This story was inspired by Brandon Sanderson's awesome book, Mistborn: The Final Empire. If you have read it, you recognized the plot and should pick-up on which characters I am using.
Last Performance
Oscar watched the perspective client at his booth in the back of the bar. The man sat with the air of no care for all the world. Perhaps that is why he survived for so long, good acting. Seem to be unimportant without being too unimportant and people look right through you. It is an art to blend in, hiding in plain sight. However, while this guy was good, he couldn't compare to Oscar Kendrick. For the devil is in the detail, and Oscar was a master of detail.
He had watched his perspective client and the bar for the better part of two hours. All the while he kept his thoughts as nonchalant as possible in case there were Whispers listening in. Blasted Whispers! If Oscar had one weakness, it was those infernal telepaths! They could see through in an instant under most circumstances, and even keeping his thoughts on set modes would work only so well.
He waited until the man was clearly growing bored. The guy had already eaten the equivalent of two lunches and a swallowed a have dozen mugs. The man stood up and walked to the bathroom, he would relief himself and then leave, going back to tell his associates that the contact was a dud. He would probably be chewed up by his superiors for wasting their time and resources on a phantom.
If not for the man's newly acquired talent, it was a nigh certainty that the man would be demoted to whatever rank was below scum for this disappointment. Oscar knew all this, of course, because he was talented and cautious. He had done his homework on this client, it wouldn't do to risk being caught and killed so close to retirement, that least not without proper motivation. With homework done and the client checking out, Oscar decided not to disappoint, not yet anyway.
He made his way the man's vacant booth and pulled out a laser light. He turned it on and waited for the other to leave the men's room. Seeing the man exit, Oscar flashed the laser at the man's eyes to get his attention. As expected, the man flinched and immediately search to the source of his annoyance. He glared at Oscar, but as Oscar flashed him the agreed upon signal, the man's expression changed to one of relief and excitement. Not many could notice such a change from across the room, but the study of such displays was Oscar's bread and butter.
Oscar waited as the man strolled unhurried back to the darkened booth. They exchanged common greetings. "Are you the one they call Faux Face?" His client asked quietly.
"I am." Oscar said, giving his voice a faint royal accent. It clashed quite nicely with his grubby and weary appearance. "And you are Kellsie Skan. A pleasure to meet you sir. I hope finding me wasn't too much of a bother, I do like to keep a low profile most of the time."
"Yeah, but I was worth it, if you are who you say you are." The question was reasonable even if it annoyed Oscar.
"What evidence would you have of me then?"
"Change for me." The man demanded. Oscar chuckled at the frankness of Kellsie's demand.
"In a crowded bar, where anyone could see? The booth may be dark, but not that dark." Oscar replied.
"Your hands then." Kellsie muttered as he pointed to Oscar's hands on the table. Oscar nodded his assent. This man was as quick and flexible as Oscar had thought. It didn't take much effort, reshaping his form rarely after so many years of practice, it was the varying masses that still gave him trouble. His hands leaned and lengthened, the fingers becoming thin and fragile. He then molded his hands back to their 'original' state and watched his new client's eyes grow wide with, now undisguised, excitement.
"You'll do." Kellsie said and extended a hand to Oscar. Bold this one. Most clients, even the Silvers, tended to balk at such a display of ability. It was as if they assumed his hands would turn into rattlesnake jaws full of poisonous fangs. Oscar was skilled, but that was beyond even him. They shook hands.
"I'd like to think so, thank you. When and where do you want to meet to discuss the job you have in mind for me?"
"I got to meet with my friends first." Kellsie replied. "Give me three days and I'll send word via your usual channel." He stopped for a moment as he started to rise. "It will be in the capital, you don't need a ride do you?"
"No." Oscar said with a smile. "I always can find someone will to help me of get around."