The MIB escorted Abe, and perhaps Tom, into the elevator.

"Do you have eyes on Sandstorm," the MIB asks no one in particular and then presses the 2 button. The infrastructure glass luxury vinyl floored elevator rose smoothly and quietly and soon the elevator bell jingles just before the doors opened on the second floor.

The music hit when the doors opened, surprising as the elevator had been quiet just a moment before. Some band was playing downstairs, they seemed pretty good. And the dance floor was teeming with people so you weren't the only one to think so.

There were a lot of people on the second floor too. In all states of enjoying themselves.

More women than not kept their eyes on Abe, some even said "hi." While others used more subtle means to show their interest and availability. And by the stares the guys next to some of these women gave him, it was clear that some of them actually were there with a date.

The MIB escorted you to Sparrow who was seated on her own at a table for four, nursing a glass of white wine. A disgruntled man was walking away from the table.

Abe noticed all the ladies noticing him.  He'd gotten little notice from the fairer sex before - marine or not.  This was very strange.  When he saw a man walking away from Sparrow dejectedly, he had to smile, though.

He approached her table and asked, "Would this be a good time for an apparently now-handsome guy to sit here and fend off the uncommitted?"

Sandstorm? Maybe that was some kind of code in the elevator. Tom commits it to memory in case he needs it later.

The music attracts Tom, and he takes a quick glance downstairs, wondering what the band's name is.

"You're a popular guy, Abe," he says with a grin as quite a number of people seemed quite fascinated by his friend. "I'll go hang out and listen to the band while you talk with Sparrow. Come over and get me if you need me."

Tom takes a seat at a table with a view down to the first floor, orders a Coke, and sits back to listen to the music.

When Tom and Abe split up, the MIB requested backup, and soon another one of them came to watch over Tom while the first one accompanied Abe to Sparrow.

Abe asked for an invitation to sit down at Sparrow's table.

"Please sit down Abe," Sparrow says and smiles. "Beauty is what we are. It has always been that way."

The MIB remains silent and close by.

"So are you guys done then? Or is there more for the others to do?"


Tom gets his coke quickly. Next to new Abe, he doesn't stand a chance with the ladies, but he was strong and fit. And he did have a "bodyguard" keeping an eye on him. All of which he can use to his advantage. And this is a target-rich environment. In more ways than one.

The band was good and they had an excellent guitarist

Abe took a seat with a smile.  "It will take some time for me to get used to that.  We are done with the Baron, but the two not here are down testing out their new abilities to see which clan they belong to."  He responded.

He thought for a second then asked, "Are there multiple varieties of Fae or are we homogenously beautiful and magical?"

"Do you use words like that in mixed company," Sparrow says. Though phrased like a question, it's a reminder that there are people all around them. And that you never know what can be overheard. She makes a long pause.

"My family has its eccentrics like any family, but not like the family of your new friends. But beauty is one of our family traits, we can't help it."

Abe was about to question just what level of discretion Sparrow expected when he realized that he had said the F word.  Instead, he reddened slightly.  "Won't happen again."  He said quietly.

He looked out over the crowd.  "So do you do family business full time, or do you have a private gig?  Or is it taboo to ask about that: keep the two separate?"  He asked.

"Very few members of my family live here. And I don't go home very often. But the community I live in is good to me. Your new friends included. And if you play your cards right, they may become very good clients for you."

Abe smiled.  Her words were encouraging to him.  He wasn't sure what was going to happen as far as the other guys were concerned, but so long as Tom's nature didn't compel him to kill Abe, it seemed like he had walked into a world of win.  "That is very good news.  Is mobility with this clientele going to be a concern?  I'd kind of like to return to college in the fall and finish my degree.  It doesn't all carry over to my new company but I feel like my two worlds will complement each other well and each help me to thrive in the other... acknowledging that as a student and relative youth in both, I've got a very limited perspective."

"You know how they like my kind of mobility," Sparrow says. "So if mobility isn't an issue for you, you should still be able to work as much as you have time for. What are you studying?"

The MIB who was watching Tom heads over to the elevator and a new MIB comes up the stairs to take his place.

The elevator door opens and Dean looks mountainous next to the foot shorter Pakistani female. They could have put two of her in Dean with room left over. You recognize her as one of the vampires in the garage. Next to her right foot, a pure white, short-haired chihuahua kept pace with her.

The dog turned more heads than Abe had done earlier, but this time with negative reactions. Dogs weren't allowed in the club. But the petite woman in a black leather tank top, black leather pants, and a black cloak held a motorcycle helmet in her hand didn't care what they were thinking. Instead, she strutted through as if she owned the place.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:56, Tue 12 Nov 2019.