Late night fix (Very Open)

“I had no idea Dubine was so generous.”

Val now officially wondered exactly what Addison’s roll within the company was. Sure he’d said he was chief something or other but if Dubine was housing him he was very probably something more; vampire? Familiar? Regardless she’d have to be extra good, at least for now.

Again she absently began toying with her ring, this was why she rarely wore more than one. The habit could be quite distracting for a client, or anyone else she had an interest in. One perfectly arched eyebrow raised, even as she gave on of her most engaging smiles, at one of the names tough.

“House of Pain? Now that does sound like fun. Do I get a hint or are you going to send an unsuspecting girl into the lion’s den completely oblivious?”

((OOC… huzzah for the backness!))

(OOC; Sorry for the delay, someone else mentioned they were going to join, so I didn't want to just post. But that hasn't happened, so cont. without)

"Mmmhmm....I was recruited, but I hear they're generous to all employees. Keeps them ahead, I suppose."

Addison smiled back, taking small glances at the ring Valentine was twirling around her finger. He never was one for jewlry, but it was very nice. A spinner? "It's very nice, but one of those clubs you have to have connections at to enjoy yourself, I think. I've only been once with my boss."

Addison nearly jumped when his cell chirped in his pocket, announcing that he had a voice mail. Pulling out the small communication device he used for his personal calls, he frowned as he realized he'd had it on mute. Looking at the number on the call missed bar, Addison frowned. He didn't recognize it right away. "Excuse me for a moment. I'm just going to make sure it's not the boss. Did you want anything to snack on?"

Addison smiled apologetically and stood, moving towards the counter as he punched in his code for voice mail. 'Oh ...Nic...the vampire guy (according to Ellis)' The accountant's eyes went wide as he listened to the recording, trying not to laugh as it was cut off early. Well...he had Nic's number now at least. Or, the number he'd dialed from and chances were it was one he could be reached back at. Addison grabbed some things at the counter after clicking shut his little cell.

(OOC: Did you want to end because of the event?)

She laughed slightly at his business school idea about keeping good employees. Val only worried about keeping a good manager. They could sort out the others, besides salesmen tended to turn over a lot any way.

Still for some reason that did rather make her mind up. SHe'd have to find the powers that be ASAP nd get settled with the rest of the clan.

"Doesn't sound like the kind of place you'd generally go with your boss."

Val had to raise an eyebrow at that. No way in hell she'd take an employee somewhere called The House of Pain. What the hell kind of relationship did Addison have with his boss?

Not offended in the least that he shuffled off to take a call she just shook her head declining the offer of a snack. However, she did get up to get another cup of coffee. Had to do something while you were waiting.

Making her way back to the table she waited for Addison to hang up and return.

"Was it the bos type or something more fun?"

"My boss is...unique." Yes, he was safe describing Ellis as such. There was nothing "normal" about her, especially the sort of place they'd met for the first time. He was still thinking about Ellis when he smiled at the counter clerk and took his order, forgetting that the vile little man would probably take that the wrong way.



"Hard to say..." Addison had been warned off of Nic and frankly, he should be pissed that he'd been so blantently manipulated...but there was something about Nic that still intrigued him. And the voice mail had been sweet. But now he must know Addison was Ellis' familiar...like Ellis said...Nic's reaction had been telling at the ball. But then why would he try and contact him? Nic was either very brave or very foolish. "But not the boss lady herself."

He set the little cell phone down next to his laptop and broke a piece of biscotti, taking a nibble and thinking on if he should respond to the message. "I have a hypothetical for you. Say you met someone and had a good time once, but later found out it's not quite allowed. And say this person contacted you after you find out this restriction. Should you respond to the request?" Hmmm....not so vague, but maybe Valentine could offer some insight.

He had her attention now. Val was slowly becoming more and more convinced Addison wasn't your every day employee. She didn't think he was a vampire either. If he was he seemed very young even younger than she was. Had he pissed someone off or had he broken the rules? Either way if he were involved with Tàcharan, he was probably in or about to be in a lot of trouble.

Cautioning herself about going off half cocked with these assumptions and ideas she fidgeted with her coffee cup. She was still rather hoping Addison would come out and say something specific, but for now, she'd have to make do with what she was given.

Casually switching which leg was crossed over which she mused aloud.

"Well I'd say there are a few more questions to ask. A great deal is going to depend on why there is this 'restriction', what the consequences are and why you want to see them again. You have to have all the pros and cons out there to make a good choice."Â?

She smiled her most charming and engaging smile. It was an odd turn for the conversation to take but it might get her some more insight on her coffee partner.

"Sort of a 'rival company' kind of restriction. 'Don't play with the other troupe,' rule." Hmmm....did that put it well? He couldn't quite tell. It wasnt so much to do with the fact that Nic had allegiences with a clan and it wasnt' tach, but that he was a vampire and Addison belonged to one already. He was still half surprised Ellis had let him off with nothing more than a bruised shoulder. Granted, it wasn't like the guy had posessed a "Hi, My name is Nic and I am a vampire" sticker on his shirt. How was Addison supposed to know these things? Carol didn't give him a list of vampires living in the city to stay away from...

"And this person is definately not in my cl...company." Addison barely recognized the little hiccup as he was currently wondering what sort of meeting Nic had meant with his message. From his voice, it didn't sound like it would be a continuation of their last...encounter. Maybe Nic didn't think he knew about his...status yet.

"I am thinking the cons would far outweigh the pros...my boss being who she is. But I can't see how it would hurt to be polite and return a call... What do you think?"

(OOC: lol...tried to get a slip in that he might do. Addison is decent on keeping secrets.)

Rival company? Well there was industrial espionage and then there was industrial espionage wasn't there.

She'd been paying a great deal of attention to what Addison was saying, trying to put two and two together. If she hadn't been listening so closely and had her own suspicions the one little, nearly invisible slip wouldn't have caught her attention.

Pausing with her coffee half way to her lips Val looked intently at Addison for a second before sipping the coffee and setting it back down.

Not having meet Ellis personally Val couldn't offer much of an opinion, but still she did think Addison would approve of waking up dead.

"I would say that if your boss is who I think she is and what I've heard is true you'll lose his number and tell her he called."Â?

((OOC... huzzah for the tiny slip!))

If he had just taken a sip of his iced coffee, it would have been expelled right back out. Was this young woman implying she knew Ellis? He gazed at Valentine carefully. He could get into a lot of shit for mentioning Ellis' name...well, he thought he might...but what if this person wasn't shitting him
and was possibly a clan member he just didnt know.

"You know Ms. Duban?" It was asked carefully, his voice nary a level higher than just she would have heard. She had to have...and be on good terms with Ellis...otherwise she wouldn't have known that the person he was talking about was male. And if that was true...how many people had Ellis told? Was it common fact in Tach about the familiar who was so gullible as to be "persuaded" by a vamp from another clan? Did everyone think him a joke now? Crap...

Addison eyed his cell again, wary to delete anything. He really was curious about what Nic had to say and even if he got mad and changed his mind and went right to Ellis...then she'd want the number and message to listen to.

He was careful, and Val had to approve of that. Addison hadn't given anything away, she was the one who took the leap, even if it was a cautious leap not mentioning anything, she shouldn't have.

"No, no. I haven't met her personally, not yet."Â?

She smiled, just slightly broader than usual, making sure her large canines showed. If he knew about Tàcharan, it shouldn't take much to guess what she was. Valentine only hoped he'd be sensible enough to put two and two together without saying anything.

"Reputation only. That and she's on my list of people to call on now that I'm in town."Â?

"And with good reason. Ms. Duban is one of the more influential people in town...especially among the company she heads." Addison focused on the flash of teeth, giving him a brief glimpse of fangs. He'd only seen Ellis' so far, but it wasn't hard to make out what they were even without the reference. Hmmm...so now he was drinking coffee with a vampire who knew Ellis by name, but had not given him any information on her allegiances. Addison paused before continuing, wanting to be careful and get across the whole 'familiar' thing without saying it out loud. After all, he felt he was on thin ice with the whole Nic thing. He didn't want it getting back to Ellis that he was out flirting with another vampire and he didn't tell her he was 'spoken for.'

"I'm one of her close, personal associates." He smiled, making it look like just a proud gesture, but flashing his normal, if slightly braces-manacured, teeth and wondering if he was going to have to do that every single time he came across someone like...his boss.

"How do you know of her, if you don't mind my asking?" Innocent enough, and yet a slight dig for information. If, by chance, this wasn't a tach member, he might find out something useful for Ellis. And, granted, Monk he was not, but he could try.

Valentine almost laughed. Someone was going to have to tell Addison that not every vamp had their fangs out all the time. It was one of her less flattering traits but it wasn't something they were all prone too.

Lazily tracing the rim of her cup with a well-manicured finger she started to figure out exactly who Addison was. Well he as much as told her he was a familiar and given who's familiar he seemed to be she would -not- be trying anything.

"She's the boss, like you said."Â?

There that ought to make it clear enough who's side she was on. Of course, the way he asked Val thought maybe he'd been involved we a member of another clan. She was surprised he was still alive.

"And you don't have to worry. I've seen what happens to those who toy with the personal associates. Not something I want to be involved with."Â?

Addison let out a little breath, relieved. He did not want to have to explain to Ellis why he was speaking to a vamp of another clan and Valentine had all but admitted she was clan. Well, if she were telling the truth, that is. The red head tried not to look suspicious, willing to believe his coffeemate.



At that, he flashed an extremely quick, guiltily look at his cell phone. Addison should at least warn Nic of his impending doom. But that might be considered going against Ellis' want of him staying away from Nic, so....perhaps not. "Good to hear. One can never be too careful, you see." Yeah...once bitten...twice shy and all that.

Why did she get the feeling that it was too late for Addison to be careful. Although he was still alive so maybe she was wrong. It could happen.

She could torment him, tell him what Giovanni had done to the familiar he'd caught compromised by some clanless rouge. Not a nice story to tell, neither the familiar or the other had walked away from that. Some days she felt bad about that, Val had liked the familiar, but she wasn't willing to argue the point with Giovanni.

Catching him looking at the phone, however briefly, Val shook her head.

"No. You can't afford to be too careful. Especially given how deep you are in."Â?

Addison's blue eyes narrowed at Valentine. For someone who hadn't even met Ellis yet, she was either talking out her arse or assuming she knew....or maybe his little slip was in a tach newsletter somewhere...who knew, but it was odd she commented on that. "And what do you mean by that?" He asked, a little quickly.

Picking up what seemed to be a hostile or suspicious vibe from Addison, this time Valentine did laugh. Leaning back in her chair for a second, she wondered exactly what his situation was. She had her own personal experience with familiars gone astray and that was what she was speaking from. From what he had asked about people outside the company and not seeing them again Val assumed that is what was going on.

"I mean knowing about the company and becoming a personal associate. That's all."Â?

Either he had a guilty conscience or someone else had all ready been at him. Straightening back up she smiled again.

"Like I said I don't want to be involved with toying with someone like yourself."Â?

What had happened with him and the voice mail person? It was an interesting question and one Val doubted she'd ever get an answer too. She sure as hell wasn't going to ask him directly and the accountant didn't seem like the sort to take many people into his confidence.

Addison relaxed and nodded once, accepting the short explination. It was a generalized statement and not a "don't let that Nic guy diddle you because you belong to someone else." That was a little more reassuring.



'Toying..' Interesting way of putting it. Was that what Nic had been doing...toying? The thought made him a little angrier about the encounter, but Nic had come across as someone who'd not be like that. And to top it off, he'd looked genuinely startled when he'd met Ellis. No, he hadn't been toying with him on purpose.

"Good to hear. My boss can be less than...kind in her actions at times." Ok, so he didn't know that first hand, but he'd heard some stories...whispered or spoken in the Domicile. That Ellis was not one to cross.

"That is what I've heard myself, but I'm not about to judge until I've met her myself."Â?

Not, no judging until she'd met her; it was a good rule of thumb for just about anyone and especially with someone who was in charge.

Given the way this conversation was going Valentine got the feeling that Addison was fairly new to the whole situation. That had to be nerve racking for anyone, a bit of culture shock and all that. Not too keen on playing guessing games she decided it wouldn't be too offensive to ask.

"It sounds like you're new to the game."Â?

Addison made a sound of confirmation and started to reach for his cell phone then stopped and hit a key on his powerbook to bring it back from its idle state. He really needed to get a better screen saver than the one from Dubine. It was functional though.



"Yes...does it show that much?" He had hoped that learning a bit more would have helped, but he still felt so much like the newb he was. After all he'd only been bitten once...wait, twice...but that last one was still questionable.

“A bit, not straight off the bat but there are some clues.”

It was the polite way to say the more you talk the more it shows.

“Of course everyone has to start somewhere don’t they?”

She cast a discreet glance at her watch. It was earlier (or later depending on how you looked at it) than she thought, and there was still dinner to find and Addison, however appealing, was off the menu. Still she had a few more minutes and didn’t need to hurry yet.

“Do I get to ask how new or is that prying?”

Sabine walked into the coffee shop in a rather bad mood. It had been one of those days. Her mother's old partner had turned her business in to city ordinance. Some minor water violation that would need to be fixed. The bastard probably did the damage himself before he left, but she still had to fix it. The entire day was spent chasing down repairmen and closing down The Haunted while the renovations were going on. This of course meant she had time to work on her next album. This in turn meant more arguments with the record label.

Sabine looked down at the portfolio case in her hand with distaste. This was her second solo album so they now expected her to find some kind of recognizable signature or logo. Hello, have they seen my hair?!. She bowed her head a bit, hiding further under the black fedora with a red satin ribbon that she had tilted low on her head to shadow her face. The creep behind the counter was looking at her funny.

She quickly took her mocha and fled the counter. A quick look around told her that the gamers were out in force. There was table a bit further a way. The couple nearby seemed pretty intent on whatever it was they were discussing. Perfect, they wont notice me then. Sabine set her drink and the portfolio down on the table. Before sitting down herself, she removed her black blazer to reveal a T-shirt that read "Bite Me" in glittering red letters. Once seated, the fedora was also removed and set aside. She could hide in the shadows and keep her head down. Settled, she took a sip of the mocha letting the warmth and sweetness ease some of her tension. Back to work. Pulling the portfolio to her, Sabine began to flip through the book looking at the different logos that were being offered. It wasn't long before she was utterly disgusted. She spoke as much to herself as to anyone nearby.

"Why don't they just put little pink hearts around it and call me Brittany"