[center][h3]Evening Chat[/h3][/center] [hr] [center][sub][h3][u][b]Time[/b][/u][/h3][h3]Day 4~ 12 P.M.-10 P.M. [/h3][h3][u][b]Location[/b][/u][/h3][h3] Darius' Residence [/h3][/sub][/center] [hr] Masha had headed home for a quick change and a chance to decompress for a few moments. There was so much to do at the club. There was so much to do with Nikki. And she was somewhat regretting jumping so quickly into this deal with Darius and the club. She might have been a little over confident about things. She might have bitten off a little more than she could chew. Thankfully her little boutique was going to be fine without too much of her input for the time being. But this might have been a bigger challenge than she should have taken on. But right now, she wasn’t going to think too much about any of that. Right now she was going to take a shower and head over to Darius’ place and spend the rest of the night indulging in his companionship. She stripped out of her heels as she came into the door of her apartment, settling down on her couch before her newest little companion hopped up onto her lap, it’s weight lighter than his living counterparts. “I’m sorry I’ve not been here much tiny one,” she said softly, running a finger lightly over the zombie cat’s spine before she settled down. “My attention has been drawn elsewhere.” It meowed horsley and curled up, not letting Masha go any time soon. “Guess I should probably ask Afua if you have a tendency to turn others to your side,” she said with a soft hum, feeling the soft rumble of a purr coming from the creature's chest. She hadn't meant to, but she drifted off for short while. Shaking her head clear she headed to the shower after gently dislodging the cat from her lap. After a quick blow dry of her hair that had gotten a little damp, she pulled on a short, vintage cut black dress patterned with cat skeletons and a pair of black heels. Her new home companion looked at her from the new perch on her bed (which was still made as she'd not slept in it yet) with an almost laughing look in her slowly milking eyes. “I'll take that as approval,” Masha said with a smug smirk. “See you later furry one,” she said with a wave as she headed out the bedroom and the apartment in general. And for the first time, she was actually sober enough to drive herself to Darius’ place. It was actually probably the first time she'd driven in the city at all. Well maybe the second. And she was proud that she only got little lost once. Just hopefully she would be sober and not too hungover in the morning so she could drive herself into work. Darius typed away on his computer. His eyes flickered from the keyboard to the screen in a trained habit. Claws tapped each letter with surprising gentleness. The words flowed in precision before reaching the end of the document. Casually he reached for a tablet and signed his name to the very end. With the last touches finished, he clicked send before his vulpine head tilted up. He saw Masha being let into his office. A twinkle of lust and excitement at her presence filled his features. Easily he pulled up from his chair and stepped to meet her, his figure careful not to brush the desk. Though he wasn’t expecting her, he obviously wasn’t disappointed in her arrival. [color=silver]“Interesting fashion selection. Afua would approve of it, certainly.”[/color] Darius said as he paused to set his computer to a screen saver. His figure strolled over, still resisting the urge to eye her up, as he debated with himself. Granted, he already seen her at her finest and most natural. An experience he enjoyed each time. [color=silver]“I’ve been updated by Afua over some of the recent events. However, I prefer to compare notes from the source. Would you like something strong to drink?” [/color] Maha smiled slyly at the look his face took on at her appearance. “I'm sure she would,” she laughed, genuinely amused. “Her gifted pet approved as well.” She took a step into the room, moving in further as he came towards her as well. She stood, just behind the chair that faced in towards his desk from the other side, one hand placed on the back of it as if considering if she was going to sit just then. But then he turned the conversation over to less fun matters and she sighed slightly. “Yes, please,” she said with another soft sigh. “It’s been a very trying day, and it did not start off all that well either.” It had, somewhat, waking up at his place after another fun night. But work itself was a problem almost from the moment she walked into the door. “I’ll admit, Afua’s ‘pets’ have some charm to them. Even when in a decomposing state.” Darius’ tone hinted to an aversion to Afua’s undead creatures. He liked the necromancer, but her fascination had unforeseeable quirks. She often surrounded herself in corpses. Sadly, the odor began to linger upon her person. Whenever the scent filled his nostrils, his fur electrified into an alert state. He found it distracting when he tried to hold a conversation some times. Darius, the thought pushed to the back of his mind, opened his cabinets. He selected the Grenache bottle and two flutes, then turned back to the desk. The dark liquid cascaded into the V bottom and topped it off. Darius passed it to Masha while he poured his own. He continued his idle conversation, intend on finishing what she started at his own pace. “Feel free to elaborate.” Darius began to resume his seat across from her, intently looking at her. She took the drink with a thankful smile, settling herself down into the chair at last. She took a drink, a big drink, before she spoke. “I should have listened to you better,” she murmured after a few moments, looking down at her lap instead of up at him. “I...he…” She had been pushing these thoughts to back of her head all day, trying so very hard to not think too much about the details of what Cortes had had done to Nikki. Because thinking about it not only made her angry, it made her remember all the things she'd gone through too. Things she'd worked very hard at reprising through drug and alcohol abuse. Not that what had happened had left her in the same physical state, but she understood all too well what Nikki would be feeling once the physical pain was gone. “They beat her and raped her and left her for dead in her own apartment,” she murmured softly, swirling the dark liquid about in her glass, watching it form little whirlpools. “And all because I thought she was pretty and I could flirt the info I wanted out of her before bedding her.” She was quiet for a moment, obviously brooding some before looking up at him at last, her eyes a bright gold that showed a sort of excitement that wasn’t the quite the same as looks she’d given him in the last few days, but wasn’t that far off either. “I want to rip his cock off, shove it down his throat, and watch as he chokes to death on it. Then I’ll take every one of his useless, piece of shit thugs, and make sure they truly understand what it is they done before I help end their worthless lives.” Darius, unfazed by her words, leaned back into his chair. His vulpine eyes studied her reaction to her first taste of Ominar’s underbelly. It seemed to be quite the eye opener. He sipped his drink and savored it, then gave his two cents over the matter. [color=silver] “I wish it was that easy. Sadly it’s not.”[/color] Darius set his drink down and folded his hands across his lap. His intense eyes continued to lock with her. [color=silver] “Appearance is important. Those under my employ and I can’t be unreasonable or the smaller fish might rally together in defense. This can be costly. Bigger sharks are often attracted by blood in the water.”[/color] He inhaled. [color=silver]“I’ll be a gentleman and advise you to consider this a lesson. Now…what do you intend to do about it?” [/color] Masha sighed and finally took a rather big drink. When that was down, she looked back at him and shrugged a little bit. “I am not fully sure of that right now,” she said a little reluctantly. “I don't know him well enough to know the best way to make him emotionally pay before I get rid of him. But I will make sure that he pays properly.” She took another healthy drink before putting the glass down on his desk. “I do know he’s cocky enough to think that Nikki is all taken care of and that he can so easily get rid of me as well. He isn't very smart at being all that secretive. I mean, he plotted right in the same building I was in and could have easily walked in on.” [color=silver] “Cortes is arrogant, not ignorant. If he’s acting stupid, there’s a reason. Possibly to increase your confidence so you’ll misstep. I’ve attempted to confront him and bring the hammer down in the past. Such actions had strained relationships I hadn’t expected.”[/color] Darius pointed out his own experience with Cortes. Though it might've seem difficult to believe, he pushed caution against assumption. He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. That last incident had been more hassle to clean than worth it. [color=silver] “It also could be someone other than yourself he’s trying to fool. How much do you really know of him?”[/color] Masha pursed her lips, not enjoying that he always seemed to nay say what she said. Not that he was doing so to hurt her feelings she knew, which is why she didn’t say anything about it. But that didn’t mean she was happy about it either. “Well I wouldn’t act on anything without looking into it first,” she said with a passive little shrug of her shoulders, trying, and failing a little bit at not sounding like she was annoyed with him. “Honestly, not much. But given that I’ve been in town all of a week and only just had to know him. And I’ve had his mess to start cleaning up as well…” She trailed off some, shrugging again. Darius’ right eyebrow lifted. Through his expression remained neutral, he wasn’t quite use to the hint of attitude in his employees' words. Perhaps he should allow her to once more learn the hard way. This time having an employee die in her care due to ‘accidents’ and aiding Cortes’ bigger plot. [color=silver] “If you rather learn the lessons the hard way, I will avoid any conversation and allow things to play out. As long as it doesn’t interfere with what [i]I[/i] request for payment…”[/color] The last words held a hint of warning. If she continued to get frustrated with him, he would no longer assist her. Darius inhaled, calming himself inwardly. [color=silver] “I’m not dismissing your ideas, but offering other possible reasons based on what I last knew. Cortes has changed, but still has a talent for getting under people’s skin. Even doing it in a way you can’t exactly publicly slap him for. He will also discover Ms. Patel is alive one day.”[/color] Darius took another sip of his drink. [color=silver] “You’re intelligent and resourceful enough to figure out his motives. I’m merely curious to the [i]how[/i].”[/color] He didn’t genuinely compliment people, but Masha’s father and brother spoke highly of her. Darius expected more than he likely should from her. Her cheeks colored at his words, making her feel childish for acting the way she did. Which only further reminded her of their age difference. Something she was sure that he was going to realize sooner rather than later and things would take a very quick turn for them. “It’s not that…” she said, looking up and sounding defensive. “I’m just...it’s not...I’m not used to being wrong or taken advantage of. Not anymore at least....” She trailed off for a moment, letting that hint of sadness and anger flash through quickly before she shoved it all back down again. “I want your advice,” she went on when she was calmer again. “You know him better. I’ve already made sure that Nikki and her boy have better protection now. And I will double check it all in the morning as well.” She flushed more at his compliment, as limited as it might have been, smirking the littlest bit smugly when she looked away. “I won’t let you down, I promise.” Darius didn’t fully react beyond listening. He silently appreciated her regret of her behavior. Temper was best only when you needed to make a point and could do so with very little repercussions. He let the moment linger. The lack of reaction to her pain might’ve seemed cold and distant, but it was only a mask. In fact, he could relate dangerously well to the type of experiences Masha mentioned. Darius wasn’t here to give life lessons to her though or share his own past. [color=silver] “I hope not. I don’t want to have to make an example of you and risk hurting my connections with your family. As for Ms. Patel and her son, they won’t be safe forever.”[/color] It was hard, cold fact. [color=silver] “As I said, Cortes has changed his tactics but he still is arrogant. If he’s doing things near you, he might not see you as a threat. Something you could play off of.”[/color] Darius leaned forward as he continued. [color=silver] “One thing you pointed out is that you really don’t know him. Take a few months to change that. Study where he goes, who he meets and his behavior. You have Afua, but I suggest you find someone with unique skills to help you when she leaves.”[/color] She nodded her head, smiling at him some. She was glad that he'd not asked her to elaborate just now on past trauma. She knew that he wouldn't know about any of it. Because her father certainly didn't, and her brother only hardly knew. And she knew that Sergei wouldn't say anything to anyone, even Vlad. Not that she maybe wouldn't have liked if he would have asked, but she was least alright with not having to talk about it just then. “I have open interviews tomorrow for our lacking staff,” she said with another nod of her head. “Hopefully someone interesting and useful shows up to fill in just that role.” And she was sure that she could. Or at least get someone to be completely on her side that she could use to her advantage against him. And she would make sure of just that. Darius felt he had enough business for the moment. As he digested her words, his figure rose upright. He walked casually around his desk to approach her. The vulpine eyes traced her skin. His attention traveled from her dress’ outline down to the meat of her legs, each peaking out from the skirt. It was obvious what he was thinking about. [color=silver] “I have few… [i]interesting[/i] employees that make me question my sanity. They are useful, but sometimes I wonder if they are worth the headache. Keep me updated on anyone that catches your eye.”[/color] His figure leaned against the desk as he smirked. [color=silver] “I’m pleased to say our business has reached its end for today.”[/color] Masha watched as he walked around his desk, seeing easily what he was doing and where his eyes were at. This time, when her cheeks colored, it wasn't for anything embarrassing, but the thrill of what he was offering with that look. She tried not to squirm too much, sliding her one leg over the other tapping her foot with tattoo around her ankle to a beat in her head. When she looked up at him, she smirked as well, her look a little more sly than his. “Well I'm very pleased to hear that,” she murmured, standing up and taking the few short steps to stand right in front of him. “Perhaps I can interest you in something a little more personal?”