but oh what a year

[patrols]

Comments

[wereall_addicts]

[Sophie shakes her head.]

I was born long before New Orleans existed. But I've been friends with Marcel for decades, so I have lived here before. This run has been a few years. A friend decided to set up our team here for a little while.

["What does your team do exactly?" Lindsay asks. "I know you've done some ID work but ... everyone's been kind of vague about it."]

To put it simply, dear, we're thieves. But we lean more to the Robin Hood end of the scale. Rob the rich and destroy their reputations for the poor.

[telegraphs]

Get 'em back for the damage they've done in the process.

( It's impossible to miss the news. Corporations bankrupting the little guy. Summary judgments in favor of capitalism.

He takes note of the open concept before coming to the appetizers with a hunger in his eyes. Had he had lunch day in between all the municipality meetings?

"Rob Peter to pay Paul back," Eliot offers. )

[wereall_addicts]

Precisely. We're a much larger operation than we used to be. Even still it's only a drop in the bucket. But we're at least doing something.

[She comes over with the glasses of wine and begins to pass them around.]

My team - Eliot, Parker, Breanna and Harry - currently cover New Orleans cases, which is likely why were recommended to you. If you ever come across problems in your work that are less supernatural and more up our alley, we would very much appreciate the referrals.

[whumpawhumpa]

( "Anything that keeps the brass out of my hair," he says, grateful for the wine glass, as he looks back at Eliot. )

Local government likes us because we keep everyone honest. It doesn't look good when the man strikes down the every man. Not even in New Orleans.

[wereall_addicts]

In the past, they handled things much bloodier.

[They would get ratted out to an objecting vampire or witch and they would suddenly find themselves hexed or compelled.]

But the city is trying to do better and shockingly, violence isn't as effective as it used to be. Kill a corrupt CEO and there's a new one ready to take their place.

[whumpawhumpa]

( They've helped stabilize the bloodiness and build a little bridge between the factions. Now, Beck is here to further the cause. Anything that makes their job easier, Eliot's for. )

A fish always rots from the head.

( And the person closer to the head picks up the same mantle. )

[patrols]

That it does. Especially since even arresting them doesn't seem to do much good.

[Much to her great frustration.]

[whumpawhumpa]

We replace em. Reshuffle the deck. Even reach the board if we have to. We make the difference.

( He takes a swig from his beer, checking on the meat in the pan. )

[patrols]

["We just happen to use crime to do it."

Lindsay shrugs.]

That's the kind of crime I don't mind looking the other way on. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

[whumpawhumpa]

And most times, you burn the whole damn thing to the ground. Supernatural scene here in New Orleans rebuilt itself a few times.

( Captured Klaus for a lot of years. Was built around Marcel for a long time. Now, it feels more equal all around. There are no power vacuums and Beck is a part of that. Keep everyone in check, if he can.

"Heard everyone isn't on shaky ground here. I'm inheriting stability."

It's really the humans that are the most skittish, thanks for losing Hawthorne. )

[wereall_addicts]

Relatively speaking. There was that little dust up with the hunters a few months ago, and we had some Gauntlet-related skirmishes, but no inter-faction feuds which truly did the bulk of the damage.

[Josh, Hayley and Davina have done a lot of work to keep this city from eating itself alive.]

People are doing a lot more talking than killing these days.

[telegraphs]

All outside forces. We can handle outside forces if that foundation at the center stands tall.

( A little leftover rhetoric from the patriarch of his family, but it applies here. )

Talking that gets them somewhere?

[wereall_addicts]

Most of the time, yes.

[At least Sophie believes so.]

And in ways that benefit the humans, more often than not. At least in my experience. A lot less unexpected bodies from the vampire sector.

[telegraphs]

In my experience, bodies drop in all the sectors.

( Wolf. Vampire. Witch. Nefariously, anyway. )

[wereall_addicts]

Not wrong. But vampires are prone to more likely accidentally kill something just by virtue of our diet.

[Some of the older vamps just don't like the blood bag diet. Sophie included. Maybe a little bit. But she's used to it given the years she's spent with her team.]

[whumpawhumpa]

( "Accidentally doesn't fly with watchers," Beck points out. )

Nor with us, but it's easier for a vampire to lose control and that always winds up with a dead body. Happens a lot less here than it used to. Vampires in New Orleans are thoughtful. Reverent. There's a vampire bar, even. You last long enough, maybe you'll be given the full tour.

[wereall_addicts]

[Sophie nods in agreement.]

Good support structures too. Much better than when I was coming up.

[Lindsay tips her head to the side as she studies her. "How long have you been a vampire?"]

Oooh. Let's just say I saw the premiere of Hamlet when the Globe was new and leave it there, shall we?

[whumpawhumpa]

She can recite it word from word.

( But, he says it in both a sweet way, but also in a way that coveys to their guest they shouldn't ask. Her best stage is a con. Not on the actual stage. )

Dinner's almost ready, everyone can move to the table.

( A quick sip of sauce, it's great, he turns burners off. He's already put the meat to rest. )

[patrols]

[Which they do, moving to settle into their seats, and Lindsay can't help but shift into the bells and whistles of how this team of theirs works.]

So how do you find your clients? Is it all referrals?

[whumpawhumpa]

Mostly, we work on referrals, but every now and then one of us will find someone in the wild.

( Or, on vacation. Or on a night out. )

People find us.

[patrols]

[Lindsay nods slowly.]

So if people are coming to us, are there any red flags we should look for before we refer them?

[whumpawhumpa]

Well, Brianna runs background on everyone before we bring them in. But, eagerness is a red flag. Most people are reluctant to come forward for fear of backlash or they worry about the cost. Worry for us.

( There aren't too many. Most of their referrals, they take. Nobody is Nathan Ford, here. )

Sophie's final call if we take anyone or we don't. Could be too much a coincidence.

[patrols]

Got it. If they're pushing too hard, maybe give you guys a heads up.

[She'll get a better feel for it once she actually gets into the role.]

I'm not on the force now, but I probably will be once the wedding is over. Is there anything that you would need from that angle?

[whumpawhumpa]

Or, don't. We're not on Google.

( Well, what they really do isn't on Google. )

Someone on the inside could run real interference if we need it. We tend to run afoul of law enforcement and the FBI.

( If that's a real offer, Lindsay. )

[patrols]

[Lindsay nods because no that's a real offer.]

I'll probably be keeping an eye out for supernatural-related crimes too. Not like I wouldn't already be bending the rules.