Phone conversation between Jubilee and Patch

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Jubilee took a look around and seeing that no one was in hearing range, picked up the phone and dialled the number she'd been given. A man answered but his voice was indistinct, almost as if he had something changing the sound of his voice to avoid detection.

"Um, hi. I was told to contact you."

"You were, were you darlin'? Now, why would that be? I'd hate to think me number was written on some lavatory door for just anyone to call for a good time, you know what I mean?" The man's words were friendly-enough sounding, but there was something in his tone, something dark and almost greedy sounding.

Jubilee frowned at the phone, wondering at what the end of the e-mail she'd received had said. Did she really want to do this? Hadn't she just recently berated other people for getting in over their heads because they had thought they were good enough to go it alone. But...she needed to know what the symbols she'd seen on Amanda's skin meant. The comment Manuel had made on the journals had made her even more determined to find out. If Amanda was going to bring some kind of trouble to the school, at least one person should know what it was before it appeared. The fact that Jubilee's curiosity was burning to know as well...well, she wouldn't think about that too closely. She was doing this for everyone else, really.

"Dude, someone called "The Wave" said you'd know the information I was lookin' for. So, like, do you, or am I just wastin' my time?"

Sound tough, that was the ticket. You sounded tough enough and people thought twice about trying to scam you, that's what she'd learnt.

"'The Wave', eh? Well, well, that's a turn up for the books..." The man sounded amused. "I think we're on the same page now, darlin'. So, it's information you want - could be I can get it for you. If the price is right."

Jubilee raised an eyebrow and wondered how the hell she was gonna get money without Xavier noticing. "How much money? And what exactly do I get for this price? You ain't exactly given me any example of why I should think you're legit enough ta pay."

"If you know anythin' 'at all 'bout the type of world you're gettin' into, darlin', you'll know money can't buy everythin', but there's always an arrangement to be made." The man's voice held a note of scorn, as if he knew fully well she had no idea what she was messing with here. "But you're right, you don't know anythin' about me, or the way I do business. So, let's say you tell me what kind of information it is you need, and I'll let you know if I can get it for you or not, and what the price will be."

Jubilee winced at the man's tone, but continued on. 'In for a penny, in for an entire cartload of pounds,' she thought.

"I need to know about some arcane symbols. I wanna know what they are, what they do and why the hell someone'd carve them into someone else's flesh. And...if it's something particularly nasty, I wanna know how ta remove them." She wasn't doing this for Amanda, she didn't particularly care about her but if it was something that was gonna harm her friends...

There was a long pause, and, then, just as Jubilee was going to ask if he was still there, the man spoke again. "It depends on the symbols, darlin', but usually if they're carved into someone, they mean one of two things. Either a power enhancement, enablin' someone to channel more power than they're capable of, or a bindin' spell, tying someone to a particular magic user. Both are pretty black magic, but I'd need to see the symbols to tell you which it was."

Jubilee paused, wondering if she should really be doing this. This guy reminded her of someone in her past, a voice she wouldn't soon forget. He wasn't the same guy, obviously. The voice though, she'd recognise that kind of person half a mile away. 'You got power now, though. Didn't back then,' she reminded herself.

"Fine, I can do you a fair drawing of them. Got a fax number I can send 'em to?"

"If you've got access to a scanner, you can email them to me, darlin'. Now, there's a slight matter of payment..."

Jubilee nodded, and then realised she was on the phone. "Sure, and what colour of payment are we talkin' about here?" She had some money but she somehow thought that wouldn't be what he wanted. She quickly catalogued anything else she had of value and came up with not much.

"Well, the way we work is usually a barter system - I do something for you, you do something for me. Only you're a tourist in these parts, aren't you? No talent to speak of?" The tone implied he already knew the answer, he just was playing with her.

"Depends on what you mean by talent." she muttered, annoyed at his tone. "If you mean of the magical variety, then no I don't. Something I'm pretty damn grateful for, seein' how it seems to turn everyone who uses it into a friggin' comedian who ain't at all funny."

"Affairs of wizards, missy. You mess with us, you get to deal with the sense of humour." The man sounded amused, chuckling down the phone briefly. "But that leaves us with a bit of a problem, don't it? Young girl like you, no magical talent to speak of, probably not a lot in the way of property of the disposable income sort; jewellry, antiques, that sort of thing... You wouldn't be a virgin, would you? Blood of a virgin is pretty valuable in certain circles. Wouldn't take much, not much more than going to the blood bank."

"Um...well, yeah, I am a virgin now that ya mention it." she said, her voice somewhat strangled and her face fiery from the blush burning across it. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having a some shadowy stranger on a phone.

"Excellent - would you see your way to giving me a pint? Unless you've got some old family heirlooms lurkin' 'round that you want to get rid of, that is," said the man, clearly enjoying her awkwardness. "Tho' the blood would be better - there's any number of curses and demon summonings that need a dash of virgin's blood in the mix, and it's so bloody hard to find without involving a kiddie or two."

Jubilee eyes widened at the mention of curses and demon summonings. 'Just what in the hell kind of person is this?' she wondered.

She quickly ran the moral calculations in her head. She could give him her blood, which could be used for nasty, vile things...a minus to be sure...but then she's spare some poor kid this guy's probably not so tender ministrations, okay that'd go on the plus side. The other choice would be to give him some family heirloom but that'd definitely go on the minus side as her great grandfather would probably kill her if she gave up the jade dragon necklace he'd given her. Right, blood it was then, considering wrath of great grandfather was not something she wanted to face. Besides, she didn't know any of the people being cursed and she certainly didn't know any of the demons being summoned, so it wasn't like it was going to come and bite her in the arse.

"How would you extract it? I'm like, totally not gettin' Aids cause you didn't think ta clean the needle, ya got me?"

"Now you're hurting me feelin's, darlin'." There was the barest note of triumph in the voice crackling down the line. "Since you're a tourist an' all, we'll be doin' it your way. You tell me where you are, and I'll give you the address of a nice doctor type, trained and all, who can do the job, easy as pie. All I need is your agreement."

'Not on your life,' she thought, wondering what address she could give him. "I live close to Westchester, and that's all I'm given ya. You seriously think I'm that much of a complete newb that I'd give ya my home address? First, I e-mail you the drawings, you give me the information and then I'll visit your little doctor friend. Ain't no way you're gettin' even a taste of my blood till I got the merchandise I'm payin' for."

"I'm hurt and offended that you might think I'd stiff you in any way, but if that's the way you're playin' it darlin'..." the man said, sounding anything but hurt and offended. "I've got a Yahoo address - send the drawin's to blackmarketmagic, all one word, at yahoo dot com, and we'll have ourselves a deal. Oh, and darlin'? Think of crossin' me in any way, and I'll be comin' for me payment in person, and it will be a lot more than what I'm askin' for now." The voice hardened, losing its almost pleasant tone. "I'm a businessman, darlin', and it wouldn't be good for business if word got out that Patches was got the better of by a little girl now, would it?"

"You'll get the pictures soon, and ya blood. Dude, I don't go back on deals."

Jubilee hung up the phone, not giving him time to answer. Waiting a few seconds, she slumped back against the wall, her expression easing into a grin. "Gotcha, Amanda. Let's see how high and mighty you are when I tell ya I know exactly who you are."