Never Play(ed) Fair

[Aurelio]

November, 124 PW

Early Tuesday morning, late November, Monetario Morrington found himself playing host to several dead individuals for the second time in his life. They were not directly his guests. They had been invited at the behest of his cousin who was both young enough to be his daughter and close enough to actually get away with things his own children never had. She was twenty-two, and had made an acquisition, with her business partners, of exclusive rights to a profitable range of goods from an international caravan. Monetario was fuzzy on the details, just then, as he wrapped a limp curl around one of his fingers.

Doctors had been sent for not long after midnight. Being that he was not directly a participant in the celebrations, whatever rumors and gossip had flown about at the giggled insistence of Madiana (twenty-two, what an age) and her easily excitable contemporaries, he had not partaken in any of the carefully acquired substances that had been made available for the festivities. So it was that he, striding sober through the inebriate-strewn solarium, discovered the first body. Since then, several hours had passed. Several more bodies had been discovered, and a few who had taken sick. Several. Several of everything. But, it was not so horrible thing, not as he made it out to be; there were only five dead bodies. That was fair enough a stack to a man who had no real inclination to create dead bodies or aid in those who held such an inclination. Three more were sick.

He brought the curl to his mouth, kissing it absentmindedly. He was much too old to be up so late. He had overcome the need to spend all night doing this or that by being frighteningly competent -- or at least, that was how good Corina Moryldar had put it, once, teasingly. She liked Madiana. Who didn't?

There was no cause. Not yet. Knowing the unreliability of modern medicine, he thought that there might never be certain answers. He had a feeling. It was a gut feeling, one of the ones he'd learned to trust. It was true that the whole thing could be a mishap, could be some sort of mistake, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he needed someone to blame, because after blame was assigned he could see to it that retribution that had been justly earned could be meted out. If it was an honest mistake, then perhaps he would not play at the changers' idea of justice. That was why he rather hoped that it had not been an honest mistake. Be it that someone had tried to cover a problem by ignoring it, or had deliberately (and his breath hitched inward, sharp, at that thought, so that the curl fluttered against his lips) sent this destruction against him, then he could do something. Could and would. He had enough sway, be it political capital or friendships or money.

One of the doctors, a man who Monetario did not immediately recognize, was pulling at his shoulder. There was a moment where Monetario almost bared his teeth, almost demanded -- nay, ordered -- the man away. Then comprehension dawned, and he disentangled the curl from his finger, and stood up to allow the doctor and his two orderlies access to Madiana.

Food or drugs. Drugs or food. He would see to it that both avenues were investigated thoroughly, and he would even see other possibilities entertained. Anything. That people had been harmed while under his patronage was bad enough, but that Madiana had taken sick because of it. . .they had better hope she did not die, whomever 'they' were. If she did, he would rain down such vengeance the likes of which Marn had never seen. He was more than just a man, more than just a Minister. He was Morrington.

Maybe it was time the city remembered just what that meant.
_______________________________
Four days prior

"Sir?"

Aurelio pinched the bridge of his nose. His newest assistant was young and pert, with legs that were beyond comprehension, but she had such a fearful way of speaking with a whiny, urgent voice that he thought he'd almost rather have his old assistant -- the old and frumpy Terrice, who had since been promoted to manage a portion of his pigment business' paperwork -- returned to him. With haste. The new one, whatever her name was, would not venture more than that one, single squeak. If he ignored her, she'd just linger in the doorway, hovering to the point of tears if he waited long enough. When he did look up, she would give him such an injured stare that he would immediately feel the need to apologize for whatever wrongdoing he'd done, and he almost never felt the need to apologize. It was irritating.

"Yes. What is it," he relented, though his tone was so flat he could imagine the tears trembling on her lower lashes. He did not look up.

"You told me earlier that you needed to be at the Aureus company building at five past noon?" She started out fine, if squeaky, but quickly lost confidence and volume until he could barely hear the end of her apparent question.

He looked up at her. "What is the time?"

She stammered something, and he bit back an inappropriate word (when had she made him so timorous? Him. He would -- no, he would have Avita fire her. Soon. He couldn't work like this) as he got up out of his chair, tossing down his fountain pen and leaving the paperwork strewn where it was. "Do. Not. Touch. Anything," were his parting words to her. Brave words coming from a man who could not bring himself to look at the target of his irritation.

Soon thereafter he was out in the chill air. Brisk, but not stinging, just the way he liked his late autumn weather to be. There was no wind, but even so the stagnant smell of the city had been washed away by the incoming cold. Even if the forest smelled like rot during the latter parts of autumn, the city's own imperfections seemed to draw back as did nature itself. Autumn was his favorite season, not the least because of the splendid colors the leaves changed to before they died off. The one drawback was that the sky was a moody grey and had been for the last few days despite there being no smell of rain or any other indication that the clouds served a purpose besides making the sky look miserable. No matter.

He entered the building at the end of the short, dead-end road on the east side of the Downtown area, near to the theater and his other investments. The front was tastefully decorated, dominated by two impressive desks. One of them was occupied by a bored looking young man who looked up, saw, Aurelio, and got smoothly to his feet. Aurelio waved him down, not otherwise acknowledging or making the effort of greetings. He looked up at the sleek brass letters that were mounted on the rear wall. Aureus. Was it crass to name his company after himself? He didn't care. He really, truly, did not care. Let the whole world thing him a self-obsessed fool. They would not be so far off the mark, not in all truthfulness, and he would laugh off any implications that his pride in himself was something to be scorned.

He took a key from his pocket to unlock an iron grate that covered a side-door, which was, of course, already unlocked. He was late. Likewise the side door, which in turn lead to a stairwell, was also unlocked. The stairwell was not so nice as the front room, its stairs worn and the walls made from undecorated, unpainted plaster. He took the stairs down, and opened the door at the bottom to reveal a plain, though handsome, room. It was large and rectangular, the length of the room covered in mirrors -- proof that Aurelio had invested a good bit of money into his dancers -- members of Aureus Dance -- as it was. There were two doors at one end and one door at the other. It was only a fraction the size of the building above it; there were two sizable offices and three small practice rooms further along.

Aurelio strode through, inadvertently startling two young women who had been engrossed under the direction of an older, more severe looking woman. Said severe looking woman frowned at Aurelio, gesturing to the left door at the far end of the room. "Thank you, Sara, I know."

Her lips pressed together and she shook her head at him. She never approved.

His cohorts would be in the simple, tasteful office. The one that had been padded to reduce outgoing sound as best as was possible. He entered without hesitation or knocking. There would be people in that room who had not needed to pass through the front way to get there. There would be people in there his staff knew nothing about. Rather, one person. One person who would not take kindly to Aurelio's lateness.

"Apologies," he said as he entered, without waiting for acknowledgement, "no insult intended. My fool assistant neglected to inform me of the time. Please note I will make plans to have her fired."

He looked around the room and winced theatrically. He was somewhat sorry, though probably not in the way he should have been.

[Shanuri Laleonalia]

The woman was leaning on the padded wall beside the door, arms folded across her chest. "I've found it unwise to rely on someone else on something as basic as time," she said dryly. "We are going to have to be quite precise, and I'd appreciate if everyone could do their own thinking."

Shanuri was nervous, although she had learned to hide it well. This was going to be big, big enough to draw attention even if everything went according to plan. She needed to rely on people she wasn't sure she could, and Aurelio's readiness to blame someone else even on such a minor mistake was not promising.

We will not be the first ones to fail. Not on my watch.

Of course, you did not get the steady, reliable people for something like the Paragon. You got the skilled, the determined, and the damaged. Shanuri herself was no exception. They were all bitter, all vindictive - with the possible exception of Haneul - and all Shanuri could do was to try to make sure they would be pointing at the right direction once the bow string was inevitably released.

At least they were finally all in one place. She glanced around the room. "Well? At this point, we could use some creative ideas."

[Andras]

Andras sat in the corner upon a wooden chair. His legs were irreverently propped upon a luxurious desk such that he leaned back staring at the ceiling. The man was clearly bored out of his mind. Even padded and built for subterfuge, the room was extravagant. Andras could guess the reason why: if anyone came to check the place out, it had to look the same as the rest of the house. The Osluns had never bothered with shit like this. His family was one of duty and responsibility. These snakes wouldn’t know honor if it stabbed them in the eye.

He pulled his dagger out of its sheath and started playing catch with it. As he did so, he glanced around the room at his unscrupulous companions. He had reasons to hate each on a personal level.

First was that bitch Hanuel. About as mysterious as they come and five times as annoying, she was the cell’s magical backing. This was, of course, because paragon was pro magic. Andras wasn’t so stupid as to believe that line though. The instant paragon took power the whole system would crash down around their heads if they kept up that tolerance horseshit. No, they were going to betray women like her. Can’t have powerful wizards who know all your secrets running around, after all.

Next there was Ivone. He had to admit that she wasn’t that bad, despite being stupid. A frail little thing, broken beyond repair by her husband dying. It was too bad she had needed a fuck buddy so badly that she had attached hopelessly to the Merynir criminal.

And of course, Shanuri. The tyrant that paragon had put in charge of him. A shrieking little foreign elf, and yet another mage. She wasn’t so mighty as their deranged, bitch of a wizard, but she had all the same traits. The personality. The irritability. There was something to puradyne thought: Seeing as both the foreigners in their little troupe were mages, it stood to reason that the world outside Marn was hopelessly corrupted by magic, to say nothing of their criminal enterprises. Since she came a trade family, Andras couldn’t be quite sure how involved the bitch was.

The door swung open, and the infamous Aurelio stepped on through. Andras missed the knife as it sailed down to the floor, whereupon it clattered noisily. Andras didn’t bother to hide his glower before he reached down to grab the weapon. Here was the worst one of all. Not a foreigner, he was a Merynir. That alone was enough reason to hate him. Worse still, the Merynir had gotten himself involved in the slave trade years ago only to have his family of vipers cover his useless ass. Presumably, the hypocrisies of Andras’ thoughts were lost on him.

Shanuri said something mild that utterly failed to placate Andras. “Where the fuck have you been?” He voiced, simmering. “You do realize what we are discussing? Perhaps you didn’t realize that assassination is kind of a big damn deal. You missed it when you dappled in slavery, after all.”

[Haneul]

Haneul wasn’t quite sure what she was expecting to come of this meeting but it sure would provide some entertainment, and if not entertainment, then she was absolutely certain that Andras would provide more than enough irritation for all of them. The man had this way about him… Not that Aurelio was any better sometimes in his nonchalant, uncaring manner, but at least, he wasn’t throwing stones in everyone’s way just for the sake of it, which seemed to be the Oslun’s favourite pastime. Or maybe that was just how he wanted the world to perceive him.

It was hard to tell whether Shanuri disapproved as she generally had other means to let people feel her irritation rather than openly yelling at them but as long as their leader wasn’t making a fuss, why should they? Either way, Haneul didn’t care whether they had to wait for Aurelio to finally grace them with his presence or not. If he made a run for it, she would track him down and make him pay for his desertion. Simple as that. Or maybe one of them should just make a run for it. That would certainly provide some amusement, and Haneul desperately needed to find an outlet again soon.

Andras’ sudden outburst was almost enough to push Haneul over the edge, her magic crackling dangerously close to the surface, before she could reel in her thoughts. How she would enjoy to see him squeal like a little baby but alas, she wasn’t allowed to touch him. Nor would it be wise to play with him, even if just a little. If there were any battlemages sniffing around outside, they would most likely be alerted to her presence. That would not be advisable. At least she got a little satisfaction in witnessing him drop his knife. The silly man.

“Instead of throwing stones, you might want to volunteer an idea yourself,” she chastised in a low voice before turning her attention to Shanuri. Now that their last member had arrived, the meeting could be considered officially started and thus she pushed all other thoughts from her mind. “Is there any way we could lure him out of his hole so we can catch him alone and unawares somewhere? Preferably outside of the city; out of reach of prying eyes and ears.” All the while, she remained seated, comfortably arranged with one leg lying loosely draped over the other and her hands crossed over her stomach, hood deep in her face as was the norm.

[Ivone]

Ivone was there, too. She had been working on her creations and as such, was not dressed in her usually feminine apparel. During their marriage, Tian had purchased her men's clothes - pants, a waistcoat, shirt, and boots. These were what she wore today. Her hair, was braided and fell the length of her back. A jaunty little hat sat on her head.

Ivone's butt was propped on the edge of the desk, as she leaned against it. Her arms were crosssed, as were her ankles. A pair of gloves lay on the top the desk. She watched the interplay of the people in the room as Aurelio arrived. She ignored the interplay between Andras and Hanuel. Hanuel was right. Suggestions were requested and plans needed to be formalized.

"What are the target's weaknesses? Food, women, men, drink, drugs? And speaking of which, do we have a target?" Ivone's gaze traveled between Shanuri and Aurelio. Aurelio had her. Shanuri had Aurelio. And, Ivone had agreed years ago that she would be O.K. with that. She wasn't, but that just fueled her to hurry and be done with this. Even seeing them next to each other made it feel like a knife in her gut was being turned.

"I am progressing well with my target, by the way." Maybe that would give Aurelio a little sense of the same.

[Aurelio]

Aurelio's expression froze in place for a moment, and then his features went slack. While they spoke he stood, head bowed, and listened to the people around the room. Shanuri. Andras. Haneul. Ivone. He gave them their due without speaking, a thoughtfulness hanging about him, before he nodded with the sort of soberness he typically reserved for actual business meetings.

"Of course," he said, and bowed to the room at large. "No, he has a right to be angry, though civility is, of course, requested in this room. I apologize for my tardiness. It shan't happen again." He smiled at Haneul, and Ivone, and then took a seat. His lips pursed, and he tapped the table with his left pointer finger as he considered his own words. When he spoke his voice was measured and professional -- completely at odds with his flamboyant appearance.

"Now, I believe last we were all present we were caught between the Minister of Civil Obedience and the Minister of Finance and Commerce, isn't that right? Since Ivone has solidified her relationship with Judge Vyaduka, we had discussed a complementary target to his position. This would land us with Morrington or Moryldar; both are unfriendly with the Vyaduka family, and therefore more likely to send the scent off the trail when the Loyalists look into their eventual deaths. Assassination is unusual in Marn, but I believe we might be able to goad them into blaming each other rather than an outside source.

"That said, we would be best suited to choosing the one with more connections that run parallel to Judge Vyaduka. It is likely to be noted that Aureus Dance, in a business sense, will be involved with both families. This is why I have invited my cousin to represent us in a public sense, and also why I have expanded the troupe into a legitimate front. I have ensured that we will have enough contracts and patrons that it would take a serious mistake to immediately connect us with these deaths. I intend to do business and have a good rapport with at least six of the major families before the first target falls.

"In the interim I would ask that we choose a method separate from the poisoning Ivone is conducting with Judge Vyaduka. Ideally I believe the best route would be to utilize a vice of Morrington or Moryldar that their enemies disapprove of -- one such as Ivone mentioned -- as perhaps a brash young member might foolishly target in order to forward his own agenda. In that vein, I would like the opportunity to choose someone to take the blame for the death of the Minister; while Vyaduka we hope to show death by natural causes, I think it might incite more . . ." Aurelio circled his fingers in the air, expression quite pleasant, "anger and confusion if insinuations are made one way, and then the other. Eventually the goal would be to have the families engaged in a blood feud. While the older members will no doubt, for the most part, hold back, I don't doubt that the more hotheaded youths will answer such a challenge with their own."

Aurelio then took out a notepad and a fine ink pen. He uncapped it, took off the small cork wedge that kept the ink from dribbling out while it was being carried around, and then looked expectantly about the room. He was, as they say, all business; perhaps it was his own tardiness that had encouraged him to treat these compatriots as peers, such as he would treat any other merchants or traders he dealt with on a regular basis.

[Shanuri Laleonalia]

Shanuri rolled her eyes as Andras snapped at Aurelio. The man was a loose cannon if anyone, and not exactly a likeable character. Well, she wasn't there to be their kindergarten teacher.

At least Aurelio seemed to have had a proper thought about the issue. "Well done," she said as the man finished. "Our orders favour Morrington, I say we focus on him unless we find out something that makes him an invalid target." She looked Aurelio in the eyes. "I trust you know how much hinges on you and your entourage conducting your business in a manner that won't connect you to the deaths."

She glanced at Ivone, completely unaware of what was going through the other woman's head, then back to Aurelio. "So, do we know about Morrington's weaknesses? Luring him out of the city might be a good idea, a body in the woods is easy to frame as anyone's doing. But we need something to work on. We can make up a weakness if necessary, but it's easier if there's something people might already know about."

[Andras]

Andras was content to let the schemers do their plotting. He yawned, raising the back of his left hand to his mouth. It was plain he considered such things beneath him, as he refrained from commenting on the initial wave of plans. He was unable to refrain from scoffing when Aurelio started flapping those treacherous lips of his.

The Morringtons and Merynirs had a big lovey-dovey partnership in their criminal enterprises, but it seemed that wasn’t enough to keep Aurelio from selling them out. That said, Teonidus knew there was no love lost between Andras and the Morringtons. As far as he was concerned, it may as well have been those assholes jumping on the scandal his titres had gotten him involved in. Clearly they had knocked the whole thing far out of proportion. His official story lacked a grain of truth thanks to tampering by those who sought to discredit the Osluns.

He supposed it was time he spoke up, now that Shanuri was through trying to push her apes in some sort of useful direction. “You assholes are overlooking the simplest way forwards.” He fished around in his pocket. He had been toying around with the idea for a while, and now seemed as good a time as any to reveal it. Andras withdrew a small black chunk of tar heroin. He lowered his feet the floor and in the same motion tossed the shiny lump across the tabletop.

“He’s a Morrington. Chances are the fucker’s into all sorts of party shit. This here is heroin, brought from Eyropa. One of you conspirators plays him and gets it into his hands. Then we lace it and the man drops dead. Simple as that.”

He leaned back, a self-important, smug grin on his face. He tossed the knife once into the air and caught it, as satisfied with himself as a cat on a sunny windowsill. Except he was nothing like a cat, because Andras hated cats. The damn things gave him a whole plethora of symptoms.

[Haneul]

Haneul listened to the exchange without commenting. There was no need to state the obvious. She agreed with taking a different route from the poisoning. If they were to employ the same method of assassination, it might be all too easy to make a connection, which no one would benefit from. Neither did she need to state that she trusted Ivone’s progress with her target. The woman knew how to make her charms work for herself and the Judge would be toast in no time.

What she wasn’t all too fond of was the dancing business, especially not because she was a part of it. Alas, it was a good cover and it granted them access to all the noble houses and much more with more opportunities than they could ever exploit.

What she was even less fond of was that the little prick actually presented a valid option for a kill though his method left a little something to be desired in her opinion. “Surely, you aren’t suggesting what I think you are. If one of us were to simply slip it to him, it would be too easily traceable. It would have to be far more elaborate than that. Of course, a party at his house with a few dancers, courtesy of Aureus Dance, gives a few people to investigate but it might still be too dangerous. The Guard would be upon us in no time. None of us can afford such attention.”

Her eyes were following the movement of the knife. She needed a distraction, soon! Otherwise her control was going to slip. The knife was already beginning to blur a little with shadows starting to crawl. Biting down on the side of her mouth, Haneul forced herself to blink and look away. She could not afford to slip.

[Ivone]

Ivone returned Aurelio's smile of greeting with a carefully crafted polite, business-friends kind of smile. Never mind that any smile he gave her made her stomach flip-flop like a net full of butterflies. Still. After three years, he affected her. Ivone looked away and adjusted her position on the desk as Aurelio took a seat. Now one leg was slung on the edge, dangling. Her arms were still crossed.

Andras' black tar junk rolled on the desk between Aurelio and her. She sighed. She had no intention of using any substances, but she could take something that made it look like she had. Slipping from the desk she moved to Andras and stepped between his legs. She leaned forward. The shadow of cleavage appeared between the unbuttoned top buttons of her shirt. She leaned closer, breath on his ear. Ivone curled her hand around his, the one holding the knife. The long, thick braid of her hair slipped off to the side, brushing the top of his leg.

"Andras, darling, that knife flipping is getting tedious. Let's put it away for now, shall we? It's a really poor innuendo." Pulling back, there was a hint of amusement in her violet-blue eyes. Her eyebrows lifted and she gave him a cheeky smile. She wanted to stifle all the tension so they could focus and Andras was the source of it. Just as she would show with her next offer, Ivone did everything for the greater good of the group and to accomplish her goals. At least, that is what she told herself.

Lifting a finger, she pushed it against the bridge of Andras' nose.

"And all that scowling will give you horrible wrinkles." With that, she sat on his knee as if it were the most normal thing to do, arms crossed, and turned business once again.

"I know Madiana, we're close in age and she's asked me to go around with her. She and her friends have a crush on Fargo and she likes the goods I make. Plus, it's well-known Aurelio and I have a business relationship. I could divert attention by attending." Fargo was the new leading man starring in The World According to Teodinus. He made a dashing Teodinus. "Fargo would attend if I asked him to, as well."

Basically, Ivone was offering to put herself in a position to die, or at least get very sick, to keep suspicions diverted.

"Just so long as we have something that won't kill me or make me a raving drug addict." She gave Andras a look over her shoulder, brows raised again. Ivone didn't mind getting drunk, and had, over the course of the last three years, tried one or two things thanks to Aurelio. But, she didn't want to waste her life on a drug addiction. She had a mission and purpose and doing so would get in the way of her accomplishing her goals.

"That would be inconvenient." This statement was accompanied by her glancing at the others around the room to gauge their responses to her idea.

[Aurelio]

The scratching of the pen stuttered once as Ivone moved to Andras, but it was not otherwise interrupted. Aurelio's gaze moved between the co-conspirators, attentive but in no way suppliant or submissive.

"We are decided on Monetario, then," he said, voice scoured clean of emotion. "He is not a tawdry man, nor is he given to large amounts of excess. His reign has been lax, but he is knowledgeable of what those under his auspices are up to, and treads carefully. I've no doubt he has suppliers for his own personal needs; should we wish to approach him with new. . .goods. . .we would need a pitch that would separate him from his trusted sources. Additionally, we should not stoop to offering him anything in particular. If anything we should seek a need he has and make a mood that our goods will be the ones to fulfill it. Be that through laying a foundation for rumors or finding out who the supplier is and either ensuring they need additional goods -- through deliberate sabotage, if necessary -- or making a secondhand trade deal, or swapping some of their stock with some of ours. Andras has the most expertise in that matter, so I would leave that up to him," Aurelio's gaze had focused down onto the paper as he wrote a list while he talked, the words in both shorthand and code, "but this target is primarily that of Shanuri and Haneul. I would seek their opinion on what method of delivery they wish to seek -- personally, following Ivone's success, or an interpersonal channel such as this while they ingratiate themselves with him purely as a means to gather information for the stroke."

Seconds later he finished writing and looked up expectantly, expression returning to a pleasant blandness as he implied with his deliberate silence and stare that Shanuri's opinion was the most valuable in the decision. This, his face said, was no more than another meeting, another deal that could be neatly concluded no matter the dangers or subject matter. Business first, claimed the hovering tip of his pen, pleasures later.

[Shanuri Laleonalia]

Shanuri watched Ivone manhandling Andras with a dry smile on her face, then turned her eyes back on Aurelio as he launched into his analysis. The man could sometimes be rather verbose, but at least his style minimized the risk of misunderstandings.

"Let's try to find a way that allows Ivone - and anyone else - to remain alive and functional." Technically they were all expected to sacrifice themselves for the greater cause should the situation so require, and more and more often Shanuri had the sinking feeling that was going to be how she would end her own days. Yet, as the leader of the cell, she considered any damage caused to her people as a personal failure. And she needed each and everyone of them.

She turned towards Haneul. "What do you think? Do we want to get under his skin?"

[Andras]

Andras’ eyes nearly popped out of his head when Ivone began curling herself around him. Being about as tactful as an angry bull stuck in a pit which had been dug into solid rage, he wasted no time in sneering at Aurelio over her shoulder. He deflated a bit when he didn’t notice the other man react at all, and dejectedly resigned himself to being fawned on by an attractive woman instead.

At fair lady’s request, Andras shoved Lavelle’s dagger back into its sheath, strapped horizontally across his lower back. Of course, to do so he had to thrust his hips forwards, there would be no room to put it back otherwise. He bumped into Ivone, slightly jostling them both. He then put the knife into the sheath. Slowly.

He found himself smiling again as she dropped further and pressed her finger against his nose. Regardless of her apparently low effect on Aurelio, Ivone was a rare beauty. Perhaps he had been too hasty in judging her, as she was demonstrating fine wit and courage. He guided her a bit as she spun to rest on his knee, leaning back and using his hands to ensure her stability. One came to rest remarkably close to her butt, and Andras decided there was no fun in wasting the opportunity. His hand moved a little lower.

“I can fix something up for you, dear Ivi.” He rested his head beside her arm. “No one will be able to tell the difference.”

[Haneul]

Almost cocking her head to the side to observe Andras and Ivone a little more closely, Haneul wondered how long it would take for those two to get it on. The small gestures in that brief exchange of theirs seemed to speak all for it. Oh, the power of a woman’s guile. Poor Andras would never know what hit him.

Her attention was drawn back to Aurelio however as she considered his words. If they needed a way to approach him, Ivone had offered one. If they needed diversity, Shanuri and Aurelio had the women at their disposal to throw in a few party guests amongst the theatre prominence that Ivone had offered to bring alone for even more diversity. Andras had the goods. It almost seemed like they were good to go, except for the finer details of their course of action. Could it really have been that quick and easy to devise a plan? It seemed almost implausible.

When her boss spoke up, Haneul returned Shanuri’s look and a grin suddenly spread across her lips. “Oh yes, we definitely want to get under his skin.” Maybe she took a little more pleasure in that sentence than she should have but she wasn’t much bothered by it. By now they all knew that she liked going down darker paths even if she may not be demonstrating all too much of it around them most of the time. Monetario was going to suffer in ways that…

Abruptly she cut off her own thoughts.

“How long will it take you to concoct something, Andras?” Her dark eyes found those of the man in question before she moved on to Ivone. “How willing would Madiana be to throw a little private party with somewhat more guests she has invited in the first place?”

Her eyes flitted back to Shanuri before settling on Aurelio. “I assume the girls from Aureus Dance would be more than happy to provide a little entertainment for a private party, assuming there will be a few male guests to entertain Madiana and her girlfriends – besides Fargo – or maybe some of them are a little differently inclined or willing to experiment a bit after a little taste of Andras’ special concoction?” She looked back at the couple on the chair, one of her eyebrows slightly raised inquisitively while a mischievous smile played around the corners of her lips.

[Ivone]

There was a small thrill of victory as Ivone heard the pen stutter on the page. This is what lent the twinkle of amusement and mischief to her gaze.

Aurelio had once offered to teach her how to be less a "little dove" and more "spider." She'd been an apt pupil, seeking any praise he'd give. But, sometimes, bad attention is better than none. One day, one day, she wanted to make that facade crack where others could see. Today, she'd almost done it. Victory!

She knew she'd have to apologize later and show her real face and heart to prove what she did not nothing but the game he'd taught her. But, it served him right. How often had she watched? How often had it hurt her? How many times did she cry when he wouldn't see her being weak? How many times had her heart broken, yet still sought him out? wanted him?

The downward spiral of her thoughts were interrupted by Andras putting his hand on her buttock. Truth be told, Ivone had rarely, if ever, given her body to anyone else. Simply put, because of her heart, no one else would do.

When Andras leaned forward to speak, she gave him an impish smile. "Thank you, Andras. I trust you will."

Shanuri and Hanuel spoke and Ivone listened.

"Madiana has always wanted to host a risque party. I think she'd jump at the chance."

With ease Ivone slipped from Andras' knee and moved to look at the notes Aurelio had written. The move was smooth and allowed Andras the slide of his hand across her buttock as she did it. No point in ruining her success after all. He seemed quite receptive to her. Food for thought...

"Luca Abernathy." Ivone looked up at the assembled crew.

"He's known for hosting many after-parties and I'm sure he has some supplier or another. Maybe you," she looked at Andras, "could get upstream of the supply - maybe stage an attempt on it, take a few things, and do a substitution in the confusion?"

"I say this because getting under Morrington's skin means we need to be especially careful. The man has connections that could get us executed publicly, or worse -- privately. I appreciate that we want it known that it is Paragon who has done the deeds, but getting fingers pointed at us now will not further future plans. Why not let whoever writes the propaganda claim it was Paragon? Isn't that what they are for?"

Ivone gave a little smile. "Besides, if we can pin it on Abernathy, that's just one more we can mark off the list."

Ivone glanced to Aurelio, before looking to the others. See? She had learned well from watching and observing all those years. She had never been stupid, just naive.

Are you proud of your creation?