InsaneJournal

Who: Ozma and Xanatos
What: First meetings
When: Backdated to shortly after he arrived in OC
Where: Lux
Rating/Warnings: Mediumish at most
Status: Complete when posted



Xanatos didn’t often go to bars, especially not on his own, but with Owen gone, Xanatos had to admit that he was a little bored. Besides, if his goal was to learn all the secrets the Orange County had to offer, getting out and talking to the locals was probably the best way to start.

Besides, he’d heard rumours that this particular bar had been owned by Lucifer. Whether or not that was truly the case, or if it was just a rumour perpetrated by a man who’d taken the name as a joke was difficult to say. And what better way to see if the devil himself was in California than by coming straight to the source?

He ordered a drink, and made his way to the second floor where he could lean over the railing up there and observe all the people below.

***

Ozma had been serious in her offer to help Yondu out with running Lux for as long as he wanted, behind the scenes as far as the employees were concerned. He was the boss. She was just one of the pretty faces that Lucifer had contracted with to advertise the place and help draw in business. Not that the club actually needed any help with drawing in business - a fact that Ozma was very aware of as she made her way through the first floor, stopping to flirt and talk now and then with some of the regulars she knew. And some very attractive newcomers that she didn’t. The point of coming here was to have fun after all. And she knew all the secret spots for getting to know someone better before deciding whether or not she wanted to go home with them.

She made her way up the stairs to the second floor, grabbing a drink on the way to sip at while she relaxed and took a small break. Or maybe not she thought to herself as she made her way over to a new face at the railing. He wasn’t bad looking, well dressed and apparently enjoyed observing what was going on around him. Pointed to being smart. Or at least not a complete idiot. Either way was a point in his favor if he could hold a conversation. “Mind some company?”

***

Xanatos gave the woman who approached him an appraising look, and, apparently approving, he took a sip of his drink. “I only mind if it’s bad,” he said. “I trust that yours won’t be, however. David Xanatos,” he said, offering a hand.

***

Ozma was used to people looking her over that way, side effect of her first career path, but she had never minded it. She even dressed to encourage it a lot of the time. People were going to look so why not give them something to look at? She gave him a flirtatious smile as she reached out to shake his hand. “Ozma. And I’ll try my hardest not to disappoint.”

***

“A pleasure,” Xanatos said, bringing her knuckles up to his lips. “So, what brings a girl like you to a place like this? That is how that line is supposed to go, isn’t it?”

***

Ozma couldn’t help but appreciate that little bit of flattery as she joined him at the railing. “Where else am I supposed to meet attractive charming men?” She asked him.

***

“I hope that’s not your only reason for being here?” Xanatos asked, taking a sip of his drink. Though, he supposed, that was probably most people’s reasons for coming to a bar like this.

***

Ozma shook her head. “Just an added bonus. The owner and I are helping each other out while learning the ropes of running a business. I had a contract with the previous owner to help with publicity and we got to know each other pretty well so I thought I’d stick around when he had to leave the area. The new owner and I are working pretty well together. Besides - who wouldn’t want to get paid to hang out at a club and talk to people?”

***

“One of the perks of the job, I’m sure. Hopefully you don’t have to pay for your drinks while you do it,” Xanatos said, looking pleased. He had come here looking for the owner of the place, after all, so it seemed a stroke of fate that he had nearly immediately met someone who knew him. “The owner, that’s Lucifer, isn’t it?”

***

“Lucifer was the owner. Before business called him away and he transferred it over to Yondu who had been his security person.” Ozma said, watching his face in an attempt to gauge his response.

***

Xanatos’ lips tightened, curling into a slight frown at the news. That was unfortunate. He would have to find out who had given him out-of-date information and have a long talk with them once he had a moment. He couldn’t say that he would fire them, but he wasn’t going to rule out the information either. The look passed in just a moment though, as Xanatos schooled his features back into something friendlier.

“That must’ve been quite the change. It’s good of you to help your friend. I imagine going from security personnel to owner must have been quite the shock.”

***
“You’d have to talk to Yondu about how much of a shock it was for him.” Ozma said, face neutral despite the brief reaction he’d given to her earlier statement. It wasn’t good to admit to seeing something someone with as much power and pull as Xanatos had that they didn’t want you to see. Definitely not the first time you met them. Besides she was technically ‘at work’ right now. Promoting the club even though she was using what classified as a break for her. You were never really on break with her job. “I can admit that it was a surprise Lucifer leaving the way he did but things happen that can’t always be predicted.”

***

Xanatos laughed. “No, life is anything but predictable,” Xanatos said. “You just have to learn how to roll with the punches.” If Xanatos was good at anything, it was learning how to adjust his expectations. “I won’t ask what happened with Lucifer.” If he was what Xanatos had been told, Xanatos’ people would find him again.

***

Ozma allowed a brief smile to touch her face as she sipped at her drink, gaze falling onto the crowd below them. “I’d be the wrong person to ask anyway. My interactions with him were almost entirely professional. Work and pleasure only mix well under very specific circumstances after all.”

***

“I try to avoid it as much as possible,” Xanatos agreed. “Though, with how much time I spend running my business, it leads very little time for pleasure. Hence…” he lifted his drink as if to demonstrate why he was there. “So, Ozma, are you here tonight for business or for pleasure?”

***

“Pleasure now. My business hours are very strict when it comes to here.” Ozma joked, her evenings here were definitely both business and pleasure for her.

***

“They would have to be,” Xanatos said. “Otherwise, I imagine that it would be difficult to separate work from pleasure, working in a place like this. I’m lucky, in that it’s much easier to not bring my work home with me, so to speak,” he said, his lips curling as he took another sip of his drink.

***

Ozma gave him a flirtatious smile over the top of her drink before taking a sip. “What’s that saying? It’s not really work when you enjoy it? So what is it you do?”

***

“I don’t suppose you’ve heard of Xanatos Enterprises?” Xanatos asked. He often thought of the company as nearly a household name at this point, though he was often surprised by the amount of people who hadn’t heard of him or his company before, and so he made a point to not assume that people had heard of either him or his company.

***

“I have actually. I’ve never gotten to work with them personally since the majority of my business has been in modeling before moving to California but I’ve heard of them. Especially their tech division. It’s apparently one of the best in the world.” If not the actual best depending on who you asked but that was a thought she’d keep to herself for the time being at least.

***

Xanatos’ smile took on a satisfied quality; it sure was good to hear people praising your company when they didn’t know it was yours. “There’s no ‘apparently’ about it,” Xanatos chuckled. “But I’m glad to hear you say it. It’s mine.”

***

Ozma raised one brow halfway at his correction. “I can only go by what I’ve heard from others. I hate to admit that I’m one of those people that doesn’t upgrade their devices as often as I probably should.” She told him, turning to lean her side against the railing as they talked. “So what is the owner of the company doing here tonight? Just checking out the local nightlife? Now that I’ve had to give you such sad news about the previous owner.”

***

“Even a CEO needs to get out and have fun sometimes,” Xanatos answered. His ‘fun’ usually had an ulterior motive, as it had tonight, but learning that his information had been out of date had quickly put an end to that. Now, ulterior motives were done with, and he supposed it was time to let his hair down - so to speak. He wasn’t about to remove his long brown hair from the ponytail that normally held it.

“Besides, I thought it might be a good way to meet some locals. I just moved here myself, and I’m still feeling a bit like a fish out of water.”

***

“I have a little bit of a problem believing that you ever feel like a fish out of water Mr. Xanatos.” Ozma said, unable to keep all of the teasing and flirting out of her voice. “Lux will definitely give you an opportunity to meet people. Lucifer had the place built with lots of nooks for private conversations when you wanted to get to know someone better. Another good club is Purgatory. The owners worked very hard to build up their empire.” She didn’t see why she couldn’t talk up her friends club.

***

“You got me there,” Xanatos said. If he ever did feel like a fish out of water, it was unlikely he’d ever be willing to admit it either. Pretending to be a fish out of water, on the other had, could have all sorts of unseen advantages.

“You know, you really shouldn’t talk up the competition,” Xanatos said, amused. “It’s not good business. Do you think that we should make use of one of those private nooks?”

***

“If you’d like. I happen to know where one is not that far from where we are.” Ozma said with a small smile. “Oh Lucifer and Damon had a friendly competition. They visited each other’s places so I don’t think he’d be that mad about me suggesting you visit there too. As long as you keep coming here some nights.”

***

“Ah, but it’s not Lucifer’s bar anymore, is it?” Xanatos asked, quirkling an eyebrow, more teasing than critical, as he followed Ozma toward the conversation nook. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t come here again though, especially not with the company.”

***

Ozma laughed at his teasing comment, shaking her head. “True but...I think he and Yondu have the same understanding. And Damon’s boyfriend is here pretty regularly to hang out.” She said with a gentle shrug as she closed the curtain behind them before sitting down, legs tucked under her gracefully.

“And even if Damon and Yondu don’t why can’t I talk up both of my friends businesses?”

***


“No one’s saying you can’t,” Xanatos said, waving a hand airily. “I’m just saying that it’s bad business to drive your customers into the arms of a competitor.” He smiled then, as if to show that he wasn’t entirely serious. “What if I decide I like them more?” he asked.

***

Ozma gave him a flirtatious smile. “Then I’ll just have to warn you to be careful around Thomas over there.”

***

“I’ll just have to keep that in mind then,” Xanatos said with a wink.