Belmont Hotel - Suite 103B
The third suite on the first floor is devided in two rooms, seperated by a door with flaky paint. Right by the main entrance is a small rack on the wall to hang coats and hats, after which the living room extends. There's a couch in a corner barely wide enough to host two people, a single leather chair, a low side table and against the opposite wall a tiny desk with a single hardbacked chair. One square table with another two chairs forms all there is by way of dining area, right beside the open plan kitchen with a couple of cupboards, a sink, stove, microwave and fridge. Through the door, the bedroom is just wide enough to hold a double bed, a double closet and a shower unit shielded by a thin plastic wall and ditto curtain. Everything about the suite has seen better days, but is clean.
The day's closing and still Josephine learned nothing new. So in the end she called someone who might help at different levels. When Cooper arrives, there's already a light on in 103B and through the uncurtained window at the walkway on the first floor, she can see Jo stuffing a number of empty bottles in a plastic bag, at least trying to give the room a tidy-ish appearance. The woman's an odd mix of shiny hair, fresh skin and deep bags under her eyes.
Cooper looks a bit hassled and harried herself, but then again, that's how she always looks. Along with her comes the faint smell of smoke in her hair, and eventually she arrives at the Hotel, standing and knocking directly outside of Josephine's door. "This is the right place, right?" She inquires of herself blithely.
She can hear the footsteps inside, pausing by the door while Josephine peers through the peephole, before opening it wide. With a quick, tired grin she invites, "Come in," and walks back into the small room where she was just setting two glasses on the sidetable along with a half finished bottle of Jameson. "Glad you could come. Did you bring the stuff I asked for?" Which would be two or three joints. Cooper can close the door herself, Jo's already dumping herself in the one chair, leaving the couch free for the other.
"For sure!" Cooper enthusiastically admits, flashing Josephine a mischievous smile before ducking into the room and turning around to lock the door behind her. When she swirls back around, she swings her purse thoughtfully. "It's right in here. You want it now? You look like you could use the extra boost, heh. What, rough time?" And with that, she begins to fish through her purse.
"You have no idea," Jo smirks and leans forward to pour two glasses, lifting her free hand to wiggle fingers while commenting, "Hit me." Capping the bottle once more, she looks up, smiles a bit longer this time and though friendly, the sentiment is far from amused. "Sit. And I'll share."
Cooper pulls out a joint with a sly grin, and after giving the apartment a curious look, she is sent into a flurry of action. The ceiling fan is switched on, and the window is opened so that the tell-tale aroma of the weed will not overwhelm the Hotel. Finally, she makes her way to the couch and collapses upon it, grabbing for her industrial lighter and tossing it, as well as the blunt, over to the other woman. "Okay. Shoot. You seem to have a story to tell me."
Josephine looks a little disappointed, catching both, "Just the one?" Still, she lights it, winking at Cooper, "You people really don't know how to build a proper one, do you. I'll show you one day. If you want." A few puffs are needed before she reaches the first of the weed and a longing smile starts. A few more and she'll offer Cooper a turn as well. Yup, she's the good hostess. A sighing one. "Cooper, do you remember in the bar, when I was there. The people 'talking'?"
"Not just the one, no. But this is quality shit, and I wont stand for you double-fisting my joints." Cooper points out with a faint grin. "I'll drop off the others before I leave, when you're good and toasted." Tucking away the lighter, the blonde proceeds to lean back into the couch, sprawling idly. "Dude. These couches are real comfy, aint they? Anyway…yeah? I got like, some memories about it."
Double-fisting? Josephine stares at Cooper rather confused, glancing down at her own hands briefly. Then snorts, "I'll see to it that the manager delivers one on your doorstep, neh." Pause. "Seriously. The people in the bar. Man. Woman. Weird talk - shifters, werewolves, changing. You remember any of that."
"Yeah, yeah, I got you. I understand. Like…talk, right? Tell me. What's goin' on." Cooper presses, looking for the full story. With a blink, she quirks her lips into a smile. "And, yeah. Double-fisting - a joint in each hand, y'know? Smoke two blunts in the evening…that kind of groove."
"Mmm-yeah," Jo murmurs, "English 101." She sniffs, holds out her hand for the joint to come back. "I know you thought the same as me, that those two were nutters. Right. Psycho. What if I tell you that I think they were telling the truth. For real."
"What, the wolf kids?" Cooper pauses, considering her options for a moment before finally breaking out into a shrug of her shoulders. "I'd believe it. Why not? We're freaks who can read people's minds. There are vampires and shit out there. Why not like…werewolves or whatever. Why, did you see one maybe?"
Josephine nibbles her lip, turning the joint around and around before she shrugs at last. "Last Thursday, when that warehouse burned down. I was there, helping someone. And there was this guy who 'borrowed' this," and now she looks up, emphasizing her words with a roll of her eyes, "this… A fuckin' tiger, 'kay. Huge. Alive." She smokes, shivering still at the thought. "But no, ehm, 'dompteur', you know. No trainer. And this tiger was intelligent enough to help a couple of strangers kill three, four vampires, but leave the bound one, this William Grant, unharmed. And leaves once it was all done. And then later there was the guy we saw at the bar again, and he was rambling -again- about shifting and it all and I…" Her own rambling dies, leaving Jo scratching her head.
"Whoa, whoa there! Hold on a minute - what the fuck was happening at this warehouse? What happened there?" Pure curiosity prompts Cooper to sit upwards, brows arching calmly. "Like, I heard all about that. The 'splosion and stuff. What was going on - what were you doing there? Why was there someone being rescued…" Beat. Then, she blinks. "It's somethin' to do with that Valentine's day thing, isn't it?"
As Cooper sits upwards, Jo takes another drag, then offers the joint back. She savours the smoke and only when she really needs to, she exhales, slowly. Her smile is wry, but the edge has already been taken off. "It has. Not that I've been told shit, not even after I risked my /god damn life/!" So she's venting, at last. "I…" When she looks down at her hands, she forces them open again, with effort. "There was this sheriff, William Grant, who was held prisoner. I suppose. And then Chloe asked for my help and I thought 'hey, might as well get an inside story', you know. Vampire politics. One of the other things nobody's talking about. And then…" Something drips on the back of her hand and startled, she studies the tears.
Cooper furrows her brows. Now, it doesn't take a psychic for Cooper to realize that there is something sincerely wrong with this picture. But, then again, Cooper doesn't really know Josephine. And Cooper is altogether the wrong girl to go for comfort. Uncomfortably, she shuffles in her seat, lifting a hand to muss her hair and eventually reach for the glass of alcohol. "Uhm…this is good stuff." She offers, awkward. "Okay. So you went and like, saved the Sheriff…is that like, law enforcement or somethin'?" Beat. "Hey…you don't really gotta say anything if you don't wanna."
That's actually a pretty good idea and after she's wiped the water from her face, she drinks deep from her glass. On second thought, she opens the bottle again and fills both glasses once more. "Your guess is as good as mine," she shrugs, clearing her throat with determination. "Don't know about an explosion, there was none when we were there, but I tell you, that Grant guy…" She shivers and sharp eyes find Cooper's, "If you ever meet him, girl, be careful."
"Why? What happened, god damn it?" Cooper is loosing her patience, and this much is clear, as she sips from her glass with something akin to restlessness.
Mild irritation filters into Jo's eyes when her words fall on deaf ears and dryly, she sums up, "We killed vampires, got him out. End of story. And there was the tiger. Tiger, remember him?" Taking the glass, she sits back, curling her legs up with her. "I went to see him yesterday, but he pretended not to know anything. I know he was lying. I know it Cooper. But I can't get any confirmation and I need to know exactly what happened that night. And I want you to help me."
Cooper purses her lips into a tight frown, before looking over Josephine. "Are you…sure it happened? I mean, like, I'm not doubting you or anything! But I know when I'm tripping, I've thought some pretty far out stuff too. You sure you didn't just like…take too much?" Beat. "But okay. I believe you. What do you need me to like, do? And, you saw that vampire, then? Willy Grant? How can I help like that - I cant read their minds. That's why I work at Bloody Mary's."
Snorting, Josephine frowns, "Not a drop, not a gram. I knew it wasn't entirely safe and I wanted my head about it. Capice." Not today, today she drinks, smokes, everything she can get her hands on. "I know what I saw. But I need something. Leverage, information. Otherwise I'll never get anyone to talk and I'll never know what I stuck my head into." Laughing softly, she adds, "I know you can't. But there's others. People, maybe the same two we met before. Listen to them. Probe. And tell me what you picked up? Please."
Cooper eyes Josephine now, looking almost wary of her. "If this stuff is half as dangerous as you're like, tryin' to say it is," the young blonde begins, "then why should I? Like, for real. I don't want to get killed or nothing. I'm not afraid of dying but I'd rather not die now. And I've got all my own troubles to deal with, so why should I like, tell you anything and go lookin' for trouble?"
At the first sign of Cooper trying to back out, Josephine stands up and joins her on the couch, stressing, "It's just between you an me, eh. Nobody else will know and you can just listen. Forget pushing, just listen. Come on girl, I can't do that alone and you know that. For fuck's sake, way I see it, we've been doing our shit on our own all these years, it's about time someone got our back, neh. I'll have yours, as long as you don't screw me over."
"How can I trust ya?" Cooper returns, her natural aversion to trusting anyone popping up. With her brows furrowed, she scans Josephine's mind, trying to pick out any sign of betrayal, falsities, and the such. This particular blonde is quite jaded, apparently, and quite unwilling to be used. "How can you trust me?"
That must almost be like looking in a mirror, since Jo's not in a state to be blocking anything at the moment. And Cooper can easily read the need for knowledge and the longing to share at least with someone who knows what she knows, who can do what she does without hidden agenda's. So she tells her, "I'm me. Not superwoman. Shi-it, I drink, I smoke. And I'd do anything for a story. But I won't do it over someone's back, not me. Can you trust me? Can you trust you."
"I probably wouldn't. Trust me, that is." Cooper admits simply, without hesitation. Gray eyes examine Josephine's with extreme scrutiny, before finally, she lets out a sigh. "Fine. I mean, I guess I can just listen in and tell you what goes down or whatever. But, like hell I'm putting my life on the line for any stranger. I don't want nothin' to do with that shit, you hear me?" With that warning in place, she sniffs and downs the rest of the alcohol.
The measure of relief surprises even Josephine and on impulse she cups Cooper's face and gives the woman's cheek a big, heartfelt kiss. "No shit," she promises. "To here," and she taps her head, "And no further. Oh god…" She sighs deeply, laughing now, and reaches for the bottle to seal the pact, "You have no idea how much I needed this. Finally someone who understands."
