(Theo, Zana) The proposal of a lifetime? Maybe. But do they accept?
Seated on the shores of Lake Lovalus, Rharne serves as the home of the Lighting Knights, the Thunder Priestesses, and the Merchant's guild. This beautiful trade city is filled with a happy and contented people who rarely need an excuse to party.
They both spoke, explained what they felt and Zana found herself pleased that she and Theo were in accord. She didn't have a head for business, or believed she didn't, but what she did have was a very clear idea of what was worth her while and what was not. So Patrick spoke and Zana listened. With a glance at Theo, she watched both men as the conversation wound this way and that.
And Patrick didn't answer with any specifics.
But that made her understand what he was offering, as he explained the potential he was selling and what it meant. Her ice blue eyes watched him with a languid expression, and as Theo leaned forward with his forearms on the table, her hand moved to trail lazily up Theo's arm and across his chest as she considered the potential of Patrick's offer. She leaned closer to her handler, wrapped her leg around his under the table and ran her hands over him but her eyes did not leave Patrick, watching him avidly as her hands moved over Theo.
"Have you in my pocket?" Zana's gave stayed on Patrick as she gauged his reaction. He was hungry, she knew and that hadn't gone away. "Oh, I'm thinking about it, as you suggest. Visualizing it, even," she leaned forwards, towards Patrick just a little and she smiled. "It's a nice picture. There's no doubting it." Leaning back into Theo, her eyes traveled over Patrick and her smile was predatory, the movement of her hands on Theo mirroring that.
She kept her gaze on the man offering them partnership throughout, "You are talking about something which might happen, yes?" Zana observed, "you don't have this set up yet?" She looked at him and asked, with as innocent an expression as if she were a child in a temple, "Ohhh, will we be your first? I expect to be paid extra for that, you know."
It was his intention to establish, was what he'd said. Zana smiled and leaned over to nip at Theo's ear, all the while watching Patrick as she spoke. "You're right," she almost purred, "the best part will be having you as a personal contact. For us both. Personal contact, I think we all agree, is a very pleasurable thing to have?"
When both of them questioned Patrick's plan, he elaborated, somewhat, on what could be gained. Most particularly for themselves. Influence? Theo wondered then, just who did the other man know, who was he connected to, that would make influence itself a viably interesting asset? Theo didn't ask however, instead he listened and finished off his tea. But covered the rim with the palm of his hand, a shake of his head in case anyone offered to fill it again. Patrick continued to speak of partners, but so far what he suggested sounded like a somewhat lopsided affair. Then again, he thought when Zana curled into his side and splayed a hand across his chest, many plans of this nature tended to be just that, in their earliest stages.
In the end there really wasn't much to go on. No specifics anyway. Zana however was a powerful distraction, and as her hands roamed in the open, his roamed to, but beneath the table, across her knew, along the inside of her thigh. "A nice picture, yes," he agreed. "There's no harm in imagining what might happen later. None at all," he added. "Personal contact is always nice." There was plenty going on already, beneath the surface of the table and out of sight.
"So, what you're planning is in it's earliest stages," Theo seemed to conclude. "It may be some time before any of it comes to pass. In the meantime, as long as you're working?" he added. He and Zana had already begun lining up the girls that they needed. But there was still something missing. Something that might satisfy those customers who might come looking for something else. "We'll have an opening, I think, for someone like yourself on the staff," he suggested.
There was no denying that Zana had a habit of playing a game, a continuous game of seduction that teased and toyed with Patrick. All while she responded to his proposition well enough she seemed actually more... enticed? Maybe? Currently the word was lost as Patrick couldn't help himself, watching how her hands were all over Theo like they were seductively involved. Perhaps they were! For all he knew Theo could've very well played a hefty part in this matter, letting the way Zana used him settle within the mind and suggest all sorts of things to Pat.
Things like... maybe the possibility of that being Patrick instead, that was being the main fantasy going on within his mind at the moment. Indeed he couldn't help but internally drool over how she was on Theo, and that in turn led to the same deep hungry look he felt before. Shit! He was doing it again, even after he'd managed to curb his appetite recently. Somehow Zana had this capacity of control over him, that made want for more surface at whim. It took all his willpower not to just blatantly show assertive interest in her, and merely smirk it off with a feigned vacant expression. He needed to remember that he was in control, not this primal nature within he couldn't contain. How long though? Each passing day felt like a constant struggle with the beast, and suppressing its very nature seemed to be taking a toll even.
"Yes," He finally murmured to the two after hearing Zana mention that its something about to happen, "right now there's not much to expect and little to profit with, but after I meet with a few more potential assets that'll change dramatically." Finally something he could say with a brush of confidence, which he solidified with almost a nervous drink out of his glass of water. He really wished it were alcohol right now... That would've made this so much harder, but at the same time so much better to handle. "What's that?" He couldn't help but chuckle then. "Extra? Sheesh, y' drive a hard bargain woman." It was then Theo seemed to pitch in on the subject, with a suggested option that actually sort of surprised Patrick.
An opening? For him? How dangerous of a proposition was this? Given he'd be close if not constantly interacting with the three, which presented way too many possible chances for them to discover things. Then there was... well the scrutiny of his current peers at the Harlot, although he could care less about whatever they had to say. How much would they have to make for in business, if he went ahead and went along with this sort of position? He'd be able to start a little fresher of course, but this could've been a major step up if he accepted the offer. "A position? For me?" He reiterated a little curiously, followed with a index finger scratching at one of his cheeks. "That's certainly new t' me."
He leaned back and rested his arms onto the table then, the drum line of his fingers became a present at the moment. "What sort of position, might I ask? I'm certainly capable of a lot, given my background at the Harlot, but I'd like t' know what the both o' you feel in regards t' this." Pat finally inquired with a soft grin, already he liked the idea of working with them. There would be measures he'd have to take in regards to his personal issues, but the opportunity already sounded too good for him to just pass up on whim.
The look of hunger Patrick gave her was returned by Zana, her ice blue eyes locking with his and watching every slight reaction. To suggest that the reaction was just from him, of course, would be completely false and she could not help the low moan of anticipation at the feel of Theo's hand beneath the table. She was, in all things, a seeker after pleasure and Patrick had a lot of promise.
A lot of promise indeed.
When Patrick said that she drove a hard bargain, Zana smiled at him, "I do. Very hard," she replied, her reaction to Theo's touch on her thigh evident in her quickened breathing and the slight husky quality to her voice. "But everyone leaves very satisfied." Her eyes were half closed in pleasure at the sensation and the situation, yet she listened.
When Theo offered Patrick a position, Zana watched. She listened to Patrick's response and she gave a slight, delicate shrug. Leaning her head against Theo's shoulder, the movements of her hands on him slowed, for a moment. "There are two types of people in our business," she said, motioning to Theo. "Regular whores who make their money and that's that. But there are partnership possibilities open in a reciprocal relationship. Theo is fronting the money, so it's his business, like you're fronting the money in yours and so it's yours. But if, for example, we were to be involved in the meetings with you in your business, maybe there would be a possibility of there being an assistant manager, even a handler? That's between the two of you, of course."
Zana shrugged and moved her head to kiss Theo's neck, her hands also moving as she trailed one nail down his thigh. "I don't know, I don't have a head for such things," she was blatant, she really was. She looked at Patrick and grinned, "I can tell you that the relationship between a handler and his girl is a very special relationship. As is the relationship between such good friends who share contacts and .... other special relationships." Looking between the two of them she sighed, a dramatic and over-acted sigh followed with a pouting lower lip. "But, that's just me. You boys talk about business and I'll just entertain... myself." Nipping at Theo's earlobe, she grinned.
Zana could indeed be a powerful distraction. She was in fact, and it took a great deal of discipline for any man to keep his head when she was around. Not to mention when she was curled around him with busy hands. Theo considered himself to be more disciplined than most. But even he had his limits. He was human after all. Meanwhile however, he observed the man sitting across the table. Potential assets, Patrick said. Theo himself wasn't inclined to be an asset himself, the word itself implied a particular imbalance that didn't suit him at all. But neither did he disregard what Patrick had in mind. Semantics weren't always reliable, and time would tell.
Meanwhile, there remained a sense that they might make some sort of arrangement, and revisit the terms at a later date. "Maybe," he said when Patrick wondered about a position at the Lady Libertine. "It would require, naturally, cutting official ties at your current place of employment." After all, if they were to employ the best of the best, and achieve the level of exclusiveness that Theo had in mind, then they couldn't have their girls, or men in this case, working at both places at once.
Zana nipped his ear then, just as his fingers had traced a path to the most intimate places. He was all too aware then that perhaps it was time to conclude their business for the trial, or risk a more public display of affection than those at the tea house might be accustomed to seeing. "I think, if your interested, we might begin with a position as an entertainer. And based on your experience already, perhaps you might try handling a couple of our girls?" he suggested. Of course the longevity of the arrangement would depend on performance. But it was a start, and an arrangement that might in the end, benefit them all.
At the sound of what they had to offer in their business, Patrick couldn't help but chuckle at how much the potential practically grew. Not only was he fit to serve as a bartender or service clients that came in, but perhaps he could even take it up a notch and work as a handler as well. That had to be something worth more than considering, if one were to take into account the amount of time and management involved. This proved to be too good of an opportunity to pass up now, and in short Patrick couldn't help but shake his head with a widened grin.
"Heh, well alright then." He drummed intentionally at a faster pace, indicating an actual drum roll before he told his decision. "I'll have t' speak with Rose at the Harlot but I'm sure she'll understand, hell might even approve since its a step up from the usual. Gimme 'til the end of the season and I'll wrap up loose ends there, and then we'll get started on my employment there." He reasoned with hands somewhat raised, his head craned with a grin at the two, more or less a gesture made in essence of asking if either objected to the idea. When neither seemed to he took another hearty chug from his water, until he had emptied the glass and left it upon the table.
"I'll check in with ya come season's end," He reassured them as he slid his chair back, "then I'll learn the ropes in how ya handle business there." Patrick then took Theo's hand and gave it a shake, then did the same with Zana but a little more gently. "Lookin' forward t' workin' with the both o' ya." And with that he gave a wave of farewell before parting, rather satisfied with how this business occasion turned out for both parties. He knew what he had to do now, after that discussion with the two, and thus he felt eager to plan things out and get to work.
Knowledge
Deception: Maintaining a role
Deception: Not letting on how you're feeling
Discipline: Remaining focused in the face of a powerful distraction
Intelligence: Giving information at the right time, to get information back
Intelligence: Identifying places where intelligence can be gathered.
Intelligence: Spotting flaws in information-gathering techniques
Intelligence: Knowing when to question, when to agree
Logistics: Risk vs reward in business
Logistics: Time management
Loot: N/A Injuries: N/A Fame: N/A Devotion: N/A
Points: 15
Zana
Knowledge
Caregiving: Helping someone who's having night terrors
Caregiving: In order to care for someone else, you need to be psychologically robust
Deception: Pretending to be what people assume you are
Detection: Observe people to ascertain what they want
Detection: You can't listen and talk
Discipline: Understanding what you want, and why
Discipline: Tease to avoid giving in
Intelligence: Identifying places where intelligence can be gathered.
Intelligence: Spotting flaws in information-gathering techniques
Intelligence: Knowing when to question, when to keep quiet
Loot: N/A Injuries: N/A Fame: N/A Devotion: N/A
Points: 15
Comments: Patrick, apologies if I've missed it, but you don't seem to have a review request posted for this thread. Please PM me when you've posted one. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please let me know.
Business Management: The Advantage of Partnerships
Business Management: Make Partners Happy
Logistics: The Nature of Business
Persuasion: Sweetening The Deal In An Opportunity
Persuasion: The Art of Schmoozing
Theo: Opening A Business
Location: The Lady Libertine
Personal: Moving Up in the World
Loot: None Injuries: None
Skill Points/Collaboration: 15/15
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Comments: Although I am focused on Patrick's part, very well done to all of you. I like to see PCs interacting with one another to build an empire. I think Rharne's dark side is about to experience something new.
Patrick: I noticed a few words that were used incorrectly and some grammatical things. If you would like to improve or for me to comment on these, please contact me separately. I'd be happy to help.
If you feel I've missed anything or if you have questions about your review, please don't hesitate to send me a quick PM. Thank you!
word count: 189
I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be then me.
