raisetheearth | (no subject)

Who: Keldek & Associates, Ryuuzaki and maybe others
Where: Gateway and Infinita City
What: The recruitment drive continues. This time we're looking for brains over brawn. Also, there might be something with some kid who showed up on his doorstep.
Warnings: Ryuuzaki. Maybe a little violence? I dunno.
Status: Closed

Number One: Closed to Ryuuzaki
It's well into the night by the time the black car pulls into the motel parking lot. It really was one of the... seedier places that the otherwise bright city had to offer, populated by the human detritus that eagerly fed off a society that allowed them to exist.

Circling once, the car came to a stop at the room number that had been indicated as the one that currently housed the one they were there for. The driver's door opened up and a large man in a black suit stepped out, straightening his jacket before opening the passenger side to allow a tall, black-haired woman in business attire to step out.

Of course, the sudden arrival drew some attention. They were approached only once, but three applications of an enormous fist left the poor fellow more concerned with picking his broken teeth out of a pool of blood on the concrete and the rest sufficiently dissuaded from trying their hand.

The brief burst of violence didn't even slow the woman for a step. In fact, she seemed to ignore it entirely as she strode up to the door and reached out to knock with a slender hand.

Part 2. Closed to Alexandra
Somehow, the days seemed to grow both longer and shorter all at the same time. Longer in that his work often kept him busy until well past sunset, but shorter in that no matter what was accomplished there was always more to be done. Nonetheless, there was a satisfaction there. Things were progressing smoothly. He'd managed to recruit a number of "special" individuals to his cause and the little test they'd conducted the previous month had gone well and that particular project was ready to progress to the next level.

Now, however, the day's work was done and he sat in peaceful solitude in his large office. Or at least it was for him. He turned his chair toward the window and watched the lights outside as his construction crews changed shifts, sitting back in his chair and breathing out a cloud of smoke from the cigarette in one hand, the other holding a glass of whiskey. So much progress in just a few short months. Very soon his city, his domain would finish rising out of the depths of this wasteland and then....

... Well, that was still in the future. For now, he could rest easy knowing that all matters of importance had been dealt with for the day.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fear and power both were something Keldek had become very accustomed to wielding. He'd learned long ago that a man who was feared could gain power from the fear, and he'd been on both sides of that exchange. Though not for many years now in the latter case. After all, the man who wielded all the power also felt none of the fear.

Even now, aside from a pair of armed men watching the door, he sat alone in this place. Unarmed and unafraid, and why should he be? He was the one with the power in this room.

"I did. You have a particular talent for manipulation and chaos, and that's something I can certainly appreciate." That frigid smile never shifts, as cold as his dark eyes. "My name is Anton Keldek. I can only assume somebody like you is familiar with that name."

Ryuzaki's learned a lot about the world since his inception, and among those things is that fear is a kind of power that he'd like to wield, even if he hasn't been able to up to this point in time. There are some exceptions; Cesar, for instance, is wary of him and thinks he's insane and capable of some horrible things. In all fairness, he is, but that's not the same kind of chilling, far-reaching influence this man spreads through a room just by being in it. It gets his instant respect and appreciation.

"Thank you," he says, accepting the praise earnestly despite the smirk on his face. His brows raise when he hears the name, because of course he's heard it, considering the circles he runs in. "The Anton Keldek, requesting an audience with me and offering me a job? It really is a lucky day."

He leans forward a little further.

"I want benefits. With dental."

Sometimes all that's needed is a little boost to bridge the gap between what one is capable of doing and what one actually can do. Exactly what kind of person Keldek was going to find at this meeting had always been in question. Whether he would actually find a cunning manipulator, or merely a troublemaker, perpetually caught up in some kind of adolescent humor.

Now, sitting here and getting the opportunity to speak face to face and look the younger man in the eye he's pleased to see that his instincts were correct. He can see it all in his eyes. The hunger for power, the interest in spreading fear and chaos. This is a dangerous man, and one that will need to be watched closely. Still, one who can suit his purposes for now. So long as it is entertaining for him.

Ryuzaki's demand gets a laugh from him. A sort of cold amusement.

"'Dental' is just one of many benefits I can offer, as long as you do your job well." His hand moves, flicking cigarette ash to the side uncaringly. Places like this rarely had ashtrays these days, since smoking indoors was largely banned, but laws like that are petty things to him. "I have plans in motion. Plans that will likely earn me the enmity of your 'other half' and those who follow him. I'm assembling my own countermeasure but raw power will only win so many battles, as I'm sure you can understand."

He smile widens at Keldek's laughter; he has an instinct for the nuances of human emotional expression that Lazarus lacks, which is ironic, considering that only one of them truly feels bad about hurting others. What matters is that he can tell he's not being mocked.

"When you love your work, and you're talented, there's no option but to do your job well," he assures the man across from him, lighting up his own cigarette. This one is hand-rolled and smells strongly of cannabis, and he figures that it's probably OK by this point. "I'm interested in your plans, and as for my 'other half'..." his tone takes on a dismissive, cold quality. "I can do what he can. All his memories before the lights over Neuschwanstein, all the dozens of echoes he's gotten back, belong to me, too. But that's where the similarities end, got it? I'm the strong one. You picked right, and I don't give a fuck about enmity from that brittle little ghost or the people who keep him from breaking."

The smell coming off from the smoke is very noticeable, but doesn't earn more than a glance. His interest here hardly lies in the other man's habits after all. He's seen people use worse, indeed even profited from it here and there.

"Understood." He gives a short nod. That tone spells everything out clearly. There's no love for the Numbered here, no concern for morality or wellbeing of others. That makes things much simpler, no need for masking his intentions with pleasant words or flowery speeches. His grin grows. "I plan to take over the world. I can do it, and when I do anybody who takes part will be rewarded very well. With whatever their heart desires."

Ryuzaki will (and has) tried anything. Obsessed with feeling alive and real, he's fairly reckless about his habits, and only careful enough about concealing it to avoid getting arrested. It would really harsh his reason to exist if he had to spend that time in jail, where he doubts he'd get along well even if he eagerly agreed to take anything up any orifice.

He ashes his joint, cupping his cheek in his palm and smiling beatifically.

"I can appreciate that kind of goal," he says. "It's the kind of goal that only one person can productively have, which makes it fortunate that it's not my goal. But I think that if I help you, you can make what is my goal happen without too much trouble, so... I'll take part. There are probably things you want or need done that no one else wants to do, but I relish."