Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 14, 2021 10:52:11 GMT -8
"Do you even know what you're getting into?" Riley asked. Not expecting or even waiting for an answer.
"Counteroffer." The darkling sat on the lip of one of the makeup stations.
" If I agree to get you into this event." There was no event in Las Vegas Riley Sorsa could not find a way into after all.
" You will look up some information for me. Which you cannot ask me context for because my lips are sealed. It's your speed than mine. Once I have taught you what you want to know and gotten you into this event, I am not obligated to help you further."
The Moth glances to the side, observing an empty dressing room, considering their options.
"Now the discretionary terms I have some issues with. " The darkling could appreciate that Lucas was trying to cover his own ass, but in doing so, he was placing the Moth in a cage.
"By not knowin' who else knows this, the value of this info becomes less. Not being able to share it makes it worthless. And only being able to share it with your approval changes the information from payment into shackles."
It wasn't an accusatory tone but a simple observation of the deal as it stood.
"Instead, I may share this information should I wish to, with my motley and one additional person of my deciding. Beyond that, I Require your permission as stated and cannot name you as my source. Unless you have a counteroffer"
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 14, 2021 18:27:45 GMT -8
Lucas raised a brow at their counter offer.
"The issue with your request is that whoever you're sharing it with isn't going to be bound by any kind of confidentiality that I can keep track of.
I understand where you're coming from but the confidentiality part isn't something I can budge from for two reasons. One being the safety of my primary source. Two being if whoever you tell ends up having loose lips, then I'm going to be cut off."
Lucas found himself debating other avenues to explore to achieve what he was looking to do. The more people that were brought into this the more uncomfortable he was. This was one of the main reasons he liked working with the Magpie. They would wheel and deal between the two of them and call it a day.
"My counter offer would be what if we removed the light shy focus from the deal? I can work with the other terms you've offered. Then we keep my request for confidentiality on the table. That way, you don't have to worry so much about how valuable this information is. "
In the end, while he wanted to learn how to do that, what was more to him at the moment was getting into the event. By keeping the Fae magic on the board, it complicated their wheeling and dealings.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 15, 2021 8:48:06 GMT -8
Riley lingered on the counteroffer. Not having control of the information felt like another chain around them. They had been bound again and again to secrecy, limiting them to their spot. But was that not better than ignorance?
The darkling tapped the edge of the makeup station, idly looking at Lucas. The beautiful, sad boy, was playing with something dangerous, and Riley wondered if he could handle it or not. If Riley walked away now, would he just end up dead? How would they feel about that? But if they stay, could they end up dead? Was it worth it?
Fuck, why me, Lucas?
"Ah'rite. I can live with those terms." They say at last with a nod.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 15, 2021 9:17:11 GMT -8
Lucas' face lit up in a genuine smile. He didn't look like he was gloating or feeling smug about closing in on a deal. Instead, he was feeling energized that at long last, he was able to get someone on board with protecting others without taking advantage of those in need or feeling like he had to live outside of his values in order to get it done. With their combined social skills and the leads he already had, they stood a real chance of protecting Eurydice.
The Fairest wasn't sure what that meant for him in the end. All he knew was he had to be true to himself and follow his conscience. While he knew how to posture, play it cool, dig into his anger, and all of those other things, in the end he recognized he was softer than a great many Lost. Most of his own desires lay in helping others. Like in this situation, it was more important to help Eurydice and keep members of the Freehold safe than try to get more magical power out of it. Maybe it would be the end of him, maybe he would start to change the culture of the Freehold. He would find out soon enough.
"Thank you, Riley. I know this wasn't an easy ask, but it's an important one. There's so much going on at the moment and I'm finally starting to see the big picture. If there's someone you think we should be sharing this information with, I am open to suggestions. I--we gotta play it smart and there's no such thing as being overly cautious when it comes to where this information ends up. You'll understand why in a moment. If we can pull this off, we're going to be doing some serious good."
His body language was more relaxed now that the two of them were on similar pages and he seemed to genuinely appreciate their willingness to work with him. He pushed himself off of the wall, walking over to where the Darkling stood. He held his hand out to them.
"Ready to put some glamour on it?"
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Post by Krakenbox on May 18, 2021 12:15:10 GMT -8
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 19, 2021 8:23:45 GMT -8
"Ah'rite"
Riley sighed, standing up from the makeup station and reaching out a hand to Lucas.
"I agree that I will not share any of the information that you share with me regardin' the topics we have discussed without your expressed permission. I understand that I cannot ask you for the primary source of your information. I will help you with gettin' into the event that you want to get into. After that, I am free to decide if I want to continue assistin' you in this matter or not. "
The Moth raised an eyebrow to Lucas, awaiting his end of the pledge. Hoping they weren't going to regret this mess.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 19, 2021 8:41:17 GMT -8
Lucas took their hand in his, giving it a firm shake.
"I in turn agree that in exchange for the terms you have committed to, I will look into the matter that you brought up during our discussions with the understanding that you're lips are sealed and thus what you can share with me will be limited.
I acknowledge that once we are done completing these favors for each other, we are not obligated to involve ourselves further. Additionally,in exchange for your assistance I will share with you all that I know regarding the Zhi situation."
Regardless of their past relationship and whatever uncertainty the two of them held towards each other, from here on out until they fulfilled their pledge to one and other, they were magically bound together. His demeanor towards Riley seemed to change almost immediately because they were now an ally of his who he felt responsible for.
"Time to buckle up and get comfortable because you're in for one helluva story. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 19, 2021 8:51:12 GMT -8
"Fuck.. Ah'rite" The moth had crossed the threshold, and now it was time to figure out why this was so important.
I swear, Lucas if this is a waste of time, I will turn your sorry ass into the grass.
Riley takes a seat in one of the comfortable chairs in the dressing room, throwing their legs over the arm and leaning into the corner of the seat.
"Enlighten me"
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 19, 2021 9:02:18 GMT -8
Lucas sat opposite of them in one of the comfortable seats as well. They were going to be here for a bit so he might as well get comfortable in the process.
"Originally, I was actually looking into another lead. I was told by a top notch source credibility wise, that Queen Philicia has a secret lover. My digging into the situation is leading me to think that whoever is behind this is acting like Iago, whispering words of violence into her ears. She's been making decisions recently that have quite a few Spring courtiers up in arms."
He paused to give Riley a chance to react to this information before he continued.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 19, 2021 16:20:47 GMT -8
Riley raises an eyebrow at Lucas’ original line of questioning. Prying into the queen's romantic life seemed more along the lines of mean girls than freehold safety. Blaming the queen's romantic or sexual partner for her choices reeked of petty attacks and sexist bullshit. The queen was questioned for her choices at every turn, the fact she appeared as a fragile feminine doll of course had nothing to do with everyone second guessing her authority and choices. The darkling noted the clever Othello remark but made no remark to it, how true that comparison was, was yet to be seen.
“I see” they say dryly.
“And what did your prying find?”
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 19, 2021 19:48:20 GMT -8
Lucas watched...and was disappointed with the Moth's reaction. Not even a hint of appreciation for his literary reference. He sighed inwardly, recognizing Riley was going to be skeptical and likely scrutinize whatever he shared with them.
"Alrighty then. "
He raised his brows at Riley, his way of acknowledging that their contempt had been noted. None the less, he continued forward.
"The talk of the Emeralds was focused on Eurydice jumping court. It wasn't even so much that most of the Emeralds I had spoken with were feeling spiteful, it was more so a few of them had been especially hopeful that she was going to take a Knight's Pledge. They wanted to see her take a stand against the glass ceiling of their definition of success. There are a lot of pieces being moved around that have members of your court nervous. Such as Ricochet having their fingers in a lot of pies.
Here's where it gets tricky for me and why I have to be so discrete. Zhi is moving a lot of funds and favors with Winter. The fear is that he is gearing up to swing at someone; likely connected to Eurydice. I doubt it's going to be Fawkes given he's one of our own, so there's a good chance he's going after Sweeney. No one would outright say this next part out loud because you can imagine the backlash they would get if it made it's way back to Zhi, but the suspicion is that he's trying to crack either her ID or the ID of someone connected to her.
Normally, I am not one to interfere with my court's business. However, I find this especially troubling because I was tipped off by someone in my court that Eurydice has been very volatile after Apollo's passing. Which while not surprising, she is in the same motley as Fawkes. The concern is that her volatility is rubbing off on him. To quote my source "it just takes bad night for the underworld to blow up". Zhi taking a swing at Eurydice is prime material for that bad night. Not only does Zhi going after Eurydice risk Summer retaliating, but it's going to make the criminal underworld in Vegas become a lot more violent. So, there are those in my court who are gearing up to help Zhi and then there are those who making it clear that Eurydice is considerable threat who not only should not be fucked with, but doing so is going to cause the underworld to implode in ways that will interfere with many a freehold member's interests.
The event I want to attend is one of Eurydice's private events. I need to get closer to her to get a better feel for what's going on and protect her from Zhi."
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 20, 2021 8:47:30 GMT -8
"Fuck"
Riley stood up and walked across the room in silence, crossing their arms as they were lost in thought. Lucas was poking around and digging in places he shouldn't be. Ig Zhi knew he was digging around, or if he knew Riley was going to help him. Their stomach turned. Riley afists clinched, for a moment they wanted just toss over one of the makeup stations.
Fucking shit.
"God damn it, Lucas. You are an idiot, aren't you?"
Just as they expected this information as less payment more entrapment. Riley knew now and was bound by oath to help. A private event for Eurydice? Riley could do it, but they weren't going to be happy.
"I sure hope you know what you are doing," The Darkling hisses before letting out a sigh.
"Ah'rite, I'll get ya into this damn event. Now what I need from you is some information. I need to know the significance of a white chip or a coin. It's a gesture or symbol of some kind, important."
The moth paused, rubbing their nose and looking at Lucas for a long moment.
"That's all I can say. It's vague; it might be political or occult-based. I don't know if it alone means somethin' or the act of givin' it is important. Now...when is this event?"
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 20, 2021 9:44:17 GMT -8
Up until this point, Lucas had believed he would derive a sense of self-satisfaction out of baring witness to Riley having some sort of comeuppance moment. They had doubted him at every turn during this negotiation and he had just demonstrated that, no, he wasn't here trying to make deals with his ex over some garbage gossip fodder. He meant it when he said he had information of significant value.
Except nothing felt good about this moment.
Riley was genuinely upset as far as he could tell. The situation was incredibly dangerous and he had planted himself right in the middle of it. The kicker was this wasn't the only dangerous situation he was pursuing.
He stood up and moved towards Riley in a way that suggested he wanted to comfort them but he stopped himself short. Instead, he frowned and his eyes looked apologetic.
"I do, I promise."
After they were done cementing a plan of action tonight, his next step was to update Sedna with the information he had. He felt more confident reaching out to her with a bona-fide plan in place. If his assessment was correct, she would encourage him to go through with it. There was a possibility that she would tell him to stand down and let the deal with Zhi go through, but that would contradict all the warnings she gave him about what would happen if Fawkes goes kerboom. And hopefully by stopping the kerboom, Sedna would take him on as her squire.
There was something about Riley's reaction that felt personal too. Almost as if...they were worried that something was going to happen to him.
"White chip or coin, huh? Yeah, I can look into that for you. "
He did a general brain scan to see if anything popped up before he shifted his attention back over to the Eurydice situation.
"I'm not sure yet. I've been told she hosts private events that are VIP only. However, I've also been told that she won't take offense to me showing up to one of her public performances at the Carousel. My thought is the two of can go there, do some socializing, impress members of her entourage, and then I'll score an invite that way. It saves us having to barge into a private event uninvited. Once I get the invite at the Carousel, your end of the pledge will be completed, and you're good to step away. You won't have to to near the private event unless you want to. "
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on May 20, 2021 10:42:05 GMT -8
Lucas picks up that Riley is confident that Lucas is in over his head. They frustrated, if not angry, that his choices now affecting them, putting them at risk or in harm's way. But under that, he gets a sense that Riley is also worried that he will get hurt from all this. But it's well buried under their agitation and frustration with him.
" Yeah, that could work," The moth says dryly thinking about Lucas's offered plan.
Riley was fairly certain they could land a private invite for Lucas without doing that, but that might draw more attention than Riley wanted. The idea of attending one of Eurydice's public shows with Lucas however made their skin crawl slightly.
"When were you hoping we go to her show? I work most evenings so i need a heads up"
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on May 20, 2021 11:15:23 GMT -8
"The Carousel bar hours run late starting Thursday night. Would next Thursday or the Thursday after work for you?"
Lucas considered the emotions he was reading off of Riley. There likely wasn't anything he could do at this moment that was going to change how they felt about this situation. However given the tension between the two of them he at least wanted the Darkling to know he didn't plan on being careless with their well-being.
"And, hey, listen. I know this is not how you wanted your night to go down."
He shoved his hands inside of his pocket, leaning back onto his heels.
"Heh, I keep trying to think of something to say that'll express that I wouldn't want to see you get hurt and I'll make sure if something goes awry at the Carousel I'll take the hit for it. But I also get by involving you I've already put you at risk of harm. If after we fulfill our pledge you never want to work with me again, I promise I'll leave you be. "
Another thought popped into his head.
"Who is in your motley?"
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