[ witzend reg ] Queen of Hearts (Gansey, Suri, & Queenie)

[Nuxaz]

((Location: Crimson Hotel))

prompt

Being gone for several weeks can be hard on a person but you've received permission to phone home once a week. It's not exactly the greatest and you're under strict instructions to keep everything about the mission confidential just in case but the little break is helping you keep on your game. Besides, there are people you miss back home!

status effect

3: Something about the Crimson Hotel gives you the shivers, as you walk down lavender hallways. Sometimes you see the flash of a man with whiskey eyes and jet black hair giving you a lopsided grin. Whenever you turn to look at him, it turns out to be someone who looks nothing like him. Maybe you believe in ghosts, or maybe you don't, but you almost feel haunted.

 

[Nuxaz]

They hadn't been in Witzend for long, but the date was March 14th and that date was 'important' for one reason. It was Queenie Powers birthday.

Normally, Gansey wouldn't have bothered paying a girl too much attention on her birthday but this one had been very insistent and his encounters with her had been pleasurable, enough. Besides, she was the subordinate of his...superior officer and since they were here in Europe together it felt appropriate to Skype her.

He would FaceTime her later, for a more...private conversation.

Meeting Suri in the lobby, she'd find him dressed in a Henley with the sleeves pushed up, khaki shorts, and his signature yacht loafers. In both hands were to-go cups. One was a triple shot of espresso with steam cream and a pump of peppermint for him and the other was what he thought he remembered to be Suri's drink of choice.

amitotic

we'll quote ghouli in when we're ready to skype

 

[AMItotic]

Staying at the Crimson Hotel was starting to become something of an experience for Suri. Perhaps it was the itch of the mission on her mind or the several other trains of thought demanding her attention, but her sleep the last few days had been restless, tossing and turning in her strange new room for the immediate future. Most notably, though, Suri was starting to get the creeping suspicion that somehow, in some way, she was being...watched.

The weight of Chase’s observations were always on her shoulders, this she knew, but lately she’d started seeing someone else literally watching her, dancing at the edge of her peripherals and just out of reach. The first time she’d seen him, she thought it was Chase with that dark hair and those whiskey eyes, except Chase rarely smiled and certainly didn’t smile at her, not like that. Something about that toothy grin cut her like a dagger and left her to bleed, feeling raw and vulnerable, which was perhaps the most chilling part of it all. Since she’d sat in the conference room and heard everyone serving here in Witzend is deceased, numbness had infused her with a strange calm and kept her breathing and working. It wasn’t a good fix, but it was a workable fix, except in the moments where a stranger with warm eyes passed her in the hallway and made her feel more human than a general of the Negaverse was supposed to be.

Suri did not believe in ghosts, but in all her service it would not be the strangest thing she’d seen. Still, she didn’t have time for sentiments, not when there was work to be done, so she did her best to ignore the visions, the whispers, the twisting feeling between her lungs that had no right to live there. It would not do to admit that she was losing her head so far from home, and she had matters to attend to, like a certain birthday in her ranks.

She stepped from the elevator into the lobby, a black leather laptop case at her hip and a light cardigan on her shoulders, covering the pressed blouse and pencil skirt she’d chosen for the day. It was dry, serviceable attire, if not particularly daring, with grey stockings that covered most of the shock of her prosthetic leg. Suri approached Gansey from the side, glancing at his two drinks and then up to him, resisting the urge to rub at her eyes and give away how tired she felt.

“Good, you’re on time,” she noted, shuffling the strap of her bag. “There’s a business center somewhere on this floor where we should be able to set up the call. Are you ready?”

N1uxaz

 

[Nuxaz]

When Suri arrived, she looked worse for wear in Gansey's opinion. Wisely, he said nothing to her and instead offered her the larger cup he had acquired for her. "This one is for you," he told her, in case there were any questions about it. He was relatively confident in the fact that he had picked up what she liked but despite what he might claim, there was room for error.

Behind her, he caught sight of a man dressed in lavenders and furrowed his brow. Something about the features seemed strikingly familiar but when his gaze flicked down to his general and then back up he realized he had mistaken the man for someone else, though he knew neither of the two he gazed upon.

A slight shake of his head and the downing of the remains of his espresso, Gansey crushed the sides of his paper cup in his hand.

"Of course," he said in a nonchalant sort of way. "Lead the way."

amitotic

 

[AMItotic]

Under normal circumstances, Suri might not have caught it, but Gansey's flickered gaze made her shoot a glance over her shoulder, just in case she was being followed. Pursing her lips, she shook her head when she saw no one of consequence, and in silence nodded gratefully as she took the cup from his hand.

"Right," she sighed, taking a sip of the drink, then glancing down, nodding again in approval. Whatever he'd bought was at least pleasant to the palate, even if it had less whiskey than she might have wanted given her mental state. Ah, well. It wasn't five o' clock yet, here or in Destiny City. That would have to wait. "...Thank you. We'll be heading this way." She gestured vaguely down a hall, then walked with steady, even steps, turning in to an alcove of a room set aside from the main conference hall Chase had used for their briefing.

For a moment, Suri saw gold in the eyes of the attendant who allowed them into the room, but in the moment where her gaze sharpened the feeling passed and she found herself looking at a stranger once more. Suri scowled, kept her head down, and shuffled into the room, settling herself down in one chair while she started the process of unpacking her laptop and setting up shop.

"I trust you've been focusing on the mission first," Suri said once the door closed behind them, a statement and not a question. She didn't elaborate on what the consequences for indiscretion would be, so far away from home.

Nuxaz

 

[Nuxaz]

He looked smug when she sipped her drink and nodded in approval.

Gansey Gallagher didn't do things poorly as far as he was concerned.

Shoulders rolled back to ease some of the tension wrought from sleeping in a hotel bed instead of his own and fell into line easily. He did, however, wish for another round of espresso, the wear and tear of travel starting to catch up to him.

He would not, however, display any sort of weariness before the small woman. There was an image to present and doing so would make him appear as something lesser than his best.

"Of course," he replied, because he had eyed certain women but hadn't done anything. Yet. "Is there something wrong with familiarizing myself with those we're forced to spend the next however long together?"

amitotic

 

[AMItotic]

"I'd just like you to consider what your definition of 'familiarizing yourself' is," Suri quipped in response, crinkling her nose while she typed away. It would be so easy for him to get distracted by some cannon fodder Chase had brought along, only to get disappointed when they didn't last the first fight, and she needed Gansey to have all his wits about him, eyes up so he could learn what it was to be an effective officer of the Negaverse. A surviving officer of the Negaverse.

"And I saw who you were talking to at the conference," she added dryly, adjusting her screen to make sure they were both in the frame. "Between you and me, Mr. Gallagher, you could do better." None of these women held half a candle to Queenie Powers, at least not in Suri's book, but she'd left Queenie back in Destiny City because she didn't trust Ashley to take care of Maverick on his own, and she couldn't trust Queenie to keep to herself around Chase.

With her piece said, Suri tapped the call button on the screen, letting it ring in the silence between them. After all, it was a special day, and it was important for Suri to give these birthday tidings face to face. While they waited, she nudged her bangs into place and sipped at her drink, wiping the sleepy look from her eyes.

Nuxaz

ghouliboo

ring ring ring ring ring ring ring banana phone

 

[Nuxaz]

"If you're concerned about my performance," Gansey began, not enjoying the way he was being scolded for talking to people, "I assure you, I still have my wits about me." When it came down to it, the man prided himself on his skills and when it came to 'hunting', which is what they were doing in a sense, he was a literal champion.

"I picked a seat with company," he replied, barely keeping the slight irritation that she felt as if she could tell him who to associate with. "Whether or not I can do better withstanding, you presume I want relationships with any of the people here." He didn't, unless they really had something for him to gain from.

Gansey was as charming as he wanted to be and he wasn't feeling particularly charming in the wake of being told to keep it in his pants in the nicest, professional way possible.

Still, he shifted in his seat to give the screen his best side and waited for Queenie to pick up.

amitotic

ghouliboo

 

[AMItotic]

"I would hope that pursuing a relationship here is the least of your concerns," Suri countered, a note of warning to her voice that suggested he leave the conversation where it lay. But he didn't get much time to protest in either case, given that the screen lit up with a familiar face, and in an effort to look the part of prepared Suri dropped her shoulders and folded her hands into her lap.

"Good afternoon, Miss Powers," she greeted, her eyes crinkling but her mouth not quite curled into a smile. "I trust you've had a good day thus far? Did you find the flowers we sent?" It was the privilege of many Crystal Academy girl to receive flowers for her birthday, though Suri didn't recall Queenie ever being one of the lucky participants. Likewise, she'd arranged for a small assortment of roses and orchids to be delivered to Queenie's home address in a delicate vase, topped with a single bird of paradise in what Suri considered to be a cheeky bit of symbolism. The card enclosed had used Suri, Gansey, and Ashley's names together, but she'd been the one to coordinate the delivery. She had reasons for the day to be special, and she wanted to make sure Queenie felt at her best for the news.

"Suri?"

From the Destiny City apartment, a blur of grey and brown wiggled his way out from under the couch, wedging a fluffy body between Queenie and the screen. On the Witzend side of things, the screen suddenly became a blurry grey blob, except for a nose and two blinking green eyes.

"SUri! You're okay! I thought you were gone forever," the cat yowled, sniffing at the camera. "I have so many questions, you have to tell me what kind of plane you were on and what the technical specs were and how much fuel you used--what was the average velocity of the plane above the ocean? Did you get sick--?"

"Maverick," Suri warned, her tone patient but scolding, like a parent to a child. "You're being very rude right now. Please give the space back to Miss Powers, and we can talk about the plane later."

"Okaaaaaaay," Maverick groaned, plodding over to sulk on the opposite end of the table, but not before 'accidentally' brushing his tail across Queenie's face. He settled down into a grumpy loaf and watched Queenie intently, ears flickering every so often.

Ghouliboo

Nuxaz

 

[Nuxaz]

Queenie's image came up and Gansey's hazel eyes flicked across her appearance, his mouth sliding into an approving smirk before there was suddenly a nose and pair of large, green eyes. His grin slipped, annoyance flashing across the man's face for half a second before he reigned it in and offered the furball a tight-lipped smile.

It was to be expected that her cat would have been a companion in the call, but he was here for Queenie not Maverick.

Once the feline was reigned in, Suri speaking to him like a tired mother to Gansey's amusement, he spoke up. "Did you receive our gifts?" He knew she had, including the more private one that he suspected would make her flush if he even hinted at it in front of their general.

It was tempting, but he decided to behave.

ghouliboo

amitotic

 

[AMItotic]

It was every young woman's prerogative to be wooed with jewelry and flowers on her birthday--that Queenie had been deprived of it for most of her life simply meant that Suri had to endeavor to spend a few years catching up. She caught the glance Queenie gave and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing--if she presumed that Gansey was wholly responsible for the more extravagant necklace and earrings delivered to her office as well, then so be it. Having Queenie's focus directed at Gansey meant that her eyes were cast away from Chase, which was ultimately her top priority.

"It's no Tuscan vineyard, but we aren't here to enjoy the scenery," Suri responded, sitting up straighter in her chair. "If we're lucky, the matters at hand will be seen to quickly so the rest of our operations aren't any further interrupted."

"Which brings me to an important matter that I thought I'd save for today," she continued, folding her hands together. "Queenie, you've served for over a year now, and your skills have been a valuable asset to the Negaverse. After consideration, I've taken the liberty of filing your paperwork for a promotion...and as my second, should you choose to accept." Suri's eyes crinkled in silent approval, tilting her head. Even after all this time, she still would have preferred to call Queenie her 'co-captain', but there was no use in crying over spoiled starseeds.

"It would mean more responsibility, more duties," she explained carefully, both as a disclosure to Queenie and a teaching moment for Gansey. "But it would also afford you more freedom, and you'd be permitted to take recruits of your own." Suri attempted a close-lipped smile, waiting on a response.

From the table, Maverick huffed, wrinkling his nose. Rolling his eyes, he hopped to the ground, hoping that if he moved slowly enough Queenie wouldn't notice that he was still after the contents of her purse. After all, the third time's the charm, and he was willing to bet that she had at least one good building component in there, with how large the bag was. He watched her expression, waiting for her to be sufficiently distracted before he dove for his prize.

Ghouliboo

Nuxaz

 

[Nuxaz]

Gansey kept his smirking to a minimum, to hide it away from Suri lest she prod either into explaining the look they shared between them. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest, looking at redhead with mild interest, giving little reaction to the feline that popped in and out of the frame.

He was here because Suri expected him to be and it was not unlike the expectations his mother placed upon him over and over again. He knew how to play the parts he needed to, when he cared to, and right now he was playing dutiful as she expected.

Whatever she was seeking to teach him by offering Queenie, the woman she unsubtly tried to pair him, a promotion and a position as her second. He didn't quite understand the point of making such a declaration before him.

Did she hope that he would be jealous and covet such a place at her side? Was he supposed to be envious? Did she hope that he would be encouraged to 'shape up'?

"Company would have been more enjoyable if you were here Miss Powers," he commented, the smile on his lips implying what type of enjoyment they might be having if she were. "But allow me to offer you congratulations, this appears to be quite the honor."

amitotic

ghouliboo