Shady Dealings (Rina & Konrad)

[Cabochard]

Rina waited around outside of the Denny's where she and Mr. Roth had first met. She was dressed in her night-walking clothes, all dark blues and greys, ready to disappear the instant it became necessary. She was even armed, with her boot knife, although she didn't particularly expect Konrad to attack her. He was a businessman. However, she didn't expect the same of the Kine walking around, and she preferred to have a believable method of killing one should it try to mug her.

She was leaned up against a wall, directly at the exit of a dark alley. The meeting she had in mind would most definitely not be able to occur within the Denny's; the choice in location had simply been convenient as a place they both knew but that an outside listener would be unaware of. A perfect meeting place, in short.

[Konrad Roth]

The Savage began his walk towards the meeting place as promised over the phone. He wore his usual threads, the heavy leather jacket over a pair of jeans and a cotton long-sleeved shirt. A long bulge on the left side of his jacket suggests he carries some implement for those observant enough to notice, his weapon and tool of choice being the prybar. But he has no plans to use it on Rina unless of course she has decided that Konrad is of no more use to her. The thought makes him wonder what reason she might have for calling on him. Their arrangement had been for him to gather information for her. Perhaps she has need of more information. Or perhaps she's checking up on him to see if he's completed the first request she gave him.

He finds her positioned on the periphery of an alley before he even gets to the Denny's.

"Oh, there you are." Rina never did seem comfortable around the Kine, finding the pretense of imitating them tedious during their last meeting at the Denny's. Konrad walks into the shaded area between buildings opposite her, though there's no hint of intimacy in his intent. "So, how've you been?" he asks with a smirk, throwing out the small talk as a playful tease, wondering how she might answer.

[Cabochard]

Rina nodded at Konrad as he arrived. "Greetings, Mr. Roth. I have been well. I trust you have been as well?" She didn't wait too long for the answer, her arm sweeping out to indicate the mouth of the alley next to her. "If you would, it would be better if we continued this conversation somewhere farther from human ears. It will require discretion." She waited for him to step in first, not wanting to expose her back.

[Konrad Roth]

Seems like nearly all the conversations he has with his fellow Kindred involve some discretion and is thus the reason for their meeting in person. But better to be on the safe side of things. The rumble of Beasts beneath the surface of their friendly greeting is reminder enough. Luckily Rina's Beast is not so unfamiliar.

"Always feels like I'm busy, Miss Yui. I hope what you've got for me tonight isn't too involved," says Konrad, stepping deeper into the alley. He's aware of her reluctance to enter first, but shrugs it off as healthy paranoia. Maybe he should take a page from her book, but as far as he knows she doesn't have a reason to take him out aside from predatory instincts. She seems too collected for that which is what interested Konrad in her in the first place.

Once the alleys began to look like a long sprint away the air became still, blocked out by the brick barriers surrounding them. If he still has his head attached he turns it to look back at Rina. "This good? What's on your mind tonight?" he asks, not bothering to hide his curiosity.

[Cabochard]

The small woman ghosts after Konrad silently, waiting until they get far enough into the alley to talk any more. When they finally reach the proper distance, she nods to him. "It may or it may not. It depends on your qualifications." She takes a moment to look around and ensure their safety from prying eyes, then returns her attention to him. "Two things occupy me at the moment. First of all, how have you progressed on my last request?"

[Konrad Roth]

Konrad rubs the side of his cheek in something that might have been embarrassment. "Oh, that," he says, pausing as he collects his thoughts and weighs something in his mind. "Well I found one of the members of that organization. That woman, Ashley, who was on that Underground Tour with us. I've got her cell number, but I haven't tried calling yet on account of being distracted with another matter of business. I haven't heard of any other posted meetings or what rank she holds among them. She isn't much of a talker. You guys would get along great." The last remark is meant to be a joke and Konrad voice lightens to indicate as much.

"I'll try giving her a call sometime after the big event coming up, see if I can't squeeze her for a little more information. Anything particular I should keep my ears open for? Or just general activity and additional members?"

[Cabochard]

Rina nodded along, absorbing the information he had. She assumed it was a joke when he talked about them getting along. She hoped it was, at least. Otherwise the man had a harder time grasping the Invictus than he should. "General activity and additional members will be fine. Report back to me with a letter every few months. If things start happening faster, contact me. Mass recruiting, mobilization, anything of that nature." She took a step back crossing her arms. "Now, there was a second question I had. But first, I must ask several prelude questions. First, in steering Mr. Travis towards you, are you comfortable that I have been fulfilling my end of the contract?"

[Konrad Roth]

"A letter then. You have a PO box I take it?" Konrad asks, squaring away that detail before moving on to her next question.

His brows raise slightly at the mention of Michael. The Savage paces a bit as he speaks. "Ah, Michael never mentioned who gave him my number, but there's only a few who have it. Actually, even if it hadn't been you I was going to ask you what you know about the guy. I've heard the news about the duel, but I probably know just as little about Mr. Baldwin. Think I should help the guy out?"

He's well aware he's answering a question with another question. Maybe he's avoiding it, or maybe he doesn't quite know what to think of Michael's contacting him as an example of Rina's usefulness. Usually Konrad preferred his customers not to be ash the next week, but desperate wasn't a bad quality either. He'd have a pretty big favor to call in from the guy if the deal went through.

[Cabochard]

"I do. I will give you that information later." She considered his next question. This would be a delicate subject. If she told him not to help Travis, she was telling him to throw away potential business and advertising. That could go very badly for her. On the other hand, if she told him to help Travis...well, there wasn't much he could do that would give him the advantage, but he just might...you never know. "I am aware of him, and have my own opinion of him. I am sure he has been contacting you about aiding him towards the purpose of violating the core rules of Monomacy through a technicality." She paused, considering her next words. "I, of course, am biased towards Sir Baldwin. I would not dream of telling you not to give Mr. Travis your business, but in this case it may be the most prudent thing to do. I am confident he stands little chance of winning, and if whatever you supply fails to assist him, it may leave a bad impression of your business."

[Konrad Roth]

"Say what now?" interjects Konrad, blinking rapidly and lifting his hand as if to slow the influx of information. "Sorry, I've never really paid attention to the details of these formal duels before. You're saying that I'm aiding him to break the rules? Could you give me a bit more information about that? I'm guessing that guns aren't allowed or something like that?" Konrad had thought that it'd be something like pistols at dawn..err, midnight, and that Michael was just hoping to get an edge. He definitely needs to rethink this arrangement. It was already looking risky with bothering his criminal contacts with a new customer only to have that guy get wasted in an arena.