Just innocent sunning

[Mystique]

Having found the information trade was looking for, all Mystique needed was a meeting point. And since she wanted to keep things unpredictable, she decided to summon the girl down to a beachside meeting spot. The only clue in the message was to look for the black parasol near the end of the beach. There was only one of those, but the statuesque blond woman in the skimpy bikini lounging beneath it was certainly not Mystique. Not that that mattered with a shapeshift.

[Trade]

The beach.... Of all places, the email had told her to go to the beach. She shielded her eyes with a hand some as the mid-day sun glared from both above and off the water and bleached sand. The thought crossed her mind that she probably should have brought sunshades... But it wasn't like she really was going to spend much time at this place, right?

Trade scanned the beach for the black parasol that she was supposed to be seeking out near the end of the beach. There was one, but the person underneath it was nothing like the fat greasy man she had dealt with at the fights. No, it was an attractive blond woman in a bikini.

Maybe he had sent someone else to speak with her? A messenger? She didn't know. Lorili wasn't sure on what to do at the moment but figuring that if it ended up being the wrong human, she could always kill her subtly and be on her way... But what if Piotr were to find out she just killed a random person as opposed to the limits she usually put on herself?

She shook her head. Lorili needed to not think about him right now. She needed to concentrate on finding Cortez's killer. With that thought in mind, the white haired, lava eyed mutant walked in a confident manner towards the black parasol and the woman under it.

"I was supposed to meet someone here, is it you?"

[Mystique]

"Ah, hello dear." The blond said with a silky smooth voice as she smiled radiantly up at Trade like at an old friend. Mystique wanted to forge a connection to trade, but it didn't need to be one of equals. it was fine to keep the other woman on the back foot a bit.

"Yes, I'm the person you're after. Won't you join me?" Sliding up gracefully into a crosslegged position, the blond indicated the shady area of the parasol that had thus been freed up. They'd be sitting close to each other, but that would certainly facilitate being able to speak without it being overheard.

And given human psychology, Mystique was certain that people would be far too busy oggling the pair or being jealous to worry about what they were saying.

[Trade]

"Ah, hello dear.... Yes, I'm the person you're after. Won't you join me?"

Lorili didn't like the idea of drawing too close to the woman she didn't even know... But there wasn't really much of a choice, was there? It wasn't as if they could hold the conversation in the positions. The way the woman smiled at her, it was as if they had been friends for years or something. She wasn't used to that and it unbalanced her a little.

Hesitantly, she sat down but she remained defensive, eyes showing just how guarded she was.

"What do you have to tell me?"

[Mystique]

"I have the name, location and police files on the man you want, the help he's hired, his mistress and his major business associates. Is that worth buying a little politeness pretty girl?" Mystique's voice was still sensuous and extremely satisfied, like a cat who's just gotten away with drin king all the cream. She was in a position of power, and she might as well exploit it for what it was worth. This Trade person didn't seem like one to appreciate friendliness. So she might as well handle this from the position of strength and let respect come from that.

[Trade]

"I have the name, location and police files on the man you want, the help he's hired, his mistress and his major business associates. Is that worth buying a little politeness pretty girl?"

Her eyes narrowed. She didn't know what to make of this woman and the fact that the blonde had called her pretty unsettled her somewhat due to her personal feelings about her appearances. The only other person to call her pretty was Piotr, so it made her unwantingly blush a bit.

"I already paid for the information with a favor..."

[Mystique]

"Yes, I remember. Quite impressive. You paid for the information on the man behind the killings, this is somewhat more." Mystique replied with a smirk at the blush.

Retrieving a cd from the small bag by her side, Mystique idly flipped it in one hand. "No extra charge though, consider it a sign of goodwill towards us perhaps working together again in the future. I think we have a lot to offer each other." For a moment she was considering adding a flirtatious remark to that, just to see the other woman squirm, but decided to keep things businesslike. She wanted a partner more than someone to tease, so scaring the poor thing off was not part of the plan. Even if Trade was attractive enough to make flirtation a definite option. But busines first, as always.

[Trade]

Lorili didn't pay much attention to the compliment, not outwardly anyway. Inwardly, she had a slight uneasiness as she was unused to them. She didn't think it was impressive, she had just done what she said she would do- made a distraction.

As the woman went on to hinting that it hadn't been payment towards the rest of the information, Lorili rose a pale brow. Was the woman going to ask for something as well? The blonde ended up answering that question as she mentioned it was a token of good will. A possible chance of them working together again.

"I don't need money." Lorili stated, her eyes on the disc.

"But I might consider the working with each other thing if it's something along the lines of the same dealings of last time."

[Mystique]

"Money is hardly an end in itself," Mystique remarked with a shrug. "That kind of deal is what I'm after. I provide you with information, you provide me with a little backup against the flatscans. And I can guarantee you, my sources are excellent." The blond woman shifted her position so that she was recling comfortably on her side, one arm propped up under her head and looked at Trade with a quirked eyebrow. "Is there anything you want at the moment?" The question was left deliberately open, but the possible alternate meanings were left to the other woman's imagination rather than rammed home like Mystique's earlier teasing. Again, there was good reason to stay professional.

[Trade]

"Money is hardly an end in itself,"

Lorili was about to ask what the woman was leading up to but the blonde soon continued on.

"That kind of deal is what I'm after. I provide you with information, you provide me with a little backup against the flatscans. And I can guarantee you, my sources are excellent."

Information, she was interested in possibly but--- Wait wait wait wait.... Backup against the flatscans? Lorili looked at the woman with a somewhat caught off-guard expression. So this woman was a mutant rather than a human who just happened to have dealings with one?

"Is there anything you want at the moment?"

The question woke her up out of the confused state she was in a moment ago.

"I don't need backup, I can take care of myself as far as that area... But what did you mean by that? Are you a turncoat or are you actually a mutant under those appearances of yours?"

[Mystique]

Trade's confusion draw a soft chuckle from the blond. Mystique enjoyed the lifting of a deception almost as much as the deception itself. It was a spectacular feeling to be in control, something the more moralist mutants like the X-Men simply didn't seem to appreciate.

"Of course I'm a mutant dear. What kind of a fool would meet someone like you in such an unprotected area if she didn't have an ace up her sleeve?" Raising an eyebrow archly, Mystique smirked at Trade, drinking in the other woman's reaction with obvious amusement.

[Trade]

"Of course I'm a mutant dear. What kind of a fool would meet someone like you in such an unprotected area if she didn't have an ace up her sleeve?"

The woman was getting much too much amusement off of this and it caused irritation to filter in. Lorili was almost tempted to show the woman that public or no, she could still get a point across.

"Some would assume that being in public would be enough protection as most people are.... hesitant... to make any action when people may be watching. Me, I don't give a damn on who might be watching because if they caused trouble or got too far into my way, they'd be next." The white haired orange eyed mutant replied, a chill edging her tone.

She felt like the woman had possibly called her stupid for having been surprised... and she didn't like that idea all too much.

[Mystique]

"If you were another softhearted fool I wouldn't be so interested in working with you." There was little of the woman's condescending humor in her voice this time, the answer was serious and cold, a hint of the person underneath the mask.
"I imagine your plan would be to take care of me and then kill all the witnesses. Another little blood bath that someone will probably attribute to a madman with a blade. Quite a useful talent, far more subtle than the usual energy beams and far more difficult to defend against. Preparing myself for this meeting was quite the chore, I can assure you." The blond's expression was level and she looked into Lorili's eyes with serious intensity. Of course Trade couldn't know that this display of feigned strength was Mystique's only real defense against her powers, with the exception of a few gimmicks she was carrying just in case.

[Trade]

"If you were another softhearted fool I wouldn't be so interested in working with you."

Well, at least that showed that the woman didn't under-estimate her too much. Lorili's temper cooled ever so slightly. She still remained on edge though, not knowing what to expect.

"I imagine your plan would be to take care of me and then kill all the witnesses. Another little blood bath that someone will probably attribute to a madman with a blade. Quite a useful talent, far more subtle than the usual energy beams and far more difficult to defend against. Preparing myself for this meeting was quite the chore, I can assure you."

Lorili actually hadn't really thought about the blame being passed to someone else. It might have been because she had always taken credit for the things she had done... But, that was an idea. If it were blamed on someone else then Piotr wouldn't have to become all upset and look down on her for her violent ways. She was a violent person, she had been made that way over the years and it wasn't something she could just change with a snap of a finger.

The woman spoke of having prepared for the meeting... The comment made her raise a brow. What kind of preparations? Could she change into a metal form too? Even if that was the case, it would only slow Lorili down, not stop her if she really intended to kill the woman.

"I don't need protection, but what kind of work were you talking about?"

Maybe she could move away from the cage fights with the work, whatever it was, then from there break away from the addiction altogether.

[Mystique]

"I don't need protection, but what kind of work were you talking about?"
It seemed they were past the opening banter and on to talking business. That was fine by Mystique, the game was getting tiresome anyway.
"Oh, there's no shortage of possibilities. Among other things, there are plenty of people who need to die. I think you would do extremely well as an assassin. Or if contract killing don't suit your tastes, you can always serve as a distraction like you did back at the arena. We're fighting a war, and there are more theaters to it than even the great Magneto seems to realise."