The Unsettling City (under new management)

[Ixor Firebadger]

Hat-tori

"I cannot begin to say how incredibly inconvenient this is."

"Well, sir, we haven't formally started filming yet."

"She has a contract! I looked it over this morning. Honestly, she wants to be in show business..." Another look from his luitenant... "Very well. I will, as you say, 'cut her some slack'. However, there's been a change in management, and she deserves to meet me. At the very least. Hand me Sarl's phone." A cellphone was placed into a silk-gloved hand. "Ah, as I thought." he mumbled, fingers moving rapidly.

'Kat,

It should come to your knowledge that Sarl O'harl has been very much indisposed from the tragic series of combat with the Blackguard. In an effort to help him recover, his soulstone has been placed in an area of security, and I have been left in charge. I would like to meet you as soon as possible - recent events may culminate in a reworking of your contract for better or worse.'

Kat frowns at the text she'd receives from her apparent new boss. Reworking her contract? For better or worse? That did not sound promising. It sounded an awful lot like this guy, or she supposed it could be a female, was only out for their own designs. For once, Kat was suspicious, and not sure she wanted to jump into this blind. Were Isaac and Elliot too busy to look into this with her? Well, if they were, she could always go to Terrence, she was sure. He was plenty careful. Surely he wouldn't let her sign anything suspect.

Well, maybe she didn't need anyone. Only if the new owner insisted that her contract actually change.

Congratulations, she texts back. I can see needing to remake the agreement between the two of us, but why does my contract need to change?

[Hat-tori]

His fingers flew again:

'Simply put, times are changing. You may be more well-put in other areas, or you may need to focus on work here. It is up to you, naturally. Between your training and film making, I mean.'

He hated to put up a choice, but if he wanted those films to come out with any sense of timing, he'd need them done as soon as possible. Furthermore, he needed to meet her, plain and simple. Sarl had spoke of her as being similar to Elliot if a lot more rash, which meant, at the least, he could manipulate her.

'I will be expecting you later today. Come at your own convenience.'

[Katheryna Orion Paendrag]

Kat frowns at her phone and tugs at one of her pigtails, chewing her lower lip. She'd been reprimanded for signing the first contract so hastily and...well...perhaps her family had been right. If she'd learned one thing from Sarl, it was that Seducers couldn't be trusted. Even Rachel had turned out to be a liar and schemer, even if she had been forced into it.

Kat gets up and starts to wander the house, suddenly wanting for company. She'd go see this new manager, but for once, she wasn't sure she wanted to go by herself...

[Kuro Ryuu Hime]

(( sorry i've been so quiet the past few days, everyone. been reading a new book since Thursday and only really have Gaia up so i won't have tons of stuff to backread through at once when i'm done. ...just figured i should say something so no one begins to wonder or anything like that. ))

[AnCatDubh]

CRACK! The sound of a rack of billiard balls being broken up gives Kat a good clue as to where at least one person is that she might seek out to go along. Isaac frowns at the poor break he'd just made. He knows he could do better than that, but perhaps it's just because he's been a bit out of practice.

Terrence is out back watching some of the orphans at play and making sure things don't get too out of hand.

[Katheryna Orion Paendrag]

Isaac is the first person Kat would likely run across and, while a part of her wanted Terrence there, Isaac was probably her best bet. Terrence was smart. Isaac was...Shrewd.

She hesitantly sticks her head in and slips inside the room. She certainly looks like something was on her mind, but she suddenly seemed to have lost her nerve...

[AnCatDubh]

Kat gets peered at by the felid while he's lining up his next shot. "You look like you've got something to ask," he comments, his tail flicking out of mild annoyance at the lack of any decent shots.

[Katheryna Orion Paendrag]

Kat shifts uncomfortably. "Isaac....do you...know anything about what's happened to Sarl since...since everything happened?" she asks. She felt a little like all this was well over her head. In any case, for so many different reasons, it was simply a painful topic for her. There was a still a war going on out there and that was uncomfortable enough for anyone. Kat had shown herself to have a lot less stomach for the results of the violence than most, though.

In explanation, she hands him her phone and lets the mage read over the exchange from the film company's new manager.

[AnCatDubh]

Isaac waits until after reading through the message on Kat's phone before saying, "Sarl has been somehow sealed within his soulstone. Whatever enchantment that's blocking her from rejuvenating is so far resisting any attempts to undo it." He shrugs a little bit before addressing the issue on the phone, "Anyway, I'm not liking this either/or business. I take it wish for me to come along to this meeting?"

[Katheryna Orion Paendrag]

Kat nibbles her lower lip again and nods, sheepishly, before that stubborn look returns. "Not that I'm scared or I can't take care of myself or anything but another set of eyes wouldn't be a bad idea." Some of the bravado seems to leave her voice towards the end of that statement and she silently kicked herself for being so indecisive.

[AnCatDubh]

It does earn her a sigh and a roll of the eyes for her bravado and it's weakening. "Very well," he says, "Just let me know when you want to go. Perhaps some of those contact lenses wouldn't be a bad idea, either..."

[Katheryna Orion Paendrag]

"Um...well...I guess anytime..." she shrugs.

[AnCatDubh]

"Mmf...may as well go now and get it out of the way," he states, setting the pool cue back in the rack. First off was getting a couple sets of those contact lenses. Nodding at Kat to follow him, he heads off to get a pair for her and himself. El, going off to meet with the new head of Sarl's movie project, he sends to her.

[Katheryna Orion Paendrag]

Um...alright... Elliot seemed a bit confused but dismissive.

"These come in different colors?" Kat quips, pursing her lips and getting the contacts put in her eyes. Once they get to Haven, Kat leads Isaac off to what had once been Sarl's office, wondering what she'd find there now. Her trepidation grew the closer they got.

[Hat-tori]

The office was the same as always.

However, someone new sat in Sarl's place, a young... very young man. He smiled, though it didn't seem genuine. "What a pleasure - Isaac as well as Kat." he said, dropping from his seat to walk around to her. His dress was more regal than formal. "A pleasure to meet you - I am Alan Dellan. Please call me Al." he said, extending his hand. To anyone wearing contacts of anti-illusory work, he was layered in a thick mist of illusion. His form - boyish and young as it was - was his real shape, and his clothing was real as well. However, what he was creating illusions of wasn't readily apparent.