now all you've got to offer me is a drink of gin

[12second_orz]

Who: Tonegawa (12second_orz ) and YOU
When: Friday afternoon- early evening.
Where: A high-class bar in Sector 3, moving to Lion's Gate towards the evening
What: Tonegawa uses his afternoon off to schmooze and make contacts in a classy joint. Feel free to run into him leaving or arriving, too!
Warnings: None

[Sitting at the bar and watching the gentle murmur of activity around him as he nurses his drink, Tonegawa can’t help but feel rather pleased with himself. He works by day, he meets and greets by night. If there’s one thing he can approve of, it’s a routine, and he’s certainly managed one of those here.

Not that making nice to big shots is all he wants to spend the rest of his time here doing- his ideal state of affairs involves far more room to stretch his legs in every sense, for what is power but the ability to do anything and be forgiven for it nonetheless? But even beyond that there’s something about the charade now that sticks in his throat, bitter and resentful, that he’s become more aware of now; his hands tense beneath their leather gloves with each forced laugh, each smile.

Still, he’s damn good at it and he knows it. He’s never wanted for patience in his life, either- swallowing now could earn him the right to spit later, if he’s good enough at it. There’s nouveau riche trash here, yes, but also a few people it’s well worth being sweet to.

Of course, what mood he ends up in by the end of the night depends entirely on which of them he manages to find, and while he might look laid back as he glances around the room he’s busy sizing up faces and suits.]

Comments

[12second_orz]

[One more for him. Tonegawa shakes the cigarette out deftly and lifts it between his lips, lighting up- he's had to go for longer between smokes thanks to this fucking country's laws on smoking in public, and he's not going to pass up on opportunity now.]

Nothing for you to pass on to your boss, besides a little attitude problem from one of your coworkers. [But Kaiji doesn't particularly matter here. He's very aware that Chane's lingering somewhere in the back, but it doesn't particularly bother him if she can hear them at all.] So I take it that means that Laforet-kun gave you the alert? Was that for your benefit or her's?

[fidele]

[ A colleague of Tonegawa's asks where he is; in the time it takes for her to reply in writing, coherently, between the gentle flow of guests passing between her back and her boss's, she catches her name spoken aloud. Having already acknowledged Claire's wave, it would draw attention to turn around and look again (not his fault; she knows well enough how discreet he can be when necessary). As it is, her shoulders stiffen, interest piqued. ]

[vinovidivici]

[ Claire laughs through his nose. As much as he’d like to stay on good terms with Tonegawa the man does seem to enjoy trying to push him into saying something Chane will disapprove of... or perhaps he's betting that Claire will snap and call him out on it, forfeiting what rapport they have. Well, if he insists on playing this game of Social Landmine Chicken...

... Claire will just forge a different way through the coversation. He hasn't looked at Chane again but she's in his peripheral vision. ] Whose benefit? You're thinkin' too much into it. Is it really strange that she'd tell me 'bout where she's working? A good relationship's all about communication, ain't it? At least that's the line you hear people here spinning all the time. It's actually a little different to the kinda thing you used to hear back home, but I think I agree with it!

[12second_orz]

[He laughs, aiming for warmth rather than mocking this time. There's no need to be cutting, after all, particularly when Laforet is within earshot still.]

You're asking a confirmed bachelor about relationships? I don't think that's very wise. [He breathes out a small cloud of smoke, not particularly bothering to aim away.] But I didn't mean to sound accusing at all [he did]- I was simply commenting on her understandable reticence to cross her working and personal life.

permission from Chane-mun to assume she's linefacing in the background

[vinovidivici]

[ Completely without thought for respecting the customer he wafts the smoke away and blows out a cheerful puff of breath into his hair, lifting his bangs out of his eye for a second. ] Yeah, it's a two-way street; I don't know much 'bout what goes on at Imperial Finance.

as always

[12second_orz]

You make it sound so mysterious. [a chuckle] No, I'm sorry to shatter any grand illusions you might have on the matter, but it's all rather prosaic. Aside of the occasional troublemaker, that is- though from what I can gather you seem more like the type to sympathise with one of those.

:|

[vinovidivici]

[ There's a second in which he blinks, wondering if Tonegawa might have some new dirt. Then he remembers that his only likely leak is his fiancée. Suffice to say the recovery is almost immediate: ] One week in the hoosegow on false charges and you're equatin' me to loan shirkers? Some fellas might be insulted by that. [ It'd be better to have a rep for something he was actually guilty of, but he's not insulted.

A shrug. ] If you're sending Chane after them then sure, anyone would have my sympathy.

[12second_orz]

Let's face it, Stanfield. You're no angel, are you? [He doesn't know for certain, of course, but it's almost certainly a reasonable assumption to make with a man barely ruffled by prison, even if it was only a week he spent in there.

Speaking of those lacking in angelic qualities, though... he smiles wryly. After the evening Laforet's given him, he's not exactly in the mood to compliment her.] I'm inclined to agree with you, far though she is from the type I'd usually hire.

[vinovidivici]

[ Just an amused smile at that. It's rather too toothy to be called enigmatic.

There's an undercurrent of something biting in that smile there that stops him replying with something as heartfelt as "Chane's plenty angelic enough for both of us". Although it's tempting. ] If she's getting the job done then what's the problem?

[ And now there's the first hint of a suggestion of an implication in his voice that it really would be best if there wasn't a problem at all. ]

[12second_orz]

[He wouldn't dream of suggesting otherwise to your face, Stanfield; power can come with an unlikely face here, and given how gutsy Claire has proved to be here Tonegawa would rather stick to his policy of being careful of who he pisses off. He's no Kaiji, certainly.

Instead, then, he laughs and puts his cigarette to his lips, sleepy-eyed and languid.]

There's no problem whatsoever. As it happens, she's better suited to some of the tasks I need doing than the usual muscle-headed oiks I manage, even if she does need a slight attitude adjustment.