It's cooler in the shadows pt3

The hiss came from above her. "Then come get it," he laughed, holding it out for her to follow. He'd take the shorter route up along the lip of drainpipe that made its own shadow up to his floor. "Check your pocket. Fourth floor. Come up and we'll talk about what's mine and what's yours."

She let a long low growl out as she gazed up to the shadows and the dangling disk. She was going to friggin rip him apart if she could ever get her hands on him! The light hit her eyes as she turned reflecting in an odd way like a cat's would. She sprang from where she stood, catching the edge of broken fire escape far above where most would be able to jump or reach. She climbed to the third floor and ducked in through a broken window, heading to the stairwell to bring her to the next floor. Out of habit her hands went into her pockets as she walked. She was being set up, walking into a trap.. what the hell? Her fingers pulled the key out of the pocket and she examined it with narrowed eyes as she came up to the fourth floor landing.

"Here kitty kitty..." His voice carried down the corridor and a murky black pool moved over the floor at the end of the hallway, beneath the narrow space under his door. It wasn't so much a maze of entryways as his brother's hide-away but it was no less inconvenient for the standard traveler to find.

Yup.. it was definately a trap, but what sort of tricks was he up to? She needed and wanted her disk back and if all worked out well some sauteed balls for dinner. "Right.." She moved down the hall taking in the scents and sounds until she got to the doorway he'd disappeared under. Her fingers rubbed over the key for a moment before she set it to the lock and slowly pushed the door open. She cautiously walked into the room, her hands clasped lightly behind her after slipping the key back in her pocket. "Not fair you knowing my name.. I don't have anything to call you.." Besides a host of curse words.

"Who said a thing about being fair? You tried to claw off my hand. Not very sporting for a first date," he called from around a corner though he wasn't exactly hiding where he sat in his chair, inspecting the disc under a shop light.

"Well this isn't a date so I guess that doesn't matter. Besides you picked my pocket and stole my disk.. you asked for it, practically begged for it." She came around the corner, folding her arms in front of her now as her head tipped to the side and she regarded him. "You're an alright looking guy, you really that hard up for a date?"

He chuckled, turning with a piercing glance. "Not hardly. And it's only borrowed. Someone might be a little more interested than you're aware." In this light he looked even more like his brother she knew better. His attention went back to the disc that was inserted into an archaic device though it seemed to work. "Thank you for your kindness. Are you going to kill me now or wait to see what we're sharing tonight, hm? Come take a look at what you bargained for."

"I wasn't going to kill you, I was going to castrate you. You wouldn't neccesarily die from that." She flashed him a most sweet smile and eyed him more closely, seeing how much he looked like Tripp. "I told you already that I didn't want to share.. " She slowly came closer to where he was sitting, until she was standing next to his chair, looking at him with her arms folded and her pouting expression. "If not hard up, why ask the girl who tried to claw your hand off, for a date?"

"Who said I was asking? I gave you a key, you walked in." He chuckled again. "And who said I'd exactly mind your attempts. Ah, there you are lovely...," he said, watching the file directory appear for their reading pleasure alone, let alone what the contents appeared to represent.

"That's asking in an indirect 'I not man enough to just ask you' way." She smirked, her eyebrow arching as she leaned her hands down on the arm of his chair to read over his shoulder.

"I'm man enough, pet, but this still worked, didn't it? Either way, you're here." His grin shone again briefly then his eyes darkened, looking over the files. "Catch a pretty penny in the market for this little bit, yeah? At the going rate... keep you rolling nicely for a few months at least without another stop. If you weren't sharing... what were you planning to do with it?" He was certainly getting ideas and hadn't even started viewing the actual files yet.

She sighed and straightened up, chewing her lip and looking at him, going over in her head possible answers that she could give him. Finally she went with the truth, a sigh floating out. "Getting myself rolling. It was my ticket to.. a little bit of independance. Planned to keep a copy for myself of course.. and .. it's not really your business what I was going to do, okay."

"Perhaps... perhaps not." He shut off the monitor to prevent the distraction and keep the glow in the room down to a minimum, his prime working environment. He turned to face her, but stayed in his chair. "It bothers you that I know as much as I do yet you know so little in return, doesn't it? Believe me, we know the same people... and those same people are very concerned about your ability to roll... and effectively keep rolling."

Her arms curled tightly around herself and she half pouted , half glared at him. "Yes." She replied after a few moments, her voice low but clear. "It bothers that you know, what you know. I don't believe that you have any real interest in my rolling otherwise you wouldn't have stolen my means of earning something on my own, of getting out from under daddy's thumb as much as I can."

The smile curled and his eyes flashed their metallic shine again though he didn't quite disappear. "Borrowed... borrowed, I told you, not stolen. Getting you out from dearest daddy Milo's thumb is exactly why you're here."

She didn't return the smile, eyeing him cooly and then rolling her eyes. "Borrowed or stolen, I don't have it and I can't do anything with it if I don't have it, which totally screws me and all my chances of doing any of the things I intended. I'm here because you find amusement in toying with me. You're just f*cking with me and I'm not in the mood. I'm pissed off and I have work to do if I'm going to find another way to get what I want." She shook her head and turned to head back out the way she'd come.

This place was for him a sort of playground with many dark patches and murky corners to allow him ease of movement. She turned and he was behind her, around her, then in front of her, blocking the way to the door, again solid and immovable. "You're not listening, Calder. What you want is in this room... and it's not on that disc." His voice was colder yet hotter, steamy enough to melt even her if she cared to listen to it meander through the shadows and to her emotions the way he'd intended. "You can have the disc. That's not at all what I want or need. If you look at the actual files - you'll find that's true. It was only bait and now I need to explain the rest. Please sit down."

"Why do you do that?" Her hands sort of went up in an exassperated motion as he reappeared in front of her. It would hide the small bit of fear that tremored through her, he was unnerving with how easily he could move from one shadow to the next and she couldn't even turn around.. She swallowed and stared at him, usually she had the upper hand with her gifts. "And.. if I prefer to stand?" Her voice came softer than she'd meant it to and she bit at her lip, forcing herself to hold his gaze. "What do I want?... and what do you want for that matter?"

"Then stand," he said softly, his expression softening a little as well. "You said what you want. Independence. Your sister recognizes that as do we. You can't move, you can't even piss without your father knowing when and where and what pills you took that day. The regimen, the silence and none of the glory - it makes you a slave to him, Calder. What I want is to help you reach your freedom... and your potential. If you're not interested in either - I'll step aside."

Her eyes shifted to the side slightly, he was still in her sights but not directly as her jaw tightened and her shoulders squared somewhat. "How do you.. my sister.. This is about my sister?" She laughed though there was no amusement in the sound. "You're not interested in me, you're not here for me.. I should have known.. When you're speaking for you and not someone else, maybe I'll be interested." She took a step towards where he stood, blocking her way intending to walk through him if she could.

"No, this is entirely about you. Your sister has her place and I have mine, just like my brother. My brother's place is in your sister's bed, take that in any unsavory fashion you like, he'll hungrily admit it. I'm not quite as accommodating." His form shifted to allow her passage through him though he stayed in the same spot. "Not in the same ways."

She passed through him and stopped, looking around her with a slightly perplexed expression. "That's just.." She turned and pointed at him with one finger as she spoke. "I have no idea what that means.. except maybe some off hint that you want to get me in bed but I'm sure I'm probably just as confused on that part as I am on the rest.. Why did you want my disk, why did you follow me, what do -you- want with me? Besides whatever pleasure you're getting out of frustrating and confusing the shit out of me! Why am I still talking to you? I shouldn't even.. arrgh!" If she had something to throw at him she would have chucked it.

Kain had turned again to face her, stifling the chuckle that would only infuriate her more. "It was a set-up. What I want is you. Your success, your passion, your freedom... and frankly, your support. In exchange, you have your desperately desired independence.. if that's truly what you want. You're still talking to me because your senses tell you I'm not lying and you want to know more."

She growled, glared and then stepped back toward him. "I don't like you!" She pouted and moved around him or through him just anywhere but right there, looking at him, with those eyes and lips..

"You on the other hand... need better practice at fibbing. What do you like to drink? What will help you relax and listen?" Around or through him, she had her means to move where she wanted to be. He wouldn't be able to manage much more, but he was determined to keep up with her until she trusted him somewhat. "First off, I don't work for your father and I never will. I enjoy my spotlight... rather my pitch-black if you will... much more than that tedious little organization would ever give me credit for. Tell me that their deserving ever receive their true reward, hm? No fans, no thank yous, only more assignments and more secrets. Feh... not you. You can do so much better and that's why you want out, isn't it?"

"Nahhh I'm just in it for the chicks." She chuckled at her sarcastic comment as she sort of flopped gracefully into the chair he'd given up. She sighed, leaning forward to rest her arms on her thighs and rubbed her forehead with her thumbs. "I just want to breathe.. my father is.. very over protective, to the point of smothering and thwarting every chance we have at.. Jai is the only one of us to find someone who wouldn't back down or just give up if daddy pushed. He's gotten worse since she.. Roh has had all of one boyfriend.. and me.. thats just a joke without a punchline. I want freedom.. I want independance, I want to breathe, choose, anything without my father's hand guiding it."

"Precisely why you're here with me," he said gently, opening a drawer for a box he flipped open, taking out a plain white capsule he offered her. "For the headache. What did you say you drink? He for one doesn't know you're here. Your contact made sure he believes you're down in the square two sectors from here. Buys you time to think about my offer... and some time to breathe to see how you like it. I'm curious though... since Jaime 'what'? Found Tripp?"

"Found? Discovered.." She chuckled, shaking her head to his offer of the pill. "No, it's not a head ache.. it's.. frustration." She lifted her head and gave him a small smile, drawing her eyes over him more slowly now that he wasn't disappearing and fading into shadows. "She defied him, she stood her ground and Tripp stood it with her.. great for her.. not so great for the rest of us." She stopped at his feet and started back up, she'd never really 'examined' Tripp up close, but even from a distance could see why her sister might be attracted to him... this brother was sculpted very nicely. "What offer?"

"To defy like they did and reap the benefits from it... enjoy it rather than suffer it. I'll never work for your father. I work -with- my brother..." He left it at that for now. He slid the pill back to its stash and went to get them each a drink. She hadn't specified, though he truly had only a little to offer. The glasses he brought back weren't filled with the familiar synth-ahol, but rather pure grain contraband, clear and vaporously strong. "Ever have real vodka?"

"I doubt I've ever had anything real." She reached for the glass he offered, curling herself into the chair and the glass to her to 'investigate it' further. "How do you purpose I defy like they did?"

He took a sip from his own glass then offered a trade so she would hopefully trust the contents. "Work with me. Let me show you. The war's over so why hide what you are and what you can do? Use it, hone it, caress and love it... it's power Calder. That's what he doesn't want you to have. I do."

It wasn't just because she wasn't sure if she could trust the contents, it was also because she'd never had real alcohol before. Her expression was curious and a bit excited as he offered a trade, she quickly shoved her glass at him and snatched his into her hands. One finger slid into the liquid and she slipped the vodka soaked digit into her mouth, closing her eyes as the liquid hit her tongue. When her eyes opened they held a bit more sparkle to their pale blue as she looked directly at him, asking him a simple question. "Why?"

"Because I asked for this assignment... to work with you. You have the eyes and ears for the night - where I live. Your other talents, like my own, thrive in the cold and black. You can't tell me you didn't feel it. I was there, remember? Key in pocket, hm? Power, Calder. Untapped and unmeasured because he protects you too much."

"You asked for this?" Her head tipped to the side as her finger rounded the edge of the glass lightly. "He suffocates me." She said softly, sadly.. she loved her father but he was trying to hold onto her too tightly. "What.. exactly.. do you want from me.. I mean, what would I have to do?"