Roleplaying
2004 Archive
2005 Archive
Seminars
| When: | 31 January 2005 |
| Who: | Edmonds, Ellen, Hadrian, Nicodemus, Pan, Remy, Sapphira, Sarah, Yves (NPCed), Zaman |
| What: | The Lux remains a popular place, even with the little fiasco that occurred to it on its opening night. Of course they do say that history tends to repeat itself... |
West - Austin
The part of Austin west of the Colorado River is somewhat more open then the eastern Downtown, especially through the West Lake Hills, and tends toward clustered housing developments to the northwest and southwest. Many smaller townships have slowly become part of the main sprawl of Austin, providing suburban areas, and the area grows rapidly - especially in the nearby 360 area, but really all over.
As the car pulls up, the driver steps out and lets out Hadrian. Holding up a hand though, Hadrian stops the driver from walking around to let Damaris out, and instead walks around himself and opens the door. Holding out a hand to help her out. "You know, Damaris, I get a slight odd feel from this place."
Sapphira places her hand in the deputy mayor's to use as a bit of leverage. "Odd in what way?" a feminine voice asks before its owner becomes readily visible in the streetlights. "I don't get any odd tinglings myself."
"Yes, well given last nights little fiasco, I get the feeling that Lux is a bit more than it appears." Hadrian offers out his elbow after which, whether taken or not, he heads to the door.
"Everything is more than it appears," Sapphira replies, politely accepting the offered elbow. "And less as well. Appearances can be deceiving, as the old saying goes. Similarly don't judge a book by its cover."
Hadrian looks over his shoulder as they get to the door and are let in. "Now Damaris, I'd think you'd want to watch comments like that, lest some begin to suspect you aren't exactly what you appear. This city is crawling with vermin since the truce was broke."
Lux
A three-tiered, refined establishment, businessmen from cattle brokers to car manufacturers mingle about. The dress is stylish, no one clad in anything less than Sunday best. Tastefully appointed in earthen tones, accented with gold trimmed crystal, there's money in this establishment, both legit and otherwise. Chandeliers cling to the high ceilings and cast warm radiance over the main floor. Reminiscent of a nightclub fashioned in the Art Deco era of the late 20's, round tables serve groups of two to four. A raised stage inlaid with black, malachite, and white patterned tiles hosts acts ranging from standup to grand piano serenades accompanied by throated redheaded bombshells.
Bay windows opposite the bar provide a breathtaking view of the Colorado River. The labradorite-finished counter is serviced by mostly silent, well groomed and respectful staff. The shelves behind the bar is well stocked with potables that make drinks of the common man like Hennessy look like a joke. An opulent staircase winds upward in a regal S curve to the living area of the proprietor and his more affluent clientele. Business and private revelry takes place in this aerie. Interestingly enough, the door leading to the basement is locked, and even the owners and shareholders aren't seen loitering about the edifice.
Sapphira laughs softly at the man's words. "Now, now, Hadrian, one might think that you're starting to get concerned for me. Besides, what do I appear to be, hmm?" Her attention is momentarily distracted by the atmosphere of the Lux and she pauses to take it all in. "Oh, I *like* this place," Sapphira just about purrs. "It could quickly become my favourite place to wind down after a long day at Fetish."
Hadrian's face is completely still as he moves through the tables and heads to one right near the small raised stage with the piano. He doesn't answer Sapphira's first comment and instead continues on her second comment, "It's about time the city had a place with some sense of class, I agree. You perhaps have met the owner, Nicodemus Lyman. He's been to a few of the Chamber meetings in the last few months."
Sapphira slides a glance towards her companion. "The city has a number of unique and fun places to go to, but none quite so fancy as this, no," she agrees. "Lyman, Lyman... the name sounds rather familiar. Is he an older looking gentleman with slightly longer hair?"
Hadrian pulls out one of the chairs for Sapphira to sit in. "Yes, one of the older families in Austin. One of us though, to be sure." Moving around the table, Hadrian takes his own seat. "The question is what and whom he serves."
"Older families, hmm? I wonder about that," Sapphira muses to herself. "I also wonder if I spotted him the other day in Fado's over in midtown, although I'd have to check a reference picture first before I can say either way with certainty." She slides into the chair and crosses one leg over the other, 'unintenionally' revealing one shapely leg to the other Lux patrons.
Hadrian raises a finger at one of the waitresses as she walks by, "Rennes-le-Chatteau Merlot, circa 1680, if you have it." The waitress heads off after acknowledging that they do. "I'll point him out at the next Chamber meeting," Hadrian leans in some, "Which reminds me, ready to take up the duties of leading the Chamber?"
Sapphira shifts back in her seat and taps a finger against her lower lip. "Please remind me again how this came about? I don't recall any final results on the nominations, nor voting for that matter... Even the list of required duties is unknown to me."
"The final vote will be at the next meeting, but as far as I've already seen to it, you're guaranteed." The question of how he knows you are guaranteed is another matter entirely. Hadrian pops the cork of the wine as the waitress brings it back, and pours two glasses. "The wine is only good for about a minute, after which it turns to ash. But it's the best there is for that minute." He holds up a glass for Sapphira to take.
Sapphira arches a thin eyebrow as she accepts the glass and holds it up to the light. "It seems like such a waste," she comments, inspecting the colour of the wine. "Hundreds of years of work long ago to be reduced to the enjoyment of a single minute in time."
Hadrian drinks his glass slowly, savouring the taste of the wine while it still exists. After a moment of letting it linger, he swallows and sets the glass down. "A waste? More of a momentary delight from centuries past reaching to the future." Hadrian digs up something from his right pocket, pulling out a small silver dollar sized half orb. Setting the flat side down in the middle of the table, he taps a small indent at the top... the white noise of the room seems to die out.
Sapphira takes a sip of the old wine and pauses for a few seconds to enjoy the taste of it before swallowing. "Hmm, it is different," she agrees. "But in such a manner that it would require a few glasses to get used to the multiple variants. Now that is an interesting little toy. Is it from a mutual acquaintance?"
"I've a friend working within Technology who gave it to me when I called in a marker." Hadrian looks about, the place isn't that busy this early, but better safe than in pain. "Dampens our own conversation, makes it unintelligible for anyone else trying to listen in. All they hear is gibberish."
"Really," Sapphira comments, although on what exactly isn't clear. "Is there going to be something extremely sensitive of nature that we'll be speaking about that requires this amount of privacy?" Her gaze skims the masking device to try and spot some sort of identifying sigil.
Hadrian shrugs a tad, "Not necessarily, I am just a man who values his privacy." Hadrian doesn't take any notice or affront to her scrutinizing the device as he looks over the menu and considers. "Hrmm, quite a wide selection on their menu."
"Apparently so," the woman muses and shifts her attention away from the device. "I think I'll simply have a salad for dinner along with a glass of white wine. I'm not feeling particularly hungry this evening." She takes another sip of the red wine before setting the glass on the table.
Hadrian raises a finger again to beckon over the waitress to their table. Once she's within range of not being affected by the dampening field, Hadrian nods just slightly toward Sapphira, letting her order first. Something's on his mind it'd seem, though he's yet to broach the subject.
Edmonds has only just arrived, dressed like most of the clientel - well, but not a tuxedo. He speaks softly with the hostess before moving to seat himself at the bar. Turning his back to the bar itself, he looks out over part of the dining floor and through the large bay windows.
Sapphira places her order with the young lady and then simply waits for Hadrian to speak first. She's got the patience to wait, considering all the precautions she's noted... she's also had practice.
Placing an order for a 12 oz. tenderloin steak and a glass of red wine, Hadrian looks toward the door for a moment as the new person enters; the place not that busy at the moment. "Let us set all our cards on the table. Regardless of whom we serve, I believe that an alliance formed in this city by those willing to control it and those with the brains to do so, such as you and I and perhaps a few others, would be advantageous to us all."
Edmonds notices the gentleman's attention, and just nods slightly, looking over the pair seated at the table with mild interest. He sips at his newly arrived drink, turning his attention back to watching the ebb and flow of the whole establishment.
"My dear deputy mayor," Sapphira replies with a faint smile as she crosses her arms near her waist. "Do you really think that is wise, knowing every small detail of a business partner? Think carefully on it."
"Given the alternative of nasty little surprises weeks or months down the line, I find it's advisable to at least known a certain bare minimum of information about someone." Hadrian leans forward, "Let us say that without some basic knowledge of who each of us is /truly/, then there can be no working relationship to control this city more than cursorily."
Sapphira's smile widens as she replies simply, "You may have the joy of going first, then."
Edmonds is seated at the bar, sipping a pint glass of something amber - one would assume beer. His back is to the bar, letting him watch the comings and goings of the few people in the club at this hour, his attention occasionally flicking back to Hadrain and Sapphira's table. He does, of course, recognize the deputy mayor.
Zaman strides into the Lux with a confident air, a light grin on his features as he makes his way towards the bar. The man's hands are pocketed into his jacket, and he looks like he fits right in with this establishment. For a few moments his eyes wander lazily about the room, picking out anyone he recognizes while glossing over those he does not.
Edmonds nods to Zaman as the other gentleman approaches, setting his drink on the bar. He studies the other gentleman for a moment before returning his attention to the rest of the club once more.
Zaman nods in greeting towards Edmonds, settling himself at the bar next to the other man. Zaman rests his hands on the bar, waving to the bartender to try and draw his attention. "Good evening." The man offers as a vocal greeting to Edmonds, looking past him to the rest of the club.
Edmonds turns slightly in his seat to partially face Zaman. "Good Evening." He proffers his hand to the other gentleman with a slight smile. "Matthew Edmonds. You?" He doesn't seem bothered by Zaman's interest in the rest of the club - after all, that's who he's been watching.
"Zachary Mann." The man of the same name replies cordially, the smile on his features growing that much wider as names are exchanged. "To pre-empt the next question I work with the law and those find themselves on the wrong side of it." As the bartender arrives Zaman delivers his order, a brand of beer that doesn't hit the wallet too hard but is good nonetheless.
Edmonds chuckles, picking up his own beer again. "And I work with finance and those who find themselves short just that little bit they need to take the next step in life - mostly small business, but a few private student loans."
Hadrian leans forward, his voice nothing more than friendly in tone, "Hadrian Sidhe, Hellsworn in the service to one of the less warlike Princes." He doesn't name whom yet, a bit at a time to start with.
"A bit more honorable profession than mine, at least according to the media anyway." Zaman replies with a quirk of a grin as his drink arrives. He tests the brew, and finding it satisfactory sets it down. "Still, I can't imagine how exciting being a financier could be just in itself."
"Damaris Sence, the vessel of one that also serves one of the less warlike Princes, although that does not mean he doesn't have any plans in the works," Sapphira replies fairly.
"Oh, it has it's ups and downs. And we're only slightly better off preception wise. I've been called any number of things when I'm forced by the rules to turn down a loan. Or... collect on one. We both provide nesecery services to society." Edmonds smiles easily at Zaman. "It is what it is. And it pays well, too."
Zaman chuckles, taking a deeper taste of his drink before replying to Edmonds. "You are very right, on both counts. We can't really expect the common man to figure out why we're important, so we tell them when they get their bill in the mail." The lawyer grins at his own joke. "But, it does provide some good leisure. This club here, for instance, a fine addition."
Hadrian gets the smallest of sly smirks on his face, admiring the smooth avoidance of any true information on Sapphira's part. "Now now, revealing no information that wasn't already known is hardly fair. We both know each serves the forces of Hell. Let us try this, what is your real name Damaris... your true name. Then we can move on to whom we serve. I've a feeling we're both serving Princes who aren't outright enemies, at the very least."
Edmonds shakes his head a little sadly. "It's always a shame when we have to forclose on someone's business - take away their dreams. Of course, it's hardly our fault they can't pay." He shrugs slightly, taking a sip from his drink. "But that's the business. And it does, indeed offer nice perks. It's nice to have a new upscale location that isn't booked three months out. Yet."
"You're no fun at all, Hadrian," Sapphira pouts slightly as she plucks her new glass of wine off the table. "You can call me Sapphira in private... and if you can't figure out who I serve, you may not be very deserving of the title Hellsworn."
Zaman nods slightly. "Indeed. I think we can both agree that leisure time can't always be scheduled, and nor should it. It's leisure time for God's sake." The lawyer chuckles a little bit, "Again, it's not glamorous." His attention wanders for a moment, over the sea of patrons. "Busy, but then again it's a new joint."
"Picking up, really. And attracting fairly high profile clientel already." Edmonds nods towards Hadrian's table. "The deputy mayor is here - that will probably be good for business." He picks his drink back up, taking a long sip from it. "I suspect my time might be a bit more scheduled than yours - finance has always had structured business hours. Of course, if you want to really succeed, you can't stick to them..."
A slight deep resonant chuckle comes more from Hadrian's chest than throat. "Oh, it isn't hard to guess at all that you serve Andrea," referring to Andre in his female vessel form, the way Hadrian's seen her/him/it before. "I'm sorry, I'll tell you in a moment, but first I'm curious as to whom you think I serve. It's always interesting to hear what others see things as."
Zaman adjusts his attention ever so slightly to regard the deputy mayor's table, idly sipping from his drink. "The deputy mayor and his hot date, by the looks of things. Any journalists in here will have a field day with that one." His comments done Zaman nods absently to Edmond's other words. "Adaption is not only a virtue, but it also makes things a bit more interesting, don't you agree?"
Sapphira chuckles softly at the man's challenge. "I would be inclined to say the Game," she replies. "Or perhaps Fate with the way you were talking a few weeks ago in the garden. Isn't Andrea absolutely divine?" It's pretty obvious that the divine she's using isn't referring to the Heavens above.
Edmonds shrugs slightly. "Hot date, or business associate. I could swear I've seen her somewhere before, but no matter. I'm sure he can deal with the press just fine." He nods slowly. "I must admit I prefer things... predictable over interesting. Certainly, nothing is completely predictable, least of all people. But yes - being able to adapt to a changing situation is a valuable skill - and being willing to make the sacrifices required for that adaptation as well."
The food is delivered to their table, as is the wine. "Andrea and Kronos are perhaps two of the very few Princes with any brains to speak of. Such a shame when you consider some of the other fools are leading the war into the trenches." Hadrian begins to cut his steak and takes a small bite.
Zaman spares Edmonds a glance, one eyebrow quirked while a smirk resides on his features. "Well, to each their own. I enjoy a little unpredictability; as I've said it makes things interesting and God knows if I'm going to have to work I might as well not be bored." Then he seems to consider something, "Though predictability can be entertaining in itself, I suppose. And you seem to have this adaption stuff down, else you wouldn't be sitting there."
Edmonds smiles back at the arched eyebrow, almost grinning. "I find people are less unpredictable than they'd like to think. Once you understand what motivates them, even the most unpredictable can be predicted slightly. After all - my business is, at the core, about assessing risks. If you cannot predict and occasionally guide people, the risk would be... unacceptable." He shrugs and finishes his drink. "And that's quite true. I'm very good at what I do, which is why I'm here. I have people who now can do the hard grinding work for me."
"On that I disagree," Sapphira comments as she picks up a fork to spear a few leaves of lettuce. "There are others that have intelligence. It's simply that some of the more... spontaneous ones don't think out their plans fully before leaping into action."
"Well said." Zaman commends his companion, regarding Edmonds with a respectful air. "With that kind of an approach you could be successful at anything, it's all about predicting and adapting, afterall. Well, maybe not sports. That takes a bit more than gray matter to be successful at, but it pays better than my job."
Hadrian gives the slightests of shrugs as he takes a small sip of his wine, "There is a difference between intelligence to survive, and a cunning intelligence to advance. I do not deny that some Princes have intelligence, such as Hell's Hyena, Asmodeus." The way Hadrian says this, it's almost as if he's completely unconcerned by the wrath of the other Princes, "but few lack the subtlety, the cunning, and the malicious intelligence to advance in Hell or this world. Most of the Princes have used nothing more than brute force or blind luck to get where they are."
"I don't particularly care to be a successful sports superstar - they don't really do anything that changes the lives of other, for all their vaunted 'role model' status." Edmonds smiles at the bartender and taps his empty glass. "I'm content where I am. Helping people get what they deserve."
"I think, Mr. Edmonds, that all I need to say is that we are on the same page." Zaman replies, downing the rest of his drink. "And that is something I've rarely encountered since coming to Austin."
Sapphira waves her free hand dismissively. "Now that we have the little details aired to the four winds, what is next on the agenda?"
Edmonds waits for the bartender to replace his drink, chuckling faintly. "Men like us are rare, Mr. Mann. A great many people blind themselves with unrealistic dreams. I prefer to work in the real world - certainly, dreams can come true - but they require hard work, dedication and common sense." He sips his newly arrived drink. "I do my little part to make the world go the right way."
Hadrian's tone lowers, despite the Vapulan Dampining Device (which may explode at any moment now, hence why Hadrian doesn't lean /in/ further over the table). "There is a degree of chaos within the cities hierarchy. No real connected control. With you becoming President of the Chamber of Commerce, myself in the Mayor's office, a 'friend' high in the city's Council's office, and several Underworld ties... we'd have quite the control over anything within the City."
Ellen strides into the room, walking tall, wearing a formal-looking blue-green dress, different from her usual, more casual style. As she waits to be seated, she takes some time to glance appreciatively at the decor and the view out the window. She then turns her gaze casually over the people, watching the bigwigs have fun.
Edmonds is sitting at the bar with Zaman, talking.
"Certainly a pragmatic way to view the world." Zaman comments. "Though I think I'm more inclined to believe in flukes, there are some things you can't explain, nor should you be able to, necessarily. But, that goes back to adaption. On the whole you're right of course, we can influence the way this world works, even through relatively small means."
"So did you throw some influence around to get my nomination to the top of the pile, then?" Sapphira questions, mostly to herself. "Although that could indicate that I need to work on my public persona a little more if I'm that transparent."
"Oh, of course there are flukes. There always are." Edmonds smiles a bit. "But most of the time, things stay within the curve. And when they don't, we adapt. It's what people do. They change to fit circumstances - or just give up. And yes - we work in the small. But the small can influence the large, bit by bit."
Shaking his head, "I threw a bit around, but for the most part your fellow Chamber compatriots were already voting for you to be the next President. That moron from A Pet for All Seasons was too thick skulled to continue on in the role anyways." Hadrian cuts off yet another piece of his steak and chews.
Ellen is wearing a blue-green dress, fancier than her usual, and is looking around for a place to sit. She seems happy and contented, appreciating the decor.
"The only conceivable problem with working in the small is patience, of course." Zaman elaborates, "We're not built for it, nor do we have the time for it. I appreciate anyone willing to work in the small, by and large the mistakes of this world are made when we take steps too quickly or try shortcuts because we grow impatient. I am guilty of it myself, there's not much to be done."
Sapphira hmms as she idly forks up a few more bites of her salad. She has to keep her figure, you know. "Any of your sources give you information on some of the disturbances that have been flying around lately?"
People want to go where everybody knows their name. By that measure, Nicholas Lyman is in paradise. He saunters into the foyer, stripping away his coat to reveal an elegant black suit, while security and coat check greet him as "Sir". To one of the Lux higher ups, the Austin industrialist gives an acknowledging nod and a warm smile, which creases his tanned cheeks, "What are our numbers like? The unfortunate events from opening night haven't scared people away..." The man signals that it is quite the contrary and Lyman's smile grows. "Good, good," he says, applauding the manager on duty before starting toward the bar.
Edmonds chuckles a bit. "I'm in investments. You have to be patient - expecting returns immediately is one of the easiest ways to loose money in my business. I guess I've just fostered the long view." He turns his head slightly to glance at the approaching Mr. Lyman. "And another luminary of the evening, it seems. Quite the popular club."
"Beside the obvious one from Dominic last night and the stirring of trouble from the Princes prancing around here beforehand..." Hadrian takes another small bite, pausing as he eats it before continuing, "No. The cities crawling with the damned Angelics since the Truce was broke. You'd think they were just waiting for an opportunity to descend en masse here." Just as he states that though, he notices Nicholas enter the room and smiles, "And there, is the other person I'll be approaching for our little group."
"Luminary?" Zaman inquires, glancing over his shoulder as Lyman enters. "A bigwig, perhaps, but a luminary might be a bit strong. Please remind me as to his identity if you know, it's slipped my mind."
Ellen watches the fancy rich guy enter, and again recognizes him from his picture in the campus paper. Uh oh. She slinks to the side, acting inconspicuous, and quietly observes.
Edmonds sips his beer. "Nicholas Lyman. He was recently involved in some scandal regarding a donation to the University - he was accused of having mafioso ties." He sets his drink down on the bar. "In either case, I know him because he's stinking rich. It's rumored he's one of the partial owners of this place."
Sapphira shifts in her seat until she's able to look over her shoulder at the indicated person. "His face looks most familiar," she murmurs, narrowing her eyes at Nicodemus.
The manger on duty still lingers closely to Lyman, "Do you need anything, sir?" The Austin industrialist shakes his head, as if the though of having the other man wait on him was absurd. "No, no," Nicholas says, graciously dismissing the manager with wave of his hand, "I'll be fine, thank you. Just see to it that tonight runs smoothly." During this exchange, Lyman spies the Deputy Mayor alongside a familiar face. With no further distractions, he starts over with a welcoming smile, "And how are you enjoying Lux, Mr. Deputy Mayor?"
Zaman shrugs, turning back to the Lux at large. "The name means nothing to me, I've been out of town for several months, hadn't really had much of a chance to catch up on the happenings down at UT, though I do have some people who could inform me of such an incident." He pauses, "Then again, just as our deputy mayor friend's hot date gets shrugged off money can erase any ties."
Edmonds arches an eyebrow slightly at Zaman's last comment. "I'm not certain I catch your meaning." He follows Mr. Lyman's path with his eyes, tapping his fingers lightly on the bar top. "You might want to look into it. Mr. Lyman might approach you for some of your business, if any of the rumors are true."
While Remy is usually dressed a bit on the formal side normally, he can go even further when he deems it necessary. As the Lux demands proper attire, so does the man arrive, wearing an impeccable white suit under his coat. Given the general pale nature of the librarian, well... Regardless, he checks his coat, smiling slightly to the man checking his coat, before looking to his fellow arrivals to ensure their own progress.
Hadrian says to Sapphira, before Nicholas gets close enough to be within the Vapulan Damping Device's small area, "Nicholas? He's been to a few of the Chamber meetings, very old family in Austin that funds quite a few of the University programs. Also, quite obviously involved with all of that Tear of God incidents." Just then Nicholas walks up, though Hadrian doesn't rise, "Quite well, myself and Miss Sence here are having quite a wonderful time." Hadrian's yet to look toward Nicholas as he speaks, continuing to eat and look toward Sapphira, "While I don't wish to hold you right now, in the next day or so, us three should sit and chat a bit more."
Pan, well, Pan arrives soon after Remy. She is dressed in a nice red dress which seems, actually, a -little- big for her, and dress shoes that seem a little small. Pan looks uncomfortable, "Blasted formal wear," she mutters to her companions, "Had to steal-er borrow-this from Celeste, and it's always nyar nyar nyar, Nyar Nyar Nyar, and I even had to h-have my hair washed, and I bet they don't even have yummy food. Fancy places always have icky food.", she crosses her arms.
Zaman slowly shakes his head, though his grin remains as constant as it has been the entire night. "I doubt that Mr. Lyman will stoop to me...I'm not bad at what I do, but there are better, and if Mr. Lyman has enough cash, which from his appearance he does, they will receive his business should the city decide to prosecute." Zaman shrugs. "In the meantime, I may safely make fun of him behind his back."
"Of course. The big firms." Edmonds laughs softly. "And why would you care to make fun of him? I admit, I do not find much about him overtly amusing - aside from his obvious political grandstanding." Setting his drink aside, he sighs. "Although it's making me consider attending the next Chamber of Commerce meeting. I swear I recognize the woman from somewhere..." He shakes his head very slightly, tapping a finger to his lips in thought.
Sarah enters as well, in a white dress that accents her figure well and is, on the whole, generally quite stylish (Sarah's player is worse at describing things like this than Sarah is at picking them; apologies). She checks her coat after Remy, then smirks down at Pan, shaking her head ruefully. "I wouldn't know, I'm afraid; I barely walked in the door last time before all hell broke loose."
And not moments after Remy, Pan, and Sarah arrive into Lux is there a faint flash of light from their general vicinity. Dressed in far better clothes than he normally has on, is an older gentleman who looks to be a quite fit man in his late fifties with gray hair. Reaching into a pocket, Yves lights a cigarette before stepping up to Remy, not a word said yet.
Sapphira smiles politely at Nicodemus, fully recognizing him from the pub the other day. Her smile dims slightly as she feels the wave of Disturbance roll through the club before her eyes shift towards the flash of light. A single pungent curse floats from her lips, but fortunately VapTech prevented it from searing off the ears of the other Lux visitors.
Ellen's head turns at the noise. She sees the people dressed in white, two of them people she knows, the other two unfamiliar. Her eyes widen, and she blinks a bit, then rubs her hand over her forehead as if to brush away a lock of hair. She looks around casually to see if anyone else is paying attention to this.
Edmonds was already looking out into the resturaunt when the flash of light occurs at the entrance. His head whips around and as the disturbance rolls over the room, his face goes blank and impassive, smile vanishing into a calm look. "Now that's interesting..."
Zaman shrugs at Edmonds. "Then go. You've nothing to lose by taking a chance." The other words go ignored and the Disturbance and accompanied light occur. Casually Zaman turns his head towards the entrance, commenting after Edmonds speaks. "Indeed."
For the moment, Lyman is concerned solely with the deputy mayor and his lovely companion, ignoring the many eyes he feels on his person. Oh, the attention is painfully obvious, but he simply lets it slide. "With the attention my business has received," Lyman says, tragically shaking his head, but maintaining his smile, "I don't know what your administration would hope to achieve." He seems to shrug off that thought, "What do you have in mind, though?" But, before he gets any explanation, the new Austin money must meet the vision of loveliness next to Hadrian..."Miss Sence? Nice to meet you, I'm Nicholas Lyman." He goes no further, an extending hand to Sapphira stalling in mid air. Instantly, his gaze goes to the entrance.
Hadrian takes another bite of his steak as Nicholas introduces himself to Sapphira. There's a moment where he's about to say something but is stopped mid-thought by the disturbance noise that rings through his head. Eyes glancing up, Hadrian turns his head ever so slightly to look toward the entrance where the disturbance originated. Narrowing his eyes, "Hrmm, things are apparently going to get a bit more interesting." He takes another bite of his steak as he considers something.
Okay, something weird is going on. Ellen eyes the people at the door a bit more. /Pan/ is with them. What if these people are evil demon cultists who want to do something horrible to Pan -- like bringing her to a posh bar and spiking her kiddie drinks with real alcohol? Satanic Ritual Abuse cannot go unopposed! Ellen starts to head toward the group, a friendly smile concealing her anxiety. "Hello Pan, Remy," she greets with a nod of her head to the unfamiliar ones.
Remy blinks as he hears the sound of Disturbance, and turns around fully to look at... Yves. Blinking again in surprise, the Seraph smiles widely and nods in greeting. "It's good to see you." What more can one say in a situation like this? As Ellen addresses them, Remy looks to her and nods to her similarly. "And it's good to see you as well."
Pan bites her lip, and steps on her other foot, "Argh, this is really uncomfortable!" Is Pan's cover. She fidgets into a more comfortable position and glances over to Remy, and then over to Yves, "Woah,", she brightens, "Hey there, been a while. Missed you," she glances over to Ellen, "Woah, hey Ellen," she smiles, "Didn't expect to see you here. Remy and Sarah are treating me, even got me this outfit. I feel totally 'posh', you know? I read that in a dictionary. You still doing okay?"
It's hard NOT to be surprised when /THAT/ happens, and Sarah's just as dumbounded as you'd expect as she nearly gets bowled over by a sudden disturbance, turns reflexively - and BAM! Yves. Sarah coughs, straightening herself out to look a little more respectable for the Superior - and then someone new pops up behind her. Ellen, whom Sarah dimly remember seeing before - once. Maybe. She's not sure. She waves, uneasily, obviously not sure how to handle this one. Maybe there won't be any bad elements nearby and they can go through with the original plan?
Yves takes a short drag of his cigarette as he inserts his other hand into his pants pocket. A smile across his face, as if he's someones grandfather, "Good to see you as well Remy," he's not a fool to use real names in a place like this. He leaves the question of why he was invoked away from his important work, left unasked. Because within a minute, as Yves takes in exactly what type of place this is, he smiles a bit and vanishes. As does Remy, Pan, and Sarah.
"I'm so pleased to hear that you're amused," Sapphira huffs lightly. "Pleased to meet you, Mister Lyman. I do believe that we've met in passing before." The odd actions near the entrance of the club have her scowling in such a way that it almost detracts from her natural beauty. Almost.
Pan has been kidnapped by Bad Yves.
"Good to see you, too, Remy," Ellen nods politely to the gentleman. To Pan, she answers, "Yes, I'm doing fine. I just got a few articles published, decided to celebrate. How about you, Pan? Are you doing okay?" She eyes the girl carefully. And so, she can be fairly sure her eyes are not deceiving her when Pan vanishes into nothing, right before her. Ellen blinks, bites her lip, blinks again. "Pan...." Her tone, though soft, is almost a wail.
Edmonds shakes his head very slowly, rubbing at his eyes, his expression slowly unbending. "That's...-very- interesting." He sets his drink down and rises to his feet. "Perhaps we should both take your suggestion, Mr. Mann, and introduce ourselves. Because something very odd is going on, don't you think?" Setting actions to words, he rises to his feet, straightening his tie and starting to move through the possibly panicked crowd.
Zaman actually frowns at what unfolds before him, slowly shaking his head. "They're getting sloppier by the day. Or they're mocking us, neither one is good." He comments glibly, then brightens. "Makes it less interesting, you see." Then he rises, not bothering to question Edmonds' suggestion. "Sounds good to me."
Seemingly fixated on the entrance, Lyman treats each of the newcomers to a measuring stare, his smile having withered away. At the observations of the deputy mayor, he turns with a narrowed, searching stare. Did Hadrian just detect that disturbance? This question causes Lyman to swing a suspecting look over to Sapphira as well. Perhaps, she is also involved in the War as well. Under his breath, the Austin industrialist rasps, "Yes, and in a bar I've financed." But then, when Lyman looks back to the foyer...their gone.
Now that both Hadrian and Sapphira have finished their dinners, "Shall we head out now Damaris? I think we've both got full days of planning for the Chamber meetings to come up." With one of those smiles that you can tell is put on more for show, Hadrian looks up, "Nicholas, would you be good enough to create a tab for me? I'll settle at the end of each month before your financials go through so there's no discrepencies. We really must be going."
It takes a moment, but Lyman is quickly back in form. "Not a problem," he says in an instantaneous and warm reply to the deputy mayor, his earlier suspicions now masked behind a wide grin. Taking a step back to allow the pair to leave, the Austin industrialist waves a hand to Sapphira, "It was nice meeting you. Have a good night."
Ellen stares at the spot where Pan and the others vanished, as people mutter, point, shift around, and some of them start to head for the exit. Ellen squeezes out of the way to avoid being trampled.
Sapphira offers Nicodemus a dazzling smile. "The same to you, sir," she replies as she gets to her feet with a minimum of fuss and a great deal of display. It's apparently one of her natural talents.
Edmonds watches as the Deputy Mayor and lady-friend start to rise. He slows, and taps his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. No - it looks like they're calling it an evening. It would be rude of us to intrude." He sighs, and turns towards Zaman slightly. "Mr. Mann - as much as it has been a pleasure conversing with you, I think I should be calling it an evening as well." He reaches into a pocket and proffers his card. "But I'd like to talk furthur. It's a pleasure to meet a gentleman with similar views to my own."
Zaman snatches Edmonds' card, not taking the time to examine it before he slips it into his jacket. "I'm afraid you've caught me inbetween cards...You see I've recently lost one of my partners, and it wouldn't do to have him on the card." Zaman explains, "But yes, I shall contact you and we can get together again. It has been a pleasure. Good evening."
Edmonds inclines his head in a polite nod to Zaman. "Perfectly understandable. I look forward to hearing from you." And with a final nod, he heads over to coatcheck to claim his jacket before pulling it on and heading out into the night.
Exhaling heavily, Lyman begins to rub his temples, his long blond hairs getting caught up in his fingers. Lux hasn't even been open a week and already it looks like its going to be cleared out for a second night. After a moment's relaxation, Lyman joins the staff at the front. "Assure them that everything is fine," he urges, words coming through a tightened jaw.
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