Make An Explosion

[Alice Gamble]

She placed the bottle on the table before taking a seat opposite of Alistair. Her hazel-green eyes scanned the surrounding area before finally, they settled upon the familiar face of a man she'd consider something of a friend. Of course, that went a long way coming from the brunette. She didn't exactly consider anyone close.

Her head tilted slightly as neither of them spoke. There was something comfortable about the silence - especially since it was such a rare thing these days. There was always something new to tell - always something new going on. Always someone getting hurt.

"I have an idea," she began, her eyes not moving from his. "And you're not going to like it," she added, warning him. In fact, to anyone else, the idea would sound rather stupid - reckless even, but she'd earned some semblance of respect during the past few years the two of them had fought alongside each other. She could handle herself.

As reckless as the idea was, Alice figured it was their best shot of getting some actual intel, rather than just offing whatever vampire they were lucky enough to find.

Tag: Alistair Valkyrie

[Alistair Valkyrie]

The Brickyard had become a hive of underhand activity, a place where a deal could easily end with a knife in your back, where fights both with fists and with weaponry were a daily occcurance. Decaying logos and ghosts of slogans from before Alistair's time could in some places still be made out on the walls, pointless advertisment from an era long gone, with few left to remember it save the very creatures who made it that way.

Alistair scoffed a little as he drained the last of the amber whiskey from his glass, letting it run a pleasant, seering heat down his throat; This area of the Brickyard had become a makeshift bar, and while some of the poisons were harder to come by, he was willing to pay out for just a touch of luxury. He raised his gaze, tapping a finger againest the rim of the glass as he leaned back in his chair, his eyeline finding a familier figure. The woman who so casually slipped into a chair opposite him had little requirement to introduce herself or make idle friendly small talk; Without a word, Alistair settled into a natural, comfortable silence, watching her with a softer gaze then he would normally offer to anyone else, noting the way her green tinted eyes scanned the area around them before coming to rest as they met his own.

Alistair had never been one to seek out others, even when he'd been surrrounded by the embrace of his old family based hunting unit, and even more now he saw little value in giving another soul any amount of his reliance; Humans, by their nature are unpredictable, faithless, and quick to side with their most benefisial option... And the bounty hunter saw every reason to be so. The world is a cruel place, and adaption is essential. There were very few who did not ripple his guarded nature, and yet, despite himself, Alice had earned more then that. She could settle so seemlessly into his presense, so naturally. She had earned his respect over the years, and was perhaps one of the closest things he had to a friend.

And that was saying something.

He raised an eyebrow curiously as she spoke, listening intently to her words as he slowly placed his empty glass down on the table.
His eyes narrowed slightly, before a small smile pulled at the edges of his mouth. "... Well now you've got my attention Miss.Gamble," He spoke lowly, leaning forward on his arms across the table. "Let's hear what ya got."

[Alice Gamble]

The simple fact that Alice came to Alistair was rather significant by its own measure. She didn't take on the habit of relying on others, but he'd had her back more times than what she could count on her fingers and that deserved at least some semblance of... Well, she wasn't quite sure. The point remained though; She trusted him as far as trust went in a world such as this.

Folding her hands, Alice pursed her lips. She had to pick the right words to get her meaning across, rather than making it sound insane. Though, she realized; it was insane. "I've been thinking lately," she said, her voice low. She'd rather not catch the attention of anyone listening in to their conversation. "We've gone about our business as unregistered all this time - only catching small fish in a pond that offers so much more." She looked at him, giving him a moment to catch on to what she was actually saying. "What if..." She paused then, almost wanting to kick herself for even daring to speak the words.

"What if the only way is to have someone on the inside, feeding information to the people on the outside?" She was fully aware of the risks of signing up as a bloodbag, but it would offer them so much more than what they had already. It would perhaps even make their jobs easier. She nudged the bottle towards him then, perhaps hoping to sway his reply; she doubted he'd like her suggestion very much. Had the roles been reversed, she would have told him just how crazy he was sounding.

[Alistair Valkyrie]

Alistair watched the young woman with dark hazel eyes, waiting, noting how even she, someone he'd come to know who rarely cared little for the effects of she had to say had caused, seemed unsure on how to word her upcoming suggestion; If she, someone with little fear, was weary... It didn't bode well. His gaze narrowed as she went on, before a sickening unease curled somewhere in his stomach at the words she finally spoke.
"... And here I never took ya for a girl with a death wish," Alistair replied lowly after some moments of silence, settling back as he folded his arms across his chest; He eyed her with a near expressionless gaze, yet inside he was writhing with the possibilities of her suggestion.

What went on in the midst of the vampires' helm came in fits and starts, snatched snippets of intel from those that scraped through the vampires' security. Never enough to mount any manner of coordinated attack that had any chance of being successful, never enough to even risk an attempt at returning the favour of the slaughter they had rained down upon them over the years. Yet... If the hunters were being fed, directly from the source, exactly what movements the vampires made beyond the gates, they could do so much more then merely taking out the lowly stragglers and left behinds that generally seemed to venture beyond the safety of their precious inner sanctum.
But to actually submit yourself to be a feeding bag, willingly submitting, like a fly into a spider's web... The risk was nigh unimaginable. Any moment you risked your deception being discovered, and what awaited you then was surely some sick punishment beyond merely ending your life; Vampires were so very far from forgiving. 

It was practically suicide.

Except.

For perhaps...

Anyone but her.

Had the bounty hunter heard such a frankly ridiculous, reckless idea from anyone else... He'd have laughed. 
Alistair's eyeline drifted to the bottle, reaching out a hand, he took it in his hold. "...  I'd say ta put a bullet in ya head and save yourself the trouble," He spoke sternly, his intense eyes meeting her own as he poured himself a glassful, despite his gaze never leaving hers. "... I take it you're suggestin' yourself." He capped the glass seamlessly before it spilled over it's rim, placing the bottle down on the table. He leaned down closer now to the young woman, his voice lower. "But it ain't just livin' among them, Alice. Ya want to play that game, kid, it's ganna cost more then ya dignity." His voice was stern, unwavering, yet there was an unease to his tone, concern. She knew exactly what she was suggesting... What it included... Them using her. He took the glass in his hand, bringing it to his lips, draining the glass halfway, it's heat burning down his throat. 

[Alice Gamble]

"I know," Alice replied quickly, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. She'd already given this some thought and yes, neither of them knew what to expect when joining the registered. At least, not fully. She knew what kind of sacrifice it would take, but the intel they'd possible get in return? Was it worth it? Was it a death wish? She wasn't sure.

Leaning forward, she placed her chin against her balled up fist and sighed. "I'm tired of not making a difference," she said, her voice low. Alice rarely ever got personal - not even with Alistair and the two of them had grown up together. But it was true - she'd joined this business not only because she loathed vampires, because a part of her wanted things to be different.

The brunette wanted to curse herself for being so naive; of course things would never change around here. There were too many of them. "Is this really all we'll ever do? If we're lucky, we'll kill a few stray vamps? So what! They'll just make more of them."

[Alistair Valkyrie]

Alice had never been one to throw herself into the fire needlessly; She did not seek out to place herself in reckless danger for the sake of it, nor for some demented thrill. Alistair knew that this suggestion, as horrifically suicidal as it may be, would not have come to be lightly... And it would have taken even more to have risked telling another of such a foolhardy plan; It spoke of Alice's level of sheer trust that she held in the bounty hunter, which was mirrored in himself towards her.
But despite the almost desperate level of foolishness the plan appeared to have... Alistair could see it's potential.

His gaze softened as the young woman slumped forward on a balled fist; He could count on one hand the times he had truly witnessed the side of her he knew she was desperate to keep from the world, and each time it plucked at some part of him he was reluctant to even admit he had. He gave a soft breath out, thoughtfully tapping his finger against cool glass, silently turning his eyeline to the warm amber of the drink in his hand.
She was right. Playing things within safe, comfortable barriers was never going to be enough... They were ripples in the great lake, causing barely a stir in the established order.

Frankly, Alistair was as frustrated as Alice was. 

Reckless behavior got you killed, but this wasn't about them... It never had been. It was about everyone else left who still fought to keep what humanity they had, to keep it's fading heartbeat alive. Reckless behavior may shorten the lifespan, but if it provided some precious respite... A foothold in the battleground... That it was worth giving some serious consideration.


"... We're all tired, kid," He spoke, his voice sounding perhaps a touch wearier then he intended, before draining the rest of the glass. "... Alice. If we do this, it ain't ganna be easy..." He met her gaze now, casting her a small, slightly playful smile. "You and I, we ain't likely to come outta this. Good thing I have a poor sense of self preservation, eh?"

[Alice Gamble]

She narrowed her eyes at him, studying his face. "You're not coming with me," she said, her tone harsh. She wasn't sure if that was what he'd meant, but there was no way Alice would ever include him more in this than what she had already. Her idea was to go in alone, gather as much information as she possibly could and then feed it back out, to him.

She crossed her arms over her chest, studying him once more. She'd known him for as long as she could remember and even then, she still found him hard to read. It was different when they were out on a mission, because then they moved in unison. In here, having a casual - well, casual like conversation was far different from what she was used to.

Still, there was a big chance this wouldn't work out - or that she wouldn't survive it. After all, she'd only be able to feed the bounty hunters so much information before the vampires caught on... Maybe he was right. Maybe she did have a death wish.

[Alistair Valkyrie]

Alistair tilted his head slightly, but over then that, his expression slipped back to being nearly unreadable, his eyes remaining locked to her own. He'd fully expected her to insist upon that, and as much as some part of him was pained at the entire concept of Alice willingly submitting herself to the horrors that lay within the confides of the inner city, to become no better then cattle... He could not deny that him joining her made little sense. It only complicated the plan, and left them with no means to ensure the information reached the Hunters... And both of them would decline to bringing in a third member to the party. More people meant more complications... And Alistair trusted few others with such a duty, where one wrong move would end with their slaughter.
Instead... It was likely to end only with hers.
She was a patriot to the cause. A brave, fearless creature, and the thought of losing her to it all was... Painful. Yet Alistair would not even consider musing on that thought; Sentimentality had ruined so many, and he wasn't about to risk losing out on what could be their only chance to make a difference out of some misplaced, weak human emotion.

"... I know," Alistair replied, his tone for a moment surprisingly gentle, before he took the bottle, pouring another glassful. "... But we're both still unlikely to come outta this." He paused then, capping the glass and placing the bottle on the table. "... I take it ya wanna do this as soon as we can..." He place a finger against the glass, pushing it in her direction. "Kid, you're ganna need this far more then me."

[Alice Gamble]

"Well," she began, drawling. "There's a lot of ends that need to be met before either of us are ready to take on anything like this," she said. After all, she'd have to train - she needed her strength if she wanted to survive for longer than a day. That, and she needed to learn how to keep her temper at bay. She highly doubted that vampires would take kindly on a human mouthing off to them every chance she got.

Taking the glass with a small smile, Alice studied it for a moment. "I don't think all the alcohol in the world is going to help me." She looked over at her companion for a moment. "I guess it's a good thing I don't have family." The words were bittersweet. On one hand, she didn't have to worry about bleeding hearts destroying her plans, but on the other hand... She didn't exactly have that anchor chaining her down and keeping her alive.

"Don't look so glum, Ali," she continued. "This won't be the last time you'll speak to me as a free woman." She offered him a wink before lifting the glass to her lips.

[Alistair Valkyrie]

Of course, Alistair hadn't expected such an undertaking to occur overnight. Something of this level, with all it's risks and complications, was going to take some time in order to assure they had the best possible chance of success. There was no guarantee, no safety net and no cavalry. It would be all or nothing. Alice was apt at what she did, a woman of immense capability and resolute strength, but despite her unwavering nature she was going to need more... More training, and not only in terms of physical capabilities. She'd have to learn to endure, to keep her sharp tongue at bay, regardless of what tortures the creatures of the inner city intended to inflict... She would have to learn to falsify subservience, a horrifically difficult task when it was simply not an aspect of your nature.
"That goes without sayin'," He spoke in agreement, before falling quiet, watching her with intense eyes as she voiced her next comment. He cast her a small smile, which upturned just a corner of his lips. "You and me both, Miss.Gamble." Alistair may have his Mother and sisters still breathing, but he'd long kept them from anything he did now as a hunter; For himself, and for them.
It simply made everything so much easier... But that didn't prevent that unpleasant unease writhing just a touch at her words.

"Heh, just try un' stay a breathin' woman for me, you're no good dead," He smirked, a touch of playfulness reserved to only a few in his expression. He then took hold of the bottle, and lightly tapping the side of it against the side of her own glass. "To the lack of self preservation, kid. We're ganna need everythin' we got." He then returned her wink, before bringing the bottle to his lips.

[Alice Gamble]

A small smile formed on Alice's lips; She'd always enjoyed Ali's company. Something about him made her feel like the world was a little less shitty. In their kind of business, they took on all kinds of job and killed all kinds of people for money. Thankfully, Alice had yet to get an offer to kill an innocent human. Thus far, it had been mainly vampires, raiders and criminals and even that was though. She couldn't imagine killing a human that had done nothing wrong.

"And if I do stop breathing, I'll make sure it's for good," she added, tossing a wink in his direction. After all, being dead was far better than turning into a bloodsucker, right? Alistair's glass tapping against her's brought her hazel green eyes up to meet him. "And to the lack of common sense," she added, the corner of her lips tugging up into a smirk matching his own.

She lifted the glass to her lips then, but before taking a sip, her forehead creased. "I'm going outside the wall tomorrow to train," she announced. "Anything you need out there?"

[Alistair Valkyrie]

There were very few Alistair would spend time with out of choice. Most he kept company with out of connivance, out of circumstance. But Alice was something different, something about her calming the underlying apprehension of his natural demeanour. She was someone who understood him to some degree better then the general populace… A rarity in the world they lived in.

Her words did not shake the smirk from his lips, but they left unease in their wake, something which he shoved down as far as he could into some dark metaphorical corner; She really intended on doing this… And although he would expect no less of her, he could not help the tar of human sentiment from crossing over him. He cared about her, that much was true, and that much he would freely admit, although only to himself. If it was him who chose to make that reckless press into the Inner City, and he fell victim to the inflections of vampirism, he was more than ready to put a bullet into his skull… The last thing he wanted to bare was that torture; But knowing she to would readily end her own life else become one of them, left some aching sadness.

But this is what they chose, and Alistair was determined to uphold that until the day he hit the dirt for the last time.

His smirk widened at her addition to what they were drinking too, a small chuckle escaping him. “And to a touch o’ stupid luck,” He added, about to take a drag of the burning alcohol when he caught her slight shift in expression, the lines of her forehead. His own slipped into an expressionless gaze, listening to her words before his own brow slightly furrowed. She was venturing beyond the walls alone again; She’d done it many times before, but each time was a risk. Each time could be your last.

“… Not much I need outta the wilds,” He replied thoughtfully, leaning back into his chair, his eyeline drifting upward. “… Save some of the herbs that grow out there.” Medical kits were hard to come by, and often the hunters had to rely on what mother nature could provide in order to help clean and heal wounds; They weren’t exactly antibiotics, but something was better than nothing. He hummed softly, before turning his gaze to her. “Fancy yourself some company then, kid?”

[Alice Gamble]

"No," she shook her head. "I best do it on my own." After all, if she actually did go through with her plans, she had to learn how to take care of herself. Of course, she already did, but that didn't mean she could slack off now. Besides, asking him to come with her was selfish. Going outside the walls was risky enough and she didn't wish to have Ali's life on her consciousness. It would only make things harder - and it would only distract her.

"Maybe I'll be lucky enough to find us some decent alcohol and not this crap," she chuckled as she lifted the glass once more, observing the liquid. Then again, around here, you couldn't really be picky. Not when it came to alcohol, nor food. The kinds of disgusting things she'd eaten in order to survive over the years would make anyone wrinkle their noses.

But such was life for an unregistered human. There was very little any of them could really do about it. Well, for the time being, anyways.

[Alistair Valkyrie]

Alistair quirked his brow slightly, just a fraction at her response, but other then this slight movement little changed in his demeanour. He’d expected it; Alice had never been someone who sought out the companionship of others, and she understood all too well the value of learning to rely on your own abilities rather then the unreliable actions or protection of others… Especially given what she was opting to endure in the possible near future, it was by all respects paramount she learn even more so to have faith in none but herself. Still, the Scorch was no easy thing to face alone regardless of skill, but if anyone could handle venturing there alone, it was her.

That didn’t prevent some part of him feeling a touch of discomfort at what she was letting herself in for.

Alistair smirked at her comment, a rare laugh escaping him as he lent forward. “You find us some decent whiskey and I’ll storm the gates of  the inner city hellhole myself, kid,” He joked, flicking his finger against the side of the bottle, it giving out a light ring. He then breathed out, leaning back once again in his seat as he casually folded his arms. "... Just see if ya can get a hold of some of the usual stuff, and I might be inclined ta make it worth your while."

Fair exchange was the backbone of a reliable hunter, and Alistair would gladly pay for that which was worth the price. He then shifted his gaze slightly, away from her to the small irritation, that was some manner of disagreement that was breaking out a few twbles away.
It wouldn't be long before things got messy.
"... I don't need ta tell ya to watch your back out there..." He spoke thoughtfully, before glancing back to the young woman, a playful smirk on his lips. "Keep a bullet in your barrel, and a knife at your hip."

[Alice Gamble]

"I will," she promised. Gathering supplies was the least she could do since she was already going out there. Besides, she figured scavenging could be seen as a form of training. She offered Alistair something of a smile before her hazel green eyes dropped to her glass. Usually, Alice wasn't one for drinking - it clouded your mind and made everything hazy. But right now... Well, if there ever was a situation that called for drinking, this was it.

Arching both of her eyebrows, Alice scoffed. "No, you don't," she replied, matter of factly. Then she shrugged her shoulders. "It ain't much worse out there than it's in here," she added as she looked around. The only real issue was that there was fewer people who could potentially help (not that she ever thought anyone would) and more gangrels. But those were easy enough to miss - as long as one only traveled during daytime.