12132/A Coffee Not-Date

A Coffee Not-Date
Date of Scene:	06 September 2020
Location:	McAnally's Pub
Synopsis:	Karrin and Thomas touch base about the future, a dangerous convention that is clearly a trap, and the past mess between him and Buffy.
Cast of Characters:	Thomas Raith, Karrin Murphy

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Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith had sent the text an hour or so before. WeDon'TAllSparkle: Hey Karrin, It's Thomas. Think we could get together and get a cup of coffee? There are some things I'd like to talk to you if you've got the time."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A text back 'Coffee is great. Mac's? See you then.' And, sure enough, an hour later, Karrin is already settled in at one of the back tables in Mac's place. She doesn't know what Thomas wants to discuss, but she knows she trusts this place and it's corners than she does anywhere else for possibly semi-private conversations. And Mac's coffee is dark enough that she almost feels like it's giving her life. The transfer to Gotham was better for her sanity and far worse for her sleep schedule. She's leaning across a steaming, extra large mug of coffee (isn't that just one of Mac's ceramic pint mugs?), in her off duty clothing of jeans and a black tank, pale eyes half shut as she just drinks in the scene.

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith comes in wearing a sleeveless white t-shirt and white jeans, and wearing them very well by all the looks he gets. He waves over to Karrin, stopping first at the bar to order a cup of coffee for himself and a couple of steak sandwiches. Once he has those in hand he joins her, "So I got a couple things to ask about, but lets get the cliche'd one out of the way first. Do you like scary movies?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
While she might have been half asleep, Karrin still is too damn aware of her circumstances. Blue eyes shoot the rest of the way open the moment Thomas crosses into the room and before she knows what she's doing, she's giving him a full up and down. Part of her mind would say it was to ensure he's not hurt or carrying any weapons, but it's the same look most red blooded women (and several men) givehim all the time. It's hard not to look. Even if he was her lover's brother. She clears her throat and looks away, gulping back a bit of coffee before he sits. The question just makes her blink. "...Uh... If they're... good. Since meeting Harry, I'd say I've developed a thicker skin for the horror genre."

Thomas Raith has posed:
"Not perticularly." He admits setting the plates down in front of them and then taking something else out of his too tight back pocket. The something then resolves itself into two large red plastic cards. One side with a bar code, the other has V.I.P. printed in grey and "SPLATTERCON!!!" in dark black on the opposite side. They have red lanyards and Thomas says "I figure it's safest to give these to you. who knows what'll happen if Harry hangs onto them too long."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The badges get an even longer look from her, both blonde brows climbing her forehead as she reaches for them, delaying her grabbing that sandwich, and looks the things over. "...First time I've ever been a VIP anywhere, I'd say, but... uh... this is certainly a strange couple's getaway gift." Karrin half teases, giving them one last glance before tucking the things into her jacket's inside pocket, opposite her cellphone, so she doesn't accidentally strip the magnetic IDs either.

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith head shakes, "It's not a couples get away. This is a trap." He says simply, sipping his coffee. "My Cousin sent me about 10 of those, as well as a few DVD's of his...work. Have you ever heard of Darby Crane? The director?" He cuts into his sandwhich and takes a small bite."I have to go of course. It's the politics of this sort of thing. But apparently he's letting me pick folks to watch my back...."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Somehow, Karrin actually now looks MORE interested in the convention than more wary. Blue eyes glint with curiosity, fingertips finally reaching to pick at her sandwich, but the dangerous proposition Thomas has half explained has all her attention. "...Darby... Crane? Maybe on the internet, once or twice, but not...Really. Didn't know he was your cousin. You think he's invited...all the family? I... I suppose I owe Lara a thanks for that dress she sent." Karrin still sounds like she might be feeling rather skeptical about that dress, but it was very nice.

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith smiles a little bit relieved at her easy acceptance. He pulls out his phone and on the Youtube app searches for Darby Crane. It's just a 15 second clip and shows a man, every bit as gorgious as Thomas sitting in a red leather chair. "This is how he starts all his movies," Thomas explains and his play. The man turns in his chair to look at the camera and says "Hello there, My name is Darby Crane. And I'm about to scare the fuck out of you." Hard cut to black. Thomas shakes his head. "He's sort of out of favor with House Raith at the moment. He's been voting with House Malvora."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin just gives a completely deadpan look to the opening of Crane's movie. "...Your family really has a certain... Panache about them, don't they?" Karrin asks dryly, just a bit of a chuckle behind her voice. She then takes another bite of her sandwich, certainly not too worried about seeing any other gore. Movies have long ago ceased to tempt her. "...So...out of favor?" She asks around bites, "That means either this is an attempt to regain some points or, more likely, take out a good few enemies."

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith nods slightly, "Or more likely both." He says with a bit of a shrug. "If I were to refuse, it'd be seen as an act of cowardice, so politics are in play." He adds, hesitates then says "Unlike the Raith, the Malvora don't feed on Lust. They feed on fear."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Oh, so... horror movies, and probably a horror con, is a really nice feeding ground for them. A whole bunch of groupies who routinely do this shit to themselves? Think he invited... both families, so to speak? Then, if you all fight, he can clean his hands of it and say he didn't even touch anyone, just tried to set up a nice event. Not that...it sounds like your family ever really does 'nice event.'" Karrin muses quietly, munching at her sandwich with the hunger of someone who probably forgot to eat all day but is now making up for it. "...though I need to thank Lara for the dress. She was... almost respectful about the amount of skin covered, for once."

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith smiles what could just barely not be considered a smirk. "Karrin, by my sister's standards? That dress was practically a nun's habbit." He says amused and shaking his head then he looks to the ceiling and sighs. "Spike apparently kissed Buffy." he says simply.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"I told her I needed to be able to hide more than one weapon and not in a purse where they'd check it. Turns out, I was right. And... she called it 'just a starter. Something to warm up?' Whatever that means. I don't quite plan on attending many galas in the future." Then that other bomb is dropped. Karrin stops on her sandwich for a few long moments, staring over him with now slightly more worried eyes. No matter how wary she'd been of the man in the first place, it seems she's come to rather like Thomas. "...Well, he has been sniffing around her for pretty much as long as I've known her. How...how'd she react?"

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith shrugs a bit and sighs, "She kissed him back, for a moment, then left. That's according to her, and I believe her." He sips his coffee, "I've been away allot. She was lonely. I get all that.." He sighs a bit, "And to be frankly honest, the whole concept of monogamy is kind of alien to me." He considers, "I think she wanted me to be angrier then I was."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
A slight, almost chuckle escapes her lips, but it's heavier than something actually amused. "...I... wondered that at her, once. If you weren't necessarily married to a one and only. No... pun intended. I don't know how people do it. I think I'd try to murder any woman that came onto Harry now. But...I've always been a bit possessive. Still, if you two didn't talk about it before, that's shitty of her. She's my best friend and I know she loves you... but..." Karrin sighs, setting down her sandwich. "It takes two to tango. Yes. You've been away. But it's not all your fault. Nor is it her's. ... IS it...bothering you?"

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith considers for a moment. "The kiss itself? Not really." He admits considering. "But /she/ is the one who laid out the rules as it were, and believe me when I say following them myself has had it's challenging moments." He sighs, "their is... a difference to me between sex, which I usually associate with feeding, and intimacy. If I would have say caught them watching movies, snuggled up and sharing popcorn, I likely would have went nuclear."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Being the good catholic girl that she is, that's going to take Karrin a few moments to chew over. She uses that time to finish the last few bites of her sandwich, expression still somewhat worried as she looks over Thomas. "...I... I suppose I can get that. Like... things with Kincaid verses Dresden. That was letting off steam and clearing my head on some fun occasions..." Very fun, from the faint warmth in her cheeks, "But Harry... Sure, the sex is pretty damn great but so is just being on his couch or coming home to him at night." She cleans some grease off her hands, daring to reach across the table to touch Thomas, almost wanting to give some reassurances, but then she stops dead cold. She didn't want to hurt him either. "...Sorry. Ah... but...if she set the rules, she doesn't get to break them."

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith smiles and takes her hand. "Unless I'm trying to feed on you, it's okay. I promise." He says with a smile and leans back. "See that's the part that bothers me more then any other. She is the one who wanted exclusively. Don't get me wrong, she was miserable about it. And I've forgiven her. I'm just... not sure what I should be feeling right now."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The blonde looks a little uncomfortable, but she does take Thomas' hand and gives a quiet, reasuring sort of squeeze from her own calloused grasp. Her hands are small, just like the rest of her, but have the callouses of someone who is on a gun range at least once a day and has been for years. They are a sign of just how dangerous the woman across from him is. "...I don't think you *should* be feeling anything. Feel what you *want* to feel, but... breaking her own rules is... a little shitty. And maybe they need to change. ANd you two need to talk that out like adults. Look...I'm not gonna corner you at the gym like a certain someone did to me but... you care for her, right?"

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith grins his little "Who me?" school boy smile. As she makes that analogy but nods slightly. "I love her," He says simply. No hesitation or equivication. " He sighs, "I think we'll be okay... Though I did tell her to warn Spike if he ever touches her again I'll rip out his lungs and use them as bagpipes... Though in hindsight I think I'll turn them into a new accordion for Butters.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
That makes Karrin smile just a bit more, "...If he touches her again, he deserves it. I won't even file a police report." She winks at him, trying to draw a bit of a smile out of the man once more, as she squeezes his hand. Then she pulls away, no reason to be too touchy-feely about things, and scoops up her mostly neglected coffee. "If you love her... just... lay this all out for her. You're allowed to say you're hurt, you know? Don't have to be the big tough man who has no feelings, even if you've fucked a thousand people before and weren't hurt once."

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith snorts a bit and offers her a bit of a devilish smile. "Barely even a hundred." He says playfully and nods. "I'll think about it," he says finishing his own coffee off in consideration. He taps the badges again adding, "I have no idea what to expect out of this. The White court prefer to act from the shadows. With proxies. Whatever Madrigal is thinking, we'll likely never be able to prove he is the puppet master.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Love was a bit less comfortable to talk about than work, so as Thomas goes back to the badges, Karrin exhales quietly in thought. She studies the cheesy plastic things, "...Did you tell Harry yet, or do I get to give the good paranoid news? And...you want us there as public back up or... undercover assistance if needed? I... *suppose* Harry and I can just pretend to have fun at a convention. People do that, right? You dress up for these things? Right?"

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith smirks a little bit and smiles with a bit of recollection. "The first time Harry and i ever met he was dressed up like Bela Lugosi's Dracula... We were at a Vampire masquerade ball at the time so you can imagine how well /that/ went over." he smirks a little bit and shakes his head. "I haven't told Harry yet, to be honest you are easier to get in touch with, and like I said before it's probably better if you hand onto the passes for now. As for your role.." He shrugs slightly, "Mad will know you are there backing me up no matter what, so play it however you feel comfortable."

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...That's true. Might as well look the predator in the eyes and let him know we're not scared. Sneaking around like guilty kids will just be uncomfortable for everyone. So... come quietly armed for bear but smile like it's your first holy communion, is what I'm hearing?" Karrin asks with a wry bit of a smile. She's not exactly excited for the challenge, but she's got that determined look in her eyes of someone bracing for a bit of a mess

Thomas Raith has posed:
Thomas Raith smiles a little bit, "Precisely. And that's why I want you there. Mad sent me ten of these passes. Between you, me, Harry, Buffy and nick I've distributed five of them. Not sure who to give the other five to just yet. Then again I doubt Madrigal counted on me being able to give away any of them.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
One last gulp of her coffee, and she gives him a smile that is doing it's best to be reassuring, "I can...maybe rustle up another friend or two who is good back up. Hopefully we don't need to fight but, if we do, I'd rather do it with a full compliment. I'll let Harry know and... I guess... this will be our first vacation as a couple. Sounds fun." Karrin grins, leaning over to give him one quick, single armed hug, before they both finish paying and head about their days.