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 Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:47 am
Lai caught the smile Lokiari got on her face, and though he wasn't sure if it was for him, it didn't stop the small bubble of confidence in his chest from growing at the expression. If she was smiling at him or for his knowledge, he felt good about it. He had done something right and now he was already feeling like this mission would be just that easier. At her words of not taking offense, he smiled back lightly, the heat, humidity, and overabundance of dust being to wear on him. He really was a northerner, but he nodded, making a note to respect her wishes about what to address her as.
The Russian looked to the man at his side as Lokiari addressed him. He should hope they weren't to be shot on the spot! The Indian Don had called them, hadn't he? It'd be a waste of time and not exactly bright to gun down the ones you sent for! At least, that was what Lai figured. The Don would have armed lackeys, and the idea of that made him uneasy, though he was sure even a minor slip of the tongue wouldn't get him blasted. The laugh at the end of Lokiari's message about not screwing up didn't help that uneasiness. He'd do his best not to mess up, but given his luck in the past? Ehh....He'd tread lightly, even with his schooling. There was some relief with the words that if they failed he and Einar wouldn't be blamed, but given this was his first mission for the organization, he wanted to start off with a good report back.
As the doors opened and Lokiari strode through them, Lai took a glance at his companion. Which would tread first behind her? He had a feeling the other would want to be in the last place position, so after turning back towards the door the Russian followed after. At that indication he nodded, crossing over and standing on Lokiari's right. Once they passed through the doors, Lai could feel some relief and a slight temperature change in the shade, and it was good.
". . . ." The walk was long and felt like it took forever, but Lai assumed it was like in medieval times, where the important people were kept deep within the castle walls where they would be hardest to locate and therefore even more protected. His head turned towards the woman on his left as she spoke, nodding to the information he was given.
Crimson Captain, Crimson Captain. Crimson. Captain. Don't forget that.
Lai cleared his throat, feeling rather hoarse and nervous as the doors to the chamber opened. As the group walked in, he made sure to take as much of the room in as possible. Should deliberations cease for whatever reason, he might be able to buy some time with idle chatter about the finery along the walls, on the Don's desk, and the man's own person. As they were addressed by the man of higher power, Lai nodded once, keeping his tongue between his teeth. Yes, he was addressed, but in generalities. Answering that could be considered speaking out of turn, and he didn't want to face repercussions so soon. With the offer of a seat, he bundled what confidence he had since it had grown outside, and strode up to the desk and one of the two chairs. His head was raised as he walked, but once he was steps away from the seat and desk, Lai put his humbleness on instead, and politely bowed to the mafia boss and uttered a soft 'thank you' before calmly sitting down.
There, he was set. Slick as ice. Now for the blond man...
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:59 am
I'm well aware of where they're from - which is why I said I didn't want to deal with them.
Of course, mumbling to oneself in the head when irritated and reminded of things you were already ware of seemed to be a good stress reliever, and it also served to keep the mouth shut when someone new approached and the Norwegian woman took the lead in speaking and whatever else she had to be doing.
Einar was impressed with everything, from the surroundings that they made their way through, to the sounds of the door opening and the colors of the people dressed inside. It'd been only god knows how long since he'd actually gotten to do something diplomatic that didn't involve a shotgun in someone's face or a flamethrower or even some form of a really mean note. To the blond man, this could even be considered relaxing, you know, minus the fact they were in the presence of a Mafia Don.
When they'd all entered and the man had started to speak, Einar watched Lai tip his head in a bow and for a brief moment he wondered if he should bow as well. They were, after all, here only as the escorts for the woman before him that was clearly being ignored ( if the glasses were to mean anything ). Yet, Einar felt no need to tilt his head, no desire to try and prostrate himself even if it meant irritating someone else in their culture. Instead he offered a smile and turned to Lokiari, his mouth opening and his words coming out in their native tongue.
"I take it then, I should sit down in your place? Or would you rather sit since neither myself nor the Russian could probably negotiate nearly as well?"
His speaking was short and sweet, said quickly so as to not seem like they were gossiping about things, but more or less a way to try and act like one of Lokiari's 'men' did not speak English well and would probably be useless.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:21 am
The Norwegian woman wasn't sure if Lai's play was a show of true genious in the realm of politics or his overall meekness and lack of self confidence, but whatever it was, it looked as if it had worked as the Mafia Don puffed up just a little bit at the sign of acknowldgement he received from the Russian. Since the woman had not been included in the gesture, she took a step back and placed herself in a position of wary observance as opposed to leader, wanting to see how the two recruits handled themselves, but also wanting to be close enough that should anything go wrong...she could handle the situation and fix it as well as it could be fixed. Briefly, while Lai took his seat and Einar stood still, Lokiari had the time to ponder on what exactly Lai had done prior to coming to LOTUS. Had he perhaps had more training then his file suggested? Either way, he was now a person of interest on her list and she intended on looking after how he progressed as time went on. Perhaps someday he would be in her shoes, leading a team of his own...
At the familiar sound interrupting her thoughts, Lokiari's eyes narrowed as her head snapped in Einar's direction and the thought flitted through her mind, "Is the man half deaf as he is half blind?" In her opinion, it had been made quite clear the Don would be primarily dealing with the men and not with her. Perhaps she should have made it clearer that they were there to gather intel...and not to upset the local leaders? Then again, the woman was fairly certain she had made that obvious. Well, really, there was nothing left for her to do but take notes on the two men before her for Wraith...and hope they didn't entirely screw things up for her. And so, the woman quickly, but quietly responded in a succinct manner, "You were invited to sit, so you sit and do your job."
With that, the woman's broad shoulders rose in a shrug, she had known from the get go it was unlikely she would be too involved in the mission aside from standby and occasional interjections and it certainly didn't bother her to do so. As the Mafia Don leaned forward, clearly intent on what the two Norwegians were saying, the woman once more drew her attention back towards him, hoping that Einar would get the hint and take his own seat where he'd been invited to sit. The thought touched the woman's mind that maybe it had not been her wisest move to pick the man for the mission primarily on his military record. But that was neither here nor there, and she truly had nothing left to do but watch as things played out.
While the Mafia Don enjoyed the Russian for his humble attitude and the way he clearly understood the relationship between the two. The Don was the master and the Russian...was simply not. His companion, however, not only refused his invitation but also insulted him by showing no humble attitude and, in fact, referring to the woman as if she were in charge fo things. In the mind of the man who owned the room the trio were in, this was not the way one should behave, and as a vein began to pop out on his brow in his typical way of showing he was not pleased with the situation and growing angry, he casually leaned forward as he steepled his fingertips together atop the table and cleared his throat. "If the two of you are done talking, I believe we had business to discuss?"
Slowly, one dark eyebrow rose as he once more indicated the chair before him with the glass placed neatly before it and began again, "I placed a request with LOTUS for assistance in this matter, because a little bird informed me our interests could be...similar, perhaps, in this matter." A small unpleasant smile came to the man's lips as he added, "In this case, I believe my information may be more valuable to you than your information could be for me. So what have you for...trade in this matter?" While the Don had called LOTUS for help in dealing with the Crimson Captain and the problems the pirate was causing for his own monetary gains, he would not willingly give up all of his information if there was something that could be gained from the matter to aid his hand.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:56 am
It wasn't true genius with politics and it wasn't his overall meekness that had him put on such a humble display; Lai just knew when you were talking to the head of something, especially an underground crime sector, you show respect sprinkled with caution. Now that he was sitting, though, he felt better, turning his attention towards the glass in front of him. Alcohol no doubt, and he really hoped he wouldn't have to drink it. Last thing this mission needed was him tossing that and the contents of his stomach up on the Don's desk, floor, and himself. Instead of touch the glass the Russian folded his hands neatly into his lap, biting the inside of his lip as he waited for the other man to approach.
. . .Well?!
There were no footsteps, and it took some hardship to not to turn around and look behind the offered seat. Where was the male Norwegian? What the hell was he waiting for? Did he want to anger this man? Too late for that last question as Lai saw the vein starting to tick in the Don's head. If he were to get really mad, the Russian would be the closest and more than likely first to get shot at or manhandled. Lai tried to look calm in light of this, but Einar was not winning any points in his book for this. Was he stubborn about showing respect where it was due, or was he just slow on the uptake or following another's lead? He had no time to focus on such questions, body straightening as the man of higher power began to speak.
And what he heard the man say made his stomach clench in worry. That, the offering and trading something to the man, had not been addressed on the flight or drive to this place, so Lai was at a loss. He kept a cool face on, but inside was panicking. He knew his own skills, but not the ones that belonged to the others, but either way he doubted they could be used to garner information. Something temporary for something that could be used over and over again wasn't fair, and Lai knew the Don knew that quite well. He held his tongue. Maybe Einar's standing back will prove useful and allow a quick pass of information from Lokiari to him. Something to keep them out of the hole and start this meeting off without too much of a bump.
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Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:19 pm
"I'm afraid I must beg your forgiveness in my rudeness sir, I was just unsure if I was able to join you in your conversation. I am but a humble soldier willing to serve, and was uncertain if I truly had a place before you, even though you had kindly offered."
Einar may be rude, but he wasn't stupid. He'd seen how the Don had reacted towards Lai, and then the silent but obvious rage towards him since he had not repeated the action, so he figured the best way out may have been to downplay himself as nothing but a meat puppet fit for action. The desire to not bow had sort of fizzled out when he remember that bullets do indeed hurt, even though his pain tolerance was nearly off the chart, so this was his better interest.
He placed a hand over his heart, palm slightly outward to show it was not in his possession entirely should the Don wish it, and he bowed his head deeply to indicate he really did wish to be forgiven. After the bow was complete he moved swiftly and silently in the chair, keeping his chin down with his eye occasionally moving towards the Don's face. He knew many people would find it rude to look directly into their eyes, or at their face, if they found themselves superior to those they were speaking with.
" . . . . "
About what they would offer in return, Einar hadn't seen Lokiari carrying anything with her and he sure as hell had nothing to give up. He could always provide information on his nation, but wouldn't that be selling them out? This Don, powerful as he was, could not stop Norway. Not with this level of technology. Oh well, what the hell. Nothing could hurt, and the man probably hated him as it was already.
"The value of our information should only be determined after it has been presented, do you not agree? You may puff how important you are to us, when sir, you are the one who called us to aide you. Surely then, you must find what we have to offer much more than you are saying. If we are to work together, honored as we are by your offer, in ridding you of this problem of the Crimson Captain we must find the power of our words to weigh the same . . . if only for now."
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Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 1:02 am
Lokiari had to fight hard the pride she felt at Lai and how he was handling himself. She was sure he couldn't be as calm as he looked, since as far as she knew he had little experience in situations remotely similar to this, yet he gave off an air of calm that was only marred by the tenseness of his back. Not wanting him to feel entirely alone, Lokiari scooted behind him and allowed one hand to touch his back, near his shoulder blade, to remind him that he was not alone and she would not allow him to come to harm. The Norwegian was fond of this Russian, though they had only just met and she would do everything she could to protect him. Now and on any mission thereafter. Besides, she had a gut feeling Wraith had plans for the young man. With training he would be a phenomenal diplomat.
Einar could fend for himself, or so she assumed. She had read much of his file and knew that he had been a military man before time split. Some of the training would kick in if things went badly, though she could see clearly he was not accustomed to diplomacy on any level. Had Norway really been that bad off in his future? She wanted to shudder at the thought, but moved her stance into one of ease as her hand fell away from the Russian's back and Einar moved to take a seat. While she had intended on muttering something to him in Norwegian for him to use with the Don, he spoke fluently to the man in an almost patronizing manner. She was hard pressed to not wince as her eyes stared into the back of the man's head. Was he truly this dense? Maybe it was just a ploy, to seem useless?
With a small sigh that she was fairly sure no one would hear she stepped to Lai's side, and stood in a stance that said he was the boss and the Don should be speaking to him. If Lai asked anything of her, she would behave as a servant or page and speak only when spoken to. The Don, however, would likely not address her at all, though he did nod approvingly when she stood like a servant to her master. His eyes focused on the Russian, as well, though the vein in his forehead continued to tick as the men behind him stepped forward to glare at the Norwegian male. It was clear he did not appreciate the tone he was being spoken to with, but there was nothing Lokiari could do about it anyway. The ball had already been set in motion, all she could do was watch and hope for the best.
The Don leaned forward and clasped his hands together atop the desk as he licked his lips, his dark eyes once again flicking between the two men before focusing intensely on Lai, "You are the boss, I presume?"
Lokiari quietly raised one hand to rest on the top of Lai's chair and tapped his back with one long finger, hoping he would get the message to say yes. When he cleared his throat and nodded, giving a single word in affirmation she breathed another small sigh of relief. The man understood, at least they had a basic form of communication between them now and so she kept her hand there and allowed her body language to seem simply as if she cared deeply for the man and that was why she was so familiar with him before other men. The Don's lips curled into a smirk as he saw how she moved, and she could see the approval deep in his eyes. She was a tall woman and the Don knew she was likely strong to be allowed in a meeting with men, the fact that Lai would have her at his side only improved his image in the Don's mind. He had a strong, beautiful woman who he was undoubtedly bedding and that pleased the Don greatly. At least one of the two men had some sense!
The Don, however, let the silence ring between the three of them, not indicating he had listened to what Einar said and focused only on Lai. With no prompting the man said, with barely a stutter, "We heard you might have information on the Crimson Captain?" Again Lokiari felt proud of the man and was delighted he was apparently catching on to the game at hand.
The man before them leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers together before his face as he considered Lai and the value of telling them about the Crimson Captain. They could, perhaps, solve a problem he had with the pirate and his pillaging within the Don's borders. Or, they could side with the man and he would gain nothing. He had clearly hoped they might indicate how badly they wanted to find this Crimson Captain when he suggested a trade of information. But they had not. All he knew was that they cared enough for the intel to come to India to meet with him in his own territory. This told him that the Crimson Captain was important, perhaps more important than the two before him knew.
If this was true, though, and the man's eyes narrowed just a little at the thought, had two lackies been sent to speak with him when he warranted someone of higher rank? The Norwegian male he was certain was just a dumb soldier - he didn't behave as a diplomat ought to. The Russian, however, intrigued him. He did have some diplomatic qualities to him. And so he decided that perhaps he could trust the man to honor any word he might make here today.
"The Crimson Captain has been defiling my borders with his pillaging and plundering. I want him to stop."
The large man's shoulders shrugged as he leaned forward to grasp the glass he had filled with liquor as he raised it to his lips for a sip, "I don't really care how he is stopped so long as he is."
Before the Norwegian could say anything about how the Don was the head of a large, prominent mafia he continued after he set the glass back onto the table top, "I have heard a certain Wraith Sian has been looking for this Crimson Captain. So I put the word out that I had news of the filthy pirate." Here he gestured to the two before him, "And now you two come to meet with me. I can safely assume you are here from Wraith Sian, can I not?"
Another prod from Lokiari had Lai nodding, "Yes, we were sent by Wraith Sian to gather intel on the Crimson Captain. What news do you have for us?"
The Don sighed just a little, he was clearly not going to get any bonus for the information. Not yet, anyway, so he waved dismissively, "Last I heard he was somewhere between Navi Surat and Mumbai. Looking for a doctor who could cure some problem his sister has." With a twinkle in his eye he leaned forward, "And that is all the intel I have for you without something in return. I want you to take care of this problem for me, no more Crimson Captain on the coasts of India without permission from the Indian Dons."
Lokiari hoped Lai would just agree to the Don's terms, but he was too honest for that and shook his head, "We cannot guarantee that term, Don." She knew he was right in part to not agree to it, but still, with some finangling perhaps they could have gotten more details on the Crimson Captain.
With a wave of his hand toward the door, the Don effectively dismissed them. "Without that guarantee, I will give you no more information. Somewhere between the cities of Navi Surat and Mumbai is all you shall get." He paused, as his men stepped forward to usher them out, "Tell your Wraith Sian that he is no longer wanted within the politics here." For without that guarantee, the Don had truly gained nothing by telling them anything. Wraith Sian had not come through for the Don as far as he was concerned, though he secretly hoped they might solve the problem anyway. Even if this Russian didn't know it, Wraith Sian had wanted badly to get this intel. It was a pity they wouldn't pay well for it.
The Don's men stepped forward and ushered Lokiari, Lai and Einar out the door to their waiting car. They drove back to the plane in silence and the plane ride itself was full of an awkward silence as Moira had not returned. Instead the man who had been with her had returned with a written note stating she was returning home. How she would get there Lokiari did not know. All she knew was that while they had gotten some intel, the mission was a partial failure in her mind. She had lost Moira and had not gained detailed information on the Crimson Captain.
Wraith would not be happy with her when he found out. But at least Lai had proven himself a worthy Recruit. That made her happy.MISSION: KINDA ACCOMPLISHED
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