threegoldfish:

With a smirk tugging on his features, Jake enters the bar once his quite interesting companion has crossed the doorway; Sterling asks to go easy on him when it comes to drinks, which prompts a bit of a chuckle from a set of full lips - sounds like Whiskey might be a bit too much for that poor man to handle…

—Yet both men end up with a glass of that mentioned beverage, simply because this bar carries the really good (and expensive) kind, and Sterling needs to give it a try at least once.

Jake, ever the gentleman, will pay for the other’s drink, of course.

–

Steven wonders if Erikson really is going to be attending his tour today; Jake said he would, explained a few things to them - all of them - once he’d left the bar and parted ways with Sterling, let them know that the guy is, in fact, an old contact of his…

—And now aware of the fact that Steven and Jake both exist within the same body.

Honestly, it took a massive weight off of Steven’s shoulders, to know that he’s not asked to explain the whole thing of them sharing a body anymore… that Jake handled it, in the end.

Very relieving, indeed. Steven just needs to keep in mind that Sterling’s unaware of Marc’s existence; Should be easy enough to remember, though, and he certainly can handle that one much better than the whole issue of revealing the same-body-different-people-thing in the first place - without having had the time to prepare himself mentally, on top of that.

“Are you going to tell us about Egyptian gods?”, a little girl suddenly approaches him, pulls Steven out of his thoughts. He looks down at her and smiles widely, even leans forward to be more at eye-level with her, hands resting on his thighs as he does.

“Yep, I will!”, he confirms then, voice soft and chipper. “—You got a favorite? Anubis, maybe? Or Osiris? Bastet?”

“—Osiris!”, is the girl’s inpromptu answer and Steven lets out a little “Hah!” at that, accompanied by a nod. “I’ve got loads to tell about him, many cool and exciting things - some might even be secrets that no one is knowing about just yet…” Lifting his brows, Steven makes a gesture with one hand, fingers stretched out, as if he’s talking about something truly massive and life-changing while his voice changes into a playful whisper. “…And you will get to hear about those first!”

The little girl’s excitement is through the roof by now, he can tell, and she squeals out a happy noise while bouncing on the spot; She soon rushes off to be with her parents again, to which Steven chuckles and stands back straight, glancing down at the watch wrapped around his left wrist.

Seven more minutes, then he’ll start with today’s tour.
Gosh, he loves his job!

Sterling was no light weight when it came to drinks. He did enough drinking that he knew roughly what alcohols and in what quantities would have his desired effect for the night. He simply wanted to be coherent enough to be able to find his hotel after this.

And he did. Good job, boys.

The next morning Sterling got to the museum bright and early for opening, he certainly didn’t want to miss his chance for the tour and perhaps a little chat with Steven before he had to go. The man was painfully punctual in all he did. His time management was the stuff of legend.

He didn’t immediately make his presence known to Steven. No, he stood to the side and watched him for a bit. Not to be creepy, that was not his intention, he just happened to be walking in when the little girl approached him with a question. Watching their interaction was… for lack of a better word, precious. It was hard to believe Lockley and Steven inhabited the same body. Hard to see how those dark eyes from last night became the soft ones he saw now. He’d seen it with Eve years ago. He’d met a few of her alters. This felt so… stark.

He glanced at his watch, stepping forward finally when he decided he should join the group waiting for the tour, and finally addressed Steven.

“You’re great with kids.” He commented, trying to break the ice as he slowly approached the man. Perhaps it wasn’t the best time to dredge up yesterdays first impression but he needed to clear the air a bit, especially if it would help him stay relaxed for the tour. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday. In case things got a little intense. That was not my intention by any means. I simply wanted to make sure you were safe. I’m actually very much looking forward to this tour. Especially after overhearing your conversation.”

Sterling pointed with his thumb back at where the little girl had run off to and smiled brightly at Steven.

threegoldfish:

And Jake does lead the way toward that bar he has in mind, not too far from here. They fall into an easy step as Sterling speaks, mentions his work and not having seen too much of this place because of it; The museum’s a good start, however, and perhaps it will entice him to bring said Missus to this part of the earth.

A neat little detail, and Jake’s aware of the fact that his quite interesting companion for the evening is offering such in return for what he’d gotten to know about him - about them, as a matter of fact. A personal secret for a personal secret; Not that Jake thinks that being married to another invidivual needs to be treated as such, but then, with the man’s line of work seemingly being of special kind, offering anything beyond the usual blank chatter surely is considered a secret.

Something vulnerable, a fact which could easily be explored and attacked by certain kinds of people. —Jake is not one of those, however, and he lets out a hum as they make their way along the sidewalk. The location he’s mentioned before is just around the corner, will take them about an additional minute or two until they’ll reach it.

Close to the museum, very convenient.

“You should.” A nod follows, with Jake throwing a glance at the other, accompanied by another smirk. “London’s got a lot to offer; The museum’s a great place to start, though - you chose wisely.” Pretty funny, in a way, that it led to them being here now - and for Jake’s existence to have been… uncovered, so to speak.

They reach the bar about a minute later, as expected, and Jake - ever the gentleman - is the one to hold the door open for Sterling to enter first.

His wife was always a big secret, even amongst his co-workers. Even if they discovered her existence from his wedding ring being present or the tan line made from it when he decided to leave it off, he never talked about her unless he trusted the people he was speaking to. He never wanted her used against him by anyone again.

Only a handful of agents even knew he had a child. He didn’t carry photos of his family. He didn’t put pictures of them in his office. His home life was left at home and his work life was kept at work. Any bleed over was always treated with caution.

“One could say you chose it for me.” Sterling returned with a cheeky smile. He’d only gone in there because he thought he saw Jake, after all. It was a curious thing to find in London and not at all the touristy type of attraction he had expected he would visit in the short amount of free time he had, but it was not without its intrigue or company.

It wasn’t often people opened the door for him, he was usually the one insisting on doing it, so he found it a pleasant surprise when Jake did the honors.

“Thank you.” He said, signing Thank you as well without thinking. They had been working on the sign with his daughter and he got into the habit of pairing the two actions. “I’ll even let you pick what drink I order, so long as you promise to go easy on me.” He chuckled as he entered the establishment, taking in the details. The ambiance. The exits.

threegoldfish:

Once again, it’s easy to spot, the way that man seems to go back and forth over his previously made decision; It’s in Sterling’s eyes, the way they flick back and forth and drift a bit, thoughtful, well-known to a man like Jake who observes on the daily - who has observed for years upon years, for decades, hadn’t done much else than to watch and take in.

It brings another smirk back to his lips, but it’s a short-lived and subtle one. Since his peculiar companion has only been here for a few days - is going to travel back to America tomorrow afternoon, once he’s done with the museum’s tour, assumedly - it is now Jake who falls into an easy step while looking over to make sure Sterling is following him, walking down the illuminated sideway, the sky having darkened significantly by now.

“—I know my way around; Have something in mind already. Neat little bar it is, sophisticated but not too much, easy to linger for a while.” Something far away enough from London’s more darker areas, where Jake usually finds himself staying at for the night - which doesn’t mean that he’s not familiar with the rest of the city, as said; The bar he’s talking about is certainly suited for the general public, just a little more quiet and comfortable - not a club, not really a sportsbar, not a restaurant… not a café, either, just something in between.

“Since you’ve been here for four days, amigo - what do you think of London so far? I’m curious.”

“If I was going to trust your judgement on anything it would be where to find a good drink.” He chuckled to himself, following the man he barely knew through the streets of London. He liked walking through London at night. The cobblestone streets were often wet from the near daily rains and the lights from the buildings around them lit up each stone. It felt like they were in a painting, even if Sterling wasn’t one for art. “Lead the way.”

The question was not expected. He didn’t peg Jake for small talk but the surprise had him pause a moment to think. Finally Sterling offered Jake an apologetic smile, as if the news he was about to deliver would somehow sadden him even though he knew better.

“Alas,” He began, a small sarcastic bow of sorts followed, “I haven’t gotten to see much of it. I’m here on work. Other than a few random restaurants my coworkers suggested and the museum–” He pointed behind them with his thumb as they walked. “–I haven’t seen much. Perhaps I’ll come again with the Missus.” Sterling threw that random nugget of intel on himself out as a show of good faith. Even if Lockley didn’t know him that well it was clear without saying it that secrets and intel were like currency for him. He’d gotten a pretty big one out of Lockley today. He was owed a balance.

threegoldfish:

agentsterling:

There was a part of Sterling, the overly polite part, that wanted to take the cigar just for the fact that it was offered. It was rude to refuse a gift and he had been trying to accept more things offered to him out of kind gestures. Not to wave them off even when he really wanted them just to not trouble someone. It’s an offering. He hesitated a moment, hands still shoved into his pants pockets, and stared at the cigar with an expression someone who was fresh on a diet might give a donut. Finally, he closed his eyes shut and shook his head, waving a hand to finalize the rejection.

“Sorry. I… Thank you, very much. That is a very generous offer but I can’t.” He knew how expensive cigars were. The importance of the offer was not lost on him. He just couldn’t come home with the smell on him. He couldn’t wear that smell on him without wanting more. He couldn’t afford to relapse now.

Not when the reason he quit was so important.

“I have no idea what a Tawaret is but I look forward to finding out tomorrow and the competitive part of me wants it now.” he chuckled, loving the small talk he never thought he would make with Jake Lockley of all people.

Still, the night was young. He had some paperwork he still needed to finish he had planned on getting to tonight before his flight back home tomorrow, especially if he was going to spend the morning at the museum before heading to the airport, but this interaction had gone way better than he had anticipated. Despite Jake’s quiet nature Sterling found himself feeling quite comfortable around him. Perhaps it was because they seemed to want to figure out each other. He could tell Jake was sizing him up in the same way he was doing to him.

They were puzzles to each other and puzzles were Sterling’s line of work.

“I was going to get drink on my way back to my hotel. Perhaps you’d like to join me. I still have some work today but nothing a little nightcap won’t hinder.” Plus, he could finish on the plane ride home if he needed to.

But just to add a little but more bait onto the offer…

“I’ll tell you the rest of that Paris story.”

A small nod and that’s it, with Jake recognizing the other’s hesitation as well as his want to not give in right now; The cigarette disappears again and Jake is nonchalant as ever, a previous subtle offering being handled just as subtly when the other refuses, no big deal made out of it.

Because that’s just who Jake is - sleek and stealthy in many ways, easy to interact with while he’s an enigma at the same time. Incredibly dangerous to some, a literal killer, yet a save way out of trouble for others; Someone who remains quiet, who can keep secrets in return for a bit of cash …or another favor.

Another smirk, amusement at Sterling’s words regarding Taweret; Of course he doesn’t know, why should he? Jake wouldn’t be as educated about the whole matter if it weren’t for Steven, after all, who decided to dedicate his whole existence to ancient Egypt… and whatever he gets his hands onto, on top of that; If Sterling keeps his rather pleasant nature up for the tour tomorrow, he’ll definitely end up with one of those keychains - and gain knowledge about the goddess of women and children.

“—Never been one to shy away from being offered a drink.” Jake enjoys his Whiskey, and since Sterling certainly turns out to be much less frightening than Steven had made him seem, he’s very much okay with staying around for a bit longer; He would’ve gotten himself a drink or two anyways, why not share the occasion with that guy he hasn’t seen in whole decade? Interesting that man is, after all, and that Paris-story certainly sounds intriguing all by himself. So Jake chuckles, smirk widening, before he makes a gesture with one of his gloved hands - inviting his companion to lead the way.

“Got a place in mind? There’s a few to chose from.”

There was relief when Jake quietly tucked the cigar back into his jacket and yet he hesitated still. His mind waffled back and forth between his answer and the offer before he decided to stay resolute and stick to his guns.

It wasn’t menthol anyway. That’s what the real fix was. The smell of his mother’s cigarettes always brought him to a safer place, even if he wasn’t sure where that place was. Perhaps it was a time where the only choice he had to make was to be good. There was still stress there but it was a quiet stress and with his mother’s relief brought about by the cigarette there was a lack of tension in the home.

Huh. He’d never really thought about the emotional side of why the smell calmed him until now. He didn’t go much thinking back to then until recently. What kept bringing him back there?

“I’ve only been in London–” Sterling paused and looked down at the date on his watch to double check, “–four days. I’d love to find out a good place to get a drink from a local. If I’m only going to have one drink tonight before I leave for America tomorrow afternoon I might as well make it good.”

threegoldfish:

Oh, Jake did not mean to imply that Sterling was stalking him; He does, however, lift a brow when the other mentions such, prompting an unspoken ’were you?’ to appear within dark eyes, playful, crows feet at the corners deepening ever so slightly - complete with another, curious tilt of a head.

As said, quite nice from that man to worry so much - to keep Jake in mind, wanting to pay him back for what he did a decade ago by offering certain liberties and exceptions, as Sterling calls such things himself, should Jake have found himself stuck in a spiderweb of sorts.
Thankfully, though, Jake’s educated, knows how to savely traverse the dark parts of London (and other cities), remain under the radar; Sure thing, there’s no guarantee for him to ever remain untouched by the hands of law, but… well, so far so good. Lucky skilled him, indeed.

The other man’s gaze, the way he seems to be… eager for something there, is noted - has been ever since Jake had taken the first drag of his cigar. An expression of something very much familiar is there, something he can relate to; Should perhaps be ignored, especially since Sterling said himself that he’d stopped indulging a while ago, after all. Yet one of Jake’s gloved hand wanders, slips out of those pockets, toward another on the inside, where the rest of his cigar isn’t currently being stored.

A single cigarette in perfect condition is pulled from the depths, held up in a subtle gesture, out of sight enough for the other to either latch onto or wave him off, complete with a cocked brow in a silent question. Granted, it isn’t a menthol one - Jake would never commit such a hideous crime, he knows where to stop, after all - but… it’s something. His secret stash, should he be out of cigars one day and crave the nicotine.

Easy to replace that one, so he’s offering it - entertained, in one way, but very much a gesture of solidarity on another.

“Being paralyzed doesn’t sound like fun, I agree.” Whatever must’ve happened to that man there - Jake’s curious, but he doesn’t ask, has long since realized that the organization the other works for must be of special kind. To better not be mentioned, possibly. “Visiting a museum, certainly a welcomed change from the usual. You might even end up becoming the proud owner of a Taweret-keychain, depending on how much Steven likes you at the end of the tour.”

Smirk widening, Jake tilts his head the other way.

“No te preocupes, amigo - I’ve got time. The whole night, to be precise.” The night is his domain, and he’s free to decide how much of it he wants to spend out and about or… inside their apartment. As long as he brings the body home early enough for them to catch a good few hours of sleep, he’s fine - and, lucky them, Steven’s shift starts late tomorrow, he gets to sleep in a little.
“How about you? Any plans?”

There was a part of Sterling, the overly polite part, that wanted to take the cigar just for the fact that it was offered. It was rude to refuse a gift and he had been trying to accept more things offered to him out of kind gestures. Not to wave them off even when he really wanted them just to not trouble someone. It’s an offering. He hesitated a moment, hands still shoved into his pants pockets, and stared at the cigar with an expression someone who was fresh on a diet might give a donut. Finally, he closed his eyes shut and shook his head, waving a hand to finalize the rejection.

“Sorry. I… Thank you, very much. That is a very generous offer but I can’t.” He knew how expensive cigars were. The importance of the offer was not lost on him. He just couldn’t come home with the smell on him. He couldn’t wear that smell on him without wanting more. He couldn’t afford to relapse now.

Not when the reason he quit was so important.

“I have no idea what a Tawaret is but I look forward to finding out tomorrow and the competitive part of me wants it now.” he chuckled, loving the small talk he never thought he would make with Jake Lockley of all people.

Still, the night was young. He had some paperwork he still needed to finish he had planned on getting to tonight before his flight back home tomorrow, especially if he was going to spend the morning at the museum before heading to the airport, but this interaction had gone way better than he had anticipated. Despite Jake’s quiet nature Sterling found himself feeling quite comfortable around him. Perhaps it was because they seemed to want to figure out each other. He could tell Jake was sizing him up in the same way he was doing to him.

They were puzzles to each other and puzzles were Sterling’s line of work.

“I was going to get drink on my way back to my hotel. Perhaps you’d like to join me. I still have some work today but nothing a little nightcap won’t hinder.” Plus, he could finish on the plane ride home if he needed to.

But just to add a little but more bait onto the offer…

“I’ll tell you the rest of that Paris story.”

threegoldfish:

A lack of order. Fits, in some ways, yes, but then, it doesn’t at the same time; In Jake’s humble opinion, they’re in perfect order, all things considered - Marc went through trauma, and Steven, as well as Jake, appeared to keep him safe. One is soft, the other is tough, and Marc is somewhere in the middle - balances everything out in a rather neat manner, doesn’t it?

So, disorder - to them - doesn’t fit with the description of who they are, and how they work. Sure, deep confusion as well as a certain mess-up of one’s existence (kindly worded) is included within the whole deal of them being here, but… they managed to figure stuff out, dealing well with one another in each and every sense; Turned into a perfect circle, in the end.

That being said, this is what Jake thinks about the whole deal - referring to the system he is a part of only, not to anyone else’s.

—However, media is the real enemy, hard agree on that one. A lot of misinformation’s hidden there - some not even so perfectly hidden, all things considered - and people are simple-minded enough to believe in almost everything they see without asking questions, doing research on their own.

Ah, well. It is what it is.

Another drag of his cigar, with Jake leaning his head back a bit as he exhales into the night, watches the plume of smoke dissolve as the smirk on his lips persists; A chuckle follows, amused, as another brow is lifted, accompanied by a shrug.

“I guess it really doesn’t, huh.” A brief pause. “Funny, considering that I like to handle the real bad boys; One could call me a… middle-man of sorts, maybe. —Hm. Interesting thought to have.”
It is, all things considered. Jake wouldn’t call himself bad, just because he acts in ways considered illegal; There’s a scale existing, and he’s the one balancing somewhere in the middle, leaning more toward the dark side by needing to reach the very same side in order to take away some of the weight. —Quite poetic that one is.

Another breath is taken, and Jake finally decides he’s done with his cigar for the night. Not one to let the rest of his guilty pleasure go to waste, he looks around himself, spots a nearby brick wall; One step closer, and when within reach, he presses the glinting tip of said cigar against the rough surface until the fire’s put out.

Then he hums, holds the thing for a bit longer between his gloved fingers to make sure it cools off enough. Doesn’t want to burn a hole in his own jacket here; It was expensive too, after all, as almost everything is he’s currently wearing.

“—Did not expect to see me, yet decided to reach out.” To Steven, Jake means. One last glance at his cigar, then he puts it back into the inside pocket of his jacket, turns around to face Sterling once more. An expression of curiosity lingers on his features, accompanied by another slight tilt of his head, gloved hands disppearing into the pockets of his jacket this time as he gets back into a more comfortable stance. “Kept me in mind, despite it all, even though it’s been ten years. Could’ve watched me - Steven - from a distance, but you were eager enough - and now here we are.”

Amused, again, and Jake chuckles. It’s almost… adorable, in a way, to have a man think so highly of him that he’d been ready to accept a change of plans the minute he’d spotted a familiar figure.

Makes Jake feel kind of proud - he’d left behind an impression, obviously so. Feels rewarding.

“—You’ll even get a free tour out of it, on top of it all - a presentation about ancient kitties and sarcophagi. Quite the interesting trip you’re on, I have to agree.”
The smirk on Jake’s lips widens, even shows a row of teeth now as the crows feet around Jake’s eyes deepen with the motion.

Sterling tilted his head ever so slightly as Jake spoke. It was a quizzical look but one of subtle amusement.

“You make it sound like I was stalking you.” He chuckled. “After you helped us out, even in… illegal ways, I kept an ear out for your name on any meeting or paperwork or wanted postings. I wanted to make sure if you ever got on the wrong radars that you were given… certain exceptions and liberties for your service to us when we needed it. That’s all. When I happened to see you, or rather Steven, I was curious. Then it shifted to making sure Steven was alright. Don’t get me wrong. This has made it a rather exciting work trip to London but your competition for most exciting part of the trip was paperwork so you’re miles ahead no matter what.”

Sterling gestured with his hand while he spoke but when he was done he shoved it into his jacket pocket again. It felt strange talking to openly about business and mental disorders on the street, even as empty as it was at the moment. It’s one of the reasons he didn’t mention his place of employment. SHIELD didn’t exactly have the best relationship with the public since Hydra tried to execute millions with their helicarriers.

“But yes. First time I went to Paris I was paralyzed two of the three hours I was there. A free tour of an Egyptian museum is quite a highlight for my first trip to London. It’s the little things in life you gotta really cling to.”

Fuck, he wanted a cigarette.

“So how long do you get the body for to meet me? Ya’ll got routine I’m interrupting?”

threegoldfish:

An interesting take the man in front of him has on the world they live in; Seeing it as a perfect recipe for a man like Jake to be, and… as he thinks about it, that might be true, in a way. Everyone’s fucked, in one way or another - either because the planet seems to be falling apart further and further the longer mankind exists, or because they are very far from being normal and struggle through their own existence.

Many heroes, as some like to call themselves. People with powers, man-made or nature-given. Many who cannot deal with it, many who try to deal with it for them. Huh.

Jake hums out a somewhat thoughtful noise again as he takes another drag, tilts his head to one side, thinking. Well, perhaps Sterling’s right with that one; And yet most people don’t understand what D.I.D is, or why it exists. Would rather been told that someone’s able to shoot lasers from their eyes than to listen to a man explain that a child once went through so much trauma that their soul split into fragments which now live within a shared body.

“Honestly, amigo? We don’t care about whatever’s appropriate or not. Terminology-wise, I mean.” Dark brown eyes wander back to the man next to him, with Jake offering a somewhat amused gaze as they lock eyes. He knows what Sterling is talking about, what he’s hinting at. “—We just think that the term ‘disorder’ is making our condition sound… too negative. We’re alive because of it, after all.” Yeah, that. Jake arches a brow, not at all visually affected or offended by anything that has just been said - from both himself or the other, as a matter of fact. Just doing some casual talk.

“Besides that - you do you.” Gloved fingers slips from the pocket of his pants, a simple wave of his hand, before they disappear again. “We have heard, and seen, a lot.”

A smirk then, one of many, with Jake taking one more drag of aromatic smoke. He looks down at his cigar, contemplating whether he’s done for now or not, shrugs to himself as he cocks his hips and tips more ash away from his guilty pleasure.

“Funny, huh? —Gotta ask Steven about that one.” The smirk widens, with Jake tilting his head toward Sterling as his gaze returns to the other, amusement persisting. “Don’t think he thought of you as funny earlier, all things considered. But… I’m sure you’ll get a chance to redeem yourself. I made it easier, already - told you about us. He doesn’t have to do that bit anymore.”

A big step, with Steven not needing to be worried about accidentally saying too much. He can relax now, next time he faces Sterling again for that museum tour he’s going to give tomorrow.

“However, you might be in luck when to comes to me; I’m quite entertained, all things considered. An interesting conversation we’re having here, isn’t it?”

It was true. Even in a world where super humans were common place, where aliens rained from the sky, and science could create suits of armor capable of going toe to toe with gods, it was mental health and the dangers of not seeking help that people thought were a myth.

Sterling tried not to look too desperate for a good whiff of the man’s cigar. It had only been three years since he had gone basically cold turkey on smoking but there were certain parts of the habit that still very much stuck with him and that he secretly craved. Sometimes he visited Agent Miller just to take in the smell of his office or his clothes. It was familiar. Comforting in way most didn’t understand.

“Well, a disorder is a lack of order. In most medical cases that makes sense but for this one…” Sterling paused to think about it. “Yeah. Makes it seem far too negative. Honestly, media is the real enemy. Most shows and movies that feature it have some horror element to it. Then again, your profession doesn’t do it much justice either.” Sterling grinned, making a joke. He wasn’t sure they were quite there in terms of friendly banter, even if Jake agreed that he was funny.

So Steven may not have thought he was funny, eh? That brought up an interesting clue and Sterling tilted his head slightly as Jake spoke. Sterling had said alters love him because he’s funny. Was Jake admitting that Steven was also an alter or was he reading too much into it? Him being funny and alters loving him were two separate phrases. He’d have to keep looking for clues on that one if he didn’t outright ask. His theory that there were more than just the two of them in there was starting to hold water.

“No worries. I have a feeling I’ll win him over. The Egyptians and I share of love of cats. The sphinx exhibit is going to be quite a discussion for us both.” Sterling chuckled, gave a sigh of relief, and scratched his nose with his thumb nail.

“I’ll admit, this is not a conversation I thought I’d be having today and you are the last person I expected to see on my rare trip to London, but the surprise of it alone has made it quite interesting. The topic bumps it up to downright riveting.”

threegoldfish:

Marlboro menthols, huh? Jake cannot help it, he has to scrunch his nose a bit at that; From all the possible choices that guy could’ve gone with to feed his addiction, he decided to go with Marlboro menthol.

Well, it… fits him, in an odd way. Looking at Sterling, Jake sees him as that kind of man to smoke a menthol one. Yet, he can imagine the scent; It’s doing nothing for him, the opposite actually, and Jake is quite thankful for the other to not smoke right now - would disturb the distinct, nice aroma of his own cigar, after all. Much more rich, much more well-balanced, warm and wooden and a little sweet, next to all the smoky; That’s what Jake likes, what he thinks is sophisticated, on top of that.

However, the part about Sterling craving a smoke to this day is understood - Jake certainly is addicted, and since he shares a body with his two partners, they might be as well. In fact, it surprises him that Steven never fell for it, especially not now, with Jake fronting a lot more than he did when the others weren’t aware of him. Funny enough, Marc is addicted as well; He does not admit such, but he’s the one to ask Jake to share a drag or two with him whenever Steven’s asleep in their mind, unaware of Marc being a bad boy, as he’s portraying himself as a non-smoker, after all.

Jake’s smirk widens a little, amused, as he keeps thinking about it - gaze averted, just lingering on some imaginary point as the cigar is brought back up to his mouth, another intake of smoke following soon after.

…Then, he chuckles. The motion causes plumes of smoke to escape his nostrils, with him arching a brow as he tilts his nead and even offers a nod; Head lowering a bit, taking in the sight of the concrete beneath his expensive dress shoes.

“—Steven’s certainly not good at it - keeping a cool head.” Agreement here, with Jake glancing back up as he moves his free hand, taps his temple. “Too much anxiety going on in there. —I think you also overwhelmed him a bit there; Innocent thing, has never really been confronted in such a way before.”

Head lifting again, with Jake standing straight, he folds his one arm over his chest - causing his tie to get a little crumpled up in the process - and then continues to smoke his cigar, blowing tobacco into the air, soft gushes of wind carrying the scent away.

“I’m impressed.” An acknowledgement, and Jake’s actually serious; His gaze even… lightens up, somewhat, not as dark anymore but certainly still his sharp self. Assessing, watching, brown irises lingering on Sterling again - his features. “You arrived early, to prove your own point. Tal como lo haría un verdadero agente.”

And, as Sterling mentions the whole safety-thing… Jake’s gaze actually softens even further, makes him feel thoughtful for a second there. Perhaps a little… guilty, even? But it’s only there for a brief moment, said thoughtfulness covering it up.
That’s awfully caring, isn’t it? That the other really wanted to make sure Steven isn’t held hostage in any way, or…forced into stuff.

“No offense taken.” A nod. “I appreciate that you looked out for him.”
Jake does. Genuine, again.
“He’s safe, I’m making sure of it.”
Literally, but Jake doesn’t elaborate on it. He just takes another breath, then goes on.

“—So, you have experience when it comes to D.I.D. …Yeah, explains a few things, definitely. Most don’t - not in a world like the one we live in. Easier to tell someone you’re possessed - or an alien - than to tell about a mental…—”
An odd break there, with Jake blinking as he knits his brows.
“…A mental state.”, he finishes. Hates to call what they have a disorder, as, for him, it’s the most beautiful thing that could’ve happened to them, honestly. To him. To his life.

Jake, though quiet, was extremely expressive with his body. He spoke volumes without uttering a single word if you knew how to read the cues. Sterling wasn’t as well versed as some of his colleagues but it seemed as though he had caught the man’s attention. He wasn’t sure if that was his own intention or not but it didn’t seem like a negative. He would take it.

Again, Sterling didn’t know Spanish, but he caught the word Agente and he certainly made an assumption. Was his cover blown? It seemed his assessment of the boys had revealed his own profession in the process. Well, you can’t expose others without exposing yourself a little too, he supposed.

Sterling watched Jake closely as he spoke, of being impressed. Of Steven. So, he was a protector alter. Protective over Steven? So, did that make Steven…? No, he couldn’t make assumptions. Two personalities was rare. Odds were the man was fragmented at least once more from what he’d heard.

“For me, a world like one we live in is the exact right recipe for for such a… mental state.” Sterling took a page out of Jake’s book, not wanting to call the disorder something he himself wouldn’t call it. “We collect… for lack of better term, broken people, it seems. There was bound to be one among us eventually.” He still hadn’t revealed who it was he worked for, either back then or now. “Again, no offense. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to someone with D.I.D. so I don’t know the current acceptable terminology. I’d be willing to learn. From you, Steven, or… Someone else.”

It wasn’t exactly the strangest conversation he’d had on the street at night. Certainly the strangest he’d had in London as he didn’t visit that often, for business or otherwise. Had some weird experiences in Paris though.

That was a story for another day though.

Before he could stop himself, Sterling decided to throw in a little dry humor to further lighten things from cautiously tense to acceptable comfort level. “Apparently Alters love me. I’m very funny if you hadn’t already realized.”

threegoldfish:

It doesn’t surprise him when Sterling watches, speaks out the question into the air between them; As said, Jake’s had a hunch that the other seems to suspect a thing, if not only for the fact that Steven and Jake very much look alike, when the obvious man-made differences - choices of attire, behavior - are removed to only leave the body behind.

And where most people would assume them to be twins, perhaps - as most do not even know about D.I.D existing as a mental disorder, a possibility - Sterling seems to be experienced in a way that reaches beyond what the average human possesses. The inquiry about the smoke, about Steven perhaps sharing the addiction, is reaching so much further than it would if it wasn’t intentionally poking at the truth, a careful approach yet very much insistent.

—And Jake smirks again, so much so that a hint of upper teeth peeks from between his lips. Dark eyes linger for a moment on the now familiar one, but then they begin to roam again; Sliding along trees and buildings, the sky above them that slowly turns from blue to orange, violet and dark blue again - the more time passes, the deeper those colors become.

Then, Jake exhales - it’s a chuckle, breathy and without any noise attached to it, as his gaze sinks to the cigar held between gloved fingertips. He gives the guilty pleasure a tap to make ash fall from the tip, taken away by a breeze, before another, deep drag is taken - lips wrapping around the paper, holding on.

There’s no need to deny anything. Sterling has already figured it out.

“—You know a thing or two, I can tell.” Jake’s amused, still, his voice gentle and soft but also a little curious as his gaze flicks over to the man in question, looking.
Why not sate this guy’s curiosity, then?
“No, Steven ain’t a smoker. Doesn’t feel a craving for it, either; Tends to complain about the scent sometimes. More so when I smoke cigarettes; Happens rarely, though. Prefer something more sophisticated than those.”

Sophisticated and expensive, truly. Jake likes to spend a pretty penny or two on his addiction - which is fine, he’s got enough money stored away to indulge.

The smirk on his lips persists, with Jake now being the one to tilt his head in a similar fashion, one brow lifting. Expectant.
“—Why not twins?”, he asks then, genuinely - why didn’t that man consider them to be siblings, Steven and Jake? …He thinks he knows why, but it’s fascnating him, wanting to hear the man talk about it more.

There it was. There was the subtle and amused acknowledgement that he had been right. Sterling wouldn’t have been surprised if he had been wrong, there were a number of explanations and, admittedly, D.I.D. was a big leap for him to make. The world Sterling operated in didn’t always follow the simplest of logic. Sometimes it was magic, sometimes it was alien, and sometimes it was just the broken.

Sterling supposed he also fell under the category of broken in his own way.

The agent remained silent as Jake assessed him. It was an unusual explanation for Sterling to suggest and that had to come with some interest on the hitman’s part. He didn’t remember Jake’s features being quite so dark back then. The sinister look in his eyes coupled with the way his lips form an amused smirk.

He couldn’t help but feel like everyone under that gaze felt like hunted prey.

“I was always a Marlboro menthols man when I smoked. The smell is… half the addiction. For me, at least.” He spoke casually, shoving his hands in the pockets of his tailored pants. “It’s memories. Though… whenever anyone lights up in front of me, no matter the scent, I have to fight my own craving.” He wasn’t sure why he was telling Jake this now. He supposed small talk dialed back some of the tension that had been building at the sudden discovery.

Why not twins?

“If you were merely brothers you both would have told me from the start. It’s an easy enough explanation. You don’t give a look like a deer in headlights if someone simply asks for your brother.” His voice was even and calm. His brown eyes lingered to other things on the dark streets from time to time rather than staying fixated on Jake. It eased his own mind looking away from that look in Jake’s eyes and, he hoped, projected from his own self that he wasn’t intimidated enough to watch him for signs he might pounce at any moment. “Plus… When Steven’s shift ended and the museum closed, Steven never left. You never arrived. Still a leap on my part but… you’re not the first person I’ve met with D.I.D.”

Despite only knowing Jake through criminal dealings and only having met Steven that morning, Sterling took a moment to look at Jake, really look at him, and added quietly. “But your secret is safe with me. I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t putting Steven in some sort of danger. No offense.”

threegoldfish:

As they stand there, the evening progressing - sun setting behind the line of horizon - and as Jake keeps taking drags of his cigar… Sterling offers him the information he’s lacking knowledge of.

And, what he says - it’s actually quite interesting, all things considered. Forged papers and documents, brought people across borders - ten years ago. That actually rings a bell now, finally, and Jake’s head tilts ever so slightly as he keeps listening to what that man has to say, a certain kind of recognition glinting within the dark brown of his irises.

Yeah, he remembers that one, actually; One of the more tame jobs he’d done back then, far from ending one’s life or getting rid of a dead body. That might be why Jake didn’t remember from the get-go - a lot of things have happened since then, a lot of situations been acted out on that caused gloved hands and collared shirts to get covered in blood. Those ones are the more memorable happenings, where forged papers were… something done in between.

But the situation as a whole had been quite a unique one back then, with people suddenly finding themselves criminals, refugees in search for a place to stay. Jake had connections - still has, to this day - and the resources to give them what they needed… so he’d done that, upon being asked to take on the task at hand.

…A nice sum of money in exchange for printed passports and protection while traveling across borders.

A low hum, with Jake taking another drag of his expensive guilty pleasure.

—Steven is mentioned then, naturally. He fits into the topic of Sterling having looked for him, wanted to keep an eye out in case Jake managed to get himself into trouble (funny, really); To find poor Steven instead, a museum’s tour guide now, must have sparked quite the interesting conversation indeed.

Steven isn’t used to… this. To being mistaken for Jake. At least not in such a way - facing a man who had persisted in his own polite way instead of letting the whole thing go.

Jake smirks, the action tugging on his lips, corners curling upwards as he lets out a breathy chuckle; A glance to the side, amused, accompanied by dark eyes trailing along their surroundings with nonchalance - unhurried, unbothered.

“—Ain’t Steven sweet, indeed.” A simple comment, with Jake cocking his hips into a more comfortable stance; One gloved hand into the pocket of his pants, the other holding ont the cigar as brown irises return to the other, focusing on him again. “Good tour guide he is, living his dream to the fullest - talking about Pyramids and ancient dieties. —You have all right to look forward to it, amigo - he’s very enthusiastic. It’s contageous.”

Jake keeps up the challenge in his own way, wants to see how far Sterling goes - he has a hunch that the other’s poking and prodding for a reason here, might already guess a thing or two, and it catches Jake’s curiosity in a very much entertained way.

“…I remember now, by the way. It’s been a while, Sterling - good to see that things have worked out, in the end.”

Sterling acknowledged the recognition in Jake’s eyes with a simple tilt of his own head. So he DID remember. That was something. Jake didn’t talk much. It was a stark difference between he and Steven if the appearance didn’t immediately set them apart enough. Sterling, however, was best known for his attention to detail. Even though Steven and Jake carried themselves differently, dressed differently, and acted differently didn’t mean they didn’t share the same vessel and that the resemblance was, to someone trained to notice things, noticeable.

He smiled at how Jake talked about Steven’s tours. Jake didn’t seem the type to really gush about people or things and the hardened exterior he carried with him hid it well, but he was gushing it seemed. There was affection there even if it was steeped in Jake’s dangerous personality.

Neither Steven nor Jake even attempted to explain the resemblance. That was another curious aspect of this encounter. He supposed he should test his theory then. See if he reacted with confusion or recognition.

“Worked out thanks, in part, to you.” Sterling said casually. “But, I’m curious. Does Steven smoke also? Are the cravings shared amongst you or contained to the individual?” He gestured to his own chest as he spoke and tilted his head with the question. It was actually something that was on his mind as he watched the man smoke and it seemed a good way to answer two burning questions he had at once.

threegoldfish-a:

…Keeping an ear out for him, huh?

Interesting. Some people he interacts with do similar things, but… in a different way, perhaps. They remember his name, remember possible ways to come in contact with him, seek out his services for second and third times. Words spread amongst groups of minorities, talking about that guy with the black car who’s able to do things for them …for a price—

This man, however, does look nothing like what those would. He lacks the behavior of a vigilante, a criminal, someone who roams within these parts of town; Which actually promps Jake to wonder when and how they ended up coming in contact about a decade ago.

Can only mean one thing, really: This man has connections that reach deeper than what he lets on - or he was pulled into some things himself back then but recovered, now appearing all sleek and tidied up. It’s rare that lost ones make their way back up - they usually tend to fall even deeper until there’s no hole left anymore they could slide into, having reached rock bottom without a ladder present to climb back out of.

When the lighter is offered, the flame close to his cigar, Jake lets a second pass, then leans in a bit; He takes a few brief drags until the tip is smoldering to his satisfaction, Sterling even going as far as handing him the lighter for later use.

Pleased with that, a gloved hand reaches out and takes it; Jake smirks, tilts his head accompanied by a brief nod of thanks, the thing now disappearing into the same pocket from before.
“I’ll take it.” Perhaps it acts a bit like a peace-offering, in a strange way.

“—Well…” Another, deeper drag is taken, mouth filled with aromatic smoke that’s exhaled seconds after through a set of nostrils; Dark eyes trail for a moment as they just stand here, in front of the museum, before they find their way back to that man he still doesn’t remember. Jake tries to think of what happened ten years ago, but… everything is a bit of a blur. A bit messy, a bit foggy. Every time he’d allowed himself to front was similar to one another, memories bleeding and mixing into each other.
“...Why would you?” Keeping an ear out for him, Jake means. He’s curious, the gentle hint of that smirk remaining as he looks the other over, almost as if assessing him and his existence.

“If you really did get in contact with me, ten years ago, to do… business—” A thoughtful lift of a brow, but it’s also expectant, a silent challenge, perhaps.
“—You should be aware of some things… En qué radar estoy, Sterling.”

People do certain kinds of business with him. He’s not a saint, nor is he walking along the line of what is deemed legal, likes to branch out and handle things in his very own way. Dark eyes linger, interested, open and stern at the edges… so much unlike Steven’s, who appear more softer and vulnerable - a stark difference between them.

Sterling is happy when he took the lighter as some of the tension seemed to fade between them. Those dark eyes still hinted at a sense of danger, but that spoke more to Jake’s character in general than their relationship or this situation. It just gave a hint of how dangerous the man could be, of which Sterling knew only the tip of the iceberg. The services he required of Jake a decade ago had probably been some of the most tame acts Jake had been commissioned to perform. Still, his reputation did not fail. He was the man to go to if you needed something done and done discretely. So discretely in fact, Jake didn’t even remember Sterling.

Good. That simple, unassuming, forgettable, every man persona Sterling put on was working.

The challenge in Jake’s eyes and, perhaps, even on his lips did not go unnoticed. He’d been waiting for it. Sterling didn’t like making deals with criminals but they’d all found themselves criminals back then. Still, neither Sterling 10 years ago or now looked anything messier than Lawful Good.

“There was a time me and mine were in too deep. You forged paperwork for us, got some safely across borders. Despite the criminal nature of the service, you still saved quite a few lives from wrongful persecution or worse. I wanted to return the favor, if I could, if you got yourself in too deep yourself one day. Remind my superiors of the aid you gave us when we were in need of it. Admittedly, when I saw Steven Grant today I thought you’d gone straight. Would explain why you dropped off our radar for so long. I was actually quite proud. Steven… Steven was very sweet though. I’m looking forward to his tour.”

Every word from their mouths seemed a thinly veiled challenge. Threat. Question. Whatever word came to mind from the tone, they seemed to be gaging each other somehow.

@twofinnedwonders

threegoldfish-a:

It doesn’t take too long for someone to appear, ten minutes before the museum closes for the day; Very unlikely for this man to be a visitor, so Lockley assumes that it must be the one then who’d mistaken Steven for him earlier.

And, as the unknown one steps closer, with their gazes meeting and him calling him Lockley from the get-go, it’s very much obvious that Jake had been right with his previous assumption; He turns to face the other, taking in the sight of him - his features, his attire, the way he holds himself.

A business-man, certainly an office-worker judged by… literally everything he is, that Erikson Sterling. And he’s very much right - Jake does not remember him, at least not immediately so. Ten years have passed since the two have apparently met for business, as he calls it - that’s a long, long time indeed. Back then Steven wasn’t even as active as he is now and Marc used to be a mercenary still…

“—Jake Lockley, correct.” No need to hide anything from this man, since he’s already got the last name right; Jake tilts his head a bit as he continues to look at the other, gloved hands resting within the pockets of his jeans - a casual appearance, almost a little lazy, comfortable. A bell rings through the establishment, announcing the last visitors to leave this museum as it is about to close—

Imagine my surprise, Sterling says, and Jake lets out a low hum of confirmation, perhaps, before he starts to slowly make his way toward the front entrance; Waiting for that other man to follow him, as someone will otherwise come and try to kick them out.

No need for such to happen - they can have a chat outside as well, after all.

He wonders what Sterling assumes them to be - Steven and him. Twin brothers? That’s what most think who have the chance to meet more than just one of them. It’s also the easiest explanation to give; However, they are rarely asked about such. It may sound surprising, but Steven gets less often mistaken than one would expect - perhaps because each of them has their ‘own circle of social interactions’, if one should call it this way, and they rarely overlap.

Well. Rarely doesn’t mean it never happens. So here they are.

“Puedo imaginar la sorpresa, de verdad.” As soon as they step outside, Jake reaches for something in the inside pocket of his jacket; He pulls out a cigar, puts it between his lips, then—

The lighter he’s trying to use isn’t really doing its job, no matter how often he flicks it. Jake huffs, a somewhat frustrated noise escaping him as he pats over his sides - in search for another one. Hopefully. He rarely carries more than one…

He was a man of much fewer words now. A lot can happen in 10 years.

“I admit I’ve been keeping an ear out for you in case you got yourself on the wrong radar. You helped back then. I wanted to see if I could return the favor somehow. Since our last meeting, however, you’ve vanished quite thoroughly.”

Sterling didn’t know spanish but he guessed it was something along the lines of what he had initially said given the words 'imaginar’ and 'sorpresa’ which he gathered from context clues. There was a tension that often accompanied meetings between two people who knew too much and knew the other knew too much. The mystery of exactly what that too much was hung thick in the air.

As Jake reached into the inside pocket of his jacket Sterling watched curiously but didn’t react as he waited for what the man might be pulling out. When a cigar was revealed he told himself to relax a bit. Jake wasn’t normally a hostile force in his life. Perhaps over the years he had come to see everything as a potential threat. It was a bad habit of the job, but one that was keeping him alive, he supposed. Still… This wasn’t about that, was it?

“I’ve got one.” Sterling said quickly when Jake’s lighter fails him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one he once carried for himself when he smoked but now kept for his colleagues. Mostly Agent Miller. He was the only consistent smoker he was around almost daily. Sterling flicked it to life easily and steadied it under the end of the cigar for Jake. “You can keep this one if you want. I’ve got others.”

threegoldfish-a:

Something tells Steven that Erikson is onto something; Perhaps it’s the way he looks at him, a certain expression lingering within his eyes, or it’s because of his chosen words… Steven isn’t too sure, but he still feels a little too seen, almost. As if the other man is able to gaze right through his act, dissecting his existence to try and figure out just how many linger beneath the shell of flesh and bone.

And, on top of that, Steven feels a bit guilty now - simply because the other does sound genuine when he expresses his curiosity regarding the Sphinx, wanting to know more. That’s literally why Steven is here, why he works at the museum and how he managed to get himself a position as a tour guide; He answers questions and wants to cause people to become curious, to seek more knowledge. Erikson is doing precisely that and here Steven is, too nervous and apparently not calm enough to make this happen in a way that it would satisfy the other.

“Y-you’re not bothering me, I promise.” And Steven means it. He turns to face his guest again, expression softened signifcantly by now, brows a little furrowed with that mentioned guilt he experiences. “…I would love to give you a tour. I’m here every day, in case you’re still around tomorrow, for example?”

…He kind of hopes that the meeting between Jake and Erikson won’t go south in a way that it makes the other disappear for forever. It would be a shame to not have him learn more about the Sphinx, perhaps even of all the other things this exhibit has to offer…

Steven smiles, genuinely so, apologetic in nature as he shrugs, then clears his throat. “As said, in case you… are around, I’d be happy to assist. I’ve got a lot to tell about the Sphinx… and uh, all the other relics as well.”

He’s not working at the gift shop today, unfortunately; Natalie is, the new trainee - and while her very much peculiar goth-style attire is not really what people would expect to be met with when visiting a museum, she is doing a good job at selling things to customers.

–

Putting on his flat cap, Jake’s done with changing into his own attire; He folds Steven’s clothes with neat precision, gloved hands making sure to put everything back into their shared locker before he locks it up, entering the passcode that is shared between the three of them. It’s pretty convenient to have such a thing here, at Steven’s workplace - allows them to switch more easily between one another in cases like these.

Steven usually takes the body home before Jake fronts for the rest of the night (Marc occasionally does as well, but it’s usually him), yet sometimes there’s no time for that, easier for them to change place right here instead of seeking out their apartment. That’s why they agreed upon storing a set of clothes for each of them - since they’re so unique and prefer to express themselves in different ways, the solution of this shared locker is comfortable and easy to manage.

Whistling a low tune, he leaves the men’s changing room, clocks out on Steven’s behalf - no need to interact with anyone here, all of that shit works electronically nowadays, so all Jake has to do is to put a little chip into a reader slot and off they go, free to do whatever they want. He strolls along the hallway, waits for some colleagues to be distracted before he slips into the exhibit - turning into just another visitor that’s staying late, the museum about to close for the day.

Steven had told him about that stranger from earlier named Erikson. Doesn’t ring any bells, at least no big ones - but Steven had explained about the man’s curiosity regarding him, Jake Lockley, and the whole mixup-thing that has eventually led to Jake being here now to take over and handle the situation.

He doesn’t want Steven to be in trouble. If this guy truly knows Jake, it means they know him because of what he does - what he did years ago, and he will continue to do in the future. Stuff that’s not precisely legal and usually remains hidden in the shadows; Steven’s too wholesome for that, he doesn’t deserve to be dragged into shady businesses - Jake handles that, it’s his domain.

So here he is now, complete in his favorite style of attire: Dark blue high-collared jacket, dark blue flat cap, black leather gloves, white button-up shirt, black tie, black jeans, black dress shoes. He would’ve chosen a pair of dress-pants instead of jeans, but well, those jeans were the only option - that’s fine though, he likes those as well. A bit more casual but doing the job.

Jake lets his gaze roam along a few exhibition pieces, senses alert, irises soon trail along all the other surroundings as he waits. That man had said he’d be back when the museum closes, after all - should be about time for him to appear, then.

“It’s alright.” Sterling gave him a genuine smile and took his hand to shake it. “I’ll be back for the Sphinx. I promise. It’s nice to see someone so excited about what they do. You don’t miss that kind of tour for the world. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Grant.”

Despite having said he had a few hours to kill for a tour, Sterling felt it was best if he removed himself from the museum for now and let Steven catch his breath. He had a call to make now anyway. Nothing crazy. He just wanted to make sure someone knew where he was going if things went south with Jake for some reason. The museum would still be there tomorrow and hopefully so would Sterling to see it.

He showed up about an hour before the museum closed and quietly people watched outside of the building. He didn’t see Lockley arrive though he couldn’t be certain he hadn’t gotten there before him. About ten minutes before the museum closed he made his way inside and told the front desk worker he was waiting for Steven so they would allow him to linger a moment or two before closing up. However, as he somewhat predicted, Steven never left. Instead, Sterling spotted Lockley. They were unmistakably different. Attire, the way they carried themselves, even the way his face rested made it seem like an entirely different person.

Because he was.

“Lockley?” Sterling greeted him as he got closer, his voice low in case any coworkers were still lingering. “I apologize for all the fuss of requesting a meeting. You probably don’t remember me. I’m Erikson Sterling. We met back in 2014 and a few other times in 2015 for… business. I thought I saw you earlier and wanted to make sure you were well. Imagine my surprise.”

The tone the last sentence suggested he was intentionally letting Jake knew something was suspicious to see how he would explain the situation. His body language was friendly and casual to anyone observing them, but his senses were sharp and his eyes a little more intense than one might be in greeting an old colleague.

threegoldfish-a:

Do you want to meet him?

The Sphinx?

That reply causes memories to pop up inside Steven’s mind - memories of him being inside the tomb of Alexander The Great (yes, the real one!), having just fished out Ammit’s little figurine from the corpse’s mouth (he’s still shivering in disgust while thinking about it), with Layla approaching him minutes later and asking ’can he hear me?’. Steven hadn’t really joked around back then, but… he’d given a similar answer regarding the manhandled mummy behind himself.

Back then, however, the entire situation had been made of something much more dire and… serious, all things considered; Layla had gotten to know about Marc’s involvement regarding her father’s death, emotions boiling to the surface, to be roughly interrupted by Harrow and his men who, in the end, shot them—

“—Steven, buddy. Focus.”

—Steven blinks, finding himself back in the moment; He clears his throat a bit awkwardly, fumbles with his sleeves again, then acts as if he’s brushing some imaginary dust from the front of his shirt (but he’s actually feeling himself up, the place two bullets had once pierced their frame…) - his gaze, which must’ve drifted off to the side, focuses on Erikson then as he offers a rather lopsided smile that does not quite reach his eyes, but it’s of genuine nature.

“Guess you’d need to do some traveling to meet the Sphinx.” A shrug, smile widening before it softens again, “—B-but uh, you don’t need to do that to meet Jake. He’s… around. I can… I can tell him to see you whenever it’s convenient for you.”

Even though Jake usually operates at night, he surely won’t be against being out and about during the day; He sometimes is, rarely but it happens, and he’s not a Vampire or whatever, after all…

…That being said, Steven has to swallow at Erikson talking about… this, the situation as a whole. Steven, the fact that he looks like Jake, that he knows Jake but isn’t really giving any answers besides offering to make them meet. Sure, he could talk about them, about the whole truth of their shared body, but… he just—

It feels wrong to do that on Jake’s behalf. He doesn’t want to cause possible damage to something that Jake knows so much better than he does; A connection Steven is unaware of, but has apparently existed between the two men. What if Jake does not even want the truth to be spilled? Steven doesn’t want to betray his partner or make things uncomfortable for him…

“—While he is surely making things uncomfortable for you, baby.” Marc mutters, and he’s right, but… still. Jake isn’t doing this on purpose - he’s just as alive as they all are, and he’s living said life and, well, things happen. And Steven’s just the one to front much more often than Marc does, in the end…

So he sighs, deeply so, before he offers one more nod, hopes that this will be enough of an explanation - that he, indeed, is not really willing to spill any details or elaborate on why things are like this. Why this whole thing is so… peculiar, all by itself.

“Just… just tell me when and where, and… I-I’ll tell him to meet you there. Is that okay for you?”

Sterling could feel that his presence wasn’t helping Steven to calm down. His dry brand of jokes weren’t working. All he could do to give the man even an ounce of relief, from what he could figure, was leave. If this was really what Sterling suspected this was, he didn’t want to cause Steven any additional stress. If he was wrong, however, he could be walking into a number of situations coming back to meet Jake alone, worst case scenario would be a trap. If Sterling had found himself somehow poking his nose into some elaborate scheme Jake wanted to stay hidden, he’d be in the way.

He had to be prepared for the worst but he would certainly hope for the best.

“I’ll be back when the museum closes. I don’t want to bother you at work. Maybe I can get that tour another time though. You’re really making me want to learn more about that Sphinx.” He tried to offer Steven a reassuring smile but he had a feeling this was just how Steven was most of the time. In his element at work, yes, but otherwise a goldfish out of water. He could understand that. No need to complicate things further.

He would, however, be stopping by the gift shop to get something for his daughter. Even if he didn’t end up coming back for that tour he had to send her something back home.

“Thank you again and I’m sorry for this mess you got pulled into. I promise I won’t be a bother to either of you. You’ve been nothing but kind. I just want to check in with him.”

threegoldfish-a:

It feels a little odd, all things considered, that both Marc and Erikson now tell Steven to breathe, to inhale and exhale; His visitor even goes as far as breathing with him and Steven can basically feel his face burning up as he swallows, then follows the motions, takes in air to let it go from between slightly parted lips…

—That Jake’s not in trouble does make everything feel a bit easier to endure, all things considered. Because yeah, part of Steven actually is worried that, if he were to reveal his connections to Jake too much, it could get his partner into a serious mess of a situation. He swallows again, allows himself to nod, still very nervous and shaken but… perhaps he’ll be able to do this. Handle this situation, whatever it is, he thinks as he keeps his wide-eyed stare focused on the man in front of him.

“—There, there. You’ll be okay. I’m with you, you’re not alone, okay? We’ll figure this out. … The whole Jake-thing as well, whatever’s going on with that. Would be nice if the man in question were to show up - but I guess he’s sleeping like the dead.” Marc shrugs within their mind, and if Steven weren’t feeling so utterly agitated, he’d chuckle.

He clears his throat instead, rubs his palms together in what is clearly a soothing gesture to himself, before he pulls on his sleeves again; Only once a few more seconds pass he nods, awkwardly turning around to now face the object in question - the Sphinx.

…He’s about to just talk about that thing - it’s easy to pull up facts, to focus on his knowledge rather than everything else - but then Steven hesitates mid-motion, mouth open. Another moment passes before he seems to catch himself and he clears his throat again, head turning to look at Erikson instead, taking in the sight of him with a slightly more… well, not really collected gaze, but one that isn’t as utterly shaken anymore as before.

“…Do you want to meet him?”

Whether to offer this is a good idea or not, Steven’s unsure; Marc remains silent, but is slightly surprised about Steven’s approach - that he lets him, though, tells that he isn’t completely disapproving of this. Perhaps that’s because both of them, Steven and Marc, know that Jake can handle himself and almost everyone he’s facing; If this is about him, perhaps it’s best for that guy to get in actual contact with Jake rather than to push and pull on poor Steven any further.

“…I… I could arrange a meeting.”

Do you want to meet him?

“The sphinx?” Sterling joked dryly, trying a little humor to lighten the anxious mood they had found themselves in. Though, Sterling was quite sure this was the mood Steven existed in. He, however, drops the joke as Steven continues.

A meeting with Jake. Well, he hadn’t started this day thinking he would be arranging a meeting with his old criminal contact but the job was unpredictable enough that this twist didn’t surprise him in the least. Sterling couldn’t help bit think about Agent Eve Takatsukasa in this moment. It was a theory, though a much more farfetched one than the others he’d come up with. Still, you can’t spell Steven without Eve.

“Only if you’re unwilling to tell me what this is all about. This could absolutely be none of my business, this could be totally innocent and explainable, but I can’t let it go without knowing the story here.” If there was something to investigate here he had to look into it. If Jake was involved, knowing his past, he had to make sure no one was being hurt or swindled. If it was nothing then he got to see an old acquaintance. Innocent enough, right?

He wondered if this would extend his London stay. If he was wandering into something much bigger than he anticipated.

“Yes. I’d like to arrange a meeting with Jake Lockley.”