In between Weapons and Ravioli[Vaughn]

[murdock]

Salvatore was a man of luxury and class, he had learned how to appreciate the better things in life after over a thousand years roaming this world. Scum, lowlifes, he hated them all, they were the representation of everything wrong with today's society. Prostitutes, drug addicts, burglars, hobos, infesting the streets of a once amazing city, New York. He wouldn't complain tho simply because there were still places for his kind if you overlooked all the dumps and fast food chains and cheap pornographic theaters. Underneath all that you would find the Opera House, the Museums, and deep in the social district, La Romada, a fine restaurant, not for everyone.

As one of his bodyguards opened the door the vampire elder dressed in an appropriate suit stepped inside looking around. Only upper class people sat around but having a reservation he would surely find a table. One of the employees quickly arrived near him asking to keep his jacket and showing him the way to the table he had requested. A table by the window on the further corner of the room. He gently sat down turned to the entrance door as his guys stayed by the bar. Being by the window made him more prone to assassinations, but he didn't think that would happen today.

Another employee, this time a girl brought the menu to him and smiled. Fake smiles to please customers obviously, but he still smiled back as a sign of respect. Eying down the list his choices were many and he knew those dishes well.Didn't take him long to make a decision but it would take a couple of minutes before anyone came asking so for the time being he took a little notebook out of his jacket now safely put around the back of his chair.

His agenda showed he still had things to do later on tonight. A meeting in the Life Line Headquarters with some of his associates. He had one of those every month but lately it seemed like things were changing. The war was about to start again and some of his clients and workers were starting to become a bit more fearful of what could happen to them, no matter how hard he tried to calm them down. His ears allowed the sound of classical music to enter, a fine restaurant with a great sense of musical taste, that was why he loved this place.

The thoughts of where his son could be and why he hadn't come to meet him yet were crossing his mind when the girl came back asking if he had made a decision. "Yes, I'd like the Caesars Salad and the Ravioli..." He watched as she noted it all down and asked what he wanted to drink. Just thinking for a couple of seconds before he answered "Wine, Porto's, the oldest you got.". Finally she walked away and for yet some more minutes he was left alone to his thoughts, that was before he was interrupted by one of his men.

He was close, the man he had come to meet. The new Hunter Commander. Salvatore knew the old one well, he wasn't a bad man, he had honor and could at least show an ounce of respect, even to enemies, therefore he had earned Salvatore's respect. He could only hope the new one wouldn't just be some young hothead with anger management issues. The hunters were a crucial part of business, they bought weapons and ammo that vampires fabricated, sometimes without even realizing the people selling them were vampires. The girl return and laid the salad in front of him and the bottle of Porto she carefully opened.

He signaled her to drop the liquid in the glass as his eyes met the door and then met the watch. He wasn't late, he liked that.

[Vaughn Logan]

Vaughn walked down the streets of inner-city New York. He could have parked closer, but he didn't want any civilian vehicles I.D'd by the Vampires, just in case this meeting didn't end the way he had intended it to.

In truth Vaughn had no idea what to expect, the Old Commander wasn't one for much writing and didn't leave any notes or any real records behind of the Vampire Elder. Armed in a nearby warehouse, Vaughn's hunters waited just in case things got out of hand. As he walked past the building they were in, he made no such effort to look in to see if he could see any of his fellow men. There was no need to, and he didn't wish to attract any suspicion.

La Romada. He had heard great things about the place, and expected his first visit would be between him and a date, not with the Vampire elder. But from not just a block away he could smell the food and was instantly attracted to the place.

Vaughn was dressed in a fine suit he had bought recently just for this occasion. He wore a hat and a buttoned up shirt underneath. He also wore a pair of sharp, black sunglasses on his face that highlighted his features. As he walked he noticed himself getting checked out by all different ages of women. He smiled and nodded in their direction, but that was it. His mind was already set in the professional mentality. Because, he had to keep his cool with the Vampire Elder. The Lycan Alpha seemed like an understanding fellow, but considering the Vampires he's faced in the past, he couldn't help but feel the need to be cautious.

Vaughn entered the restaurant slowly, pulling his sunglasses off of his face and storing them into a pocket inside of the jacket. He offered a smile to the employee waiting for him. "Logan", he said with a deep and welcoming voice. The employee checked the reservations book and nodded, leading him towards the seat. At the bar Vaughn noticed a few men who occasionally glanced up at him. He didn't make eye contact or look in their direction. He figured they were Vampires of some sort, perhaps even bodyguards.

He made his way to the table to be greeted by a now standing Vampire Elder. He wore fine clothes, and looked like a respectable and classy individual. The employee left sort after and Vaughn extended a hand towards the Elder, offering him a smile and a bow of his head.

"I'm Vaughn Logan," Vaughn said as he looked down at the table, spotting the food, "I hope I'm not late."

After introductions were made Vaughn took a seat at the table booth. The place was well lit, and filled with people that looked like the higher end of society. "I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me," Vaughn said as he took off his hand and placed it on the seat besides him.

Soon after the waitress came by, giving Vaughn a wine glass and filling it with no doubt the same contents as the Vampire Elder's. She asked him what he would like to eat. He hadn't had the chance to look over the menu, so he gaze a slight laugh and opened up the menu.

"Yes, I'll have the chicken alfredo with a cesar salad." He said as he gave the waitress another smile before she took the menu from his hands and walked back towards the kitchen.

Vaughn then placed his hands on the table, holding them together and keeping a straight back. "I have to say I've never been here before. This is quite the classy place. Do you typically hold your meetings in public?" A part of him was surprised the meeting was held in a place so open for assassination, had that been Vaughn's agenda. Unlike the Lycan Alpha, he seemed to be more open and straight-forward. But perhaps it only showed the Elders confidence and carelessness.

"I know I called this meeting," Vaughn said with a low and serious voice. "But is there anything you would like start us off with?" Soon after the waitress came back, placing a cesar salad in front of him and telling him the chicken alfredo will be ready shortly. Again, Vaughn gave her a courteous smile and returned his gaze towards the Vampire Elder across from him, keeping a steady gaze into his eyes to show interest in what he had to say. First impressions mean everything.

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[Evelyn van Buren]

Once she'd pulled into a parking spot and turned off the Cabriolet's ignition, Evelyn checked the time on her phone. A minute late, which she would blame on traffic and the fact that her entourage took unnecessarily long to settle into a conveniently located upscale bar down the street from La Romada.

The mic clipped to the inside of her shirt chirped and the voice of one of her bodyguards informed her they were ready. It was very comforting knowing you had a posse of armed Lycans four walls away to call upon. But she doubted she'd really need to.

She understood the need to be safe, and the potential for assassination in the designated meeting spot, so she went along with her assistant Homer's firm suggestion for added security. At the same time, it seemed a tad excessive. Neither of the men she would be meeting tonight was particularly eager to start a war. Viktor would have gotten along with them. She probably wouldn't, but she knew better than to let on to her own agenda.

She was here as his representative, sent to talk peace as a continuation of Vik's own meeting with the hunters' Commander. Evelyn's lips quirked into a brief smile as she clicked the lock button on the Porsche's miniscule remote and made her way toward the restaurant. She'd met the Commander before, but he hadn't recognized her for what she truly was. All he knew of her was that she was a Lycan, really. And as much as she'd have loved to keep it that way, there was no chance he'd believe Vik had sent some unranked Lycan in his stead. That was too uncharacteristically disrespectful of Viktor Romanov and Evelyn would never disgrace him by suggesting he'd done so.

Evelyn pulled a compact out of her purse as she walked, taking a moment to ensure her make-up was intact. She ran a hand through her tousled curls and tucked the compact back inside. Since La Romada was situated in the upper end of the city, she had learned that you could never really be overdressed there. She'd opted for a red cocktail dress and high heels. The only jewellery she wore was tiny blood-red stud earrings.

Appearance mattered at meetings like these. She wasn't here to entertain. She wasn't eye-candy. And yet she knew both of those played a large role in her work. Whoring herself out, however, was not Evelyn's style. The dress was high-necked came down to below her knees.

As she approached the restaurant, the smell of food nearly overwhelmed her. Evelyn paused on the sidewalk, feeling nausea rise within her as the thick aroma of creamy cheese and boiling pasta permeated her olfactory senses. Even in human form, her senses were having a hard time adjusting. She inhaled and exhaled a few times, focusing her energy on locating her targets.

Almost too many humans around her to separate them. If she'd been in lupine form, it would have been easier. As it was, she could barely catch Logan's distinctive scent on the sidewalk. He'd passed here mere minutes ago.

She checked in with her team once more as she entered the restaurant, letting them know the two men were already here, and then clicked off the link as the maître d' smiled at her in a familiar way. "Mademoiselle van Buren."

"Logan's table," she said, and he nodded, leading her over to a table by the windows. Evelyn smiled at this. Her sight, hearing and olfactory senses favoured open spaces.

She spotted the Vampire Elder, having met him only briefly with Viktor once. But that had been a few decades ago and she had secretly hoped he'd have tragically passed before she would have to see him again. Logan was seated opposite him in the booth and both men were starting their salads.

Evelyn drew in one last breath for reassurance and glided forward, pausing just beside Logan's seat as she locked eyes with the Elder. He had probably sensed her presence the moment she entered. Logan would not have.

She smiled at the ancient Vampire, saying courteously, "Hello, gentlemen. Salvatore. It's a pleasure to meet you again." She waited a heartbeat and added, "You're looking a lot less pale since we met. Is it tanning season?" The jibe was cruel and Viktor would have had a minor apoplexy had he heard, but Evelyn merely switched her attention to Logan.

Her frosty smile softened a notch as she moved to sit down in the seat beside his. "My apologies, I only found out I was required to attend this meeting an hour ago. Viktor won't be able to make it." She lifted a hand and signalled the waiter with two fingers before looking up at Logan again, lifting an arched eyebrow. "I guess I should have clarified before...I serve as Beta. I hope this doesn't inconvenience you."

[murdock]

The hunter commander had come prepared for this meeting, he had dressed properly and he fitted the scene quite nicely. Yet another thing Salvatore could appreciate, a warrior that knew when to lay down the battle attire and put on something more formal. He examined his moves as he walked toward the table Salvatore was in. The girls all stared and smiled at him, a ladies man, he didn't know what to think of it. He kinda reminded him of his son and himself years ago, he didn't have a problem with that, as long as like his son and himself he knew how to keep his pants on, if not, that was already a weakness.

Salvatore got up slowly, not losing his composure and accepted the handshake given to him by the commander as he introduced himself "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. Logan, I am Salvatore, but perhaps you already knew that" the elder chuckled briefly before sitting down once again almost at the same time as Vaughn. He looked at him using the deep, calm gray eyes, the distinct set of eyes he always used to learn important aspects about people around him, he was good at it. A movement or a facial expression, even eye motions, said a lot about people.

He stood quiet as the man made his order to which he commented "A nice choice, the Romada is famous for their salad, wonderful piece of cuisine. I hope you like the wine, bottled European flavors at their best!" he spoke calmly, Salvatore wasn't one to appear as a loud man, he was often silent and kept a certain serious coldness to him, not to be taken as a sign of emotional aggression towards others, more like the appearance of someone that was not to be fooled with.

Vaughn asked if it was normal of him to hold meetings in such public places and all Salvatore expressed was a smile "What's wrong with public places? They are public after all, they are of everyone, would you rather have the meeting in a place controlled entirely by me? Besides, I was hungry and as you know Romada truly is one of the best places in town when you want a good dinner and a great drink...". Perhaps he thought the elder was careless, but he hadn't lived for this long by being careless, only a stupid man would start a bloodbath in a place like this and possibly compromise the secrecy of the supernatural races.

"Of course I have my own reasons to be so eager to join this event. I knew the old commander well, even if he wasn't exactly on my side per say, he was still an honorable man that I respected dearly, so pardon me for my interest in knowing who had taken his position, I believe it's in both our best interests to meet the man standing in front of us, am I correct?". Suddenly his eyes shifted to the entrance door, he knew the new presence approaching.

Lycans, Salvatore could tell a Lycan from a Human miles away, born as an ally to them, fighting side by side with their brethren and later on shedding their blood, you could say he knew their stench well. The woman that entered was familiar to him. The Beta... He expected Viktor himself to come, this was kinda disappointing to the Elder. Even tho Viktor was his main enemy, they both respected each other, the Beta tho, she had a certain aura of disrespect written all over her face, and if there was anything Salvatore was displeased by, was lack of respect.

Perhaps she'd prove him wrong, but people rarely ever surprised him. So was she appropriately dressed for the occasion, but maybe that had been Vik's idea, he knew Viktor well and he knew he would never allow one of his kind to enter such place dressed as a ragtag. The greeting was formal, but the joke that followed, he would have considered it of bad taste had it not been an immature, bland, overused joke. "Haha, Miss Evelyn, always a sight. Perhaps I'm less pale because I worked on my breathing problems, you on the other hand, you seem a bit anxious, I could notice that from your heavy breath before you came to this table, we don't want white wolves running around, even if they are my favorite kind."

It seemed like the commander and her had met before but he was oblivious to the fact she served as Beta in their ranks "It's a shame Viktor didn't come himself, I was hoping I could discuss some things with him...Things I'd rather tell him personally!" He didn't know what turn this meeting would get but he was already interested in it.

[Vaughn Logan]

Logan stirred his wine in the glass and took in a smell before taking a sip. "You are right, this wine is delicious. You have excellent tastes Salvatore." The wine was sweet and a bit bitter but left an appreciating after-taste in his mouth.

When Logan noticed the Vampire Elder's gaze turned towards the door he turned around, putting an arm on the back of the chair noticing Evelyn in a dashing red dress. Vaughn stood to greet her, extending his hand, taking hers and kissing the top before the group sat back down once more. "I'll be honest I was expecting Viktor, but I'm not one to shy away from surprises."

A waitress came by to get Evelyn's order. While they were talking Vaughn turned in the direction of Salvatore and licked his lips before speaking. "I'm sorry you mentioned the old Commander, yes?" Vaughn wanted to make sure he heard correctly and perhaps not something he wanted to hear. "He left little notes for me to work with. I doubt he expected to go AWOL. Is there anything you can tell me about him?" Perhaps his morals and the way he acted would help Vaughn decipher why the Hunters acted the way they did prior to his arrival.

Vaughn took another sip of his wine before placing the glass back down gently on the table. He kept a stern posture and kept himself from slouching forward. "Well, Salvatore. I understand you wish to know me and perhaps even compare me to the old Commander. Ask away and I'll give you my honest opinion." Vaughn shot the Elder a friendly smile and then looked towards Evelyn whom he noticed was looking at him.

After moments of talking their food had arrived. Their waitress, offering them fake but well-meant smiles placed their plates on the table before promptly leaving them to their discussion. Vaughn waited for the elder to start eating his food, as hard as it was with the aroma of chicken alfredo entering his nostrils. With his fork, Vaughn gently jabbed into some pasta and inserted the contents into his mouth. He could taste the garlic, melted butter and basil. His taste-buds were in heaven. It beat Compound food for sure, or any sandwiches he would make at home.

He remembered fine dining as being something he didn't get to experience very often as a child. Mainly because his dad would create scenes. Either he would yell at the waitress about the food taking a while to make. Or he would tell the waitress his food tasted like shit, or something. More often then not when they went out they went to McDonalds or someplace his dad always enjoyed.

"Well, Salvatore, Evelyn..." He took a moment to wait for the two to stop eating. "What are your thoughts on war, and how can we stop it." Vaughn wanted to be blunt, he knew with the way things are going he may not have the chance to speak to them both for a while. He didn't want their next encounter to be at each other's throats. This might be the last time Vaughn has the pleasure of enjoying chicken alfredo and cesar salad.

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[Evelyn van Buren]

Evelyn's response to Salvatore's returning jibe was a smile, just to let him know she wasn't ignoring him. Merely choosing not to answer. They had more important things to discuss.

She remained silent as Logan addressed Salvatore. The waiter took her order ("A glass of Stowells' Cabernet Merlot, a cheese and olive platter and rare T-bone steak with a side of linguini with carbonara sauce. The steak better be bloody.") and Evelyn returned her attention to Logan, because staring at Salvatore for more than a minute was making her lose her appetite.

Evelyn remembered the old Commander, but only briefly. Vik had dealt with him, leaving Evelyn to handle the Lycans while he made peace talks. She remembered him as a very formal man, a stark contrast to the man seated beside her. The old Commander hadn't had a very good hand on his hunters, but Evelyn suspected Logan had noticed that, given the nature of his talk with Vik. He had wanted to implement clear lines on how rogues were dealt with, a situation that had always caused some grief in the past when hunters shot and killed uncontrollable Lycans.

She accepted her cheese platter and then her plate of pasta and steak with a quick smile at their waitress, and took a moment to mull over her thoughts as she nibbled on a cube of cottage cheese. She'd never been a fan of rogues, so she was never overly distressed whenever an altercation happened, but Vik probably felt differently. He had always been the type to watch out for all Lycans, rogue or tame. He was all about peace and cooperation.

Evelyn suddenly wondered just what she was doing representing his values when they clashed with almost every single one of hers. She didn't care for peace with Vampires. She saw a problem seated across the table and she wanted to find a way to tackle it. If Logan wished to waste his time negotiating, more power to him, but idle chat was not her style.

Just as she was thinking this, Logan, with that now-familiar tendency to push her buttons, said, "What are your thoughts on war, and how can we stop it?"

Had Evelyn been even slightly crass, she would have said "Fuck that," but instead, she remembered what she was supposed to be doing just in time to stop her dismay from breaking out all over her face. She put down her steak knife, tempted to throw it at him for an impulsive second. She'd expected she'd have to debate laws for diminishing skirmishes between the races - but she hadn't thought Logan would be so blunt about his point.

Evelyn glanced across the table at Salvatore, curious about what he'd say. She knew what Viktor would want her to say, so she decided, in the interests of maintaining her peaceful facade, she had better say it.

She gnawed the inside of her cheek and turned to Logan, taking a sip of her wine before she spoke. "From what we're seeing" - We're being Viktor, really - "it's not so much a matter of stopping the war as it is of preventing it from happening in the first place." Her voice was smooth, confident in Viktor’s beliefs. She met Logan's eyes, the picture of doe-eyed sincerity. "There is civil unrest between the races, unrest that needs to be resolved before this war takes place, Mr. Logan, if we hope to contain the damage." She was part of said unrest, but she skipped that bit. Nor did she commit herself to the promise that the war would never occur.

Evelyn scooped up an olive on the edge of her knife and popped it between her lips, swallowing before she continued. Her gaze was still trained on the hunter. "I think, allow me the liberty to presume a little bit based on past experience, that the rogues of our races bear a great hand in causing strife between us."

She smiled sweetly across the table at the old Vampire. "Wouldn't you agree, Salvatore?"

It was a stalling game, really. She had no interest in furthering peace relations with the Vampires, but simultaneously, she intended no harm to the human casualties that were caught in the crossfire. More than anything, it was the rogues who targeted these people. They were her only real concern here. If she could slow down peace negotiations and fix the rogue problem, the meeting wouldn't be an entire waste of her time.

[murdock]

Salvatore looked at the two individuals in front of him. Part of him wanted to get out of there, these meetings weren't his kind of thing, especially when people weren't even going to bother coming themselves and would instead just send some representative, like a Beta. How was he supposed to respect her opinions when she was nothing but a hateful creature with no interest in anything else but bathing in the blood of vampires? He had little interest in what she had to say, it didn't bother him enough, so instead he decided he'd focus on replying to the questions that were directly thrown at him and stay away of any further conversation.

He had no allies on that table, hunters could become allies in certain aspects but still, he knew little about this commander. They talked of Rogues as if they were the only thing to be worried about, sure, rogues were pretty much one of the strongest reasons behind the turf wars and violence in the streets, but he already had a defense mechanism for vampire rogues, if Lycans didn't have one, that was their own damn problem.

Little people knew about "the enforcers" a group of a selected few vampires, with extraordinary power, whose only mission was to hunt down rogues and traitors of the vampire cause, and so far they were doing a darn good job, so he wouldn't really get into the entire "what are we going to do about rogues" thing, it was pointless to him. If Lycans had rogues going around screwing things for them, they had to solve it, what were they expecting? Other races to do their work for them? Salvatore looked down to the table before getting hold of the glass and sipping some wine.

"Rogues are indeed one of the main concerns in our society, but we handle them, with ease!" He wasn't just going to spill what he did inside his own walls, he wasn't going to allow other races to know about his own people's endeavors and daily activities. "If the Lycans have problems with out of control rogues, I suggest you find a way to stop that, because I am an understandable man, but not all vampires are, and when a vampire or a hunter, I'm sure..." He looked at Vaughn before continuing "Witness the murder of a friend at the hands of a rogue, they don't see a rogue, they see a race! That's why I am deeply concerned with what happens to vampire rogues and I deal with them, it's on the top of my priorities.".

Salvatore sighed before addressing the commander again "In regards to the previous commander... Even tho vampires, Lycans and Hunters always had their share of problems, he was an honored man, and reasonable too, so I expect nothing less from you..." He looked at his plate before taking another bite. Most time he couldn't feel the flavor of the food he ate for various reasons, but he could here, that's why he loved this place.

He looked at the two of them again, testing them. He wasn't going to open a new topic, he would leave that to them. It told more about these people if you knew what kind of conversations they enjoyed engaging in. Looking through the window, staring at the cold night he wished this meeting wouldn't last long, he had things to do, rather unpleasant things, and some others a bit more pleasant, but like any good coven, his had a bunch of hidden secrets, just like Lycans probably had theirs, or even the hunters.

[[Sorry for the time I took to post...]]