tampered | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

When; February 13th
Rating; PG-13 probably.
Characters; Theo and Meyer
Summary; Theo runs into Meyer in the underground... doing some not so nice things ... either of them.

Log;

The Underground always held an appeal to Theo. He liked being around creatures of the night. He also found a very nice business in retrieving magical items that probably shouldn't be hanging around. It was a Thing he decided to do after his knife got stolen.

Currently, he was wiping said knife off of a body. An undead of some sort - one he'd never seen before except in the City - was trying to sell some cursed items to people without saying they were cursed. Theo decided to stop that sort of business. The creature didn't appreciate it. Undead really shouldn't attack necromancers. Especially demi-god necromancers.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he spun up, pointing the knife at whomever it was behind him. "If you're looking to buy or sell, he's not interested," he said lightly.

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"I can see that," he responds, even before he recognizes the voice of the man pointing the knife at him. In truth, he had been looking to sell, but apparently, this undead creature won't be particularly interested in his business now. What a pity; he'll have to find someone else.

And then he recognizes Theo. His eyebrows raise a little in surprise, but he fights to keep his face completely neutral. Remarkably, it's fairly successful.

"Fancy meeting you here."

Theo's not wearing his sunglasses currently so his eyes are glinting an eerie silver. He tucks the knife away before answering Meyer. Unlike Meyer he doesn't bother to really try and keep his face neutral and instead is curious as to why his boss was down there.

"Yes, fancy that. Should I ask what you're doing down here?"

"Working."

It's the answer Theo likely expected, anyway, because it's Meyer's answer to almost everything. Even when he's not working, he can say he is, and it's completely believable. This time, though, it's true; he's here on less than legal business, but then, apparently, so is Theo.

"Of course. You're always working," Theo says with a bit of a droll smile.

Yes, he's noticed that's Meyer's Standard Response.

"I didn't expect to run into anyone I knew."

And he isn't particularly pleased about it, in this case. Certainly, he imagines that a fair amount of people presume that he spends some time in the Underground, but there's a difference between presumptions and proof, and running into someone he knows -- and that works for him -- doesn't strike him as particularly beneficial.

"You mean from above?"

Still watching Meyer, Theo kneels down and starts rifling through the guy's pockets.

He presumes that a lot of people think he spends a lot of his time in the Underground. Necromancer etc. As for Meyer, he never really thought about it one way or the other.

"Yes, that's what I mean."

His eyes are intent upon Theo as he watches him go through the guy's pockets. Not unexpected, perhaps, but still, the fact that he's so open about doing it in front of his boss is... interesting, to say the least.

"Looking for something specific?"

Mmmhmm... of course it is.

"Should I ask if you come down here often?"

And perhaps not quite in Theo character? He's not really the sort that seems to go through dead people's pockets. Or pockets at all.

He doesn't answer Meyer right off but instead pulls out a gem pouch of the pocket. "Hah. There we go."

"You could ask, I suppose. I'd say it wasn't necessarily an uncommon occurrence."

There's business to be done down here just as there is business to be done in the City itself, after all. He raises an eyebrow a little as Theo pulls the pouch out of the man's pocket, wondering what's in it.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Business is business."

Standing up he gives the body an absent minded kick - for being annoying - and bounces the pouch in his hand. From his own pocket he pulls out a piece of silk cloth and then opens up the pouch, spilling some of the contents out.

Gems.

Bright.

Glittering shiny gems.

"It is, although..."

He's observing the gems Theo's poured out into his hand now, eyebrow still raised, obviously curious about all of this.

"I didn't necessarily take you for the robbery type."

Interestingly, the fact that Theo's apparently killed someone doesn't seem nearly quite so odd.

Meyer has interesting priorities.

"Thanks, I think," Theo says. "It's for a good cause. They're cursed. And not in the ... fun happy City cursed way."

"And you're going to do something about them being cursed? Or you're going to take advantage of them being cursed?"

He could really see it going either way. He's never disliked Theo, but he's also never trusted him. Then again, he doesn't trust much of anyone, and that only goes double for people he runs into in the Underground.

"I'm not very good at decursing things. But I figured I could at least stop him from using them as payment for goods."

And that doesn't really quite answer the question, does it? He hasn't decided yet either.

"Mmhmm. And now that you have them, you can do whatever you want with them."

No, it doesn't answer the question, not at all. Sure, the dead guy isn't going to be using them as payment any time soon, but Theo's got ahold of them, and he can use them however he wants. Meyer wonders whether he should be concerned.

"Well, of course. Better I have them, than him, don't you think?"

There's an eyebrow raise.

"I suppose that entirely depends upon what you intend to use them for."

Because it's not as though Theo isn't capable of some seriously suspicious things. After all, it takes a suspicious guy to know a suspicious guy, many times, and Meyer definitely could be considered suspicious himself.

"Oh, currently I'm just storing them. Don't have a use for something like this."

He holds off on the Just Yet. Though it's there.

"It's a good thing I got to him before you though."

This is a shot in the dark on Theo's end. A shot with a hunch, but still... a shot.

"Oh? And why's that?"

His smile is, as ever, friendly, though there's always something sharp and just a little intimidating behind it. He doesn't think Theo knows anything, but he has to admit, he's curious to see what Theo thinks. It may turn out to be nothing, but it's better to find out.

If Theo notices it, it's not shown on his face.

"I'm not sure what these curses are just yet, but I don't think you'd enjoy having them."

He carefully puts the gems back in the bag, making sure he doesn't touch them with his skin, and tucks the pouch in a pocket.

"No, I highly doubt I would, which is why I'm always very cautious about the business I do down here."

That, at least, is true. There's a benefit to doing business in the Underground, but there are also obvious risks. And as someone who prefers to be cautious in general, he's glad he'd hadn't stumbled across any of those curses.

"I would hope so. You weren't looking for him, were you?"

"Him specifically?"

A pause, and then...

"No, but unfortunately, I've been unable to locate the person I was looking for."

"Who are they? Maybe I can help?"

Questions. Questions. Questions.

"No, I rather think it's outside of the realm of your normal... endeavors. I'll find them another time."

He's absolutely not telling you anything, Theo, no matter how much you may want to 'help.'