Undercover (open thread)

[Guest]

If all her years of reporting had taught Zarna LeGuinn anything, it was that good contacts were found in dodgy places. And in her experience, the dodgier the place, the more potential it had. When she had decided to pack it all up and move to Germany, she knew she would have to start from scratch again so here she was, doing her job.

Entering the pub at a slow and leisurely pace, Zarna made her way to the bar and took a seat, crossing her legs so her already short skirt rode up her thighs even more. Leaning in temptingly, she made sure to give the bartender an inviting smile before ordering her drink.

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe moved from the back of the pub after she had finished her shift and smiled softly at the man who had just taken over from her, it was not her favourite job, it was in a dodgy area and she hated being here but, money was money and thatwas what she needed.

Deciding that she might as well enjoy the perk of the free drinks that working here gave she settled down not too far away from a lady, who looked like she might be trying to get a free drink also and Niobe grinned at the new bartender who shrugged his shoulders and walked off.

With a smile on her lips Niobe fiddled with her trilby hat, and offered a hand to the woman, the hand was covered in black henna she had done herself.

"Hey there, I'm Niobe Maestas, who are you?"

[Guest]

“New.”

Zarna studied the girl’s extended hand, eyeing the black markings on it with some caution. The girl looked fairly young, but so did half the witch population of Europe thanks to all the beauty charms that were available these days. In any case, age was a number Zarna did not wish to dwell on.

“So tell me, Niobe. Where do you think a new witch in town could make some friends?” Keeping her voice low, the reporter continued. “Or is this pub busy enough to keep one… preoccupied?”

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe cringed a little as the woman didn't take her hand, maybe she wasn't going to be as friendly as she first thought she was going to be, which was only increased in her mind when she in fact didn't give Niobe her name which was enough to set alarm bells ringing for her.

"Nice to meet you New!" she joked, retracting her hand to hold her tankard again.

For a moment she paused, thinking seriously about the womans question, there were some pretty rough people here but they were nice enough to her as long as she didn't mix up the orders which was rare.

"Uhm, well any place is a good place, it all depends on your personality, who you want to be friends with, there sure are some characters in here but they're nice, but if you want more ambience the Golden Street's pub is more welcoming." she said helpfully.

[Guest]

"So you frequent that pub too, I take it," Zarna stated, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "You must have a lot of friends."

Glancing at the girl's hands again, she smiled. Her career had taught her to be wary of seemingly harmless body decor but upon closer observation, Niobe's really did seem to be harmless. "Did you do that yourself?" she asked, a mild note of curiosity lacing her voice. Perhaps this girl would be of some use after all.

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe smiled happily and nodded her head, sipping at her butterbeer she tried to make sure that there was no moustache left over but she wasn't successful and she quickly wiped it away with a little blush gracing her cheeks.

"Well, yes I go there a lot. Well I wouldn't say that, I'm just doing three jobs at the moment, here and there and a little cafe in the hidden village."

When the lady looked at her hands Niobe smiled happily and nodded once more, re-ajusting her trilby and taking another look at her henna, it was a good thing that it hadn't smudged, and her brother always loved her henna, even though he wouldn't let her give him any.

"Why yes, yes I did do it myself. Do you like it? I think that it's really pretty, although I don't really do it because it's part of my culture...I hope that's not a bad thing."

[Guest]

“It’s positively enchanting,” the Eurasian woman confirmed, smiling a little wider at the girl. She was starting to open up, a good sign.

“So, three jobs?” She paused, taking a sip of her drink, quick to note that Niobe wasn’t drinking anything too strong. “And all in pubs and cafes. Did you always want to work in such places?” Setting her glass back down, she looked at the girl intently. She really did seem like the innocent type and Zarna wondered if she should even be in a place like this, let alone serving drinks. But then again, this girl’s innocence could work out very well in the reporter’s favour.

“The hidden village?” she asked, schooling her expression to reflect surprise. “Isn’t that near Durmstrang. You must have a lot of friends from there?”

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe blushed a little bit when her work was complimented so, nobody but Viktor had ever said anything like that to her. But she sure did appreciate it, after all who wouldn't like the odd compliment?

When she was asked if she had always wanted to work in these places Niobe smile faultered and she shook her head slowly.

"No, no I wanted to work in childcare, maybe running a nursery, but the cafe is okay at least I get to cook there. But you know I need these jobs and im thankful for them."

Her smile once again at its fullest Niobe took another sip of her butterbeer and sighed happily, at the mention of the cafe, her favourite place to work, Niobe shook her head, she didn't really have many friends. But there was Viktor.

"No not really, I've never met any Professors in the cafe, I've only met one and that was somewhere else."

[Guest]

Excellent, so the girl knew someone inside Durmstrang. Zarna’s smile widened.

Having learned the art of reading facial expression combined with the words the waitress was saying, she already knew quite a few things. Niobe worked in three hotspots of information, had an excuse to frequent them, needed money for whatever reason and knew an insider at the school. Now to see if the girl was willing to earn a little extra cash.

“Really, you know someone at Durmstrang?” Zarna made sure to infect admiration in her voice. “That’s brave; I hear some of the teachers there are scary.” Pretending to shiver, the witch hugged herself a little. “Who is this friend of yours, are they scary too?”

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe smiled happily and nodded her head, she was very much in debt to Viktor, he was there for her when she needed somebody, and for that she would be forever grateful to him, and she, although she wouldn't tell him this, would do almost anything to repay this debt.

"Yes, yes I do, he's the most lovely man you'll ever meet, why have you not met anybody from Durmstrang yet?" she asked with a tilt of her head

Giggling a little as the lady shivered and hugged herself Niobe wondered why it seemed she was so interested in her friends, maybe she was just being friendly, and Niobe pushes that negative thought from her mind.

"Some of them might be, but Viktor isnt scary at all, at least not to me that is."

Niobe knew that people were different when they were alone, but she couldn't be sure.

"Oh, his name is Viktor Nickel, are you thinking of going to meet him or something? Do you want to be a teacher or something?" she asked politely

[Guest]

The reporter knew whom Niobe was talking about even before the waitress revealed the name. Male, Viktor, Durmstrang. This could only be the twin of the psychologist who had turned up while Zarna was researching the Sweeney. A minute later, the girl confirmed her guess.

"Oh, his name is Viktor Nickel, are you thinking of going to meet him or something? Do you want to be a teacher or something?"

“Oh, I don’t think I would make a very good teacher,” she replied, answering her question as vaguely as she could. “Can’t do anything with kids, you see.”

From everything she had learned of this girl so far, Zarna could guess she was one of those kind souls. Maybe if Zarna asked for help, she wouldn’t be turned down.

“You see, I’m so new here. I don’t know anybody,” she made sure to put emphasis on the last word and schooling her expression into one of sadness, continued. “I don’t have any friends to even talk to. I feel so alone sometimes. Do you think maybe we could hang out from time to time? Maybe you can show me around?”

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe was a little sad that the lady didn't think that she would be good with kids, after all, most ladies would some day be mothers, but she was still rather young so maybe in the next few years she would warm to the idea.

"Oh I see, that's a shame, I think you might make a good teacher, I don't think that any students could say no to you."

The reason that she thought this was because, to Niobe at least, this lady seemed to be a little bit domineering, but she didn't mind, maybe that was just her personality. Who was she to pick at it?

Unable to stand seeing someone so sad and so alone like she had been before she had met Viktor Niobe nodded immediately, she didn't think that she could leave this lady all on her own, she needed her help.

"Of course! I'd love to help you out, and show you around. It would be my pleasure, but I kind of have to know you're name first if we're going to be friends." she said with a happy smile.

[Guest]

Zarna laughed easily at the girl’s last comment. “I’m so sorry, I was wary of giving my name earlier because I didn’t know you. I’m Khirad.” The lie was an easy one, Khirad was someone she had acted as many times in the past. And it was always wise not to give her real name. There was no telling which copy of the Times Niobe might pick up one day and see the reporter’s name splashed on the front page. “I’m Asian, as you can probably tell,” she continued earnestly. “All my family’s in Pakistan.”

Zarna studied the girl from beneath her eyelashes, wondering if it was too soon to make her an offer. Deciding that it probably was, she dismissed the idea for the moment. “Thank you for being my friend, is there something I can get you, something you can’t get for free in here?” she asked in a sincere tone of voice. “Just as a little thank you token, nothing else.”

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe smiled happily, she was glad that she knew the woman's name now, things would be a lot easier now that she knew that she was a person that she could trust, simply because she had given her her name.

"It's nice to meet you Khirad! Oh I see, you're very brave moving out here all by yourself, I'm orginally from Greece you know I moved her when I was a little girl, around 6 or so."

When she thanked her for being her friend Niobe laughed softly, that was the first time that she had been thanked for being someones friend, having friends was it's own reward and she was glad to have made a new one.

"Oh? Oh no no I'm alright thank you, it's a bit too late for me to eat now I'll get sick and I'm not really a big drinker, but you can use my tokens to get yourself something if you wish."

[Guest]

“I’m not really hungry either,” Zarna laughed. “But I would like to give you something, a small present. Hey, i have an idea!” Reaching for the clasp of the slim silver bracelet around her wrist, the reporter quickly slipped it off and offered it to Niobe. It was a standard tracking bracelet and Zarna could get as many as she wanted from her workplace. From the sound of it, this girl went to a lot of interesting places in her line of work. Could be worth it to keep tabs on her from time to time.

“This was given to me by my sister before I left home. She said I should gift it to the first friend I make in Germany, and I think that’s you.” She invented smoothly, delivering every line with the ease of a well practiced liar. “It would make me very happy if you always wore it. It’s silver so it will match with everything.”

[Lady Isola De Belgiuque]

Niobe watched as Khirad took the bracelet off her wrist and gave it to her, she was sure that she had seen people wearing these before that came in here but she couldn't be sure, maybe they had just looked similar.

Smiling happily at the gift that she had recieved Niobe couldn't help but let out a giggle:

"Why thank you! Thank you very much what a lovely present to give me, I promise that I will wear it, after all it would be rude of me not to after you have given it to me specially."

Wondering just why this lady was being so nice to her Niobe jingled the bracelet and smiled once more, maybe there were other nice people like she had been told in the world.

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