A Game of Intrigue {Etreven/Wei Qing}

[Wei Qing]

Club Vivid
10:01pm
February 3rd, 2012

The night sky was as polluted with light as always, honking horns and voices filling the air as people bustled all about.  The city was as alive as it had ever been, and it was hiding far too many secrets.  The seedy underbelly that the quiet and quaint ignored, pretended that it wasn't there.  Others were only too aware of it as they strode about their business.  This particular evening there was a woman that was extremely aware of it as she strode down the street in her black pumps and fitted red dress.  A black belt looped about her thin waist while her dark hair flowed free about her neck and face.  Her purse was simple and black, unremarkable really and of an average size.  She just looked like any other woman that was probably going clubbing or drinking that evening, except the skirt of her dress didn't ride too high.  It clung to about the middle of her thighs, accenting those lovely legs of hers.  

The music began to pound as she approached a building that was very much a hole in the wall, the only sign of what it was its symbol in neon lights and the bouncer at the door.  She merely nodded to the man and slipped inside, flashing lights and music beating all about her as she was swallowed into the night life.  People were packed on the dance floor, writhing and moving to the beats that were dropped by the DJ up on his stage.  It was easy for her to move through them all to the bar where she stood by the employee's entrance with an arm on the counter.  The bartender noticed her and came over to get her a drink.  Wei Qing straightened up to lean over more so she could speak quietly into his ear, "Sake please, and don't worry about the orchids. I'm sure its sweet enough." He nodded once and turned, handing her a bottle with a small nod and an eye glance towards the back. There were extra, more private rooms that she had access to. A bill was slipped across to the bartender who leaned back over as he handed her her glass. "The room is waiting and ready whenever you are." Excellent.

Are you sure this is the best idea? No. But it is worth finding out if I should spend anymore time on the matter. Hornet was quiet after that as she took her glass, downing it as she turned back around to the club. Those dark eyes of hers scanned the crowd before moving through it to a spot where she began to dance. How best to hide except by getting lost in the crowd? All the while she watched and waited, eyes peeled for the single man that she was waiting to meet whom did not know her face.

[Etreven]

Madness and cacophony.  The symphony of the city.  A sprawling, chaotic metropolis that just couldn't keep its mouth shut, even (and especially) when it had nothing at all to say.  A fitting match for the sprawling rows of skyscrapers lit from head to toe in neon and fluorescents, a city burning from the inside out.  The air was cool and dry, yet something cloying and burnt stuck to the breeze like a bur on the back of a fine suit.  A smell not unlike burning rubber or kerosene.  The breath of the city, exhalations of a machine without a pilot.  "Oh yes," the man thought as he casually pressed his way through the crowded human detritus that occupied the streets of Hong Kong, "this place will do nicely."

Etreven brushed at his arm absentmindedly as he pressed through the throngs, past street carts churning out dumplings scarcely definable as food, past a small gang of young kids playing at war with another group just like them, past an angry couple on bicycles shouting heatedly at a taxi driver who had carelessly bumped into one of them while attempted to escape from the traffic of the main road.  He could feel Ymir stirring in his subconscious, that same ever-present undercurrent of smug superiority floating to the top of his psyche.  For Etreven it was much like watching someone's lips poised on the edge of speech.  This was a game he knew well, and he kept his thoughts still and ordered and out of the way as he let his companion guide him.

The hacker was playing a game.  He liked that.  In his mind's eye he pictured a chess board with an infinite set of squares, pieces poised in endless rows and unknowable configurations in every possible direction.  And there at the center of his focus, a carved wooden butterfly painted black.  Oh yes, this Butterfly had caught his attention.  Because for him of all people, what spoke most loudly was the silence amidst the chaos.  Her message was untraceable.  Not simply hard to track or obfuscated but lacking in any signature whatsoever.  An electronic ghost dancing upon the wires to haunt him.

This was a move that screamed at him to pay attention.  The only question was, now that she'd gotten his attention, would she be prepared for it?  That thought was silenced as he rounded a corner and the club came into view (if you could even call it a club).  He recognized the symbol that identified the place, his dead faced expression curving ever so subtly into a frown as he looked over the unimpressive facade.  The bouncer's eyes locked onto Etreven as he made his steady, methodical approach to the man.  He looked...important at the very least.  Out of uniform for this particular occasion he had opted to don a slim fitting grey suit, fine worsted wool, expertly tailored, high collared.  The style of the coat (cut long in the back to give the illusion of tails) spoke of refinement and anachronism.  The brown tooled leather boots accented the crisp lines of the coat, the whole outfit crafted to grant the illusion of absolute fluidity in his movements.  On his left lapel was a golden pin, ovular, featuring a five pronged red flower surrounded by the phrase "Величие родины в ваших славных делах."  His expression remained flat as he approached the bouncer, withdrawing from his pocket a simple white card with black print.

For a moment, the bouncer looked from the card to the man in front of him, eyes lingering on the badge pinned to his lapel before nodding gruffly and motioning inside.  Etreven returned the curt nod, passing through the threshold of the place as the music hit him hard.  His hands made quick work of putting in a pair of earplugs deftly retrieved as he made his entrance.  In his head he found himself laughing as he watched the crowds of dancing clubbers undulating to the bass and the beat, but his face revealed nothing.  Eyes scanning the crowd his thoughts turned dark for a moment, knowing that for at least this one moment, the Butterfly had him at a disadvantage.  He had countered the opening gambit, but the next move was not his.  Sliding through the masses like oil on water, Etreven took a seat at the bar and ordered a single malt Yamazaki 18, eyes soaking in each face and waiting to make note of any detail that would give them away.  Yes indeed, it was going to be an interesting night...

[Wei Qing]

An interesting choice from the DJ this particular eve, she wasn't quite sure if she liked it or not.  There was no doubt in her mind, however, that Duessa was most likely listening in and taking notes.  And... well... recording as much as she could via nearby cell phones, cameras, etc.  This wasn't a meeting that the three of them were taking lightly.  The man that they were dealing with was as much an enigma as they kept themselves, and while that pointed towards a promising business negotiation, there was just something... off.  An instinctual piece of gnawing in her mind that made her pause before immediately sending an invitation to join Firefly.  Hence this particular meeting in person.  She wanted to have the chance to gauge the man in person because a file, as she knew so well, could very well be a falsehood no matter how closely you analyzed all the pieces.  That, and she was simply curious.  She was risking a bit by coming to him in person like this, but if she played her cards right?  Hopefully the backlash would be minimal at best.  And we're positive that Duessa is double checking the information on us that is scattered about?  Yes.  We reminded her before we left and on the way over, remember?  Or are you getting that old?  She heard him chuckle in the back of her mind.  Smug bastard.  Oh hush you.  

There.  

Her eyes locked on as she spun about in a simple dance move, noting where she saw the tall, distinctive man move.  Etreven.  Ugh, she could already feel a tingling in her non-existant hackles go up.  Things would turn out fine, the Employer was confident in her instincts.  The song transitioned smoothly into the next as she slowed and dabbed at her brow.  Good.  She had danced just enough where there was a hint of sweat upon her forehead as she panted and slipped from between her nearby partners.  It was time to get a nice, refreshing drink.  It had been about two minutes since Etreven entered the establishment, and now Wei Qing strode up and let herself grip the bar with a hand while waving the other to catch the bar mans attention.  "'scuse me! Tequila sunrise please!" She called as the man looked up and nodded once, letting a smile rise to her lips as she noticed the man beside her. Her eyes gave him a quick once over as if to take in his distinctive garb before flicking over to his drink. She whistled slightly, "Whiskey? A bold choice." She commented as her drink was placed beside her. She paid it no notice for the moment as she peered up at him curiously, "Where're you from? You... don't exactly seem dressed for the clubbing scene if you don't mind my saying." Perfect. It was a seamless innocence to her inquiries with a hint of childlikeness that left her younger than she seemed. Just don't overthink the whole thing. She was doing her best not to.

[Etreven]

The clock in his head clicked mercilessly as he watched and counted and soaked in the scene.  This was a place of inconsequential people.  Contemptible people.  The glass he held in his left hand was cold, the whiskey chilled by a wide sphere of ice the bartender had so trendily placed into the glass.  It was a focus point, the only cool thing in the entire space.  Eyes picking apart the crowd, memory locked onto that point of cold like an anchor, setting itself against the heat in the club, in his head, in his heart.  These people made him angry.  Some part of him, at least.  The part he didn't know.  The part that whispered at night to keep him awake.  And he was angry that such contemptible people had the power to evoke that feeling, so he crushed it inside him.  Crushed it with his focus, his ambition, his...counting.

Two times so far he'd raised his glass to his lips, smelled the sweet caramel and savory smoke, mimed the sipping of the chilled liquid.  In that time he identified fifteen concealed weapons, three well connected Triad captains, five wealthy kids on vacation who were clearly "slumming it" and one very concerned looking intelligence operative.  All but three of those individuals weren't worth a thought, but none of them were his quarry tonight.  No, this one would be hiding in plain sight...

A third feined sip at his whiskey and then, that voice.  "'scuse me!" the voice had said.  Youthful exuberance masking experience.  A put on.  Very curious.  He let his eyes fall on his glass, slowly miming enjoyment of the beverage he had not in reality touched at all yet.  The girl completed her order and turned face him, but Etreven simply put his glass down slowly as if not noticing her there at all.  Blank eyed and flat faced, he moved a hand to his chin, appearing to mull over the menagerie of bottles parked behind the bar.  And then of course she chose to ask where he was from...well that was just asking for it.  A gruff chuckle echoed in his head and the words *began* to form.  "You know what to..." Ymir began before Etreven's reply cut him off.  "Yes I do know.  Don't bother me unless you have something constructive to add."

Putting his hands down on the bar and arming his face with a hint of a quizzical smile, he slowly turned to face the girl, eyes as empty as always, before replying (in Russian no less) "I'm sorry, it's so loud in here.  Very difficult to hear what people say, especially in what is not either of our first languages."  He let his blank eyes wander to her Tequila Sunrise before very specifically letting them linger on to her upper body and finally face.  He twisted the smile into the faintest impression of a smirk before adding, "Let me see...English is it?  My apologies, I tend to revert to Russian before thinking better of it.  What is it you said before?"

[Wei Qing]

Interesting. He didn't immediately respond physically upon her approach. He had to have seen her for he slowly turned to her once she began speaking. She maintained that bouncy, bubbly smile for it wasn't entirely untrue. She was in a club, and she had had a chance to dance. She was a happy little Wei Qing. After all, when you mix a lie with a truth it can strengthen that appearance. For most it makes it harder to discern what is true and what is false. He was not one to be fooled generally, however, and she knew this. Still, best not to give him any reason to believe that she was who he was looking for. Just an interested patron after all. "Мне очень жаль, что это так громко здесь. Очень трудно услышать, что говорят люди, особенно в том, что это не одно из наших первых языков." Wei Qing blinked confusedly for it was a language that she did not understand in the least bit. Thank god she didn't have to fake that, though it wouldn't be for long. Duessa purred in her ear, "Translation: I'm sorry, it's so loud in here.  Very difficult to hear what people say, especially in what is not either of our first languages." Ah... interesting. Alright. "Wow." That was all she could manage cause she literally had no idea. She knew it was Russian, but that didn't mean she understood it in the least bit.

So when his eyes drifted from her drink to her chest, she only gained a slight twinge to the corner of her mouth that added a coyness to her appearance. Was he interested in her body hm? It was true that she had curves that she might not have otherwise had she been fully chinese. So she adjusted her body position slightly to better.... show off her attractiveness. There were others at the bar that were noticing. "Let me see...English is it?  My apologies, I tend to revert to Russian before thinking better of it.  What is it you said before?" She sipped at her drink and shook her head as if it were no big deal, straightening up as she smiled exuberantly at him. "Oh its no problem! I think its hot when someone speaks a foreign language even if I have no idea what they are saying. Or accents. Those are attractive as well." She began with a slight giggle, flopping down on the stool next to him. "So I asked you where you are from! Since you don't look like someone who would normally go clubbing, no offense meant of course." Her shoulders shrugged slightly with a pout of her lip, brushing one strand of hair from her features.

"So... if you were speaking Russian, then are you from Russia? Cause you don't sound Russian! You sound like you are from Britain. Are you?" It was a simple logical thing to follow, and even a ditz in a club would most likely realize that. Especially if they were just some other rich kid like so many that night were. She giggled again and bit her lower lip while swaying on her stool, almost appearing apologetic, "I'm asking too many questions aren't I?"

[Etreven]

Questions, that was the name of this little game, was it?  At least it was a game that he liked to play.  Besides, what better way to pass the time than to pry at the edges of this one here?  If Butterfly was going to make him wait and watch, the very least he could do was keep his mind sharp and alert.  More to the point it would keep the anger at bay, the rising voice that shouted in the sharp and broken corners of his brain that no one would dare call him out like Butterfly did only to toy with him.  No, that was not a productive anger and his focus was better spent (trivially as it might be) on the pastime before him.  Besides, one never knew what one would find in a person until you started peering around the edges.

"Do you often come here looking for foreigners?  Because I have to say, your curves are rather foreign for this city.  At least for someone with a face like yours."  And then Etreven's expression went fairly flat, head cocked lazily as he looked her in the eyes intensely.  "As for where I'm from..." he spoke as he let a Russian accent drip into his English speech, "would you like to take another guess?"  Slowly straightening his posture, he broke into French for just a moment, the Russian accent still on his tongue as his mind shifted gears "Or would you like a few more moments..."  As he spoke he let himself take on a sly, almost lecherous look, eyes retaining that same intensity but leaking with a subtle, well buried anger merged with the otherwise clear expression of lust.  As he shifted back into English he allowed the axioms of French to sneak into his expression, accenting somewhere at an intersection of all three manners speech.  "To just listen and take in the view?"

He slowly leaned in towards the woman, his face once more a mask showing nothing but the slightest hint of a smirk.  The intimation of an accent fell away to the same neutral Received Pronunciation British he'd begun with, "But as for questions?  No, you couldn't possibly ask too many questions."  And with that he sunk, slouched deep into his stool, gazing cooly across to the girl as he picked up his whiskey for another feined sip.

[Wei Qing]

She blinked and kept up that smile at him, though her expression had relaxed and smoothed back out to what it had been before.  Content and interested in this man and his affairs.  There was no suspicion, no recognition in his face or anything.  While he seemed a man confident in his abilities who read into situations (as far as she had noticed in what little truthful information found or from contacts), he had no idea who she was, did he?  Isn't that what you want?  Yes. But we don't want him getting bored either. She could sense Hornet shifting within her mind, what had him like this? .... Just watch yourself. Odd. He was normally so distant and honey badger like. "Do you often come here looking for foreigners?  Because I have to say, your curves are rather foreign for this city.  At least for someone with a face like yours. Wei Qing giggled shyly, sipping at her drink as if that would act as some kind of barrier, but in her mind the wheels were turning. Yes, Etreven wasn't taking her seriously at all and, well, the whole situation was a little odd with such a monotone and flat tone of voice. It spoke volumes to how this was a situation he really didn't care about at all.

"As for where I'm from..." She looked up excitedly at that, "Would you like to take another guess?" HAH! He was playing with her now! "Or would you like a few more moments..." French. Duessa supplied the translation, but Wei Qing just appeared as enthralled as ever at this showing off of capabilities. "Oh stop it!" Another giggle escaped her as she waved a hand at him a little, leaning back on her stool for a moment. Though, once she saw how that lust slithered in, she could only let that coy smile grow more and sit forward more. Oh she let the charm out a bit, reaching out to him with her body language as if to call him more towards her. She wasn't going to have to ACTUALLY bed him, right? Cause he seriously did not seem the type to want to. Especially since he had seemed so bored moments before. "To just listen and take in the view?" Oooo now HE was really trying with that charm huh? A lie could smell a lie, and oh did he reek of it. "Oh?"

Yes, play dumb. Play the dumb bimbo that went to clubs all the time and got wasted, dancing with how ever many partners she wanted to without a care in the world. Play that idiot. "But as for questions?  No, you couldn't possibly ask too many questions." She was losing him. Careful... I know. So then the girl before him gave a small little giggle as she clasped her drink in both hands, sipping at the straw with a cute tilt of her head. "Then, you're waiting for someone, right?" It was a very simple question. Neither assuming, but entirely implicative. After all, he could very well be waiting for someone. The fact he was flirting but not obviously planning on going anywhere with her could be an indicator. Or maybe she knew about the meeting that he had been told to come to. "Otherwise you wouldn't be in a place like this, would you?" She had laid another card down on the table, shifted another pawn on the board. So what would be his next move? She couldn't wait to see.

[Etreven]

Up until now the conversation had been an amusement, a way to pass the time and occupy his mind and skills.  Up until now, the girl had been something to play with, a whetstone to hone himself against.  Up until now the conversation had been absolutely meaningless, her acted advances and performed flirtations an attribution assignable to so many faceless and unimportant club going women.  But then..."Then, you're waiting for someone, right?"...those were the wrong words for her act.  Could they be bent to fit the pattern?  Certainly.  But the body language, the persona...no, the question she *should* have asked, right at the top of the bell curve of the probable was "So what brings you here tonight?" or maybe even "Are you here with anyone?".  But no, she was actively flirting with him while actively ignoring his intimidations.  And that question?  It was only for a confirmation of either knowledge or informed presumption.  The posture of someone who was aware of his purpose, or at the least was tertiarily aware of said purpose.  If his face had been feigning an expression it would have melted away instantly.  As it was, he remained stone face, twitching ever so subtly as she spoke her next words, "Otherwise you wouldn't be in a place like this, would you?".

In his mind, Ymir stirred and snarled.  "This one...is playing at something.  You can almost smell it on her.  Oh the little fool, she sees so much but doesn't notice the fire in front of her."  Etreven blinked, the exchange occurring faster than real time, eyes taking the opportunity to truly look at this girl.  This time the purpose wasn't feigning attraction, it was actively sizing her up.  Committing details to memory, comparing them to that expansive database of human interaction he relied upon in these situations.  "Mmm.  But I need to know what she knows.  Or who she is...I think perhaps it's time to take this one seriously."  At that, Ymir laughed.  Deep throated and heavy, resonating in his head like the sound of a cannon fired in a cave.  Etreven forced his face into his best semblance of a toothy grin (in truth little more than a smirk that revealed a sliver of white) as he spoke to the girl again.

"Observant, aren't you?  I like that in a woman."  With this he leaned in closer again, not intimidatingly close but certainly inside the range of what most people would consider their personal bubble.  He was looking at her closely now, disguising his attention as a physical assessment when in reality he was looking for information to exploit.  He continued, "But no, you're right on both counts I'm afraid.  I'm most certainly not the club going type.  Was it the suit or the whiskey that gave it away?"  To that he laughed, a natural, clear laugh (if perhaps delivered a bit too close for comfort) that was nonetheless entirely manufactured.  "Although to be honest, I didn't entirely expect I would run into the person I'm supposed to meet here at all."  Ymir snickered, adding in his head "Giving so much away so soon?  My aren't we feeling bold this evening.  And here I was so looking forward to your toying with her.  I suppose if you're going to rush headlong into this, you ought to know...this one has the stink of Inferis on her."

Etreven showed no visible reaction to the demon's advice, though somewhere inside him elated at the confirmation of his suspicions.  Unsure as he was about who exactly this girl was, it no longer mattered.  She could be very useful no matter how you looked at it.  Which meant it was time to make the next move.  "Although now that you're here, I'm not sure I care.  I've never been one to complain about attractive company.  What say you we find somewhere more...private to talk?"  Bishop take pawn.  Check.

[Wei Qing]

The game had shifted. His entire body language shifted at those simple words that she dropped. The slight twitches across his face as she asked that simple question of him that she already knew the answer to. But there was an uneasyness that she could sense within Hornet who stirred within her mind. There's something wrong. What.... did he mean? But she didn't get a response from Hornet and so she moved one after making a note of it. Instead her attention was drawn by how Etreven was clearly actually examining her now. Yet nothing about her changed. She did not wilt, or shift, or even lose that exuberant smile as he stared at her so. "Observant, aren't you?  I like that in a woman." Wei Qing giggled and blushed, appearing as if she were quite pleased with herself. She had probably let out slightly more than she meant to via her phrasing, but she already had a plan within her mind of how she would fashion this situation. After all, she had put all of the pieces and exits there that she would, or possibly would, require by the end of this interaction.

He was even closer to her now, and she only blinked those pretty eyelashes at him as her smile grew. It was as if she were excited and embarrassed at how such a handsome foreigner had gotten so close to her. But inside? She was smirking all the while. "But no, you're right on both counts I'm afraid.  I'm most certainly not the club going type.  Was it the suit or the whiskey that gave it away?" She let out a giggle and a light shrug, leaning herself a little closer to him for increased intimacy. She was not letting go of this persona in the slightest. "It was the suit. Your clothes don't breathe enough to allow for dancing or easy removal!" She didn't need to elaborate on what she meant by that second half of her statement, for there could really only be one obvious answer considering how she was acting towards him. The laugh only made Hornet frown more within her and it made her worried. "Although to be honest, I didn't entirely expect I would run into the person I'm supposed to meet here at all." Her eyebrows lifted as she blinked at him in incredulity. "Really?! Why? Are they some kind of asshole?" Her voice burst out as if she were some child wanting all the answers to some new piece of information that they had just received. Instantly she blushed and leaned back a little bit, staring shyly up to him.

Hornet stirred again and she could see how he was scowling now. His demon. He has one, that much we were sure of. But I do not like the sense of him. There is something very wrong. That was another red flag. Again, her outward appearance didn't change in the slightest, remaining as it had been despite the misgivings she was having internally. "Although now that you're here, I'm not sure I care.  I've never been one to complain about attractive company.  What say you we find somewhere more...private to talk?" The blush grew as Wei Qing giggled embarrassedly again, waving at the air dismissively as if to say 'oh stop!' "You sure though? Cause... I don't want to take up your time if its an important meeting or something!" What he didn't realize was just how much information he was giving her about his mannerisms and workings by his attempting to discern what she was doing.

"But if you are sure..." She rose up from her stool and took his hands excitedly in her own, pulling him along towards the back hallway to the more private rooms. What was amusing was that you heard a rhythmic thumping against the one door though beyond that no sounds escaped. It was obvious what most of the rooms were for. She took him to the last room on the left side of the hallway, winking at the bouncer who merely wordless unlocked the door for her. They were admitted inside where she pulled him in with her and forced him to sit down with another bubbly giggle. The door closed and the lock turned, her hands slipping out of his as she clasped them behind herself, swaying from side to side as she remained standing in front of him. "So what did you want to talk about?"

[Etreven]

Dispassionately, Etreven watched the girl's movements, her speech, her mannerisms.  The persona was absolutely consistent, and that consistency was in and of itself a hint at the truth underneath.  This was a girl who wanted to give nothing away, and her fierce protection of her own true identity was very telling indeed.  It brought to mind a certain anonymous hacker who had done their absolute best to ensure there was no trail at all to lead back to her.  As she spoke the words, "It was the suit. Your clothes don't breathe enough to allow for dancing or easy removal!" he was internally turning over the possibilities that this was, after all, exactly the person he was looking for.  His lip turned up ever so slightly as he responded, one fluid motion extricating the impeccable coat from his shoulders (a sensual, smooth movement, well practiced) and speaking as he slung it over his shoulder, "Not nearly so hard as you might think."

That upturned lip turned into a smirk as he continued to speak the unadorned truth, disguised as a lie.  Her response continued the pattern, the club going overgrown child she had constructed not dropping for a moment.  "Really?  Why?  Are they some kind of asshole?"  Another man might have been tempted to smirk at that, but there was no exultation in his prideful knowledge, just desire for truth and control.  He let the positivity (such as it was) drain from his face, a hint of a scowl taking its place as he shook his head in the negative.  A slow, languished gesture.  And then he replied, looking her right in the eyes.  The exchange continued as the girl added "I don't want to take up your time if its an important meeting or something!  But if you are sure..."

Oh yes, it was time to move was it?  Yes, she'd been well schooled in being misleading.  Prepare your path, know your exits, plan ahead and keep the target disoriented.  If he'd been less prepared, if he'd not been aware of the club layout, if her sudden movements had caught him off guard?  All these things would have made him extremely susceptible to the chaos of her persona.  But he was prepared.  And now he was determined.  With every word, every bit of the exchange he became increasingly sure of who she was.  But he wasn't about to give that knowledge away.  Certainly not without getting something in exchange.  She thinks she's good with words, this one.  Hasn't slipped up even once yet too.  Can you taste that sublime self confidence?  She's practically dripping with pride.  And yet under that...there is fear.  Utterly delicious.  Don't break this one too badly, she's could prove very useful indeed. spoke Ymir, who by now had wedged in as much of his consciousness as he could.  The demon was awake and alert, and something had stirred his attentions.

Ah, but this game is so much more fun if she gives me her truths willingly.  Though with this one I'm not above...coercions, Etreven responded, mind turned to the three honed carbon knives hidden in his boots and wallet, respectively.  Although recall that we have no idea how she might have...prepared this room for our arrival.  Keep your senses on alert for that, she had arranged this place for our meeting.  And you'll find I'm...preoccupied picking at the edges of her persona.

The room looked comfortable but plain.  He made note of the many cushioned services, the padding on the walls, the soft low light.  This was a place with a clear purpose (as if the noise beyond shut doors as they made their approach wasn't enough of an indication) and most certainly a useful cover for the projected personality his supposed hacker friend was displaying.  Her exuberance pushed at his anger, but that piece of him was absolutely in control (more a motivation than a liability) as he slowly and smoothly set his coat aside him on the comfortably padded bench.  "So what did you want to talk about?" she said with that same masterfully feigned innocence and exuberance.  He wondered what she would look like broken, her truth cracked and open before him.  But no, there was work to be done yet, so he cracked a slim, confident smile and replied to her.

"How about you tell me more about yourself, pretty one.  I'd ask you if you come here often, but that's obvious enough considering how well you knew the bouncer out there.  What's your name then?  And how much do you charge?"  Ymir smirked at that one, exceedingly curious as to how the girl would respond.

[Wei Qing]

She had been dangerously close to losing him. Far too close. She could sense Duessa's slightly disapproving look at her. Or at least, what face she WOULD be making if she weren't just some artificial intelligence. It was half tempting to try and hack into the Templar network and see if they had any prototypes for Cyborg bodies, but that was a whole can of worms she was not ready to attempt to open yet. "Not nearly so hard as you might think." Hm. He was playing a little too well into her attempts at being a charming slut. He knew more than she wanted him to. That wasn't good. I told you to be careful. I was. She heard Hornet scoff at her, Not enough. Ugh. Smug bastard. Still, she let more of her calm as they came into the room, the fact that they were alone allowing her to feel only the slightest bit more comfortable. She would have felt better, except she was now alone with a electrode that was liable to explode and kill her at any point in time during this meeting. Or worse, discover who she was. Who she really was. Then again, her paranoia was starting to prickle beneath her skin. But was she going to show this? Fuck no.

He was smirking. Wei Qing just tilted her head slightly as she listened, "How about you tell me more about yourself, pretty one.  I'd ask you if you come here often, but that's obvious enough considering how well you knew the bouncer out there.  What's your name then?  And how much do you charge?" She blinked twice and burst out laughing, the sound like a gentle bell until it suddenly stopped and she stared at him, licking her lips. "Oh I'm not some working girl. Just a girl that likes to have fun." She answered with a wave of her hand and another little giggle. "But my name is Rebecca. Rebecca Zora." Her slender body moved and sat down across from him, crossing her legs as she folded her hands in her lap. "I represent a particular party that is the reason you are here tonight Etreven. I'm to observe you and see if you are indeed someone that we may wish to work with in the future." What are you doing?! She actually saw Hornets expression in her mind now, keeping that small smile as she tilted her head slightly. I'm covering my bases. "Instituting back-up protocols." The minutes that were to come would be the most telling. "So, I ask you, what questions do you have for me?"

[Etreven]

While he sat waiting for an answer he composed his face into it's best approximation of smugness.  As far as faking emotions went, this one wasn't terribly far off the mark.  He'd grown legitimately curious, and the last comment had been meant to push a button more than it had been meant to wound.  As the exchange wound onward, he began to see the things this one valued.  Privacy, security, self assuredness.  And information, it would appear.  If he'd been capable of empathy it's possible he would have seen some of those traits as a mirror to himself.  Instead he was staving off contempt, listening as the girl laughed gently and spoke her response, "Oh I'm not some working girl. Just a girl that likes to have fun."  At this point he was barely listening to the words, more concerned with the consistency of her posture, the presentation of the persona.  Simply by ignoring each verbal jab, each constructed moment prodding to put her ill at ease...she continued to prove how necessary her constructed identity was to the person underneath.  Closer to the center now.  Much closer. he mentioned in passing to the demon he thought unlikely to be paying him much mind at the moment.  She gave a name that passed in and out of his head, not a word of it ringing particularly true.

He was stifling a yawn as she sat down in front of him, when something about her body language shifted subtly.  She might not have been aware of it herself, but suddenly Etreven's attention was fully focused on the girl.  And then her next words: "I represent a particular party that is the reason you are here tonight Etreven. I'm to observe you and see if you are indeed someone that we may wish to work with in the future."  And with that all of Etreven's pretensions fell away.  From the comfortable slouch and the planned nonchalance, he sat directly upright, eyes locked on to the girl who had called herself Rebecca.

"So, I ask you, what questions do you have for me?"

Etreven blinked once, slowly and took the opportunity to pour over everything he'd taken in so far.  The truth was, he had been caught surprised.  The girl had...escalated the conversation further than he'd expected it would come this soon, if at all.  His voice was flat, his expression deadpan as he replied.

"Then before we continue, I expect you know both who and what I am.  I had my suspicions about you, but until now they've not been confirmed.  Indeed I only have suppositions, not hard truths.  And I do very much prefer truth.  So tell me, are you the same Butterfly who contacted me?  Beyond that, who is pulling the strings here?  Who is the we you describe?"

Thoughts were roiling as Etreven quickly traced through the whole scenario.  All the while Ymir observed and smiled slyly...

[Wei Qing]

Ah.... there it was. He had become focused upon her the moment that she sat down, just as she intended to by her body language for she knew just how closely he was watching. And yet... She hadn't dropped a persona at all. Meanwhile him? Oh she saw how he instantly changed and her small little smile twisted into a smirk. Again, truth mixed with the lie. Rebecca was a confident persona and certainly more sexualized than she would otherwise be. So she leaned back a little more which hiked up her skirt, showing off more of her thighs as she observed the complete change. He was a rather boring individual in terms of facial expressions, wasn't he? He must not really disguise himself ever because who could cover over that monotone? It was so.... lifeless. "Then before we continue, I expect you know both who and what I am."  She just smiled more and nodded once. Of course she did. She had just referred to him by name. The only thing she wasn't sure of, was what being was swirling around inside him.

"I had my suspicions about you, but until now they've not been confirmed.  Indeed I only have suppositions, not hard truths.  And I do very much prefer truth." Who didn't in the information trade? With a man so focused on his own goals who used so many people to his ends, of course he would prefer truths. He would not succeed as spectacularly as he had until now if he didn't possess them. "So tell me, are you the same Butterfly who contacted me?  Beyond that, who is pulling the strings here?  Who is the we you describe?" And now... the trickiest part. She smirked slightly again and shook her head, "No, I am not Butterfly. As I stated before, I speak for that interested party. I was contacted just as you were and given this job. I have as little an idea who Butterfly could be as you do." She answered very matter-of-factly, brushing a couple of locks of hair behind her ear. "The "we" describes an organization that is very interested in discreet parties that have a talent for remaining unnoticed, and off the radar of various organizations and governments, Templars included. Discretion is our priority, yet we have eyes and ears everywhere. Considering your ties to the Russian mob and sway in the military as well... you spread our reach. Your want of the truth and control of information is another piece of interest."

Wrap this up quickly. I don't like how his demon is shifting. Hornet was very worried, wasn't he? If that was the case, then she would. "But you have your own goals. And you use everyone to your own gain, no matter who they are. That is a point of concern. I was asked to observe you before a formal invitation was extended to you. Does that answer your questions?" She pointedly didn't mention what conclusions she had drawn by now, or react in anyway that betrayed them. Wei Qing raised a single eyebrow as she smiled almost sweetly to him, the room probably one of the eeriest places to be at the moment. It was as if the room were split straight down the middle between them, and their demons were filling the empty spaces, hovering above their respective hosts.

[Etreven]

The pieces fell into place now more rapidly than they had before and Etreven watched with his accustomed blank dispassion as the girl filled in the answers to his queries. Still, he was nearly as concerned with how she presented the information as he was with the information itself. So often truth presented itself more in the framing than the art, and he was not one to misplace such gifts.

The girl continued her presentation of the persona she'd chosen, uninterrupted even at the offer a truer glimpse at himself. That was curious, but ultimately still a confirmation of his suspicions. "No, I am not Butterfly." she claimed, but it rang false in his head. It failed to match the evidence of her persona. Still, the possibility that she simply embodied the characteristics of her employer could not be discounted. Nonetheless, the vagary of her responses continued to work at keeping him in the dark and uninformed. "As I stated before, she continued, "I speak for that interested party. I was contacted just as you were and given this job. I have as little an idea who Butterfly could be as you do."

And yet there she was, in a room with a man notorious for his ability to control situations and people, willing to take this job. No, there were only three clear options: one was that this girl was being paid *exceptionally* well, the second that she was under threat of duress to complete the meeting (something he found unlikely, as such stress almost *always* showed when fronting a cover) or as he had begun to conclude before, that this girl was in fact Butterfly herself. He made a note to compare all optical surveillance against records as soon as this game of shadows was over.

Leaving pretenses to the girl, he replied flatly and slowly. "Fair enough to choose this form of obfuscation, but Butterfly should know that I am not a man who happily deals with subordinates. Nor do I see much merit in beating around the bush." He allowed himself to look ever so slightly impatient, though the truth was he was calmer than he'd been throughout this entire meeting. The whole exchange would prove valuable...one way or another.

He listened intently as she continued her vague explanations, choosing to avoid useful details for (what he could conclude quite reasonably) fear of giving him more to latch on to. Ymir was oddly quiet as she explained what they seemed to want. "Spread our reach." She knew she was playing with shadows and that he would react to nothing less than concrete information. So it was time to act.

"You've done an adequate job remaining purposefully vague, something I respect considering my reputation. Does that answer my questions you ask? Most certainly not. But for the moment let's say that doesn't concern me. Instead, let me reiterate something that you said yourself. I want truth and I want control of information. You know the value it has for me and you know my skill in acquiring and using it. So to ask you a question I think you might answer...does it matter what my goals are, if working with me yields you the growth and spread your 'employer' so obviously desires? If so then we'd best work out an arrangement before I tired of this game."

They were in the final moves, how would she choose to defend this time?

[Wei Qing]

Wei Qing didn't even glance up towards the surveillance camera's of the room for she knew quite well where they were. "Complete." Most excellent. Her expression did not change from its calm, quiet demeanor, however watching his expressions shift was quite entertaining. It made him less boring and two dimensional. For all his brilliance, he wasn't quite as engaging as she'd like. "Fair enough to choose this form of obfuscation, but Butterfly should know that I am not a man who happily deals with subordinates. Nor do I see much merit in beating around the bush." Ooo touchy touchy. Rebecca smirked as she tilted her head slightly, "It does tend to weaken the process." She stated, a small comment to make before she gave him some more pieces to work with. "You've done an adequate job remaining purposefully vague, something I respect considering my reputation. Does that answer my questions you ask? Most certainly not. But for the moment let's say that doesn't concern me. Instead, let me reiterate something that you said yourself. I want truth and I want control of information. You know the value it has for me and you know my skill in acquiring and using it. So to ask you a question I think you might answer...does it matter what my goals are, if working with me yields you the growth and spread your 'employer' so obviously desires? If so then we'd best work out an arrangement before I tired of this game."

She let the small smile fall away from her features as she stared at him rather seriously, her jaw tight. His response was all that she needed to hear for it was the linchpin in the assessment she had made over the course of the evening. Those chocolate eyes searched his face one last time before she sighed heavily and shook her head. It was an appearance of disappointment. "It does. It matters rather greatly that that is the case." She pushed herself up and stood before him, offering him one last little smile as she folded her arms. "Thank you for your time Etreven. It has been a most... enlightening evening. Take care." And with that the door opened on its own accord, the Bouncer glancing between the two of them as he held it open for her, closing it again once she was out in the hallway. She gave her target one last little wave and a wink before moving down the hallway in a very steady walk, vanishing back into the crowd once she hit the dance floor again. Heh.... now there was data to analyze.

[EXIT THREAD]

[Sponsored content]