Echo Goes To Bat For Queegmaa

Echo Goes To Bat For Queegmaa
Date of Scene:	20 November 2013
Location:	Serendipity - Temptation Plaza
Synopsis:	As part of his long-term plan to concoct a serum comprised of extract from magically-inclined individuals, Queegmaa hires Echo to do a dirty deed for him, since he doesn't like to get involved in unnecessary roughness. After a bit of negotiation, Echo agrees to his terms, but, perhaps not without the intent to take some liberties of her own?
Cast of Characters:	Queegmaa, Echo

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Echo has posed:
It would be something of an early evening here in the plaza. A certain white bat had been sighted here sometime in the past few days, the last place had been Port Royal. So if one wanted to find some sort of batgirl, this was apparently the best place. Of course, Echo would just be relaxing out here in the plaza, likely having a bit of tea even though it's getting on into the afternoon. Who knows, maybe it's morning for them and they'll be awake most of the night? Possibly. Either way, she's just sort of hanging around...

Queegmaa has posed:
Too much decadence and gift-wrap; that's what this place was, in Que's eyes. It was a lot of presentation, and probably not much substance, but then, his view was that most people weren't even aware of what was going underneath the surface of their own take on the world, what with their disinclination to do much introspection. The kappa was one who spent many hours studying his own reasons for simply being, and needless to say, it wasn't to fritter his hours in a gaudy, souped-up zoo like Serendipity-- he did have a reason for coming to this gimmicky place.

The grim reptile trudged every step of the way as he winced at the loud noises bombarding him; he was a practitioner of the technique of flash-sonar, and had quite the adept pair of auditory nerves, so all the sounds echoing through the area was just shy of a total overload for him, even if he was also perfectly capable of seeing. Regrettably, he couldn't stuff his ears with plugs to blot out the sound, or marginalize it, because he needed all his senses to locate this 'bat-woman' whom he sought so eagerly, plus.... he had to hear her to negotiate. Finally, he circles around a bend, and takes sight of the one he wanted to speak to, which was arguably one of the grandest alleviations he's had in some time.

The sinewy lizard's machinery pulses with intensity as the blood in his veins pumps harder with this new enthusiasm, which effects every electroreceptor in the core of his collective prosthesis, and out of the exhaust pipes spew heavier plumes of steam as his machinery sputters, and his pace hastens. Quickly heading on course to intercept Echo, Queegmaa waves a hand, "Howdy dere.... I'm agin' botherin' folks when deys in da midst of a lil' break, but if ya gotta moment, I wanna chit wicha. Ya don like what I gets ta sayin', den you ken gimme the boot after jus' thirty seconds, 'kay?"

Echo has posed:
Echo yawned a little as she let the tea sit on the edge of the table, back arching and knuckles and toes curling and popping as her legs stretched out along with her. Looking back, or rather behind her as her head tilted that far, perhaps realizing that someone was coming to give her a little visit, whether it was by sight or sound. At first it seemed like she might be on guard, but upon hearing the kappa's voice she seemed to relax a little.

"Oh yeah? If it's something weird you either are going to need a lot of money, or I'm just not doing it. I start doing lingerie ads and suddenly everyone's trying to flag me down or call me up over the link pearls and what have you..." she probably trailed off after seeing hsi expression which might have meant more business than she assumed.

Queegmaa has posed:
Seeing her comfortable positioning in the chair, Que would try not to disrupt her groove, but he could never be certain if his propositions would be found to be tasteful or not, being that some people weren't into dastardly deeds. On the other hand.... if she had been willing to do underwear advertisements, then mayhap she'd be willing to stoop a little bit lower than that-- usually everyone could be brought to doing the most horrific of things if they were just baited into it little by little; unfortunately, Queegmaa didn't have time for such a lengthy transition.... he'd have to try to make the kill here and now, or never.

Decidedly seating himself at the same table as this woman, perhaps a bit audaciously, the kappa wasn't as much a stickler for procedure as Rakassa's pet samurai, Vohstra, whose gentlemanly manner was only surpassed by his skill in the sword, whereas Que was neither combat-competent, or terribly diplomatic, unless he /reaaaaallly/ strove for the effect. But in the case of Echo, judging from her appearance, he didn't want to come off sounding and acting like some kind of a snob, thus putting her on edge, instead, he'd be plainspoken, which would match his mode of physical antic.

"Well.... Dat sounds like a 'scuse ta charge me more right up front. Y'see, if yer startin' off by tellin' me weird sh*t costs major moolah, den yuh ken go claimin' that what I's got in mind happens ta qualayafies, see?" he snickers lightly, and then pulls a business card out, handing it to her immediately. Promptly, he follows up, "Lookin' fer someb'dy tuh.... persuade a woman ta cough up some blood samples and dat jazz. Might need to be a lil' bit on da 'ssertive side, ya might say. She might not coop'rate with ya right off da.... bat."

Echo has posed:
"Oh, is this about... oh," Echo muttered as she took the business card, peering at it and holding it close to her face with a bit of scrutiny, before lowering it. She would be silent as he spoke, tilting her head idly here and there as she got the facts down. "Ah, I see what your problem what, if you want to extract blood from someone you have to find a way to pin them down or keep them from moving, that kinda thing--you don't want them squirming around too much else you have a mess on your hands, you know?" she nodded with matter of fact, business-like manner. Almost clinical.

"So who do I have to kill--I mean, extract fluids from?" she peered at the kappa a bit more seriously now, though with a hint of added excitement. This wasn't like what she was used to, or maybe it was and it was just in a refreshing and attractive manner.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa wasn't the ugliest fellow out there, and by human standards, if not for the weird helmet he wore, and the amphibious green skin, he might've looked halfway decent, but when he flashed a razor-toothed grin, he might've had just enough of a charismatic way that he could've given Echo an intermission from the eyesore that was his usual countenance; a grouchy, crotchety frown that embodied his nigh-eternal moodiness, brought on by the abuse he always took at the hands of his Shadow Lord matron, Rakassa.

Being a lackey paid well, but had its costs, however, as the aquatic hellion sees thrill bleed into Echo's attitude, it resonates with himself, since he can already sense that he's that much closer to selling her on the deal, which would mean he wouldn't get kicked around by the master-- irony, that, in light of the fact that Queegmaa was physically, at least, tenfold stronger than the one who assailed him for his failures, if verbal chiding was deemed insufficient. Echo's description of the necessities at hand help Que retain that (remotely)charming smile, which he elects to use as an opportunity to reaffirm her suspicions, "I 'spose yuh cud say we're speckin' da same layngawidge, now, aye?"

He nods his head, then squints as she mentions something about murder, "Dint say nuddin 'bout killing. Ya do dat, ya do't un yer own time, 'n I an't pay'n extra fer it." He folds his arms across his chest, "Yuh just git me wutever fluuds ya ken. Dun care if'ts blood, puss, vagyinial fluuds, or s'liva. Gimme whatever ya ken.... 'n I want some tissuh, ' bone-marruh, tuh. Dun gotta be much, just a leetle bit." He rests his metallic elbows on the table, which make a mild clanking sound, insinuating that they are far heavier than even what they appear to be-- such an ungodly poundage attached to his body must've meant he possessed far more vigor than his body might've presented to the optics, initially; he says nothing about his own qualities, on the other hand, this trip wasn't for the express purpose of bragging on what monstrous powers were at his disposal, it was to make arrangements with somebody equally skilled as himself, if not in the department of the mystic.

Finally, a name emerges from his mouth, as he takes careful precautions to speak it properly, so that no mistakes are made, "Morr-i-ghan Al-az-ne is yer target. Git 'er, do whatcha need ta do wi'out contaminatin' da samples, den go on with your life lik' ya never seen me. And dun be mentionin' nuddin about who mighta been respons'ble for her capyature, s'far as who was frontin' da bills ta you and yer partner.... Yah gun be workin' with someone else ta take 'er down, ta begin with. After yuh git 'er.... yer accomplice got no furder role in da matter.... yull be doin' all the lab work."

Echo has posed:
"So not just blood, you need the marrow from their bones?" Echo said in a somewhat incredulous tone. Her teacup might have rattled when the imp put his elbows down, due to their weight, and all. "And just how am I supposed to do that, without getting the rest of her all over?" the bat lady asked with some suspicion there, rather a mix of that and confusion. "I'm a magician, not a scientist, just because I look like a vampire doesn't mean I'm suddenly a blood donations specialist," she tapped a foot, sandal rapping against the paved plaza ground.
"Partner? are they going to be helping with this? and who says I need help?" Echo leaned in a bit, grinning. "Think just because I'm a woman I need assistance to handle some poor girl?" she put the back of her hand to her forehead as if to illustrate a damsel in distress in a mocking bit of pantomime.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa rubbed his chin a little bit, and then pulled out a syringe in a capsule that looked like the needle was a gauge of approximately twenty-two, or thereabouts, which also has a screw-top that resembles a drill-bit. He lifts it up in the air and remarks, "Dis ding cud pierce a shark's skin. Yuh git her good 'n stiff, so she kin move none, den ya stick't right intuh 'er femur.... dat's a real big bone ya wun be able ta miss. If that dun work, then jus' ferget da marruh. But at least give't a try, yeah?"

He sets the capsule on the table and points at Echo accusingly, having little patience for her charade, and comments, "I dun care if ya dink ya dun need nuh help 'r not.... 'n dun gimme no croc tears over 't." Leaning back, he regains his usual disposition of a disgruntled lackey who feels he's being pushed, even if Echo is just trying to be playful, "Why duh yuh care what I's thinkin'? You policin' people's minds? I ain't payin ya fer dat....." When she starts to over-emphasize the pity she feels entitled to for his 'insulting' implications, he begins to understand that she's being facetious, and lightens up, his features softening a smidgen, but Que is definitely not into wasting time on games and melodrama, so despite Echo's attempt at being pleasant, the kappa mentally envisions her as skating on thin ice.... and cold-blooded creatures /hate/ ice; they simply can't function when their bodies slow, due to lack of caloric conversion.

"Yuh remind me of dem hoity-toities on da commercial about some uncultyaviated riff-raff who calls da 'Polaner All-Fruit' jelluh, and den the old women whose got a diamon' necklace faints from shock. I see ya got a flair fer theatrics. Hope ya work s'well's ya play."

Echo has posed:
"Hmm, then just the blood minimum?" Echo peered at the syringe, looking at it like a coal engineer might a nuclear fuel rod. There was a base understanding of it's purpose but the eccentricities and complexness was still sort of held with a modest sort of distrust or suspicion. She blinked back at him a little slowly as he pointed to her, her yellow eyes focused on him. "I suppose you could say that I sound like I'm from a rich family," she grinned a bit like a shark, those ivory fangs showing.

"If you need someone to make sure I do this, then alright. Where is our poor miss Alazne then? And what do they do they look like? or am I to find this out later?" she leaned over the table, getting a bit more graver and serious.

Queegmaa has posed:
The lizardy cyborg scratched his head a little bit when listening to her ask about just the blood minimum, and shrugged, "Get wutcha ken. Blood's duh minimum, but da pay fer that'll be low, cuz we got unspecayahlized folk who can do dat in our own organ'zation wi'out havin' ta hire outside da comp'ny." He nodded his head, "That needle'll puncture her bone, I'm certain, 'n if ya can get the other stuff from 'er, den do it. Duh more elbrate yer job, da more elbrate duh pay."

Queegmaa's eyes rolled upwards a little bit, inquiring, "Whadda'I look like? A spy? Da other guy will find 'er. Yuh folluh him 'n he'll leadja to'er. Den you both whoop some *ss, 'e'll take off, after 'e helps ya take Morri tuh yer lab, or where'ver yuh do yer dirty work.... Mages all got alcoves where dey do their fancy shenanigans, right?" When she flashed a toothy grin, it's then that he noticed at least some of her fangs, if not all, looked every bit as acute as his own.... The wings had made it obvious, as well as the ears, but the less human she is, the more trusting he feels about this woman, inwardly, for, it was, after all, a human that had befouled his very existence.

"I'm not gun haggle 'bout prices, doh, yull be doin' dat with the people you contact, I'm not here ta do nothin' but go over the basics of dis job, 'n bein' here ain't fun fer me." He finally admits why he's been partly grouchy the whole time, as he cleans out his ear with a finger, then divulges what, to him, may seem like a very insignificant piece of information, however, to some others, it might've been quite rewarding to have revealed to them, "I ken see plain as day with my ears 'lone, y'see. But dat means /EVERYDING/ is loud as f*ck, 'specially in a place like dis, so I jus' wanna git dis done 'n git outta here, kay?"

Echo has posed:
"And that needle is supposed to go through bone without breaking? Usually you just need something like that to pierce the skin, and maybe an artery or two," she laughed a little at that, giving a nod of her head. "Lab, huh? I guess I'll have to get some place... arranged for that, then. do I need to keep her long?" the bat asked mildly curious, peering over at the kappa, idly toying with the bits of fur on her cheeks with her slender digits.

"Right, so I'll need to get her someplace... private quickly yes? mm, I see, I understand," she nodded a little, thinking it over. "Well, I accept, so I'll meet my assistant so to speak, and we go to work shortly," she nodded with a tap of her sandaled foot to the pavement, moving to finish her tea and get up.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa nods to her dilatorily, and begins to stand in unison with her, as he remarks, "Git us dem samples as soon as possible. You do dat, 'n dat's all we care about." He shrugs, "Keep 'er longer, let 'er go, rape 'er, kill er', play chess with 'er, I dun care.... dat ain't my biz. I jus' want da samples, got it?" He narrows his eyes intently, trying to impress upon her the seriousness of the issue, and that he wants the job done to the letter. "Any extreenayneous stuff ya do's worth zero tuh me."

With all the malapropisms, it was a miracle that Echo got the details down, but then, Que did repeat himself a number of times, and she was a bat.... so she probably had sensitive enough hearing that she could hear all the spoken words, as well as the emotion laced in his words that insinuated negative or positive when the kappa spoke, which in a sense, was helpful in determining certain meanings of some words. "Got any udder questions fer me? If not, I'm outta here."

Echo has posed:
"Oh my, we are going to have a night, aren't we? ha, hahaha... hahahaha!" Echo broke out into peals of laughter, high and cackling and almost sounding mad, swiping up the syringe and holding it close to her face as she studied it closely. "Oh yes, now for some lab treatment, very special," she seemed to take a moment to compose herself, before looking up at the kappa again. "I should be fine I think, though how am I finding this... co-worker of mine?" she asked the kappa again, her wings rustling a bit as she looked like she was prepared to use them.

Queegmaa has posed:
Queegmaa was dying to scram, but Echo had yet one more question up her sleeve, so he felt obligated to answer..... after all, how was she to perform her mission if she didn't know the details of the rendezvous with her partner? The kappa already had his back to her, and was walking away, having had assumed she wouldn't need to make further inquiries, but since it was asked of him, he realized that it could help matters, rather than leave it to her would-be partner to have to explain, "....He'll find you. And.... you'll know who he is, without any doubt." After this comment, he proceeds to drag himself down the street, presumably, to go about his business, unless the bat-girl stops him for something else, or decides to accompany him a little while longer on her own accord. Que isn't especially resentful towards the woman, but he undeniably wanted to leave the premises urgently; his ears needed respite!