Madame Butterfly

Evangeline Tate | 25 | VALOR Agent Part of VALOR RPG [mobile nav.]

[themadamebutterfly]

codenamejunior:

Content warning: Violent death

He nodded. If something was really wrong, she should be able to recognize the symptoms. It was part of being a combatant. “We can try. The pieces of the bomb might be buried by now but it’s the best idea I have.”

He gave her outfit a critical look. She’d be able to do it, he knew, but women’s fashion wasn’t exactly made for this kind of thing. “Say, if you stand guard, I’ll skip over there and have a look. Keep an eye on the crowd, see if anyone’s acting suspiciously. Give a whistle if you need me.”

He winked and smiled and before she could object he was off, skipping through the crowds and up what used to be the front of the courthouse and was now a hill of loose rocks and dust. They could not allow themself to think about  how many people would have been standing in this spot, how many might be buried under the fallen arches now. Find the blast site. Find the clue. Stop the person who did this.

A part of the building still stood, and by judging the position of the remaining walls and the amount of damage, they located the source. They crouched down to shift wooden beams, pipes, and more rubble, kicking it out of the way. They found one body, a man in a suit with his face caved in. No time to think about that, who he had been, who had loved him. They dug further, looking for burnt and twisted plastic, for a mess of shattered wires.

Evangeline nodded. She could still feel herself in a bit of residual shock and thought at this moment she wouldn't be able to help with scaling the debris anyways. "Sounds like a plan." She said half-heartedly, hoping to convince him either way that she was okay. Truth be told she wasn't, but she couldn't let that get to her right now. She'd have to think about it later.

She watched for a moment as he maneuvered skillfully around the rubble and to where the courthouse once stood. She shuddered slightly to think of what he might witness closer to where the blast originated, but then she decided to look about for any suspicious persons. Honestly everyone looked suspicious to her, panic in all of their eyes as they ran from the rubble or dug around for friends or loved ones. It was an absolute tragedy.

Suddenly something caught her eye, a blinking object. She almost touched it, but realized it looked like something that resembled a detonator, surely something that was hoped to be destroyed within the blast. Her eyes widened and she tried to whistle, but found herself sputtering instead. She decided to try and find Harry herself. "H-Harry!" She called, hoping he'd hear her, but moving closer to where she saw them walking anyways, unknowingly leaving the object behind.

[mooneyedandglowing]

But he who dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.

Anne Brontë (via mooneyedandglowing)

[themadamebutterfly]

Harry hugged her tight for that short moment of human weakness, nerves soothed to see at least one of his friends alive and well. How many had been here, observing? But she was right to withdraw so soon. They had work to do.

“Forget evidence, we need a clue.” There was no more southern drawl in his voice, it was back to pure St. Saviour. “If that bomb’s pieces are still lying in the blast site, they could tell us something about who put it there. Likely dozens of people had access today…”

He frowned as he got a better look at her. “Eva, you’re bleeding.” He touched her ear. That could be very serious, or then just a burst vessel. “How is your head? Feeling dizzy?”

Evangeline nodded. He was right, after all. She let herself forget about what just happened before her as Eva Thomas, a simple florist, and let herself fall into the role of Evangeline Tate, agent of V.A.L.O.R. Moving right on into the mission is what would help her focus on the task at hand. "Right." She answered.

She waved his hand away, blowing off the injury. "It's alright. I've done a preliminary examination of myself, I'm fine. Superficial more than anything, I think." Eva spoke fast, wanting to move on to their mission. "The courthouse is...was over there, perhaps we can start with the exact source of the explosion." She looked at the chaos all around, people running, trying to help one another, large piecing of building and glass, amongst other things scattered about.. "Do you think we can even get there? We need to be careful of debris."

[codenamejunior-blog]

@themadamebutterfly 

A bomb threat was one thing. An actual explosion something else entirely. Harry’s leisurely saunter came to a stop as the impossibly large sound filled the air only three blocks away. He could see the dust rise like a cloud over the roofs of the city buildings and a cold fear rose to his throat. People were dying, likely dead already. 

Within seconds he was running, the camera bag in his hand to keep his precious Leica from bouncing on his hip as he ran. He burst into the scene of chaos, people running or standing stunned around the wounded courthouse. The rally had turned into a stampede. Citizens bumped into Harry as they scattered in every direction. A police whistle sounded somewhere, but it had not the slightest effect on the panic. Harry searched the crowd for suspiciously behaving people, for civilians that did not act like civilians. It might not be too late to find the culprit. 

There was one civilian who, like him, seemed to be running towards the damage rather than away from it. He knew her. The Butterfly. He pushed and shoved his way through the crowd to her. “Eva! Hey, Eva! Over here!”

[themadamebutterfly]

Evangeline had just left Artur some minutes ago when she was given warning about a bomb that had been planted. She wondered, dismayed, if he might have known and failed to give her that information. However she trusted him, to a certain degree, and felt she would've been given a heads up immediately. Now wasn't the time to think about that, it was time to get people out of harms way.

"I saw Kowalski's car about three blocks down." She said loudly to no one in particular, hoping that would at least push some people that way. She then began seeing women, and more importantly, children. "Sorry you can't be here, things are about to get ugly, please, you need to leave." She began saying as she tried to guide them away. Some listened, some looked at her like she was insane, which was understandable. Still, she was doing what she had to. Nearer to the courthouse again, Evangeline began gathering who she could and leading them away. "It's not s-" She started when a loud boom and shockwave sent her and everyone around her to the ground.

The first thing she could hear was a ringing as she laid there, looking at the clear blue sky above, masked with a smoke cloud and debri. Then suddenly, the ringing stopped, and screams and cries filled the air as she abruptly sat up. She quickly assessed herself: no broken bones, no major cuts or bruising. She was lucky. However, she touched her hand to her right ear and felt warm liquid that had seeped out. Still, that could be looked at later.

Evangeline, relative to V.A.L.O.R. was still a fairly newer agent. She hadn't experienced such a chaotic event before her. Her first instinct was to check on others, and look around for any allies she knew, when suddenly she heard her alias being called. A surreal feeling of relief washed over her to see a familiar face. She pushed past people fleeing, avoiding as she could being trampled, before finding herself embracing her friend.

It was only for a moment, and possibly only for her comfort, but she felt so out of her depth now. She knew, however, they needed to find out who did this. "Th-there was an explosion." She said aloud, barely recognizing her own voice. She gave herself just a mere second to compose herself. "Let's go, we need to go get what evidence we can."

[themadamebutterfly]

Get Out; Evangeline & Octavia

A bomb. A bomb? All that ran through Evangeline's mind was how in the world they'd get out of this one. Who would plant a bomb and why? The Genoveses and the KGB both had something at stake here today. It had to be some sort of disgruntled employee or opposer of one of the candidates. Regardless, she could think of one person specifically she wanted to get out of there, and when she spotted the other woman just outside of the courthouse, her pace quickened.

"Octavia!" She shouted above the loud crowd, waving her hand up so her sister might spot her more easily. "Wait up!"

[avikandersource]

Alicia Vikander at the Vanity Fair Oscars After Party 2017

[lespizzasjoey-blog]

Visit Original Link

Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight 

[coolkidsofhistory]

Miniskirt protest in London, mid 1960s

[themadamebutterfly]

headcanon;

Evangeline has a big sweet tooth. She enjoys a sweet espresso drink in the morning, chocolates, and pastries and lets herself indulge in her favorites from time to time, especially when she's under stress.

[themadamebutterfly]

ariellecapello:

Following her little stint of ‘crowd control’ in the morning, she had spent the rest of the day in the restaurant, picking up all sorts of potentially valuable information that she figured Evangeline could perhaps utilize. As she led her fellow agent to the table Arielle couldn’t help but smile at the little wink thrown her direction- it was particularly nice to see a familiar face- after all, undercover work was dreadfully lonely with Ari rarely get to interact with those whom she actually felt comfortable around and trusted.

Handing her the menu, Ari grinned, “So, can I get you some drinks to start?” Ari asked, as she casually glanced around looking for any signs of possible intrusive ears. It was perfect opportunity to trade information and Ari was more than happy to take advantage of it.

Evangline scanned the menu aimlessly, not really reading the words in front of her, but instead eyeing the room around her peripherally. She then set the menu down and smiled up at Arielle. "Just coffee for now, extra cream and sugar, please." She asked kindly. The agent then grabbed some napkins from the dispenser on the table, clicked open a pen and swiftly wrote a few things down.

She then handed the napkin for the other agent to read when she had a chance to. Evangleine wasn't familiar with many of the KGB agents, and feared there could easily be one in the diner. The note she handed Arielle read: KGB guarding Genovese's, bomb threat issues out the courthouse. Public not informed. Need more info.

[themadamebutterfly]

arturleskov:

He wished sometimes that he was more sociable. That talking, connecting, opening up came easy to him. He had seen people like that all his life, and often hated them for it. Those who floated through life completely open to others. Making others feel at ease.

As it was, however, he barely spoke if it wasn’t about work. Lived his life analysing, a wall up and the people around him on guard. “Thank you.” His whole body was stiff, uncomfortable with the thanks that had undoubtedly come to late. “For the coffee. That was… very kind of you.”

He relaxed slightly with her next question, it may not be the sort of conversation he craved, but it was what he was good at, and it was better than nothing. “Hopefully no one will do anything too obvious. If the public blames anything that happens today on the Russians the whole day will have been a failure.“

"Still, we have been told not to let the Genovese lose power. And I can’t promise you that the younger agents will behave.” He smirked slightly. Eyes tracing the crowd, trying to pick out any face that didn’t belong. “The KGB simply wishes to prove that they control americas elections. Not the people.”

Evangeline gave him a confused look at his 'thank you', before he explained himself. She noticed his body language changed as he said it, and she did her best to give him a reassuring smile. "Oh, it's no problem at all, really." She said kindly, taking another sip of her coffee afterwards.

"I don't think the Russians are on anyones mind today." She said, surveying the crowd before her with signs that displayed the names Kowalski or Hamilton before them. Evangeline was certain Russian interference in this local election was likely the last thing anyone might be worried about, despite the fact that they should be. She was sure there were agents already posted inside.

She couldn't help, but crack a smile at his statement. "Why does that not surprise me at all. I suppose every agency has it's rascals." She joked, but her tone immediately became more seriously as she went on. "That sounds very....Russian." Evangeline mused. What could V.A.L.O.R. do in this moment? There really was no stopping this election without an enormous scene. Her brow furrowed as she thought of what she could do to get ahead on the Genovese's and KGB. "I must admit I feel a little out of my depth right now." She practically muttered, clearly frustrated. Evangeline wasn't a woman that could go forth without a plan, and she was not a fan of not knowing exactly what she needed to do in moments like this.

[agentride-blog]

While she had at first been adamantly against waitressing as a part of her cover (in her eyes, the role of a teacher should have been more than enough), Arielle slowly had come to see the benefits of returning back to her roots. With the election chaos rampant outside, the restaurant at which she worked was busier than ever- after all, everyone did have to eat at some point or the other, protesters and politicians included. Her position allowed her to keep an eye on all the ongoings of the city while allowing her to remain completely under the radar.

As she heard the door open once again, Arielle made her way to the front entrance, grabbing a few menus on her way. Smiling brightly, Arielle looked around, eyeing one of the few open tables left, “Lucky for you, darlin’, we’ve still got a table or two left. I’m telling you– all that hooting and hollering outside is leaving folks quite peckish,” she chuckled, motioning to the crowd which had filled up a majority of the tables.

“So how about it? Shall we get you seated before the rest of these tables fill up?” 

[themadamebutterfly]

Evangeline walked into the diner, hoping to grab a refreshing quick bite to eat and some coffee before she had to go back out into the chaos. The place was a good vantage point to temporarily watch the crowd while she refueled. At the sound of a familiar voice when she walked in, she tried to contain her smile. She hadn't expected to see a fellow agent working in there, but was still glad to be in the presence of someone she knew, even if she couldn't admit that aloud.

"Wonderful, table for one, please." She stated, with a wink at the other woman. Evangeline was impressed with the face Ari was able to put on in her role. She surely didn't have the patience for that sort of cover job. At least now, she might be able to discuss some work, even if coverly.

[themadamebutterfly]

alexeifilipov:

              His skin was far too thick to be affected by thinly veiled insults, especially those concerned with his lewd behavior and scandalous reputation, so Alexei purposefully ignored the negative undertone of her half-statement, half-question. “I do fancy myself somewhat of an expert in this field, yes.” Somewhat of an expert — ha! Describing his talents in such a manner was a grave injustice, a serious offense, an understatement of the century. Somewhat implied he wasn’t quite there, had yet to master this art form; and that couldn’t be further from the truth. If there was an expert on all things seduction and toying with others, it was Alexei Ivanovich Filipov. Playing games, although not the kind hide-and-seek could be categorized as, was his craft, therefore making him highly qualified to talk about it.

               “I see.” He hummed in response to her introduction but made no effort to conceal his amusement. “I can respect your need for discretion, but darling, I must say that was one of the poorest attempts to get it that I have ever witnessed.” She sounded like an inexperienced abitura who, during their training, had made a mistake and now attempted to unsuccessfully talk their way out of it, to blame someone other than themselves. Instead of calling her out openly, he chose to remain silent. He could, after all, figure out her identity ( whether it was a VALOR agent, a political player of sorts, or a petty thief looking to climb up the ranks ) later.

              “Apology accepted.” Alexei chuckled. When she held her hand out and demanded help ( what a lovely breath of fresh air she was; daring to demand instead of requesting quietly ), he grabbed it and pulled her up into a standing position. Ever the gentleman ( ha! ), Alexei stepped back to give her an opportunity to brush off dirt from her clothes and smooth all the wrinkles. “I presume you won’t give me a better explanation for your silly game,” if she did, it’d be a miracle, “So should I assume it’s the election day atmosphere getting to you?”

"Thank you." Evangeline smiled at him, pulling herself in one swift motion and dusting off imaginary dirt from her clothing. She was wary of the man. He was smart and charming, and she assumed he could use that to manipulate her if he chose. She didn't know exactly who he was, but she wanted to find out, without revealing much about herself. "I would've been inclined to hide a bit better had you and your friend not been playing the game you were." It was clear games were his area of expertise, so she began to try to avoid them now. She was decent at dodging these things, but one slip up could give him whatever he wanted.

Election day atmosphere? She supposed that would be what was causing her to become so bent on gathering intel on the candidates without a direct order. Maybe she was trying to bring V.A.L.O.R. information it may not have had before. It was a daring move, and while she wouldn't label it a complete failure, she definitely had to wiggle her way out of the hole she had gotten into.

"Yes, let's call it that. Election day madness." She joked with smile. "Seems like it's contagious. Who chooses a random politicans office to engage in a private soiree?" Evangline questioned, tilting her head to the side. "Besides, I don't believe I owe you an explanation, do I? What stake do you have in this election?"

[wonder-gadot-deactivated2017121]

[xushima]

Visit Original Link

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Breathless

from Abattoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus, 2004

[themadamebutterfly]

alexeifilipov:

    Contrary to several of his colleagues back in Moscow ( & around the world ), Alexei’s attitude toward work was considerably more relaxed. He did not neglect his duties; he had completed all of the missions assigned to him, but unlike, say, good ol’ Sascha, job was never the sole focus of his attention. Truly, how could it be? The world was filled with beautiful women and handsome men and captivating little pleasures that simply beckoned him to come closer and touch. Call it lack of self-control, call it insolence, but it was for this reason that instead of being out there, patrolling the streets for all signs of complications ( that bothered them; he couldn’t care less about others’ troubles ), Alexei had a pretty redhead on his arm, with who he was exploring the hallways of the courthouse, looking for a quiet spot.

              “Where are we going?” The redhead giggled as he pulled her forward, eyes constantly on the lookout for an empty corner that would suit their needs. His answer was wordless, a brief press of lips against hers; before she could properly enjoy it, he had already pulled away. “We are going——” His reply lingered as he observed the options that presented themselves at this moment. Four doors, all seemingly locked — except for one. “There.” He pointed and grinned at her. “Come on, darling.” And so they were moving again, only stopping to avoid running into a wall. Alexei observed the lock, touched it, before placing the hand on the door and pushing it lightly. To his delight, it opened — thanks to the careless previous user of this room. “Come now, darling.” He beckoned again and entered the room, redhead in his tow.

              “Let’s play a game.” He suggested and stepped back from her. “Go sit on that desk and take off a piece of clothing. I look the other way and when I turn around, I have to guess which piece you took. Does that sound good?” The redread giggled. “It sounds scandalous.” Her words lacked bite which sounded an awful lot like a yes to him. Alexei spun on his heels and stared at the wall before him, unable to prevent a smile from rising to his lips. “Tell me when you’re ready, princes—” A loud shriek cut him off mid sentence and the Soviet spun around again, eyebrows raised in confusion. His girl was standing by the desk, but instead of undressing herself, she was staring at something in horror. She looked up, locked eyes with him and, without a word, exited the room.

              “Come on now, princesa.” Alexei sighed but did not go after her. Why should he? He did not chase, not unless it was something highly special. The woman already pushed to the back of her mind, he walked over to the desk to see what precisely had frightened his dove. When he saw the crouched woman, he laughed. A real, hearty laugh rumbling deep in his chest.

              “My apologies, darling. Neither my friend and I were aware this room was reserved for a game of hide-and-seek.” A short pause. “Though I must say, this is an odd environment to play such games, especially if you consider what day it is today.”

Ugh. Evangeline had to do everything in her power to keep from audibly groaning at this man's audacity. Who brings a woman into a random office during an election? The sound a woman giggling followed by audible kissing only intensified her distaste for this situation. Should she hide better? She'd rather not endure what was surely to come in the near future. Being a stealthy agent, she did have the ability to hide much better, but instead she revealed herself, only enough to make it obvious someone was in there.

She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh as the shriek of the red-head pierced her ears and certainly ruined the mood and moment. Evangeline poked her head out enough to catch the look of horror and embarrasment of the other woman and gave a wink in response, placed a finger over her lips in a sarcastic manner, and hid back in place, as if she wasn't already discovered.

Only moments after the woman left did a handsome man come to peak at what startled his little date off. From his accent alone, Evangeline was certain he was clearly Russian, possibly KGB, and carelessly so, apparently. She rolled her eyes at his laughter, making a note to herself to catch his name so she might relay this situation to her contact.

"Oh you are one to talk about games, aren't you?" She challenged with a raised brow. "I am an associate of Mr. Hamilton and was asked to be discreet here. Apologies if I didn't expect to have company." Evangeline told the man in a feign polite tone. "Now be a dear, and help a lady out from under the desk." She added as she reached a hand out to him for assistance.

[themadamebutterfly]

"Excuse me, excuse me, pardon me." Evangeline snapped as she made her way through the crowd of photogrophers and protesters with a vase of flower from Greta's Garden, the floral shop she worked at outside of V.A.L.O.R., and as her cover for working in the organization. She was taking the flowers inside in order to gain better access to the courthouse.

When she finally entered, she began walking towards the offices past the voting booths, seemingly invisible behind the vase of flowers. When she got to her destination, she set the flowers down outside of the office with the name next to the door that read Peter Hamilton, and picked the lock to enter.

"Dammit." She muttered, growing a tad frustrated. Picking locks had never been her strong suit, but in order to gather some information, she needed to get into it. Finally, after another minute or so, she heard the sound of a click as the door unlocked. She quickly opened it and slipped inside, closing the door behind her.

Evangeline headed straight to his desk, opening drawers and ruffling through files. She knew she probably had very little time, but just one clue could help unravel this entire mission. Surely Hamilton had something against Kowalski in place, but this information would get the man killed. She thought she had found the write file when she heard some noise and rustling outside the door, and quickly ducked under the desk.