Titles are hard

[rianofski]

When; December 21st, evening.
Rating; PG-13 for drunkenness and bad capitalism innuendo?
Characters; Andrew Ryan (rianofski) & Isaak Sirko (defies_reason)
Summary; Andrew and Isaak have decided to have drinks together and converse. Because they find that they actually have some things in common. Who would have thought it?
Log;

It wasn't often that Andrew met someone he could actually talk to for any extended period of time. Oh, there were certainly people around the city who were good for a distraction, who could occasionally amuse him, but he had always been picky -- and elitist -- and having a drink with just anybody wasn't his style.

So when he and Isaak decided to have drinks together, he was slightly skeptical, despite the fact that he'd found Isaak's conversation enjoyable so far. Sitting in the bar, waiting for the other man to show up, he ordered himself a drink. Alcohol could only make the evening more interesting, after all.

Comments

[rianofski]

"You'll find no lack of company here, if you intend to seek it out."

And not just sexual or romantic company. Despite his best efforts to avoid people entirely in his time in the City, he'd found that some of them were even worth talking to. While he wouldn't call them friends, not really, he got along with them better than he did with anyone at home. Not that that was particularly difficult.

[defies_reason]

"It is a strangely friendly place. Someone I spoke with suggested it's the Network, creating a false intimacy."

Isaak's not antisocial, but he's not the sort of man who relates well to others. It is, he suspects, something the two of them share, ironic as that is.

[rianofski]

"Perhaps it is, though intimacy isn't precisely what I'm looking for."

It never has been, but Isaak would be right in guessing that he relates well to other people, at least outwardly. He's very good at nodding along and following a conversation, all the while thinking that the other person is a blathering idiot. He's relieved to find that he doesn't have to pretend like that with Isaak -- no, the man is interesting, and that is a trait he has a difficult time finding in others.

He drains his drink again, turns the glass in his hand absentmindedly, then sets it on the table. "Would I be incredibly beyond forgiveness if I were to ask you how old you were?"

Curiosity is often what drives him, though he never wants to appear rude. Not unless he has to.

[defies_reason]

"Forty eight."

He isn't terribly vain, but he's in good enough shape for his age, all considered, and so he has no qualms about answering. Honestly he finds the pattern of questions people ask here as interesting as he expects the answers must be, particularly the innocuous ones.

"How old are you, Andrew?"

[rianofski]

"Older than that."

Andrew knows he looks good for his age, knows that most people wouldn't guess how old he is, or at least, not on the first guess, but he is vain, and he doesn't like the way peoples' faces change when they find out, as though he's an old man.

"I could turn it into a guessing game, but you seem intelligent enough to get it right."

Or within the correct range, at least.

[defies_reason]

So that's a sore spot, which says as much as an actual answer would. He's not one to begrudge a spot of vanity, even if he doesn't share it; it's enough to make an educated guess, at any rate, sliding his original estimate a bit older. But really, it's an academic matter; it doesn't have much effect on his overall opinion of the other man.

"Fair enough," he answers, diplomatically not making a guess aloud, though he doesn't apologise for the intrusive query, either. Turnabout is always fair, after all.

There's a vague twitch of a smile on his face, a hint of teasing in his tone.

"Next question?"

[rianofski]

"I think I've done quite enough interrogation for the evening," Andrew says, gesturing for the waiter again, getting his drink refilled. There's no sign that the alcohol is affecting him outwardly, but then, he's always been good at holding his liquor. He has to be -- business meetings almost always turn into drinks, and one has to be able to remain sober-seeming.

"Of course, if you have any questions for me, now would be the time to ask."

And he may or may not answer them.

[defies_reason]

"And ruin the fun of getting to know one another the usual way?"

This leaves Isaak one round behind, but he's in no rush to catch up. He considers his half-filled glass for a moment, deciding how to proceed. There are, evidently, any number of things they might discuss.

But, no. Back to business. There's bound to be time enough for other topics.

"Beside the weapon trade, I'd like to know about what you did before coming here."

[rianofski]

"I think the better question is what didn't I do?" He smiles slightly, amused to see that Isaak has gone back to business -- a man after his own heart, apparently, and that certainly doesn't displease him.

"Industry, mainly. Steel, railroads, coal... and then, of course, I built my city."

He says it like owning a city is nothing remarkable.

[defies_reason]

Business isn't really Isaak's heart, but his heart is entirely the problem. And not one he has any intention of discussing.

He arches an eyebrow, as though it were only something to be mildly surprised by. One's standards do shift quickly here, he supposes. At any rate it never pays to be too easily impressed.

"What city might that be?"

[rianofski]

"You won't have heard of it. Nobody here has, unfortunately. I suppose it's because I'm from a different time, a different place... it's called Rapture."

He's well aware of the religious connotations the word has to most people, but he chose it precisely because it was ironic -- a city that disallowed religion having a name like that. Of course, he doesn't expect anybody to see that.

[defies_reason]

"I've not," he concurs, though he doesn't bother affect a tone of apology.  The connotations of the name aren't quite so apparent, but it does have an oddly utopian ring. (He is, perhaps, better suited than many to understand the philosophies behind it, though not necessarily to agree.)

It is, perhaps, not entirely surprising that Andrew Ryan would seek to build his own city, given his obvious mistrust of authority. Ironic, in a way; but not surprising.

"That's an ambitious project."

[rianofski]

"Ambitious, but utterly necessary, given the circumstances. Though I'm sure it was well before your time, the atmosphere of the United States in the 1930s and 1940s was... stifling, to say the least. Creativity, entrepreneurship, passion -- it was all censored, removed from the public eye by a government who had nothing better to do than babysit us."

From the angry drag he takes on his cigarette, this clearly still bothers him, even with his city. Even being stuck in this City.

[defies_reason]

You can't possibly be that old, Andrew, unless all that rot he's heard about vampires is to blame. Though that does explain a bit of the attitude. There is something oddly old-fashioned about him; it's part of his peculiar charm. People have mentioned, of course, that different universes are not necessarily contemporary, but it does take some adjusting.

"So you decided to do better."

Keep being passionate, he's enjoying it.

[rianofski]

"I suppose I should make a point of including the fact that the last time I checked, it was 1959. And now I'm here."

That certainly clears up the doubt about him being impossibly old -- and probably explains some of his attitudes. He does have a certain way of holding himself that people might find old-fashioned in the City, though he, of course, finds everyone else just as puzzling.

"Yes, I decided to do better. I have done better. My city is governed by the tenets of free will and the free market."

[defies_reason]

Well, really, that puts quite a lot into perspective.

"A shame you're stuck here instead."

[rianofski]

"Yes, unfortunately. Twiddling my thumbs, trying to come up with something useful to do... instead I find myself spending far too much time in bars -- present company excepted, of course."

Because he's enjoying his time with Isaak far more than the regular bar denizens he seems to run into.

[defies_reason]

"Of course," he echoes warmly, with the faint trace of a smile.

It's not so different, in its way, from his own wasted time in Miami. Andrew Ryan is considerably better company than the crowd at the Fox Hole.

"I'm a bit surprised you haven't staged a coup."

Smiling past the rim of his glass, he's only half joking.

[rianofski]

"Don't think I haven't considered it. The people who call themselves Deities, though, are far more powerful than I had hoped. At home, it would be a simple matter. Here, my resources are limited."

He's put serious thought into a coup, but he knows now that it would be ineffective at best, and downright idiotic at worst. Revolutionary as he is in some ways, he's also far from stupid, and he knows that the City has a multitude of tricks up its sleeve for dissenters.

[defies_reason]

"They do seem to have us at a great disadvantage."

He's been mulling that over as long as he's been here; the superstitious aspect of it is troubling, but undeniably there's something to it.

"But I'm sure finding allies would be no trouble."

[rianofski]

"I'm not so sure. People certainly want to leave, and they've made that abundantly clear, but when push comes to shove, how many of them would stand up and do something about it? How many would risk what minor comfort they've managed to scrape together here in order to achieve something else?"

It's difficult to hold this type of passion back, and he's not trying anymore, simply speaking as he does back home, somewhat loudly, and very determinedly.

[defies_reason]

Not so calm and collected now, are we? (Pound the table and maybe Isaak will question his resolve.)

"Complacent. Or, perhaps, someone has tried before, and they know something we do not."

[rianofski]

"Then they should be sharing that information with us. It is hardly enough to sit idly by and allow us to fall victim to these curses time and time again without informing us of any information they may have collected."

Table pounding in three, two...

[defies_reason]

"Lacking in organization."

It's possible he's merely trying to start trouble for trouble's sake. Honestly, it's interesting to get a rise out of him.

[rianofski]

It's not difficult to get a rise out of Andrew, not when it comes to topics like this. He'll staunchly avoid any discussion of emotions or concerns, but as soon as someone brings up something like this, he's full steam ahead.

"Perhaps if they bothered to communicate with each other beyond their inane ramblings on the network, they might find themselves in a better position to effectively organize. Of course, I ask too much, I'm sure. Most people here are content to sink into the mire of boredom interspersed with curses."