victor-goddamn-sullivan:

Victor was not a cultured man, not by any means. This was severely apparent in the presence of this woman, this epitome of graceful youth and class. So the “woogoo” was completely lost on him. He understood the word “steak”, however, and that was all he needed to hear. Steak. Meat. Protein. Mmmmmm. He was salivating instantly. He took another drink of the ginger ale, this time remembering to use one of the provided glasses instead of drinking straight from the bottle.

“Sounds like you’re wanting to keep me nice, strong, and ready for my ‘test’. I like that, steak sounds great! Normally I’d happily treat you to a nice meal… but I think it’s pretty obvious why that’s out of the cards right now.”

He really did feel ashamed that he couldn’t even offer to cover a tip or something at this point, but he’d make it up to her with a job well done. Maybe she’d warm up to him more over a hot meal anyway. He flashed a devilish grin and looked up at her.

“Of course, after the meal I can think of some ways you could ‘test’ my stamina, if you wan-…” He stopped himself, suddenly feeling very childish. That was in poor taste. What the hell, man? What is this woman doing to me?! Shit, I think I’m getting… the yips. He looked down at his glass and swirled the contents around sheepishly, suddenly not wanting to make eye contact with Katherine. “Y-you know what? N-nevermind… Steak sounds great!”

When he used the glass this time for his ale, she smiled; he obviously made some effort when there was a member of the opposite sex in front of him… how typical of man. However, she was suprised when he cut his own sentence off himself. 

Anyone with a brain could see what he was getting at as he began the suggestive conversation… but when he paused himself and changed the subject, even Marlowe was wary… though her facial expression barely changed…until he took his glass and avoided her eye contact, swirling the liquid around to keep his attention. 

A small chuckle came to her and she sat back as the motion of the carriage finally came to a stop in front of a surprisingly not-so-lavish restaurant. The footman appeared to open the door for them and helped her out onto her heels. 

“Well, you should look forward to it- you get your trip out of this country once we’ve had dinner”, she glanced towards the man at her side and her voice deepened to an authorative tone, obviously an order to leave herself and her companion alone as they spent dinner together. Hesitance showed all too well on their faces but they soon nodded and instead took their places around the building. 

Shrugging and pretending it didn’t happen, Marlowe elegantly slid a slender finger through her hair and returned some stray strands back behind her ear. 

“Well, Shall we go and be seated?”, she grinned then as if she was hiding something from him as she drew out her arm for him to take. 

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

That night Victor lay awake in bed, restless, mind full of busy thoughts. He flipped the card around in his fingers, studying the insignia, which seemed to glow in the moonlight spilling in from the hostel window. By the time he finally did fall asleep, it was as though the insignia had been imprinted on the inside of his eyelids. The elegant figure, it’s swooping curves leading his eye, until he realized he was no longer looking at the intricate design, but at Katherine… this…. mysterious, intriguing and elegant woman. This… headache. Victor knew he was in this for the wrong things, it was supposed to be about the money, about getting back home. But at this point, all he wanted was to impress this pretty young thing.

When Sullivan finally awoke, he’d overslept. He still felt exhausted… the heat from the sun beaming through the open window didn’t help either. His head pounded as he popped open a cool can of beer from the mini fridge, and took a hearty swig.

“Well… I guess I’d better get to work.” He thought to himself as he left a little money on his nightstand for the room keeper to collect. It was an insufficient amount, but Victor couldn’t afford to waste the last of his money on such minimal accommodations. He packed his small duffel bag and left the hostel, shielding his eyes from the noonday sun.

“How the hell am I supposed to get out of this goddamn sandbox?” He looked up and down the street as if there would be a street sign with his name on it at one of the corners. He started to walk forward, when a whinnying horse caught his attention. He turned to see a simple carriage, pulled by a white horse. There were plenty of carriages on the streets at this time of day, so this hardly seemed unusual to Sullivan, until he noticed the blue insignia — the one that plagued his dreams the night before — tattooed on the horse’s flank. Victor slowly approached the chauffeur, who eyed him condescendingly, until Victor thought to show him the card Marlowe had given him.

As soon as the driver saw the insignia, his attitude towards Sullivan did a complete one-eighty. He hopped down from the carriage and opened the door to the car for Victor, urging him inside to his seat. A perspiring bottle of ginger ale sat invitingly on the table in the center of the cart, and as the driver got the horse moving to wherever their destination was, Sully wasted no time in popping the cork on that bottle. As he took a long draw from the bottle, he suddenly realized he was not alone in the cart. Katherine leaned forward from the shadows, occupying the seat across from him. She smiled warmly, and Sully was more than happy to see a familiar face on this otherwise confusing afternoon.

“We really should stop meeting like this, hon. So where are you taking me for our second date?”

Marlowe was usually the type to make sure that she was sleeping well and early as to get in her ‘beauty’ sleep… as they call it… though she only slept that early because it meant she would be up early enough to begin the day before everyone else.

However this last night had been a little different, the humidity had irritated her all night even with the air condition on high ( At least that is what she blamed it on) otherwise she had inelegantly twisted and turned the whole night long - something that was extremely un-befitting of her. 

The next morning had been a later one, due to the fact that she had slept in the rough… which had caused her to growl at the attendant that had come to wake her from her dreaming state. Then 2 hours later she was finally content to rise - though not forgetting to badger her attendant for allowing her to do something so unreliable. 

Katherine leant back against the soft leather of the kart she was being pulled along in - the carriage just passing off as average for her…though she was used to much more splendour… though due to the place she was in she did not complain. Her attendants had all expected her to go directly to the restaurant that she had told them of the day before… but to their surprise she had told them that she was off to pick up her lunch date for the day. 

And that was how she was here, in this carriage, travelling around this area waiting for that man to show up, slow down the carriage, have the door opened for him and then allowed to enter into the comfortable interior of the carriage. Of course, the undignified way of stealing the bottle that had been laid out on the table, popping it open and drinking straight from it though there had been a pair of glasses waiting on the table caused Marlowe’s face to fall and her eyes to widen ever so slightly…. though she quickly rectified it and leant forward towards him. To let him know who was present.

Marlowe smiled elegantly before she was returned one of his and leant her head sideways at his question as if she was contemplating an answer. 

“I’m treating you today Mr Sullivan…”, she spoke slowly and looked towards him in a quick alluring glance. 

“How does Wagyu Steak sound?”

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

Victor was a little disappointed by the rejection, but he had to admit it was a long shot, he could tell he wasn’t really Marlowe’s type. He didn’t exactly bleed marble or own a monocle. He laughed as he imagined her sitting across the table from a large nosed upturned face, sipping warm tea with his pinky out. But still…. this was a test, he still had plenty of time to win her over. It was his chance to impress the fine lady.

He followed her out of the library, making every effort to be professional this time, and not so … handsy, for lack of a better word. “So how will I contact you then, to let you know the job is done? Also… I uh… need a ride to Paris… You can take it out of my reward if you need to. I’ll need 48 hours, tops to make this happen for you, I hope that’s not too long.” He started to kick himself mentally, something about this woman made his feel like a little kid, tripping over himself, doubting his skills.

Victor, goddammit pull yourself together, you’ve got this in the bag. This is nothing!

He straightened up and waited patiently for her response, and any last details she needed him to be aware of.

She came to a pause before glancing over her shoulder and letting those sharp eyes of hers rest on the man behind her. Shifting ever so slowly, twisting the umbrella gently with her, she rested her fist on her hip and smiled, almost gently.

From the small bag on her shoulder, she withdrew a simple card - simple and with not a single character on it - just a small insignia. One of a slightly blue emblem, embossed enough to feel for the rest of the image, invisible otherwise. She moved over to him and grinned playfully as she leaned her face to keep his attention there while elegantly sliding the card into his shirt pocket. 

“You’ll need to find a way”, she said at a low voice before pulling away just as quickly and giving him some distance. “Nice to meet you Mr Sullivan”, she finished with, before turning and strutting away, down the street and out of sight. 

She believed that he would be able to do the job without a problem and hopefully he would trace out the symbol and remember to look out for it wherever he needed to reach her - maybe he wouldn’t be surprised at the fact that the image will appear everywhere to indicate a house that belonged to Marlowe, though otherwise it may just seem like a normal public house, restaurant, inn, hospital….so forth so forth.

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

‘Victor?’ … first name basis now eh? He was starting to believe the vibes he was getting from her were genuine and not in his head. Now this meant he would really have to commit if he hoped to impress her. He cocked his head slightly and meshed his fingers between hers.

So, the Ruspoli Sapphire… hm the legendary 6 faceted crown jewel of ol’ Louie XIV. Sullivan tried to figure out why THIS stone, what was the importance. Sure, the gem was almost without flaw, but it was hardly one of the largest in weight, what about 140 karat? Hmm…. well, there was no point in analyzing her decision, this was only a test after all, surely not the REAL prize she was after.

According to the book, it currently resided in the Paris Museum of Natural History. Perhaps a … romantic getaway was in order? He’d done a job at this particular museum a few years ago, but this stone would likely be under heavy guard. No cakewalk, most likely. But he still needed to make a good… or at least a better impression on her. He smiled mischievously and turned to face her.

“For you? Babe, I’ll have that rock out from under those frog’s noses before they can say ‘Yop la boum!’” He leaned against the table next to her, and turned her chin up gently with his hand. “So… are you going to accompany me, it’s hardly a test if you don’t get to witness my technique first hand.”

Her first response was a frown and the narrowing of her eyes. Calling him by his first name had only rolled off her tongue - not been some form of indication for him to be comfortable in using words such as ‘babe’ - but what should she expect of someone like him? 

However, before she could form any form of rebuttal, he made quick work of closing into her personal space and tipped her chin upwards, matching his eyes with hers. A moment passed with not a word coming from her, but that of course wouldn’t last. 

He could probably feel the hum of her voice box underneath his fingers and behind her gentle and flawless neck. “I’ll have you know I do not get involved on such a close level - I prefer to stay out of the way and be doted on instead…”. 

She pulled her face away from him and lifted his wrist away from her, raising a brow towards him before shaking her head gently and moving over towards her small bag and umbrella on the side, 

“Has no one ever told you that you shouldn’t flirt with a boss?”, she watched him from the side as she smoothed her fingers into her hair to put her locks behind her ear. She sauntered towards the exit finally, letting the man do what he pleased as she disliked barking orders that are not of the job description to dedicate their meaningless lives to her. 

But one thing had made her hesitate and momentarily excite her - and though she admitted she liked this man in both appearance and of what she could see; personality… it wasn’t exactly this that had made her inner feelings buzz. It was the prospect of diving in with him… into a dangerous situation and get involved in the work…. she was sure that that was a sure fire high… ah- but what was it that she had been told again and again? 

Getting personal and dirty with the work was one of the usual ways of getting attached, getting caught and getting killed…and she was smarter than to let her more excitable inner self go on some stupid adventurous escapade with a man that though has plenty of skill…thinks with his genitalia first. 

No, that small part of her was to be suppressed and so it stayed with her sauntering down the stairs of the library towards the exit, not looking back to check if the man she was with was following or not.

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

The reference library was the last place Victor wanted to take her right now. But as he thought about it, he started to think of ways it could still work-Oh… she was still waiting for him, how long had he been sitting there thinking? He shot up from his chair, left a tip for the waitress, and strutted towards Marlowe. He met her stride and tried to think of ways to get more information out of her. He still didn’t quite grasp what it was she wanted from him. He could think of several things he wouldn’t mind partaking of her, but she was a hard read. Money, passion, both? Both would be good. But he figured money was the only thing on the table.

However… this dame seemed to be looking for a man with cojones. Maybe the forward approach would be preferable, even if he DID get rejected. He stowed his wallet, and relaxed a little bit, constantly catching himself tensing around this woman.

“So, what sort of subject matter will we be perusing at said library, sweetheart?” He slipped his arm around her waist, but a little lower than he’d intended to, so he didn’t pull her in close to him, just held her, cautiously awaiting her reaction. 

Was that disappointment that she felt in his reaction to her mentioning the library and not the bedroom? My, My, My what a brave sort of man, thinking of her as an easy target, but hopefully he wouldn’t prove to be the foolish brave sort.

“Don’t worry My dear Sullivan, I’m only taking you there to show you what I want you to retrieve for me as one of three starter jobs… just to test your resilience”, she posed before continuing, a subtle glance towards him indicating her slight admiration for his appearance, “I love a man who knows how to get a job done”.

She moved with beautiful grace, her young hips moving to and fro the sides, her umbrella casting her radiant features into a mysterious shadow - as she sauntered with her handsome company towards the library. 

—————————————————

Gently she slipped closer, her breathing slow and calm, collected, her lips a rosy shade, even in this darkly lit room; her skin glistening like gems in the slight light. Elegantly her perfectly manicured fingers strokes the forearm of Victor Sullivan as she guided his hand lower, lower to the image in the textbook. 

“Here we are….This gemstone…..please retrieve it for me…Victor”

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

regina-gladiis:

The Consummate Con Man: FLASHBACK: Young Sully, Young Marlowe

regina-gladiis:

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

He knew his eyes must have dilated to take in her youthful beauty. Her eyes were trained on his, with a sort of intensity like he’d never seen. It was intoxicating and intimidating altogether. He realized his hand had absentmindedly found it’s…

For a moment her brows lifted and her eyes widened and for another moment she stared at the suave man in front of her before letting out a charming womanly laugh.

Did he just challenge her? Did he then go on to ask if she was worth his ‘precious’ time. He had balls - that was indeed a worthy attribute in the sorts of jobs she has planned for him.

“I assure you Mr sullivan, my sort of payments will have the best grade cigars in that big mouth of yours, every few hours for a good decade as long as you don’t waste it”, she responded with a legitimate smile….and she was one who didn’t smile genuinely often.

She moved back on her seat and took a mouthful of her tea, watching him over the rim and using her intense eyes to do the talking , she showed her interest.

“How about a few tester jobs first? I do enjoy testing a man’s capabilities “

He could almost taste the cigars, that was indeed tempting. It’s hard to turn down such an attractive offer, no matter who you are. Who was Victor to turn his nose at a woman who needed a worthy man? He cracked his knuckles and eyed the clientele around the bistro before leaning in in an attempt to make the conversation a bit more private.

“I BET you enjoy testing a man’s capabilities. Alright, miss. I’m in. Just how do you intend on ‘testing’ me? I’m still not 100% sure of what you want me to be doing for you. But you certainly look like a woman who doesn’t hear the word ‘no’ very often, if ever. What kind of man would I be to break a streak like that?”

She pert her lips oh so slightly at his response, not knowing whether to be amused or not before shrugging and finishing her tea; she scooched back her chair and moved onto her feet as she pulled out her umbrella over her head to keep the powerful sun rays off her delicate skin. 

She glanced over her shoulder, knowing that he needed no gesture to tell him to follow her as men are an interesting bunch as they do not like being told what to do unless they are being given a large sum of money for what the small moment is; but she couldn’t help test him and so she moved out his hand towards the young man behind her, beckoning him with a simple roll of her finger; not in a way of an order but more as an invitation. 

“Do you want to join a lady on a trip to a reference library?” 

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

He knew his eyes must have dilated to take in her youthful beauty. Her eyes were trained on his, with a sort of intensity like he’d never seen. It was intoxicating and intimidating altogether. He realized his hand had absentmindedly found it’s way across the table to shake hers. “Sully, er, Sullivan… Victor Sullivan. Pleasure to meet you Miss? Marlowe? Miss is it?”

He shook her hand firmly, and re-steeled himself. Cleared his throat, and returned to playing things aloof. He rapped on the table a bit as he sized this woman up. He was starting to put two and two together… She clearly came from money, wouldn’t condone crime, probably because she liked to keep her hands clean… but that probably didn’t meant she was against letting others do her dirty work. So that was it was it? Why she’d taken an interest in him?

“Well… Miss Marlowe, I take it the reason we’re talking is because you need someone of my…. particular moral code? I suppose you’re looking for someone who can retrieve something for you… some …. family heirloom? Some stolen birthright? Something along those lines? What makes you think I’m the guy for that?” He knew damn well what made her think that, he knew he had a type. Sometimes it was just interesting to hear people talk their way around it. He had to admit, Marlowe was not the type of clientele he was used to… 

“Miss is correct”, she responded and let the waitress make he way back and leave their drinks on the table for the both of them, smiling a little more intensely at the man she was currently with but before long the two were left alone. 

Absently, she took the spoon in her fingers and gently tapped the tea bag around in her cup, glancing at her flawless made-up face in the disrupted reflection, letting the silence speak for itself for a little while after he had spoken - it was amusing he would say something like ‘stolen birthright, family heirloom’, not that she could blame him for that assumption… at least it was along the right lines….so he wasn’t a fool. Good. 

“More or less Mr Sullivan”, she started before smiling widely and bringing the teacup to her lips and watched him over the rim. 

“I am a collector of sorts, specifically in the realms of artefacts of personal importance and interest to me and myself…, not always incoherently priced…but valuable in their own sense….and usually not for sale anyway…”, she finally finished. 

“I have something extremely important in mind… but that would be for another time… I’m more interested in testing your skills first, before I chance anything greater”, she set the cup back down and leant back in her seat a little, folding her arms across her stomach. 

She licked her lips as she allowed her eyes to roam over the man before her - she could understand why a girl wouldn’t turn him down… that was for sure….

“Do you think you can handle me Mr Sullivan?”

victor-goddamn-sullivan:

Ok, now Sully had to know what this woman’s deal was. He was a little surprised at the obvious invitation to sit with her, but why all this interest? What was she after?

“So how would … assisting someone like me, benefit you in the slightest? I mean… not that I’m not appreciative of the help, you just don’t seem like the kind of woman who would condone petty theft.” He leaned forward at the table, still trying to get a glimpse under that hat, aiming for a better read on her face, some way of figuring her out. Before he could get too close, a sweet little waitress came by to take their order. Sully tried his best to order himself a drink, and looked to the stranger, offering her a chance to place her order.

A small tug at her lips and she glanced up to the charming looking waitress pushing her accent to the most english she could manage. How cute, a new employee…and from the way that the young gentleman she’d found looked at her she knew that her initial analysis of him was more or less on the dot.

“Just a Darjeeling, no added sweetening”, she ordered, giving the young woman a commanding glance, intense but full of polite smiles. The young thing hurried off to go place the orders and she turned to the man with her. 

“Katherine Marlowe… and yes…. you’re right. Petty theft is something I do not condone…. and I’m sure you’re quite the same”, she answered - nothing more was going to be answered…if he wasn’t going to figure out the answers himself then he wasn’t the right man for the jobs that she had in mind. 

She smiled at him then and lifted her hat from her head now that they were in the safe shade of the cafe, her blonde hair perfectly in place - not a strand out of place even with a hat in this weather and now with the rim not hiding her features, he could see her young but strong features. 

“Do you have a name? Or will I just have to call you….”, she paused and let her eyes wonder over his exterior, “petty”.

How drab…how useless…. how pathetic. 

Marlowe ran over the listings that had been handed to her this morning by one of her many henchmen and ran her fingers through her full blonde locks before glancing over to the mirror….. She had only recently turned 34 yet men and women alike mistook her for less.

A yawn escaped her lips and she got to her feet, walking through her double doors and threw the file of names at the first man she saw. 

“You give me nothing but rubbish!… do you know that!?”, she grumbled at them - their eyes giving her the satisfaction that at least they understood that despite her gentle appearance, she was not to be stressed. 

Angry and tired of doing practically everything herself, she took to the streets, dressed in better attire than her usual business suit. A simplistic and elegant light grey tunic, a large hat to keep her skin from burning or tanning and her beautiful legs displayed in her medium high heels as she walked through the streets of Morocco. 

She did this when she got tired of her existence in the family business as sometimes it became dire and dull and she would much rather taste some fresh air and watch with her own eyes the world around her. Katherine was very much fascinated by the things around her and wished to surround herself in thick culture and history… and it was while she was roaming an antique shop when she noticed the dark haired Caucasian join her there. 

Katherine lowered the front of her hat, moving her body language to make it look that she was showing interest in a range of china plating while keeping a sly glance on the man as he moved over to an interesting looking artefact inside a glass cabinet. The owner was aside the store, speaking to an interested client about a piece of furniture… which left an idiotic amount of leverage for an easy going thief… 

It was almost obviously going to happen then, when she heard the shallow clinking sound of a lock opening - leading to another glance to the side. The man stood out from the crowd, he was caucasian…much like herself and despite the amount of tourists… there were no others near by this set of shops… again other than herself… 

Katherine Marlowe would never come to understand why she did what she did next. Why she had tapped her heel at the very moment the owner was making his way back at the excitement of a possible sale. Why…by doing so, she caught the attention of the thief in the store and notified him in enough time to close the glass door discreetly and move away to look around at other bits and pieces.

And what she would never understand most was…. when she moved over towards him so that the suspicious face given to the ‘single, shady looking male’ disappeared at the fact there was now an elegant, well-off looking woman standing near by enough to make it seem like they were acquainted.

“See anything you like?”, she asked, but made no attempt at eye contact.