CLOSED SIGNUPS The Sanctuary IC

[Reina]

As soon as the bullet whizzed past his temple and into the wall, Vincent was ready to pull his trigger and he would not miss. He intended to end the old man before he even walked completely out the door. He would have too if Miles had not tackled him against the wall as soon as he realized the intent in Vincent's eyes. "Stay still you son of a bitch. Goddammit, Vincent! We're in the fucking Sanctuary. THE. SANCTUARY." Vincent pushed hard against Miles but Miles pressed his arm under Vincent's chin and forced the man to look at him. "Come to your senses, asshole! Look around! Put your gun down!" It took a few seconds but finally Vincent lowered his gun then firmly pushed at Miles to get him off of him.

"Don't you ever put your hands on me again or I will lay you out where you stand!" Vincent yelled out with a huff as he straightened out his suit and took in a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Yeah yeah," Miles said as he tucked his own weapon away and attempted to straighten out his clothes the best he could. "You could've gotten all of us killed. Fucking..." He mumbled a few obscenities to himself before he took a few deep breaths of his own. "And you say I'm the one that's too quick with the trigger and hotheaded." Miles shook his head and stood in the center of the room observing his surroundings. He immediately focused on the camera in the corner that was clearly recording everything. "Everything ok in here, Art!" He yelled at it. "Promise ya' that! We'll get it right!" He was pretty sure the manager was watching everything. There was nothing that went on in the Sanctuary that Arthur did not know about.

Miles walked over to Tane who looked like he had seen better days and patted him a few times on the shoulder. "Couple drinks sounds good to me too. Come on, kid. Let's let pissy pants here get himself together and figure himself out. You need a partner and I think the ladies are outside. Let's see if we can't figure something out. I don't think you want to team up with this dipshit anyway." Miles shook his head at Vincent as he moved to leave the room. "Figure out your shit and fast. We got a deadline and you got a bullet aimed at your head for that stunt you just pulled."

Vincent scowled at Miles as he took Tane and left, leaving him alone in the conference room. Vincent's own eyes peered up at the camera in the corner and he sighed deeply. Hell must've froze over if Miles actually made sense for once. His eyes then looked at the bullet still in the wall. Lithe fingers pulled it from where it had embedded itself as he tossed it a few times in his hand, examining it, before closing a fist around it and walking out the conference room.

Back in the manager's office, Arthur lifted his finger from the button it was hovering over with a sigh of relief. He really did not want to have to explain to the Triad how they would need to find new members for their mission so soon. He then moved towards the drawer in his desk and pulled out three red brass coins with the 'S' symbol on them and handed them to Santa. "For Mr. Moretti, Mr. Thatcher and Mr. Salvador." Santa grabbed the coins and nodded her head, knowing exactly what she needed to do. She bowed to Arthur courteously then proceeded out of his office. The manager put the cigar back to his mouth as he turned his attention to the wall of screens that looked out over the Sanctuary.

The bartender at the lounge bar was wiping down a few glasses when Asumi approached him to call for the Concierge. He nodded his head and pressed a button under the bar. "She'll be here soon," he said to her before his eyes focused on Nanami. "Here," he said to Asumi before turning to a small bottle in the bar and pouring its contents into a small glass. "Give this to her," he said as he pushed the glass across the bar. "It'll be safe for the baby and also help calm her and relieve some of the tension she's got. On the house." He smiled at her and kept wiping at the glass when Miles and Tane approached.

"Take a seat, kid," Miles said as he gestured to the stool beside him. "I'll have a whiskey, straight," he told the bartender. "And get the kid here whatever he wants too. On me, kid," he told Tane with a small smile as he huffed onto the stool to have a few drinks. "Seems like we all got off on the wrong foot back there. So you're a street fighter, eh? And some sort of Macgyver? I guess we have that in common somewhat. I can pretty much make an explosive out of the smallest stuff. Ever made a bomb or just some knives and shit?"

While Miles was attempting to make conversation with Tane, Santa was making her way to the lounge to attend to their guests but also to deliver her message from the manager. She bumped into Viktor first. "Ah, Mr. Salvador. Precisely one of the individuals I needed to see." He proceeded to talk to her about the repair of the wall but she stopped him before he could get too far. "Mr. Salvador. Do not trouble yourself about the wall. It will already be repaired by the morning meeting. However, I do have a message from the manager."

She pulled one of the red coins from her pocket and handed it to him. "You're new here and the manager understands however Sanctuary rules are sacred and must be adhered to. This is a demerit. Your only warning. The manager wishes to remind you that there is no hostile action that is to take place on the premises. We understand it was the initiation of Mr. Moretti however, you did pull the trigger, whether a warning shot or not. It was a hostile action. Had you actually made contact with Mr. Moretti, you would have been executed prior to leaving the conference room. This is an official warning. The coin is also a debt you owe The Sanctuary with no bounty attached. You will respond when called upon and no payment will be rewarded for your work. There is no expiration date on the coin. You could be called tomorrow or in twenty years. You must respond when called or face execution as repayment for this mercy."

Santa delivered her message matter-of-factly before taking a step back and giving him a quick nod. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other guests to attend to and you are not the only one I am delivering a very similar message to. Please…enjoy a drink at the bar."

She moved around him then made her way to the lounge where she immediately found Vincent first. She didn't say anything to him. She just handed him the coin. He was a legacy member, he knew exactly what he was being given. He nodded to her of his understanding, not saying a word, as he tucked the coin in his pocket, the coin clanging against the metal of the bullet he had pulled from the wall. She then moved to Miles, interrupting his conversation to Tane, as she pushed the coin across the bar in front of him.

"Aw fuck me," Miles muttered as his eyes fell on the red coin. He looked to Santa, "because of the gun?" She nodded and simply said, "hostile action." Miles nodded back, "Fucking Moretti," before he grabbed the coin and tucked it into his pants. He grabbed the glass of whiskey in front of him and downed its entire content in a few gulps. With a gasp, he set it down and asked for another. He definitely needed them. It wasn't long after that Miles noticed Viktor and signaled for him to join him. "You look like you need a drink pretty bad too," he said as he gestured to the bartender. "On me, Vik."

When Santa's messages were done, she proceeded to the women that had retired away from the men. "I believe I have been summoned," she said, feeling a little lighter now as she stood before the women with a small smile. "What can I do for you, ladies?"

Vincent on the other hand was scanning the lounge and wondering what his next course of action was. He had already received a demerit for losing his temper and now he had only a few hours left before he needed to present a plan to the manager for their mission. Miles and that fucker, Viktor, had already teamed up. Which left him the pregnant one, the one that hated his guts and the newbie. He passed a hand through his hair as his eyes moved about the room. Miles had somehow found Viktor and was having a conversation with Tane. It was precisely the place Vincent did not want to go. On the other side of the bar was Nanami and Asumi speaking with Santa. He literally had no good options. "This is ridiculous," he muttered, feeling like he was between a rock and hard place with no way out of this mess he found himself in. He knew one thing for sure…he was not going to where the other men were. He was already the cause of the demerits and he wasn't going to add more targets to his head. His only option was to try to salvage himself in front of the women and hope that he could work something out.

Moving quickly so as not to overthink, he approached the ladies by the fireplace. "My apologies, ladies. I am sure I am disturbing you. I was wondering if perhaps I could attempt to salvage my reputation a bit and attempt to make some sort of plan that would benefit everyone on this mission? If you both will have me, I intend to be cordial and calm and just have a discussion. I am fully aware that my actions earlier were unacceptable." His eyes floated towards Santa quickly before bringing them back to the ladies in front of him.

 

[Blood Lightning]

After having the Bartender call for the Concierge, Asumi felt a little more at ease, but less so once all the boys had entered the lounge following the rather intense exchange in the meeting room, which had likely gotten worse after she and Nanami had left. Before she returned to the Expectant Mother, the Bartender gave Asumi a drink to give to Nanami, stating that it would help the woman relax and that it was safe for the unborn baby. And at no cost. "Thank you, sir. I'll make sure she gets it." Asumi nodded before leaving the counter as the Bartender went on to serve Miles and Tane, both men having just sat down.

As she was on her way back, she saw the Concierge enter the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw as Santa handed a red coin to Viktor. Wonder what happened in that room... Finally, without further satiating her curiosity, Asumi returned to Nanami to hand her the drink. "Gift from the bartender and it's safe for the little one. Supposed to also help you relax after the rather...tense meeting. But the Concierge should be here soon, she just has some other business to attend to."

With the glass in hand, Nanami took a quick sip. And since she didn't find the taste of alcohol, she wasn't alarmed or worried, but did definitely feel more at ease, even if the pain in her back was still bothersome. She did feel a lot better though. Along the way, Santa had stopped by the other guests after Victor, going from Vincent, to Miles and finally Tane, all of them being handed red coins. Did they really attempt to conduct business on Sanctuary grounds? That would explain the loud bang a few minutes ago.

Finally, Santa approached both women, asking how she could be of service. The two looked at each other, before looking back at the Concierge while Asumi helped Nanami to her feet. The expectant mother gently caressed her belly while still drinking her refresher. "I'd like to arrange for a massage this evening. The meeting was rather stressful and anything to get me one step closer to a good night's rest." She replied. "Is that possible, Ms. De La Vega?"

Momentarily, they were approached by Moretti, who was much more calm compared to when he was in the meeting room. Given his tone, it looks like he was trying to salvage what was left of a badly damaged reputation. While Nanami was skeptical, Asumi decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Because at least he was, at least from the surface, appeared to be reflective of his poor actions and behavior. And there was no honor in kicking anyone while they're down. While Asumi remained cordial in turn, Nanami only gave him an ice cold look. "Well, the night's still young and seeing that the other three can carry a reasonable conversation, what's to stop us from doing the same? Though I think it'll be just you and me, since Ms. Higashi will probably be leaving momentarily as she's making arrangements for a massage." Asumi responded, arms folded after straightening out her jacket.

Briefly, Nanami looked back towards Moretti. Did she want to rip him a new one with her words? Yes. Was she moody? Absolutely, because right now, a dropped potato chip was probably going to be more then enough to make her cry. Was she going to give him a piece of her mind? No. "We can talk after I have my massage. But in the meantime, I'm sure Ms. Yamamoto is more then happy to keep you company." She said, her tone matching the expression on her face; ice cold.

"Why don't we talk over dinner? Just you and me, while we...await Higashi's return." Asumi suggested.

 

[Mister_Veeeee]

Joining Miles and Tane, Viktor orders some scotch. "Appreciated, though I must ask. He always, a vain, loose cannon?" He ask as he waits for his drink. While this wasn't the first time he has gotten into trouble and had to do a job or two on his own dime. The red coin he got seems ominous. Then again probably better than being dead. Definitely not how he wanted the start of his employment with this organization to kick off with. After his scotch arrives he speaks again. "Well let's hope we can get through this mission first because it definitely won't be easy given it's members. So either of you got any interesting stories?" Silently drinking while listening to the other two reply. Figured sharing old mission stories would be a nice way to wind down some.

When it was his turn to share a story a he thought quietly for few moments before lightning cigar and started one of his many tales. "Roughly fifteen years ago. Me and some guys took a mission to hit a supply train. Most of us rookies at the time didn't realize it was a setup. The facts were the pay was to high and and the details seeming to good to be true. We all saw an easy paying job. The only reason we survived is cause they didn't predict the way we would highjack the train, because what they thought we do was normal train jacking. Then their planted operatives on board would wipe us out. Would've work to if we didn't think it would been better and easier to blast the train off the tracks then riddle all the passenger cabins with fifty caliber machine guns. Anti tank mines derailed the train and the two hummves with the mounted machin guns did their work. Pulled up the two trucks meant to carry the manifest we were stealing. That's when we learned it was a setup. Couldn't find any manifest and the only thing on board was a bunch of dead soldiers. That's when we hightailed it out of there before more can show up. Then we went straight for the people that hired us. Didn't take long to pinpoint their location considering they didn't bother hiding thinking they had a surefire plan that would wipe us out. That was until the twenty or so of us stormed their building. Security was low cause most their men died on that train. Turned out the fuckers didn't do their research and thought we would be an easy mark cause we were a bunch of rookies. All cause they didn't question as to why someone wanted to take our group out. After making them spill everything they knew we wasted them. Went off the grid for a bit while made plans to take out the ones pulling the strings behind the setup. Plans that never got finished cause it turned out there was a rat among us. Got caught sending our location and other information to the enemy. That boy didn't have an easy death. Nor did the cleanup crew that came after us. Them fools had no idea how guerrilla warfare worked when their targets know land better than them and plenty of time to rig the area with traps. After that there about eight of us left when we finally raided the home of the ones responsible for the whole mess. They where having a party with friends and family. All of which we made them watch as we slowly killed all of them before finishing them off. Didn't get another fixed job for quite some time after that. In fact their competition was pleased by our work and didn't hesitate to hire us on. That's when our group started growing again and became known as one the most ruthless group of mercenaries on the market. Those were some good days. " Sighing as he sat back, reminiscing on old times.

 

[Lyrikai]

Honestly, going to the bar sounded like a great idea. Tane was rubbing a hand all across the front of his face, nodding and giving a low groan in response. "Yeah," he answered, "Good idea, I'm with ya'." He was beginning to feel like he was diving in way over his head and knew he was the odd one out. He didn't have the best set of skills and the most practice and was essentially a child in the eyes of every other experienced man and woman here. His only hopes for surviving were either to make some good friends real fast that would become determined to keep him around, or to fight damned hard to climb himself up this ladder and prove himself a place. He wouldn't have been here in this room right now if someone hadn't seen something in him, but he was determined more than ever to show he had more of something to offer.

It should have bothered him being called 'kid', but he was technically a kid... not in physical age so much as it was more in skill and membership. It was just a title he was going to have to get used to all around. Well, at least he was meeting himself an acquaintance. He doubted he could ever call anyone here friend, but this was good. "Thanks," he said, tipping his head, "For the drink." Looking to the bartender, he decided, "Just gimme a beer." Something stronger might have settled his nerves better, but he also held a chance at drinking a little too much to loosen his brain and his tongue and he didn't want to cause any problems where they were already coming off a near miss.

"Street fighter, yeah," he answered, "And underground rings. Sometimes you fight with fists, more often with improvised weapons. There's a lot of rules over what you can make and what's off limits, but hardly anyone follows them to the letter. People are always skirting along the edge of what's acceptable and what's barely allowed and you get sliced up sometimes with serrated knives attached to motors or projectiles fired at lethal speeds. People get hurt and people die, but the money and glory for winning is unmatched." He managed a laugh. "Well... as unmatched as I thought it could be 'til I came here." He didn't know the score of pay and glory one could find here, but somewhere sophisticated as this was... it had to be good. Their rules were far stricter than any back alley brawls, clearly, easily, but rules were important. They were important to follow so you didn't fall into anarchy and chaos.

"Can't say I've ever tried making a bomb, but I bet it wouldn't be too hard to throw together things that go boom." Catching himself on that one, he offered a sheepish smile and backtracked a little bit. "Not that I'm saying it's easy or that anyone could do it. There's probably a lot more to it than I think there is." It was more than likely a far more delicate process than just slapping some explosive components together and tossing them at an enemy. "Probably gotta mix just the right stuff in just the right quantities so you aren't accidentally blowing up a whole building when you just want to blast the door of a safe, huh?"

"I bet that-" He cut himself off and quieted down as Miles was given that mysterious red coin. He hadn't seen one before today (pretty obviously), but he could wager a very good guess as to what it was for. Some sort of warning was his guess, but he didn't ask. If it was important for him to know, he trusted the Sanctuary itself here to let him know in time... or if he ever fouled up enough to be "rewarded" one himself.

Nodding instead to Viktor, Tane offered a smile in greeting. This was a much better thing to focus on than when he may or may not screw up and receive his own warning from the Sanctuary. He had just gotten here! He didn't want to be on their bad side already!

"I don't know that I've got any good stories," he replied thoughtfully, curiously stroking his fingers to his chin, "I'd really have to think on that. Might be able to drum up a few decent ones. They won't be very long though, ha!" Rather than try to wrack his brain until he gave himself a headache, he was content, for now, to listen to Viktor speak. He was another seemingly friendly sort, at least in the sense that he wasn't immediately hostile towards Tane. That seemed to be what he was basing his decision on over who was friendly and who wasn't out the gate.

He really didn't want to sound like an actual literal child and blurt out how he thought it was 'cool' to hijack a train, so he bit back the comment that almost spilled out and instead remarked, "That's quite the story" for now as he processed how better to respond in the moment.

 

[Megasis]

Bar music >:3

In their line of work, it was hard to trust anyone. Even in this room - utter strangers - expected to work against one another when in another time, another place, they could be enemies. Anyone even remotely normal wouldn't have a job like this. They'd crack under the pressure.

Brown eyes, partially hidden in the obscure dark corner, observed the room. He'd slipped in not too long ago, but was hoping to get an outside view first of how bad things actually were with the current group. Funny enough? Things didn't seem so bad right now, but it was in the presence of stress that they'd all begin butting heads. It was an instinctual need for survival, and confident people like these would all have their own opinion of how to save their own skin. The reality? If they wanted to live, they were going to have to learn to work together.

Unfortunately, he was now part of the 'they' in this scenario.

Poised as always, Santa affirmed Ms. Higashi's request to have a massage arranged, and it was as the Concierge was leaving the lounge with business taken care of that he rose to intercept her. A coin appeared between his fingers, nearly like magic, as he leaned close to keep their conversation private. "Upgrade that package to a deluxe for Ms. Higashi? Seems like she could use it." While he wouldn't particularly care to get involved, it was now his job to do damage control.

Santa hummed with the acceptance of the heavy golden coin in her palm. "Shall I give your name?"

"No. House special." His eyes briefly scanned over the three lounging by themselves. Higashi, Yamamoto, and Moretti. It was the last one that would cause problems - his initial opinion that all came from files he'd only been able to glance over before arriving down at the lounge. Still, first impressions and gut feelings could be what kept an agent alive.

"Understood. Enjoy the lounge, Mister Blake." He acknowledged with a little nod of his head before he scoped out the other half of the group gathering by the bar. He could use a drink right about now… his ribs were killing him. Not something he'd outwardly express. Never whimper in the midst of a lion's den - expressing weakness would be quick to get you killed. Quietly, he settled by the bar a chair away from Miles, waiting till the tender came to take his order.

"Old fashioned, please." The bartender nodded and began to make his requested drink. "Evening," he greeted the men beside him, though his subtle approach to handling these wild style rogue agents was about to be decimated.

A flash of red, and a lithe body found its way to the empty seat Anthony had left between himself and Miles. "About time there was some life in this lounge, I've been bored out of my mind…. Gentleman." The woman flashed a broad pretty smile, framed by bold matte red lipstick. Her eyes flashed playfully at Anthony before she set her sights on the three boys alongside. "Happy to finally run across a lively bunch. Oh, bartender?" she asked as they came by to settle Anthony's drink down in front of him. "Could I trouble you for a Moscow mule?" She thanked him before leaning forward to rest her elbow against the polished wood counter, leaning to rest her chin in the palm of her seemingly delicate hand. Bold green eyes took in each man in turn before her lips curled into a smile again. "Would I be able to get an ear in on those stories?" She'd just heard the young looking one, Tane, mention how he didn't have any good ones. "Everyone has a story. Whether it is good or not is subjective to each person. Silly." Marcella laughed softly, musically – all while Anthony sighed.

 

[Reina]

Vincent nodded his head at the two women, acknowledging their words. He watched as Nanami rose to leave for her massage. He rose as well and bowed slightly to dismiss her. He was back to the Moretti with class, poise and the ever perfect gentleman. He wouldn't lose his temper again no matter how much he thought the entire plan was asinine and that he was better off on his own. The bullet in the inside of his jacket pocket clinked with the red coin as yet another reminder that losing his temper was not something he would allow…for now.

When Nanami had moved away from them, he turned back to Asumi and gestured towards the Stalaris Restaurant just off the lounge area. "The Stalaris has an excellent menu, Ms. Yamamoto, as I am sure you know. We can sit and discuss until Ms. Hagashi returns. Perhaps she will be more inclined to me after she has had her massage." It wasn't as if he had another choice at the moment. It was them or the idiots at the bar, one of whom Vincent was sure he would not soon forget.

He allowed Asumi to lead the way to the restaurant as his eyes scanned the lounge once more, noticing the new patrons at the bar but not recognizing them immediately. All he could do was shake his head. He'd take his chances with Asumi and Nanami. He did not want to be anywhere near the bar where Miles was drawing all sorts of attention.
—
"Goddamit, Vik, I knew I fuckin' liked you," Miles said as he almost slammed his glass on the counter. "Hijacking trains!? My fuckin' hero." He pointed towards Viktor. "Man after my own twisted fuckin' heart. This is gonna be fun. Goddamn!" He grabbed his glass once more and took another big gulp, gasping as he set it back down. "Stick around with us, Tane, and you'll fill up those story tanks in no time. I'll tell ya that." He was about to start on his own tales when they were joined by a man and a woman he hadn't seen before. He sized up the new patrons, scanning them over one by one though in true Miles style, he lingered on the woman.

"Evening," he muttered to the both of them before turning his stool towards the woman. Those eyes and red hair and lips practically had his mouth watering. "Woman, you can have just about anything you'd want. But my best stories…well…I save those for behind closed doors. Room 201 if you'd like to hear some of those too." He raised his brows a couple of times and gave her a quick wink. "But…" he began as he turned his stool back around, "I can say one for all the listening ears around here. Year was 2015..best fuckin' year of my life…I can barely remember it but I know it was filled with booze, sex and a shit ton of money. It was the year I learned that blowing shit up was fucking amazing..." Miles began to spin his tale to anyone within earshot of a story filled with explosions, traps, naked girls and almost losing his left leg but the payout at the end was well worth it and the celebrations he made after were more than enough to make up for the limp he had for a few years after. "Happy 21st birthday to me!" He laughed at that, taking another swig from his glass. "Ah, 2015, to be 21 again. Amiright?!"
—
Inside the Stalaris restaurant, Vincent raised three fingers to the host who quickly nodded his head, grabbed the menus and led them to a corner table. The Stalaris was a five star restaurant, with dim lighting, white tablecloths, fine silverware and a five course menu. Exquisite chandeliers decorated its high ceilings as the restaurant filled with the soft sounds of the piano played in the corner. Vincent eyed the man whose focus was solely on the keys but he knew better. That man was more than just an expert pianist…everyone at the Sanctuary was more than what they appeared. He pulled out a chair for Asumi before taking the seat opposite hers. "I guess we should use this small meeting to better become acquainted. We need to select partners before the morning's gathering and we should use the time to get to know who would work best together."

Vincent gestured to the waiter who brought them over a bottle of wine to split between them. "We've already somewhat introduced ourselves but perhaps you can tell me a little more about yourself? You mentioned before you're more of a guns blazing type? I am a sniper as I mentioned. I'm more of the….the one you don't see coming until it's too late."
—-
As the two chatted, Santa met with Nanami on the way to the spa for her massage. "Ms. Hagashi," she said politely with a slight bow of her head. "I was just coming to find you. Your massage has been prepared and has been upgraded to the deluxe package...House special," she said recalling the words of Mr. Blake. "If you proceed into the spa, you will be well cared for." She pointed her to the spa before she slipped away and into the manager's office.

"I see Mr. Blake and Ms. Vandez are in place. I didn't think you'd mobilize them so soon," Santa said to Arthur once the door was securely shut and she moved to stand beside him. Arthur was staring at the screens, cigar between his fingers as he watched the happenings inside the Sanctuary attentively.

"With so much on the line and tempers already high, I decided to be more…proactive. Those two should help the others get in line," he said to her.

"Shall I alert them that there are two new recruits to their mission? They do have to present their united front by the morning," Santa replied.

"Soon…let's see how this plays out first."