Money In Progress (Nebesa's Gate Casino)

[Ryker]

Ryker continued at A gesture of faith

[Alistair Bishop]

Idle chit-chat had been made by Alistair with the bartender while his sights were focused on a cute dark-haired female sitting by herself at the end of the bar. He was pent up and in need. A month had passed. At last, the jet lag had begun to wear off, and his tank of testosterone was overflowing. A low-cut black blouse and pearl earrings were worn by her, and her lips were perfectly lush. The tension was allowed to build between them by him, letting his glances enable her to invent stories in her head about who this man might be.

A bottle hitting the bar was heard by Alistair. His attention only half-given, he turned to look at the man who had sat down beside him. He wondered why the man had his own bottle.

Not really wanting to engage in chit-chat, "Rough night?" was half-heartedly blurted out by Alistair. As he turned away, he muttered under his breath, "And you look fucking terrible."

[Maksim Marveet]

Maksim continued at Dont Look at Me

[Xander]

Rude much? Xander wasn't really in the mood to play nice. And obviously he was interrupting whatever fawning and flirting he thought he was doing with the woman in black. "She's engaged. Looking for a quick fuck to bang it out before til death do us part shit." Xander said with a cocky grin. He could say that with absolutely certainty. Her aura was a muddied mess of brown, dull red and black. She was not happy in her life, angry with something. And the image of wedding rings dancing about her head said she was engaged. It wasn't necessarily a deterrent, but when he knew he knew. And this he knew for a fact.

Xander poured himself another drink and stood up from the bar and moved another seat down taking the bottle and glass with him. The vibe from the rude boxer made Xander want to punch someone. This night was fucking shot. He was still par fucking zero for a score in Moscow. Why was he still here?

Two seats down from the boxer he could feel more like himself, less anger, less need to fuck. His aura spoke of coming into money. He certainly dressed the part, though he wasn't high roller table material. He didn't seem interested in gambling either. Kristian wasn't exactly going to make a sale with this guy. But there had to be an angle.

[[ Xander is a prophet, sees auras and images like Min. If you want Xander to see/comment on anything specific just PM me the info and I can work it in. ]]

[Alistair Bishop]

The air had filled with electric tension like preceded a storm or, in this case, a verbal sparring. Alistair held a grin at the corners of his mouth; a testosterone-fueled excitement was radiating up his veins. This stranger at the bar was a puzzle, an unknown, and damn if Alistair didn't love a good ribbing. Just like he and the boys had done as they had traveled from wrestling show to wrestling show back in America. The nights at the bar after a match had become legendary.

 "Good, all I want right now is a quick fuck. I get off taking from other men who can't keep what they have satisfied. Maybe you need to watch so you can learn something." Alistair had said, the words smooth like aged whiskey, dangerous and enticing all at once. He had a sharp yet playful tone to his jab.

Alistair leaned forward, elbows on the table, and a playful smirk on his lips.  "You think you know a lot. We're all friends here," He was locking eyes with Kristian.  "Give me a sip of what you are having. No harm in a little sharing, is there? Or are you afraid I might waste your precious liquid?" Alistair had a confident taunt to his voice, the kind used between men who understood the rules of this ritual of dominance.  "Maybe you have some secrets you can tell me by the time we get to the bottom of that bottle."

[Xander]

Xander rolled his eyes. "She ain't mine, by all means. I know how to hold on to my men." And women but he didn't add that. It made it a little more humorous as he smirked.

He poured the man a drink in the empty glass he had pulled over with his. "I'll share my drinks, but I don't share my women." Xander hadn't ever come across a situation where that truth would have been tested, but he knew that sharing his partners was not his thing.

"I have a lot of secrets. Your ball and chain is a lot bigger and darker than you think. Keys might be around somewhere to break free. And she's pissed at something. Everyone has secrets." He had his own secrets but he wasn't about to tell any those. And Kristian, well Kristian was an illegal fence. He wasn't about to reveal any of his secrets either. But Xander was more than happy to share others. Doubtful anyone really believed him tho.

[Alistair Bishop]

Alistair had laughed at the comment, appreciating the humor. He took the glass that had been poured for him, raising it in a mock toast.  "To keep a firm grip on our men and women,"  he smirked before he took his sip.

"Big ball and chain? Keys? What the fuck is this guy murmuring about. Is he hitting on me or telling me I'm in danger." Alistair quietly spoke out under his breath, curiously verbally processing what he had heard. Alistair couldn't have helped but become more intrigued. He leaned in slightly, his voice low and conspiratorial. "Secrets, my friend, are currency. They can open doors in my world. Everyone has them."

Alistair's gaze shifted back to the woman in black at the end of the bar, wondering what her other secrets might be. He couldn't help but be drawn to her for that brief thought, "Speaking of secrets," he had turned to the man who poured the drink, "What's your story, stranger, with the whiskey bottle? You strike me as someone with many secrets he needs to tell." Alistair wasn't dumb. Alcohol was always the best way to collect information. In Alistaiar's past experience, lips tend to loosen as time and empty bottles had accumulated at a bar.

[Xander]

Xander smirked. Kristian probably wasn't into men so he'd have to play it cool. He hadn't decided. But the words murmured weren't necessarily meant for him. And he wasn't sure. Last guy he'd flirted with fell kinda short of where he wanted. Though he hadn't gotten in touch either with Seven. Though his own words likely meant Kristian floated either way. But he wasn't looking none the less.

"My secrets aren't for sale. But if you want an antiquity of note I'm your man. Name is Kristian Osterhagen, and I can telling what I see nothing more. What can I call you?" He didn't add he can't see his own aura or the images that might dance around him. This man wasn't a special entity he was grateful. Normal people were so much easier to be around.

[Spectra Lin]

One of the women who walked by about then was followed by the turning of many heads. It wasn’t just that she was gorgeous, but she was something of a celebrity for those in the know. An actress, model, dancer and performer, Spectra’s services were always for sale, but she called the shots and she kept all the dollars she earned. Tonight she had been hired to accompany a group of powerful men who were celebrating something or another and wanted the privilege of sharing a table and taking pictures with Spectra Lin. As soon as her time was up, she opted to explore on her own. She was a spider whose belly was full and she was roaming the woods to find a place to settle.

She wore her signature color, a red dress as bright as her lips. Her hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes were shadowed and sultry. It seemed that the space opened up before her as she approached the bar by people ducking from her path. She flashed the heat of her look at the two men conversing there, but beyond a cursory determination that neither was worth that sort of money she sought to keep her company, she ordered a drink, a lemon sparkling water, and went on her way, letting them enjoy their brush with beauty while they had the chance.

[Alistair Bishop]

Alistair had listened to Kristian's words come out of his mouth, but the words had suddenly trailed off like Kristian was dunked underwater and left with only a deep ocean bellow sounds instead of words. The atmosphere had suddenly changed as a woman had caught the corner of Alistair's eye.

Her red dress was like a bullfighter, waving a red cloth before a bull, negging him to charge. Alistair quickly had scanned her body, starting with her full lips, the nape of her long neck, down to legs that seemed to never end. But what had grabbed his attention most was her soft green eyes. They had seemed to be filled with something. She was filled with secrets, mystery, and looking for something she didn't even know she might want. When Alistair was in America, the only women he saw like this were models or more adult films he sometimes might sometimes had enjoyed. America was bankrupt of his level of beauty and intrigue. 

Alistair had needed to act quickly to learn more about this mysterious figure. He had turned back to Kristian, giving him an apologetic yet mischievous grin, having pointed a tilted glass after a quick chug and rattle of ice from his Manhattan. 

"Kristian, was it? I must admit, your tales and the air of mystery have been a high point of my evening," Alistair's eyes had been twinkling with the thrill of the chase that suddenly had presented itself. "Yet, it appears that a... different kind of mystery has just made its way through this very room, and I find myself inexplicably drawn to solving it."

Alistair had gestured subtly with his head towards the direction the woman in red had gone. "You see, a woman like that carries with her secrets that I find need to unravel." He had joked lightly.

Alistair had paused, searching Kristian's face for any sign of offense or pain. He had hoped to give him a little manly power move, that would only draw Kristian to want to know more about Alistair, thus imprinted him on his brain. 

He had started to stand slowly, and had kept eye contact with Kristian. "I assure you, our brief conversation was rather enlightening. Something you said will stick with me, and we might even cross paths again. If you ever want to chat, here is my number and here is my club where I fight. I'm looking for some good friends around here or at least maybe someone who can show me around."

Note:
Club: Red
Instructions:  Ask for Jade - she'll help you find me

Alistair gave a final nod of respect and had turned from the table; his attention had been shifted entirely to the trail of the woman in red and what secrets she held close to her very ample chest. 

[Just wrapping this thread up. Thank you for sticking with me!]