Leaning against the ornate golden railing of the balcony that overlooked the ground floor of the casino, one would see the usual goers of a charity banquet. Proper, crisp and clean-cut individuals floated about various tables overstocked with towering silver fountains that spewed waterfalls of chocolate and cheese and plates intricately set with finely sliced meats and plump fruits. Many food items still remained uneaten halfway through the service, and it was growing clear that their presence was more for show than sustenance. The fact that it was called a "charity" banquet was laughable- in reality, this was another arena where the wealthy and powerful could flaunt their wealth and power.
So Atlas thought. He was another figure in the crowd, a nameless face amongst Citadel titans. In his usual form, he often went shirtless, but tonight he was dressed immaculately in a fine navy blue suit that reflected a twilight sky. Long, straight white hair was tucked in a neat bun, held together by two neatly placed hair sticks. He laughed, schmoozed and feigned interest at the banquet goers, wearing the name "Cornelius Butch" and fabricating some story as an intrepid no man's land adventurer who grew successful off of his finds.
He couldn't give even a sliver of his interest to who's daughter was wedding who's son, and which aristocrat was so far up the Military's ass they couldn't see out of their two own eyes. He was here for one person- the elusive Ace of the Diamonds, a woman that, thanks to his informants, was known as "Isabella".
She appeared, radiant and coddled in the finest materials the Stronghold could offer. Many vied for her attention, but there was one moment where she appeared alone, perhaps to excuse herself as she picked at the food items. Atlas placed his undrunk champagne flute on a passing silver tray that balanced on the tips of a waiter's fingers and sauntered up to her. His step was sure, slow and steady with the confidence of a man thriving in an apocalypse.
"Excuse me, ma'am" he spoke, his South African accent gone. He held out his hand, pale skin catching the almost aureate light of the chandeliers above. Something sparkled in the the palm of it. "But is this yours?"
Upon further inspection, it was an earring that winked at every shift of shadow and light. Tag : Isabella Geoff
It was obvious that Isabella was in her element as she moved through the room making herself known to all, feigning interest in those around her, offering a smile, a laugh, whatever it took to keep people engaged and happy. She knew nearly everyone in attendance having either grown up with or around them in some way or another but there were still a few that she didn't recognize. To her this was just another random event put on to keep up appearances, labeled a charity event, charity because she was giving them her time, precious time she could be using to do business or better yet harass Leo. she played the part regardless of how tedious it was at times, going right along with the flow of things.
She managed to escape the masses to collect some food for herself and her Doberman who walked closely at her side, the pooch wearing a bowtie of his own as if he needed to look any more dignified. She moved to the food table with a plate in hand, occasionally tossing slices of meat down to the dog as she added things to her dish. A small bark left the dog when a man approached alerting her to his presence even before he spoke, a sigh leaving her before she would turn to face him. Her dog would move to sit at her feet, its eyes fixed on Atlas, his tail wagging slowly across the ground.
She offered a smile when he spoke through it faded ever so slightly when she realized he was holding up an earring, surely she hadn't been walking around this entire time without it. She reached her hand up and felt for the missing piece of jewelry, realizing now it was in fact hers, how embarrassing. " Oh my, thank you so much, Mr. Butch! ", She said now with a more genuine smile, sitting her plate down before reaching to take it from him. " I owe you one for sure, I can't believe they would let me walk around like an idiot with just one earring."
Hostility greeted him. Not in the demure and elegant woman before him, who seemed as wide-eyed and innocuous as a child, but the beast at her side. A Doberman, tall and rippling with muscle that indicated a fine pedigree. Its eyes grew dark with malevolence and, though it was quiet with obedience, its eyes never left Atlas. The telltale sign that the dog had sensed something was wrong with the other, that he was not human and carried a certain rot with him.
Atlas only smiled and continued to affix his attention on Isabella, ignoring the animal beside her. "You look many things. An idiot is not one of them." There was a good natured glimmer in his eyes as he offered a hand out to her. "And please, call me Cornelius. You're Isabella Geoff, are you not?" He glanced, briefly, over a diminutive shoulder, seeing her previous party engaged in chatter and not too worried, yet, at her absence. He retracted his gaze quickly, fixing it on Bella again, hopefully before the other noticed the calculation in his eyes.
"Your family has done some impressive things. I'm an admirer, truthfully," He indicated a spot behind them, private enough that they would be able to talk without having to raise their voices over the steady din of conversation but no so much where it would be suspicious. "I was just making my way back to my table. I'd love for you to join me. I have so many questions as an aspiring businessman myself."
It was nice to see how friendly and personable he was, most of the other attendees were the same way but you could easily tell it was only for a reason. Talking to him didn’t feel as forced, he didn’t barrage her with news of his family, promotions at work, or other general information that she could have cared less about. ‘It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Cornelius. That’s me, the one and only.” Blue eyes fixed on him while she tried to work out where she had seen him before, his name didn’t ring a bell but his face was driving her absolutely insane.
“ I appreciate such kind words! They really have accomplished so many great things, I can only hope to achieve as much as they have someday.”, There was that clever façade that she played so well, an unassuming church mouse that volunteers her time at orphanages, not a savage crime boss who may or may not have separated a man from his finger just hours before.
She looked towards his table and then back to the event, her eyes scanning over the crowd before giving a nod. “I’d love to join you but I have to admit I don’t know much about the business aspect of things.”, What a huge ass lie. Bella would turn to grab her plate before heading off to the table, her dog still at her side as she moved. She took a seat, sitting her plate down and tossing another scrap of food down to her dog. " What kind of questions do you have?"
Atlas slid in the booth across from her. He didn't have food, but a flute of champagne, which he settled on the table and grazed occasionally with his lean fingers as if he were deciding on whether to take a sip from it. His eyes flickered to the plate of hors d'oeuvres, the food scraps that Bella flicked towards her dog. Once, he may have found deviled eggs and delicate slices of bread blanketed in an herbed spread delicious, but now it was all he could do not to wrinkle his nose at the sight and smell of it.
He occupied his sights with the well-dressed woman before him. He settled his elbows upon the table, fingers clasped together and arms steepled. His smoky eyes were wide with feigned curiosity, wearing the mask of the hopeful and intrepid explorer, sights set on their next venture.
"I'm sure any advice would aid me tremendously," Atlas reassured her, followed by a resigned sigh as he tucked his thumbs into his overcoat and readjusted it,"You can imagine the hoops we budding business hopefuls have to jump through."
His eyes flickered around them, and when he seemed satisfied, he leaned in then. His voice was low, like he were divulging a secret, "And I thought the Military wanted us to build weapons and other shiny things for them."
The Infected canted his head to side in question, "How does one get on their good side, anyway? It feels like every time I try to get an idea going, the Military shuts it down, labels it as 'dangerous' or 'against regulations.'"
Hoops for him were more like nicely paved pathways for her. She didn’t face opposition because she gave them nothing to oppose...nothing that they knew about at least. Besides, was anyone really on the military’s good side? “ Ever hear the phrase It is easier to beg forgiveness than to seek permission?"It may not have been the most ethical of advice but it was something that had been said to her way back when she first joined the Diamonds. “ Sometimes it’s better to just do whatever it is you want to do and prove it’s worth having around~ They will either love it and keep it or hate it and you land in trouble but at least an attempt was made.” Looking around the room she knew of a few people who found their fortune doing just that, bypassing the military and pushing forward only to have things work out in their favor in the end.
“ Unless you have solid connections you’ll probably never be on their good side if they even have a good side.” Bella’s connections came from both family ties and plenty of blackmailed soldiers who would rather deal with her than the consequences of their actions. “ Honestly if it was something I really wanted I would do whatever I had to do to make it happen. If I end up in prison, exile, or dead because of it, it would still be well worth it.” Her words came off a bit darker than she intended but she shook all of that off with a quick smile at the end, shifting in her seat to straighten her posture. " What kind of business are you into anyways?"
The Infected quirked a brow at that. His brows were so pale that in some lighting in blended into his chalky skinned, so it almost looked as if he were moving the bone of his brow ridges instead.
"Really? It's that easy?" As Bella went on, Atlas began to understand more of why she had the attitude she had. Atlas chuckled and leaned forward onto the fine booth table with both his elbows propped up, as a sign that he was intrigued and wished to know more. "I never put much stock into attempts. It doesn't matter how many times you try if you don't succeed."
His own personality was starting to bleed through his carefully crafted persona of Cornelius, and yet, whether out of arrogance or his own disregard for his own morality, he did not care very much. The dangerous sparkle that was distinctly Atlas began to bleed into the pompous, though innocuous, visage of Cornelius Butch, angular and hubristic, like he knew all the secrets of the world and withheld them from everyone else just for his own amusement.
"A dynamo. How admirable," Atlas drawled, making mental notes about the Diamonds Ace as they conversed. So she was someone who had goals and would seek to achieve them, no matter the cost. These were fierce individuals, who's greatest strength could be turned into a fatal flaw. "And tell me- the consequence of failing in the business world- how bad is it?"
Atlas grinned at her question, and straightened like he were more than happy to answer, most likely in a garrulous praise of his own ideas, a well-rehearsed ruse, "Well, as I adventured outside of the Stronghold, I thought to myself 'How disappointing that only the most intrepid and knowledgeable of us venture outside of the comforts of our walls!'. So, I thought, I would like to bring a bit of the outside in. A showcase, even."
The Ace frowned then, the expression on his face performatively troubled as Atlas sunk back fully into the character of Cornelius. "Sadly, the Butches have seen their good graces with the Military run dry. I've barely enough to cover the expense of a museum, much less any fines or foreclosures by the Military."
The best part about coming from a prominent family was how many doors something as simple as a name opened, Bella could have whatever she wanted when she wanted. She didn’t have to be a part of the Diamonds if she didn’t want to, honestly what could they offer her that she didn’t already have besides power and a nice little adrenaline rush? Things were handed to her so easily thanks to her father’s former rank, her brother's current ranks, and her own charity that made her seem like an absolute saint. She was a wolf in sheep’s clothing if there ever was one, it was just a shame she couldn’t let that be known just yet. “Everything is easy with the right name.”, The Butches didn’t ring a bell in her mind yet here he was…who was he?
Her eyes narrowed at him ever so slightly, what were the consequences? She shrugged nonchalantly, raising her glass to her lips to take a sip before answering. “I wouldn’t know. I guess it all depends on the business, consequences could be as small as going home with your tail between your legs to soak in the shame of failure, imprisonment, or death.”
Who would want to venture outside of the walls, what was out there besides death and things that wanted to eat you? Was it worth the trouble? She didn’t think the risk was worth the reward, but he obviously did if he was willing to set up a showcase of sorts. “I don’t see why the military would be against something like that unless you are bringing in infected…”
“What a shame, truly.”, she started her voice so very sweet her smile never-fading though she was starting to sense there was something a little different about him now. “I’m sure whatever your little museum holds would be well worth the visit, a real business opportunity.” Or a big flop but who was she to put that into the universe. “You could always go crawling to the military for funds, really plead your case, if you stay on your knees enough, they just might give you what you want.”, her own tone grew a little darker, but her smile never once faded. “Or you could take out a loan, assuming you would be able to pay it back. I’m sure there are people around this place willing to give you one if you look hard enough.”
A loan. There were thinly veiled secrets behind Bella's sweet smile. Atlas leaned back, planted his hands on his thighs, a measured look upon his face. It was what he needed to confirm her involvement with the Diamonds- though he needed to step carefully, for her family was deeply entwined with the Military. Did they know of her involvement, her stature in the gang? Or did she clandestinely, masterfully, keep it a secret? Her guise was so telling, in that she only raised more questions than answers.
"The Military is not a fan of bringing the world out there into their cushy little sanctuary," Atlas stated, a dark spite impeding his voice that seemed out of place with the bodacious and excited character he played. "I find that most business opportunities and dealings known to the Military are.. heavily monitored." There was weight at the last two words, a suggestion in the entirety of the sentence, that clued into their mutual memberships.
"I'm not a man that likes to plead, Ms.Geoff," Atlas said. He reached into the inside of his suit, a horribly improper procedure with clothing as finely crafted and pressed as that. It may have raised suspicion in Bella, or instinctual fright, as it almost appeared he were reaching for a concealed weapon- if all the event goers and not been so thoroughly searched upon entry. "Pleading is for those that have admitted defeat."
He pulled out something that flashed silver in the bright, yellow light of the chamber. The Ace held it out for her, where it sat like a coiled snake in his palm, which allowed the entirety of it to be revealed. It was a silver pendant, hung by a slender silver chain- the pendant was a spade, like on would find on the face of a card. The surface of it was crusted in some dark substance- if Bella knew what it looked like, she would recognize it to be dried blood. Furthermore, it was the pendant of the previous Ace of Spades.
"I have friends in dark places, and they urged me to seek you out." Atlas explained. His blue eyes glittered. "I thought that I would introduce myself to you."
Posted 08-05-2021, 10:52 AM
snake eyes
