A Bitter Pill To Swallow

Aug 23, 2023 8:17 pm

Peyton Smythe

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital
Peyton waves Melissa's question off. "We can talk about that another time. Right now, I just want you to tell me if you're considering it." Her smile is big and warm as she looks at Melissa. "You're not committing to anything yet, just an 'I'm interested' or 'I'm not'." She picks up her sandwich and rips off a small piece which she then puts in her mouth. "And if you are, we should pick a date for you to follow me around, see what a day in the life of Peyton Smythe is like and if you think there's a place for you in there."

Aug 23, 2023 11:59 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Dark Lips Books

Augusta watches the awkward goodbye. When Eva asks, she summarizes the info.

[ +- ] Tanya's Revelations

"I don't know what is wrong with your family's DNA. You said it made you feel better, so maybe she's right. But the other ones, the blue ones are designed to suppress your powers."

She says after a pause, swallowing her worries, "I promised to get Belinda out of TANC. I don't know how, but I'll do everything I can."

Eva

Harrigan

Aug 24, 2023 4:06 am

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Dark Lips Books
After Tanya is gone, and Augusta fills her in, Eva shakes her head. "She told you... all that? In like ten minutes? That's more than I've gotten out of her in... hours."

Thinking for a moment, her eyes darting back towards Mike, she adds, "I don't know what we can do with that information right now... but... it's something. And we at least know the connection between the drug company and the prison. Wyvern Lake remains the question."

There's a pause, the the metahuman continues. "That, and... there must be a third drug, right? The one that was... used on you."

Dave Draven

witchdoctor

Aug 24, 2023 10:23 am

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital

"Yeah. Social calls with me are never simple... You know how it is." Dave usually brought his own brand of weird baggage to just about every social function he attended. "Throw a high school graduation party for you and it gets crashed by a South African meta-powered hitman looking to settle a decade old grudge... Take you to the shelter to pick out a puppy and find out there's a cartel smuggling drugs inside the dog food bags... Go to the post office to send your Christmas gift to you while you were in med school and end up in a hostage situation... Take you to the mall when you were sixteen to get your ears pierced and end up in the middle of a gang war..." he sighed and chuckled a bit. "Good times...good times." He shifted hears and got more serious, "But now that you're all grown up and have, like, a real professional career and stuff that kind of thing gets...complicated. I try to not get you embroiled in stuff anymore. For your sake, ya know." He wanted her to have the kind of life where she called the shots and also wasn't being shot at. The thought crossed his mind about why he was offering Melissa the opposite deal; opening up an avenue for the counter clerk girl into real danger. He shelved the thought and returned to the conversation with Rebecca, "I'll ditch the badge in the hospital biohazard bin. No, no radioactive mutants out there roaming the streets." he furrowed his brow as he turned over the thought in his mind. "Well, not that I know of anyway... Just playing a hunch, that's all." He moved a little closer and spoke in a more hushed tone to avoid eavesdroppers, "You might want to keep two sets of medical records on Brock. One nice and vague where you have no idea what's going on with him and another off the books for what you really find. There's a lot of 'fedora, sunglasses and trenchcoat' stuff going on with all this and you have a tendency to get dragged into things."

Dr. Rebecca Hu

Aug 24, 2023 1:30 pm

Dr. Rebecca Hu

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital
"And it's usually one particular person doing the dragging," Rebecca teases. She chuckles, then adds, "It wasn't always easy growing up with you around, but at least, I had a pretty unique childhood I'll never forget. And I came out fine. I got the job I always wanted and the two bullet scars I do have are both in easily concealed spots as long as I don't show too much cleavage. Really, I'm always happy when you call on me."

She then grows more serious when Dave steps in closer. "We should have dinner at my dad's place again one of these days," she replies, giving a nod to his suggestion. "I'm sure we'll have things to talk about."

Aug 24, 2023 2:59 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital

Was it telling that Peyton wouldn't address the special qualifications question? She didn't know but she wasn't going to let that stop her.

"Yes, I am considering it and I am very grateful for the chance." She also takes a bite of her sandwich which actually isn't too terrible. "How about next Tuesday? It's my day off."

She actually had a few days off before that but didn't want to appear too enthusiastic.

Aug 24, 2023 5:54 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Dark Lips Books

Augusta shrugs, and says, "I had to bribe her pretty heavily. She really didn't want to tell me anything."

She chews on that thought, about a third drug. "I am concerned about the claim that I was dosed by Brian. It seems right, but without any proof that is even possible, how do I act on it? Dave and Melissa went to search his place, but he must be smart enough to avoid keeping evidence in obvious places."

Peyton Smythe

Aug 24, 2023 8:12 pm

Peyton Smythe

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital Canteen
When Melissa offers Tuesday, Peyton's face turns thoughtful. "I'm not sure," she says. "I'll have to check my calendar. You know, I'm unfortunately without an assistant who could let me know immediately at the moment." She chuckles, then says, "Tuesday should be good. Text me and then when I have your number, I'll text you back to let you know the details." She rips off another small bite of her sandwich and after eating it, she adds casually, "And in the meantime, maybe you'll be able to soften up David a bit for me. I really think a collaboration between my people and his group would be beneficial for everyone. And you agree, right?"

Eva

Harrigan

Aug 25, 2023 5:08 am

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Dark Lips Books
Eva nods a little, but then shrugs. "What's keeping us from... making him tell us what the hell is going on? He seems to be at the center of a lot of this, right? He's got to have more answers than Tanya."

Aug 25, 2023 1:52 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital Canteen
Melissa chuckles too when Peyton mentions being without an assistant. Scheduling the councilwoman's time seemed easy enough.

Nodding, Melissa agrees with the Tuesday date. "Sounds good." Another bite of her sandwich suddenly becomes harder to swallow when Dave is mentioned. Composing herself she thinks of something to say to buy time so she can think.

"What do you mean by collaboration? How would your groups be beneficial to one another?" Melissa wasn't even sure what Dave was about yet.

Peyton Smythe

Aug 25, 2023 4:33 pm

Peyton Smythe

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital Canteen
Peyton leans back in her chair and eyes Melissa silently - judgingly? - for a long moment, then she says, "Mel, you were there when I was speaking to David about it. Always pay attention, especially if you think it's none of your business." She pauses again to eat another small bite of her sandwich, then says, "David's self-help group serves a segment of Graybridge citizens that largely goes unappreciated and isn't reached out to by political campaigns. I want to corner that market for future local elections. And if I can direct them to some helpful city resources in the process, that's a win-win, isn't it, Mel?"

Aug 25, 2023 6:47 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital Canteen
Melissa chuckles in her head. "Especially if it's none of your business."

Nodding slowly, a knowing twinkle in her eye about the suggestion she be nosy, she adds, "Definitely a great partnership. I might be able to talk him into it." But she wasn't sure she could. She'd cross that bridge later.

"What makes you think I have that kind of sway over him anyway?"

Peyton Smythe

Aug 25, 2023 9:15 pm

Peyton Smythe

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital Canteen
"David doesn't like me," Peyton says matter-of-factly. "He doesn't make a secret out of that. If it's me coming to him with the idea, he's going to be naturally skeptical." She shrugs. "But I saw the two of you walk in together. He clearly has at least some trust and respect for you. I don't know if you can convince him, but you stand a better chance of it than I do." Her eyes have a playful spark to them as she takes a pause for emphasis, drinking a sip from her coffee, before she adds, "Besides, you're very charming."

Aug 25, 2023 11:13 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Dark Lips Books

"I knew I should have asked you first. Dave is great at sorting through feelings but as a super spy, I definitely think he's too subtle. Yes, would you help me? We can snatch him and beat him with phone books until he talks." Augusta knows little about applying pressure to criminal masterminds, and hopes that Eva has some very sketchy skills in that area.

Dave Draven

witchdoctor

Aug 26, 2023 3:28 am

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital

"Who? Me?" he said in mock indignation as she insinuated his being the reason for her unique childhood. "Hey, just remember it was your Dad that ask me to look out for you. You're the one that turned him gray haired at 40..." he chuckled. Her teenage "rebellious" phase was quite wild and no doubt a reaction to her mother leaving a few years earlier and her father being consumed by work. Being her unofficial guardian and dealing with her and her dad's issues was probably what set him on the counseling path he was currently on. Honestly, that probably saved him from going over the edge after the whole Marianas Trench incident. "We should definitely do some catching up sometime soon. Maybe the next time you have a couple of days off we can have lunch and I can introduce you to a few regulars from the support group. Maybe this time none of them will be on a stretcher. No guarantees tho..." he winked at her.

Eva

Harrigan

Aug 26, 2023 5:07 am

Cut to a struggling bald Russian Eva is holding under the bathwater with one hand while she looks with some amount of boredom at the nails on her other hand, then her front-kicking an enemy operative through a window on the twentieth floor, then her fist-fighting with a drugged-up brute twice her size in a posh hotel room until she manages to wrap the power cord from an old floor lamp around his neck... bringing him to his knees so her off-screen partner could start with the questions.

"Yeah," Eva says easily, with a brisk nod. "Yeah, we can absolutely do that."

Aug 26, 2023 3:40 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Graybridge Hospital Canteen
Melissa couldn't argue that not that she would have with a future boss. But it would be a tall order to convince Dave. "It's a sizable hurdle to get past, you know? The association of the government with ... well, they are vulnerable people with trust issues in general let alone welcoming interference from politicians. But I'll see what I can do, certainly."

This would be Melissa's first test. Bringing two disparate groups together in a way, or at least being a catalyst to ease the uncomfortable idea of Dave's group accepting support from Peyton. But what would Peyton be getting out of it apart from a few extra votes? How much did she know about the group and more importantly, what did she know about Melissa? Would this be her way of snooping into the activity of its members? Probably. But knowing Dave, he could probably find a play that worked for everyone.

"If I'm going to commit to a trial run at being your assistant, and it's a very exciting opportunity, I think it only fair that you tell me what you meant by my special skills. I think if I am to succeed in convincing Dave, we should be open with each other. And maybe I can charm him into cooperating."

Aug 26, 2023 3:52 pm

GRAYBRIDGE, 5 NOV 2023
Dark Lips Books

"Let's keep Melissa out of it, she seems to be on his good side, and maybe we need that if he's innocent. Should we ask Dave? Maybe he can keep the car ready for a getaway or something."

OOC:

She knows Dave looks dangerous, and at least talks big, but I'm not sure she really doesn't know a lot about his past?

Dr. Rebecca Hu

Aug 26, 2023 4:30 pm