Distraction and Observation (Manifesto)

[Tan Li]

The soft shiver against skin told him that his dark flower was reaching for her own inner light, though it was more like the darkness folded in around them. It was oddly eerie and comforting all at the same time. The explanation made sense, why would you want someone who wasn't good at their job and what better way then to send one of your best after them. And a game was always fun, they weren't always about fighting each other or besting the other, no sometimes the games were against others -- and still all the fun.

She was close, and she was his. It took a moment of calm, the perfect incantation, the complete surrender to his own self to wrestle with the god like power he contained. It was through self control that he'd mastered his sickness, and it was through patience and clarity that he maintained it. He'd watched the boy in the dojo weild the power with fluid and grace and such violence. And it came at his whim. It wasn't so for Li. But in that moment, holding his dark flower against him while she was about to toy with her prey to send a test and get the results her employer wanted he felt the harsh reality of his gift pulsing in his grasp. Just waiting to be weilded and used and all lost in his Darkness -- her darkness.

Li hummed softly in her ear and smiled. "That might be most tempting." He squeezed her tight with both hands and caressed her check with a brush of air. A little notice that he too weiled their ancient dark arts and he was willing to play a little with her mouse.

[Edwin]

Tonight was turning out to be a lovely night with good company. He hadn't intended it, but it was here and he planned to enjoy it. Movement caught his eye and he saw the two predators coming closer, the woman leading and the man being pulled by the hand. Eddie's eyes followed without moving his head. The barman handed them their drinks as the woman passed by Rhi, putting her hand on her waist to move her forward. Rhi was moved closer to Eddie.

And Eddie saw saw as the woman deposited something in Rhi's scotch.

The pair was gone in a moment - not enough time for Eddie to confront them. Rhi moved to take a drink.

"One moment," Eddie said, bringing up his hand, prevnting the woman from drinking. "I'm afraid someone tampered with your drink. Here, take mine."

He gave her his drink and moved the tainted drink forward on the bar for the barman, who was assisting another customer, to get later. What a waste of good scotch.

The woman, seeming to trust him on this spoke, "Thank you, Eddie. Why would someone do that?"

Eddie shrugged. "Don't know - people have different motivations for those things. You have business tonight?"

"Yes, I'd prefer to keep it." she said.

Eddie nodded. "I think the danger is minimal now and I'm willing to keep watch while we wait - if things get worse, we can reevaluate?"

She nodded and took his hand. "Let's go elsewhere though."

He smiled. "I'm following you."

Rhi began to lead him to another area of the club. He took this opportunity to scope the place out again, finding the woman and her man (was the Tan Li?) up in the balcony.

[Nesrin Aziz]

[[continued from here]]

The lady in red was surprised when Eddie placed his hand over her drink. Then suspicion curled a little cold warning in her stomach as he offered his instead. Nesrin didn’t survive through her trust. If she’d been trying to manipulate someone into her confidences, protecting them from some unknown threat would be an easy way to do it – it was exactly what she’d just done with Wicked. The flash of worry in her liquid-dark eyes was entirely genuine as she watched him move the glass away, because the alternative was just as concerning. But all she said was: "Thank you, Eddie. Why would someone do that?"

Sincerity. A little innocence. He looked like the sort of man to appreciate manners and genuine gratitude, though maybe a little of that was just the delightful British accent colouring her impression of him as a gentleman. Truth was she didn’t know if what he said about the drink was true or not, but she knew she was going to go along with it.

Because despite what Nesrin had let the Jackal's representative think about the wealth of her resources, she was very much alone. Not that she was without her own methods of self-protection, but the way the Emissary had shrugged her touch off made her more wary than usual about being caught off guard. Especially now. She’d wanted a contingency should this planned meeting go south in a physical way, and though Eddie was in no way imposing – in her heels, they were more or less eye to eye – she’d watched him a while before boldly asking for that dance. Their closeness then had more than confirmed he was built under that twee suit, but it was the old-school charm which cinched her attention.

She threaded her fingers through his to lead him away. If someone really had tried to spike her drink, she was keen to disappear. Manifesto was a busy club, but the bar suddenly felt terribly open.

“What do you do for work? And does it come with a white horse?” It was a sultry tease, and she smiled when she said it, glancing him up and down anew. Her pace had slowed, and she’d turned to him, but though her fingers loosened she didn’t let go of his hand. They were away from the dancefloor, and the bar had disappeared behind a mass of rich and beautiful clubbers. She glanced every now and then at the people milling around them, the scotch glass cradled against her chest, clearly a little unsettled.

After a moment she leaned closer to him, enough to share a whisper. “You’re supposed to be the pleasure part, Eddie, not the business. But I’m glad you’re here.” She smiled and pressed the drink to her lips. Afterwards she bit them and offered out the glass. “You’re not going to make a girl drink alone, are you?”

[Lucien]

An escort ushered him to the private booth in Block 1, parting the sea of clubbers from his path so that he did not need to brush shoulders with the other clientele. Manifesto was accustomed to the extravagant demands of the rich and famous, and accommodated his idiosyncrasies without a murmur. Lucien was no celebrity, but he was wealthy.

Security ringed the perimeter, not a measure Lucien took for himself, but for the benefit of his appointment. None would be allowed through but the two individuals he waited for. It would not be the first time the Archivist had acted as an intermediary, and he had a reputation to maintain for neutrality. At least as far as his services were concerned.

A crisp wine was poured for him, the bottle left for his pleasure, and he thanked the server kindly before dismissing them. The club’s music was a softer thump here. In the ethereal glow of neon lighting his pale and embroidered gloves danced a myriad colours. He raised his hand, not yet to taste his drink, but to lift an old-fashioned pocket watch from its chain and glance at the time.

[Edwin]

Edwin allowed himself a chuckle as she asked what he did and if it came with a white horse. He was more than happy to be her knight. "I am but a humble soldier, but not cavalry," he said, with smile.

As she found a place for them to stay, he maneuvered their position so he could keep an eye on Rhi's would be poisoner and her partner while still placing himself between them and Rhi. Eddie had no idea if the man was involved in this, or what the woman's goal was in drugging his companion, but the place of protector came to him naturally from his training. Since he was applying for a job in public security.

"I'm glad I'm here too," not only was she pretty, but who knows if someone would have been here to keep her safe from mystery woman if he hadn't been. When she offered him her drink, Eddie blinked. He had forgotten to replace his own, and well, given someone had just spiked her last one, he couldn't blame her caution. Maybe his impromptu companion had more to her than met the eye. "I was so concerned about your safety, I forgot to get my own drink." He smiled at her playfully and took a sip from the offered glass. "It would be rude of me to make you drink alone."

[Legione Sumus]

Omar Tarek

Omar wasn't a rich man, but he had been trained in how to infiltrate such places.  He wore a fashionable suit as he entered Block 1 of Manifesto. The Jackal had expressed interest in a key of sorts.  Omar hadn't asked much.  Ultimately he didn't need to.  This was a distraction from his main mission in Moscow, so Omar was slightly irritated at having to be here.  He understood, however, Giovanni's desire to remain in the shadows  It was a momentary disctraction, and in the scheme of things, it didn't compromise the more important goal.

Omar was here for business, so he showed the proper identification to be escorted to the private booth where a gentleman waited, checking a pocket watch.  Pocket watches weren't really a thing anymore.  Although some still kept them and utilized them.  If Omar was a betting man, he would place a wager on this guy being the Archivist - the third party in this transaction.  Which meant the seller had yet to arrive.

Omar took a seat in he both, only nodding at the man in greeting.  Omar was a man of few words, and felt no need to talk at this point. Likely the Archivist was used to this.  He probably meant everyone from the most talkative to the least. This was a business meeting, and without their third companion.  Their business had yet to start. 

[Nesrin Aziz]

He dodged the question but he did sip the scotch, and Nesrin immediately felt the anxiety of suspicion ease. That adorable little blink suggested he was genuine, unless he was far better at the subtleties of manipulation than even her. Lucky for him it meant she needn’t worry about her contingency. Had he refused the drink, presumably because he was the tamperer, she would have pushed a little suggestion at him, one that coaxed him into her trust. In a place as crowded as Manifesto she really preferred not to risk it though – you never knew who exactly was watching, and who might be able to sense the fluttering of a woman’s power. That was recognition she’d rather avoid tonight.

Of course, if he wasn’t actually playing her that left the concern of what he really must have witnessed being dropped into her drink. Frankly that worried her, given why she was here; a worry she did not hide, but used as an excuse to slip into the reassurance of his shadow. Because her best shield against it was presently standing deliciously close, and smiling across at her in an entirely enticing way as he shared the glass. Nesrin smiled back, and sucked the lingering sheen of scotch from her lower lip, both sensuous and teasing. She wasn’t sure if he’d noticed she hadn’t drunk at all, but if he had she imagined he’d understand why. A girl can’t be too careful.

She didn’t press for his line of work; everyone was entitled to secrets, and he could keep them so long as they weren’t dangerous to her.

“Ah,” she said instead, tapping him soft on the chest. “So you’re one of the good ones. A very rare breed, you know.” She eased the glass from his fingers, touch lingering, and smirked as this time she did take a sip. Its burn was a comfort, and ignited the thrill inside. She did love this game. “I should know. It’s what I do – deal in rare things.”

[Nhysa]

She watched in amusement as Edwin Dean prevented his companion from drinking. It would not have gone against her assessment had he missed her act, but it certainly went in his favour to have been so observant with no prior cause for vigilance. Not that the drink would have harmed the woman any – just alerted Edwin to a potential threat when she became woozy. Nhysa had intended to watch how he reacted to the unknown, with a companion he was not beholden to beyond chance meeting.

In answer to her invitation, Li’s arms tightened about her, and a softness caressed her cheek like the tantalizing fall of a feather. It sent a pleasing shiver through her, for more than one reason. Nhysa shifted, her head tucked beneath his chin, eyes upturned to him. A low hum of laughter left her throat. “That’s new, dear one. Am I not quite enough distraction tonight?” Her words were only in tease, and the subtle shift of her hips against him illustrated exactly what she meant. Li needed certain conditions to wield his gift, just as she did, but while hers basked in the shadows of the club, his relied on a rather more meditative state. One that usually took minutes of quiet reflection to achieve, not seconds in a crowded club. They’d experimented in the past – Nhysa took great interest in the sorts of distractions that might unravel his calm, to see if he could learn to wield past it. But while those evenings were often greatly enjoyable, it wasn’t a barrier they had ever broken.

Below them Edwin was threading through the crowd, led after the woman in red. By the subtle but methodical roam of his attention, he saw them watching from the balcony.

“Ah, my love. He sees us.” This time her hum of laughter was interest for the cat and mouse game.

[Tan Li]

Grasping the power had been new, and even Nhysa noticed. He grinned. "Oh, my darkest flower you are plenty distraction. I think that was the key. Embracing my heart with you." Probably about as close to the l word he would say at the moment. He wasn't sure where they went if those feelings truly let out. For now, it was enough.

Her mark had noticed them on the balcony. He'd seen plenty of star struck fans to know that look of recognition. "I do think he recognizes me, can we use that to your advantage?" he asked curiously. He was a famous movie star -- which usually would hinder a mission, but Nhysa knew his history and his fame and she would never put herself at risk to have a fun little encounter, and he would never ask it of her. Their entire relationship revolved around Nhysa's work and how he wouldn't interfere with it. He understood the double life, he had his very own. And whle they were no longer quite so separate, he was aware of it all and would keep her secret safe no matter what. Even if she had to remain in the shadows of his life -- he was content.

[Edwin]

Rhi tapped him on the chest and he grinned at her. ”A good one? Well I certainly try to be.” it wasn’t a lie, but like most soldiers, he had certainly done his share of bad things. Eddie still always tried to do what was right.

”A dealer in rare things…certainly sounds like interesting work. More interesting than drills and standing in formation that’s for sure. Then again, there’s lots of ‘hurry up and waiting’ in soldier. It can become interesting real fast.” he laughed a bit. ”Well, if I’m the pleasure part of this evening than it behooves me to make sure your business is done without interference. I’ve not been in Moscow long - didn’t know business was done here, but you learn something new everyday right?”