undergrounds | waves that swallow quick and deep

"Would you feel better about that?" Natasha asks honestly. It's hard to say. Even a moral vampire might not have a problem letting a werewolf be put down, especially for a greater good. And even a capital A Assassin had to be pragmatic sometimes. Alex was no innocent.

Natasha saw a little of herself in the girl, though. A little of her from fifty years before.

Evie has to consider this carefully.

"I would have done it myself, eventually, if things had continued down this path with her- I was always taught that the lives of the people are far more important than the life of just one person." Second life, whatever.

"There's no way of knowing, truly."

"But you'd have had a replacement lined up first, right?" Natasha says. She knows how this works. She's done this before. Removing one dangerous leader didn't do any good if the new one was just as counter to your purposes as the one you disposed of.

"Exactly." It's the way it should have been done, and the way it's been done thousands of times in the past. Both of them had done it before, she knew that for a fact. "And more than that, we'd want replacements down the line." Just in case the other side decided to do the exact same thing.

Though, ideally, they wouldn't even realize what was happening until it was too late.

She pours them each a bit more whiskey, and she's fairly certain Natasha's coffee is more booze at this point- idly, she recognizes how cute her friend looks in pajamas, still looking a little sleepy.

This is a rare way to see Natasha. Not by design, exactly. She's not bothered by Evie's presence here. It's just that when she faces the world, it tends to be in a sort of armor, her appearance and her mean carefully cultivated for desired effect. Evie's caught her in a less professional moment, though; curled up with a coffee mug, still in the clothes she wore to bed, she still projects a self-contained air, but the professionalism is replaced by pensiveness.

Whether or not that's less imposing depends on you point of view.

"That would be ideal. Being able to support a movement or even a faction is safer than a leader." Leaders being demonstrably easy to dispose of when it becomes necessary. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

To Evie, it's hardly imposing. To her, it's a show of trust. Here is Natasha in a moment of vulnerability, caught unawares. And she'd let her in and was talking with her. She really was a different person then the woman she'd read about.

"And without the support, you can't do anything, anyway." Which was part of their problem- half of the members of the Nest adored Raymond and his edicts.

"The only suitable candidate I can think of right now is, well, Jean-Claude."

Natasha hides a slight smile behind the rim of her cup before taking another, healthy drink. Her gaze is on Evie though, and the look in her eyes shows both amusement and agreement.

"The thought had occurred to me too, but I'm not as much on the inside of the nest to say for sure." It is an interesting idea, though. "Does he have anyone in his corner? When I first met him, I had the impression he wasn't especially popular with the nest, but since then..."

Maybe his star had been rising? Natasha is clearly warming to this topic though. This sort of conversation was a part of her old life, but not so easy to leave behind. The fact Evie and Natasha were on the same page only made it more comfortable.

"I've been gone for years, at this point, I feel as if I'm as much on the other side as you are." She sighed.

"I'm keeping an ear out. Most of the dislike I'm sure was from his stunt with the dancers. Speaking of, I went to the club the other day, she's doing well." She hadn't gone for the women, obviously. Just to speak with JC and check in on Cherry.

"I haven't settled on him, but he's old. Far older than me, and knows how our government works. He's of a similar mind with humans, as well."

"I know." Another smile smile, this time a bit guilty. "I checked in myself. She wasn't in when I stopped by, but I asked."

Something Natasha wouldn't have done even ten years ago. Now... perhaps she's learned a bit of empathy, or at least curiosity about the state of those around her. Strange thing to only learn as a vampire.

"Jean-Claude seemed pleased I asked. And that I stopped by." Which did say something about him. "At the very least, we know he takes care of his own."

A smile broke across her freckled features. That was good to know, and helped, oddly, take a bit of weight off of her shoulders. Or perhaps that was just the whiskey loosening her up a bit?

"Meanwhile, I have a feeling Harris will throw any of us to the metaphorical wolves without a second thought." Maybe even the literal wolves.

Either way, Natasha doesn't mind seeing that smile. It means the other woman is relaxing. Considering the state that drove her to show up on Nat's doorstep, that wasn't a bad development.

"I don't doubt it." Especially her, but Natasha had been prepared for that when she sided against her own. "He might enjoy it."

The more she considers it, the better Jean-Claude seems as a choice. "I wonder if he's ambitious."

Planning, as it was, was helping her relax. This was something she could control, and it was already lightening the load on her shoulders to see it laid out before her.

"From what I've seen, yes. He was the one that suggested the duel against Daybreak the other month." She hadn't seen Natasha there, but had made a point to speak with Jean-Claude. The turn-out was upsetting, but it had been a unique experience. Certainly a possible way to minimize bloodshed.

"But he has a mind for politics. He's seen quite a lot."

"I believe that. A lot more than I have," she agrees thoughtfully. She drinks more, then adds more whiskey to her cup, sans coffee. Evie had been concerned, but she wasn't too worried about about drinking early in her day.

"We could do a lot worse." At the very least, she didn't doubt at this point that he was smart enough to understand the importance of keeping a low profile. He wouldn't draw serious attention to their community, and at this point, that might be what the vampires in the city needed most.

"More than either of us, and a lot more than a good number of the vampires in the city." You live long enough, and you see history repeat itself. Having JC on their side would surely turn the tides in their favor. He'd, ideally, be able to circumvent any issues before they even arose.

Of course, that was the ideal period.

"We could. And considering we have a lot worse in power..." She catches herself. She's not supposed to be planning with Nat. This life wasn't hers anymore, and she respected that.

"Considering?" prompts Natasha when the other woman trails off. Her interest in this subject isn't entirely academic. As a vampire living in London, it could have a very real impact on her life, to say nothing of local supernatural politics and the lives of the humans around them. But there's something enticing about returning to her old job, as well; she feels more like herself.

And maybe this is for a good cause.

"I can't bring you into this," she says after a careful moment. "I said I'd come here hoping for a friendly ear. I respect your wishes." But lord, if she had Natasha backing her up on this, between the two of them, then they just had to line up the dominos. Especially if they got JC and some of the others behind them.

Good lord it would feel good to get back into the old ways of doing things. She could practically feel the rhythmic chugging along of her old train hideaway. Pity Jacob had to go and destroy the bloody thing.

She needed to find a suitable replacement.

She paused. "But. If you're looking for redemption, a way to prove to the world you're not the same person you were in Moscow. I believe this is it." She leans back, holding her hands up, open-palmed. It was Natasha's decision if she wanted to hear more, if she wanted to join this.

Natasha hadn't thought if it in those terms, and now that it's framed in them, she shifts a little—a little awkward. She rarely thinks of it in terms of making up for what she's done. That seems an impossibility. Nothing she does here is going to change the past, no amount of positive impact can bring the dead back. But it did seem, perhaps, like using her skill set to a good end rather than at her government or her nest's orders.

"I have an interest," she says, dodging the more emotional and moral connotations. "It really doesn't have to be that complicated. There's a problem here. No one's better off if I ignore it."

They complemented each other, in that regard.

"Fair enough. An interest, I can understand." Evie exhales. She has a habit of complicating things. But perhaps that's her Victorian sensibilities. "What we need is to find those who won't support London as a whole.And find ways to eliminate them, but only after putting those that will support our goal into positions to take over."

She's not sitting anymore, Evie has pushed herself up and started to pace back and fourth.

She was going to be able to get some red string out and a cork-board. The very idea gave her just a little thrill.

"That's usually the formula," Natasha agrees, tapping the edge of her mug thoughtfully with one finger. "That would take more than just one well placed man. We'll need more. We need people we can get to support him—people with money..."

Her tone is considering. "Money and influence both. Either people who we could reason with, or people who'd respond to threats."

Evie nodded. "Exactly. I've been away from London long enough I don't carry the same influence I once did, and even so, I prefer to remain in the shadows." One of the reasons she actually vary rarely used her title.

"But money is something I have. Though I'll admit, I was hoping to put it forward to another train." But that was neither here nor there- this was a whole lot more important than her petty nostalgia.

Even if train hideouts were really freaking cool.

"I prefer to avoid threats where I can. I find they make bonds weaker."

Natasha shrugs at the comment on threats. The systems of threatening others for support doesn't need her protection, and she has no particular inclination to do it if she doesn't have to.

"My bank account isn't limitless, but when I left Moscow, it wasn't with empty pockets." Which is a nice way to say she had cleaned out several bank accounts that she had inherited from her sire when he died, deciding their holdings went to her rather than the Red Room nest.

"But even just words can go a long way. We could probably bring at least a few people around to supporting Jean-Claude that way. He's a pragmatic choice. Harris isn't making a strong argument for himself."

"I'm sure I could get the Council to support this," but that had her pursing her lips. "But their money is better spent somewhere else- this isn't Templar business." She would take this on as herself, as a fellow member of Islington, not as an Assassin. Well, she just happened to be one. It was different.

"We should, of course, speak with JC concerning this. He does have more than a pretty penny to his name." There were others, too. Perhaps Cesare, though she was cautious where the Borgia was concerned.

"His argument is simple rhetoric: free meals for everyone. and unfortunately, that's a very appetizing position. Pardon the pun."

"Should we..." There was something to be said for Jean-Claude not knowing about their support. It gave him more plausible deniability and avoided some potential for the appearance of conspiracy.

On the other hand, if they spoke to him, made him a real ally, then they could access his resources. And, with any luck, they would be able to rely on him to return the favor.

"You're right. At least one of us should bring up the subject."

"I'll float an idea by him, see if I can get a read." She knew him better than Natasha at this point, at any rate. "I won't come out-right and say it. But the best conspiracies are those when not all the players know their parts."

So see what he thought about the idea. If he was at all eager... She supposed they'd have to make the call.

"I was hoping to see him shortly, at any rate."

"You two have a date?" Natasha says it as a joke, without any particular sign that she means it. Her lips curl a little as she says it, teasing.

"I hope you're not in a rush to leave, are you? I was enjoying the drink."

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