Mark scowled at his watch. ::Where is that boy? How long does it take to take a lousy picture with a couple of tourists? Knowing Davy, he probably got stuck there taking pictures with half of New York. Playing kiss up to the mortals is all well and good, but sometimes he's just too nice.::
"Well, those are our standings for this quarter. There's a really nice little government contract up for grabs right now, and we're going to put in a bid for it, but the thing is, we're going to need a few more warm bodies to be able to handle the job. There is a strong possibility that most of the profit for the first year will be canceled out by all the new hires."
"I say, go for it anyway. A government contract is always a good reliable source of income, once you get them to start paying. Besides that, if ZauberCorp's techmages are good enough for the US government, then that's a hell of an endorsement. Other companies will be beating a path to the door at that point."
"That was my view, but I wanted to make sure all of you were on board first." Mark shot a quick glance at the door, and saw Davy come in with - friends? "Well, I believe that's it. If nobody else has a topic they want to bring to the table, I guess we can call this a night." He looked around at the silent table, and smiled. "That's it then. Good night, everyone." He gathered up his briefcase, and hurried over to his brother.
"Way to get out of the meeting, David," Mark hissed.
"Hey, sorry, but I got hung up. It's your fault for ditching me with those tourists. It took me forever to get away from those people, and then I tried rushing right over, and ran into these guys. Literally. They're from out of town too. I was hoping if I brought them dinner, they wouldn't sue me." He grinned. "This is Victor, Amy, and Shaper. Guys, this is my brother, Markkastanen. Mark for short."
Mark's eyes ran over the group appraisingly - and then settled on Shaper. A slow grin curved across his face, and he extended his hand. "Pleased to meet you."
Victor elbowed Shaper. "Watch out, Shape, I smell sexual predator," he whispered. He extended a gloved hand to Mark. "Pleased to meet you."
Shaper looked Mark over warily, decided he was something he could handle if it came to a fight, and shook the man's hand.
"Uhm... likewise..." he smirked shyly, and nicely, since he wasn't wearing his mask.
Mark's smile grew a bit wider. "Is it so bad being a sexual predator if I have willing prey?" He flashed a look at Victor. "You might wish to remember that we drakthae have very good ears. And very short tempers."
"That's alright. So do I." Victor smiled back.
Davy burst into a fit of coughing. "Um... yeah, anyway... so... what brings you guys to New York?"
Shaper blinked and looked at Mark. "A what? I thought you were like Amy... a vampire..." He scratched his silky black locks in confusion, and scowled adorably.
Amy giggled. "Oh... things... but right now, Davy promised us dinner... because I made him late to the meeting by well, a mutual running over of each other."
"Oh, hells, you didn't make me late - I was already late when I ran into you. And what kind of things?" Davy persisted, as he waved a hand to get the waiter's attention. "Maybe I can point you in the right direction."
Mark pulled over an extra chair, and sat down next to Shaper. "Drakthae," he said, "are a rather rare species of blood-drinking dark fae. The distinction is fairly obvious. First of all, we have wings. Secondly, unlike your friend there, we are very much alive. See?" Mark took Shaper's hand, and put it over his heart, grinning evilly. "Tell me, my friend, have you ever met a faery before?"
Shaper pulled his hand back and looked wary. "Uhm... yeah, but the ones I ran into cross-dressed and had lisps..."
Mark raised a brow at him. "I see..." Then he flashed an annoyed look at his little brother, who was unsuccessfully struggling to contain his laughter.
"And that," Davy snorted, "is what you get for hitting on my guests."
Mark shrugged. "The night is young, and he hasn't exactly run screaming yet - have you?" he asked, turning back toward Shaper with a smirk.
Victor bit his lip. This whole thing was amusing the hell out of him. Now if he could just keep from wisecracking, this might be helpful to them in the end. "Must not take straight line." He snorted, shaking his head, and turning his attention to the other "Drakthae." "Well I'm afraid Amy can't tell you what things we're looking for, since I haven't told her, and I'm really the one looking."
Shaper blinked, then blushed. "Oh poot... you're not THAT kind of fairy... are you...? And uhm... now I'm going to at the very least, get thwacked upside the head or something nasty and painful... aren't I?" The strange creature's face fell like a shattering mirror, going from an embarrassed blush to an adorably worried-looking pout in a few seconds flat.
Mark burst out laughing at Shaper's obvious discomfiture. "He's lovely... just perfect. If someone stuck a bow on him and left him under a Christmas tree for me, I would not be displeased." Then his laughter subsided to a smirk. "And if it's nasty and painful you want, my pretty little friend, I'll give it to you... but you'll have to beg for it first."
"Mark!" Davy hissed disapprovingly. "Will you please leave him alone? Gods above, you're making me sick!"
"What?" Mark smiled back, innocent as could be. Or at least, as innocently as he could manage. "I've done absolutely nothing wrong. And look, here's our waiter. Nothing for me thank you, besides a glass of the house wine." He looked at Shaper again. "What I want isn't on the menu."
Davy sighed and rolled his eyes.
Victor made a face. "Could you be a little less... obvious? In front of me at least? I mean, mind the baby!" He waved a vague hand at Amy and looked around for 'No Smoking' signs, tapping his pack against his leg.
"I'm sorry, did you have plans for Shaper yourself?" Mark asked sweetly. "Chaos forbid I should trespass on another man's territory. I assumed you were with the young lady."
"No," Victor said, eyes grey and very narrow. He knew that there was nothing he could do or say that would frighten this guy, per se - but hurt... yeah, he could probably do that.
Amy laughed, fully understanding what was going on, and smirked. Poor Shaper had NO idea Mark was hitting on him, and likely, the poor thing would fall right into that.
"Uhm, I think wine, and something light, like soup will do for me."
Shaper blinked at Mark. "No thanks... I react badly to pain... in fact, last thing that hurt me... I torn into little bits, and ate parts of. So no... pain is BAD." He looked up at the waiter, then the menu. Thank GOD he could read Earth common as well as Altarian.
Mark chuckled again. "I can't remember the last time I met such an innocent. How refreshing."
Davy shot him a look. "Good luck with him staying that way with you around... I think I'll have the steak. Rare. And the wine sounds good."
"Ahem... he'll have a Coke," Mark interrupted. "You're an asshole when you drink."
"Dammit, Mark - a single glass of wine doesn't constitute a binge. And at least I'm an asshole only when I'm drunk. What's your excuse?" The siblings glared at each other for a long moment.
"Your order, sir?" inquired the waiter again.
"Wine," Davy snapped sullenly, before Mark could say anything else. Mark merely shrugged, and turned back to the others with a long-suffering sigh.
"Be that way. I'm only looking out for your best interests."
Davy snorted. "Right. Of course. Like always."
The waiter looked at Victor and Shaper.
"Anything you want, guys, don't be shy." Davy said it brightly enough, but he was still giving Mark dirty looks all the while. Mark ignored him, his eyes busy wandering over Shaper again.
"I'm not sure, steak does sound good," Victor said, propping his chin on his hands. "But I'll have to just go with water, I want to be sober to see what he thinks is being an asshole."
Shaper blushed, and it was just as adorable as the pout. "Uhm... beer, ale... mead... whatever... and uhm... steak as well, rare... REALLY rare... hellfires, just bring in the cow, I'll cut off what I want, and ride the rest home...." And the sharp-toothed smirk told the waiter he was fairly serious too.
Mark sighed. "A boy after my own heart."
Davy rolled his eyes again. "He'd never find it. I'm not convinced you have one. And for the record, I'm not going to be an asshole. I'm having one glass of wine, one." He raised a finger for emphasis. "Can't anybody ever cut me a break?"
Shaper looked at Mark, horrified. "You haven't got a heart...?" He blinked. "Eewww... that's weird. But then, I'm not sure I even have a living soul... so we're even." He managed a smile. Yup, he'd started to fall for Mark's wonderful charms at last.
Mark glared at Davy for a moment. "Ignore my little brother. He's half convinced that I'm some sort of monster." Then he gave Shaper a charming smile. "I did have a heart, last I checked, but if it's gone missing, it must be on account that you have stolen it away."
"And if you believe that one, I have a jackalope in my garage to sell you..." Davy muttered under his breath.
"Another word out of you, and I swear, I will snap your neck. Father only said I had to keep you alive and away from the Sidhe; he never specified in what state," Mark whispered back, harshly.
Davy winced a bit, and dropped his eyes. "Sorry."
Mark turned back to Shaper, all smiles. "Right. Sorry about that. Now where was I?"
Victor smiled amiably at Davy. "So, will your brother leave my friend in more or less one piece? Because I can go off on my own to find what we need and chances are, it'll probably be quicker and safer than taking Shaper with me." He paused and thought for a moment. Amy had been up for days. "Ah... it's it imperative that Shaper leave your brother in one piece?"
Davy shrugged. "Damned if I know. I'm not inclined to ask questions about my brother's love life." He glanced over a Mark and Shaper and shuddered. "Such that it is. As for your second question - I'd laugh my ass off if your 'sweet little innocent' friend put my brother in his place. So no, it's not imperative for him to stay in one piece - although we do kinda need him to be alive and functional by Monday morning."
The blond vampire sighed. Hopefully if Mark was that distracted by Shaper, he wouldn't think of things for Davy to do over the weekend, thereby giving him an entire weekend to spend time with Iolanthe. Gee, helping these guys out was bringing him all kinds of good karma. Grinning suddenly he asked, "Sure you don't need a hand finding what you're looking for? New York's a big place."
Victor nodded. "Yeah, I'm from Neo York originally, but things change." He received his drink and grinned at Davy. "Shape's less innocent than you'd think." He thought for a moment. "But yeah, you might be able to help me."
Shaper and Amy both looked up, and towards the windows. Shaper's nose twitched, as if he was scenting the air. Amy sighed, and popped the mask off her face, handing it over to Shaper with a small smile. Shaper clipped it to his belt by its chain, and hung the mask at his hip. No sense letting the thing scare Mark or Davy every time he smiled. Besides, he MIGHT want to use it later, if Mark got... too spooky with him.
Amy smiled, and sighed again, fluffed her hair, and looked at Victor to change her order for her. After all, without the mask, solid food was a BIG no-no for her.
Davy sipped at his wine, as he watched Amy pass the mask back to Shaper, and then cocked his head to one side inquisitively. Mark sighed. I know that look. This is the part where he drives everyone mad with his continual questions. He's like a Chaos-damned three-year-old.
"NEO York? Where's that? - Hey, it's a mask - I couldn't really tell before. What does it do? Is it magic-based? Can I get a look at it? Well, maybe I shouldn't touch it - "
Mark rolled his eyes. Granted, he was as curious as the next magic-user, but enough, already. Of course, Davy's brand of charming boyish naiveté often worked surprisingly well in situations like these. But still... he didn't want to waste half the night chitchatting, even if it was about magic. He wondered what Shaper would do if he simply grabbed him and translocated them both the hell out of here. Hmmm... well, I suppose I ought to at least let him eat first. The boy will need his strength. The slow wicked smile spread across his face again.
Amy couldn't talk anymore, without the mask, she was rendered mute again. Shaper sighed, and looked at Davy.
"It's a VERY special mask. And it's not... really magic based... unless you consider it has a demon as well as... well, I THINK my soul inside it. And it keeps me from dying... among other wondrous helpful things it does, like grants poor mute Amy the power of speech, and the ability to daywalk like a human can." Shaper looked at Mark, smiled sheepishly, and shrugged... then when Victor wasn't looking leaned over, and whispered in his ear.
"Psst... if you want a more... up close and personal look at my toys later... Victor and Amy are ditching me... so uhm... we can go play at your place. As I haven't one of my own yet."
Mark's eyebrows shot up. He wasn't quite expecting such bold turn from the formerly coy Risen. "Oh, ahem... of course." He picked up his wine glass again.
"Brilliant Shaper. Just brilliant," moaned Victor, rubbing his temples. Then he looked up and smiled at Davy. "Beg your pardon?"
Shaper turned a shark-like grin on Victor. "Ok Warden, I promise NOT to do anything that'd make your lily-white morals curl up and die." He chuckled.
"Now don't go making promises you can't keep, lovely," Mark murmured. "Perhaps it would be wiser simply to promise not to tell him what we do?"
Davy sighed. "Yes, please, keep that to yourselves, thank you very much." Then he started to repeat himself to Victor, but stopped, grinning. "Oh, food's here! I'll have to pester you with questions later. "
"You can ask me all the questions you want," he said, accepting his plate from the waiter and turning it around on the table until he liked its position. "But I can't guarantee any answers, alright?"
"Fair enough," Davy replied, smiling.
