[center][h2][b]Seraphine Campbell [/b][/h2][/center] New Rivière City was alive, each street a vein, each boulevard an artery. Life flowed along each of these highways, spilling out into the parks and into and out of buildings. The sun still spilled across the great sweating carcass of the city, bathing the crowds in its fierce glare but doing little to discourage the revelry. Even the setting of the sun would have no effect, this Seraphine knew, she had lived in New Rivière for the last twelve years, and every year she had looked out over this same festival. Well, not every year, some years she had walked among it herself, on the arm of a man wealthy and connected enough to afford her. Not this year, not for the last six. She had left that part of her life a long way behind, although now she was the one who approved clients, who made sure that the girls were well cared for and happy, and of course, that all of the client’s desires were satiated. ‘The Night House’ was the city’s most exclusive, and expensive underground brothel. Not literally of course, but brothels were illegal in Louisiana, albeit extremely lucrative, and they offered so many delightful opportunities for gathering information. Seraphine was good to her girls, kept them happy, gave them somewhere safe to stay, fed them well, and ensured they got an education, but they were expected to work for all of those benefits. How much they worked, and how popular they were, controlled how much went into their pockets. A handful of girls acted only as bar tenders and waitresses. They made enough to get by. Most girls did a little more, acting as high class escorts, and the more popular could fetch thousands of dollars a night, one girl even fetched that without any sexual favours. And then there were the boys, ‘The Night House’ catered to every appetite, no matter how exotic. And Seraphine spun her web ever wider, thriving on the pillow talk that swiftly made its way back to her ears. It’s often said that a woman is the power behind the throne, and if so the person who holds that woman’s contract is powerful indeed. She turned away from the window, letting the sun’s rays outline her starkly against the city skyline. She moved back to her desk and sat, glancing over to the young man lounging in the corner of the room, laughing and joking with the two girls who had just been reporting to her. They were the favourite of the married, father of three Deputy Police Commissioner, two girls, one blonde, one brunette, with petite, albeit gifted bodies. She raised an eyebrow, needing little else to bring their conversation to a close before she nodded at the girls. “Thank you ladies, you can expect a little something extra in your packets this month. Now go on, the Deputy Commissioner will be here in a few hours, take some time to yourselves.” They smiled and thanked her before taking their leave, leaving Seraphine and the young man in the room by themselves. She glared exasperatedly at his rumpled shirt. “Would it kill you to iron that thing? Or have one of the maids do it. It hurts to see a two hundred dollar shirt treated so poorly.” Eli shrugged, “it’s going to end up creased or worse anyway, I don’t see any point in pretending otherwise.” She sighed and tapped a few keys on the computer. “Take tonight off, but don’t stray too far, I doubt anyone is stupid enough to cause trouble with the police and NEST out in force, but I prefer to take out my own insurance.” --- [center][h2][b]Alice Barrett [/b][/h2][/center] New Rivière City was a new breath of air, something different, New York was an entirely different sort of place, much more business like, much more by the numbers. New Rivière just seemed that little bit more alive, at least right now it did. This festival was amazing, on a whole other level from the consumerist parades of New York, with their massive, inflated cartoon characters and expensive advertising campaigns. She still missed Manhattan a little though, she’d known the place so well that it had almost become a part of her. And thank the Lord she had known it so well or she wouldn’t be here now. Her hand strayed to the vicious scar at her neck, it still looked raw, despite being nearly four years old now. There was a brief buzz, then the phone at her hip began to ring, she frowned, and extracted it from the heavy Kevlar phone holster beside the slightly more traditional Sig P226 paddle holster. Her jacket swung back into place to cover up the gun, and she glared around at the patrons of the coffee shop, daring them to comment. Nobody had even glanced in her direction. The place was nearly empty anyway, most people in the more active areas, enjoying the festival. Alice glanced at the name displayed on the screen of the phone and scowled, declining the call before it could ring a third time. She turned back to the counter where the staff were finishing packing up a baker’s dozen of assorted donuts and pouring two large coffees. They didn’t look particularly happy to be stuck in here while everyone else was out enjoying the festival, but they’d likely be enjoying it with everyone else before the night was out. Everyone but the bars closed early tonight. Gathering the box into her arms and slapping down a handful of dollar bills, she collected the coffees and turned back to the exit. Using her butt, or at least what butt she had, she pushed open the door to step into the searing sun. She smirked, glanced towards the black sedan across the street and moved as though collapsing onto a low chair, then vanished with a faint pop. There was a dull thump inside the car as Alice landed in the seat. Somehow she had already flipped open the donut box and was cramming a jelly donut into her mouth. She offered one of the coffees to her companion, the tall, almost Amazonian NEST agent she had been partnered with for tonight. Lynette Dominguez had remained in the car while Alice made a snack run. Having apparently inhaled the entire donut in about three seconds, she paused before eating another, “one coffee, one glazed donut. Oh shit, you want cream? Sugar?” --- [center][h2][b]Eli Scott [/b][/h2][/center] Eli stepped out of ‘The Night House’, stretching expansively. His stretch pulled his jacket away from his sides, revealing that for once he had foregone carrying a weapon. He would likely be drinking tonight, and carrying a gun would just make people paranoid. Dressed in a shirt that cost more than a days meals, and jeans with a brand most people would never have heard of, he wandered off down the street. He wasn’t too sure what he wanted out of tonight, good fun really, and that was it. So he headed in the direction of a few bars that would be open early, and well populated by women, even at this hour. He worked for Seraphine Campbell, so he never wanted for women, though he was good looking enough, and charming enough that they were legitimately earned, and not just perks of the job. Still, it was nice every once in a while to just pick up a girl in a bar, like every other guy his age would be trying to do. Maybe he’d play a few games of cards. ‘The Night House’ had its own high stakes casino, but he didn’t really like playing with most of her clients. Didn’t really like her clients, but she didn’t pay him for that, she paid him to deal with problems they might cause if they became disgruntled. And Eli was very good at dealing with problems. He sauntered down the street in search of wine, women, and perhaps a little fun too…