[b]Grace Liu[/b] by [@tanderbolt]
[b]Mateo, Eva, Gwen, Andre, Rachel[/b] by [@Ruby]

[hr]

It was easy to blend into the crowd inside Sunset when it busy. New arrivals streamed in, and each seemed eager to make their presence known. Some were overt but still subdued, content merely to be present, while others traveled with an entourage and provoked so many stares and hushed whispers that it was obvious that they were here for some reason dictated by the social mores of their society. While it would be great fodder for a sociologist or anthropologist writing a thesis on this alien and covert group, Grace had to be concerned with practical matters. Even without context, she could get an idea of the power players and some of the social circles.

As one party was arriving Grace's phone began to vibrate. She answered promptly and fielded questions from one of the police precincts, these people had been told she was an FBI agent assigned to certain types of crimes. An alleged FBI agent had come by unexpectedly wanting to investigate odd murders, and they were wondering if she had anything to do with it. She told them that she would like to meet this agent at the field office the next day, and they agreed to relay the message.

With that business finished, Grace could turn her attention to the crowd. Some commotion had happened and a dark haired man had been removed from the premises, but Grace was too far away to have noticed much more. Evidently tensions were boiling over even in here. She checked the path to the exits and walked towards the bar, listening to the murmurs of the patrons and watching them mill about. 

Among them she recognized one face from the photos in her files, a Hispanic man who dressed quite casually, his plainness made him stand out in a room full of people trying so hard to project an image. Several briefings listed him as an occasional contact for information, particularly intelligence related some of the more hostile and overt vampire factions. Grace walked into his line of sight and approached him casually, then said “Hello, I believe you are Mateo? We haven’t met, but I work for an organization which has done business with you before. You’ve been quite helpful, particularly when it comes to issues originating south of the border.”

The entire booth froze at the sight of the woman. Well, almost. The Hollywood Super Agent mortal was mostly distracted by still trying to talk to Eva about the virtues of DiCaprio, though it was impossible to tell if it was having any impact with the secret Hollywood overlord; especially when her bright eyes were up at the human mage. Andre sipped at a drink that did nothing for him after realizing the mage was no immediate threat; no need to flex, and Andre lost interest. The blonde hanging off him fluttered long lashes up at the human, but her interest too passed quickly back to the conversation between the super agent and Eva. 

It was Hollywood business, afterall. 

Mateo took longer than all the rest to look up to the woman. His mind had wandered, as it had a habit of doing when he was (more or less) forced into these group outings. They weren't his particular piece of pie, and without Rachel to keep up a constant chatter with, he found his mind wandering into strange places. Eva's presence, he liked to joke, was his favorite intoxicant. [i]Strange trips around that girl, I swear, man.[/i] For half a beat of Grace's heart, he even looked like he recognized the woman. But, no, that wasn't Rachel returning to the booth. It didn't stop a friendly enough shine to his dark eyes and a quick, if easy, motion of his head nodding upwards to the woman. 

His butt scooted over a few feet, his right hand motioning Grace to sit down, his left hand bringing a swig of his bottled beer to his last, and back to the table. He just liked the taste, as it happened. And it felt wrong to go to a bar and not drink something, even if none of them were getting intoxicated tonight.

Not that way, anyway.

"What can I do for you, uh, Agent?"

"Mage," Andre said, correcting Mateo.

"Grace," Eva corrected Andre, correcting Mateo, a thin smile threatening her high glossed red lips. 

The group's attention did not startle Grace. Slowly she sat down in the space Mateo had vacated, and looked over each face, but none of them were immediately familiar to her. She didn't appreciate being called a mage, and it had been some time since anyone had called her Grace in public, but both of those were trivial compared to the business at hand. Grace's posture was upright and formal, and her attention seemed to focus on the are in general rather than on any one specific person.

 She addressed the booth with a calm voice, speaking in a tone of carefully rehearsed word. "I would normally use other means to reach out to you, but we determined those would be unreasonably slow for the present situation. I do appreciate getting the opportunity to meet your associates. My organization is concerned by what we are hearing of the current state of your community, there are reports of significant turmoil. We are worried that this could begin to affect our interests if left unchecked, and are looking to prevent further destabilization. Whatever you can share with us at present is greatly appreciated, and we may be able to offer aid to you in return." It was clear to her that Mateo was not chief power player at the table, but the overall composition of the group was an odd mix that would require further analysis. Perhaps one of them would have something else to discuss, either business or something less pressing but more interesting. 

"Theo." The Super Agent stopped talking as Eva spoke his name, while watching the other human at the table. "I'm convinced. Leave, before I change my mind."

She hadn't, but that didn't matter. DiCaprio was already trying to shop a pet project without his super agent knowing; it was a wonderful spec script that would piss off nearly every studio head in which the super agent sucked up to, threatened, blackmailed, or slept with to get his way. But DiCaprio was an artist, first and foremost, and what mattered to him was the art, not the politicking of art. So Eva would agree to give DiCaprio the role, but he would drop out when he got his pet project green lit (to which she would personally see to), and that would be that. Theo appeared shocked into silence, and might've said another word...but for the look in Eva's eyes. 

Except it wasn't the look in her eyes that paused his tongue and forced his leave. It was the way every ion in the air changed, filtered through her supernatural presence in ways so intricately subtle that it took the same amount of complexity, energy, and focus as it did to make a good Hollywood film--considering the rarity of such films, that was saying something. 

The audacity impressed her. The woman's "organization" had once gotten info from Mateo. That was fair, that was fine, that was Matty's [i]thing[/i]. It was one of the public-esque things in which he was known in the under world. He was a gatherer of facts, of observations, of opinions. He did so for numerous reasons, none of which had to do with the nature of the man, except for that he was talented at putting others at ease. He was so unassuming, he was so nonjudgmental, he was so easy to be comfortable around--people talked. 

But he never enjoyed the role. He enjoyed being productive, though, and so far it was the best role he'd found for fitting into this little group, the little pack of stranger things that this woman, this mage, this Grace, had willingly sat down with and bluntly asked for information. [i]The audacity[/i]...Eva loved it. By the end of a long stare at the woman, her lips were truly, genuinely, smiling. The smile that came only before a laugh.

The woman had her curiosity based on little more than amusement. To a woman as old and well traveled as Eva, it was enough.

"The ambition on you...your motives aren't exactly hidden are they?" Eva nodded, taking a sip of her long neglected, watered down, drink. "I appreciate that. Let's make this a bit of artful fun, shall we? Is that fair, Matty?"

Mateo shrugged, a goofy smile and half chuckle coming out of the man. "Yeah, sure."

[i]Yeah, sure.[/i] So unassuming, so practical, so...Mateo. That was his role for her; the every man, the average Joe. And she adored him for it. "There we have it. Six questions, Grace the Enlightened; I, or any of my friends here, will answer six of your questions to the very best of our ability. As truthful as we are able."

Mischief played at the corners of her mouth. Truth was a funny thing, but amusement inspired her to do what she could for the Mage. She would hold nothing back unless one of the six questions hit bone, and then for marrow's sake, Eva would be forced to dance one way or the other, yet trying to remain illuminating--like a candle flame caught in a fit of breeze. 

Hearing the discussion of acting choices added to the mounting evidence of kindred influence in Hollywood. Untangling the web of ties would be an interesting endeavor, but there were more important matters to discuss and her duties rarely involved that world. It was a curiosity, something to note for later. The offer of six questions was generous, even if Grace didn’t trust them to be forthcoming. In dealings like this, Grace believed in both honesty and discretion, though she knew that others preferred different values. The directness of her approach was well suited for fast action, and it did not rely on any fancy tricks or careful deceptions even if it was inflexible. In truth, the purpose of this public meeting was not just intelligence gathering, it was also to investigate further channels of communication. Trust was slow to build, but something like this functioned better than more anonymous means. 

Grace focused on Eva as she asked her questions, both because Eva was clearly the one in charge and because Grace did not know who else would have the most relevant answers. “My motives are simple, they are those of my organization. I greatly appreciate your help in this matter. What is the root cause of the turmoil your community is presently experiencing? What do you believe these events will lead to?” She chose her first two question to settle on the most pressing issue, from there she where the answers would lead her. She maintained her calm in Eva’s presence, but there was definitely a sort of electricity in the air of the booth. Eva was somebody whose presence demanded to be noticed and remembered the moment she entered the room, quite different from Grace’s intentionally anonymous and easily forgotten public image.

The voice was rough, deep, and rumbled like distant thunder off the sunset coast: "What organization?"

Andre asked it, but none of them expected an answer. People speaking of 'organizations' rarely were straight-forward, let alone brave enough to drop names. Was this one different? Gwen smiled at Andre's question, Mateo chuckled, but Eva just stared right ahead at Grace, and offered little more than a tiny snort of amusement at the first set of questions. 

"The root cause? Control of the Free State." [i]One.[/i] Had the woman worded the question more carefully, certainly she may have gotten a more detailed response, but Eva wasn't exactly a novice at court intrigue, and she had one of the better Attorneys when it came to coaching her on how to, and how to not, answer questions. 

Eva's eyes moved when Rachel came sliding into the booth, opposite of Grace, who was currently taking her place next to Mateo. Rachel already had a new phone in hand, her backup, Eva mentally noted before moving on to the next question: "Ultimately these 'events' will lead to a change in leadership within the Free State, a change to the Camarilla, to the Sabbat, or simply a change within the Free State Anarchs themselves. Time will tell which." 

[i]Two.[/i]

The blonde spoke up, the one now resting her head on Andre's very large shoulder, looking something like a child ready to go home but unwilling to make a fuss about it. "Include us in those changes resulting from chaos; Eva here now claims to be the Baroness of the Free State, and before she was just a rumor. Quite the change for us being 'outed' like this because she felt it was important to step forward and provide 'stability' for the young Anarchs of the area."

Andre’s question put her in an awkward position, and Grace decided it was best to disregard the question. There was little she could disclose, lying was risky, and giving a half answer would come off as disrespectful. It was likely that some information would reach him eventually through the other members of the group. Rachel’s arrival was noted by Grace with a brief smile and nod, just enough to say hello to a stranger. Introductions were awkward, and so repeating them was something to avoid.  

With some of the basic information out of the way she moved on to some other questions. “It sounds as though you are embroiled in what Hobbes called the bellum omnium contra omnes. If you believe in his theories, then eventually some power will rise, and they will put an end to this madness. While we are at present only observers, we hope that the new order will establish itself soon, and that they will maintain the old customs which have done an excellent job of keeping your kind hidden from the eyes of the wider world. What actions would you suggest we take to help restore order and help ensure the privacy of your society? While we are particularly concerned about the Sabbat, I am glad to hear about any person or area of concern which could use our resources or information.”

She paused before starting the prelude to her next line of inquiry. “I admire your commitment to stability. We are happy to work with you and your companions, but it is always good to be more familiar with our partners. What can you tell me about yourself and your interests in the region?” Open ended questions had a high potential for useless answers, but at the moment Grace was still trying to grasp the basic facts of the situation, and eager to hear anything at all. 

"You'll have to understand my lack of comfort in that offer of cooperation, considering the mysterious 'we' involved." It was said bluntly by Eva, yet presence and a sweet tone of voice had a wonderful way of taking the 'bite' out of such a response. Even if the words themselves still had a touch of teeth to them. Of course, Eva knew more than she let on, but when attempting to create a relationship it was hard to establish anything worthwhile on a foundation of found secrets rather than mutual trust. 

And this woman had no trust. 

"I'd suggest you find someone capable of power in this city, and hold onto them tightly; odds are they're in danger." Eva was well aware that was just as true for herself, not that it seemed to cause her any stress. Not that anything so far showed itself to cause her any amount of stress, or that Eva was the type to show it even if it did. In either case--[i]Three.[/i]

"Is Malibu okay for tonight? They're asking?"

Eva's casual clarity instantly became clouded with curiosity, her head and eyes turning from Grace and to the woman on the phone seated next to her. "Malibu?" She asked, as if that was a strange question from them. Whoever the "they" on the other end of the cellular telephone line was. Her eyebrows perked, eyes scanning the booth, besides Grace. Mateo nodded, he liked drinking beer along the beach. He liked watching Rachel work. Gwen grinned, it went without saying she loved Malibu. Andre countered, "Beach or Hills?"

Rachel repeated the question into the phone, before relaying the answer: "Beach."

"Shit, I'm down."

Eva no more than nodded, before returning to the fourth. "About myself? Nothing, I don't know you like that. About my interests? The status quo that existed before the current carnage. We'll count that as two questions." [i]Four, Five. One left.[/i]

The barrier between the two worlds in the booth was almost palpable. The coterie was a picture of social bonding and camaraderie, while Grace projected an air of solitude and formality. To her this was a chore more than a game, and there was little to gain by spending too long here. The others certainly had other business at hand, and she sensed that her silent routine was getting boring. Eva was playing hardball, it was unlikely she would get anything other than more basic facts. Confirming some general theories was enough to make this trip worthwhile, even if she learned nothing else.

Grace looked over the booth while speaking, and all except Mateo were visible in the reflection of her mirrored sunglasses. “I acknowledge your hesitance, and I apologize that I cannot share more about our operations. We take the approach of being forthcoming about our intentions and ultimate goals while being reserved regarding other matters, and I understand if you wish to do the same. While we may not work together closely, we are working towards similar ends. This city is overflowing with good cinema and poor transportation planning, but common goals are quite rare here.” Grace again refused to identify her group, but there were enough clues for someone who knew to make a strong inference. Telling people explicitly was not her style, anyone who needed to know about the Technocracy would find out by other means. 

“When you get down to the final question you start to get lost in possibilities. There are thousands of things I would like to know. I wonder about existential issues such as finding out what it is that motivates you to keep working night after night, something so hard for me to comprehend. There are also trivial questions like if you had any hand in The Matrix franchise, which is a favorite of many of my coworkers even if they find some sections a little on-the-nose. But when it comes down to what I need to know at this moment, I believe that these five have been enough. While I enjoyed our conversation, it sounds as though you have other business to attend to.”

Before standing up to leave, Grace pulled a smartphone from her pocket and placed it on the table, avoiding any sudden motions. It looked modern but slightly different from anything currently on the market, perhaps it was next year’s model of an existing design. “If you would like to contact me, use this phone and call the number stored in it. Ask for Ms. Chiang. It was a pleasure doing business with you, and I wish you and your companions peace and prosperity, Baroness.”

"The art, Grace. That's what drives me, night in, night out. Rachel here," Eva motioned to the lady lawyer with the phone to her right in a small hand motion, "helped create the language in the original legal deal for the film [i]Assassins[/i] that got Warner Brothers to also purchase [i]Bound[/i] and, of course, [i]The Matrix[/i]."

Rachel tried not to smirk. 

"Seeya Grace." Mateo waved, a friendly thing just like his tone, looking a little confused at the phone laid down, not recognizing it--then again Mateo still had a flip phone, so what the hell did he know? 

Andre waited until the woman was gone before letting his eyes creep to Eva. "What organization?"

"Technocracy, I'd [i]bet[/i]. Mages, though Ms. Grace seems to be having a little more of a existential crisis than most of them I've met before, rare enough as it is. They don't want trouble in L.A., they get enough of it outside the Free State. At least according to the two I'm on friendly enough terms with. Shall we?"

Gwen raised her hands in the air, finally alive, finally excited. "PARTY!"