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[center][u]Arc 2; Day 1 - One Night in Hell - 12:00/17:00[/u][/center]

[color=#4a85e2]The preparations for the club's grand reopening had been going on for some time, and each step along the way had been laboriously pored over by Nabriales at some point or another. Minor adjustments for taste and style, proper organization, and outsourcing the majority of the contractors had been something he'd been happy to take on and delegate amongst his vast commercial network of contacts. While money was not an object for him, the plans to fund One Night in Hell had only very recently begun and it was not quite as simple as giving away free money - though he'd filed the paperwork for Victorious Inc. earlier in the day and the company would be formally recognised by around 15:00, the work did not end there. He had enlisted a veritable brigade of legal, commercial, and financial staff to create for him the sprawling network of shell corporations that was required to effectively begin the movement of funds (as well as start what could very well become a multinational conglomerate the likes of which had never been seen before) to One Night in Hell, and by virtue of that, to the Resistance.

As such, he'd been [i]extremely[/i] busy. By the time he'd finished up with Sarah and Sophia, and closed Victorious Secret for the day at 12 on the dot, he had immediately teleported himself to the entrance of One Night in Hell, creating a far larger poof and explosion of colour than he normally would. Without a grand entrance, he reasoned, there was no occasion - and the occasion of the grand reopening was spectacular indeed! The second he materialised outside the doors, he waved a friendly hello to the doorman and strode into the club. He'd picked his outfit especially for the opening - nothing but a rainbow-coloured jockstrap, covering the bare essentials but leaving almost literally nothing else to the imagination. It was an occasion to impress, after all, and he felt that it would really best represent his own personal stakes in the club.

He gave the room a moment to admire him before teleporting himself directly into Masha's office. He knew that at this time she'd be probably be down someone's throat, chastising them for unnecessary delays and interruptions to the schedule, or perhaps because the services delivered weren't quite up to her particularly exacting standards. It was a quality about her he admired - many people simply weren't... cutthroat enough for business, and if the last few months of work together had taught him anything about her it was that she was [i]certainly[/i] capable of that level of ruthlessness and attention to detail. He'd also long since worked out that she was Darius' beau, and had been developing an appreciation for his taste in partners as well as teasing the fox relentlessly about it. In his mind, it was the perfect arrangement.

[color=#F43EF7]"How are things going, love?"[/color] He started, before realising he was interrupting a phone call and promptly shutting up. In the time it would take for Masha to finish up her call, he summoned a bottle of the [i]good[/i] champagne - one of his favourites, the Moët & Chandon Dom Perignon White Gold (he figured she would like the collectability of the bottle) - and two equally opulent flutes. Bringing her the most expensive and decadent of alcoholic beverages had become part of his job description at this point, he thought to himself, and was amazed by how happy he was at the fact. Many people simply didn't have the taste for luxury that he had, and having someone to share the experience with was what made it so valuable.[/color]

Masha hung up the phone with a finality to it that said she might never speak to them again. It probably wouldn't be the case, but she felt the threat had been conveyed enough that they'd get their shit together and she wouldn't have to deal with that again with them. She sighed heavily, flopping herself down in her chair again, grabbing at her cigarette case first before murmuring a thank you to Nabri in her native tongue for his offered drink. 

She hasn't been certain at first that she would like him. She honestly still wasn't sure that she did like [i]him[/i] and not just his money and that he gave her nice expensive booze for free when she needed it. He was...alright. And he did do a good job bartending. And sometimes that made it feel like he was paying her to work. And she liked that. 

Taking a long drag of her smoke, she ran her free hand through her black hair, looking down at her dress. Which was fine and lovely, even if not up to her standards for opening night. She'd have to change still, which was something she tacked on to her ever growing list of things she needed to do. 

When she looked up at him she blinked golden eyes in confusion. “Please tell me you have shorts on or something,” she murmured in a tone that said she knew if he did that it would be a lie. 

[color=#4a85e2][color=#F43EF7]"You're right, I think it's a bit much... There'll be plenty of time for a grand reveal later, no?"[/color] Nabriales winked back, letting out a slight chuckle as he took Masha's  joke in stride and turned around, showing his bare buttocks to her and twisting his head around to look at her, before giving her a wink and teleporting a chair directly beneath him for him to sit on. 
 
[color=#F43EF7]"Aren't you doing something similar? I know you're dressed up to the nines, love, but surely you're going to show some skin at [i]some[/i] point during the evening? Tonight is about marketing, and we have to show our assets if we're to attract the kind of clientele and attention that you so desire. Besides, you want to show Darius what he's missing every second he's not here, hmm?"[/color] Nabriales continued, simultaneously summoning his phone to his hand and scrolling through his contacts. He had a fairly considerable amount of social influence that he could leverage to ensure that the opening night was a success - but there was far less he could do to ensure that they wanted to keep coming back and bring their friends with them. Masha would have to [i]shine[/i] tonight - it was a delicate act to balance the influence she had on the operation of the club. She would have to be seen mingling with the guests, but not be seen micromanaging every aspect - though, of course, that is exactly what she would be required to do.

Though their relationship was somewhat tenuous at best, Nabriales had already fairly thoroughly evaluated all of Masha's skills and traits. Reading people had always been something of a gift of his, and though she was markedly more complex than he had originally imagined he at this point knew enough about her to know that there would be no issues. The corners of his lips turned up into a warm smile as he glanced over at her while continuing to weave his subtle social machinations through his phone, and he took her measure [i]entirely[/i]. Masha looked stunning - he expected no less, of course - but the combination of her natural beauty and fierce personality shone through superbly; every facet and every detail was worked out exactly, precisely, to the point that Nabriales questioned if there were mistakes woven in purposely to give an illusion of human error that quite simply did not exist.

Noting the state of her neckline, however, Nabriales' eyes shone with a scintillating spark of magic and mischief. With a delicate gesture, he pulled from the aether quite smoothly a simple black velvet box and handed it to Masha. He cracked the lid open slightly, and even in the ambient light of the room the box emitted an array of twinkling colours, shimmering gently as if to invite the eyes to look. He'd leave the rest for her to open herself, though he did make sure to note that the necklace within was hers to keep, if she so desired.

Contained within were vis crystals, pure and flawless, made to look like precious stones. The craftsmanship was, to put it bluntly, peerless beyond measure - and though he wasn't sure exactly how much they were worth in traditionally financial terms, they had taken him the best part of a month to make. Everything was, of course, tailored to Masha - it evoked a primal sensuality, subtle but domineering, and a sense of elegant refinement that simultaneously drew the eye and challenged one to shelter themselves from the brilliance on display. To call it anything less than a masterpiece would have been shameful - and as he handed it over to Masha he kept his gaze locked on hers, ready to vicariously drink in her enjoyment as she beheld his craft.[/color]

Masha watched him with at first slight surprise (though really she should have expected him to show off his ass to her, even if he wouldn’t ever be interested in her) and then frustration. “I don’t need to show off my body on opening night just to get people to come back,” she said with growing frustration. It wasn’t that she had any sort of problem with that, but that was just not something she wanted to default to on the first night. Where did you go from there? “And I don’t need to tease Darius like that any. He already knows what he’s missing well enough.”

She paid no mind to him looking her over, she was sure he was up to something, but she couldn’t spare the brain power at the moment to worry about what he was thinking. So instead she took the few moments of respite and just enjoyed her drink and her smoke as he did whatever it was that he was doing. There was so many things she had to worry about, big and small. And she knew that there was going to be someone working against them from the inside as well. Because Cortes was still being a thorn in her side, even if it had seemed to take a back seat in his priorities. 

Since her mind had wandered towards the less pleasant things, it took her a moment to notice that Nabri was talking to her again and offering her a box. A jewelry box. She took it from him, confused, and put her cigarette down in her little ashtray (that could really use to be emptied because she’d been mostly chain smoking a good portion of the day). She looked at him, then to the box, and back at him with a raised eyebrow before looking back down and slowly opening it up to see what was inside. The gasp that came out of her was totally reflexive and outside her control. 

Masha didn’t need to know him to know that this thing was more than just a pretty trinket. She could feel the power in it, and knowing him, she knew that he hadn’t just acquired the gems, but made them. The sapphire and emerald stones glittered in the light, drawing your eye into every perfectly cut facet. She murmured in Russian about its beauty, trailing thin fingers with sharp, dark nails along the chain and then the gems, her lips tweaking into a wicked little smile. 

“You spoil me almost more than Darius does,” she said with a little laugh at last, looking up at him as she pulled the necklace free from the box and put it round her neck. “Though his spoiling is a little more physically satisfying.”

[color=#4a85e2][color=#F43EF7]"I [i]do[/i] have potions for that..."[/color] Nabri quickly retorted in response to Masha's last comment, also giving her a wry laugh to indicate that while he was definitely serious about the quality of his potion, the context was largely made in jest. As much as he'd have liked to have watched her fawn and swoon over the work of art he'd given her, he appreciated very intimately that they were pressed for time and elected to decide to move on to the actual business at hand. He'd noticed that Masha was very hands on with her work, and while he appreciated that she could only reasonably have confidence in her own abilities it was about time that she let someone else take over and actually get herself ready. Stress was as much of a killer as the metaphorical and literal knives in the back associated with the life Masha had chosen, and though he always worked to provide her a little succour wherever possible it was absolutely not enough.

[color=#F43EF7]"Look, love... You're going to kill yourself with all of this stress. You can be the perfect host or you can try to micromanage every aspect of the evening - but you can't be seen to be doing both! Let me make sure that everything is running smoothly while you take a few hours to get yourself ready, hmm? You deserve to relax with how hard you've been working and you [i]know[/i] that I can take care of all of the rank and file business. I [i]have[/i] looked over all of the plans at least as many times as you have!"[/color] Nabri smiled, walking over to her as he began talking and placing his hands on her shoulders to give her a quick massage. He kneaded her muscles as he spoke, working out where the most tension was kept and gradually releasing it with kneading of varying pressure and depth. As a man who worked with his hands practically all day as well as a self-confessed hedonist, Nabriales' massage skills were nothing short of excellent - though he normally put his talents to more carnal uses, Masha would still receive nothing but the very best he could offer her.

[color=#F43EF7]"If you're so inclined, I can teleport you over to Darius' place and back once you've had plenty of time to... Enjoy yourself? You just let me know what you want and I'll make it happen - and I'll worry about all of the details. We've tended this little garden very carefully, and I'm more than capable of making sure that any [i]thorns[/i] don't rear their ugly heads..."[/color] He spoke, adding a soothing lilt to his voice. It wasn't quite singsong, but gentle and melodic like the wind passing through chimes. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to persuade her to let go of even a shred of control with how she was, but he knew that he had to try for the success of the evening. Much hinged on tonight, and part of his own success relied on the evening going well. As an afterthought, he produced a small bottle containing just a mouthful of a lightly pink-red liquid - something Masha would recognise as his own substitute for morphine. All of the high, but none of the downsides - and something he only offered sparingly. He offered it to her knowingly, making an exception for the severity of the night.[/color]

She had started to shift when he’d put his hands on her shoulders, but it only took her moment to decide that she didn’t want to make him stop. Her eyes closed and she did little beside taking a drag from her cigarette. She didn’t want to let go of things, she wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. But he was, as much as she hated to admit it, right. And if she could trust anyone to do it, it was him. Because the success of this night was important to him for slightly different reasons. But it was important nonetheless. Whatever political thing that they had going on, she was still trying to work it out because her brain had been too busy with the club itself, was going to need this place to thrive as well.

Masha looked up at him with a slightly saddened smirk. “As much as I would like that, I don’t think he’ll be as inclined at the moment to have me popped into his office in the middle of the day.” He made plenty of allowances for her as it was. But there was only so much he could do and still make it appear that he wasn’t favoring her any or that they were in fact together like they were. And she understood that, she didn’t like it, but she understood it and wasn’t going to make a fuss about it. 

She had already considered taking his offer up, for at least giving her a little bit to go get herself ready, but then, oh then, he offered her something even better than good wine or vodka, better than any shoulder massage he could give her, and sometimes, even better than the offer to go see her favorite lover for the afternoon. She didn’t even give him a chance to detract his offer, to teleport himself out of her reach and stop her from getting it. She reached out with her free hand and snatched the little bottle out of his hands. “I do need to change…” she said with a smile that was wickedly delighted by the idea of what he’d give her. As much as she didn’t mind things like the occasional hallucinations that came with too much morphine, it would be nice to be able to continue to work while also enjoying the high of something better than just alcohol and nicotine. She stood up, looking around her for a moment before shaking her head to clear it. Not succeeding, but trying anyways.

“I'm sure you can...you can…” she trailed off, her brain skipping ahead now that she had be given the choice, though was it really a choice when they both knew how she’d be when given that? She was normally much better at that sort of thing, keeping her priorities straight. But she was so very stressed, and she knew very well how unstressed that would make her feel.

[color=#4a85e2]Nabriales laughed to himself under his breath softly as Masha chomped at the bit to get at the vial he had offered her. The immediacy--the primal urgency--that was expressed as she stole away the vial as if it were under threat spoke volumes about the habit that he was enabling - and truthfully, he couldn't bring himself to feel negatively about it even a little. There was a purity in the moment that one surrendered themselves to the singularity of sensation; there was a satisfaction unrivaled by the fulfillment of desire on that intimate chemical level. It was something that nothing else could provide, and if it were ordinarily not so horribly dangerous and slippery he'd have been an advocate for everyone in the world experiencing the peaks that narcotics could provide. Fortunately, his particular skill set removed all element of risk - even addiction was a plaything for him to tinker with, and no risk to himself or any under his wing.

It had always been instilled in him, even from a young age, that mastery was [i]important[/i] - vital, even - to the human experience. Without mastery, what did we truly have? Without mastery, what did we aspire to - what was the point of existence without wanting to better it and experience that betterness? When he had been old enough to understand that calling that sung to him from within his marrow, it was the first time he had truly known fulfilment. It was an experience he had sought to relive through the use of powders and potions and physicks, and only through sheer mastery had he accomplished it. There was nothing he could not distil and decant - decadence and denial; dreams and domination. All elements of the human experience were there for the taking, and watching that unfold in another being was deeply satisfying heedless of any potential consequence. Still, he was careful to have a downer for her just in case anything went wrong.

[color=#F43EF7]"Tell you what - I'll pop you over to my place and you can check the wardrobe out there! If there's anything else you want, take my card and order it - delivery is so fast these days! I'd give you a spending limit, but short of you spending over a billion pounds I don't [i]really[/i] care..."[/color] He chuckled, handing her a sleek black card and noting down the PIN for her. His own wardrobe was plentiful, but likely not in the style that Masha went for - so he figured throwing money and the equivalent of drugs at her was the best way to ensure her own peak performance for the evening.[/color]

She grabbed her bag from under the desk and started to slide her various things that had been strewn about the desk back into place. Picking up her glasses, her phone, her tablet, and all the other little things like chapstick and cigarettes as well as his little gift. She was too distracted to notice the way he’d reacted to her eagerness, and in that moment, she wouldn’t have cared anyways. She was not afraid to admit that she had a problem, she just had no desire to fix the problem. It wasn’t currently affecting her life, she was still being prosperous, she was working just fine, and her social life was doing just grand. So there was no reason to change what she was doing.
Masha considered his offer for a moment before she shook her head slightly. 

“No thanks, I’ve already had something picked out for weeks now, and I don’t want to change my mind now,” she said with a little laugh. She considered for one more moment before taking the card from him anyways. “Accessories though,” she said with a little smirk. Not that she’d probably get much of anything but a new pair of earrings perhaps to go with this lovely necklace he’d given her. Not because she didn’t want to take advantage of his offer, but because she had already picked out her outfit for the most part and didn’t have much plan to deviate from that. 

“So if you’d like to pop me home, that’d be great,” she shrugged, an expectant little smile playing on her lips.


[color=#4a85e2][color=#F43EF7]"Have fun, love! If that hit isn't enough for you or you need a top up, let me know!"[/color] Nabriales laughed and waved before poofing her home as she'd asked. She had his number and vice-versa - it wasn't like getting into contact with one another would be an issue. With Masha off getting ready, Nabriales could turn his focus to ensuring that her preparations were completed and strictly adhered to. He knew that a lot of people would think of her specifications as simply guidelines - but he certainly knew better than that, and her instructions were to be taken as [i]gospel[/i]. The One Night in Hell stuff would mostly know to stick to her plans exactly - but the external contractors were not typically so informed (minus the unfortunate souls that had been on the receiving end of her earlier verbal thrashing) and Nabriales' job was essentially to make sure that everything went exactly how she wanted it. There were bits and pieces that he'd do differently - aesthetic differences, mostly - but the club was hers and it was her vision, so he wanted to remain completely true to that.

They had their differences, but Masha let him be himself and do things his way and he absolutely had an appreciation for that. As two people who were both used to having a domineering presence, it would be very easy for them to clash and never get anything done... But he thought they'd found a nice harmony in which he could get exactly what he wanted out of the deal, and Masha got showered with lavish displays of wealth for the privilege. Ordinarily, one would think it was a deal that favoured Masha quite heavily - but Nabriales was not easy to get along with when it came to work and he was very well aware of that; it was why he had opened his own store and conducted things his own way.

He spent the next few hours directing things towards their proper place, helping out with magic and money where necessary, and as the time neared opening everything looked pristine. He was pleased with himself for ensuring that events had unfolded as per Masha's designs, and he couldn't help but admire her sense of design. Where in pieces he had thought things looked a little disparate, they had come together with her chosen aesthetic wonderfully. For a brief moment he allowed himself to be envious of her good taste before being shaken from his moment of reflection by the buzz of his phone and Masha asking to be brought back to the club. He obliged her immediately, bringing her right next to him behind the bar, and invited her to look upon the fruits of their labour with a theatrical sweeping gesture of his hand.

[color=#F43EF7]"I must say it looks better than I thought it would! Aren't you just full of surprises?"[/color] Nabriales heartily chuckled, looking her up and down as he did so. In her completed ensemble she looked [i]stunning[/i] - radiantly and fiercely resplendent. Everything came together wonderfully, though his eyes were naturally drawn to the necklace that he'd crafted for her - perhaps it was narcissistic, but he couldn't help but admire just how beautifully his handiwork had turned out. On Masha, the jewelry was breathtaking. Combined with everything else about her, it was a beauty the likes of which he'd witnessed only a handful of times in his life, and he was grateful merely to have been a part of it. After noticing he'd looked a little overlong, he laughed and turned to the space before them. He wanted to watch as Masha presided over the night - it was certainly going to be one to remember.[/color]

She looked up at him, the languid look in her eyes flicking with annoyance for a second. “I'm much more capable than I seem, yes,” she replied smugly. “I do know what I am doing after all. Even if you might not think the same way.” And with that she flipped a few stray hairs back over her shoulder and headed towards the stage. 

It was finally time. After months of working on this. After hours and hours of stressing. After countless all nighters and all that passion she’d poured into it. It was time. The official opening was about to start. They’d been open their normal hours, but the real party hadn’t yet started. The best deals, the best foods, the best booze, the best music. Everything was going to be the best it possibly could be. And if it wasn’t, there would  be hell to pay for it. 

Everything looked so nice, the floor was already filled with people, the lights were chill for the time being and not the flashing show they’d be later in the night. There had been a steady flow all week leading up to this night, but tonight, she knew they’d be packed. It would better than it had ever been. And certainly better than it could ever hope to be under Cortes. 

The band had been on a break just before and was getting back into position when Masha joined them up on stage. Most of her hair was up, pinned with tiny little poppies and braided perfectly, what was down had been put into loose curls held in place with a fair amount of hair spray. The flowers gave the impression of a crown, and as this the start of her kingdom she wore her little crown with pride.

Her dark green peplos style dress clung to just the right places, flowing freely around her feet. She mindlessly fiddled with her new necklace as most of the crowd looked up to her on the stage, mic in her other hand. 

“Welcome,” she said, smiling and hardly blinking when the lights focused on her, catching the gems around her throat brilliantly. She chewed at her lip playfully, playing up her sex appeal with a practiced ease, not even smudging her perfectly applied lipstick. 

“Welcome to [i]One Night in Hell[/i]. Your new home away from home. Starting now, [i]all[/i] drinks are half price, as are appetizers. So eat, drink, dance, [i]indulge[/i]. Party like you've got nothing to lose.”

She took a step back, letting Lily come take her place back at the center of the stage. She lingered there though, even after the music had started up again and Lily’s sweet voice floated through the air, golden eyes watching as all of her work came to fruition right before her. She was surprised that aside from a few small hiccups, nothing much had happened. Which of course only made her more nervous. Cortes had to be up to something, she'd done what she could already to start weeding out his ties in this place, but there were lots she didn't know and she just knew him and knew he would do something to destroy this.

But she wasn’t just watching for hiccups. She was searching for familiar faces. Hoping, but also know knowing that it was unlikely, her slick foxxy would be there. If he was, she knew he wouldn’t stay long, and he wouldn’t be like he was alone with her. They’d spent much more time together alone than in public and she wasn’t sure if right this moment she’d be all that distant with him. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, she needed him there just now. Maybe, just maybe, he’d show up but not in his normal form. 

For her.