alnifolia | OPEN POST;

[ After the mess with the late Donovan Hock (and his death had come as such a shock to everyone; he had been so young, after all, that no one had seen the heart attack coming), Peter had been on high alert, waiting for some sort of blackmail from old enemies or future clients. "We know who you are, Mr. Quill. If you'd prefer this news not to get out, you will do exactly as we say."

But weeks pass, and he doesn't hear anything. Work comes in as normal, and he dispatches of his targets without hearing so much of a whisper of his real name.

He doesn't even receive a message from Kasumi Goto -- which had been most surprising of all. He had received his payment, as promised, but it wasn't accompanied with any sort of threat, any sort of indication that she would hold the information over his head. Nothing. Suspicion is his first reaction, followed soon after by wariness, but eventually he simply accepts that she's not interested in using the information against him. Not at this current juncture, anyway.

The other shoe will drop, he's sure; he simply has to wait for it to happen.

In the meantime, there are more wealthy men and women who acquire his services; more wealthy men and women who know too much or are causing too much trouble, and Star-Lord is called in to deal with these problems. This time around has brought him to a gala of sorts. It's literally a castle -- one of the smaller estates, he was assured by the hostess who, incidentally, had also hired him. Some sort of charity event, and she had assured him she had no idea who was coming or going to this event, except that she knew her ex-husband would be there to rub his new blond girlfriend in her face.

Peter didn't quite care about the particulars; he just needed to scope the man out, get more information on his habits and the people who hated him to better execute his frame-up job -- which is why he arrives to the party sans mask, dressed impeccably in a formal suit. He arrives under the pseudonym John Rogers (Terminator and Captain America, respectively), and explores the grounds freely.

-- At least until he passes through the art gallery, and he spots a familiar face. He pauses at the entryway, lips drawn into a thin, thoughtful line, before he decides to take the plunge. Walking in at a leisurely pace, he stands beside the woman, hands clasped behind his back, turning to face the painting she's inspecting.

He's silent for a moment, before he asks in a soft, smooth voice, ]

Lovely piece, isn't it?

[ True to her word, Kasumi doesn't breathe a word about Star-Lord's true identity to a single soul. After all, he has a bit of information--her face--that he could use against her if she double-crossed him. Her usual get-up does a well enough job of hiding most of her face, at least, but it's her undercover identities that would be in deep shit if word got out.

Audrey Ishii (Hepburn and Kill Bill, respectively), dressed rather impeccably in a gown, herself, her long black hair pulled into a high ponytail, is one such identity. She is a respected curator in the business around this quadrant of the galaxy, and not at all a surprise fixture in upper crust soirees such as this one, especially when the host or hostess is well-known to be a lover of the arts.

Some of the same things could be said for Kasumi Goto, as well. She tends to find her way into these types of gatherings--not as a guest, of course--and she's rather well-respected in an entirely different community altogether. Tonight, she's here to steal a painting. Not the one she stands in front of, presently, but one of similar value, unjustly (according to Kasumi, at least) hanging in a hallway instead of her gallery.

She hears the man's footsteps against the marble floors and she casts him a silent, evaluating glance when he strides over to her side. Not a familiar face--handsome, though. Really handsome. When he speaks up, she smiles. ]

It's my favorite of the collection. Sure, the paintings of flowers and old French aristocrats are beautiful, but this one--this one stirs something in you, doesn't it?

[ The way she speaks, the way she carries her voice--it's an act, it's Audrey Ishii, although Kasumi Goto probably wouldn't disagree. ]

[ He nods his agreement after her observations -- though to be entirely frank, the painting means nothing to him. The colors are nice, sure, and he guesses it's kind of sad -- but to put it in a gallery? He feels like it's the sort of thing he'd see in a swanky hotel room, instead.

That she doesn't seem to recognize him, at first, doesn't surprise him. He's always been very careful about modulating his voice when he's putting on an act -- in much the same way she has, evidently. And color him surprised, that a thief, even one as renowned as Kasumi Goto (in the circles that matter, anyway), should feel the need to even have an act. It's probably what makes her the best in the galaxy, he supposes.

Peter tilts his head, lips pursed thoughtfully. ]

Rather melancholy. [ Evidently John Rogers is a soft spoken man; as full to the brim as the castle is with party-goers, the gallery is hushed, conversations quiet and murmured. His voice carries easily. ] Almost like a storm.

Granted, I've always been decidedly poor at analyzing paintings. [ He offers her a small, sheepish smile. ] Always seem to get it a bit wrong, I'm afraid.

[ The more she hears the man's voice, the more a suspicion grows in her head that it sounds vaguely, vaguely familiar, but not to the extent of recognition. So she listens to him carefully, reads into his words, just in case. She preludes her response by returning his sheepish smile with one of her own before she turns her head, fixing her gaze back onto the painting. ]

I don't believe in "right" and "wrong" when it comes to paintings, actually. The question isn't so much "what is this painting about," but more "how does it make you feel."

[ And then she turns her head, offering him a coy little smile. ]

For these types of paintings, anyway. It's quite different with portraits of rotund French aristocrats--there's no question about what those paintings are about, because the answer is always "I'm rich and have enough money to be paying this unfortunate soul money to sit and paint me for hours on end."

[ He lets out a small, quiet laugh, turning his head a little as well. ]

Curator, I take it? Or perhaps just an enthusiast. I always seem to find myself surrounded by people with an eye for art, who have their own galleries or statues and paintings tucked away in private vaults. Personally, I tend to just enjoy looking at beautiful things.

[ At the opposite side of the hall is one of those paintings in question, of a portly Frenchman in ornate robes; it's to this painting that Peter moves to. ]

No deeper feelings, here? Nothing stirred up that makes you think, "Good Lord, this man needs to partake in a few less cakes and a few more salads"?

[ She quirks a brow at him as she follows him to the painting at the other side of the gallery. ]

Goodness, no. Humans didn't live for very long at all in those days--if he wants to spend his days sweating in his layers of fineries and eating cakes, then by all means, let the man do what he pleases. He won't be doing anything for much longer, in any case.

[ She turns her body to face him, and brings her arms up to fold them below her chest. An act that's meant to be charming, for sure, because who says Kasumi Goto can't have fun while working undercover? The expression on her face is equally coquettish. ]

And you guessed correctly--I'm a curator and an enthusiast, even. I would be a poor curator if I were not also an enthusiast, no? But let me ask you this, sir--have you been enjoying "looking at beautiful things," at tonight's gala?

[ He pauses, then glances over at her again. ]

I have. What I find is that the most beautiful works of art are too often hidden away. I suppose the rarity has something to do with the enjoyment, or perhaps the owner finds pleasure in keeping his prizes secret.

Rather like that gentleman who recently passed away -- ah, short last name. It slips my mind. [ He takes on a thoughtful look, attempting to recall the name, then, ] --Hock, I believe. A shame about his sudden passing, but I hear he somehow unearthed at least two very rare pieces before his death.

[ If Kasumi Goto weren't exceptional at lying and deception, which coincidentally involves a lot of acting, she might have visibly responded to the mention of Hock's name. Her grip on her own arms might have tightened, her smile might have twitched or even faded into a frown, she might have taken a deep breath and exhaled tensely.

Fortunately, she is a master of the craft, so at the drop of the name, she merely nods, her smile fading not into a frown, but into an indifferent line. She's responding only enough to convey that Audrey Ishii regrets the passing of a man with such fine taste. ]

Hock did have... [ another thing Kasumi is careful not to show is her elation that she has to refer to Hock in the past tense, now ] ...a preference for hiding his most valuable pieces where no one else can enjoy them. I hear he had Michelangelo's David and the Statue of Liberty's head. What a shame that he passed on so abruptly. I would have loved to personally speak to him about his collection.

[ He quirks an eyebrow at her restraint, finds it admirable. But for now, he merely nods his agreement. ]

A shame, indeed, though I find such men who hoard their belongings in such a manner tend to have a great deal more to hide than others.

[ He lowers his voice marginally, as if passing on a secret. ] There are rumors, of course, that he had more than a few illicit dealings before his death. Not entirely sure those rumors hold much water, though.

[ Kasumi does a very slight shrug of her shoulders. Surely, someone like Audrey wouldn't have an interest in illicit dealings. She's just a curator. A curator who similarly quirks a brow at her company, a little unsure of where he's taking this conversation. ]

I'm afraid I couldn't tell you if those rumors hold much water either, sir. I don't know much about the man apart from his art collection, but it wouldn't surprise me to think that he would have much to hide. He always carried himself in such a way.

Afraid I didn't know the man very well, myself. A few run-ins with him, here and there, but I suppose we all of us wear some sort of mask.

[ And his voice drops lower still. ] Or, perhaps, some of us might wear hoods.

[ ... She knew that voice sounded familiar.

The mask comment had been innocuous enough, but once he mentioned hoods, well, that was the tip-off. She tilts her head at the man who she now knows can only be Star-Lord--or Peter Quill--and her expression remains unchanged. She also casts him a closer, more evaluating look than when he'd first approached her, trying to get a read. Her first conclusion, of course, is that he's here to try and kill her. Try to. In which case, she wants to know who hired him this time. But seeing as he hasn't done anything yet, she suspects that might not be the case.

That, or he's simply biding his time. ]

Fancy meeting you here.

[ He inclines his head in a sort of truncated bow, and while he doesn't drop the act, hands still clasped behind him, back straight and shoulders set, his voice drops a bit of the formality. ]

Entirely coincidental, I assure you. [ Granted, there's no way for him to prove it, other than his word. Not without compromising his assignment, at any rate. ] I thought you could use the company.

[ She quirks a brow, and when she speaks, her voice takes off much of its pretentious aristocratic vibe, too. ]

That's awfully nice of you. [ considering how you were trying to kill me, last time. ]

[ He shrugs. As far as he's concerned, that was simply business -- and considering how that arrangement worked out, he has no further interest in targeting her. ]

That, and I wanted to express my appreciation for your discretion. [ And this, at least, is sincere; he casts her a sidelong glance. ] I had expected word to spread after our last meeting. Imagine my surprise when I heard not even a peep.

[ her lips curl ever so slightly into a smile, and she turns to move so that their shoulders barely touch. ]

Of course. I'm not looking to antagonize a man of your caliber. [ he's one of the most dangerous men in the galaxy, after all. ]

And it was my way of expressing my gratitude for your cooperation.

[ If he reads anything into her proximity, it doesn't show on his face. Mostly he's staying vigilant, in case she sees fit to divest him of his wallet. She is a thief, after all. ]

Yes, well. The arrangement was mutually beneficial -- or at the very least, I hope you found your side of our agreement to suit your needs.

[ Tempting as that may be, she doesn't make such a move. She could very well do that to any other guest at this party, but to a man like Star-Lord? No, thanks.

Still, she nods at his words. All things considered, it had only made sense for Hock to have hired a hitman to come after her. That she somehow swayed Star-Lord into working with her instead of killing her and walked out with Keiji's graybox and a bullet in Hock's skull (and a few other things) definitely suited her needs. ]

I did, very much so.

[ And then a thought crosses her mind-- ]

Perhaps there might be another opportunity for an agreement sometime?

[ He flashes her a quick smirk. ]

Usually I prefer to work on my own. [ Which is true enough -- if only due to the nature of his work. He's honestly not sure what spurred him to speaking with her like this, aside from a passing fancy. Bad enough she knew his name -- now she has a face to go with it, too.

He'll kick himself for it, later (although he's sort of kicking himself for it now). ]

Then again, I'm open to suggestions -- though I doubt you came here to talk business.

[ Kasumi does have to wonder what compelled Star-Lord to approach her in this manner. They're both here on business, she's sure, but if so, why reveal yourself to someone who already knows more about you than anyone else should ever know? Not that she's complaining, because he's really rather nice to look at, but she's a little perplexed.

She finds that Peter Quill should consider himself lucky that the only person to know about his real identity is someone like Kasumi Goto. She has no real reason (at present, at least) to compromise him--but even if she did? She would hesitate. Because Hock mentioned Quill's family back on Earth, and Kasumi would never knowingly put someone's loved ones in danger.

(Except for Hock. Because screw that guy.)

At the moment, she tilts her head at him, her expression curious but confident. ]

On the contrary. What reason would I have to come here other than business?

Edited 2015-05-04 17:56 (UTC)

[ He waves a hand dismissively. ] Ah, the enjoyment of fine art, perhaps?

Did you have a more immediate arrangement in mind, or were you merely leaving your options open?

[ She responds with a rather noncommittal shrug before taking a quick glance around the room. ]

I would hate to disturb the other guests with our irrelevant chatter.

Perhaps we can take this conversation elsewhere, outside the gallery?

[ He nods, then offers his arm. ] Have you seen the gardens yet, by chance? They're lovely.

[ she quirks a brow at his gesture, at first. You know, if she weren't still a wary that he would pull a gun on her once they're in a more secluded spot, she would be enjoying this charm very much. Still, she plays along, hooking her hand around his arm and giving him a smile. ]

Oh, I've heard the flowers are in bloom right now. Sounds like the perfect place.

[ He does, in fact, have a blaster holstered beneath his jacket and a blade concealed in his sleeve, but as it stands, she's given him no reason yet to use either.

Leading her through the crowd, he leans down occasionally to make small remarks on the artwork as they pass through the gallery, then through a side hallway. The gardens aren't quite as crowded as the gallery had been, thanks to the space; the plants are carefully and artfully arranged, with winding pathways and delicate marble statues dotting the paths. ]

I meant it when I said I said this was a coincidence. [ His voice stays low, his posture impeccable, though he drops the soft-spoken, rich boy accent. He sounds more like he did when they first encountered one another as Star-Lord and Kasumi Goto. ] I'm on the clock, but I promise I'm not goin' after you this time.

❖
OPEN RP POST ① Pick a character ② Pick a prompt (or DIY) (shamelessly and selectively pilfered from bakerstreet's Random Scenario Meme) ③ Do the thing!. table code by betterdolphin

bang bang i hit the ground

bang bang that awful sound

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