2013.04.20 - Airport Animosity

After Domino's insistence on replacing her bullet-riddled car with a blacked out BMW M3s ("Shut up, Harper, this is -your- fault", "I had -nothing- to do with your deciding to chase down some clowns on a ..." "Shut up, Harper! It's YOUR fault!" "Shutting up if you'll get that gun outta my face!"), Roy and Domino were -finally- at the airport, about to get going to Madripoor.
"I hate these things," Roy declares, poking around at the kiosk for his ticket. "It keeps costing me extra money every time I upgrade seats because you keep getting first class for -nothing-..."
It's gonna be one of those weeks, isn't it. Though, having two nice cars on hand is turning out to be very useful. Now it's the Porsche in the shop and her familiar M3 back on the road, in all of its rear wheel drive glory. Domino just might have been having a little fun with that fact on the way out here, what with slippery roads and the ability to kill such annoying features like traction control and stability management. Powersliding is a great way to relieve some stress!
"Not my fault you're jinxed," she counters while standing around in the airport proper after having parked. Fortunately the metal detectors are only set up for those about to fly, she's had to give up absolutely nothing beyond her time in trucking the Trucker around. "Do me a favor, when you get there try not to get yourself killed too badly? It might be another week before I can get back on site." To continue the verbal contract she has with Belikova, to keep Roy alive. Ugh, she's not getting paid enough for this crap.
The airport is full of business travellers, which isn't really a surprise. But someone else is in the airport today. Someone who, although she's dressed like a business traveller isn't -exactly- travelling on business. Jade has been following along closely enough to know that Roy is due for another trip to Madripoor. There's a limited number of airlines who fly in the direction of Madripoor, and she can cover most of the ticket counters from a single vantage point.
Sitting on a bench, the woman dressed in Armani reads the Wall Street Journal. The disguise is one of her better ones; amber lensed glasses to conceal her asian eyes, long hair pulled back, and light makeup to soften her features. It's extremely likely that Roy passes her on the way to the kiosk without even noticing. Until, at least, he picks up the lingering jasmine-spiced French perfume.
"Hey I can handle myself just fine - been doing this stuff for -years-," Roy counters. "Don't worry about it, if I'm dead by the time you get there, you've got my permission to dig me out of the grave just to tell me 'I told you so'."
Shouldering his baggage, Roy grins. "Just don't..." The faintest scent of jasmine whiffs past his nose, and Roy wrinkles his nose, turning his head immediately. He -knew- that scent too well, as he holds up a finger, tilting his head until he locates the scent, and then follows it, in a near- perfect tracking stance. The Navajo -had- trained him well, at the least.
"Jade," he greets. Dressed in jeans and a loose button-up shirt, the man presents a sharp contrast to the sharply dressed asian woman. "On a trip too?"
"I wouldn't waste my time," Domino says with a light sigh. "Not unless you happened to be buried alongside a quarter million in cash."
When Roy stops short so, too, does she. A frown is instantly set across her sharply contrasted features, glancing at Roy with the question remaining contained within her eyes, not brought out into words. She knows that kind of reaction, asking 'what?' is never a good idea. It's still not enough to still the sarcasm, however.
"I'm not gonna throw Lian in there after you, if that's what you're worried about."
"Jade..? I thought that was jasmine." Hmm. New woman. The Gothamerc looks between the two, arms folding together beneath her chest. "Time for the obligatory 'clearly I'm missing something' remark."
The newspaper snaps as the woman folds it down to show her face. For a moment it looks like the business traveller might -just- bite the man's head off for being so presumptuous. Then she smiles, playful and mischievous. Her initial reply is in fluent Russian. "I'm flattered that you remembered, Roy."
Without rising, she uncrosses her legs and lowers the paper more fully... keeping one hand obscured in the process. A tilt of her head turns her attention to the stark, slender woman who she examines quite closely. Switching to flawless, unaccented English, she replies. "I'm an associate of Roy's from several years ago." she replies, considering before she adds. "About six years, actually. You may call me Jade as well, if you wish."
If Domino happened to be looking at Roy at the time Jade calls him an 'associate', she might register the flash of 'are you kidding me?' for a second before the red-headed man wrestles control of his features.
"Yeah, six years. Though we've been out of touch for... four?" Roy replies, as he motions towards Domino. "This is Domino. Domino, Jade. Domino's currently working with me on... assignment." His voice, usually so cheerful, seems to have gone flat, as though Roy were functioning mostly on autopilot at this moment. Whoever this woman was, she must have been something if Roy was keeping a neutral tone.
Russian. Domino knows the language well, but she doesn't let on about it. Maybe she can learn some more interesting scraps of info if this 'Jade' doesn't know as much. There's something about her posture and body language as well, something which puts the albino on edge. Roy's one of the good guys, despite the kinds of women he hangs out with. In fact..that's really it right there, isn't it? Look at who walked alongside him into the airport!
The usual flirty edge that the guy has, that same edge which she's been trying to dull since day one, is completely vacant here. Just like that Dom can tell that Jade's not a 'good' girl, Roy has a lot of mental weight riding upon this woman, and judging by Jade's own reaction she's rather pleased with herself about all of this.
Roy went and got himself involved with a killer, didn't he.
Also, Roy is sharing -way- more information than he should be. Dom sets her jaw, resisting the urge to jam a pointy elbow into his ribs right here and now. Be cool, be neutral. Watch and learn. Smack Harper for being an idiot later.
"Six years of putting up with this guy and you haven't killed him yet? I'm impressed."
Her words are chosen with precision. Those that -have- killed others tend to react differently than those that think it's some morbid joke to chuckle over then forget about.
Jade's reaction may or may not surprise Dom, actually. The newspaper is folded fully and tossed with casual aplomb onto the leather briefcase beside her. "Oh I haven't had to put up with him for the whole six years, Domino. Don't misunderstand things. Although I seem to recall we got along well enough, just the same."
The smile returns, albeit with an edge now. Yes, certainly something dangerous about this woman. Jade rises smoothly, and using only her legs. With the heels she stands taller than Dom, and the Armani fits her rather well. "I will keep my word, Roy. I just wanted to see you off, is all."
"Got along very well," Roy murmurs under his voice. It was a good thing Lian took after her father in temperament, because she would have been devastating to deal with as a child if she were any more like her mother.
Jerking his head up towards Jade, Roy blinks. "You were waiting here for me?" he says, suddenly full of concern that -this- might be the time she'd take Lian on a trip. Because if so... the babysitter would have her hands full.
"Even in small doses," Domino says back to Jade with a lopsided grin which isn't entirely there. Even with the picture she's pulled together of this situation it still doesn't make her feel any more comfortable. Possibly even less. Jade is a woman who appreciates being in control, and probably doesn't much enjoy having it taken away from her.
The same can be said for Dom. Lucky, lucky Roy, standing alone with two alpha females. 'Jinxed' barely scratches the surface of his monumentally horrid luck.
"Wait. Roy has a friend? I wasn't told about this." More feigning ignorance, more play to the dry wit. If Jade knows that Roy's working in Madripoor, knew to find him here and now, then it stands to reason she knows something about the patch-eyed one, as well. That would officially put her ahead of the game.
Not cool.
Jade actually chuckles at Roy's reaction, tsking softly. "Relax, Roy. Really, you should start drinking decaf. As I said, I haven't forgotten our agreement." Looking from Roy to Dom, she gives the other woman another once-over and declares simply. "You won't be travelling with him on this trip."
And her smile fades a touch at that. Yes, it means that Domino would certainly be available to 'check' on Jade. Or at least check on Lian. But how much does the woman really know?
Two steps is all it takes, and then Jade presses a light kiss to Roy's cheek. "Anyway. Travel safely, darling. And *do* keep in touch, won't you?"
"I wouldn't say it was -small- doses," Roy replies, a small smirk crossing his face as he glances towards Jade, before it cools off as he runs a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, about our agreement... we'll just deal with it later, okay?" Especially not in front of Domino.
And then Roy's hands shift automatically upwards to bring Cheshire into a hug, before he stops himself, hands going down just as quickly as they'd come up. "If I knew how to," Roy murmurs softly. "Just... call if you're going to visit."
True enough, Domino -isn't- catching this flight. Did Jade already know, or did she just now put the pieces together? "What, in this? Nah, this is really more of an evening attire," she replies with a glance down to herself and barely a thought beyond.
Checking on Jade might be in order. Maybe. She's certainly going to grill poor Roy about it until his ears start to bleed, but is it really her business? Because it sure as hell isn't her -job.- Dom would sure like to know more about this lady, what circles she happens to run in, maybe a codename while working out in the field (she probably has at least one.)
How safe is she? Roy's beyond getting in over his head, she doesn't even care about that anymore. What she -does- care about is having someone else, known or not, poking about into Dom's personal business.
Oy. Then things just get more icky. With a dismissive flick of a half-gloved hand, she says "Gees you two, go work out your hormonal indifferences. Have a flight, Harper."
Yeah, definitely some history between these two. The odds of Jade being Lian's mother is looking to be a total sucker bet. Either way, she's just gonna go on back to the car
Jade actually accepts the embrace, her arms lingering a bit longer about him than Roy's about her. He feels the weight of the phone she slips into his back pocket almost immediately, and she flashes another one of those smiles as she steps back. "I'll call *you*." she replies knowingly.
Turning back to her briefcase, she picks up the newspaper as well. Fingerprints, and all that. "Pleasure meeting you, Domino. I'm sure I'll see you around." Leaving Roy to the wonderful airport system, she doesn't follow Domino outside. Instead, she makes her way into the crowd towards the food court.
Category:Log