts anyone; this isn't likely to change much.]

See you there.

[He won't have long to wait, then.

Really, they ought to get along perfectly.]