The Lame Duck

Svetlana_Popova · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Svetlana_Popova** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 12:24 pm

Svet pulls up to the little hole in the wall restaurant. It's canopy sagging, and the neon sign which blinks it's name, is half burned out. So it now flashes "T E ME UCK." The parking lot is only half full of cars, and Svetlana grabs a good parking spot right near the door. She gets out of the car and strides around to the passenger side. She helps Seraphina out of the car, and then motions for her to proceed her. As they walk up to the door, Svetlana instinctively looks around the parking lot for any danger. She smiles in amusement at her automatic reaction to the environment. She opens the door for Seraphina and once inside, they are both greeted by a tiny little Chinese woman. She bows to the two women and then leads them over to a table. The only source of light for the restaurant proper coming from the multitude of candles. They sit down at the table, and Svet informs the woman that she is expecting two more people to arrive soon. The woman nods and quickly disappears into the back of the restaurant.

"I know the thought of food is one that you don't want, but I do suggest you eat something light."

Seraphina turns pale at the thought, but nods slightly and begins to read through the menu.

Svetlana sits back in her chair, and doesn't even glance at her menu. She watches the door quietly, when the little old lady who seated them, comes back out carrying a tray of water, a bottle of sake, and two little cups. She sets them on the table and looks at Svetlana expectantly. Svet stares at the woman for a second, then nods slightly. With a smile and bow, the lady disappears again into the back. Svetlana pours the sake into one of the cups and shoots Seraphina a look that says you better not have any. She sips the sake quietly as she scans the restaurant. Only a handful of people are sitting in the restaurant, eating and talking quietly. An old water fountain gurgles water into a small pond of koi fish in the middle of the restaurant. It's soothing sound adding to the ambiance of the place. She looks back over to Seraphina with a small smile.

"Everything will be alright."

The little old lady comes out of the back of the restaurant again, carrying a large tray full of food. She comes over and starts setting the food on the table. Seraphina looks at Svetlana in shock, then down at the menu in her hands. Her thoughts were clearly audible. I don't remember placing an order. With a small secretive smile, Svetlana begins to server herself from all the platters of food.

Grimbold Theoman · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Grimbold Theoman** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 1:17 pm

After leaving the small cafe, Grimbold went back to his hotel room and pointlessly stripped cleaned and oiled his pair of Desert Eagle's. When he was finished with those he checked the silencers before calling Alan to find out if he had everything he needed sorted out. They agreed to meet outside The Lame Duck just before their 1pm meet.

Grimbold wasted the time left with getting packed again either to return to London or whatever was next if they got the job. He showered to fill time, dressed carefully strapping his holsters on over his shirt and arranging his jacket carefully over them with the two guns in place it was almost impossible to tell they were there at all. Eventually he left the room paid his bill and headed towards the restaurant they were meeting at.

He arrived with only minutes to spare, Alan was waiting.
"So Alan I see you are ready, have you seen anyone likely to be our contact go in or have you just got here too?"
"Not sure to be honest only been here a minute or two."
"Well let's get in there before we are late then don't want to make a bad impression."
They walked over the road and entered the rather down at heal looking place. They are greeted by a diminutive Chinese woman
"I believe we are expected, My name is Mr Theoman."
The little old woman just nods and leads the two of them into the main restaurant. The place is dimly lit by candles flickering on all the tables. Grimbold is rather surprised when even in the poor light he recognises the two women he saw only that morning in the cafe across from the Church of San Lorenzo, but not as surprised as he was when it became clear that theirs was the table to which the pair were being guided.

The old woman bowed them to the table and backed away. The two mercenaries took the two chairs opposite the two women.
"Which of you is Svetlana?"

Seraphina Alighieri · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Seraphina Alighieri** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 3:10 pm

As the two sat at the table Seraphina grabbed a couple Wantons and began to nibble at them. The food was good but her stomach lurched regardless. She took a sip of the water and noticed two men approaching the table led by the same woman that had seated her and Svet. She was shocked to see that one of them was the man who had been in the Cafe'.

When the two Stopped Seraphina and Svetlana rose to greet them. Sera winced a bit in pain as she stood up under her own power. Appropriately Svet did not offer to help when Sera appreciated. The lines in her forehead were the only sign of the pain. Again came the head spinning but she ignored it. There was obvious shock on the man's face from the cafe' he recognized the two from this morning. Seraphina extended her hand and he took it.

"I am Ambassador Alighieri, and this is my Personal Secretary Svetlana Popova, she is the one who contacted you."

With that the group sat down. Seraphina poured the new arrivals a glass of Sake each and set it in front of them.

Grimbold Theoman · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Grimbold Theoman** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 3:23 pm

Grimbold noticed the slight lines of pain on the face of the Ambasador thought he determined not to comment on her condition. They sat down and Grimbold left the glass of Sake on the table in front of him.
Alan took his glass and drained it.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Ambasador Alighieri. I am Grimbold Theoman, this is Alan Johnson. Perhaps you could tell us what it is that you need. We know that you need protection on a visit to the colonies but there was no indication of how long you would be going for nor how many there will be in your party"
Grimbold watched the two women closely, there seemed to be an interesting interaction between them. The relationship between them seemed more than Ambasador and secretary

Seraphina Alighieri · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Seraphina Alighieri** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 3:54 pm

Sera looked the two over much more unobtrusive than Zeke she thought to herself. She pointed at the empty platters and gestured for the two to serve themselves.

"The duration of the venture is unknown. If you decide that you would like the job it is a peace keeping mission. We already have accommodations. It will be the two of us, another merc or two besides you two."

She turned and looked Grimbold right in the eye.

"Due to my condition, there will be a lot of traffic about the room and potential trips to sick bay. Hence we feel the need for three or four bodygausrds."

Sera voice began to break up as the pain writhed its way about er body. She looked to Svetlana so that she good continue the negotiations. Her left hand went to her ribs. while her right clenched up into a fist. Once the pain passed she scooped herself some rice, and began to eat slowly, taking a drink of water between every bite to try and settle her stomach.

Grimbold Theoman · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Grimbold Theoman** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:00 pm

Alan quickly helped himself to a good portion of rice and some other things from the selection in front of them, Grimbold prefering not to distract himself with anything watched as the pain took the Ambasador again. He looked at Svetlana and waited for her to continue

Svetlana_Popova · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Svetlana_Popova** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 5:39 pm

Svetlana pours another cup of sake for Alan. Her face remains impassive during the entire conversation. She glances at her Chrono briefly and begins to speak with her heavy Russian accent.

"Now that you know the details of the job I would like to hear your proposed fee."

She sits back in her chair and sips her sake, the food on her plate still remains untouched.

Grimbold Theoman · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Grimbold Theoman** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 6:02 pm

Grimbold sat in thought for a moment,
"Since the length of the job is not known we should probably work on a price per day basis. Say perhaps 1500 per day?"
As usual in these negotiations the opening shot was to test the ground, lots of mercenaries worked on a fixed fee basis but with things as uncertain as they were it could be uneconomic. He just hoped his figure was in the right ball park for the Ambasador

Svetlana_Popova · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Svetlana_Popova** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 6:09 pm

Svetlana pours herself some more sake, her face composed and hiding the shock she feels over the low fee. This is going a lot better then I had planned. With a smile she raises the sake cup in a salute.

"Done deal."

She downs the sake in one quick swallow, and then begins to eat.

Grimbold Theoman · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Grimbold Theoman** on Sat Apr 22, 2006 6:31 pm

[ooc]Player feels a total tit for charging too little. Please put this down to lack of knowledge about this specific world system and I will make up some character stuff to cover my error.
Grimbold was aware that he was asking far less than would be expected but he had personal reasons for wanting peace, an end to the use of the Gundams. If he could assist that process even in only a small way he was happy.
Grimbold knew he would gain very little out of the job personally, he would give almost all of the money to Alan.
"Don't worry Alan you will get a fair price for your help, I have a reason for asking what I did."
"What sort of reason would mean you earning almost nothing?" Alan clearly couldn't understand what could have motivated his friend to charge so little.
"One word Alan, Sara"
Grimbold nodded to the two women and rose from the table.
"I am sorry ladies I need to get some air call me with the details when we are leaving."
Without waiting for a reply he dropped a card with his name and number on the table turned and walked out of the resturant.

Seraphina Alighieri · **Tips:** 0.00 INK by **Seraphina Alighieri** on Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:10 am

Seraphina could not hid her shock as Grimbold told them his fees, it was so extraordinarily low for what she expected. As he walked away she picked up his card and Handed it to Svetlana. She sat in silence and slowly ate the rice, taking a sip[ of water between in each bite to hel calm her stomach. As she finished the last bit the last of the pain killers began to wear off and she was plunged into the agoniy she had been trying to escape. She turned to Svetlana tears welling up in her eyes as the pain became to much.

"Well, that was easy. Now lets get out of hear I need sleep."

She had all of the ambition to stand up but the pain was too much. She was relieved to know that for a few hours she did not have to be an Ambassador but could be Seraphina Gabriel's Fiancee' As she thought of the one mornign she had woken up in his arms she uttered a quiet prayer for his safety she ran her fingers acrosshis lighter. She took comfort in her memories of him in order to block her mind against what happened in the past few hours.

Svetlana seeing her inpain helped her up and out to the car. Svetlana took off out of the parking lot and headed for the hotel.

The Lame Duck

a topic in Gundam Wing: Continuing Legend, a part of the RPG forum.

The Lame Duck

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