#Applexriley:001

[socialncrms]

🔒 Closed starter: @secretxxpaladaiseu ⭐ Featuring: Apple & Riley

The city hadn't changed much. The same cracks in the pavement, same neon glow, same ghosts waiting in the shadows. Riley had been back less than a day, just long enough to chase down dead ends at the docks and nameless clubs, all of them filled with the usual suspects but without a single viable lead. He didn't want to rely on her, not this early on at least. Riley hated himself for even considering it. He parked outside the kind of place where the clientele vanished, their identity turned to deflection. A place where those looking for anonymity could find it. The prior two locations he figured she might be at turned up nothing, aside from a few sideways looks. If anything, all it did was alert her to his presence in the city. But Riley wasn’t back for her -- just information, nothing more -- but the Apple he remembered never did anything unless it was on her terms and had a way of making demands he wasn’t ready to pay. With a slow exhale, he stepped up to the bar, knowing damn well he might regret it.

[socialncrms]

Riley exhaled slowly through his nose, gaze fixed on her as she spoke. That grin of hers—sharp as ever, like she knew she had the upper hand before the game even started. It was infuriating, but he wasn’t about to give her the satisfaction of showing it. Instead, he let her talk, let her try to steer the conversation away from what mattered. That was Apple’s way. Misdirection wrapped in charm, designed to make a man forget why he was here in the first place. His fingers tapped once against the photo before he finally unfolded it, sliding it across the table. A young man, face barely recognizable through the bruising, left crumpled against a rust-streaked shipping container. “That body?” he said, voice steady. “He’s not just some low-level player. That’s the son of a diplomat. And I don’t need to tell you what happens when someone with that kind of bloodline turns up dead in a place like this.” His eyes flicked up, reading her reaction. “You sure it’s been handled? Because something like this, doesn't go away with your run of the mill street justice," he said in his calm, smooth tone. “Steak sounds good,” he said, tone casual, like they weren’t sitting here discussing a dead diplomat’s son. “But I also know dinner with you comes with its own price tag,” he mused with a smirk, eyes sharp despite the easy curve of his lips. Conversations with her, when not about his business almost always felt like they were conversations about her business, just camouflaged in playful chatter.

"Everything is business, and I always stand to win." Apple grinned again as she picked up her own tea, taking a careful sip so as not to burn her mouth. "You really should try the tea...It's from a small family farm I found. The quality is the absolute best I've come across, and it's so vibrant in it's flavor. I know, that's weird to say about green tea, but it's true." With a small shrug of her shoulders, her face settled as he started the next topic of discussion. The real reason he had come back.

Her eyes moved down to the table, like they always did when she was listening intently, barely moving as she took in the details he elected to share. Almost immediately, she knew the one he was talking about, and let out a sigh of relief. "I know exactly the one you're talking about, and who. I'd say forget about it. It's already been dealt with, and not just from that body alone. Have you forgotten that we take care of our own out here?" Playfully, she rolled her eyes before taking another sip of her tea. "You're never going to bring the justice you're after in this case...It's another one you'll have to write off. The police here took too long, and didn't follow the right leads. They screwed themselves over, and are wasting your time by calling you out. Just take this as a vacation, hm? Almost like a trip back home."

She remained entirely calm, collected, and even gave Riley a sympathetic look as she looked up at him. "How about I buy you a steak for their incompetence, hm? Or are you more in the mood for sushi?" For now, she wasn't nervous. Apple was as calm as her demeanor, hoping her words would get him to back off.

[socialncrms]

Riley huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he reached for the cup, letting the warmth settle in his hands. “Still got a way of making everything sound like a business deal,” he mused, bringing the cup just close enough to catch the steam before setting it back down untouched. “I guess that’s why you’re still standing. And by the looks of it, you're standing taller than ever.” He wasn’t dense enough to think she got where she was by luck. He'd seen Apple adapt, how to shift with the tides and come out untouched, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t respect that. Or perhaps it was a fear. Something kept him from pursuing her and her business. Deep down, maybe he knew she'd best him.

Leaning forward, he let the weight of his stare settle on her, testing just how much she already knew. That was part of his process, seeing what he could get the person he was interrogate to spill simply by asking broad questions. “A body turned up near the docks. Not just any body. And it was left to send a message.” He let that sit between them for a moment, watching her reaction.  Riley placed his teacup down in front of him then used the hand to reach into his coat pocket. Inside he pulled out a folded photo of the crime scene. He tapped the photo, letting it's soft, glossy material tap against the top of the table. “And from what I can tell, whoever sent it made sure the right people would see it.” Riley tilted his head slightly, voice even. Riley paused, letting the seriousness of the situation settle in.

If anything, Apple had gained a step or two in his absence. Things had started to heat up again once he had left, unaware that it was her who had been a rat the whole time. She had realized quickly after inheriting power, that she needed to be a little bit of one. Bits and pieces handed over here and there only cemented her own dominance, though that did nothing to quell the hunger others had to see her fall.

Word about Riley's departure had spread quickly, and within a week the heat in the city had turned back up. Not nearly to the degree it was before, but they had simply learned to be more slick about things. Still, her paranoia kept her in the loop of what was going on and where.

"If you were going to arrest me, you wouldn't make your presence known for so long. You would've arrested me the day you showed up. After all, you know me better than to give me time." A soft yet deep laugh left her as she smiled at him, her posture relaxing as she still leaned against her arms. "Unfortunately, I'm not a psychic...So much goes on, that you could be here for anything. Though, you know I'll help you if I have something to gain." Her words were true, this time. He could've returned for a myriad of reasons, though that didn't mean she didn't have the information he needed. She simply needed to know what it was he needed.

"You know me...I mix business with being friendly quite well. After all, you catch more flies with sugar, right? Isn't that the saying?" She had barely finished speaking when the bartender from before knocked on the door, Apple calling her inside. Quickly, as always, she rushed over to the table and quickly set down a teapot as well as two cups of warm tea. Apple bowed her head in appreciation as the bartender rushed off, smiling after her before letting out a soft sigh. "So...What's going on that has your attention?"

[socialncrms]

Riley hadn’t expected a warm welcome, Apple never did let him get comfortable. The bartender barely needed to say a word before leading him to the back, a quiet confirmation that, as always, she was ten moves ahead of him. It didn't surprise him, although he had hoped that in his time away, she'd lost a step or two. Apple didn’t operate on luck—she knew things, and if she knew he was in town, she may know why.

He barely had time to settle before the sound of heels against tile announced her arrival. Some things didn’t change. Neither did the way she filled a room, all confidence and control, making it impossible to forget who was in charge here. Riley watched as she shed her coat, taking her seat with that same knowing grin, teasing him like no time had passed.

"If I was going to arrest you, I'd do you the courtesy of doing it in private," he said, leaning back in his chair, a sly expression on his face. "It's cute, but, you know that’s not why I’m here." His gaze flicked over her, searching for any sign of a tell—if she already had what he needed, if she’d make him work for it. Probably the latter. It was never simple with Apple. Part of him always enjoyed that about her. "I’m working a case in town. They needed some help. Someone with some knowledge of the area. I figured we could talk in either a professional capacity, or how i'd prefer -- as friends," Riley suggested.

Apple had heard about his return the day he had come back, her eyes and ears always telling her who entered the city, and who ran away. It was within hours that she knew he had come back, though that only gave her mixed feelings. Riley had been a decent enough ally in the past, but was he finally back for her? While she may have kept a very firm wall between them, he still knew enough to trap her. She knew that, but she also hoped her own show of strength could keep him off of her back.

Not to mention the crime she had helped him clean up.

The bartender was just hanging up the phone as Riley walked up to it, smiling sweetly at him before motioning towards the usual back room. "Right this way. She'll be here soon." The young woman's English was still heavily accented, though certainly better than the last time he had been there. If he even remembered her face. While Apple wasn't always a creature of routine, she did try to keep reliable, familiar faces.

It was only a few minutes after Riley had been escorted into the back room that the door opened again. It was quickly followed up by heels clicking on the tile floor as Apple finally made her appearance. "I was wondering when you'd start looking for me. Taking your time, I see." She was teasing, her tone obvious to that as she slipped off her coat and hung it up on a wall hook. "I'm going to hope you aren't here to arrest me." With a grin, she took her seat at the table, folding her arms on top before she leaned forward.