Tweak

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Tweak says, "Big O! Showtime!"

Andras, Marquis of Hell (arbitratus) wrote in nevermore_logs,
@ 2012-11-30 10:44:00

Entry tags:

agrat bat mahlat, andras

WHO: Agarat & Andras
WHEN: Friday
WHERE: Andras' apartment
WHAT: Gift exchange
WARNING: Hell people so ya know

Andras lived in a nice apartment building, there were two other apartments on his floor but they were abandoned now and getting closer to his door it was easy to see why. His door was slightly open, he never bothered with locks. He didn't need to. A large hell hound, naked to the mortal eye unless you were it's target was sprawled out just inside the door. He yawned, showing glistening white teeth that had stains of red on them. The wolf was as large as a bear in his full and natural form but for convenience was only the size of a normal wolf so he could fit into the apartment easily. The wolf's name, Donatien, gave away a great deal about Andras' past if someone knew their history really well but luckily not many did.

Andras himself was in the shower, only proper to wash up before meeting someone new. One downside about being a demon was the faint smell of sulfur tended to cling to you. It was the equivalent of having an excessive sweating problem that required showers more than once a day.

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flameo
2012-12-01 05:47 am UTC (link)

Agrats' inability to distract him with her physicality might've bothered her if he hadn't proven himself interesting, but the conversation had piqued her curiosity. "Is that so? And how, exactly would you kill me?" she asked, injecting just enough humour into her voice to make it seem like a far more simple question than she meant it to be. "Would you take your time, keeping me alive but torturing me until I begged you to end it? Or would you disembowel me, spreading my viscera all over so that when they came to bag my corpse they'd have to search for all my organs?" As she spoke, Agrat closed her eyes, her voice taking on a more wistful tone as she reminisced about each of her deaths at Jack's hands. Much as she was loathe to admit it, the man had a way with his hands.

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arbitratus
2012-12-01 06:05 am UTC (link)

Andras smirked a little as it seemed she was getting turned on talking about her own death. Whoever her playmate was was really a lucky man indeed. "I would only torture you as foreplay.. and when you begged, I wouldn't stop." something in him stirred, wanting to know how much she could take before she broke..

Since her eyes closed, she'd feel his hands brush along her shoulders, his fingers dipping into her hair as he moved them up the sides of her neck lightly, "A thing of beauty," he spoke softly as his thumbs pressed against the base of her throat, settling over the bone under the skin, gliding them up, as if counting each bump, "Deserves a fitting death." his thumbs still caressed but started to press into that soft spot where the underside of her jaw and neck met, making the pressure build in her throat that would make breathing more on the painful side.

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flameo
2012-12-01 06:59 am UTC (link)

Agrat gasped when he touched her, though her eyes didn't open. Instead, an almost reverential smile ghosted across her lips as she leaned back against him, humming happily at his response. "If I begged, I can only remember two times that I ever got to that point," she whispered, biting her lower lips to stifle a happy sigh.

A shiver raced up her spine at his words, her chin tilting up to give him better access to her throat. If he expected her to be afraid he had another thing coming. "Are you always so complimentary before you kill?" she had to ask, sensing that he'd had experience with this sort of thing. It wouldn't be surprising, she knew most former Hell denizens had their own less than prurient interests so it wouldn't be shocking if he killed before. She sucked in a quick breath of air, finally opening her eyes as she attempted to glance back at him. Speaking carefully, she managed to get out, "Now now, no murder on the first date, that's at least a third date activity."

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arbitratus
2012-12-01 07:12 am UTC (link)

Andras said quietly, "If you'd been with me that number would be significantly higher.." they all begged at some point because he never stopped till they did. Well, he never stopped after that either. He was a scientist and an artist, his thirst for passion and knowledge created something in him that was so much bigger than what the other person wanted. To become a footnote in his records was an honor that people literally died for.

He didn't know what to expect from her. She seemed to like torture and murder more than the average girl, even for a succubi she had a bit of masochistic tendencies which intrigued him. He liked people that could appreciate his hobby. He smiled, "I only kill things I can't get enough of." it was an effective way to stop wanting them he found. He was a demon, all things from hell were programmed to destroy, he just did his with more finesse. And he never killed unless it served a purpose. His thumbs dug in a little more but then the pressure dropped. He inhaled the smell of her hair, scent was something he enjoyed since he was surrounded by putrid sulfur most of the time. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered, "I wouldn't kill you... you'd enjoy it too much." he took his hands off her and stepped back.

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flameo
2012-12-01 06:16 pm UTC (link)

Agrat would have laughed if not for the pressure on her throat. She'd yet to meet anyone who made her feel like Jack did, not that anyone else needed to know that. "Is the begging what gets you off?" she forced out, drawing in another breath. "Or the actual killing?" It had to be one or the other, there was also some deeper reason why they killed. She knew that from experience. She also knew that if she somehow allowed someone else to kill her Jack probably wouldn't be happy.

Not that she truly cared if Jack was happy or not, but it seemed potentially ruinous to the game they'd taken such care to create. That wasn't going to stop her from enjoying herself now, with Andras. "Isn't... that.. always the way?" Her words were coming out closer to a wheeze now, but fear still hadn't set in. There was nothing about this man that threw off the same killing intent she'd come to find so comforting and familiar with Jack, and that was leading her to believe that she'd be walking out of here in one piece. Pity, that. The combination of the increased tightness from his grip and the seemingly random smelling of her hair coaxed another smirk to her lips. She always made sure she smelled of the subtle combination of sand, suntan lotion, and cocoa butter -- scents she enjoyed because they reminded her of being alive -- and nearly asked if he liked that mixture as well. Then he let her go, and the disappointment that flowed through her was practically palpable. "You're right, I probably would." she tossed off with an elegant one-shouldered shrug. "Besides, it's not your place to kill me, only his."

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arbitratus
2012-12-01 06:37 pm UTC (link)

Andras shook his head, this girl.. with her simple ways. "Begging makes no difference. It's the.. process. Killing is pointless, it just ends things." So sad that she had such potential but it had been wasted on this other man who clearly didn't know how to use her properly.

He did enjoy her scent, it was nauseatingly nice. He smiled, amused at how disappointed she was. He kept his distance now, hands to himself, "For a creature like you, death would be so.." he paused as if to think of the word and then looked at her, "..mundane." probably why she was getting tired of her game with her gent. He wasn't surprised, they seemed to be lacking in the creativity department if murder was always the end game. "But please, you were telling me about your woes with your gentleman. I would love to hear the story from the beginning if you're willing to tell it?"

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flameo
2012-12-01 08:14 pm UTC (link)

Agrat watched him, wishing she could peek inside his head to see how much of what she was doing or saying he was taking at face value. "I see... so you prefer to prolong things? Play with your victims a little before you give them that release?" He had more in common with Jack that she realized, and it was giving her some insight she so desperately needed.

She turned away from him, fingers running through her hair to restore some semblance of order to it. This had potential, but she was still unsure. It almost felt like she was cheating on Jack, but it wasn't like they were exclusive, was it? "You'd be surprised, I've died before in some not-so-mundane fashions," she murmured. Facing him once more, hand lightly resting on her cleavage just above the scar she used her powers of illusion to conceal, she appeared pensive. "Honestly, I'd rather not, though I must admit you've already helped me more than you know." Oh yes, she had plans for Jack now, she only had to learn how to improve her hunting skills so she could get to his level. Walking over to her bag, she pulled out the kit. "I believe this is yours, and that I should be going. I have things I need to look into." Like finding someone to teach her how to track like a pro.

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arbitratus
2012-12-01 08:26 pm UTC (link)

It was the first time and one of the few that Andras' tone became sharp, "They are not victims." he was insulted by the word, what he did was such a beautiful and technical thing and she reduced it to something so tawdry. "They all have a choice. Each step of the way they have a choice. The choices they make leads them to their ultimate situation. I don't play. I don't have victims. I simply dole out the consequences of chosen actions."

"Death itself is mundane, there are much more interesting things to do to a person. Blood, knives, guns, poison, suffocation, what difference does it make, the end becomes the same. Boring." he held his hands up open palmed as if he had no qualms about her leaving. "As you wish." he'd take the kit only because she had said he helped her. And he never did anything for free. Everything was in trade. And this was even in his eyes. "A pity about your game.." his voice trailed off as he turned his back on her to open the fridge, it was as if she wasn't there any more. Which was just how things worked in Andras' world, business was done, she was now useless.

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flameo
2012-12-01 08:49 pm UTC (link)

It most likely wouldn't be the last time Agrats' words brought out that reaction, she had a knack for that of late. "Maybe they aren't victims to you, or even to anyone else who understands what you're doing, but to the police and the media there's no other word for them. Believe me, I know. I've been that person. Tell me this, though, did you explain to them exactly what they'd done to get themselves snared in your trap?" Because he hadn't, and it haunted Agrat more than she liked.

"You're right, there are far more interesting things. Death is only what happens when you finally release them, or they you. There's always something more to it, some undercurrent of emotion that they may not understand until after, possibly when it's too late." He had touched upon the one aspect of the game that caused a more emotional reaction in her, and she was a little ashamed to recognize that he might've baited her on purpose. "And yes, it is a pity, but all games must come to an end when there's nothing more to gain from it. It's just sad to let something like that go..." Which just about summed up her feelings on all of it. She still hadn't gathered up her things, indecisive about her next step. "You'd probably like him, now that I think about it. I could arrange a meeting for the two of you, if you wanted."

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arbitratus
2012-12-01 09:13 pm UTC (link)

Honestly, Andras never gave a second thought to the police or the media. Humans, if they weren't in business with him, were no more than flies buzzing in his ear. He'd mistaken her for someone who might understand, she clearly didn't. His voice was calm but sounded like a razor, "I don't find people, they find me. They want something. I provide it. For a fee. So it's not a trap, everything they do they walk into with eyes wide open. It's the beauty of it."

He grinned as he listened to her, he could hear it in her voice.. sentiment. He liked sentiment, it made people always make such poor choices. He had no intention of responding to anything she was trying to get him to react to, just let her talk, let her reveal more than she intended while he kept silent. He turned to look at her, finally saying, "You're choosing to let it go." he called bullshit on her woe is me-ness about her game. Games ended only when you won or you stopped playing. It was a choice. He had no sympathy for someone that chose to do something and then felt sad about it. She didn't have to end her game. She was choosing to.

He watched her face, staying where he was. "I have no interest in him. However if he wishes to win this game before you end it, please do let him know my services are available. I'd be happy to make a deal." and he flashed that charming smile. He didn't care which side he was on, business was business. She could take his help or her gent could, it amounted to the same in his eyes.

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flameo
2012-12-01 09:28 pm UTC (link)

Somehow, Agrat had ended up having this turned around on her, and she didn't think she liked that. It'd been her mistake, she supposed, and would know better what to avoid next time. Empathy was to blame. She did understand, not his point of view but that of those who came to him for some quick fix. "I'm sure you do provide it for them, and they have no idea the true cost they'll pay. Sounds like a lovely arrangement for you."

She remembered a time when she'd done similar, helping those she considered 'her' people, and how she ended up getting killed after Jack had developed a fascination she couldn't understand with her. Speaking with Andras was making her think she'd become just a little too comfortable with her masquerading a human, to the point where she was taking things too personally. That needed to be curbed. "There'll never be a winner, so why continue? It always ends when one of us gets bored and kills the other. Maybe I'm sick of being the hunted, and I fail at being the hunter, so I need to find a game that doesn't take so much out of me." Which was just as good a reason as any. "Or I need to level the playing field, which can only be done with assistance."

Was she willing to bargain for that type of edge, knowing what it could cost her? "He doesn't need your help, and even if I do I doubt it would work out in my favor." The playing field had shifted, just not in a way Agrat liked. "Though... I'd be willing to hear you out."

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arbitratus
2012-12-01 09:48 pm UTC (link)

If her words annoyed him or affected him he didn't let on. He was saying less and less for a very specific reason. He hated that he'd already dropped his charm and let his true beast of a nature shine through for a moment. That steely edge that he normally kept carefully hidden under the surface, wearing his ease like a fine tailored suit. He needed quiet to let it slide back over him. Not that she was offering silence but he needed it in his head and his mind calmed slowly.

The wheels were turning, he could always spot a mark like a good con man and she seemed to be going from running away from him to running toward him. He just listened until finally he shut the fridge and turned to look at her fully. "How this works is you tell me exactly what you want. No 'maybe', no 'or'. I can't help if I don't know exactly what it is you're after." his tone was more gentle now, like a teacher patiently re-explaining a math problem to a child who just didn't get it. He added, "And please, don't lie. It won't help either of us." he never understood why people did that. Someone had once suggested it was to try to make themselves look good but they were making a deal with a demon, did they really think he thought that highly of them to begin with? So many wonderfully bad deals were made that way. In a way he almost pitied them and wanted to help them out, but it wasn't in his job description.

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flameo
2012-12-02 03:31 am UTC (link)

The overly patient teacher tone wasn't doing much to help quiet the storm of emotions that were currently going through Agrat's head, and the forming headache probably wasn't going to get better anytime soon. The more she thought over his request to tell him exactly what she wanted, the more it occurred to her that she wouldn't be comfortable telling anyone the one thing she truly wanted. This put her in a bit of a situation, and not a good one.

"I want a way for the game to be like it once was, where it was interesting for both of us and not just him, but I think being away from home and having to adapt to the changing world has affected me far too much. He's affected me as well," and she didn't want to elaborate on how. Taking a seat on his couch, she looked visibly deflated as she dragged a hand through her hair and continued speaking. "It's lost its' fun for me. It started so simple -- he killed me for reasons I'm not entirely sure about, so I killed him -- and now it's just devolved into a classic game of predator versus prey. I'm sick of being the prey. If I'm going to continue to let him hunt me there needs to be something more in it. I want the spark he and I used to have." 'I want the thrill of the past back.' It was... oddly relieving to get that off her chest. "So, tell me how you can help, if you think you can." And while he was doing that, she'd actually pay attention.

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IJ ate my actual response so if this one sucks I'm sorry -_-

arbitratus
2012-12-02 04:06 am UTC (link)

Andras listened, his mind processing everything she was saying, he watched her every movement as she spoke, every little detail was being absorbed by him. And there was something off. He moved to the couch but sat on the coffee table so he could be facing her. He took both her hands in his, it looked like a kind gesture but it wasn't. It was a representation of what she was about to do.. she was going to be trapped. But it was her choice.

"I can help.." he searched her eyes as he spoke, "But there's something you're not telling me. And I don't know if you're hiding it from me or yourself.. but it'd do you well to tell me what you absolutely desire because my deals are unbreakable. And if you hide what you truly wish for you'll have to settle because I only deliver what is asked for." it was a warning, one that no one ever heeded but his job was to tell them. He liked watching their fall into the abyss with their eyes absolutely open, knowing they were there because they could blame no one but themselves. This was her last chance to turn back because he wasn't going to let her escape if she took one more step into this.

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flameo
2012-12-02 05:37 am UTC (link)

Agrat kept thinking this was a bad idea, possibly one of the worst ones she'd ever had, and yet the sheer weight that had left her at admitting the truth about how... unenthusiastic she felt about continuing things with Jack had felt good. So good, that even when he took her hands to hammer home the point that she was allowing herself to get into a situation that could only end badly.

Glancing down at their hands, and then back up at him, she smiled ruefully. "I'm guessing if I tell you what it is, no matter how silly it might be, there's no going back. It'll be like putting my signature on a verbal contract that I'm not completely sure I want to enter into just yet." The warning had been received and was being considered, since despite her misgivings over the situation with Jack she didn't want to somehow ruin what they had. It had gotten to the point where she couldn't imagine her life without his presence, and that was both scary and upsetting.

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arbitratus
2012-12-02 06:06 am UTC (link)

Andras smiled comfortingly, "Why don't you take some time. You have two days to decide. Within that time, you tell me exactly what it is you want. And what you're not willing to pay for it. You don't ask the price, just set the terms for what's off limits." his hands rubbed hers warmly, for a demon his touch felt almost compassionate. He was guiding her and all the exits were clearly marked. But that was where Andras loved it, it was where he excelled at this.. they never took the out.

His hands continued to be soothing while holding hers, "If the time lapses and I don't hear from you with those two things.. then I'll assume you don't want to go through with the deal." his hands were about to let go when he paused, frowning a little,"Oh.. and it expires at the end of two days. You can't make the deal again at a later time." he found that when you dangled and yanked it put more pressure on the person, plus he noticed giving people a week or three days was too long, they normally talked to other people and found a better way of handling the situation. When it was two days, they didn't have enough time to reach out for help, it was a crap amount of time. It was more than they needed to make a rash decision, less than they needed to make a sane one. It played with their nerves, it prevented them from being logical, rational.. it brought them back to his door. Which is how he wanted it. He wanted to let them go and welcome them back, every step of the way was their choice. He always gave them the choice. And was fascinated by how people always made the wrong one.

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flameo
2012-12-02 07:11 am UTC (link)

Agrat believed the comfort behind his words and that smile about as much as she believed that chocolate wasn't fattening. He apparently knew all the right things to say to make people believe that he genuinely gave half a fuck about what turmoil might be going through their heads, and for that she really did want to give him a standing ovation. Seriously, he could give Broadway actors a run for their money.

She wrinkled her nose as she listened, giving off the appearance that she might possibly be waffling. In actuality, there wasn't much of a decision to be made here -- if she was going to sell what little of a soul that she had to anyone it would most likely be Lucifer, as he had already offered to help her with her Jack issue -- though she liked being in Andras' company and as such didn't want to leave just yet. Much like with her date with Lucifer, there was something about being in the company of her fellow hellions that was soothing. "So, two days from today... would that be Sunday? Or are you observant and don't do deals on that day? Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, if I don't respond in two days does that exclude me from making any future non-this-situation related deals with you if the urge or need strikes?"

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arbitratus
2012-12-02 07:38 am UTC (link)

Andras grinned, "I do some of my best work on Sundays." business first was something he lived by. Pantheons and traditions were things he could turn a blind eye to when he chose. He brought their still tangled hands up so he could place a kiss on her fingers as he looked at her, "Depends on what you have in mind. But... I have a feeling that any urges or needs you may have in the future you can easily find someone else to take care of them. And this.. well, every situation is different. If it doesn't capture my interest, I don't bother with it."

His eyes settled on hers again, they were crystal blue, not quite natural, not quite supernatural, "From now till Sunday I'm yours. But if in two days time you decide not to do the deal, you won't exist to me anymore." Once his interest was lost, he never wasted time trying to reignite it. And as much as he wanted to explore her shallow depths, he never got involved with taken people. It made things messy. And there was nothing in it for him. No big prize. He wouldn't pursue her. "If you decide to take the deal.." he pressed their joined hands to his cheek so she could feel his warmth, "You'll be all that exists to me." he was dedicated to his clients and potential clients. From now till Sunday, Agrat had him, beyond that was her call but he wouldn't be hunting her down like her gentleman caller.

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flameo
2012-12-02 07:52 am UTC (link)

Agrat grinned as well, unable to fault his logic. "Fair enough, I do some of my best work then as well." Of course, the work she did hardly took any effort from her lately, but that was part of the reason she was dealing with this bout of ennui. The kiss to the hand again reminded her of Jack, making her wonder what kind of sparks might fly if the two ever met. She had a feeling it could be messy in the best possible way.

She met his eyes with her own deep brown ones, dark enough that her pupil was practically indistinguishable from the darkness of her iris, holding that contact as she started speaking again. "If I take the deal, I would rather it not end in death. Not for me, and not for him. At least, not by you. If he's to die again, I'd prefer it be by my hand to even the score, and frankly I'd like to enjoy this life for a little longer. Otherwise, as far as payment goes, I'm open to any terms not involving death, dismemberment, or disfiguring. I've got enough scars already." She didn't think that was too much to ask. "And obviously, you would get the whole story, since you seem genuinely interested."

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arbitratus
2012-12-02 08:13 am UTC (link)

Andras nodded, his own gaze steady on hers, "If you take the deal, you have my word. No death for you or him by my hand. And when I collect, I will not kill, dismember, or disfigure you." he smiled, "I'm afraid I'll need much more than just the whole story." he loosened his hands around hers, giving her the option to remove them if she wanted, "But you still haven't told me what exactly it is you want."

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flameo
2012-12-02 08:23 am UTC (link)

Agrat pursed her lips, biting on her inner cheeks as she slid her hands out from between his and folded them in her lap. "Those are acceptable terms, and once I tell you what it is I want I'm assuming we'll work out what you're expecting by way of payment?" It would either be then, or at some point in the future, but regardless Agrat was willing to pay. "I want to know why he killed me in the first place."

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arbitratus
2012-12-02 08:28 am UTC (link)

Andras raised his brows. Now he was really intrigued. That was all she wanted? An answer? She could ask for anything but.. well, it was refreshing. Ridiculous. But refreshing. "Payment is dealt at my discretion and nothing you need to worry about at the moment, but it will adhere to your ground rules." he smiled a little, unable to help it, "But that's all you want? An answer to that question." just so they were clear.

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flameo
2012-12-02 08:33 am UTC (link)

Agrat narrowed her eyes at his raised eyebrows, aware that he probably thought she was being stupid. Had he known how long she'd been attempting to finagle that answer from the man himself, he might not find it so amusing. The only reason why she was asking him was because she thought he might have a better chance of finding out than she did. "You say that like you think getting that answer would be easy, but I assure you he treats it like a closely guarded secret. I don't want the vague bullshit he's been feeding to me for over a century, I want the truth."

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	arbitratus 2012-12-02 08:44 am UTC (link)
	Andras shrugged, "It's never easy, but that's half the fun." he gave a nod, "An honest answer." they had the rules of payment and what she wanted, "I'll need to know everything of course, his bullshit and your theories and the charming story of how you lovebirds met. But does this mean we have a deal..?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

flameo
2012-12-02 08:49 am UTC (link)

Agrat shrugged as well. "Just making sure you didn't have an unrealistic expectation," she clarified. "And yes, an honest answer to the question of why he killed me." Once she knew that, everything else would be easy enough to fill in herself. "Understandable, and we're not lovebirds. If anything we love to loathe each other." For the most part. "I'll let you know Sunday."

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arbitratus
2012-12-02 09:03 am UTC (link)

Andras smiled again, he had to admit he was curious himself now. Damn him for being an honest demon, he could have had real fun with this. Part of him really wanted her to refuse the deal because if she did it meant the gloves came off and he wasn't going to be bound by any rules. He could see if he could get the answer out of her gent using.. other means.

His smile turned amused when she said they weren't lovebirds. She must have missed the memo. He gave her a courteous nod, "Sunday." he stood up and moved away from the table, "If the answer's no then don't bother saying anything, save us both some time." he was sure she knew the way out.. he had some research to do.

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