(no subject)

If there's one thing Chloe is good at -- besides driving, shooting, or talking her way out of any given problem -- it's making certain there's no such thing as an awkward situation.

She'd gone to bed with her married ex-boyfriend while he was in the throes of a breakdown over his wife and daughter, and she understands how that has the potential to be awkward for most people, but Chloe Frazer isn't most people and she sees little point in feeling strained by something as natural as having had sex with Nathan Drake. In fact, given their current arrangement, she knows she'd very much like to do it again and she doesn't see why they won't. What she knows of Darrow is pretty straightforward and the fact is that Elena might never show up here so Nate is, in a broad definition of the word, essentially widowed.

If Elena does show up, Chloe will do what needs to be done, she'll step away from the situation and let them figure their lives out, but until that day, she sees absolutely no reason why she and Nate shouldn't carry on exactly how they like. And she knows what he likes.

That's why, when she finds herself in possession of a fairly expensive gold compass, she heads straight for Nate's apartment. Within days, it's going to be known that she's the someone who has this in their possession and she's going to be inundated with offers to purchase, but beyond that, she's going to become a target. There's a story behind the compass, a myth that it can lead the rightful owner out of the city of Darrow, and while she's mostly convinced that's bullshit, she wants to bring it to Nate first.

He'll never forgive her if she doesn't and, when she proves it's essentially a very pretty and very expensive arrow to nowhere, he can help her hide it.

"Nate, darling," she calls, knocking at his door. "Trust me when I say this: you want to come out and play."

(no subject)

After the kiss they had shared at Pride, Chloe had made sure not to put too much pressure on Therese. She had left the younger woman with her phone number, had told her to feel free to call or text any time, but she hadn't made Therese promise anything and Chloe had thought it best she not be the one to reach out. In a situation like this, with Therese still working fairly hard at accepting who she is, Chloe has the feeling too much pressure might not work out so well for either of them.

And she may not be the sort of woman Therese should be looking at anyway, given that she's not particularly interested in monogamy or giving up any of the other men or women she might end up entertaining, but she can't help it. It's selfish, but she likes her, and Chloe has never had an issue with being selfish.

She's left her alone, though, she's waited and she expects the call to come eventually.

Or expects it would have, anyway, if she hadn't just spotted Therese in the park. Chloe is technically working -- for herself at this point, no one quite knows her reputation yet -- and she has an expensive little figurine in one pocket that she should really get into a safe place, but she can't help the detour she makes toward Therese. This is different from calling, this isn't pressure, it's simply two people running into each other in public.

"Hello, gorgeous," she says when she's close enough, her voice pitched low. She's smiling as she approaches, hands in the pockets of her jeans, as casual and confident as ever, and she has to wonder if things will be different here and now, without the frenzy of the Pride celebration to get caught up in.