2/28/2003

04:38 PM

Logfile from Ichijin.

 

Royal Elizabeth-Penthouse 1

It is a penthouse, a swanky penthouse at that. Plenty of windows, wood flooring, elegant lines and a modern look. You've got your sunken living area, long and dark dining table close to the windows that overlook a balcony decorated with topiary and such. Off to some side is the way towards the bedroom, double-doors left open just enough to get a hint of a large bed and more expensive furniture. All in all, it looks like a place that could use a far better description.

Obvious exits:

Exit

 

Sebastian is settled at the dining room table, once more with an array of papers about him, a lap top before him, and busily crunching away at numbers with dollar signs and other various monetary symbols.

 

Lexie slips out of her shoes and coat, nodding to Sebastian as she passes and opens the balcony door. "Here, Benito!"  She kneels to pull out a raw surloin, opening the package with her nails.  After she has it open, she tosses the steak out to her rottweiler. "Here, baby!"

 

Sebastian isn't exactly the dumbest of oni, so he sits and types away, waiting for the dog to be tended to. The man hesitates at some record or another, consults another paper, and then goes right back to typing away, muttering, "The Hong Kong office clearly needs a new set of accountants." *muttercursemutter* Type-type-type. "Good day, Lexie."

 

Lexie loves on her dog some, before closing the door, and tossing out the remains of the package. "Hey, Sebastian."  She answers, rummaging around in the fridge for a beer.  "Hard at work, huh? I'm going nuts without a job anymore. Just doesn't feel right."  She whacks off the cap to the bottle on the edge of the counter, deftly tossing it in the trashcan.

 

"You could always try to gain employment at Ms. Breslin's establishment. I'm sure they would be more than happy to have you join," Sebastian suggests, an almost sunshine-like quality to his voice. "Parading around in one of those delicious outfits. Might just be the perfect thing for you." He finishes the number crunching, pushing back in his seat, and then moves to stand.

 

Lexie arches an eyebrow, plunking down on the couch. "Oh, ha ha.  Cute.  No, I don't think so.  The seishi mainly despise me and I'm okay with that."  She leans back, taking a swig.  "Not that I'd mind the chance to hang around with Kai, but on the other hand, it'd kinda suck to always be looking at what I know I can't have.  That's life.  But I'm flattered, Sebastian, truly.  I'd started to think you didn't know I was a woman, since you've never called me 'Lady Alex'."

 

Sebastian moves over to stand behind the couch, directly behind the miko. "No? I'm disappointed in you, Lexie. Just letting them get the better of you so easily. After all, I was so sure you enjoyed talking with the seishi. I mean, you do have quite a few run-ins with them, why not make the most of it. Instead of brandishing your guns, you might want to try other assets." He blinks for a moment, frowns, and then looks down at her, "Well, I /suppose/ you could call those assets."

 

Lexie arches an eyebrow, looking up at Sebastian with a bland expression.  "Sebastian, while I will admit we're in a religious war, there's a difference from tricking someone into helping out your side in the short term, and using them in the long term. I don't believe in that.  I'm pretty sure this is about Kourin, since you usually don't PMS in my direction.  So sorry to rain on your parade, but I want Hiroshi's dream discredited. If it's true that the yang will change their objective to bind the gods, it means they have more than snowball's chance in hell of stopping us from summoning the Yin outright.  A war of attrition is purely preferable to something that we /can't/ effectively combat, as we have next to no informationon it." She takes another swig of her beer.  "Besides, she's Trevor's girlfriend. I'm sure that doesn't mean much to you, but did you ever stop and think about how Reese would feel about it?  I'm not blind. She's got it for you bad. I pity her that way."

 

Sebastian listens quietly, as always. He continues to peer down at Lexie as he adds, "Granted." Something of a pregnant pause, and then the man continues, "What you believe and don't believe in is not the point, my dear." A sigh, "There are reasons that I am doing this, some of which I have already told you, and still you felt the need to approach the young singer about this. Sometimes, I truly do question whether or not you actually have your mind in the... proverbial game." His gaze lifts up, "I'm sure that Reese understands the difference between what I do for /us/ and what I do for her. There is a large difference." Cool, his voice is.

 

Lexie shakes her head. "He brought it up, Sebastian. I just told him I thought you wouldn't do well by Kourin, which I firmly believe.  Anyways, so he causes more of a ruckus in the Suzaku. Isn't that what you wanted? Or did your objectives change?"  She stands, turning to face him, and setting the beer aside.  "They want to bind our gods to their gods, Sebastian. I think I have my mind on the proverbial game more than you think."

 

It's those days that begin and end both literally and figuratively bloodless that are the biggest pain for Reese; lack of excitement at a job that should, under all circumstances, be enormously fun is both a disappointment and a chore. Everyone has their off days - coming home to spatting family is just swell. She can feel Lexie and Seb's power both from a long ways away, and having them both upset is just something that she can't help but notice, so when she cracks open the door, she says no chirpy hello. Instead, she hears Lexie's comment in full, blinking a little. "Um." Kourin? Do well? Take two: "Um, what's going on?"

 

Sebastian watches as she rises, slowly shaking his head from side to side. "My relationship with Kourin is a means to an end. While, undoubtedly, the girl is a fascinating prospect, she knows full well what she is getting into when she associates with me. I have never lied to her, nor have I filled her head altruistic promises." He frowns across to Lexie, is more than ready to say a few more things, only that Reese is there now. "Just a bit of a tiff. I'm... disagreeing with Lexie's rather large mouth right now."

 

Lexie waves a hand in the air, dismissively. "Allright, you want to use the Yin as an excuse to mess around with the seishi?  That's fine. But don't come fussing at me if I do the same thing.  But really, Sebastian.. Reese is right here. Why don't you tell her?  She doesn't look like you ran it by her first.  Funny, that.  "

 

Reese blinks at both Yin, oddly, mouthing the words 'fascinating prospect' with a dubious eye. Swinging her bag off of her shoulders, the girl murmurs, "Well, Lexie does have a big mouth sometimes, and it's not necessarily all agreeable stuff that comes out of it, but she usually means the best by it. And I'm sure," she adds towards the miko, gaining a little momentum, "that any of Sebastian's machinations are not solely so he can mess around." Yes, let's take the non-anger-invoking meaning to the phrase. "Uh. Ran what by me? I get the sinking feeling that I'm missing something." Mmm-hmm.

 

Sebastian is genuinely confused now. He frowns over at Lexie, and then on to Reese. "Lexie, I do not understand where you are going with this. Why do you seem to think that there is..." He frowns deeper before continuing, "Mess around? That is the least of my intentions. My relationship with Kourin is purely, /purely/ for us." There you go, women bringing in emotions and things. "If Reese so wished to drag into bed every last one of the Genbu, including the girl, or even all at the same time... /all/ as a means to our end, then I would wish her well of it. There is a /difference/."

 

Lexie rolls her eyes.  "You believe the end justifies the means. I believe the means justify the end."  She wanders over to slip on her jacket, hunting around for Benito's leash. "We're not going to agree on this. I don't feel sorry for warning the guy, and couldn't change anything I said even if I did. "  She whistles for Benito, clipping on the leash.  "Have fun, guys. I'm going for a walk. Back when I feel like it."

 

"Hold on," Reese says, beginning to frown just a little bit. "Wait a second here. There's just something really odd about this situation. Namely..." The girl crosses her arms over her chest and just glares at the rest of the room, venting just a little. "Am I the only onisenshi who isn't thrusting her hands into some seishi's pants? Dear Homasubi, people, do you have that little attention span that you can't keep the proverbial dick in your pants? At least Lexie's kinda dumped her man, but you keep meeting up with that whore Kourin, and Rathan wants to get with Byakko no miko. The miko, for god's sake!" Distinctly upset, she growls. "Does /anyone/ here see something wrong with this?"

 

Sebastian glances after Lexie, but returns right on back to Reese, "Excuse me?" It clearly must be that whole joining of the Yin and Yang thing, but we won't /even/ go there. "If you truly must no, I've never had sex with that woman. Granted, she nearly drug me home last evening, but that is besides the point." He frowns for a moment, "I still do need to talk to that boy about that."

 

Lexie mutters under her breath, storming out while the oni are distracted.  She just doesn't have anything else to say about it.

Lexie walks out of the apartment.

 

"Comforting," Reese says glibly, cracking her jaw with a sigh. "Whatever. Hey, it's just a matter of time, right? All for the job? You're so devoted to your job that some seishi can get her hand on it and still not blow it." Ooh, she's in a punny pissy mood. "Quite honestly, I'm disappointed. I haven't bonded with Rathan at all, and I can't even touch you; if I need a rescue and you're too busy getting yer freak on for the sake of the job, I'm going to be terribly disappointed in you. Now Lexie's pissed, and my list of allies is growing real thin, Sebastian." And going to Malachai for TLC would just be weird.

 

Sebastian frowns across to Reese, completely dismissing Lexie's leaving. "I still do not understand why this is important, Reese. You know full well that you come before them. Before that Suzaku. We are oni from the same god, and you /know/ that I would do anything and everything for you, and Rathan, and even that miko of ours." He shakes his head from side to side, "Why do you think I'm abandoning you, Reese?"

 

"The flirting. The phone calls. The conversation just now." Reese holds out her arms to the rest of the room, as if invoking some kind of need for help. "The fact that you would so willingly jump into her bed for no other alleged reason other than 'for us'. Who exactly is 'us', Sebastian? Your excuses and your wang?" A smirk. "One in the same?" She pauses, considering something for a moment. "Perhaps there is some humanity in you still. It just found its focus in the soul, got bored, and went lower."

 

"For Homasubi, who else?" Seb is still awfully confused over the fact that they are even having this conversation. Tired with trying to defend himself for something that he still has no clue is even to be questioned, the man shakes his head from side to side. "I do not understand why this is so important to the both of you. My relationship with Kourin and what I'm trying to accomplish with her is no longer to be discussed seeing as it seems to have managed to make you both cross with me, and for reasons that I cannot begin to fathom. This is all done for my god, and for you to even question that it is anything but... that I do /not/ understand." He turns away from her and moves back towards the dining room table.

 

Reese sniffs, crossing her arms back over her chest. "It's not that I doubt your devotion to Homasubi," she says, calming a little. "It's that I doubt your attention span. Ever notice how the letter Y and the chromosome it pertains to are missing a leg? Guys are crippled like that." And if that's not motivation to turn lesbian, what is? Although the man said the conversation was to be dropped, Reese, very stubbornly, continues it. "I don't want her wiles to distract you from what we have to do, or any emergencies that might come up. I don't want you to be put into a weak position." She pauses, and finally adds, "And dammit, I'm jealous. Happy now?" Thppbt.

 

Sebastian moves to arrange the papers upon it into a more orderly pile, closes the laptop. "Her /wiles/ have nothing to do with it, Reese. I have absolutely no emotional attachment to the woman as you seem to think that I do." He is very serious on that point, possibly a little too much so? He sits, moves back away from the table to approach her, "Jealousy is a poor emotion, and you need not feel such a way, Reese. There is no point in it." The slightest of frowns appears, "You are... different."

 

Reese winces, gripping her arms at the elbow and looking away from Sebastian. "A light reminder, if I may: poor emotions or no, some of us still have them. You should see Lexie when she talks about her dad, or Rathan, when he's desperate for me not to blow his cover. I should start remembering that getting a rise out of you is pointless. Sorry," she mutters, sighing. The man is glared at, her tone demanding. "How am I different, hmm?"

 

Sebastian is not liking this discussion at all. Emotions. Why does it always have to lead right on back to there when he starts talking to these women? "Reese, you know damn well that getting this... rise out of me that you seem to want to provoke will lead to nothing good. There is a /point/ why I am like this." He frowns abruptly, looking awfully uncomfortable. "You are different because you are like me. We share the same god. You've... managed to stop me before. I just wish you would please stop with this."

 

Women feed off of emotions. That's why they have longer life spans. "Nothing good. You'll go crucial, and I'll find myself at ground zero again." Reese sighs, and lets her arms drop, slouching miserably. "I know there's a point. I know you're completely devoted to your duties, and I know there is no end that you wouldn't pursue to get that goal. I wish I could understand it, and be so devoted." The young woman winces, shaking her head from side to side. "Stop pushing this limit? I wish I could. But I'm bound to take it apart, and see why you work this way. At least, try my hardest."

 

Sebastian blinks at her for a long moment. "It is to Homasubi that I owe my life, and in that I give him my devotion." Pious to the very end. He continues to search her before moving forward, reaching out as if to try to take her shoulders. "While I appreciate the... sentiment, Reese, you do not need to try to do anything. Please, just let it be." Again, that touch of desperation to his tone.

 

Reese shivers at the touch, but does not ultimately move away, closing her eyes. "What did they do to you?" she asks, taking a deep breath. "Answer me this, and I swear to you it will be the last you hear about it. What did he save you from, what did he offer to you?" Her demands are quiet, solemn, eyes wide and childish. "Let it go? And give up on you? No good," she says, smirking cockily. "I will, however, not put myself constantly in the line of blastfire."

 

Sebastian is not anywhere close to blasting anything. No anger or anything from that one evening. "He offered a young boy the chance to be relevant. And for that chance, I gave him all of me. I am but a vessel for his will, Reese. My sole purpose is for our god's glory. Those damned emotions you seem to keep mentioning and whatever shred is left of that boy... are to be left locked away. Okay? Is that enough for you. Reese, I'm not often one to just blithely tell people these things. So please, just let it alone."

 

"A pity, that, Sebastian," Reese replies, and her face is indeed contorted into a pained expression, an analytical mind at work. "Well, be alert. The people who turned Minai and Dylan either can go inside to peoples' heads, and make those old feelings resurface. As well hidden you may think they are, your emotions are weaknesses. I think you would rather unlock them on your terms, then the Yang's." On impulse, she pushes herself to her toes, and pecks the man on the cheek. "Okay. It's left." Bink!

 

Sebastian looses all of his tenseness at her words, gaze searching her. "Well, nobody will be going anywhere inside of me if they don't know... and don't have a chance to," he articulates rather pointedly. A breath later and he actually gathers Reese up in a hug. Yes! You heard right, a spontaneous hug. Hah, he can beat that peck. "Again, thank you."

 

Reese beams, dimpling brightly and smiling upwards. Dang it, why do they grow so high? "Just make certain that it doesn't happen. I wouldn't recognize you if you were all- oomph." Hug. Blinkblink. "Cuddly-like." She blinks again, a smile on her face. "Who are you, and where have you put Sebastian? And no problem - who would I be if not a fellow Homasubi? Now... what are you planning for Kourin?" See? She's not /so/ forgetful.

 

Sebastian, eventually, does release her. He draws a step back, his smile wry. "Cuddly?" At least he just stares at her and doesn't begin a fit of the twitches or anything. That'd be like calling Lexie virginal. A frown shows up, "Cultivating a relationship with her was originally intentioned to garner information. I did not seek her out, initially, but seeing as the girl was so eager to tell me things, it is only natural to try to continue this. If it tears apart the Suzaku, all to the better. I do admit, she does have quite the engaging personality, but she is not one of us." Another frown, "I meant that before, Reese. I will use friendships and sex if it will get me exactly what I want, just as I would assume the same of you." Emotions can get awfully messy in that.

 

"Yup. You'll be a teddy bear in no time," Reese quips. "You'll be able to start passing out 'Sebastian Davis' plushies as corporate motivational gifts." She nods her head quickly, wincing a little as she considers something, speaking finally. "You would do Machiavelli proud, you know that? All save the devotion to Homasubi, he would look down upon you and smile. As for sexing up the seishi, it seems that they're either too busy being spiteful, or getting their asses kicked. Things are going well on my side."

 

Sebastian arches his eyebrows at Reese, nearly horrified at the prospect. "Its bad enough I was given a warthog plushie, but the very idea..." The very idea leaves him speechless. "Your side is always looking well, Reese," he adds with something of a wink. "No, we really need to do something else to increase tensions. They've been left to their own devices far too long."

 

Reese grins impishly, her eyes lighting up. "Ooh, that's what we should do! We should commission someone to make little boar dolls, and have our names embroidered on them! Our real names." Oh, look, now you've given her resources /and/ ideas. "You're right. The Genbu have had time to reinforce themselves, and they're well-protected and powerful. The Suzaku..." She giggles. That's all. "The Seiryuu have been quiet for too long. Byakko is not much of a problem either, I don't think. Dylan didn't attack me; neither did Minai. They're not on guard, yet."

 

Sebastian winces just the slightest. "Yeah... I'll buy out a plushie company right away, give it to you, and have you come up with all kinds of ways to spend my fortune." They way the Yin are going, he'll be in debt in a month, tops. "Inconveniences and annoyances, while often petty, will be enough to cause them to not think too greatly upon their own goals. As they say... guerilla warfare. Again, the placement of a skeleton or two in the proverbial closet would be good -or a body. Purchase a couple of ruffians from the street with vague resemblances to a couple of the seishi and set them loose on an evening of mayhem. Those sorts of things."

 

"Yay!" Reese cheers, and there might just be the hint that she's joking. She's hidden it pretty well, though. "Honestly, though, are we getting low on funds? I know the economy isn't too great, but at this point, I've got enough credits to just get the forensics major and quit school. Working with the police is turning out to be to our advantage; I think that'll be pretty good. And there's always Morwen - I think she could pay half the rent, despite not living here. She's my special friend." Wai! "Sounds good. We shouldn't hit the easy targets, though - we need to find a way to implicate someone powerful, who we could use out of the way for a while, without them coming after us."

 

Sebastian chuckles softly, "Reese, most of my holdings are international, and I've enough real estate to fill up the whole of the state of New York. There is no need to worry." He frowns for a moment, "Immediately, my thoughts go to the Seiryu sorcerer. He is due to contact me soon, your teacher. But... if we ever get off that idea to impersonate him, we might want to wait a bit. I would say the Byakko. They seem awfully... quiet. I know of the police officer, but that is all."

 

Reese smiles, the reassurance glowing on her face. At best, she seems a child, her features calm and trusting. Sebastian has yet to see her worst. "I know - but he knows me. If we implicate him, he'll be coming after me a holy terror, and I don't think that would be good for us in the least." She agrees with a firm nod of her head, finally weary of standing up and flopping down on the couch. "Let's see. There's Lee - Tokaki. There's two women that I've met so far, Mina and Cat. Dylan and Minai you're already familiar with. Dylan, however, is intimately involved with one of the Genbu, Setsuna. That will complicate things."

 

Sebastian smirks, "They all have relationships with one another, and with Rathan and his Byakko miko, it will always be difficult." A heavy sigh, "And they band together faster than a swarm of bees. If we do give them annoyances, it will have to be anonymous. And, again, we need to find a way to pit them against each other."

 

Reese nods her head and sighs. "Don't worry yer pretty head about it. Knowing her, and the tendency that those type have, she's going to break his heart when her One True Love shows up. I think I've learned that much, already." She nods her head and cringes. "Okay... points of breakage. People are obviously afraid of Nicholas. There's no question about that, but his girl seems to have him reined in - I haven't heard anything about him recently, and he always seems stable in class. They don't altogether trust Dylan, and they aren't reliably strong, any of them. Until we have the numbers, though, that's still not a weakness we can really trust."

 

Sebastian nods his head slowly in understanding. "Dylan I have yet to come across. We should try to create a time to meet up with him, alone. And /without/ Lexie present." He frowns a moment longer, "Maybe... we could create a situation where he will be seen talking with us, furthering the impression that he is not to be trusted. Or even Minai as well."

 

Reese shakes her head, vetoing that thought immediately. "Dylan I can agree with. He's dangerous, especially the link to the Genbu. We should try to sever that immediately. Minai, on the other hand, I don't want touched until we get desperate. She turns into a kitten, for god's sake." Maybe Reese just has a soft spot for kittens. "She's not going to be too anxious to attack us any time soon, unless we make the first move."

 

Bah. Fondness for an ex-oni. Sebastian is immediately scowling, "Reese, tread carefully there. She is still one of them. Just like Lexie's fondness for a certain Seiryu, make sure your own warm-fuzzies for the girl don't effect you as well." He sighs, pushing away and moving towards the office area, "But, we will start small. I'll try to corner Dylan, alone, and begin things." And with that, he leaves.