Brave New World

[cptdragon9]

Tim had merely smiled back at her, even giving her a friendly wink, though he made sure that the goofy look on his face didn’t convey the fact that he full well understood just how lethal Lucien was. He could feel the ire churning just under the surface of the big guy’s mind and Tim was quietly calculating the ways and means to incite or abate that potential powder keg. Oh yes, Lucien could be a very valuable weapon in the right hands… er … mind.

So for now he played the clueless happy dolt. He didn’t need Krepta to think otherwise because he doubted that she could keep a secret and he didn’t need any change in her facial expression to tip off the Big Boy that he was onto him, especially since he was staring at Tim intently, looking for an answer that Tim wasn‘t wanting to give. He knew that the reptile in hiding was trying to be helpful, and in that vein her warning was quite sweet indeed. Heck he might have to thank her somehow.

At least he’d earned some brownie points with Connor. He felt the who mindset change when Tim offered to do the dishes. So numbingly easy to please some folks with the offer of some menial labor. It would help ingratiate himself into the group if he was an eager beaver, ready to please; though there were some he’d like to please more than others. Sandra was one, beaming smiles back at him as she sidled up next to him at the sink, rinsing the plates as he scrubbed them in the scalding hot water. Yeah, it might have been a bit too hot by human standards, but he could handled the heat.

He’d like to handle her.

Tim kept himself restrained though as he scoured away, attacking the cast-iron pan last, even as he heard… well more like felt Lucien slip up behind him. The tension in the air seemed to quiver all around the big man, but all Tim did was whistle a cute lilting version of the Tennessee Waltz, rolling his arms in time before handing the pot to Sandra to rinse. All the while he was calculating just how much leeway he needed to duck should Lucien attempt to take his head off. It was a very slim margin indeed, but then again Tim did love a challenge.

[Krepta]

Krepta shook her head as Tim moved away to help with the dishes. It was obvious to her that her silent warning had either failed to register with the man, or that he had no intentions of acknowledging it. Either way, she had done her part and anything else that happened from there on would be left in his own hands. Quite frankly, she thought this was probably for the best. Both men disturbed her, for varying reasons, as well as a similar, nebulous feeling of unease she gained from being around either of them. The less she had to do with them, the better. This fact made the refocusing of Tim's attention on Sandra and Conner a relief.

She felt the tension run out of her with a single breath. She hadn't realized that she was already beginning to shapeshift in the nervousness that Tim's closeness provoked. She decided to go with it rather than reverse the process, however. She hadn't shapeshifted since last night for one, and she was eager to make sure that no permanent damage to her wings had been done. She was walking fine today, but the storm that had brought her to this place was a hazy blur of terror and water, and the night following was no better. If her wings had been injured somehow, she would need to find a way to tend to them as quickly as possible, or risk losing the ability to fly forever.

That being said, being a bigger, scarier fish in a roomful of similar, though less intimidating fish wouldn't hurt either. She had found over time that establishing herself as big, bad, and willing to smash before any trouble even started was infinitely useful. Taking her dragon form, even though she looked a little silly squished into such a confined space, would at least prove to them all that Tim and Lucien were not the only predators in the space.

However, as the last of her iron tough scales settled over her muscular form, her heightened senses came online as well, particularly scent, and the sudden wash testosterone and hormones that flooded her nasal passages made her wish they hadn't. Accusingly, those mismatched green eyes landed on Tim.

She uttered a disgusted rumble and butted in between Tim and Sandra, and thusly Lucien as well. Her rough, saurian features stared up at her from the soapy water. Shamelessly, she shoved her muzzle up under the running water of the sink, parting those serrated jaws to catch the stream. It was hot, or would have been to a human being, and dipping her head so close to the sink had given her a soapy beard, but it slaked her thirst, and it put a nice monkey wrench in both Tim's advances and Lucien's potential rage explosion.

Besides, she'd like to see him hit on a dragon.

[cptdragon9]

Well it was about time she came out of her shell. And she was quite the sight indeed. He’d always had a passing fancy for the reds, and that near burnished auburn color was quite fetching on the dragoness. He couldn’t help but set up a soft thrum as her neck brushed against him as she drank, a deep vibration that would have been much more impressive in his alternate form.

And it was in that frame of mind that he felt he needed to at least protect her from a sour stomach. "Aie! You shouldn’t drink that! They use lye in the soap! Here. Lemme set ya out a clean bucket of water and you can drink yer fill.” He picked up a small wooden bucket with a cast-iron handle, much like the ones he’d seen in all those country picturesque scenes of the farmer’s daughter milking a cow. A few pumps on the tap handle and fresh cold water soon swilled in abundance. He then set the bucket on the butcher block countertop, one that had seen quite a bit of butchering if the gouge marks in the wood told any tales. “’Ere ya go, gorgeous. Drink up.”

Not wanting to rattle her too much, he then returned to the sink to finish up the last of the dishes; but his mind and attention was turned to the rest of the room, looking to judge their reaction to the reptile, and his reaction to her as well. It was good that she’d broken the ice because now he would be able to tell just how safe he would be here should he be forced to play his hand too soon. He still wasn’t quite ready for show and tell, except maybe in the privacy of his own room, and with Krepta in attendance; but he knew that such a possibility was waaaay down the road yet.

One step at a time, he kept reminding himself while he watched Krepta and his new hosts.

[themascura]

Everyone of the Dreg males had seen Krepta in her other form last night. The sight of a smallish dragon in their midst, however, was quite the shock for Sandra. She startled, the suds-covered dish slipping from her fingers. It hit the ground and bounced ludicrously once, and then twice, before shattering finally on the third time. Tiny shards of porcelain skittered across the floor, shivering and chattering against the hardwood as they went.

Connor uttered a small noise of displeasure at the breaking of the dish, a sound that was quickly choked off when Krepta pressed her head between he and the others and into the sink. He stared at her blankly for a moment, green eyes trying to process the glittering red chin covered in soapy bubbles. His mouth opened and closed without sound a few times. At last he managed to clear his throat and utter, "Well, if ye were tha' thirsty, I woulda gotten ye some more juice...."

Lucien, on the other hand, watched the Chaos unfold with barely concealed glee. His eyes glinted with humor, and a smile played around the corners of his mouth. He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a step back to observe the situation from a better angle. Sandra shot him a reproachful look and swiftly dropped to her knees on the floor, plucking shards of plate from around Tim and Connor's feet.

"I'm so sorry. I just wasn't expecting- I mean, I've never seen a... a dragon before. You're beautiful though." Sandra quickly apologized, looking up at Krepta.

Conner nodded his appreciation to Tim as he fetched the pretty dragoness a bucket of clean water. He was pretty sure dragons could drink whatever the hell they wanted, but it would be much better if she drank cool clean water as opposed to the hot slightly sudsy water coming from the tap.

[Krepta]

Krepta couldn't help but grimace. That hadn't exactly been the reaction she had been hoping for. Fear, awe maybe, but-- the man had barely batted an eyelash at the sudden transformation, and worse, she wasn't sure she had liked that sound he had made when she had passed close by. Still, at least there was no more danger of anyone tearing anyone else's throat out, and that would do for now. Grumbling to herself, Krepta retreated from the sink a bit.

Despite Tim's warnings, she doubt that the lye would do her much harm, sour belly or worse. A dragon's stomach could handle a great many things, and though she couldn't remember much about lye, she was sure it was no worse than half the other things she had consumed in her past. On the same token though she didn't feel like burping up bubbles for the rest of the day, and that had happened before, on several occasions, in fact. As amusing as it was likely to watch for an outsider, she had no desire to relive that particular humiliation.

So, backing up her scale-clad bulk as much as the teeny kitchen would allow, Krepta frowned down at the bucket. Her reflection glared up at her in response, looking as annoyed as a giant red reptile could. As well intentioned as the gesture had been, she was not going to drink from what was essentially some bowl on the floor. She had more dignity than that! Not by much, but enough to count! She would go out into the woods to find a river first before it came to that. Though the sink dive had been mostly for show, thankfully-- she had slaked the majority of her thirst with breakfast.

"I've had my fill, thanks," she told him. Then, carefully, she turned and backed up into the main part of the room and out of the kitchen, where she had a little more room to maneuver. At least Sandra was having the expected response to having a mythical, fire-breathing animal in the middle of the room. She was almost a little disappointed that the others hadn't been at all shocked. Yes, at least three of them had seen her last night, but still! She was a dragon for pete's sake! At least Sandra's stunned reaction was something normal-- And the shapeshifter desperately needed some normalcy in her life right now!

"It's no worry," she replied, watching the woman scurry and retrieve broken plate pieces. "And thank you. This tattered old hide is nothing impressive though. You should have seen my uncle. Now he was something!" She offered the woman a wane smile, uncomfortable that she couldn't help her clean up the mess. With those big, meaty paws though-- she was only likely to break something else in trying!

[cptdragon9]

Tim could feel the disappointment rumbling through the dragoness. Clearly she had thought that the big, scaly incarnation would frighten everyone. All she’d succeeded to do was spook the only creature that didn’t need to be spooked, the lovely Sandra. At least the bonnie lass recouped quickly, and realized just as quickly that Krepta was merely large, not vicious; and in fact commented on just how beautiful she was. And yes, in that incarnation, she was a lovely dragoness.


She however, didn’t think the same of him. That much was clear, and he didn’t need to be a mind reader to know it. She had turned her nose up to his offer of a clean drink (though that soap had to taste pretty awful. He half expected her to bolt for it after being embarrassed so, but she seemed to muster her courage and stuck up a conversation with the barmaid.


He picked up the bucket and added the water to the sink to help rinse the remaining dishes, all the while “listening” to the room. Cleary nobody else had been startled by her transformation, so they had to have seen her in her natural state before. The fact that they had no fear of the creature at all gave him pause. If he had planned to intimidate any of these people if they backed him into a corner by showing his scalier form, clearly that was not going to work. He had to rethink his strategy.


For now he had to attempt to sooth sore feelings. It wouldn’t do to have this luscious creature sulking. “You’re uncle must be magnificent, because you have a wonderful hide. I’ve not seen such a color in a long time. Most of the drakes I know are in more muted tones; blacks and browns.” He would have reached up to caress those scales but he knew that would have been seriously frowned upon, but the hand did come up, hesitating a few inches from her left shoulder. “You have a beautiful hue,” he murmured, finding that with her this close (and she couldn’t help but Be close in the small room) and her scent strong, that he was being moved as well, his ardor stirring….

[themascura]

"Well, I think that's it for the dishes." Sandra announced, carefully dumping the musical little plate-shards into the trash. The brunette turned in a soft fog of subtle lilly-scented perfume, smiling at Lucien and Tim. She extended a hand toward the door at the front of the kitchen, where honey-colored rays were just starting to penetrate. It danced on her palm, highlighting the lack of calluses or scars. This was a woman who had never seen a battle, only fought one fight, and had witnessed no wars- personal or otherwise. She floated as only those gloriously unburdened by guilt, only one who had felt little pain and experienced little strife, could do.

"Shall we? I'd like to show you the bar, first. Do you know much about drink mixing, Timothy?" She questioned unaware of the crackling tension in the air, especially between the two shapeshifters. Lucien stood beside her, squinting in the growing daylight, but over all looking entirely too amused. The corners of his mouth curled, almost twisting, creating a strange, inhumane smile. He gave Tim an expecting little look and stepped slowly out of the room, heading right into the bar, where he fully believed the other two would join him presently.

"Um, Krepta?" Connor smiled at the pretty dragoness, scooching into her point of view so that he could speak to her eye-to-eye.

"If ye like, I could give ye a tour o' tha place. Tha gardens are magnificent this time o' year. Jus' startin' to bloom an' all." The irishman offered, almost shyly. He moved a hand to indicate the window, beyond which the mansion- and the gardens- waited. The sunlight picked up the gold in his hair, making it burnished copper. He really hoped the young woman would deign to join him. If the boss wasn't about he could even show her some of the cages and the big cats. He thought maybe she would like that, and it would help her settle a little better into her strange new, if perhaps temporary, home.

[Krepta]

Krepta fixed Tim with a speculative eye. She had know the man was strange--- mainly from his lack of reaction to her transformation, but where on earth had he run into dragons? Drakes... he had called them Drakes. Not her dragons then. Was there a difference between Drakes and Dragons? She didn't know. This new information did explain some things though.

She paused at his approach, nostrils flaring to take in his scent. He was still at it?! There was something seriously wrong with this man--- and for some reason, she didn't want him to touch her. Some deep instinct was warning at her every time he came near, and with him so close now, she wanted nothing more that to shy away. Thankfully, he stopped just short of touching her, and she forced herself to relax. There was no point in looking skittish, not with predators like Lucien about. Still, despite herself, she couldn't help that faint, irritated rumble that bubbled up from her throat.

She managed to cover it with a cough though, and turning her head, she muttered a thanks for his compliment and elected to turn her attentions to less... unsettling individuals. Thankfully, when Conner popped up in front of her, it made things easy enough. Conner was a big flirt--- she could tell that already, but he was also something she understood. As far as she could tell, everything about him was out in the open.

She didn't trust Tim's car salesman smile and ever changing personality. There was just something... dishonest about him. Krepta wasn't one to let herself be fooled if she could help it. Conner at least meant well, no matter what his strange little quirks might be, she thought she might almost be able to trust him. Tim, well, not so much.

She took the opportunity given to her and shifted her weight so that she was presenting clear 'back-off' signals to Tim again. She didn't want to completely ignore him, considering what trouble he was likely to get into, but if she didn't put some distance between he and her, she was gunna pop! Besides, it would be rude to ignore Conner.

"I like gardens," she responded with a wary smile. "I think that would be nice, thank you." And the scent of herbs and flowers would be far more welcomed that what was currently assaulting her senses, thank you very much! Some fresh air would do well to clear her head anyhow. The room they were currently in was starting to feel increasingly smaller...

[cptdragon9]

Tim pouted as Krepta turned and followed Conner out to the gardens. He knew that it was his own fault that she found him “creepy.” She didn’t have to say anything, nor even give the warning rumble; nor did he have to read her mind. The revulsion on that long muzzle told it all. Well, sometimes he couldn’t help himself. As much as he hated to admit it, he was a creature of passion, both in romance and warfare. Most times he could keep a cap on it, but there was just something about her…


Oh yeah… she was female. Duh.


Well maybe he did need a little time out. He turned to where Sandra beckoned seeing that perfect pale skin in the morning sun. Yeah, a time out was exactly what he needed. “Drinks? Sure! I make a mean Manhattan.”


He was no fool. Conner; was doing her best to ratchet down the tension in the room by removing Krepta. Sandra was contributing to that effort by leading him out, though she didn‘t seem to notice the whole chi-dynamic, though she did have the right sense of things as to what he might be. Not perfect, but at least in the right direction.


Not that he minded, Sandra gave him the out he needed from the situation. When things were quieter, he’d try a softer approach with that magnificent reptile. But for now he could well enjoy the human’s company, and maybe tug at a few of Lucien’s strings as well. That guy was way too smug, too glass smooth. Tim needed him to ruffle a few more feathers so he could figure him out. Connor clearly was one of those buttons to push when it came to that megalomaniac, but Tim would feel a who lot better if he had a few more toggle switches in his repertoire. He felt he was gonna need a lot of them if he was to stay one step ahead of Lucien.


He ended up sidling up next to Sandra as she escorted them to the bar. Unlike the musky undertones of the dragoness, this one smelled of sweet soap and light salty sweat. An alluring combination. Another of those sly smiles drifted across his face. “If you’ve got the fixings, I c’n make you a Mai Tai. It might be a little early, but I think you might like it.” He grinned up at her, adding a mix of harmless to his expression. No sense pouring it on. He didn’t want to scare her off as well.

[themascura]

Sandra slid from the room, leaving a trail of jasmine-scent in her wake. She moved like a creature of the sea, a sort of boneless grace that implied a lack of gravity around her person. The priestess turned as she walked, blue eyes staring at Tim through a curtain of sable hair, smile playing peek-a-boo between thick tresses.

"A Mai Tai?" She questioned, arching an eyebrow. Manhattan she had heard about. Mai tai was something new to her though. Perhaps it was a drink from else-when? She titled her head to the side, turning away from him in order to wave her hand at the massive room they were now in. The speakeasy. Wood gleamed on every surface, polished to glorious, shining perfection. Glasses twinkled on their racks and bottles gleamed like foreign gems in glass cases. The bar itself took up an entire wall of the room, an altar to the booze that kept them clothed and fed.

"Our last bartender found his way home." She informed him, a touch of wistful sadness floating around the corners of her pale lips, "Lucien and Conner have been covering the position, but... Well, Lucien seems to make people uneasy, and Conner seems to think every drink should have whiskey in it." She bit her lip and laughed a little. Lucien turned to look at the pair. He eyed the distance between Tim and Sandra like a jealous lover, drawing himself up to his full height and casting a warning glance over the dark haired man. This was a beast claiming what he considered his, a monster with only the faintest resemblance to humanity making himself known.

---

"Ah, tha's the right o' it." Conner beamed, snatching a few things out of the ice-chest in the corner and stuffing them in his bag. Apples, some cheese and bread and other fixings for light snacks. He immediately headed toward the back door, reaching for the wooden portal. Finally! Some time to just get to know the dragoness who moved like crimson poetry. Sometimes that poetry was warlike, granted, but other times... it was almost sad.

"Conner." Steele's imposing voice halted the Irishman in his tracks. A, 'what did I do' look immediately flitted across the red head's face in response. He turned to look at the big Italian, hand lingering on the brass doorknob.

"I hope you don't mean Maximus's gardens." It was a statement, not a question. Conner stared at Steele and swallowed slowly, looking suddenly bashful.

"No, o'course nae. I mean' the, uh, pleasure garden's 'round the side!" He responded quickly and antsily, like a little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

[cptdragon9]

Tim’s eyes roved all over the selections available to him. After a thorough browsing he was well convinced he hit the booze jack-pot. He had found his calling. “Well I might be a little rusty on the exotics, but I’m pretty sure that if you git a party goin’ I c’n pretty much make sure everyone’s tastes are covered… if you’ll have me, of course.”

He laid it on thick with the double-entendre', even fluttering his dark lashes up at her (it seemed that everyone towered over him, but that was the norm in his world). Of course he was egging Lucien on; not enough to touch (in fact he made sure he didn’t touch her, less the colder one have reason to pounce on him for such an infraction) but he still lofted enough subtle tones and gestures to show that he was interested. Oh she was quite pretty, almost of a fae-like quality; definitely not the visceral animal pheromone-pumping aura that Krepta unwittingly emitted; but Sandra Was female and females always drew his eye… and other parts.

For now he clasped his hand behind his back as he walked the line, taking in the stock on display, pursing his lips at the possible combinations available to him. He’d spotted a bottle or two that were not native to these parts, or this time line, or this era; making him wonder just how they went about stocking the place. Finally he couldn’t contain himself anyone and commenced to show his craft; one of his many skill in his repertoire. He even added a bit of that entertainment flair as he flipped the rum bottle from behind his back and over his shoulder, catching it blind. Well it wasn’t exactly blind, but it still must have looked quite impressive. Soon he had the mai-tai (modified with orange instead of pineapple as exotic fruit seemed to be a bit scarce) set out for Sandra to sample. For Lucien? What else… a Bloody Mary. “Drink up folks, an’ lemme know whatcha think. I can try fer somethin’ more cultured, if ya want.”

He hoped that they’d be pleased with his work. The bar scene did much to show off his socializations skills; and if he showed he was indeed worthy of the part, it might go a ways into convincing Sandra that she didn’t need that skulking lunatic Lucien. In fact, despite his posturing it seemed that Lucien’s prey didn’t quite reciprocate his affections. Sandra seemed to give everyone around her the same pleasant smile, showing no favorites. From what he could see, there wasn’t a ‘spark’ between her and the undead lout.

Oh yes, this was going to be quite entertaining indeed.

Still it was probably best not to start worrying the seams just yet. He’d only been here less than a few hours. For now he cooled his jets as he sipped at his Manhattan, his rich blue eyes watching over the rim of the glass to see how they took to his work.

[Krepta]

Krepta huffed, but it was a curious sound rather than an expression of irritation. Who was this Maximus that Conner suddenly seemed so nervous about, and Steele seemed to respect so much? She had not met anyone named Maximus the night she had arrived-- she was pretty sure about that, no matter how foggy the previous day's events were. If he was the leader of the place, why hadn't he made himself known? Was she not important enough? Or worse--- maybe they were keeping her a secret. She wasn't sure she liked either possibility, for various reasons.

For one, if a fire breathing, flying reptile wasn't much to sniff at around here, then what sort of monstrosities did peak this Maximus's curiosity? Just how common was her kind to these parts? Beyond that, if this man was their leader, and she knew nothing about him--- well, that was no good. Friend or Foe, Krepta would very much like her eye on such a creature that commanded the likes of Steele and Lucien without even being present! Besides--- the fact that she was so uninteresting was a little insulting, ironically. Part of her enjoyed being able to walk around without gasps and screams, but another part of her, much to her shame, had kind of gotten used to it...

If the trio was merely hiding her existence from this Maximus, then why? And what would happen when he finally discovered her? The nebulous possibilities of this particular 'what if' made her nervous, as none of the potential answers to the questions that poured through her head seemed to have very good endings for her.

Perhaps she would merely have to seek out this Maximus herself later. For now, though, the combined presence of Tim, Steele and Lucien had her on edge enough for one day. Further investigating would have to be done later, after she had calmed a bit. And with Conner offering a way out, she was all too eager to follow after the man. Besides--- it looked like he was packing a few picnic goodies, and it seemed all too rare that her dragon self wasn't hungry! Maybe if there was a pond or a lake or a big enough river around, she'd even go for a dip. Briefly, the memory of swirling, snapping waves and howling wind filled her mind, along with the phantom sent of sea salt and ozone. She shuddered and shook it off. Maybe she would just sit on the bank and sunbathe a bit instead.

The draft horse sized she-drake shifted her weight longingly toward the door and offered a wavering smile Conner's way. "After you," she offered. "I'm afraid I don't know my way around this place quite yet. Maybe you can explain some things to me while we walk..."

[ Did you want to hop to a new thread for Krepta and Conner, after this, Them? ]

[themascura]

((Sorry for the late post, I guess proboards ate my first one. D: ))

"I'm sure we'll be delighted to have you, Tim. I think you'll do just fine here. After all, you're very friendly, and you've got a very useful set of skills!" Sandra smiled her sweet, guileless smile, brushing her waves of her oak-colored hair off of her shoulders. She sipped the drink she was handed, cupping it carefully in both hands as if it were some kind of precious jewe, pale fingers stark against the bright liquid.

Lucien, on the other hand, accepted his drink with sardonic little smile, acknowledging the apt jab of the mix as would any fencer.

"What line of work were you in before coming to us, Tim?" He inquired softly, pale blue eyes pretending at easy-going amusement again. Sandra gave her erstwhile escort a little look, her eyes a darker, deeper blue compaired to his. She sighed and swept her hair over her shoulders with a hand.

"Lucien does not mean to pry, I am certain. If his question made you feel uncomfortable, please feel free to ignore him. Not everyone wishes to speak of their past." She shot the hulking man another look through narrowed eyes. Lucien refused to look at her, instead keeping his eyes locked on the dark-haired man currently working behind the bar.

"I'm certain Tim doesn't mind sharing, Sandra." His grin widened just a little, eyes twinkling with either madness or mischief.

[cptdragon9]

He knew what Lucien’s game was. What Lucien didn’t know was that Tim played this game on a daily basis. This creepy nefaratu was Not going to dim his spotlight. “Oh it’s okay, Miss Sandra. I’ve had quite a colorful past indeed, but my current position in my association is mergers and acquisitions. Not the most alluring of jobs, but it pays the bills.”

His gaze likewise had stayed glued to the hulking hunk of cold flesh; well somewhat cold as the room wasn’t nearly as nippy as outside. In fact with the lovely lady in the room, Tim’s little heart was pitter pattering pretty fast; which was why he was keeping his eye on Mr. Jealousy. He wanted to make sure he had that charge timed when Lucien finally lost it. Oh Mr. Tall, Dark, and Looming was still all smiles, but even the cobra had a slight lilt to the lip before it strikes, and Tim was pretty sure this one could strike faster.

“I was in the middle of one such acquisition when I got sidetracked. Not sure what caused the rift, though I have a few suspicions. Eventually I’ll need to get back there, but I’m not in any sort of rush. Time holes and rifts and stuff like that kind of takes the urgency out of such events.”

What he failed to tell them was that the sudden teleportation had saved him from a hail of bullets, but again they didn’t need to know the exact details of his business. He wasn’t lying about the acquisition part; he did indeed fetch things that the clan needed; it was just that most of that stuff was pretty much stolen; much of it plucked straight right out of the brains of those in the know.


But again, his newfound associates didn’t need to know that either….

[themascura]

"Mergers and acquisition? That sounds interesting." Sandra murmured politely, taking another sip of her tropical little drink. She smiled blandly at the bartender, wondering in the back of her mind just what 'mergers and acquisitions' meant. It could be jargon for a million of things, only half of them legal. There was no reason to assume right off the bat that Tim was some sort of criminal, though. He could just be some sort of accountant, after all, or a business man.

"Yes. Interesting indeed. Tell me, Tim, were you good at... acquisitions?" Lucien questioned softly, lifting the cup to his lips and taking a slow, long pull of the liquid. He slid a hand into his pocket, for all the world casual and at ease. He was sliding little by little toward the bar, moving just a few inches at a time. Sandra tossed her hair out of her face and smiled again.

"I'm sure he was very good at what he did, Lucien. Behave. Tim is a guest here, remember?" She shot him a look, royal blue eyes hardening for just a moment. Lucien looked back at her, catching her gaze for just a moment before taking several steps back to his original position. Sandra offered him another bland smile, rising silkily from her seat and moving toward the bar herself.

"Do you have a favorite color, Tim?" She questioned smiling warmly at him as Lucien glowered over her shoulder, expression both dour and threatening.