Confrontation

[Manix]

((Continued from Glass house)) http://w11.zetaboards.com/TheFirstAge/topic/30001617/))

Manix dress in casual pants and a nice button up enters his "pub". Finding a booth in a corner he sat down and ordered a scotch on the rocks from the blond waitress. He had no doubt Carmen would be there to chew on his ass some more, why did he always like the feisty ones.

Humming a sea shanty he waited. He knew Carmen would have to blow off fer steam before she would listen to Manix.

[Oriena]

Carmen
NPC

She left Raffe to watch over the place while she waited for Manix to show. By now the lights had dimmed to a rosy underglow and the music undulated to the show on the stage. Most in the busy club were engrossed with the girls and their tease of flesh, and the demand on the hosting staff eased. Even then Carmen wouldn't usually idle when on shift, but this was important.

Rage had run cold and then settled into worry. She tried to console herself. It wasn't like Oriena hadn't brought trouble to Kallisti's door before; the girl revelled in it, whether it was toying with the patrons or teasing fire between the local gangs. But that was before Ascendancy announced to the world that he was a god, and that others wielded powers among them. Before Carmen knew that assassins crept in their midst. She could deal with everything else; she didn't know how to deal with this.

She spied him in one of the booths, nursing a drink. His text had been terse, but then hers had been furious. Oriena had intended that reaction, if the smirk on her face had been anything to go by, but it didn't dim Carmen's anger. Nor the protectiveness she felt for the club - and someone was going to give her answers.

She didn't greet him. There was no coy flirtation this time, just the raw steel of emotion. Anger was there, no mistake, but concern was expressed just as openly. "Explain. What the hell is going on, Manix?



Edited by Oriena, Sep 24 2016, 03:59 AM.

[Manix]

Looking at the stunning woman in front of him he couldn't help but smile. Sometimes even if it was in anger it was always nice to have a beautiful woman talk to you. He took a sip of his drink.

"That, my dear, is a very vague question. I know next to nothing about her coming and goings. I'm guessing that since im being yelled at, it has something to do with Jaxen's mission."


Thinking carefully: "Jaxen did not tell me the details on how HIS mission went. I can tell you this, I hired Jaxen, Ori pushed her way into it".
Taking another sip and keeping himself under control he continued in a flat tone. "I do not know why Ori went, I do not know why Jaxen allowed it, but I had nothing to do with her going, I'd preferred if she had stayed out of it."


"Now tell me the real reason your so upset, what has happened and how can I help YOU. Please know I would never, ever, do anything to put you in harms way. Quite the opposite, I'd kill or die to protect you."


He knew as soon as he said it, it sounded cheesy and over the top since they didn't know each other. Damn his tongue, sometimes he just couldn't think right around women.

"At least please sit so the other men in here will be jealous and not know im being scolded"



Edited by Manix, Sep 23 2016, 07:40 PM.

[Oriena]

“You don’t even know me,”
she said softly. Her brows pinched into a frown. Another time she might have smiled at the enamoured way he spoke and teased him like she had the last time they'd met. But she did not wear one of Kallsiti's sultry masks today, and what he saw was honest.

He spoke of a job but gave no helpful details; Carmen didn't even know what Manix did for a living. Clearly he was irritated with Ori - no surprise there; the woman did as she pleased, and if it annoyed others in the process it only seemed to delight her more. Her past was littered with such incidents, and those only the ones Carmen knew about. Usually she was able to smooth such things over; at least where Kallisti's position was concerned. Few were aware of Oriena's connection with the club anyway, let alone that she actually owned it. Most thought the place belonged to Carmen.

“If Oriena has pissed someone off, I need to know whether or not I should be concerned. She’s never asked me to hire extra security before - that's why I'm worried."
Oriena was an Ascendant, which Carmen assumed meant she could handle herself. If she'd fucked off another like her then Carmen dreaded to think of the consequences though, particularly if the club was caught in the crossfire. Oriena seemed to think it would be.

What a mess.

"And I'm not scolding you. If I was you'd bloody know about it."
Her lips flickered into the first hint of a smile, but she did at least sit.

[Manix]

Manix smiled when she sat down: "thank you, now lets see if we can figure this out."
He thought carefully on how much to reveal, she seemed genuinely concerned for Ori, or at least this pub. "I'll tell ye all I know, I dont be knowing if that will answer ur question."


"I guess a lil background be in order. I am a Ship's Captain, I came to Moscow to learn more of this magic and the how and why my sister died and not I"
Taking a sip of his drink "Yes I can use the power. I now be spending most of my time researching ancient artifacts and what some would call fairy tales, looking for clue about this power."


"I hired Jaxen to gather me more of these tales and artifacts, to do that he broke into the Anthrim. His mission was successful, but he no tell me no details on what happened inside. If Ori wants more security I would guess it could be from something she saw or more likely something she did."


Manix waved down the blonde waitress this time ordering water. "If it be protection you need i can order some Viking to come here to watch over ya, I also recently got this card of a firm that sets up security systems."
He dug into his pocket to pull out the card Jaxen gave em: Pervaya Ilenya Private Security with a contact number was all it said. "They can help you with long term security, shall I send you some of me crew to watch over ya?"


Manix seemed to have forgot it was club security ori wanted, for some reason he was worried about Carmen's safety.

[Oriena]

Well. That was a lot to process. Carmen's expression flickered uncertainly when he admitted to being one of the Ascendants, eyes a little wide as she reconciled that new piece of information with the man sat in front of her. Her reaction deadened flat when he confirmed her worst fear, though; that Oriena had done something to aggravate the cult who had apparently been secretly murdering people like her for years. She shouldn't have expected anything less of Ori - in fact she hadn't. But it was still a blow to hear the truth of it.

"A ship's Captain in Moscow, huh? You're a long way from the coast. I'm sorry about your sister."


The sentiment was genuine, but she frowned and looked away to examine the old fashioned business card, unwilling to linger on the tragedy. Pervaya Iiniya. A private security firm. But his accompanying words moved her attention up back to him. Carmen smiled wryly. "I may not be a magic-user, but I'm not a damsel in distress either. I can look out for myself. I promise you that."


Like Oriena, Carmen had spent her childhood in Moscow's slums, and had fought for every opportunity to claw her way up the ladder to the woman she was today. If she spared a thought to consider it, the same story mirrored in many of Kallisti's staff; the club collected misfits. Ori was a bitch, but she did have a thing for the underdog.

"I was teasing about the debt, before. I'm not going to hold you to anything, Manix, so don't feel like you owe me. I'm serious about that."
She met his eye squarely, resolute in her convictions. "But I won't turn away help either."

[Manix]

He watched the range of emotions flicker across her face. She obviously didn't like he could channel, but who did, he wanted to be honest with her. He let the "Shop Captains" joke slide and tried not to think about his sister.

"Honestly I forgot about the dept. I will be sending some of my ship's Marines down 2 at a time to stand post. Question is to ye want them to look like guards or to blend into the crowd?" Even tho they no be Vikings they be well versed in espionage and can blend into any surrounding.


"SynJyn and his Vikings are due anytime and there is no better force on this earth. You wont even know they be here. So what shall it be, a show of force, or incognito?"


Luckily he fought the urge to place his hand over hers, she needed no comforting, she made that clear, but it wasn't comforting he was offering. Feeling he was chasing a red herring he just sipped his water.

[Oriena]

It had been important to her to make sure he didn't offer charity. So consoled, she nodded. Not that she really understood the earnestness with which he offered his services. All because he found her attractive? He made no secret of his interest, but it still seemed a grand gesture with such sparse encouragement. Oriena would wring a man who showed such emotional weakness dry, but Carmen was not so inclined. There were no games here. She did not want him to mistake her acceptance of his aid as the promise of something else, nor lead him to think she would flirt just to get the security she so badly needed. No. She wouldn't cheapen the emotion. Thus she kept the two things very separate.

"Incognito, I suppose. No sense letting the enemy know we're ready for them."
Her hands clasped over the business card on the table, an option she would pass by Oriena when they spoke later. Having some measure of control over the situation eased her worries. The stiffness of her posture relaxed. Red haired pooled over her shoulders as she bowed her head to take a cleansing breath.

"This place means a lot to me Manix. I'm grateful for your help."
It was time to get back to work. The staff could cope without her, but she hated idling, and there were always jobs that needed doing. Despite it Carmen made no move to leave. Her gaze brushed over their surroundings, the decadent furniture and sultry lights. Nearly everyone was watching the stage show; only Raffe made no secret of his curiosity from his stance at the bar. Carmen wasn't exactly known for fraternising with patrons beyond her duties as hostess, and clearly he found it amusing. Eventually she turned back to Manix.

"What's it like? Being... what you are. How did you find out?"

[Manix]

That was not an easy question to answer, so he gave himself time to think. "Thank you for your honesty and sincerity, if saw any signs of you trying to use me as a newborn pup, i'd of walked. I no be so naive as that. That being said doesn't mean im not interested in knowing you better, but not in this place, this is a place of work, tho I do be amused by thee bartender."


"To conclude business my Marine or Vikings when they arrive will hand u a blue card, nothing more for identification, only tell ye staff that just has to know. Otherwise they will be like any other patron, they will rotate every 2-3 hours. Most nights you shall me, i leave it you if u wish to talk, I take no offence if you steer clear, I dont want to upset ur man friend to much."


"What is it like?"
he sat quiet for a long time. "I be no God, I can tell ye that. I learned on the seas controlling wind and water. My first major experience was healing a crew member that had been hurt bad."


"You want to know what I am? I am simply me and in time maybe you'll learn who I am better than I could ever tell you and maybe I, you, or not. That be up to you, the offer of protection remains until u get professionals here."

[Oriena]

Carmen nodded at the instruction. She was here herself most days. Raffe and Claire could also be trusted with the responsibility. She was still mulling the logistics, expression serious, thoughts inward, when mention of her bartender floated her brows up in surprise.

"You mean Raffe? You think we're--? No."
She laughed, not unkindly, but certainly amused. Raffe was pretty, but he was also like a puppy; not to mention that Carmen was his boss and a number of years his senior. It shouldn't have mattered but she was glad to set the record straight, and though she said nothing regarding Manix's regular presence for the foreseeable future, she didn't look disappointed at the prospect either.

He was quiet a long time before answering her question. Carmen folded her tattooed arms on the table, leaned in with interest. Ori never really spoke about what she was, at least not to Carmen, and it was not like they had the kind of relationship that encouraged Carmen to express her curiosity. Half the time she was absent entirely -- though of late the pattern of her visits had been increasing. There were other women, too, who Carmen either knew of or suspected, but they were employees and Carmen steered away from too much familiarity.

Controlling wind and water in the middle of the ocean pushed outside the boundaries of understanding. It was like fiction. But then so was the arch now standing in the Red Square, and no one refuted that. "You can heal?"
Incredible. And frightening, the apparent breadth and possibility these powers took. Worse when she considered what someone like Oriena might do with such gifts. Squander them, probably.

After a moment more, she pressed back to her feet. The longer she lingered the more gossip Raffe would press for later, with his charming grin and wink. He was only interested at all because it was unusual behaviour for her. Even Ori would probably tease her later. Carmen hefted her work like a shield, and was good at what she did, but rarely showed genuine interest -- let alone in a patron. Manix numbered the first ever exception. Though he probably didn't even realise it.

"Then I'll see you around."
She smiled, and it was sincere, not a mask, her hand held out to shake on the informal deal.