Log: Complete

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

When; Aug. 25 (noonesque)
Rating; PG?
Characters; Lupe Salvatore tabloider, Nicholas Brocklehurst razrsharp
Summary; The switch from coffee to tea is a long hard journey best conducted under casual conversation.
Log;

Nicholas waited for her at the outdoor deck of Café Juliet. It had only occurred to him now he had never actually seen the reporter in person, not even during his daily rounds about the City. He had an idea whom to expect, just as he assumed she had already pegged him for the only blonde man at the establishment dressed in a completely pressed dark blue business suit with off-white shirt and a black and silver pin striped tie. A first time for everything he supposed, a perfect opportunity to talk and convert another to the taste of tea. His palate preferred it over coffee, especially the corporate home grown sort.

Brocklehurst's blue gaze kept an eye out just over the rim of his cup on the approaching individuals.

Comments

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

Lupe did have an idea who she was looking for. As she stepped onto the deck she removed the dark sunglasses from her face and tucked them into her purse, looking about and letting brown eyes settle on the blond in the business suit. That would be him. Years of doing this job had taught her what sort of people she could peg, and this one fit her criteria.

"Nicholas?" She sauntered over, slipping into the seat across from him with a small smile of greeting, extending her hand, as usual, a small mic up the sleeve of her light jacket, the base of it slipped into the back pocket of snug jeans.

"Lupe Salvatore."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"A pleasure, Ms. Salvatore," he replied in his polished English accent.

Nicholas accepted her hand for a firm shake. He wasn't wired himself but he had his suspicions about her. Those would remain if she didn't set a recorder on the table like reporters with which Nicholas had met in the past. Despite all that, it didn't actually matter to him if she recorded their conversation or not. Brocklehurst had no plans to incriminate himself.

"Orange Pekoe?" He smiled, waving down a waiter to note Lupe's order, whether it was the tea or not.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

Lupe smiled and nodded, settling back in her chair, crossing her legs with the small click of high heels.

"That would be fine, also-" She turned to the waiter and flashed a flattering smile. "Whatever sort of pastry you have on hand would be quite fine." Her accent was something of a reflection on her heritage, the daughter of Mexican immigrant farmers, quite humble beginnings in a close-knit community.

"So," Lupe turned back to the man, gesturing with her hands. "How has the City been treating you, Nicholas?"

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

A slum boy and a slum girl pulling themselves up by their own boot straps? He was born out of Brixton himself, though his accent and form of dress belied his upbringing.

"Well enough, thank you. Yourself," Nicholas asked her, mirroring a smile, "you look exceptionally handsome for a bombed out tenant."

The waiter returned with tea and a cinnamon roll completely frosted for her. Interesting combination, that. Brocklehurst had no meal himself, the tea doing just as well to satisfy the day's craving.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

Lupe smiled, running a hand, a few silver rings there, through thick hair at the compliment.

"Thanks. I've been crashing at a friend's place since, but I suppose I really should get off my ass and start moving back in." She didn't want to admit that she was still having nightmares about that day. It had been the first time she'd ever thought, truly thought, that she was going to die.

She moved the cinnamon roll to the side for now, picking up the tea and blowing gently before taking a tentative sip. She was a coffee girl at heart.

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"Has it placed an indefinite hold on your editorial run," he asked her casually.

Really, who read actual papers in this City, Brocklehurst had always wondered since his arrival. Very few publications made the rounds; most news traveled through the network and word of mouth. Mostly just the network. This hellhole was a nightmare metaphor for the downward spiral of globalization, he was sure of it. That was somewhat of a preachy message, even for the 'deities', probably not their intention at all.

"I've wondered how much access you can have to information in this city," Nicholas nodded, glancing outward to the tip of that god awful office building that reminded him of the tower on St. Mary's Axe.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it has." Lupe sighed, nodding somewhat at the taste of the tea. Noe as bad as she'd thought, definitely.

"Laziness, really." She shrugged. "People don't want to bother reading a paper when they can just ask on the network and have someone explain it you them, you know? She followed his gaze to the office building with a wry look on her face.

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

Conversion in progress. He sipped his own tea, an Irish blend.

"Maybe only a few are interested in looking. I've noticed factions with historical scores to settle and people using this place as a hammock for things they could only dream of in their own realms," Nicholas nodded as his gaze returned to Lupe's. "Wrapped up in curses as a distraction," the Englishman smiled.

"What do you know of that club, The Raven I believe it's called."

With the weather out of the way, it was down to talking shop.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Such is life, huh?" She shrugged again, one brow arching at his question. Well kept fingernails tapped a tempo on the table as she took a bite from her roll, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and leaned behind her to reach into her purse.

She came back with three notebooks, picked up the topmost one and began flipping through it.

"Ran by a man I believe to be a vampire." She murmured, sometimes still couldn't believe she could say it with a straight face, "I've got... employees... common patrons..."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

Brocklehurst had a hard time keeping a straight face while hearing it. He'd been around for nearly two months now and somehow managed to talk of 'reapers' and 'angels' as if they were prime ministers and presidents.

"No dossier on this vampire's background prior to arrival," Nicholas asked, his tone having shifted from casual to professional.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Mmm..." Lupe flipped through the notebook, found a page, and ran a finger down the text until she got to a cross-reference, then picked up another one, foud the right page, and flipped it open.

"Just a relation to a certain Divia."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"A vampire as well," he asked again while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

A fucking riot that would have been. He could only imagine his superiors' reactions; have Brocklehurst take necessary leave or just throw him directly into psychiatric ward. Vampires, complete rubbish. He raised his cup for another sip. Lacroix had mentioned a daughter once, in a most disapproving tone.

"And not involved with that Hellsing-Millennium feud," Nicholas smirked. It would be a surprise to him for a man like Lacroix (fucking Macintyre) to not have at least one finger in that pie.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Yes." Lupe leaned back and recrossed her legs, one ankle bobbing in time to her thoughts.

"Not openly, at least." She shrugged once more, readjusted the cuff of her jacket. "Different worlds."

But now, she was curious. What did this man want with him.

"And, why does Nicholas inquire?"

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"I've grown skeptical of his ethics," the blond offered another smile after a sip of tea.

Not entirely a bold faced lie. The answer was in the interpretation of his words.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"I think it's pretty obvious his club is hardly..." Lupe smirked, "The most reputable of places?" She lifted a shoulder, slipped her notebooks back in her purse, and took a long drink.

"The customers there are usually the mosre shady types, most not human, and I've seen the drink selection. I do believe blood can be obtained, if you ask, unless that vamp sitting next to me had a really bitter Bloody Mary."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't doubt it."

His smirk turned into a grin. Peddling blood for diamonds, an interesting twist that could have worked just as well in his own home world. Funny to think of it that way, Nicholas had thought it was the only world. His blue gaze flicked towards the crowd then back to Lupe. Fortunately he wasn't interested in blood or poorly made Bloody Marys. Lacroix would likely attack him on sight, or just throw his arse out into the street.

"Is there anything I could relay to you, Ms. Salvatore," Brocklehurst offered. His curriculum vitae was public, save for those ten missing years Christopher and Faye pointed out.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Is there anything you're holding out?~" Lupe countered, leaning forward to prop her chin on her hands and size him up.

"You and the owner have a beef? Slighted? Business partner? Wrong side of the law?" She was deathly curious, by nature as well as profession, and she wasn't about to let it go without at least trying.

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"On the contrary I believe it may be he who is holding out on me," he countered Lupe's counter swiftly.

"The man knew my name, my colleague's name, and a bit of our background prior to arrival. I don't believe we hail from the same time and place," Nicholas chose his words carefully lest his own straight face crumble over the word dimension or parallel universe.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Considered the possibility he may be from your world?" Lupe asked, completely serious.

"If it's one thing I've learned here, it's that, even in the worlds where humans think they're the only ones around, there always seems to be some sort of force in the backgrounds. I've seen demons, shinigami, arrancar, vampires... all who claim they've managed to remain hidden among humans."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"Yes," that was his initial belief, "I did sometimes refer to the bastard as a bloody leech," Brocklehurst laughed briefly.

But the undead in his world? Vampires, demons, arrancar, werewolves, angels? He couldn't believe that. It wasn't any different than the comic books that explained Hitler used magic to keep Superman from stopping his war machine. It was all fantasy, something to give the idealists and optimists a reason to keep believing in the better. The Englishman set his now empty cup aside.

"Where I come from, people have more to fear from a ballot than they do a werewolf," he smiled, completely the opposite of patronizing. Lupe seemed like a lovely and sensible woman, he had no need to patronize her.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Mm, keep it in mind."

At the mention of ballots, she laughed out loud, a short, barking short of noise belied by her delicate, quite female, appearance. She wasn't fond of politics.

"Election year?"

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

He quirked a blond brow over that laugh. It brought a smile to his face, maybe Lupe was more familiar with his 2007 than he thought.

"Almost, November 4, 2008 isn't far. The new PM's already wringing his hands about getting in bed with a Democrat," Nicholas grinned.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Heh." Lupe snorted rather unladylike, took a long drink and shook her head, sending her hair whipping about her face as she waved her hand dismissively.

"Politics." Another laugh. "It's always about getting into bed with someone."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"Isn't that the truth," he said in agreement with her.

"You're from 2007 then? I wouldn't know what else to call it here. It's August for me now, following Tony's resignation," Nicholas nodded. He spoke lightly of the event, but truly he hadn't been fond of Mr. Blair.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"May, for me." Lupe nodded. "The hottest one L.A.'s seen in a long time, phew." She waved her hand in a parody of fanning herself.

"Tensions running high, gang violence, new stories, you know the drill."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"Days after another anniversary for April 29, 1992," Nicholas remarked with a single nod.

Suffice it to say, he hadn't actually been in Los Angeles for that lovely demonstration of anarchy. He would have asked if she'd written about it, but Salvatore didn't look that old to him. Neither would he dare to ask; woman's prerogative.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Ah, well." Lupe shrugged again, finishing off her tea with a dramatic flourish.

"Good news is, there is a coffee substitute out there, ah?"

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"Congratulations. You're officially British," he said to her with a feigned typically English stiff upper lip. "I suggest a black blend for high tea," offered the blond in good humor.

"My treat," Nicholas added, for the drink and the pastry, her company and her information.

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

Lupe giggled a bit, hiding it behind her hand as she stood and brushed off her knees, shaking her head a bit in a chuckle.

"And you've motivated me to go get my ass back in my apartment." She added. "Congratulations to you."

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

He rose to his feet when she stood as well. A gentleman's habit, resulting from extensive grooming by MI6.

"The pleasure's all mine, Ms. Salvatore," Nicholas accepted with a smile. "If you require any help with that, ring me," he nodded to her, "have a good day."

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

"Lupe, please." She nodded as well, giving the man one last smile before she redonned her dark glasses and disappeared back into the crowds of the City.

She had a story to do.

[razrsharp.livejournal.com]

"Lupe," he obliged before reclaiming his seat and watching her depart through the crowds.

[ooc: Shall I label this a complete job X3?]

[tabloider.livejournal.com]

{ooc: if you would~! ♥}