Risky Business

[Phoenix]

Somewhere off in the distant, dark recesses of the Citadel, water dripped off one of the imposing stalactites. The recent heavy rainfall had somehow infiltrated the mountain in which the Citadel was constructed - unsurprising, given the walls were natural cavern formations, but irritating all the same. At least none of the furnishings were damaged, small comfort that it was. The slow, steady drip, drip, drip... echoing off the walls made it impossible to identify the source of the leak, and nature's incessant metronome only served to worry at Phoenix's already frayed nerves.

Phoenix had been pointedly avoiding looking at the clock; watching the seconds tick by was excruciating. Even though it'd taken her an hour to decide on the perfect outfit, she'd still been ready in plenty of time. And this wasn't something she wanted to rush... not at all. The Shadow had settled on a simple black blazer over a white blouse and matching black pencil skirt. All that red hair was piled on top of her head and twisted up in a no nonsense bun. It was staple business attire and style, but with a twist: instead of the standard accessories, Phoenix was adorned with every relic she'd managed to artistically fit on her person. An Ancient's pendant adorned her neck, rings of necrocognition, danger intuition and technomancy glittered on her fingers, and a triplet of bracelets hid on her wrists beneath the blazer. What couldn't be worn was stuffed into the hidden pockets of her outfit until the woman seemed to emanate a sense of dark power.

And yet with all that power at her disposal, it was the drip, drip, drip of the earth's timepiece that had Nix nearly crawling out of her skin in anticipation. The plan was solid, they were prepared, and yet still her fingers were drumming nervously on the arms of her leather chair. Phoenix excelled in many areas and never shirked a challenge, but this seemed different; dangerous, even. Corporate espionage and sabotage had never made the To Do list until now, but at least she wouldn't be going at it alone. She trusted her partner in crime beyond all doubt, and that was vital to the plan, especially if things went sour.

Finally, her phone rang, snapping her out of her daze.

"Phoenix speaking," she chirped into the mouthpiece, a bit too chipper to not sound false.

"Ms. Altaire? My name is Cameron. Your car is waiting at the designated pickup point." Polite and to the point; she loved this company.

"Thank you, I'll be there in a moment." Click.

Briefcase in hand, Phoenix swallowed her nerves and took what might be her last look around the Citadel for a while, and then turned her back on the plush interior. The fadeportal brought her behind Cherrydale's transit station, and it didn't take her long to spot the car: a sleek, black limousine with this Cameron waiting by the back door. Without a word, he opened it to admit her inside the spacious interior before taking his position behind the wheel.

"We are headed to Veil Tower first, ma'am?"

"Yes," she confirmed curtly, the only outward sign of her nervousness. "And then Hebigumo."

The engine roared to life and moments later, Cameron set off across the city. The privacy window between client and driver was slid up; talking was the last thing she wanted to do right now. She’d suffer the drive in silence. Once Veil Tower loomed on the skyline, she pulled out her phone and sent a quick text.

"I'm outside Veil." Nix knew Blake wouldn't make her wait.

[Blake]

Everyone claimed that patience was a virtue, this was not true for the owner of The Veil Corporation. Already he had filled his suitcase with a stack of files that had the leather bound case almost bursting. If there was anything to be gained from this little venture then he would make sure that he had every tool and asset at his disposal to obtain that which he had not yet been able to garner on his own. His fingers drummed lightly on the granite top of his desk as he looked out over the city. The twinkling lights of the city danced about as he waited for his phone to chime to let him know that it was indeed time to act. If he had a heart it would have been pounding in his chest as he imagined the task at hand. Corporate espionage and deals of this magnitude could have horrible back lash but, in his mind, the price was well worth the outcome no matter how things went down. Worst case scenario there would be a blood bath. Best case scenario a few simple words would be exchanged and things would be handled easily. The exchanging of a few parcels would occur and everyone would be happy.

As much as he enjoyed exploring the paths that lay before him and his partner in crime this evening it was not meant to last. Much to his relief his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone, the vibrations that accompanied it almost sending the device off the top of the desk before a pale hand reached out and held the device lightly in his hand. He nodded to the words on the screen knowing full well such a motion couldn't and wouldn't be translated and quickly closed out the message. Responding would only cost them more time in the long run and the sooner this was done and over with the sooner they...or rather he, could move on to the next part of his little scheme. The poor little city had no idea just what was hiding in the depths of it's underworld just waiting to crawl free. Between his little 'Fadebeast Accident' and this little operation, well, there were going to be a few more casualties before this particular little war was over.

"Understood. One moment please."

Turning off his phone as soon as he ended the call he could allow for no interruptions tonight regardless of what were to happen. Tonight was the proverbial 'all in'. The night he would do everything he swore never to do and he would do it with someone even more powerful than himself. He was the brains, and she was the lucky rabbits foot and together there wasn't a damn thing Hebigumo could throw at them that they wouldn't be able to handle. His only wish was that he had learned how to speak in to the minds of others that is, if he wasn't also worried that the rumors were untrue about a prototype and that the device they both sought was far more complete than words in back alleys suggested.

It wasn't long before he was making his way down the elevator. The briefcase held in both hands and handcuffed to his own arm. His eyes remained closed as he calmed himself for the task at hand. With a soft ding the elevator doors opened and Blake soon found himself striding out in to the cool night air. He had dressed as sharply as he could for the occasion even if rumors did say that he was quite...casual in his business dealings. Tonight had given him cause to pull out his suit, black on black with a red tie standing as stark contrast. The jacket he wore on the cool brisk night fell to his knees and was buttoned securely in the front. He waited until the limo door was opened and wasted no time in folding himself down in to the vehicle.

"Miss Phoenix, a lovely night is it not? I do hope you aren't getting...cold feet on me."

He sat facing her with the briefcase on his lap and a grin on his face. With someone else around it gave him something different to focus on other than his own nerves.

"Do we have a contingency in case things go...poorly?"

[Phoenix]

While she waited, Nix busied herself popping open and closed the latches on her sturdy leather briefcase. Flick, pop, click, and then a pause, flick, pop, click. Each run through of the motion was accompanied by a scenario playing through her harried mind. How would this play out? Her nervous flicking of the latches subsided when the limo door opened. True to form, Blake wasn't tardy. It had only been a handful of minutes between his reply and the man taking his seat opposite her, but it felt like an eternity to her overactive imagination; she'd had the time to sift through a hundred outcomes: half a dozen were positive, but the others ended with bloodshed... or worse. And she'd imagined so much worse than death.

Her lips pressed together as if to ensure an equal application of maroon lipstick - Sin, they'd called the color when she'd bought it from MAC - but truly, it was nerves. She tried to hide it with a reproachful look at the playful jab, but she was sure Blake could tell what lurked behind her mask of confidence.

"Not cold feet. Just some reasonable, logical concern that we're either going to end up killing a bunch of people, dying, or being capture and poked and prodded at for the next eternity." At least her voice was steady despite her words.

As the car pulled away from Veil, Phoenix shook her head and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It wasn't 'till they turned a corner and a beam of light from the world outside glinted off metal did she notice the manacle linking Blake's wrist to his briefcase. That made her smile; anyone intent on stealing someone's briefcase at this meeting would hardly flinch at the thought of severing his hand from his arm. It was as though the simple act of smiling soothed her nerves enough for her to logically think through the question Blake had posed.

Contingency plan? Phoenix was decked out in relics, she'd made sure to energize her spiritual energy stores before she'd left, and she had enough weapons on her person to make her feel safe, even though most weren't in the most easily accessible places. A handgun strapped to her thigh, an obsidian knife to her wrist, another handgun and a few rounds of ammo tucked inside the briefcase. None of the weapons were her standard - she'd specifically chosen pieces that would evade any metal detection devices at the Hebigumo Foundation's security checkpoints. Hopefully, the detectors would be akin to airport security - the threshold set too low to detect the low level current detectable in a few scattered bullets. The optimal outcome would be to strike an agreement with Hebigumo's CEOs and avoid the necessity for violence altogether. Failing that, they'd have to take the chance measures into their own hands. Finally, she snapped out of her reverie and grinned at Blake.

"Aim for the bushes?" she chuckled, wondering if he'd seen the film. "You know most of them would be more than happy to remove that hand in order to get at the briefcase. If things go bad, we'll improvise. Teleport, tome, celerity, toss you out the window... And if I feel like something's off, I'll mindspeak to you with instructions on how to reply via blinks." Yes... she'd thought this through quite thoroughly. The business aspect was up to Blake, but the logistics and security? Those were all Phoenix.

[Blake]

He looked across the divide at her and simply shook his head. Logical concern? Was there actually a single part of this plan, at the moment, that was logical? Was any of this for the benefit of the city or was it merely for the benefit of the two of them? Stealing the intellectual property of a bunch of fae wasn't exactly something that most rational people discussed so casually and nonchalantly and yet here sat Blake and Phoenix doing that exact thing. He peered out the window of the limo and simply gave a sigh. He had thought of something neither of them had considered during the planning of this little mission of theirs.

"Nix, just on the off chance that this device of theirs is fully functional...and they're scanning us from the moment we walk through the doors. Do you think you could keep yourself focused enough and not let your mind wander to the alternatives? I know that the first thought is going to be to survey the room for hostile intent and escape routes but if they are capable of scanning us then that may pose a very serious problem."

He spoke the words almost dreamily as if he were hoping for that to be said outcome. Looking back at her as straight faced as could be it was evident that Professional Blake had now put his proverbial mask on. There was not a hint of emotion or hint of intent any where in that stone cold visage he now showed to Phoenix. His glance then traveled to his handcuffed briefcase and nodded slowly at her mention that anyone intent on stealing the secrets within would have no problem removing his hand to get at them.

"While I do value my hand I don't think any Fae any of those Encantado bastards are THAT good. I'd let them try if they wished but I can't exactly promise they would enjoy the results of said attempt. Self defense is a very legal and legitimate excuse. If **** goes sour then, well, it's going to be a hell of a big mess for Hebigumo to clean up. They can't go in to hiding as well as we can when their corporation is as big and as public as it has been. You, you just seal the door of your little cave and...well...who is going to come knocking on the doors of a shopping mall asking about corporate sabotage and warfare?"

He pulled a familiar black device from inside of his jacket. and passed it to her with a nod. She knew what it was and what it could do. A simple press of a button and there would be enough time to cause a little chaos and escape, if it managed to prove useful then that was a plus. It was simply another tool in their tool box in case things got messy. He would be as diplomatic as he could be and there would be no limit to the amount of times Blake would make his offer known but if they wanted to deny him then they would and it would be a far messier situation than he bet even Nix could imagine. He watched her though, through the corner of his eye. Something akin to a bird of prey. Would she and could she follow through if the worst case scenario occurred? Would she be able to willingly stand beside him when and if he was forced in to more...aggressive negotiations? They would see. That would be the breaking point in this little scheme of theirs and if it fell apart then they were both going to be screwed. Readjusting as he felt the limo beginning to slow he took a deep and unneeded breath before speaking softly.

"We're here. Game face on."

[Phoenix]

The fluttering of Phoenix's nerves increased at the mention of the technology they were after. The technology not only being real, but also being fully developed and used against them wasn't something she'd considered. Her teeth caught her lower lip, worrying the flesh with little regard for the color she was undoubtedly rubbing off. Perhaps it was hypocritical of her, one with telepathic powers, to be leery of those with the same ability. Except their abilities potentially extended quite a bit father and weren't natural at all - they were technological monstrosities, born of innovation and with the potential for disaster. Those honey brown eyes met Blake's blues for a long, silent moment. Could she keep her focus? Could she keep her focus on the peace

Finally, she released her lip and swallowed visibly, reaching up to wipe away any possible lipstick transfer on her teeth. This was a serious problem and she kicked herself for not considering it. "I can keep my thoughts on the positive outcomes, but if they waver, I don't think they'll think much of it. When the meeting was set up, I was introduced as a procurer of rare and dangerous artifacts. I'll keep my thoughts focused, but they're bound to expect a bit of paranoia."

"One we're up in the meeting room, I'll casually scan the upper floors. If I find it's being used, if I can understand the technology behind it, I might be able to switch it off." She'd recently discovered her abilities to manipulate and control machines from a distance. Hopefully, it would come in handy. "That is if they haven't figured out how to hide it. Anyway, I'll keep my mind blank un

Phoenix paused as the car pulled up to the curb and came to a stop, accepting the device she dubbed the 'iPhone'. If they were scanning her thoughts, she doubted they'd think anything off about her desire for a mobile device. Everyone seemed addicted to their phones lately anyway, so it would be nothing out of the ordinary. Nodding to Blake, she slipped her game face on and blanked her thoughts. The door opened and Cameron waved her towards Hebigumo's elegant doors.

"Cameron, wait across the street. Keep your eye on the door. Turn on the vehicle as soon as you see Mr. Blake or I. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," the driver replied with a tip of his hat.

Mr. Blake - she nearly snorted, but managed to refrain; that was professionalism for you... Once Blake had followed her out, Cameron returned to the drivers' seat to follow the instructions. If they survived, she'd have to give him a nice tip; she loved people who didn't question orders. Expression neutral, Nix fell into step beside Blake, keeping resolutely silent as they breached the double doors. The building was surprisingly busy for an evening meeting; employees scurried here and there, security paced the halls, and the receptionist, a perky little Japanese woman, greeted them warmly. Kimiko, said her name tag.

"Welcome to the Hebigumo Foundation, how may I help you?"

Normally, she'd have let Blake handle the talking, but her nerves had her blurting out a response. "Hi. We're here for the 7:30 board meeting. Ms. Altaire and Mr. Blake told to contact Mr. Yomoko."

After a pause where Kimiko scanned her computer screen like someone panning for gold, the woman looked up with a smile. "Yes, I see your appointment. You'll need these passes - make your way to the back elevator. The board room is on the 18th floor - Mr. Yomoko will meet you there and show you in."

The two visitors passes were handed over and Nix nodded her thanks before clipping the visitors' pass to her lapel. After shooting Blake an apologetic glance, she shrugged and made her way through the bustling lobby to the back elevator. This was restricted access: the elevator lay beyond the building's first security checkpoint. Her stomach roiled as she spotted not only the metal detectors, but the security personnel. With a confident spring in her steps, the redhead simply held her breath, flashed her badge, sent out a silent prayer to whatever god would listen, and stepped through the metal detector. She'd made an effort to reduce her metal content to the sheer minimum, but even so, her mind reached out, prepared to silence the machine's alarm should it detect anything on her person. She'd gone first to practice connecting with the machine; Blake and his stupid handcuff would be the real challenge. Once she was through, she turned, arching a defiant brow at the man, as if daring him to try his luck. He'd get through just fine.

Unknown to either vampire, stepping through that metal detector also triggered an infrared scan. The movement through the scanner combined with the lack of heat signal did not go unnoticed. Somewhere, up on the higher floors, someone was watching and very much aware of their presence.

[Blake]

Blake knew a dozen others that could play the part but in all reality he knew he was served far better by asking Nix to join him, emotional attachment could very well hamper the progress of the events that were soon to transpire. Thankful for the professional manner of Cameron, Blake gave the man a nod and pointed to the vehicle.

"You see us, you start it. If you think Miss Altaire is difficult to handle when irritated you really don't want to see what is going to happen to you if there is a single moment of hesitation when we come out."

The look on his face as he spoke was that of utmost and dire seriousness. There was something in the tone of voice that had Cameron nodding with a more pale colouring to his face than had previously been there. A simple nod given by the man and Blake turned away and began to make his way, in the company of Ms Altaire (something he would have a good chuckle about later), into the home of the creatures that seemed hellbent on the death of his kind. He was half tempted to call the Haitian wraith he had discovered to his side simply for the sake of comfort knowing that the spectral being would be more than capable of looking out for the pair of them. He stood there silently as Phoenix handled the young receptionist. Very Good Nix, very neutral. I am quite impressed. Taking his own visitor's pass he attached it to his jacket and continued forward simply nodding to his partner as she looked back at him apologetically. What ever did she have to apologize for? A situation had presented itself and they had handled it. Or rather Nix had handled it. That was okay though, as long as they made it it truly didn't matter who did what. It was a mutual effort and not one that one would be able to claim 'leadership' of. They were in this together and they had agreed to work together. Trust would be mandatory for both of them no matter how hard such a thing might be.

Security. This was going to be the game changer. If it were him and he were the fae he would most assuredly have thermal sensors hidden within the metal detector just in case, say, a pair of vampires walked in to the building looking to do business. Perhaps an x-ray scanner but most people would be too foolish with whatever weapons they might bring in and they would have used some form of metal in the construction of said implements. Watching as Nix stepped through without so much as a mutter from the checkpoint a knowing grin spread across his lips. To think she was unarmed was simply foolish so it seemed she either had some power he was unaware of or she had taken the extra steps to do as he had done and prepare himself with weapons that did not actually use metal in their construction. Unlike many would think however, the shadow had chosen for an all bladed arsenal. From his old days as a human he had been able to scavenge together a few nylon fiber blades and hide them at various key points about his body. Insurance. That was all it was. Nothing more and nothing less. A business man of his stature couldn't afford to take foolish risks and that was something he knew anyone could understand.

Unlatching the handcuff from his wrist he handed it to a nearby security guard and stepped through the metal detector as passively as possible. He was a simple business man come to do business with an up and coming either rival or partner, that would all depend on Mr. Yomoko. Taking his briefcase back and reattaching it to himself he nodded to Nix and proceeded towards the elevators. Once they were far enough away he grinned and leaned in close to her.

""Hopefully Mr. Yomoko will be pleased to see us. If not, we will have to make sure we give him a reason...Miss Altaire."

His words were whispered softly as he pressed the button to call the lift and waited patiently. One hand holding his briefcase for dear life and the other giving her a reassuring squeeze. He didn't speak again until they had entered the elevator and pressed the button for floor 18. This seemed as if it were going far easier than it should but there was a part of him that envisioned higher ups shouting in to telephones and screaming out orders as the company realized that there were indeed two very real vampires in their building about to deal with a person in a position of power. They would be watched. He knew this in his gut. The pair of them were about to make history and propose a deal with the Fae. How would that moment look precisely? A vampire and Fae shaking hands as the deal was made and closed. Would there be a mutual fear and respect? Would every one get along famously and leave old vendettas in the past? Either way, Blake knew that this was why Zachariah had sired him. To be here on this night to make this deal and change the city forever. If only you could see me now you despicable old fool.

"Now comes the hard part."

It was unclear to whom he was speaking, himself or to Phoenix. While the target of those words was unclear one thing was very much understood between both of them and Blake didn't even have to be a telepath to know she knew. He was right. The most difficult part of their adventure was just about to begin.

[Phoenix]

Removing the handcuff from around his wrist made Phoenix's job muffling the metal detectors far easier. Staring at nothing in particular, the redhead focused on the metal detector's inner workings. Intricate circuits made up the majority of the system's operating system, and though she didn't quite understand how it worked in the minute specifics, she'd gathered enough information from her journey through the sterile arch to allow her access to the machine's inner workings. All she had to disable was the sensor, and she was prepared to do just that as he stepped through the gate as if it were nothing. The sensor registered a few stray pieces of metal on Blake's person, but not nearly enough to set off the alarm. Impressive, given she figured he must have been armed... somehow. Then again, he'd probably thought the same of her - when had Phoenix been known to leave home without at least a small arsenal on her person?

'Jerk...' Nix thought, 'How dare he look all calm, cool and collected at a time like this.' Of course, she was more impressed than anything - not that her emotion showed either way. While he reattached the cuff to his wrist, Nix waited patiently. With a sigh of relief, she allowed him to lead her to the elevator once he was ready. Honey brown eyes fixed on that grin and she had to resist the urge to elbow him; she wouldn't admit she appreciated the reassuring squeeze - at least not until later. The last thing she wanted was Blake doubting her resolve for what came next.

"You're having far too much fun," she informed him, voice flat and emotionless despite the quirk of her lips that gave away her amusement. "I'm sure they'll be willing to hear you out. It's a good deal for them, after all... You never really told me what you were offering them, though. Percentage cut of all profit or just flat purchase of the technology?"

When the elevator arrived, announcing its presence with a soft ding, the pair stepped inside the thankfully empty interior. She dared not hope anyone in this building would be pleased to see either of them; most were humans, she'd noticed, but Hebigumo had to be run by the sirens. She'd sensed something more powerful than a human in the building, but hadn't yet seen anything she suspected of being supernatural - other than her own lacking reflection in the elevator's standard mirror. Vaguely, she hoped the elevator wasn't being monitored, but if it was, there was nothing she could do about it at this point; she should have brought along an electromagnetic frequency disruptor. Oh well; 20/20 hindsight would get her nowhere at this stage.

"Ms, not Miss. I think I've earned my Ms-ness, Mr. Blake." Nix paused, cocking a brow up at him. "If you're Mr. Blake, what's your first name? Blake Blake?" she teased, though it was mostly nerves that made her chuckle. "I have every faith in your negotiating skills."

After what seemed like an eternity, the doors slid open, revealing she sleek interior of the 18th floor. The sleek interior of the building surprised her; clean, businesslike, but surprisingly welcoming. The air smelled fresh, and as the pair stepped off the elevator, she could almost imagine a soft jasmine scent on the air. As promised, a man was waiting to greet them at the reception desk, but this was not Mr. Yomoko. At least, he wasn't what she expected a Mr. Yomoko to look like. The young man, Caucasian with a slight build and wavy brown hair approached the pair, clipboard in hand.

"Welcome to Hebigumo." Again with the greeting; Nix barely contained a roll of her eyes. "My name is Harry. If you'll follow me, please, the board members are waiting for you to start." Those honey brown eyes flicked to her watch; 7:28 PM. Not just Yomoko, but the entire board had arrived early for a meeting? Either the board members were eager for their arrival or had been expecting them to be more prompt; either way, it worried her. Interesting, but also quite worrisome. The unknown in business was rarely a safe bet.

Harry, with a skip in his step that would have been comical at any other point in time, lead the two down the jasmine scented hall to an elegant pair of double doors. With Harry's back to them, Nix flicked her eyes to Blake and offered a tight-lipped smile.

"Double game face time," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear over the soft music trickling down the hall from the lobby.

As those double doors opened, Phoenix swallowed her nerves, took a moment to compose herself and took the plunge. Thoughts blank and shoulders back, the redhead stepped into the boardroom with Veil's president at her side. Only then did it occur to her that Doc may not be all that happy about this, even if it went well. ****.

[Blake]

"Is it bad for me to be having fun? I shall remember you said that and made it almost sound like a complaint. The last I knew I was a pretty...fun guy?"

He looked at her with a large smile as he cracked the joke knowing they had a few moments to relax before they arrived at their destination. He looked down at his briefcase as he was questioned about what he intended to propose and barter with. He cast her a side long glance and bit his lip. Should he tell her? Would she back out at the last moment if the horrid and disgusting truth were discovered? Would she then hate him if he revealed his entire plan? Hefting the briefcase up he tapped it lightly.

"Secrets. Valuable secrets. I want something that is hard to come by and I must offer something just as sweet and as succulent to them. The trick, however, is to offer something that is common to us but rare to them. Do you have any idea what that could be Nix?"

He fixed her with an almost questioning gaze for moment until the elevator dinged their arrival on the appointed floor. Eighteen. Taking a deep breath he would leave her to wonder instead of answering his own question because if there was one thing he hated more than anything else, aside from Robert Pratt, it was answering his own questions. He wouldn't ask them if he was going to be the one answering them so why waste time even asking? He had faith in the redhead however and had a feeling it would dawn on her either as soon as they entered the meeting or shortly before hand. He hoped. Well...she would get part of it. There was no possible way for her to guess the other half of what he had in mind for this little proposal. That thought and that thought alone is what brought him back to reality with a grinch like smile on his face. A smile of pure deviousness and chaos. Oh yes, after tonight and after all was said and done with Hebigumo he was quite sure he would stand an interrogation in defense of his sanity.

Stepping out of the metal box he looked down the hall and saw the man waiting for them. A soft sound of displeasure as he took in just how...clean and orderly everything was. Some would even venture so far as to say, for a business like this, it was 'pretty'. Businesses were meant to be efficient. Come and do your business and leave. None of that dilly dallying. It was a waste of time. As the pair of them approached the slightly built Caucasian man he didn't bother to restrain himself and did indeed roll his eyes. The formalities, as much as they were appreciated, were starting to get boring and even potentially waste their time and make them late. Being late. That was another thing he mentally added on to the list of 'things to hate'. He remained silent as they followed this...Harry fellow to a pair of double doors. He looked to Nix and allowed her a moment to compose herself before he nodded to their guide and pushed the doors open.

"Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen."

He waited for Nix to catch up to him as he stood at the head of the long room filled with about a dozen individuals of different race and gender. He had worried before about how it was all going to work out but having instantly grabbed the attention of these board members and standing at the head of the room with a dozen sets of eyes on him he couldn't have felt more powerful at that point in time. He came to stand at the head of the table unhooked the briefcase from his own body. Leaving it sealed there was a moment of silence as he looked at each of them in turn gauging reactions, studying each of them in an attempt to determine what, if any, fae were in the room. If those few could be picked out he wanted to know instantly so that he might pander more to those specific tastes as he had far more to offer to the supernaturals of this particular gathering of board members than he had for simple humans though, money did tend to buy a fair amount even among supernaturals. If he could afford to avoid parting with that particular currency he was quite happy to offer other forms.

"I do not wish to waste too much of your time and so I propose we get to the source of the matter here if you all do not mind? I wish to make your company far more money in exchange for a few trivial things and I am quite sure that when it comes to making potential millions you would not mind doing away with pleasantries."

[Phoenix]

As soon as Blake stepped into a room, he commanded attention. This worked very much in Phoenix's favor, especially in this situation. All eyes were on him, leaving her free to stand innocuously by those double doors, securing the escape route. It hadn't exactly been part of the plan, but it certain helped ease her nerves to be free, more or less, to scan the room. With all those eyes focused on her partner in crime, she was free to focus on them.

Hands clasped loosely behind her back, Phoenix let those honey brown eyes scan each individual in the room. Of the ten people gathered, Yomoko was easy to spot. Seated at the end of the table directly opposite Blake, it was clear who was in charge. A quick check left her surprised; Yomoko, with his austere features and dark hair, was not fae, but those seated at his sides were certainly other than they appeared. The woman on Yomoko's right, a slender brunette in her mid-thirties with a heart-shaped face, and the older Latino man on his right both had the aura of the Sirens. Her eyes and thoughts flicked from person to person in quick succession. The last person she checked, the one seated closest to her with the look of a security guard forced into a cheap suit... he also set off her alarms. Those three of the ten gathered where the only demi-fae present.

She waited until Blake finished speaking before reaching out to him; the last thing she wanted was to distracted him mid-thought. Even so, she couldn't help but smirk at the man's cool confidence. Mentally, she made a note to ask for business etiquette lessons if they pulled this off.

"The two on Yomoko's sides - right and left - and the one closest to me are fae. Sirens. The rest are human, including Yomoko."

The first part of her job done, Phoenix let herself relax, eager to hear what Blake intended to offer. That part of the plan he hadn't disclosed, even to her, but she could only imagine the possibilities of mind interface technology in the hands of the Veil Corporation's founder - especially if passed on to Veil Weapons and Ammunition. The redhead did have to admit that the notion of weaponry she could control with a simple thought appealed to her greatly.

A second later, Phoenix chastised herself. This wasn't the time for daydreams of what could be - focus! She'd speak if spoken to, but her job was a more subtle one. While Blake focused their attention on lucrative propositions, Phoenix let her mind wander and connect itself to the corporation's network. Though her intrusion was idle and remained passive, she needed access - just in case disabling the building's security measures became a necessary evil.

[Blake]

Blake stood silently at the head of the room and looked towards Phoenix near the door. Well that wasn't exactly personable. He made a mental note to teach her a few things about business etiquette when all of this was over. He took command of the room with a simple look and made sure he made eye contact with the three individuals that the little mental not he was given informed him about. Smiling to those three in-particular he moved to the case on the table in front of him, a tiny silver key once again in his hand. With a soft click the case opened once more. Inside sat stacks of folders and files all of them marked in one way or another with a large red stamp. Some of them reading "Potential" while others were far more interesting and labeled more along the lines of "Director's Eyes Only" or "Classified".

"Ladies and Gentlemen, what I have here, are the various projects of The Veil Corporation. From medical to military and then some. Now, I have heard rumors and have quite reliable information that your illustrious and magnificent organization has a few very interesting projects in your R&D department at the moment and I must admit my fascination at some of the projects I have caught wind of."

He paused for a moment, his eyes glancing to his red haired companion hoping she would glance at his surface thoughts and find some way to potentially inform the known fae in the room that he was truly trying to help them and if they worked with him he would most work with them. Taking the stacks of files he moved around the table placing one of each of the individual folders in front of the board members and then leaving the last remaining few in a stack near Mr Yomoko. He hoped that this was enough but, as always, he had a trump card just in case.

"What you have in front of you are various projects Veil is currently in the process of turning in to reality. Now, you may be wondering, what does this have to do with Hebigumo? The answer, simply put, is this. I have customers. We supply enough to make a decently large sum of money on any given day by providing one service or another to nearly every citizen in the city and what I come offering you is access to these projects...and my clientele. Military contracts, personal contracts, daily customers. Think about the impact this could have on you. A few billion dollar contract just...handed to you?"

A small smile graced his lips as he waited for that particular thought to sink in. He noted the few chair members nodding and looking to each other with interest. Feigned or not it was a good sign. They were at least listening and that alone was enough for him to know he had a foot in the door. Looking down at the table he gave a soft sigh and chuckled.

"However, such things are not without a price tag. In exchange for....50% of the profits from such contracts I am asking that the Veil Corporation have full access to the R&D division of Hebigumo so that, together, we can both do what we do best and make some money. Think about it, Hebigumo keeps 75% of the profits AND has an extremely cheap production facility at it's disposal that you wouldn't even truly need to pay? The money you could save on staffing and "

He smiled at Mr. Yomoko and looked around. A few of the board members looking through the files he had placed before them and a few were even smiling. Even better! Perhaps this would work out after all. Taking a seat he remained silent letting the gather board members discuss quietly among each other. If all went well he'd have a hell of a lot more work ahead of him and this would be going down as one of the best nights of his life. The night Veil truly became something more. Keeping that ever pleasant smile on his face he sat there and simply waited anxiously for one response of another.