| Details for Impromptu Staff Meeting |
| Summary: | Tiberius decides to inform Hector of his progress with the Guild. Well, some of it. Beryl is there too. |
| Date: | 1939-02-03 |
| Location: | Carrow Investment Services, London |
| Related: | Honor Among Thieves - The Thieves Guild. |
| Characters |
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Tiberius has been putting extra effort into his cover lately. Well dressed, well groomed, the man slowly paces around the building floor, occasionally peering outside. The dossier in his hands occupies the time when he's not 'on patrol,' all of the information publicly available about his new 'team' - Or at least, some of them. Slow, crisp steps, he pauses when he reaches the last page again. A mask, sketched, instead of a face. An alias, instead of a name. Although he knew what she looked like, now. He wouldn't trust her until he knew, though… The name of the mask she wore to blend in with the civilised world.
Afternoon comes. Knock-off time. Instead, Tiberius steals the receptionist/secretaries position, and flicks through his pages anew.
Thank goodness for the little favors in life. The office - such as it is - is closed for the day, and Beryl is exceptionally glad of it. Her chair is scooted back from her desk now, and her shoes have been removed. Up and onto the desk she props her silk-stockinged feet, crossing them lightly as she then reaches for her handbag. She now has the time to enjoy the little luxury and the comforting ritual of setting up a Kretek in her cigarette holder. Today has one of those feelings in the air… the feeling that someone might actually want an after-work meeting. Not that the last one went well. Maybe that's why she wants a smoke ahead of time.
— The door to the sole office in the building opens with a creeking noise and reveals Hector Carrow standing in the arch. A lit cigarette in hand as he peers through the gathered smoke at the pair residing in the reception area. A look lingers on Beryl for an obvious moment before turning toward Tiberius. The fact that they two are waiting for him is indication enough that something requires his attention. As such the man leans against the doorway and looks expectantly at Tiberius. "Normally you two are long gone by the time I notice that it's closing time." A slow drag is taken from his smoke. "Do you have something that needs my attention?"
If Tiberius were more than an opportunistic smoker, he might have one. But the only vice he keeps to is alcohol. Well, and gambling. And the transfer of ownership. "Beryl? I can only imagine. As for myself…" Tiberius tears his eyes from his dossier, turning to face Carrow while his hands slowly lay down the pages into neat stacks. "… I thought it only fair that I declare some of my new associates. A show of good faith, some would call it." A test. To see if they can work together. "The seeds of the new guild. At least, I hope." The man gestures to his pages. "They should also prove useful in keeping the attention of the MLE off this business. Especially with interest the Sykes Gala has provoked in me, for some unknown reason." He actually seems confused about the last part. Who would accuse ANY thief of being involved in that?
"As per usual," Beryl remarks from behind her desk, "I am here for the floor show. It always ends up being so entertaining - and without a pricy ticket." A pause is given here as the flippant redhead smirks at both men impishly. Her dark wand is raised to light the far darker kretek now placed at the end of the slender stem held between her lips. A slow, luxurious draw is taken and she closes her eyes to savor the spiced smoke a moment before releasing it into the air.
"You know what they say," Beryl continues, now open-eyed once more and placing the wand on her desk, close at hand. "The best things in life are free."
— "Free or taken." Hector agrees with a nod toward Beryl before turning back to Tiberius. The comments from the man appear to be taken seriously as he nods toward the other man and waves a hand for him to continue. "Please continue." His tone is impassive as he bids the man to speak again, however there is no indication at all that Hector intends to view this offering as anything other than what he'd already been expecting from either of them. It was their job after all to look of opportunities that might be of value to him.
"Seed members;" The first picture is tapped. "John Castle; The Rook. Expedition." Picture two. "Faith De'Lora; The Nun. Acquisition. Tyree Abbot; The Apprentice. Enthusiastic, if underskilled. And The Shadow." No name. "The woman who filled the vacuum when I stopped working." He chuckles softly. Tiberius adds. "There's discussion with Drunken Dragon about providing the guild with a temporary place of business. Discreetly, of course."
"Furthermore, Cruentus Vermillion has opened lines of communication already… You might know him better as the Broker. One of the only Vampires the Ministry tolerates."
"Aren't they one and the same thing?" Beryl asks cutely of Hector, regarding things that are free and/or taken. That oh-so-innocent look enters her eyes, and one can almost see a phony halo spun around her head. For all intents and purposes, her /values/ appear to remain intact. That much should please the boss on some level.
Green eyes shift toward Tiberius now as he speaks, narrowing very slightly. Whenever a female is mentioned, there comes a slow, cat-like blink that doesn't give away much… however, smoke now drifts through her nostrils in a dragonish way.
— "Not in my experience." He once again replies to Beryl before turning back to the other and nodding slowly as each name and codename is given in turn. Though he is not a fan of such childish names he understands their purpose. Even his own name was given to him as opposed to something Hector chose for himself. "Sounds like a motley crew you've assembled. How exactly does the vampire fit into all this?"
Tiberius glances at Beryl quickly, before turning back to Hector. He's playing nicely. "Quite a motley crew. It should spread the net far, and gather a greater number to the cause. Cruentus is;" A pause. "An information broker. I've often thought of him as playing both sides against the middle, so I rely on him little… But he's useful. In exchange for discrete favours, blind eyes or aqua vitae." The latin is used. One of the few phrases he has to heart. "However acknowledging the re-emergence of the guild speaks well."
For some moments, Beryl continues to sullenly mull over her cigarette. Occasionally, there is a little movement, or she entertains herself by blowing demure little smoke rings and then cutting through them with the end of her wand - which is located in her hand once more. She's good at pretending to be disinterested in these things. However, when there is a minor lull in the conversation, her gaze drops to the men from the ceiling, and she remarks drily: "I feel out of place without a code name. As I seem to be the only one content with my own unsullied identity. What would I be, I wonder…"
— Onces more he turns to Beryl, however this time he shakes his head and sighs slightly. "You don't really want one, trust me. It's more of a pain in the ass then you might expect. As soon as someone identifies you by one name or another it just creates problems." Hector has no names to offer the woman before his attention returns to Tiberius. "Remember that we broker information as well. The vampire might be a competitor in the future and should be regarded with caution… not that it doesn't go without saying when it comes to his kind."
"Rose, Beryl." Tiberius answers simply. "For that lovely shade you're always wearing." The man shrugs lightly. "As for myself… I have yet to decide whether to end my legacy or not. The Technician may yet be better to fade away." The files are all gathered again, and slid back into the dossier. "Aye. Cruentus is a two-edged sword. He sells information to any side willing to buy. However, the guild will help shield your business from any interest that my employment has and continues to enjoy. Worst case scenario? The Collector is considered one of ours, not your esteemed self." Insurance. Always good.
An ironic smirk is flashed at Hector. Without saying a word, her expression speaks volumes toward saying: I believe you on that front.
However, Tiberius chimes in with the pet name he has long since given her, and, for a flash of an instant, there is a hint of uncertainty in her gaze. Cool green eyes flick toward Hector and then back at Tiberius. The boss already dislikes the relationship… and she tries very hard not to make it worse. Before long, however, she relaxes into her seat once more with a slightly forced, but gratified smile.
— "As long as it remains an assumed connection that I am more than happy to have the Guild deflect some of the attention from my business arrangements." Hector replies with a nod before taking another drag from his cigarette. When he looks between the pair once more he has to restrain a sigh of annoyance, but he does pull it off. At least for now Hector remains outside that particular relationship. "What have you told them of me?" He asks Tiberius now.
"Nothing. My position on you remains the same. Officially, if anyone asks, you're an unethical dealer of valuable commodities. I've no interest in being associated with The Collector, Carrow. It's bad for both of our ventures. Besides, some aspects of your reputation are… Distasteful." Beryl would know that word. It's one Tiberius is fond of. "Of course, if we stumble across anything of interest, I'll see to it that yours are first met." Clarifying. The Guild takes second place to the Investment Group.
It's moments like these that begin to make Beryl nervous when Hector and Tiberius are speaking. Interestingly (and frustratingly) it is also at these very inconvenient moments that her cigarettes or alcohol always seem to run out. All she can do for the time being is to busy herself with discretely removing the remains of the Kretek and grinding out the remains of its life into the ashtray on her desk. Other than that, she merely watches the men interact with due caution. It feels something akin to working between to open vials of nitroglycerin sometimes.
— Hector looks up with a quirked eyebrow. "That's not nothing. Officially if someone asks you then you tell them that this is a legitimate job that you do for cash on the side. I don't care who these people are… they don't need to know anything about me unless there is a need for it." When he looks back at Beryl the man nods once more before he begins moving to get his coat and leave for the day. "I am glad that you will be keeping our interests above all others. Keep me informed as to what the Guild is doing. It should prove useful."
"If someone asks about here? Of course. This ensures my daily needs are met, and provides me with useful cover. Hector Carrow is my employer, nothing more." And Beryl Crabbe is his love. "I'll keep you informed of any present developments." Tiberius states.
"And, I'll be damned if anybody decides to pay a vampire with my blood."
Beryl feels that this needs to be stated before everyone goes their separate ways. Her feet are withdrawn from her desk, and slipped back into her expensive shoes. On her feet once more, she sets about setting herself to rights and smoothing out every wrinkle, primly. No matter the situation, she always looks more reputable and reliable than her male companions. It's almost effortless. Almost.