Fantasy Code FERAL

Bolts · Mar 28, 2016

With the new members making their apperance, Barry felt comfort in numbers. With out speech, he would simply be able to scope out the environment and get a read on this Jean-Marc fellow. [let's hope that he just likes the arts and isn't good with acting aswell..] He thought to himself. Following close to Duik, to be sure they looked like a bonded pair, he took in his surroundings. The current DJ was laying down some sick beats. Although Barry wasn't too informed about the type of music, it was intoxicating to say the least. His heart followed the beat like any song does to people. While his chest was pumping rythmically, it just fueled his acting ability. Nodding his head to the beat while keeping a composed face was easy enough. He sported the tough guy act. Hands in pockets, with his hand around the pocket knife just in case, and a disinterested look.

As Duik called the folk out on letting them inside the backstage, Barry coupled with Raven and her crossed arms. Two people playing the strength game made Duik's impression all the more convincing. Once this mission was over, he would introduce himself to the new faces as well as the few he has yet to interact with... Well, maybe not the snake. Still, Raven seemed to be very perceptive. Scanning the layout just like Barry was trained to do. With ease, his eyes locked on a somewhat annoyed looked man that matched the dossers information. Glasses and all. He didn't see a companion though. This was a problem for the group. [Must either be scoping out for trouble or working somewhere with the human trafficking. ] He thought while bumping his elbow into Raven. He nodded in the direction of Jean-Marc and then looked to the companions in their group. If she was this perceptive, then maybe she was good with understanding simple ques. Could she spot the the owners companion?

He looked down at Duik again. This place had him written all over it. You could tell just by the way he interacts with everyone. Barry's backup solution to making Jean-Marc befriend them would have to wait. Take careful planning or they would be busted. God only knows what would happen then. Although, having a big hulking gorilla around did make that situation seem less of a threat. It wouldn't be smart for the whole group to go up at once. That just writes suspicion all over them.

@TheBOOKWORMgal @Lioness075 @Kharmin @Flutterby @Sleipnir

The party was crazy for BB! Everyone was so loud and the music was intense. Although her little heart couldn't match the beat, it was like a magnet to her. As she started to flutter away, Xiao had called out to her. She stopped and looked back. With a small hint of sternness, BB understood. It was just like Barry's face when he needed her to cooperate. She looked back down at the crowd for a second before flying back to her with a little shame. The place was just making her itch to get in on the action. As a new face entered the party Xiao had already introduced her. That was a little new and a little unsettling. Usually she was the one to make introductions. She looked up and Xiao and then back to the party. With a quick sigh, she would just have to deal with it. Not being someones voice was a little tiring surprisingly.

@maximillian long crew I suppose.

fishfeet · Mar 28, 2016

(Holy crappadiddledoo I have a llllot to post apparently.)

Julia pulled down her dress a little uncomfortably, just realizing it was a bit on the short side. But then, almost every other girl here was dressed like that. She could feel her heels clicking against the tile, but couldn't hear it since it was so dang loud. 'Si tansolo hubiera escogido el vestido mas cómodo para andar.. Nooo, I had to choose this one.' She ranted mentally. She wasn't that mad about the leg slits though, just that they showed too much of her caramel skin. Speaking of caramel skin, she seemed to be the only caramel-skinned person in the crowd. Then again, there was the whole team being an elephant in the room, not even being Chinese and all. Or their target, Jean-Mark or -Paul. Oh well. When Aslan reminded her not to act so jumpy, she managed to actually pay attention to what was going on. Duik was trying to convince the guards they were legitimate or whatever, while a girl she hadn't seen was looking extremely serious (kind of like my art face xD ) with a fox rubbing between her legs. Her calf-and-ankles area, pervert.

She also saw the gorilla from earlier, Jimbo, only he was looking pink... And still managing to look cool calm and collected. She followed Simon's look to the Snow leopard-Also belonging to a new person (surprise! Another girl). They both had matching clothes, sort of. Which Julia liked.

Aslan had little to no view of things from down where he was at, having to stretch his neck almost to the point of breaking only to see over a sea of bums. He managed to spot another big cat, who, judging by smell, was new. He had memorized the smell of the base already, but he was sure he'd forget to in this sea of perfumes and sweat. And-- EW. THAT was not a smell he liked. Aslan never seemed to like the smell of wine or anything of the sort for some reason, as he wrinkled his nose.

@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Lioness075 @Bolts @Epiphany @Kharmin @Sleipnir @Flutterby

DawnAntalios · Mar 28, 2016

Eos smiled as he listened to Mai and her companion. They seemed to be a lovely pair - and also serious aspiring agents as well. He did not want to turn down the help of such individuals, that was for sure. He shook his head and shrugged.

" I am not surprised to be fair. " he said " I haven't seen one of my kind in a very long time either... though that might be due to me being isolated with this lovely group of friendly individuals. " he sighed. " I believe Alec has a plan already, following him should lead us to the 'fine' gentleman we are looking for. "

Entering the club itself was perhaps one of the most embarrassing things in Eos' life. Only now did he realize the folly of his disguise - it did not matter whether he was brown or white a hulking stag in general was a strange view, a great attraction to people. Looking around he saw that Simon was inspected as well - but a brown stag walking calmly in a club was also something quite unusual for the Chinese folk around here.

" Well so much about a subtle entrance on my part. " he shook his head " I should have requested to be painted into a little bunny or something. That would have been better probably... "

Walking calmly with everyone he noticed their target and also listened to Alec's words.

" Ready whenever you are, Alec. " the stag muttered, looking at how nervous Alec was he leaned closer and with a smile on his face he whispered " Hey, no need to worry about it. You have trained, remember? Your honed both your fighting skills AND your mind as well. It will b easy as pie. "

He nodded.

" Have faith in yourself. Lead and we shall follow. "

@andujarprime @zCrookedz @crucialstar @Lioness075 @Bolts @SilverFlight @Epiphany

Zoe was startled when Leandra spoke in such a strange tone to her - it was clear that once again she had failed to convey her real feelings and made her look like a silly person once again. Folding her hands together and shaking her head she sighed.

" Talking is perhaps the most difficult of all missions. " she muttered " It requires wit, courage, carefully planned language... "

She realized that nobody was listening to her since everyone were hyped and were all ready to go in already. She sighed and ceased her monologue, turning to Maia with a weak smile.

" Aye, it is true: this party seems to be grand - despite the fact that we are here to apprehend... I mean to chat with three crucial targets from the underworld. Surely this place has some quality drinks if people with such high prestige decide to have fun here. " she nodded " We will need your quick thinking, Agent Maia. We are all counting on you! "

With that she took a deep breath and walked into the club herself. The place was truly enormous, bigger than any she had sen so far. Though the music was much louder than what was to her liking and the yells of the revelers were incoherent for her she did not feel lost - she focused on the single objective they were here for: they needed to get information from that rich woman at all cost. If only she knew where she was...

She followed Simon around, seeing what the muscular man saw - it seemed that he had spotted something very interesting and once Zoe looked quickly in the direction where he was looking she realized what he was planning.

" Classic misdirection is it then. Clever, Simon. " she said with a sly smile. Though it was not her style she now prepared to act once more - the damsel in distress needed to shine.

She screamed me Simon collided with the waiter and a horrified look appeared in her expression.

" By the heavens, what have you done you bumbling imbecile? " she exclaimed, feigning horror and looking at Simon's clothes with terror. She walked up to the stuttering waiter and slapped the man across his face.

" Those clothes were exquisite you babbling fool! " she said, seething rage burning in her eyes " You have ruined this fine man's night, moreover MINE as well! "

She stomped on the ground, her face turning red from anger she she touched the buns on her hair making sure that they were intact. She sighed in relief and dusting off her clothes she frowned.

" One only has a single night to celebrate New Year and one decides to come here to party with friends... and then such preposterous disaster happens! You have almost spilled those drinks on MY clothes as well! Bless your luck that you did not do so or I would behead you myself - these clothes were made from the finest of silk! Crafted with the GREATEST CARE! Your actions were CRIME AGAINST FASHION! "

She took a step back, walking up to Simon, touching the stained clothes, sobbing silently as she did so.

" Aww darling... maybe there is a way to save it... we will find a way I promise! " she said, looking up at Simon with watery eyes. She then slowly turned her head around, looking at the terrified waiter once more " You can be certain that this insolence will not be tolerated. We will make it sure personally that this mistake of yours will be the last! "

@SilverFlight @Peaceswore @zCrookedz @Sleipnir @Flutterby @Lioness075 @crucialstar

Lioness075 · Mar 28, 2016

Luness smiled warmly at Ash's lighthearted joking, pleased to know at least one person in the group didn't seem to feel incredibly out of place or uncomfortable.

Nodding at Ash's advice, Luness remained her usual calm self, as she tilted her head this way and that to see the interior of the club as well as all of its occupants.

Grinning at the mention of needing Chinese for this, Luness muttered, "I truly hope that we do not need to know any Chinese either, Ash. Leandra barely knows any and I most certainly know none."

When Xiao approached their small group with an overly ambitious attitude and over-the-top enthusiasm, Luness made a face at the girl before tilting her head. What in the world was Xiao doing?

Luness sighed at the poor joke that made Alec blush in a heartbeat before she said, "Dear, it's not a bad idea to act differently in this scenario, but, at least, make it believable. You're trying way too hard and that's only making it more obvious rather than the opposite."

@SilverFlight @Peaceswore @crucialstar @andujarprime @DawnAntalios @Bolts @Epiphany

~~~~~

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Leandra grimaced when she overheard Xiao Hui's teasing joke nearby and sighed before wondering why Xiao Hui was acting so oddly. Alas, she wasn't on Xiao Hui's team and had other things to focus on at the moment.

While waiting on her team to gather themselves, Leandra glanced back at Maia's partner, a beautiful snow leopard. While Luness wasn't overly fond of big cats herself, and did a brilliant job of masking it, Leandra thought big cats were gorgeous, regal beasts and still wanted to one day get a domestic cat as a pet.

When Simon decided to make the first move on their target, he chose the more subtle approach...by making a waiter spill drinks on Simon.

Not a moment afterwards, Zoe screamed, making Leandra flinch in surprise, and then added to the scene by making it painfully dramatic and overdone at this point.

Sighing, Leandra couldn't help but facepalm before dropping her hand back to her side and looking sideways at Laohu.

"They're subtle as always, Laohu," she muttered while glancing over at their fancy target to see what her reaction to all of this was.

@crucialstar @DawnAntalios @zCrookedz @SilverFlight @Peaceswore @Sleipnir @Flutterby

~~~~~

Falarion froze by Beth's side when Simon suddenly bumped into a waiter and chaos ensued.

Ears perked forward and eyes wide, Falarion remained frozen while his eyes quickly flickered between Simon and Zoe both creating a big scene out of nothing.

Not too long after freezing in place, Falarion quickly became confused and looked up at Beth before saying in quiet tone so only Beth could hear him, "Um, Beth, what's happening? What're Simon and Zoe doing?"

From what Falarion had seen, Simon had deliberately walked into the waiter and now he was confused as to why Simon and Zoe were berating the poor man.

When Zoe slapped the man, Falarion let out a small whimper and folded his ears against his head before taking a small step backwards.

"I don't like this mission anymore...."

@DawnAntalios @zCrookedz @Flutterby @crucialstar @Peaceswore @Sleipnir @SilverFlight

~~~~~

<a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/zara-young-men-red-jacket-300x400.jpg.8e87d6348d78b327a51777a8a8e9dbc5.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="114842" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2016_03/zara-young-men-red-jacket-300x400.jpg.8e87d6348d78b327a51777a8a8e9dbc5.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a> Add some black converse and black socks to the mix and the outfit is complete for Manjano.

Oh, and this is his new hairstyle as well, plus the similar hair color that Leandra now shares.

Manjano frowned at Jean-Marc when their small group initially approached the man. He was definitely a push-over kinda guy based on that snippet of a conversation alone.

Watching how the man's eyes flicked about as if he were high or something, Manjano could only wonder what the man was seeing that nobody else could see.

Looking about his group, Manjano raised an eyebrow at the new agent's pose, Raven. She was clearly playing the intimidating role, as well as Barry, though the guy was a bit small to come across that way. It was almost amusing, actually, though Manjano kept his expression neutral.

Seeing how Duik had acted all pompous earlier about their invitations and such being requested, Manjano remained silent and in a neutral stance, as he waited to see if Duik or one of the others would introduce themselves since the man seemed to be too distracted to even see the group standing in front of him. Perhaps he wasn't used to any visitors.

@SilverFlight @Kharmin @zCrookedz @Bolts @Bookworm0492 @Flutterby @Sleipnir

SilverFlight · Mar 28, 2016

An elegant black, fitted tuxedo, complete with a red silk vest and bowtie. A snake is embroidered one one shoulder and drapes down the side of the jacket. The thread used to create the work of art is also black and glints only when light hits it at a certain angle, making it invisible at any other view. Embroidered snakes also coil on each cuff, which are done up with silver links. His hair is been slicked back, though some renegade strands still fall into his face and the majority is tied into a small rat tail behind his head. He is also wearing contact that have turned his eyes from hazel into a deep, jade green.

Alec hung back a little before approaching the table, trying to re-establish some of his wrecked facade.

"Okay plan. You've all read the dossier. Maia, Ash, here're some chips, place a big bet on the wheel and make it look like you're spending chump change.

Rin, Xiao and I will be your friends/admirers you picked up when you came in. Start the conversation casual, say something about his crocodile. You can take it from there. Let's get the info and wrap this up."

Alec may not be able to pull off an outright flirt, but he could strike a pose. So he would stay in the back for now, unless he was spoken to directly. He was still worried about his ability to keep their cover but just when his resolve was about to cave, Eos came to him and offered his encouragement. It made Alec actually grin, despite how uncomfortable he felt. The old Stag's words still meant a lot to him. "Thanks Eos." He took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's do this."

Taking Ash firmly by the shoulder he shoved the other man in front of him as they came up to the table. "My friends here would like in on this round." He said in what he hoped was a suave and confident tone.

The attendant looked up at them over rose-tinted glasses, her pristine red vest and short-cropped blonde hair glinting in the gold light.

"What're you betting?"

Alec said nothing, but allowed Ash and Maia to take their leads. Instead he hung back and stroked Haku's head pensively with two fingers, pretending to only be half interested.

@TheBOOKWORMgal @Sleipnir @Flutterby

Marie-Lynn looked up, startled out of her brooding by a man and woman getting upset over something. She saw the woman backhand one of the waiters and smiled to herself. These guests certainly weren't boring.

"A, good help is so hard to find these days." she said, casually reclining in her plush chair. "I'm sorry about your clothes dear, they look very...interesting."

Her eyes scanned them quickly before she gestured to the chairs at her table, dismissing her attendants with an irritated wave. "Won't you join me for a drink?" She gestured to all of them, noticing Leandra and Beth standing a little ways away.

It couldn't be seen until one approached the table, but on the floor by her heel, coiled into a massive heap was a python. Her companion.

"You don't strike me as being a part of this particular...'scene' are you here on business, or is this a pleasure trip?"

@zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @Lioness075 @Sleipnir @crucialstar @Peaceswore @Flutterby

Epiphany · Mar 28, 2016

Maia Asim

The Egyptian woman looked a bit thoughtful as she digested the information Alec gave her. Then she nodded once. "Good play, that. Right. I suppose we'll want him noticing you, Ash, so I'll be the eyecandy bodyguard, shall I? Come along then," she finished, playfully patting Ash's cheek.

She took the lead in heading to the table. And oh did she put a little extra sway into that stride, particularly noticeable in her red-and-black silk brocade dress. The slit in the side of her kimono revealed a tantalizing length of surprisingly well-toned leg, matching the excellent tone of her bare arms. And when she hopped up on the betting table, planting her firm backside towards the wheel, she gave Ash an inviting look of interest.

It also gave her a pretty clear view of the casino floor and let her watch those neighboring the table and approaching the wheel.

Maia glanced over Maximilian Long but with the cool, slightly detached look of a professional more interested in any danger he posed. She lingered to get a little eye contact, so he noticed her interest, but then she made a point of doing the same to everyone else nearby. And unlike the usual amateur, Maia had the discipline not to keep looking his way. Besides, paying attention to Mr. Long meant the risk that Mr. Long would pay too much attention to her and not the man she seemed to protect. Chances were the black market specialist knew enough higher-end muscle to mistake her for more of the same. Maia could play helpless college girl with the best of them but the form-fitting dress made it a little too obvious how good of shape she was in. She might as well play a role that would make sense in his paradigm.

She opted to let someone else mention the crocodile. Maia flashed a friendly smile at any of the agents ostensibly hanging on to the rockstar image Ash was hopefully projecting. But most of her interest lay out in the crowd and watching anyone moving up on her 'employer'.

Meanwhile, Ahmose followed her cues and set up shop on the other side of Ash, the mid-sized predatory cat looking a bit lazy but never far from a pounce if someone made the wrong move.

All in all, the pair made Ash look like someone interesting enough and wealthy enough to merit excellent, discreet protection. Hopefully his looks would do the rest in luring Mr. Long in...

Well, that and having a phoenix on his shoulder. There was pretty much no better way of drawing attention than that!

@Peaceswore @zCrookedz @DawnAntalios @andujarprime @Lioness075 @crucialstar @Bolts @SilverFlight

andujarprime · Mar 28, 2016

Rin had made his way into the club without incident. Save for the man at the door asking for invitations. He walked right past without missing a beat, flashing invitations to gain entry. The way he walked, it was as if he expected the crowd to part before him. And like a sea it did. As it turned out, nobody wanted to be trampled or stabbed by Eos and his antlers. Taking a moments rest to meet the new agent and take in Alec’s plan he nodded. He watched carefully as Alec pushed Ash forward, gauging the mark’s reactions. “Xiao, please obtain a few drinks then make a show of meeting us at the table. The most exclusive drink here, I leave that up to you.” He turned to Eos then. “Eos, let’s try to keep the general area around us clear. Like we're higher class.” He stepped forward to the table, placing himself between Alec and the table. Standing a short way from the crocodile. “Let’s hope you win back enough to cover what you owe me pretty boy!!!” He shouted to Ash as he reached the table. Afterward he turned to Alec and waved him over. He looked down momentarily at the crocodile. He smiled at the reptile and at the man standing beside him. “He looks hungry, if this guy can’t win back what he owes maybe your friend would like a snack?” He said jokingly before turning back to the table. Looking around searching for something. “Dante, where is she with our drinks?” He asked Alec aloud. That was his cue to Xiao, hopefully she was nearby. He turned his attention back to the table. “Guys if he doesn’t bite for me, I can easily switch to drive him towards you Ash.” He said under his breath into his communicator. He reached up and placed a hand on Eos’ neck, holding him like a close friend.

Haku could not have been more thankful that she didn’t have the acute hearing of most other breeds. She couldn’t imagine what Falarion, or Duik could be dealing with. Well Falarion more than Duik since he was most likely used to this. Haku smiled and nodded at the new agent when she waved. She kept her head slightly raised and alert as they made their way to the casino. “Doing good Alec. Keep the confidence.” She whispered as he stroked her head. “Dante, that’s you.” She whispered to Alec when Rin called out to him.

@Epiphany @crucialstar @SilverFlight @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios @Peaceswore

Kharmin · Mar 29, 2016

Raven/Kitsune

Raven glanced sideways as the young, blonde agent Barry sidled up near her and took up a similarly foreboding posture. She recognized his scanning of the crowd and nodded to herself. Always good to have a second set of eyes she thought. Kitsune head-butted her at the knee and she looked down at his almost sad expression. Or a third set, she thought and the fox snuffed in mock anger.

Barry's nudge recaptured her attention and she followed his knowing glance. Yeah, no companion, she thought as she considered the young man's unspoken query. Actually, come to think of it, Raven hadn't heard Barry speak at all. Ever. Granted, she'd only joined this group, but only now did she recall not having heard Barry speak. Kitsune gently pawed at her which brought her mind back to the present. Raven mentally scolded herself for her lapse and blamed jet lag.

As to the man's missing companion, Raven considered that perhaps it was off on some errand or another seeing that the surrounding maelstrom of bodies behind the stage needed as many helping hands as it could get. Still, it bore noting and she filed the knowledge away for future reference.

When Duik cast a quick aside to Kitsune the fox tried to reply, but the hyena was already off and away toward the mixing board. "Follow his lead?" Kitsune mused quietly where only Raven and Barry could hear him. "Like I know anything about music?"

Raven looked down at Kitsune and said, "In all of this chaos, I'm sure that you can find something ... oh, I don't know ... useful to do?"

Kitsune glanced up at Raven and offered, "Well, Nietzche did say, 'Out of chaos comes order.'" Then, Kitsune shrugged as he bounded toward Jean-Marc.

Raven glowered at her companion and his penchant for making commentary with famous quotations. Oft times, she didn't really care and sometimes the quotes had some educational value. This time, however, the fox was spot on and it took a moment for Raven to realize that the pandemonium behind stage was more controlled than it appeared on the surface.

"Look," Kitsune said to the fellow in a quick, clipped manner, "you're getting killed out there and the longer you delay WildSide the worse it's gonna get. Happy patrons means more revenue, am I right? Right? You ain't gonna find another replacement at this hour – every other cheap DJ is already taken." He motioned toward the hyena. "We're here to save your night ... no, quite possibly your job man by bringing you the elite DJ currently in China."

@TheBOOKWORMgal @Sleipnir @Flutterby

Lioness075 · Mar 29, 2016

Jean-Marc's eyes stopped flicking about when the group approached him. His eyes immediately settled on Duik when the hyena confidently marched up and past him to the DJ equipment, setting himself up without asking for any permission. While such attitude would irritate most, Jean-Marc let it run right over him, as he was instead pleased that Duik was handling himself instead of needing someone to hold his hand in doing his own job. He hated people who asked for help with the simplest of tasks. Those people got fired almost right away.

With his eyes on Duik, Jean-Marc quickly pulled up a brief profile on Duik, which gave some information on his DJing career in the area. He definitely had a good record going for him and the current DJ was indeed doing a shitty job out there.

Shifting his gaze to the others in the group, Jean-Marc kept a neutral expression, as he scanned the profiles of each person.

Raven, the one trying way too hard to look intimidating for no particular reason, was a bodyguard for high-end personnel. That would explain the attitude, though it was entirely unnecessary and irked Jean-Marc a tad. Her companion, Kitsune, was a perfect companion, as he most likely could help Raven protect such personnel with his cunning personality. At least, Jean-Marc assumed Kitsune had a cunning personality since he was a fox.

Barry, the one standing beside Raven and playing copycat, was a makeup artist for a high-end fashion show that seemed to be taking a break of sorts. He was on a vacation for the time being. An interesting note was that Barry was a mute. There was no explanation for how he was a mute, by birth or some incident, but that didn't really matter anyways. Barry's companion was Duik and Jean-Marc felt it made a good bit of sense that someone who was a makeup artist for a high-end fashion show would have an equally flashy companion with their own unique job.

Manjano, the one who hadn't said a word since the group had approached Jean-Marc, worked at the local animal conservation center and seemed to be quite the animal activist, feral or companion. This had to make Jean-Marc wonder if Manjano knew Gigi at all. That poodle had quite the animal activist reputation. Manjano's companion, Jimbo, seemed to just tag along with Manjano and help out at the conservation center.

Bael, another one in the group who seemed to not speak much, was a scientist of sorts. His research revolved around herbs for the most part, which got Jean-Marc's interest. Someone like that could be invaluable in some of Jean-Marc's...'jobs'. Bael's companion, Totus, was similar to Jimbo in that he simply helped Bael out with his research. Very interesting, indeed.

The final pair was Julia and Aslan. Another mute in the mix, Aslan, knew how to make up for his muteness, at least. Julia was his spokesperson, but the two seemed to dabble a bit in politics, which Jean-Marc definitely wasn't keen about learning anything else about. The less he knew, the better. There were some things Jean-Marc just plain out avoided, and politics were most certainly one of those things.

As it were, each of the members checked out for having legitimate backstage passes and Jean-Marc could only assume it was because all of them were either looking for jobs like Duik appeared to be. If that were the case though, then why weren't the others asking as well?

After examining everyone's profiles and deciding to put his suspicions aside for now, Jean-Marc nodded at Duik and simply said in a calm tone, "You do you, Duik. The crowd is indeed growing restless out there. Get them excited again and maybe you'll find a bonus in your next paycheck. As for where to set up, you're the DJ so figure it out. I'm not here to babysit anyone."

After responding to Duik, Jean-Marc's gaze quickly shifted to Kitsune when he approached the man with an abrupt and more than rude attitude.

Narrowing his eyes at the fox in front of him, Jean-Marc then said in a tone that was still creepily calm, "Talk to me like that again, fox, and you'll be sitting on the curb outside with a permanent ban from this club and any other business I own, which mind you includes just about every club in this city plus a few other businesses."

Shifting his irked expression to Raven, Jean-Marc then said, "If I were you, I'd get your companion under control before he gets both of you kicked out of here."

Looking back to Duik, Jean-Marc then said, "Don't disappoint me, Duik. The fox was right about one thing, a shitty DJ makes me lose revenue and you don't want to make me lose revenue."

@SilverFlight @Flutterby @zCrookedz @Sleipnir @Kharmin @Bookworm0492 @Bolts

Lioness075 · Mar 29, 2016

Leandra tried her best not to groan out loud when Marie-Lynn approached Simon and Zoe, remarking on the 'incident'. More so when Leandra saw the woman's reaction to Zoe slapping the poor waiter. Sheesh, overboard much, Zoe?

Still, they were supposed to be getting on this lady's good side, especially if they wanted that information. Gritting her teeth in a brief moment of frustration, Leandra then swallowed her pride, as she forced a warm smile on her face before walking up to the woman upon hearing her offer of a drink.

"That'd be brilliant. Honestly, after an incident like this, I'm sure Simon here would love to have a drink with you."

Leandra could only hope Simon didn't mind being in the spotlight and that the others in her group didn't react to harshly, as she added, "We're here to accompany Simon while he...relaxes. He's had a stressful week."

Walking right up to Simon, Leandra then bit her tongue so she wouldn't mutter anything under her breath, as she wrapped her arms around one of Simon's arms before walking him over towards Marie-Lynn and saying, "Simon, why don't you chat with this lovely lady over a drink? We can go help the stupid waiter get a refill, if you like, sir."

Adding 'sir' at the end made her want to cringe, but Leandra continued to smile as if nothing were wrong or remotely out of place in the moment.

@zCrookedz @crucialstar @DawnAntalios @Sleipnir @SilverFlight @Peaceswore @Flutterby

Kharmin · Mar 29, 2016

Raven/Kitsune

Raven maintained her steady pose under Jean-Marc's unrelenting gaze. She had faced down the worst of the worst during her time fighting in the Middle East and wasn't even close to being intimidated by this man. She wasn't trying to initiate a staring contest. Raven was merely confident under the man's sudden scrutiny. However, he had a point; Kitsune had stepped over a line.

Without changing her posture, Raven waved a casual hand toward her companion as she spoke to Jean-Marc. "It wouldn't be the first time he'd managed to screw things up on our first day," she said. Kitsune turned to her with an almost hurt expression ... well, inasmuch as a fox could show such a thing. "I do apologize for his zealousness. For all of his faults, Kitsune really tries to do his best for his employer. He was only looking out for you."

The fox turned back to Jean-Marc. "That's true," he said. "It's like Wayne Gretzky once said, 'You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.' I didn't mean nothing by it. Just trying to help out."

"And you've done quite enough," Raven added. Kitsune returned to her side, sufficiently chastised. She raked her fingers through her hair as she glanced around and sighed with slight exasperation.

"Since I'm new here, I can only assume that you've vetted everyone backstage?" she asked. "I can speak for my group as I've already checked them." She indicated herself and Kitsune. "Where would you like us to set up?" Raven pointed to a space near the curtain's edge. "Over there, or would you prefer us to take a position with a higher vantage point?"

@Lioness075 @Flutterby @zCrookedz @Sleipnir @Kharmin @Bookworm0492 @Bolts

Bolts · Mar 29, 2016

As Duik had sealed the deal, Barry instantly got more into character. He walked up with a snooty look as he was pulling out his personal makeup kit and hygine tools. Styling the Duik's fur on the top of his head to look more 'wild'. He took a step back to view his work. It was good, but something was missing. Something that said "when I'm out there, the stage is my battle field." With the snap of his fingers, he reached into his bag. Pulling out dog tags as they cling and clanged in his hand. Kneeling down once more, he hooked the tag around Duik's neck. Although he didn't break character, he gave him a nod. He could do it. If he kept this attitude on stage, then his music would shine through for sure.

He stood back up and inspected Jean-Marc like he had him. Even though he was reading his posture, voice, and facial expression, he made sure to make it look as though he were anylizing his clothes. In all actuality, he did look quite well dressed. It was no surprise though, he did run the place. He needed to make a statement. Barry gave him an accepting nod.

Watching the kitsune and Raven talk there way out of their miss step was interesting. Carefully planned words that rung with beliveble false truth. He internally wondered how often this happens. He decided to put his kit back in the bag. [gotta remember to get those tags back after this... And give the ball back as well. ] he thought to himself as he let the more talkative persons run the show as he watched for a sign of give in Jean-Marc's mind. He appreciated the fact that someone running the place could stay so composed in all of the stress. This was going to be a bit of a challenge.

@TheBOOKWORMgal @Kharmin @zCrookedz @Sleipnir

Flutterby · Mar 29, 2016

Beth followed along behind Simon, Zoe, and Leandra, casting her green eyes about. She was observing as she always did, but her face held an unnatural haughty expression. It felt disgusting on her face, but she had the feeling that it would fit well with their target.

She sighted the woman, sitting by herself and looking rather bored, but she wasn't quick enough with thinking of a plan. Simon was moving before she could say a word, with Zoe right behind him. She upped the ante, even slapping the poor confused man. Beth matched the situation with a horrified, angry face. It would not have been Beth's first move, but it seemed effective enough. She was about to head toward the invited table, when Falarion whimpered and shrank away from the situation. Beth frowned and turned away from their target to crouch in front of him.

"Fal, its okay. I dont like it any more than you do, but its just pretend. I know it was unpleasant, but they just needed to create an opening with our target. We wont be hitting anyone else if we can help it." She soothed, even though her stomach was also in knots. She stroked his head gently, and smoothed out the fur along his neck. "Brave face, Falarion, we must not keep Ms. Marie-Lynn waiting on us."

With a final pat and a deep breath, Beth stood and sauntered toward the offered seats. It would seem that, in Simon's posse of women, Leandra was the friendly one, and Zoe was the crazy one. So that made Beth.. the quiet one? She sure hoped so. As Beth approached, she took very careful note of the woman's companion. A python. A snake, what does that say about her personality? Beth smiled, as if she hadnt a thought in her head, and pulled out the seat next to their target for Simon to sit.

@DawnAntalios @Lioness075 @zCrookedz

@crucialstar @Peaceswore @Sleipnir

@SilverFlight

Totus glanced at Bael and gave a shrug. "It is rather annoying, but Ive lived in enough cities to learn how to tune most of it out."

He fell silent as they entered the club, taking in everything around him and everything he could possibly hear. As they closed in on their target, he opted for the silent but deadly act, sitting on Bael's shoulder and looking around with a cold, disinterested stare. He fixed it on their target occasionally, but otherwise seemed completely unruffled by everything and anything.

@Sleipnir

deer · Mar 29, 2016

At hearing Alec's attempt to greet Maia a New Year, Xiao Hui sent him an encouraging smile, not offended in any way, but rather proud he made an attempt. Looking towards BB, Xiao Hui made sure her communictor was placed on rightly as she turned BB's and her own on as she tested it out with her. Glad it was working, Xiao Hui nodded only to see Alec's reaction towards her words. Perhaps it was a little much for her to say that, oops. Turning her attention towards Luness, Xiao Hui tilted her head at her words of her acting being "too over the top". Good job Xiao Hui, even Luness senses it. Shrugging it off, she smiled warmly, "Oh, Lune. Are you sure it's not believable? I mean, perhaps this is how I really am. Everyone sees what a person wishes to show and people are very complex individuals. So, while it may seem odd I'm being this way, perhaps, this is may be another side to who I am that may or may not be an act." Xiao Hui mused thoughtfully, before continuing, "I know I may seem over-the-top and odd to you and everyone here, but to the other strangers who have yet to know me, actually really won't notice anything odd or the difference." She finished as she nodded towards Luness before taking a strand and twisting her fingers around her piece of hair, "But you're right, I'll try my utmost best to tone it down just a tad bit." She winked at Luness, keeping her facade up as she internally wished for the mission to end just right about then when Luness noticed her odd behavior. If anything, it was bound to happen, to her teammates, it was rather off for her to act such a way, but, seeing the scene they were in, if she didn't act, someone would be bound to notice her and she'd rather not risk it. Xiao Hui felt horrible for deceiving others, however, it was a must, afterall, this mission was about disguises. Turning towards Alec, she shot him an apologetic smile before hearing Maia addressing her as she nodded, "Definitely, new friends are always welcomed. Yes, we should head inside to the casino and get the show on the road. Yes, Mr. Long is our target." Xiao Hui confirmed for Mais. She was glad for the wave and friendly smile from Maia as it felt nice to have another girl on her team besides BB.

As soon as she finished scanning her surroundings, BB ended up flying off again only causing her to briefly panic, "BB!" She called in the communicator, "Don't keep flying off like that. It's going to be hard to find us again later and I don't want Barry worrying about you too much too." Xiao Hui whispered quickly through the comms as BB came back quite apologetic once more but still energetic. "It's definitely one too many people." She uttered under her breathe as she started walking with her group as Xiao Hui made small chatter with BB seeing she looked a little exhausted and had been quiet, "Need an energy boost, BB?" She asked her concerned before taking some water and sugar she had with her and gently brought it towards BB. "I'm sorry for being so strict, little one. It's just. . . I can be a worrywart especially at places like these. Don't know what's lurking around every corner or when soemthing might happen." Xiao Hui consoled BB before approaching the casino area with her group. Looking around, Xiao Hui took notice of the crocodile and their target: Maximillian Long. Forming a mischievious smile of her voice, she listened closely to the plan Alec had thought of. Turning towards Maia, she gave her a wink, before seeing Ash and Maia get into their parts. Maia definitely suited the appeal of a seductive yet sexy bodyguard of a rich and charming male. It also helped that both she and Ash played into their parts quite well, as if they were meant to be considered bodyguard and a rich and wealthy philanderer, but also, with the fiery, red pheonix Luness at Ash's shoulder, it made them seem even more eye-catching and attractive to anyone surrounding them. At hearing Rin's position and plan for her and the others, Xiao Hui nodded, "Drinks are on the way, William." She said, giving Rin a nickname as well, before trotting off as she glanced over at Eos, Alec, and Haku saying, "Don't have too much fun without me, guys." Xiao Hui teased lightly as she made her way through the crowds.

"BB, would you like to stay somewhere more comfortable besides my shoulder? If you want, my hair makes a great nest, you can stay there if you'd like." Xiao Hui suggested as she maneuvered her way through the crowded bar as she look around at the different alcohol drinks. Musing loudly, she tapped her chin, "Let's see. . anything that sparkles someone's interest or eyes." However, as soon as she said that, her attention zoomed into the flaming drinks to the right of her as a performance was being shown. Grinning excitedly, Xiao Hui told the bartender that she's like an order of six flaming cocktails as she requested it to make it ablaze with spectacular colors. Before she knew it, she paid for the drinks and took it in her hand slowly as she made sure none of the drinks spilled or toppled over as she carried it back to the table. Looking at the glasses, Xiao Hui stated in awe at the small flames just above the rear of the glasses as she couldn't wait to show off such splendor to be only caught the eyes of Mr.Long but to also divulge in some sort of celebration while she was there to make it seem more realistic. As she approached her group, Xiao Hui heard her cue and couldn't help but roll her eyes playfully, "Well, aren't you guys a little impatient on the drinks? For your information, it was like fighting tooth and nail to get these bad babies." She said, keeping a light tone as it played on her tongue, though she huffed, scoffing slightly. However, her lips formed a sly grin as Xiao Hui tilted her head, waiting for everyone to face her. Soon enough, Xiao Hui took her lighter, lighting the middle even more as the flames on the glassware already burned to set the performance as the flame emblazed in the air. The fire continued to lit above the cocktail glasses and rest of the fire danced around only for the flame to eventually change into a burning, fiery, ember dragon before them. The image was raw and vulnerable, making it seem realistic as it was suppose to be embellished in one's mind and memories. By litting another flame, the dragon moved as if wind was being blown through it as it flowed around the tray, continuing its dance as if the dragon was actually swirling the area. Soon, the show was over as the dragon disappeared into thin air, only leaving specks of small flames on the glasses still as Xiao Hui smiled warmly waiting to see their reactions as she said the name of the drink, "The Rising Dragon!"

@SilverFlight @Lioness075 @Bolts @andujarprime @DawnAntalios @Peaceswore @zCrookedz @Epiphany

Peaceswore · Mar 29, 2016

Ash took the chips he was given and frowned slightly, he never cared for gambling even if he had a knack for it at times. Honestly he would go as far as to say he detested it. Sure he would make a few bets with friends, but wasting money on a game of chance? The idea was foolish to him to say the least. However as soon as his frown appeared it disappear. Letting Alec guide him to the table he smirked. "Don't try and bruise my shoulder, I just got it healed you know." he commented at the firm grip though truly it meant nothing to him. Once he arrived at the table he let out a small laugh and shook his head. "You really love to test my luck don't you? Well Lun, shall we see if this time will be as lucky as the others?" He chimed as he took out a handful of chips and handed it to the women in an uncaring manner. "Here I'll bet these. place them on 7 red if you would miss." He said in a cool voice as he leaned forward a bit getting in a more comfortable positon.

He then let his eyes casually wonder over the board and then at the man next to him. He opened his mouth to speak to him but before he could Rin spoke out to him about owing him money. At this he let out a nice chuckle as he shook his head. "Please, I can pay what I owe him without even opening my bank account. He makes five grand sound like a lot, but truly it's just chump change." He said in a low voice so only Maximillian could hear his soft voice clearly. Taking one hand he pushed his white hair out of his eyes letting his silver iris stand out a bit more. As he waited for the worker to spin his eyes looked at the betting board and he smiled. "22? I saw that number on a fortune cookie today, said it was my lucky number. I'm starting to get that gut feeling that I should have arrived here before you so I could see if that cookie was right." Ash said with a charming smile of a smirk as he looked at Masimillian. Since Ash was so close to the Mr. Long he had no way of telling the others how he hoped this would go down (though he didn't know just yet himself), he just hoped they were ready in case things went south, after all Ash didn't know much and was completely winging it...kinda. In his mind he really was going to try and be- get this man to sing~ His attention was diverted when Xaio came by with a drink, he watched as the fire leaped from the cup with a small smile on his face. "Isn't that just interesting, the last bar I went to would have burned down had something like that been tried."

@SilverFlight @zCrookedz @Lioness075 @Bolts @Epiphany @crucialstar @andujarprime @DawnAntalios

Fie grinned as he nodded at Simon. "Okays!" He chimed before letting out a loud screech when some of the alcohol fell onto his tail. "kaaah! My tail! My beautiful not so fluffy any more tail!" He wailed out in despair at the tiny amount of liquid that touched him. "Simy! I don't wanna be here! This place doesn't know how to treat the best of the best of monkey! Getting their tail wet during the year of the monkey! How do they stay in business!?" He exclaimed before Zoe stepped up and started her own shouting fest.

When she slapped the poor fellow Fie had involuntarily jumped a bit surprise by this. But he didn't say much on it as he looked at Simon to see if that was okay for her to do. Not seeing any protest he just went with it though he did feel a bit bad for the poor man. He was about to say something but then a women spoke to them, looking up he was a bit surprised to see it was there target! Humans got interested in the weirdest of things... Someone getting hit made them want the attacker to sit and talk with them.. Just odd really. Sure if it was a prank he would get it. Welp! Doesn't matter it's their target and he should go with it. "Oh... I guess we can stay Simy since this lady wants company. Oh! Can we get something to eat here? Is it good? I don't want to eat anything that taste bad, or nasty like that last restrurant that had a bunch of stars or something that said Michel...I think Keheh. That restaurant confirmed the fact I don't like liver." He said with a giggle as he placed his hand over his face while his tail was placed on his stomach. He looked over at Lenadra a bit confused as to why she was hugging Simon's arm, but once again! He just went with it!

@zCrookedz @SilverFlight @crucialstar @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios

Bolts · Mar 29, 2016

BB watched as the group had started towards the target at one of those games that Barry never partook it. When she swooped down to hear what was going on, It seemed Alec and Ash had a plan and everyone else was just talking among themselves. That was completely unappealing to BB as compared to everything else! She soared up above the sea of people and watched with awe at everything. It was so busy and pretty and just what she enjoyed. Now why can't the base be like this? She said to herself. So many people and so lively! Before she knew it, Xiao had summoned her back in another displeased voice. Luckily it was in the communicator to avoid her embarrassment. She glided down to her once again, with a saddened look. Sorry, Xiao, I... it's just so pretty. She said in a voice with less vigor than before. As if on cue, Xiao had pulled out some sugar water. BB plunged her head into it and sipped as much as she could. Wow! you're just like! She caught herself for a moment and then in a hushed tone only Xiao could hear. You're just like Barry it's amazing. She said before Nuzzling Xiao's neck in affection.

To the drinks! She said while pointing her wing in the direction of the bar. When Xiao had offered to have her in her hair, BB thought for a moment. It was such pretty hair. She must keep it very well kept. She flapped right into the forest of strands before popping out on top. TO THE DRINKS! As Xiao ordered drinks. BB scanned the bar. So many pretty colored liquids. They looked sooo tasty. There were green ones, blue ones, even gold ones. It was so neat! One in particular caught her eye. A mixture that glistened in the light. It looked like a small galaxy in a cup. OOO! Before she could even try to get close to partake in it, Xiao started walking back to the others, Drinks in hand. Awwww.... Her mood was soured for a moment. That was until Xiao had lit the drinks on fire. BB was so captivated, she had no words to say.

@crucialstar

SilverFlight · Mar 30, 2016

"Nonsense dear." Marie-Lynn said as Leandra suggested she help the waiter. "Let the fool deal with his own problems. Come and sit here." She gestured to the girls to take the couch by her. Smiling in approval as Beth came over and sat.

"I like to brag that I know everyone who frequent's this establishment, but I haven't seen any of you around here before." Her tone told them she expected justification for this fact.

The Python slowly began to uncoil itself from its place on the floor and creep up to the back of Marie-Lynn's chair.

"Miss Westleton, but you can call me Marie-Lynn. I'm a business woman from London, visiting friends you could say."

The snake regarded them through wide, unlbinking eyes and it wasn't hard to imagine the reptile assessing them carefully. Who knows what he was saying to his human companion.

@TheBOOKWORMgal @Kharmin @Flutterby

An elegant black, fitted tuxedo, complete with a red silk vest and bowtie. A snake is embroidered one one shoulder and drapes down the side of the jacket. The thread used to create the work of art is also black and glints only when light hits it at a certain angle, making it invisible at any other view. Embroidered snakes also coil on each cuff, which are done up with silver links. His hair is been slicked back, though some renegade strands still fall into his face and the majority is tied into a small rat tail behind his head. He is also wearing contact that have turned his eyes from hazel into a deep, jade green.

The roulette attendant took the chips and placed them in the holding pot, not even looking up when the flaming drinks were presented.

Alec looked at the tray with a smile. The pomp and flashiness of the higher income circles was certainly something he could live without, but once in a while he missed the luxury. He decided this was a good time to take advantage. He took one of the drinks silently and took a sip while he watched the wheel start to turn. As long as the target wasn't focused on him, he figured the mission would go just fine.

Alec's overall manner made him seem very familiar with these surroundings, and with the focus on the mission he forgot for a moment to pretend he wasn't used to the high-end quality here. To anyone who was familiar with this environment, they might have picked up on it.

"Come on Red 7." He said, starting to get a little involved in the game. Other players were shouting encouragement to, clearly having had more than a few drinks already. Alec watched their mark for any reaction. The crocodile on the floor yawned lazily, but Alec couldn't help but keep his distance, not trusting the animal to keep his teeth to himself if he got too close.

The wheel slowed and Alec leaned in a little closer to see where it would stop. To his complete and utter amazement the little ball teetered for a moment and then dropped into the red 7 slot. Ash had the devil's luck it seemed, and with any more luck, it would have impressed their target too.

@andujarprime @Epiphany @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @crucialstar @Lioness075 @DawnAntalios @Bolts

fishfeet · Mar 30, 2016

Julia dropped her curiosity for now, dropping a hand to her hip and trying to look appreciative, but too elegant to care. She made herself appear more graceful, gaining half-lidded eyes and a certain angle to her neck. See, playing pretend as a child did pay off. She glanced over at Raven's fox, Kitsune, making his way towards Jean-Marc. She prayed he wouldn't do anything stupid... Which he didn't, in a way. She liked this bold one. But it seemed the employer didn't. He reacted negatively, earning Kitsune a scolding from Raven and Jean-Mark an apology. As she observed, Barry adopted a posh, "I'm better than you" attitude and began the pampering of Duik's looks. Then Barry hesitated. 'What's he thinking of? Duik looks fine to me.' She heard Aslan say. Instead of visibly shrugging, she just responded back mentally: "Dunno. But it does look like it's missing... I dunno. Something." She felt fur brush up her ankles and found that Aslan had finally managed to get out of the crowd. She let him jump into her arms, coddling him like a baby. 'You won't believe the things I've seen just down there. Walked into the wrong room once... Ugh. Anyways, they were saying?' Aslan squirmed a bit to get loose of her baby grip. 'And not so tight, I'm not a cub anymore!' Julia smiled and released her death hold, just enough so that now her hands were like a shelf for Aslan to climb on. "They were saying how Duik needs to get on stage." She informed him. Julia then heard a voice in her little communicator. It was Duik, saying something about the glasses and feed. Or was it need? Either way, glasses was the prominent word here. "I hope you don't mind if I ask, but what brand are those glasses? I have a friend back home who needs help picking out some, and I think those look marvelous." She commented casually. Hopefully he didn't snap at her like he had at Kitsune.

@SilverFlight @Bolts @Sleipnir @zCrookedz @Lioness075 @Kharmin @Flutterby

zCrookedz · Mar 30, 2016

Simon:

Simon kept his hardened gaze fixated on the man in his hand. What surprised him more than anything was when Zoe entered the fray and joined in on his attention grabbing display. He did not let the display phase him, and the struggling man looked as if he was only moments from losing complete control and passing out. Fie's display added a nice little touch of pompousness to the act that Simon liked. Though when he began speaking about how to treat a monkey, it was hard to tell if he was acting or genuinely upset.

Finally, Mrs. Westleton approached and Simon gave the man one last glare before he set the tiny man down on shaking legs and released his collar. The man nearly fell to the floor his legs were so weak. But slowly he began to bow as he backed up and began to pick up glasses off the floor. Simon curled a lip at the man who scurried off with the glasses and the dish. Simon sighed and looked to Zoe and then Leandra and Beth.

Before he could do anything, Leandra chimed in and began adding to the scene. He was glad she had provided some quick thinking and confidence to the situation. Thought where she was going with this was a bit perplexing to him. When she grabbed his arm he began to piece the ruse together, and he followed after her trying to return to a more natural looking, confident state.

That, however, was going to be extremely difficult as Simon approached the table and noticed the curling figure at Westleton's feet. Simon's stomach nearly turned inside itself from the sudden nerves as he watched the python slide around the floor. This was not Haku, and it would most certainly attack Simon and the others if things went south.

Simon took a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he approached the table.

Simon steeled himself once more trying hard not to let the snakes presence get to him. Seeing as how Leandra had used his name, he didn't see the point in using different names. As he sat down he smiled at Westleton's question but addressed Leandra first.

"Yes take Zoe with you and go get drinks for everyone. Whiskey, neat, for me. See if they can find anything for Fie to eat. No sugar though."

Simon tried his best at a more rugged smile as he winked at Leandra, and nodded to Zoe. He then directed his smile to Westleton as he leaned back in the chair crossing his leg over the other as he draped an arm over the chair Beth had sat down in. With his other free hand, he reached up and scratched Fie on the head, trying to make it seem like the companionship was more natural.

"Yes, I do apologize for the bit of show there. I had this made specifically for our trip here, and my designer is going to have a fit when he see's what has happened. As for our presence, I guess you could say that we are most certainly here for...pleasure."

Simon inflicted upon the word pleasure the best he could. All he could think about was being pummeled to death by a group of angry female Watch agents. But, the job had to be done. Simon shifted a tad before he gestured to Westleton and continued speaking.

"Marie-Lynn, an exquisite name. Simon Sinclair, a pleasure to meet you."

--------------------------

Jimbo:

Jimbo followed the others backstage nodding at Duiks knowledge of music. Lightning quick, he would have been shocked had he answered any slower. He tried to keep an eye out as they made their way backstage, never hurt to be careful. The two new agents that had joined them seemed pretty confident in themselves. He hadn't seen the dossier on them but if the Watch had sent them they must be competent.

Jimbo watched with humor as Duik made his approach to the important looking man who from the looks of it was their man Jean-Marc. He didn't look like much, but from the way his eyes were darting around the group Jimbo new he had to be up to something. He thought he remembered seeing something about special glasses in the dossier, but he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself as the others seemed to have a handle on the situation.

Jimbo kept close to Manjano when he suddenly felt a wave of fear wash over him. He knew it was coming from Simon, and now more than ever he wished he and Simon had been able to develop their mental link more and could communicate. Until he got a moment to ask over com, he would have to hope that whatever Simon was going through, he could handle without him.

Jimbo watched as Duik got set up and when he looked ready he moved back behind the stage a little further. His voice rang over the small com piece he had placed in his ear before the mission and Jimbo gave Duik a thumbs up from the side. Jimbo wasn't sure what, if anything, he or Manjano could say to the man but Jimbo got a bit of an idea from the man's defensive stance when the fox had spoken to him.

Jimbo nudged Manjano a bit to get his attention before leaning towards him and speak so that Jean would be able to hear as well.

"So what do you think Manny? This place seems alright. I mean its a lot better now that Wildsides here, but it ain't too shabby huh?"

Jimbo could only hope that keeping the guy talking might give the group an opening to get some info.

--------------------------

Maximillian:

Maximillian sipped on his vodka and cranberry juice as his eyes flicked from the wheel on the table to the blonde man across from him. Seemingly out of nowhere, more players approached the table and began to inquire about the game before they started. A younger man, not bad to look at, with slicked back brown hair and a fantastic suit to match the occasion. The embroidered snakes on the shoulders and cuffs were a nice touch to match he exquisite partner who was draped over his shoulders. He stood a bit further back, so Maximillian couldn't get a great look at him.

Taking another sip from his drink Maximillian looked over the man with mildly greedy eyes, that were soon obstructed by two others. When Maximillian looked up to the man standing beside him, he lost all interest in the blonde on the other side of the table. The white hair seemed to be the radiant glow of the moon like iris's that gazed over the table. Max couldn't help but become entranced by the man that stood next to him and began to examine his new found attraction from head to foot. He was dressed in a rather interesting attire, and the phoenix roosting on his shoulder gave him an even more exotic appearance.

The second man seemed to be complaining about the "pretty boys" debt that seemed was due. This one, also sporting a darker hair color as the first, was wearing a more traditional style clothing that made Max smile to himself. This one seemed fo be a bit of a loud mouth, pointing to Max's crocodile and making jokes about him eating the others. Maximillian set his drink on the table and looked at the man with a bit of a snarky smile.

"Protimá na min tróne skoupídia." [He prefers not to eat trash.]

He didn't expect any of them to speak Greek, so he chuckled to himself as he listened to the man beside him speak of his lucky numbers and his betting. Maximillian smiled at the man when he spoke in English it carried a thick accent that almost sounded as if someone had mix Russian with a tad bit of Spanish.

"One of us is lucky tonight my friend, but I am not so sure it is you."

Max smiled at the man as he sipped his concoction and turned to see a young woman approaching with some very interesting drinks. He cared not for her or the fancy drinks and turned back to the table at the sound of the wheel starting up. Max watched as the ball was dropped and went around the wheel several times before landing on red 7. Max chuckled to himself and drained the last of his drink before holding it up towards a waiter who scurried off towards the bar. Max set the glass down and looked back at the man beside him.

"Perhaps you are the lucky one this evening Mister...?"

@TheBOOKWORMgal @Lioness075 @Kharmin @Flutterby @DawnAntalios @andujarprime @Peaceswore @crucialstar @Epiphany

DawnAntalios · Mar 30, 2016

Zoe was wondering if the show she had put on was too much or not... but the more important question was whether their target would take the bait. Her smile grew wider when she saw the lovely lady approaching them, inviting them over to her table to sit there and drink with them. She bowed courteously as she walked with Simon and the girls.

" This place is indeed marvelous, I am glad that we have found kindred-spirited company here! " she said, chuckling as they were walking. As Marie-Lynn started to explain how she was from London and her businesswoman past Zoe's attention shifted towards her gigantic companion - a snake. An uneasy feeling started to churn in hr belly - of all the animals living on this planet this woman had to have a massive snake as her companion, figures. It mirrored her personality for sure but it did not make their mission any easier. She saw that the rest of the team was as tense as she was but following their courage she took a deep breath and walked carefully. When Fie spoke up and Simon asked her and Leandra to get some drinks she nodded happily, clapping her hands together.

" What a wonderful idea! " she said gleefully " We will be right back with the best of the drinks! " she looked with a hint of jealousy at Marie-Lynn, winking at Simon " Don't get too comfortable in our absence sweetie - do not let Beth charm you all on her own! "

With that she gently grabbed Leandra's hand and with a childish smile she urged her.

" Come, Lea! Let us be off then! "

As they made their way towards the bar Zoe's face turned serious and finally let Leandra go, sighing angrily.

" Blast this mission - if I need to act as a little sugar-girl for much longer I will throw up... " she said, putting her face in her palms momentarily, turning to Leandra. " Well, I guess we have made a good impression on her anyway, even if the acting was a little bit too excessive on my part... "

She started to think.

" That snake might prove troublesome. I have not expected it to be here, nor did I think that it would be this big... it surely puts a strain on the nerves of everybody... "

As she ordered the drinks for Simon and the others she turned to the girl.

" Do you think we have a chance to... get the snake drunk or something? Or anything that would make is harmless should things go wrong or anything? Is there a special Chinese drink you know that would help us? Or should we just play like the cute girls we are? " she asked, smiling at her " I think our target likes you very much, if anyone then probably you could make the best impression that you are Simon's... favorite. "

@zCrookedz @crucialstar @Lioness075 @Sleipnir @SilverFlight @Peaceswore @Flutterby

Eos smiled at Rin as he asked him to keep guard. That would be rather easy given the fact how simple it was to grab the attention of the onlookers - he was almost certain that he will be able to pull that off easily.

" I shall. " he said, bowing his head " These people will find no luck here tonight. The children with that boon are already playing this game. "

The stag then started to look at the game momentarily. He was never into gambling nor did he crave for such forbidden pleasures - it still amused him how Ash and Alec could imitate the unmatched enthusiasm that they mustered. He was impressed by his show and it was time for him to do his part. Standing there as a vigilant, stalwart protector of the players his intimidating look prohibited others to come and join the game. He wanted to make sure the nobody went in or out while the game was in session - or until Maximilian finally noticed one of them.

" Apologies, honored guest, but this table is off limits. " he said to one of the more aggressive players " Master Rin does not wish to be disturbed by... any outer forces, I must ask you to leave. " with that he gently bowed his head, making sure that the revelers noticed his massive antlers - and strangely enough nobody dared ti trifle with him any more.

Though Eos had never played a bodyguard in this fashion this charade actually amused him and he grinned. His attention turned towards the table once more when he heard loud cheering as Ash won his bet in the roulette. Joining the chorus of joy he nodded his head.

" It was as foretold by the stars! " he chuckled " Master Ash is definitely the luckiest fellow around tonight, no doubts about that! "

@andujarprime @Epiphany @zCrookedz @Peaceswore @crucialstar @Lioness075 @SilverFlight @Bolts

Flutterby · Mar 30, 2016

Dress:

Hair:

Eyes:

Beth's hair was dyed to a shade of brown and pulled back into a complicated style she will never even try to replicate. She's wearing a red and white dress with red heels, and a dramatic rose gold eye look with bright red lipstick to match her dress.

Beth sidled into her seat and fixed a haughty but cunning expression on her face. Her smirk hinted that she was above everything around her, too sultry to care, but she had the same keen interest in her eyes as the snake resting under the table. As Zoe prepared to get drink, warning Simon against her charms, she blinked slowly at Zoe and smiled.

"Oh, he wouldn't have much say in the matter, love," She cooed, adding a small giggle and laying a hand on Simon's forearm briefly, as if already claiming his attentions for herself. There was a very subtle eye-roll at the end. Since Zoe seemed to be taking on the roll of ditsy blonde, and Leandra the more dutiful and sensible, Beth figured she would need her own role. Powerful business woman, pretending-to-be-powerful man with girls trailing after him.. Perhaps Marie-Lynn would appreciate a woman with a little more ambition, one she can see herself in.

Her attention turned to the conversation, and she listened dutifully to the first exchange.

Looking a little less sultry, she took solid interest in what had been said. "Pleasure indeed. Simon has made sure we have the opportunity to see as much culture as we can." She paused and gave him an admiring look, eyes as soft as a doe's, before continuing, her eyes returning to Marie-Lynn.

"However, I have a feeling that a woman of your stature must have seen more culture already than I ever will, even with my dear Simon." Beth smiled and glanced at him briefly. She could feel the discomfort rolling off of Simon. She didnt know exactly why, her brain was too focused on how to turn the conversation to try to figure it out, so she smiled to encourage him and remained the picture of tranquility and poise. Her green eyes returned to Marie-Lynn, registering the python without looking at it, and spoke again.

"You must have an absolutely exhilarating career, if it brings you friends all the way in China. That is simply amazing, to someone like me. I have to admit, if I could manage that, I wouldn't need to spend another minute in my current position." There was an ever-so-slight pause before the word 'position,' and she gave Simon another look. It was clearly meant to be a teasing look for him, as if she were only kidding, but there was an interested edge in her gaze as she turned back to Marie-Lynn. Beth had never been much for acting, to avoid the spotlight, but slipping into a different persona felt surprisingly natural. She could actually feel the sneaky ambition she was trying to portray. Hopefully, Simon would pick up on her hint and ask about the business, and it would actually help them.

@DawnAntalios @Lioness075 @zCrookedz @SilverFlight

Sleipnir · Mar 30, 2016

Cedar stood by, keeping close to Zoe and trying not to say much. He didn't know whether or not his opinions were necessary at the moment. When she moved off and complained about her acting, he huffed sympathetically. "Don't worry, Zoe," he said softly. "You can do it."

He paused to think about the snake issue. Snakes... "We could feed it. Something big. They get real tired when they eat a lot," he suggested.

Bael too was standing by quietly. He wasn't sure what they would be playing at just yet, but did know that he could catch on once he knew what their angle was. He was waiting for an in as he watch the club, trying to look like he wasn't paying way too close attention to Jean-Marc. He did, however, turn his attention back to the group when one of them asked about the glasses. They actually did look nice, Bael thought, and so he found himself genuinely curious about the answer. "And the drinks," he added abruptly. "What are some of the finer refreshments you've got around here? Not just alchoholic, mind you. I imagine you would understand how boring the experience of drinking low-quality refreshments gets. " That much he meant.

Lioness075 · Mar 30, 2016

Leandra gave Marie-Lynn a warm smile despite how she preferably wanted to be doing anything other than this and be anywhere but here right now. Ugh, this mission sucked.

When Zoe grabbed her hand, Leandra instantly frowned slightly and casually pulled her hand out of Zoe's grasp before returning to her confident posture and following after Zoe to the bar. Something told Leandra that Zoe may not fully understand that despite their acting, there will still boundaries amongst their small group.

With a sigh, Leandra had to resist the urge to facepalm when Zoe also lost her acting face upon the pair walking far enough away from Marie-Lynn and the others. Wow, was this exhausting or what?

While Zoe ranted about the mission, Leandra glanced down at Laohu and gave him a weary smile before returning her attention to Zoe.

"Hey, Zoe, can you please refrain from grabbing my hand, arm, or whatever next time? I don't know about you, but I'm not all that comfortable with people just randomly grabbing me like that..."

Not mention the fact that it was a bit of a trigger and Leandra's heart was now racing. This mission just kept getting funner and funner (and yes, 'funner' is a word).

Trailing off once they arrived at the bar, Leandra awkwardly paused at the mention of both the snake being troublesome and the issue of them ordering some drinks. Leandra had no idea what to order, never mind the fact that she hated drinking to begin with. Would Marie-Lynn think she was odd for not wanting to drink while here? Leandra could only hope not. Perhaps wanting to remain clear-minded would be a good enough reason to keep Marie-Lynn from feeling suspicious of Leandra's dislike for drinking.

Glancing back at Zoe, Leandra then said, "Look, I say we need to leave the snake alone for now. It hasn't made a single move on us and the last thing we should do is anything to possibly antagonize the thing."

Hearing Cedar's feeding suggestion, Leandra mused at him, "Unless you plan on letting the snake eat you, I doubt we're going to easily find an acceptable meal for it here. Like I said before, let's just leave the snake be for now. No need to be targeting anyone's companions as of yet."

Adding onto her response to Zoe, Leandra then said, "Also, the snake really doesn't bother me too much. It's just another animal companion to me. Unless it tries to hurt one of us, I don't see it as a threat yet and it's not making me nervous. In fact, I think Beth seemed to be just fine around the snake, too. While the woman may be our enemy, we shouldn't be making her companion our enemy so soon."

Hearing Zoe's remarks about the drinking, Leandra merely shrugged in response and continued to wait. It wasn't until Zoe mentioned Leandra in particular that her eyes went wide and her heart started racing all over again.

"What in the world, Zoe? Jesus, I'm nobody's favorite, okay? We're all evenly working together and why in the world would our target like me that much? She hardly gave me a second glance after I spoke up, seriously. She probably just liked my confidence or whatever. It's what these types of people always like. Someone who speaks and acts with confidence."

Letting out a sigh after this and anxiously rubbing at the back of her neck, Leandra then frowned at the bartender, who was still finishing up their drinks, and said abruptly, "Hey, we need these drinks as soon as possible, dude. Hurry up, will ya?"

The bartender paused to frown at Leandra, but otherwise said nothing, as he turned back to the drinks and seemed to speed things up a bit.

Leandra was just feeling more and more anxious about returning to their target now. Simon had acted rather flustered, to say the least, once he'd joined the woman at her table and seen her snake companion. While Leandra hoped Beth could step up to the plate for now, she wanted to return and make sure things were moving along smoothly.

@DawnAntalios @Sleipnir

~~~~~

Falarion gulped when Beth comforted him and quickly changed his behavior to what he hoped came across as confident. This woman just reminded him too much of some of the mothers that Leandra and Manjano had had in the past, plus Zoe had slapped some innocent bystander. This situation was feeling eerily like deja vu to Falarion and it put him on edge.

Sticking close to Beth's side, Falarion then casually jumped up onto the seat beside her at the table before quietly sitting down and observing the conversation. In this situation, it was probably going to be for the best if Falarion just kept quiet and tried really, really hard to stay focused and not get distracted. Must. Focus.

@zCrookedz @SilverFlight @Flutterby @Peaceswore

Lioness075 · Mar 30, 2016

While the others took the initiative upon meeting the rowdy Jean-Marc guy, Manjano hung to the back with Jimbo and simply observed everything unfolding with his arms crossed over his chest. Manjano wasn't overly keen about talking as it were, and according to his alias, he worked at an animal conservation center. Seeing as he wasn't about to start spouting any speeches, Manjano figured he could do the usual of blending in with the background and watching.

Listening to Raven, Kitsune and Jean-Marc's brief discussion, Manjano shook his head in a mixture of amusement and irritation. That fox sure was a firecracker and could potentially mess things up for the team if he kept at it. Luckily, Raven called the fox back and after some brief chastising, Kitsune quieted down. Good.

While Duik and Barry played off their DJ and makeup artist jobs exceptionally well, Manjano shifted his attention back to Jean-Marc just in time to see his eyes flicking about while the others continued to play off their fake jobs. That guy was definitely seeing things that none of their team could see. The file did mention something about unique glasses, but what was unique about them?

As Julia asked about the glasses, Manjano raised an eyebrow at her and then shifted his attention to Jean-Marc to see what his reaction would be. That was definitely a subtle way to approach the topic of his glasses. Would he give anything away, though?

When asked about his glasses, Jean-Marc's eyes immediately stopped flicking about, as they instantly focused on Julia, his gaze remaining steely while his expression continued to remain neutral so as to not give anything away. If he was surprised by the question or taken aback by the topic, he didn't give it away.

"Julia, is it? My glasses are custom-made. You can't find them on the market."

Without thinking twice about whether he'd given any information away that would be useful to the team, Jean-Marc then shifted his attention back to Duik in time to see Barry cleaning up the hyena for his DJing job. The kid seemed to know what he was doing, which was promising, at least. As long as Duik could rile up the crowd in a good way, Jean-Marc honestly didn't care how at this point.

Despite receiving an apology from both Raven and Kitsune, Jean-Marc simply nodded at the pair before moving on, "Whatever, just keep the fox on a tight leash, so to speak. If you're Duik's bodyguard then I'm sure you know how to handle yourself, Raven. I don't need to tell you how to do your own job."

Jean-Marc then quickly glanced in Bael's direction when he spoke before responding briefly, "I don't drink. As for non-alcoholic drinks, ask someone else. I only really drink bottled water."

Jean-Marc continued to keep his answers brief, as if he was constantly trying to move on to better things, as his eyes briefly flicked about before he seemed to return to reality and shift his attention towards Jimbo when the gorilla spoke to Manjano, his companion.

Manjano had tilted his head slightly to the side upon hearing and seeing Jean-Marc's reactions to everyone. He seemed content to let the group mingle back here with him while Duik did his thing, but he really wasn't giving a whole lot away. They already knew the glasses were unique so his answer didn't help too much unless someone tried to press him for more information. Problem was, Jean-Marc really didn't seem to want to give anything away. Everything he said was brief and vague.

When Jimbo nudged him in the shoulder and then began practically trash-talking the place, Manjano furrowed his brows at the gorilla and then decided to simply play along, as he shrugged in response. Would his lack of a response be more frustrating to the man as opposed to him actually saying anything? Manjano kinda hoped so since Jimbo seemed to be trying to irritate the man now.

Seeing Manjano's shrug in response, Jean-Marc pursed his lips for a moment while something seemed to briefly flash in his eyes, anger maybe, before he relaxed back into his neutral expression.

"I don't know what you two think of my club, but I'd best advise you keep your opinions to yourself when you're standing in front of the owner of the establishment."

Jean-Marc said this in an irked tone, that definitely hinted at Jimbo punching one of his buttons. He took a lot of pride in running his businesses and keeping them top of the line so a jab at them was sure to break his concentration and sour his calmness.

@zCrookedz @SilverFlight @Bolts @Kharmin @Bookworm0492 @Flutterby @Sleipnir

~~~~~

Luness remained poise and looked as regal as she could possibly force herself to be. She wasn't used to acting this way at all, instead she was normally very humble and preferred for Leandra to do all of the speaking. Alas, that wasn't entirely to be this time.

When Maximillion noticed their group's appearance, especially after the group got a bit more riled up, Luness continued to play her quiet and tough act, as she really had no idea what else to do as it were.

While the others focused on the gambling, which Luness certainly wasn't fond of, she shifted her attention over to Xiao when the girl brought drinks and then created a fiery concoction.

Tilting her head at this, Luness then grinned at Xiao before saying loudly, "Well, dear, you should've asked me to help you light any fires here. That is my specialty, after all. Though, I suppose you did a decent job of it yourself."

Winking at Xiao after saying this, Luness then looked back at the game in time to be pleasantly surprised by Ash's bet actually won.

Eyes wide, Luness then gasped before saying to Ash, "Well done, my dear. Winning as per usual, I see."

When Maximillion approached and commented on the gambling, Luness was tempted to tell the man Ash's name, but had overheard the others using different names. Should she give him a different one than Ash?

Before Luness could even try, though, Eos burst out and said Ash's name, thus ruining Luness' chance at giving her temporary companion a different one. That was no fun.

Resisting the urge to make a pouting face like Leandra often did when she didn't get her own way, Luness instead puffed herself up a bit, the feathers on her head even sticking up, before looking directly at Maximillion and saying, "My companion's name is Ash, as Eos here has already exclaimed. My name is Lune, as Ash said earlier. And to whom are we speaking to, dear?"

@zCrookedz @Peaceswore @DawnAntalios @andujarprime @SilverFlight @Epiphany @crucialstar

Bolts · Mar 30, 2016

Barry watched as Duik went up to set up all his gear. Although he seemed worried, Barry hoped he would focus on the music. It was hopefully a nice plan to get on Jean-Marc's good side. Barry started to think of a way he could get information out of him. His object was to fine the identities of the rouges as well as where they are held up. The concentration was apparent on his face as he stared off to where Duik was. Step one was simple enough. Make him at least like you enough to talk more than what he has been saying to the others. Step two was get the information. Easier said than done. While a simple and direct way of doing it would be to just snag the glasses right here right now, that would only lead to trouble. This was an undercover mission. They didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves. As he was thinking he turned to the others. It seemed Julia was taking the first stride to gaining some real information. Not a bad try but he didn't seem to enthusiastic about it. Raven and Kitsune had a little bump in the road. Luckily Raven was pretty good and smoothing over the problem.

That is when a devilish plan was formed in Barry's head. It made him sick just thinking about it, but surly it would be better than nothing. After all, he has had to do things like this before. The less you look like the type to buy things underground, the better it was to get away with it. [Step one:... write down on my note book to start conversation....

Step two:] He let out a quick sigh. [Step two: ask him about..buying someone for make up testings... and step three: get my foot in the door about his dirty little secrets.] With any luck, the guy can't read well past the glasses with all the information going on. Whether that leads to anything or not us up in the air. With any luck, Jean-Marc will lead him to the where about's of the rouges. All he had to do was wait for Duik's skills to impress him. Being Duik's partner would give Barry brownie points right?

He slipped the notebook out of his bag, contemplating on what to write. He made sure to make it seem natural so no bystanders would be interested in what he was writing.

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