Log: Amanda/Garrison - Meeting Miss Brand
Oct. 27th, 2022 11:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmanda and Garrison meet with Brand in order to get her help to arrange an appointment to see the Ancient One.
The Charleston Hotel was one of a dozen of smaller boutique hotels harkening back to the turn of the century, clustered in what was once riverfront property but the arrival of the United Nations Building and the Triskalion had turned into a mix of temporary accommodations for diplomats and spies. Kane’s message had been short, but when he mentioned the Ancient One the response was not to meet at Brand’s office in the Triskalion but at this hotel instead. Kane knocked on the fifth floor door, old style with a key lock as opposed to a card, and the green haired woman opened the door.
“Kane. And you brought Sefton.” Brand deadpanned as she took in the pair. “Such a treat - it’s not even my birthday.” She stood aside to let them come in.
“Nice to see you, too, Abigail,” Amanda replied as she walked past the SWORD director. She only came up to the other woman’s shoulder and gave her a bright, deliberately sunny smile. “Thanks for sorting this - I appreciate not having to go through the government security circus.”
“Of course. It wouldn’t do to have these favours of mine logged, would it?” Brand’s voice was smooth and even, but the slightest twitch at the corner of her eye betrayed her displeasure with the situation.
“I wouldn’t consider this a favour. Although,” Kane paused and looked around. “I know Triskalion logs everything, but why a bougie hotel in the nicer part of town? I mean, we could have just grabbed coffee or something.”
“Not when the Ancient One’s involved. Our relationship with the Winding Way is… complicated and it wouldn’t do for us to be seen in public, favouring one side over the other.” Brand closed the door behind them and made for the window, where several chintz-covered armchairs were arranged around a circular wooden coffee table. “SWORD has this suite available on-call when we need more privacy than usual.”
Amanda had been prowling around the room, opening drawers and closets with a curious air. “Hey, nice! Fancy minibar!” She exclaimed, immediately pouncing on the contents and pulling out a miniature bottle of Jack Daniels and a mini can of Coke. “So I know what I’m having. Drinks, anyone?”
“Ooh, do they have a tiny bottle of beer that they will charge SWORD fifteen dollars for? I’ll take one of those.” Kane ignored Brand’s glare and sat down. “So, I’ll give you the short version. After Olivier stripped away my Omni-skin, something changed. I don’t have a better description for it than something, but it is absolutely… something.”
One shapely emerald green eyebrow rose. “‘Something’? That’s vaguer than usual. Can you give me anything more than that?”
“I’m sure he’d like to,” quipped Amanda as she joined them. She had two glasses and a beer bottle balanced in her hands and she set them down heedless of the ring marks she left behind. “Beer for Gar, Jack and Coke for me and a G&T for Abigail. No lime, but I’m sure that won’t matter.” She settled herself into the remaining seat, hooking one Doc Marten-clad foot over her knee as she leaned back with her drink. “But, seriously, there’s some kind of weird shite going on with Gar’s aura that’s spilling over into his powers. Best I can describe it as is an unholy mess of different magics all smooshed together.”
“I think I preferred ‘something’.” Brand sighed and reached for the drink Amanda had made for her. Both eyebrows rose in surprise as she sipped. “If you ever need another career, you’d make a decent bartender, Sefton.”
“In Brand speak, that’s actually praise.” Garrison translated before taking a sip of his beer. “Something about the intersection of the infernal power with all the other crap I’ve been subjected to changed… fuck, something. I don’t have an answer. None of the experts on mutation have an answer. And we’ve run into the limits of Amanda and her resources. She says that this Ancient One… which sounds like Yoda to me - this person and his group has experience that no one else has. Maybe they understand what is going on.”
“If anyone would, it would be the Ancient One,” Brand conceded. “But why go through me? Don’t you have your own connections with him?” This last was directed to Amanda, who coloured slightly at the barb.
“Well, yeah. But just like you have your complicated relationship with him, so do I. And this is something I’d rather keep away from home, if that makes sense.”
“Not really, but as you so often remind me, I owe you both.” Brand sipped at her drink again. “Very well, I’ll set up an appointment for you at the Sanctum Santorum.”
The Charleston Hotel was one of a dozen of smaller boutique hotels harkening back to the turn of the century, clustered in what was once riverfront property but the arrival of the United Nations Building and the Triskalion had turned into a mix of temporary accommodations for diplomats and spies. Kane’s message had been short, but when he mentioned the Ancient One the response was not to meet at Brand’s office in the Triskalion but at this hotel instead. Kane knocked on the fifth floor door, old style with a key lock as opposed to a card, and the green haired woman opened the door.
“Kane. And you brought Sefton.” Brand deadpanned as she took in the pair. “Such a treat - it’s not even my birthday.” She stood aside to let them come in.
“Nice to see you, too, Abigail,” Amanda replied as she walked past the SWORD director. She only came up to the other woman’s shoulder and gave her a bright, deliberately sunny smile. “Thanks for sorting this - I appreciate not having to go through the government security circus.”
“Of course. It wouldn’t do to have these favours of mine logged, would it?” Brand’s voice was smooth and even, but the slightest twitch at the corner of her eye betrayed her displeasure with the situation.
“I wouldn’t consider this a favour. Although,” Kane paused and looked around. “I know Triskalion logs everything, but why a bougie hotel in the nicer part of town? I mean, we could have just grabbed coffee or something.”
“Not when the Ancient One’s involved. Our relationship with the Winding Way is… complicated and it wouldn’t do for us to be seen in public, favouring one side over the other.” Brand closed the door behind them and made for the window, where several chintz-covered armchairs were arranged around a circular wooden coffee table. “SWORD has this suite available on-call when we need more privacy than usual.”
Amanda had been prowling around the room, opening drawers and closets with a curious air. “Hey, nice! Fancy minibar!” She exclaimed, immediately pouncing on the contents and pulling out a miniature bottle of Jack Daniels and a mini can of Coke. “So I know what I’m having. Drinks, anyone?”
“Ooh, do they have a tiny bottle of beer that they will charge SWORD fifteen dollars for? I’ll take one of those.” Kane ignored Brand’s glare and sat down. “So, I’ll give you the short version. After Olivier stripped away my Omni-skin, something changed. I don’t have a better description for it than something, but it is absolutely… something.”
One shapely emerald green eyebrow rose. “‘Something’? That’s vaguer than usual. Can you give me anything more than that?”
“I’m sure he’d like to,” quipped Amanda as she joined them. She had two glasses and a beer bottle balanced in her hands and she set them down heedless of the ring marks she left behind. “Beer for Gar, Jack and Coke for me and a G&T for Abigail. No lime, but I’m sure that won’t matter.” She settled herself into the remaining seat, hooking one Doc Marten-clad foot over her knee as she leaned back with her drink. “But, seriously, there’s some kind of weird shite going on with Gar’s aura that’s spilling over into his powers. Best I can describe it as is an unholy mess of different magics all smooshed together.”
“I think I preferred ‘something’.” Brand sighed and reached for the drink Amanda had made for her. Both eyebrows rose in surprise as she sipped. “If you ever need another career, you’d make a decent bartender, Sefton.”
“In Brand speak, that’s actually praise.” Garrison translated before taking a sip of his beer. “Something about the intersection of the infernal power with all the other crap I’ve been subjected to changed… fuck, something. I don’t have an answer. None of the experts on mutation have an answer. And we’ve run into the limits of Amanda and her resources. She says that this Ancient One… which sounds like Yoda to me - this person and his group has experience that no one else has. Maybe they understand what is going on.”
“If anyone would, it would be the Ancient One,” Brand conceded. “But why go through me? Don’t you have your own connections with him?” This last was directed to Amanda, who coloured slightly at the barb.
“Well, yeah. But just like you have your complicated relationship with him, so do I. And this is something I’d rather keep away from home, if that makes sense.”
“Not really, but as you so often remind me, I owe you both.” Brand sipped at her drink again. “Very well, I’ll set up an appointment for you at the Sanctum Santorum.”
