The Call ((Levi))

[Isabeau Valachi]

This thread is back-dated to Monday 9th March 2015

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Setting: Isabeau ‘s apartment / Levi’s office

Isabeau St Martin: Bo lifted her phone slightly and selected a number she had added recently and been staring at for a while now, fixing her Bluetooth in her ear before putting her phone in her pocket and listening to the ring as she worked.

Levi D’Amico: Levi was on his third, or maybe it was his fifth tumbler of whisky. The fact that he wasn’t counting wasn’t exactly good news. Things were fine, they weren’t great and the Italian had high expectations. He might have been at his desk, seated in a capo’s throne, but he was not working tonight. When his phone whirred across his desk, he sighed, blinking slowly and reached for it, thumbing the answer button with no hesitation.

“What,” he said, his voice barely expressing a tremor on the rage-richter scale.

Isabeau St Martin: Bo arched her brow, not that he could have seen it. "I'm alive," she dead panned, the sound of her wrench working on a nut in the background.

Levi D’Amico: Levi frowned, but before he could think things through properly, he was already expressing his opinion. The whisky was a terrible influence.

“So? Why are you telling me?” He paused for about half a second before adding, “who’s this anyway?”

Isabeau St Martin: She didn't miss a beat. "Because you wanted me to. Or did the maid sneak in and leave your number on my nightstand while I slept?" she said, her accent thickening a bit. "Do you make a habit of sharing hotel rooms with strange French thieves?"

Levi D’Amico: There was a long pause before the Italian hummed. “Oh. It’s you. Yeah, sorry. Forgot about that.” Another pause, only, this time he smirked. “So how’s the leg?”

Isabeau St Martin: "Still working... You do good work. Might just need to land on your door step if I get shot again," she said, continuing to work. "Having a bad day or do you normally growl when you answer the phone?" she teased.

Levi D’Amico: “I’d rather you not make a habit out of being shot, but whatever.” Levi almost felt the need to ignore her second comment about him being in a mood because, frankly, it could have gone to hell far too easily. Instead he shrugged like she might see him and breathed heavily down the line. “It’s an average day. Ain’t gonna complain too much. What about you?” he asked casually, sounding remarkably like he gave a ****.

Isabeau St Martin: "Same ****, different day," she responded with the same casual manner. "Just working on my... Come on you son of a *****!!! Car." she said as she tried to loosen a rather stuck nut.

Levi D’Amico: Impulse told him to nod, next it told him to move that ******* phone away from his ear. “Merda,” he growled into the receiver, tentatively bringing the phone back to his ear. “Ya know. Just ‘coz I don’t always listen to ya doesn’t mean I’m ******* deaf. Knock off the motherfucking screaming.”

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed a bit as she set the nut on her stomach. "Such sensitive ears... I wasn't screaming. If I was screaming you wouldn't need a phone to hear me," she said with a smirk even though he couldn't see it. "And you listen to me?!" She added with the same teasing tone.

[Levi DAmico]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Levi D’Amico: Another heavy breath was pushed down the phone line, this one expressing frustration. “Ain’t my fault you don’t have anything interesting to say,” he said flatly, just a hint of cheek creeping into his tone. “Besides, it ain’t like you’re giving me your full attention even right now.”

Isabeau St Martin: She snorted in amusement. "You don't strike me as the guy that wants a woman hanging on your every word like some fan chick." Then she stopped working and just lay back, staring up at the undercarriage of her car. "But I can if you're into that kind of thing..." she said in amusement, though she knew that wasn't her MO.

Levi D’Amico: Levi sneered and then slouched in his chair, propping his arm up on his throne’s armrests just so he didn’t have to feel so heavy anymore. There was no telling how long this conversation could possibly be, but he got himself comfortable just in case. “Everyone wants to feel loved,” he said in a low voice. “Don’t matter how much they hide it… Just… we all have different ideas of love.”

Isabeau St Martin: She continued to just lay there, half under her car, hands folded over her stomach. "It's true. Both statements. But you can't possibly tell me you don't have women throwing themselves at your feet begging you to love them," she said in an almost soothing tone, her French lit giving a slight seductive undertow.

Levi D’Amico: He couldn’t help but smirk. “What with this attitude? You’re dreaming.”

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed softly. "Says the man talking about being loved."

Levi D’Amico: “Yeah, well… it’s complicated,” he muttered, umber eyes staring off into the corner of the room.

Isabeau St Martin: She nodded and her mouth formed an 'O' "Ooo really? So you -do- have someone... What's so complicated?"

Levi D’Amico: After sighing into the receiver again, Levi reached for his drink. He swallowed more than the burn of alcohol with that one swig, it almost made him choke. “Everything,” he rattled off. “Just… don’t ask. Don’t wanna talk about it.”

Isabeau St Martin: She made a small 'mhmm' sound before she closed her eyes and relaxed on the small board that she used to roll under her car. "So then I won't. What do you want to talk about then?"

Levi D’Amico: “You’re the one who called me,” he said with a sneer. “Or did you seriously just call to tell me your leg’s all good?”

Isabeau St Martin: "Well you did want to know... Or so the note said. And don't sneer at me... You said you didn't want to talk about it, I was giving you the opportunity to pick the topic. That way I have words to hang on," she said in an odd mix of amusement and annoyance.

Levi D’Amico: Levi pinched the bridge of his nose, not that she could see. Still, his frustration was usually evident without any visual cues. “Ok…” he grumbled before pausing for a long while. “New topic… new topic… You do realise that I hate talking, right?”

[Isabeau Valachi]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Isabeau St Martin: Bo snorted a little as she rolled her eyes. "And yet, you asked me to call you. Then again I'm guessing neither of us expected it to last this long."

Levi D’Amico: Levi couldn’t help but give a smirk. “I take it you’re not the average chick who loves to talk about herself either.”

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed out, dropping the wrench she held on the floor. "Oh yes, I just looooove talking about my fucked up ways and my tomboy clothes and my pretty guns and knives."

Levi D’Amico: Levi smiled quietly. “As long as we don’t talk about your favourite movies. I’m good.”

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed again. "I can't even remember the last movie I saw, let alone one I'd call a favorite."

Levi D’Amico: “I don’t do TV, if I can help it. Most I’ll watch is the news and the stocks… and maybe the occasional race. But that’s mostly work **** anyway.”

Isabeau St Martin: She smirked a bit. "Horse, hound or car?"

Levi D’Amico: “All three, really. Horses seem to be pretty popular lately. But then Americans will bet on anything…”

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed again. "It's true, haven't I mentioned to you that I'm a racer?"

Levi D’Amico: Levi hummed. “Mmhmm. You did. Want me to bet on you or something? Or maybe I’m better of betting against ya?”

Isabeau St Martin: She growled a little as she glared up at the car like it did something wrong. "Baby, you bet against me and you will always lose."

Levi D’Amico: A short pause preceded a snort of derision. “Yeah… we’ll see about that.”

Isabeau St Martin: "You doubt my skills with a fast car?"

Levi D’Amico: “Well, that depends… You gonna drive better or worse when you’re pissed off?”

Isabeau St Martin: "Oh I drive best no matter what emotion I'm feeling. But no matter what I always end up pissed," she said with a laugh.

Levi D’Amico: Levi hummed again, acting very disinterested. “Mmhmm. Yep. Sure. Just… writing this down…”

Isabeau St Martin: Bo rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Yeah, sure you are. Guess I'll just have to show you eventually... If you have the balls to ride with me," she dead-panned, but there was a hint of teasing in her tone.

Levi D’Amico: “Ride with you?” he asked, quirking a brow.

Isabeau St Martin: "We have a phrase in the racing world, 'put up or shut up'. Well you can tell I'm not much for shutting up," she said with a smirk.

Levi D’Amico: “No kidding,” he said with a laugh. “Pretty sure they have that saying everywhere though.”

Isabeau St Martin: "Touché," she responded and then wheeled herself out from under the car so she could sit up.

[Levi DAmico]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Levi D’Amico: “Say when you say ride with you… Do you mean in the same car or..?” Levi felt dumb asking that question, but he soothed his ego with a bit of logic, reassuring himself that it’s never a good idea to assume your common sense matches that of others. For all he knew, Bo could be challenging him to race. Bad idea. Levi didn’t drive because he shouldn’t drive, not because he couldn’t.

Isabeau St Martin: Bo laughed softly, running a hand though her hair as she did so. "I mean you, in the passenger seat in one of my cars. You can't very well see my talents behind the wheel if you're eating my dust."

Levi D’Amico: Levi couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him when she said that. It wasn’t the usual deriving snort that he gave her either, but the kind he made when he was genuinely amused. Few people genuinely amused him. “Good point,” he conceded. “So when’s this happening?” He wasn’t sure he was being so genuine then. Frankly, if someone else was driving, Levi would prefer to be in the back seat. Usually that meant he could get some work done…

Isabeau St Martin: She leant back against the bumper of the car and thought for a moment. "It could happen any time you want if you really want to see what I could do."

Levi D’Amico: Levi nodded, humming with the thought. “Well, you got my number now, so let me know when you’re free and we’ll schedule something.”

Isabeau St Martin: She snorted a little. "That I do, but you are the busy one. Don't you think it should be you letting me know when you are free?"

Levi D’Amico: “Nah,” he grumbled. “If you tell me when you’re free I can tell on the moment if I am. I’ve got schedules, sure, but you never know when ****’s gonna blow up in your face or people want something. When you’re free, call me. I’ll let you know on the minute.”

Isabeau St Martin: "If that's the way you want it then, I can do that. Though beware, I'm free right now, and pretty much every night this month, so that's a lot of phone calls," she said in jest, though she was not lying about being free.

Levi D’Amico: Levi smirked. “Well, unluckily for you, I’m at the office right now. So that would make me busy… ya know, if you forget the fact that I’m on the phone to you…” He felt the need to punch himself in the face. Instead he gave the table a soft kick, making the whisky swish inside its glass container.

Isabeau St Martin: She snorted and rolled her eyes. "Is that a fact? I would think someone busy would be trying to get me off the phone quick, or at least working while he spoke," she teased, moving to stand up, slipping her phone in the leg pocket of her cargo pants.

Levi D’Amico: Levi sighed, though away from the phone. Even an idiot could figure out that he was being a dumbfuck. “Well… fine,” he grumbled. “I was working, but then I quickly got to drinking. Ok?”

[Isabeau Valachi]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Isabeau St Martin: She smirked. "Share the wealth!" she replied before glancing around her apartment, she really wished she had liquor to get drunk on. "My kingdom for some whisky," she said with a huff.

Levi D’Amico: “Well, I’d send you a bottle if I knew where you lived.” Levi stopped himself from speaking with a frown then glared at the tumbler on the desk. How much had he drank again? “Ignore that,” he growled. “That sounded a lot more ******* creepy than it should have.”

Isabeau St Martin: She let out a huffing laugh. "Yeah, just a bit. But I've heard creepier." And she had, in her world, there were a lot of creeps. All made Levi look tame. "Guess you'll just owe me one," she teased though.

Levi D’Amico: The Italian smiled fondly at the thought, and that same, strange warmth flooded his voice too. “Yeah. I’ll do that. But, ya know, they’ll say we’ve only got booze and guns in common,” he said gently.

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed and leant against the counter, wiping off some of the grease from her hands. "Hey, for some people, that's enough. But I guess you'll just have to tell me more about yourself to see if we have more in common than you think."

Levi D’Amico: Levi sighed, pushing his sore shoulders back into the body of the chair. “Yeah?” he grumbled, sliding a hand down his brow and letting it hang over his eyes. He really hated to talk about himself.

Isabeau St Martin: "Only if you want, but boy our conversations will end quickly if we don't start talking about something else other than booze and guns," she teased, she wasn't a big fan of talking about herself either.

Levi D’Amico: “I dunno about that,” he said with a light smirk, letting his hand relax from his brow. “I’m quite experienced in both subjects. Bet I could talk a lot. Though, maybe that’s a talk better face to face than on the phone…” The Italian trailed off quite suddenly, which might have seemed odd to Isabeau. “So what do you wanna do? Ask random questions again? I think we kinda suck at the 20 Questions game though.”

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed a bit. "You never know who is listening," she said and then snorted. “And you are right, we both royally suck at that game. Perhaps there's a game we are both good at playing," she said, smiling like the Cheshire Cat, only vaguely aware that she almost purred. There was one game she was very good at, it involved sharp weapons and lots of blood.

Levi D’Amico: “Well it’s not dodging bullets,” Levi teased. “That’s for damn sure.” Truth be told, it didn’t take as much effort to dodge a bullet anymore, and the fact was that Levi had been injured so many times, damaging his nerves, that he probably wouldn’t be able to feel it even if he did get shot. “I’m not really one for games, mind you. Unless you count head games…”

Isabeau St Martin: She snorted again. "That guy got the jump on me," she replied and then laughed as she added, "head games count, I've played my share." She was playing one now in a way.

[Levi DAmico]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Levi D’Amico: “Yeah, I don’t doubt that,” he sneered. “You’re a woman, so, it’s practically a ******* given.”

Isabeau St Martin: "Awwww is that why you're in such a glorious mood that involves a 6th glass of liquor?" she teased. “Some woman driving you up against the wall in a not fun way?"

Levi D’Amico: The Italian was quick to smirk and set the record straight. “Just to be clear, I’m the one who drives her up the wall, not the other way around, ok? But no, it’s nothing like that. Ain’t nobody in particular pissing me off… just… life in general. Work. Numbers. Money. The fact that there’s a disproportionate amount of stupid ******* people in this world, surrounding me in particular…” Levi trailed off with a sigh. He said too damn much.

Isabeau St Martin: She bit her tongue and glanced down at the floor. Why she was feeling jealous, she didn't know. She was normally a heartless *****. But as he spoke of stupid people she snorted. "I could kill em," she replied before she could stop herself.

Levi D’Amico: “So could I,” Levi replied frankly. “But it ain’t about could. It’s about should. Even stupid ******* people have their place, have their worth… Sometimes…”

Isabeau St Martin: "Touché, yet again," she replied, throwing the rag on the counter and walking over to her couch, plopping down onto it.

Levi D’Amico: Levi shrugged his shoulders. Frankly, he found it difficult to argue with himself, so it was understandable. “So…” he muttered with a drawn out breath. “What else d’you wanna chat about?” Isabeau might not have understood it, but Levi was actually trying to have a conversation with her. It was very easy for him to pretend that something had come up, pretend that he had to work and had to hang up, so even though it was awkward and Levi was out of words, he still wanted to chat. That was a little weird.

Isabeau St Martin: Bo blinked at her reflection in the turned off tv in front of her and leaned back a bit more into her couch. It was shocking he hadn't run off yet. "I really don't know, I really suck at phone conversations. Actually I suck at conversation in general, thus the need for liquor," she said with a laugh. "What's bugging you at work?" she asked, thinking of something.

Levi D’Amico: “Everything,” Levi said immediately and without giving it too much consideration. Frankly, he didn’t want to think about work. “Let me give you some advice,” he began, though didn’t really give her a way to escape unless she hung up on him. “Never hold people to your own standards. You will only ever be disappointed.”

Isabeau St Martin: She snorted at that last part, shaking her head. "My life is nothing but disappointment. I've gotten to the point where I am sure that something is going to disappoint me. Or someone. I'm used to it. Chalk it up to just a shitty life and get over it. Usually by working out or racing." Or jamming her knife into the gut of the closest cop.

Levi D’Amico: Levi made a grunt of a sound that could have been considered approval or agreement, but his features were still sour and his mind was stuck on that piece of advice that he’d given her, yet couldn’t swallow. He didn’t really listen to what Isabeau had said, not really, but he understood the viewpoint. “Always good to have a distraction,” he said at last, before adding, “or an outlet of some kind.”

[Isabeau Valachi]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Isabeau St Martin: She nodded and lay her head back against the back of the couch. "That it is, and I'm getting the feeling I'm going to be doing one of them tonight," she said, likely it would be the one distraction she didn't mention.

Levi D’Amico: Levi smirked and reached for the tumbler of whisky that had apparently shed its evil, wrecking nature and was once again a precious angel of relief. “Funny,” he remarked, bringing the tumbler to his lips. “I’m doing it right now.” As his words ended, he finished the contents of his drink and then set the tumbler down.

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed a bit. "That just sounded wrong. Of course I know you mean that sweet liquid in your glass," she said and stood up again, walking over to her workbench, glancing over all the guns and parts she still was working on.

Levi D’Amico: A devilish smile crept up on Levi’s features; so he wasn’t the only one detecting an undertone to their conversation. Well, he had started it with that little addition of outlets, didn’t he. “Well if I was doing that, I’d at least have the decency to involve you. Make you talk about something remotely helpful…” So if he was wrong about the undertone, that little comment was going to go right over her head. Still, he was interested in finding out.

Isabeau St Martin: She smiled wickedly and tapped her tongue ring against her teeth then replied. "Like the handcuffs I'm currently looking at?" she asked with an almost innocent tone.

Levi D’Amico: Levi laughed. “You have an unhealthy fascination with cops.”

Isabeau St Martin: "It's only unhealthy for them," she said with a smirk. "Anyways, you don't need cops to get a pair of handcuffs... Or several pairs. You can get them online."

Levi D’Amico: “I’m sure you can. You can buy drugs off the ******* internet these days…” Levi said with a growl, neglecting to add the comment that it almost made him go out of business.

Isabeau St Martin: She laughed a bit at the growl. "You sound like an angry pusher. And just so you know, that growl, tres sexy."

Levi D’Amico: Levi quirked a brow, not because of what she’d said about him being a drug dealer, but about how sexy his growling sounded all of a sudden. “That’s funny,” the Italian remarked. “Normally you say I’m being grumpy. Now I’m being sexy? Must be something tickled you the right way…”

Isabeau St Martin: "Well, that's because I can see that sneer you get when you do it - the times I've heard it before. Without that, the sound alone is very ticklish in the right way. Do you growl like that when you screw? Because if so I'm going to have to try to step up my attempts to get you into a bed... Or up against a wall," she said with a steady tone, only a hint of teasing lacing her words.

[Levi DAmico]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Levi D’Amico: The frankness of their conversation was compelling and Levi grinned to himself, happy to engage. “You had me in a bed once. You fell asleep,” Levi remarked coolly. “Sounds like a dangerous game being up against a wall in that case.”

Isabeau St Martin: She snorted. "I fell asleep because I was drunk, shot, and even when I was standing completely naked in front of you, you didn't respond. Would you have preferred I play the drunken slut?" she replied in the same level tone.

Levi D’Amico: A hand drew across his chin as he considered her proposal, only to laugh. “Come to think of it, you already did that too.”

Isabeau St Martin: "That was because you told me to." She realized how stupid that sounded, how annoying girly it made her, but it was the truth.

Levi D’Amico: “Well in that case, I totally expect you to jump off the bridge,” he said, smirking.

Isabeau St Martin: "Go **** yourself," she replied with a smirk on her face, her tone teasing.

Levi D’Amico: “Maybe later,” he said with a straight tone. “I’ll give you a call when I get home, it’ll be more comfortable there.” Levi was joking, but he was far too skilled at lying for many people to tell.

Isabeau St Martin: She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I call that bluff."

Levi D’Amico: Levi decided that his best course of action here was to act totally surprised. “Well I ain’t gonna start here… Who knows who could walk through unannounced and screaming like a ******* banshee…” Now and again he forgot that Isabeau wasn’t totally aware of his world, his normal habits, and his normal irritants, a.k.a. Shirosame…

Isabeau St Martin: "I scream like a banshee anyways," she said with a smirk as she picked up a gun, checking the clip then the barrel for a round before setting it down again.

Levi D’Amico: “That is not an attractive quality… not if you actually do scream like a banshee. Scream like a whore. At least that’s arousing… and appropriate.”

Isabeau St Martin: "Good to know, I'll remember that next time I can get you into a bed."

Levi D’Amico: There was a silent intermission before the Italian replied; his tone of voice changed quickly, striking a more serious note. “Yeah, we’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see if you remember for next time…” Umber eyes flashed toward the door at the sound of approaching footsteps, and with his concentration hooked, he spoke flatly into the receiver. “I’ve gotta go. So… take care of that leg.”

Isabeau St Martin: "I'll remember, I rarely forget things," she replied, she could hear his tone, knew to a point what it meant. "I will. Take care."

Levi D’Amico: Levi hummed down the line before making his goodbyes, a quick Ciao and he’d hung up the phone, returning it to the surface of the desk. Umber eyes had diverted from the door, watching his own movements for barely a couple of seconds. Almost instantly he was looking at the door again, and counting, betting with himself how long it would take those haughty steps to burst through his office door. He bet on five seconds. It took six. ****. What was with his luck tonight? Maybe the odds would fare better tomorrow…

Isabeau St Martin: Bo sighed as the phone cut off, pulling the Bluetooth out of her ear, she tossed both her phone and the headset on the couch and then walked into her gym, needing to work off the growing aggravation she had while remembering the conversation.