tampered | Log: Ongoing

Log: Ongoing

When; Friday night
Rating; PG
Characters; Hei

contractorly and Isaak Fernand von Kampfer,

ordenmagier
Summary; ~~First date zura~~ Isaak takes an interest in Contractors, and invites Hei over for a glass of wine or two.

Log;

It wasn't often that the Magician would be interested in such things, but the extended period in the City had bored him incessantly. And to think, Mai, the lovely little girl who had modeled for him, was responsible for such a mess.

He had to admit, however, that it was a mess that he found himself enjoying. The overall chaos and the way citizens seemed so helpless had been a source of amusement for him, a minor enactment of the act that was to follow back in their world. There wasn't a terrible lot of fighting, but Isaak supposed that it should do.

Watching impassively as one of the faceless maids appeared, setting down two expensive bottles of wine retrieved from the cellar, Isaak removed a cigarillo, lighting it discreetly, and idly watching as preparations were made prior to the arrival of one of the Contractors he had taken a personal interest in. The answers he had gotten out of the man was intriguing, and he briefly wondered if he was truly as emotionless as he looked to be.

That would be quite entertaining now, wouldn't it?

Leaning back in the comfortable armchair, the Magician closed his eyes, a thin stream of smoke expelling from slightly parted lips. Cain had gone home for a while, and the Panzermagier found himself bored beyond all reason. Perhaps the meeting with Hei would yield something fruitful, but then again, as long as it passed the time, Isaak was not averse to a mere casual wine appreciation session or two.

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Alcohol was usually something out of the question for Hei. Normal protocol called for a strict adherence to to an anti-alcohol work environment, mostly because being intoxicated on the job could quite frankly cost one's life. And it would be astoundingly embarrassing if Hei had somehow attacked a poor unsuspecting tree rather than the intended target.

Now, unusual occasions called for unusual practices, which is exactly why he was about to enter the firehouse - it wasn't as if he didn't need a drink or two.

Hei wasn't so dumb to not be suspicious of the other's intentions. Years of experience under the Syndicate's thumb had been enough to teach him that such observation were warning lights of alternative motives. He would play it cool for now, tight-lipped so as to not reveal any unnecessary information.

Melusine's distant splashing had alerted Isaak to the arrival of his guest, and the Magician lazily opened his eyes. So he was finally here. Right on time, he supposed; and it really wasn't like he had anything better to do this evening.

Dismissing the maid, he rose when Hei entered, still impeccably dressed in the standard three-piece suit - there wasn't any need for the Orden uniform here, especially not when Mein Herr was currently not around.

A bow, a gentleman's faultless manners, and Isaak spoke, smooth baritone deliberately casual. The cigarillo was left slowly burning in its crystalline tray, the clove responsible for the sweet smoke that left a lingering scent in the large suite. Isaak had designed it all himself, furnishing it to suit his tastes. "Good evening, Hei. Your journey here wasn't much of an inconvenience, I hope?"

The maid bowed, head lowered, before disappearing through the side door that was concealed in shadow.

[[Assumed! Oh, and there's a mermaid in a giant, massive-ass tank in the parlor that Hei may or may not have seen. Yes. >3 Hubby-chan made her when he was bored ._.]]

The sight of the creature in the tank was enough to solidify Hei's suspicion. Scientists - as he assumed Isaak was - were always troublesome, poking and prodding that which they didn't understand. The scientists must have had an ~~orgasm~~ hay day upon the Gate's appearance, Hei mused to himself.

He didn't seem remotely interested in the mermaid or even Isaak for that matter. Though as much as it seemed rude, it was normal demeanor for him, that slack-eyed stare paired with his apathetic, nearly-lazy inclination of voice.

Not bothering to counter Isaak's act of propriety with his own, Hei got down to the point of answering his question.

"It wasn't any trouble."

"Have a seat," Isaak gestured, regarding him with gracefully concealed interest. Popping the cork off the Merlot, he continued, all manners. He wore it as a comfortable second skin, and it amused him all the more when unwitting customers and Orden members alike underestimated him for it. "It truly is a pleasure having you over tonight. None of my acquaintances fancy a glass of wine very much."

Dietrich, for one, got into hissy, petulant fits when Isaak dragged him out for wine-tasting; Cain got bored too quickly, and Radu was always off somewhere. Ah, it wasn't like he minded - or cared - too much, but there really was a limit as to how much one could drink before the wine had to be disposed of on account of oxidation.

"St Emilion's Chateau Teyssier," Isaak went on evenly, pouring the alcohol out into two crystalline glasses with the elegance of one that was more than used to these things. Perhaps their game would begin, and Isaak briefly wondered at how much he would get from the stoic young man before him. The questions he'd asked before had yielded interesting results, but they had merely been on the Network. Up close and personal was always the better option, especially for situations like these. "A personal favorite; unfortunately, it was hardly found, especially after Armageddon."

[ooc: .....just one, for once ._. A very pretty one. Hubby-chan needs a new hobby. Like poking wifey. ;.;]]

Hei didn't make a move to thank him, taking the offered seat with the same curtness that inflected his voice. Usually, he would have been more genial, perhaps offering more of his attention or at least the slight tug of a farce smile. The recent incidents were enough to sour his mood, which was exactly why he decided that maybe a drink or two wouldn't hurt.

"It's not my usual practice to drink, honestly."

As Isaak proceeded to pour the wine, Hei continued to regard the other critically - wondering to himself how much of that debonair demeanor was merely a show. However, his contemplation was cut short by what could be deemed a "trigger" word in his vocabulary -- Armageddon.

"...I would think you wouldn't be able to find anything after an Armageddon."

Edited 2007-12-03 01:37 (UTC)

Not minding the casual lack of courtesy one bit - really, he was used to worse - the Magician found the man's straightforward nature intriguing. It was easier to spot a lie for these kinds of people. Mostly.

Well aware of the other's eyes on him, but hardly minding at all, Isaak chuckled, and he set the bottle down neatly. Gesturing to the glasses pleasantly, he remarked. "I believe that our interpretation of Armageddon may be quite different from yours. Some may call it, perhaps, a beginning of a revolution."

Picking his own up, lazily swirling the liquid within, Isaak leaned back in his seat. He didn't know what kind of world the Contractors came from, but as far as he knew, no such things existed in his own world. His tone mild, he asked, "Have you eaten?"

[.....Innocent bystanders are friends, not food? :D? ... >3 Words, of course~! Can't have wifey being a test subject now, can we? Not healthy for a marriage. >D]

"Before I arrived," he replied, raising a hand toward the glass to follow Isaak's suit. B

By the smell alone, Hei could tell that the alcohol was far finer than that he shared with fellow soldiers that one-time back in South America. Quality didn't matter in the pits of war, just that the alcohol served it's purpose: drowning out the sorrows and scenes of warfare. Well, at least for him when he had been fully human.

"A revolution. Why would you call it that? I would think mass destruction and mayhem would signal the crumble of civilization. Wouldn't they be to worried about their own survival to care about some revolution?"

Edited 2007-12-03 02:39 (UTC)

Observing him absently, taking a sip of his wine, Isaak took his time to answer. This young man was a sharp one, and it was best not to leave too many clues for him to effectively solve. At least, not yet. Hei was one of the few who would most probably make his time in the City less boring, and that accounted for quite a bit. Even dealing with Abel Nightroad's occasional, assorted antics to aggravate his twin brother had gotten tedious.

"Which empire has not been built on the ashes of another empire that has been destroyed, Hei?" Another sip, carefully calculated words. "Rome, Persia, Greece. London. The United States. It's through the fires of war that civilizations are forged and born."

His tone was neutral, gaze on the rim of his glass, but Isaak was watching him. A brief pause, then. "In every civilization, there are visionaries who wish to usher in a new era, especially when society becomes hopelessly rotten. And behind these visionaries are devoted followers who will do what it takes."

Igne Natura Renovatur Integra.

[Oh man that's got to suck ;-; AND THANKS TO YOU I FINISHED WATCHING DTB. ♥ HEI IS MADE OF SO MUCH LOVE~]]

The wine tasted sour on his tongue.

It wasn't the alcohol itself, but the words that came from Isaak's mouth. Notably, visionaries and "to usher in a new era." If he was in another place and another time, Hei could very nearly convince himself that this was not the Panzermagier speaking but Amber.

Destroy the most populated city in the world for the sake of survival and revolution. Wasn't that right, Amber?

"An idealist, I assume?"

"Me?" Isaak shook his head, amused. "No." Not in the strictest sense of the word, not anymore. There were things to achieve, purposes of his own that he had to fulfill. The world meant very little - it meant cigars, wine, and the heady scent of too many books, all disposable. The motto Dietrich had so religiously adhered to was yet another mask; Isaak was not blind to Cain's main goals.

And for Cain, for himself, Isaak would cooperate as long as it did not get in the way of his own goals. It was the way the upper echelon on the RCO worked. The noble goal of revolution was merely a facade, yet another mask worn upon thousands.

"I'm but a dreamer, Hei." He drained his glass, taking his own time, a half smile tugging at the side of his lips. "Who will you be, a pragmatist, or an idealist in your own right?"

"Does pragmatism not run along the same lines as rationality?"

Hei had nearly said it, that automated response to those who sought to question him about his ideals, his dreams.

Contractors do not dream.

Sure, he was the wild card in the stack, the anomalaous BK-201 who's emotional capacity allowed him more freedom than that of the usual Contractor. Yet his dreams remained nonexistant; a fact that Hei kept and would continue to keep to himself, locked within his treasure trove of secrets. It wouldn't do to draw more attention, especially when Hei would have rather faded unnoticed admist the hustle and bustle of the city.

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Log: Ongoing

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