a guy's gotta make a living

[raith_wraith]

As much as Thomas would have preferred to be doing other things, like catching up on lost time with his mother, doing more work to gather more information, and so on...well, he still needed to make a living. There were appearances to be kept up, after all

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[midwintersgrace]

It wasn't that Mab had given up on the prospect of Harry Dresden as her Winter Knight. But there was only so long Lloyd Slate could hold the title, fractured as he was, and still maintain the security over Winter's holdings that Mab wanted.

She was out shopping, as it were. And not for a new haircut.

Her appointment was under the name of Yvonne Frost, and she came in and took her seat with a smile. Her powers subsumed, her clothes normal for the mortal world... a rich and powerful woman of the mortal world, naturally. She didn't have the tempermant to do the beggar woman thing.

[raith_wraith]

She was left waiting barely a moment before Thomas bustled over to her with a cheery French greeting. "Welcome, my lady, welcome," he proclaimed as he looked her over with a critical eye, trying to gauge ahead of time what sort of style might look best on her, "you are a new customer at my little salon, no? What, may I ask, brings you to Thomas," it really was pronounced almost like Toe-moss," here today?"

[midwintersgrace]

Well, one thing was for sure, she wouldn't have put him down as White Court at first glance with that utterly ridiculous act.

"You came highly recommended," she said, with an 'of course' sort of tone of amusement. "And I have an important business deal I'd like to close today."

Which means she must look her best. Of course.

[raith_wraith]

That was, at least partly, the idea. He'd be pleased to know it succeeded.

He raised his eyebrows and made an ahh sound of understanding. "I see." With something of a flourish, he turned her in the chair to face the mirror and met her gaze in it, "then you are looking for a power coiffure, yes?"

Though something told Thomas this was a lady who didn't need a hairstyle to make herself feel powerful.

[midwintersgrace]

"Exactly so." It amused her, at least for now, but if he took up her offer she would not be coming back to this place. An hour or so was likely all she could stand of it.

She waited through the meaningless conversation until he had turned to the shelf to busy himself about some bottles of chemicals, one bottle was much the same to her. And then, as though searching for something in her purse, she rearranged matters so that a book nearly fell out. Just a book. But a simple glamour drew his eye for a moment to the title. Of all things, one of the works of the Marquis de Sade.

Justine.

[raith_wraith]

It was, really, a simple twist on the character he'd played for most of his life. Easy enough to slip into and stay in.

And his eye was indeed drawn to the book, even as he prattled on about nothing in particular in that ridiculous accent. The flow of words never faltered but someone paying attention would have seen his body freeze momentarily and his gaze flick back to his customer, as if re-assessing her for threat.

Then, he smiles and leaves the chemicals,moving beside her to carefully take her purse, "perhaps we should put your things aside, no? It would just be tragic if something got on them, I would never forgive myself."

How many people just happened to carry around (non-mainstream) books with titles that just happened to be deeply meaningful to someone who just happens to see it when the book just happens to conveniently fall out of their purse just enough for him to notice it? He was willing to bet the number wasn't very large.

[midwintersgrace]

And now she knows he's seen the book. Excellent. She smiles thinly and allows him to take her bag with some sort of murmured politeness. The customary phrases are reflex, have been for a very long time.

Rather than approach it directly she comes sideways. "Have you been in business long, Tomas?" she accedes to the disguise by using that ridiculous pronunciation. "How have I never noticed your gift in all this time?"

Subtext? What subtext?

[raith_wraith]

He bustled about, getting her set up for a hair wash, cradling her head in his hands as he gets her to lean back into the sink. "Oh not so very long, since I came to this country," he explained, sticking to his story as Tomas. "And I suppose some of my clients just love me so much, they wish to keep me all to themselves," he claimed cheerily.

[midwintersgrace]

He did have a delicate touch, which was only to be expected from a White Court heir. If nothing else at least she would come out of this well pampered.

"That certainly seems to be the case," she murmured. "But I must say, I believe you'll be quite the welcome find."

[raith_wraith]

He was certainly pampering her, just as he did every other woman -- and a few men -- who became subject to his ministrations. The water was neither too warm nor too cool and he took pains to make sure there was no excess splashing. And though he was washing her hair, yes, he may as well have been giving her a rather soothing scalp massage. He'd always been quite adept with his fingers.

"Well, I do strive to please all of my customers..." he left that one hanging should she feel like giving him something more.

Who the hell was she? Not a vampire of any Court, that much was certain. And he highly doubted she was human. And what did she want? If she'd come there to threaten Justine...

...well, he comforted himself that she was more or less at his mercy with her head in his hands and her throat bared. But then again, he couldn't exactly do that sort of carnage in the middle of his busy salon. But she was female and he could certainly use that to his advantage

[midwintersgrace]

"I'm sure they appreciate your efforts," she murmured, enjoying the simple physical pleasures his touch had to offer. A White Court in the field of personal pampering. If anyone had thought of that before, they certainly hadn't enjoyed as much class and success as Thomas.

"You have a singular gift," she said, and that was almost actually straightforward.

Her lips turned upward into a smile that balanced somewhere between cruel and delighted. "I see why you are reputed above your compatriots." And that was not at all straightforward. Nor, necessarily true. Depending on what circles you traveled in, and who you might have known some few decades before.

[raith_wraith]

Well, Thomas would be the first to claim he was in a class by himself.

He finished washing and rinsing her hair as he helped her back into a sitting position, draping a towel deftly over her shoulders lest her blouse get wet.

As she was right side up, he smiled at her, "my lady customer flatters me, yes?"

He set back into work, doing whatever hair stylists do at this point. "Might I know who recommended Thomas," sometimes his persona spoke in third-person, it fit the character, "so that I might thank them properly?"

And that might also just mean who the heck sent you, lady, because that smile is kinda weirding me out.

[wild_maggie]

At least the fact that she hadn't been aged appropriately since her death made her able to play the part of Toe-Moss's American cousin. She slipped into the salon with a smile for the receptionist and a word or two of greeting for the couple of regulars she did recognize by now.

"Oh, Tomas is with a client..."

The rest of the words faded away when Maggie caught a whiff of who that client was, her blood freezing in her veins. Even her limited magic, slow as it was to come back, recognized the Queen of Air and Darkness.

[raith_wraith]

Thomas was momentarily distracted from waiting for a reply from his newest client when Maggie walked in. He had to beam over Mab's head at her, "ah, we shall be a little longer yet."

He paused. She hadn't mentioned coming by for a visit..."unless there is something important at home?"

[midwintersgrace]

Mab's eyes widened and her heart, if it could have, would have stopped in that moment. Margaret LeFay, alive. Here. Of course it could have been a disguise but Mab knew better, the way she knew the truth of things in her icy bones.

The two women stared at each other for a moment and the other women int he room went silent, recognizing the potential fallout in their instincts even if they didn't know what was going on.

"Margaret!" Mab siezed the moment first, smiling, with teeth. "I never thought to see you again."

[raith_wraith]

Well if that didn't clinch it for him, nothing ever would.

And something told him they needed to get out of the public eye. Like, yesterday. Possibly separating them would be better but....not exactly possible, not here.

Thomas makes a show of watching both of them with a puzzled expression before enlightenment dawns and he moves into motion, smoothly guiding both Maggie and Mab toward the back area and his office. He put on an amused smile to Mab, "and now I know where you heard about me," he said for the salon girls' benefit. Once both women were safely away he peeked back out at the women in the shop, flashing them a blindingly charming smile, "carry on, ladies!".