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xp_logsIllyana's first encounter with Kevin has annoyance, but no good resolution.
Illyana frowned at the financial records for one of the expense cards, checking a few days of purchases against confirmed parts of the calendars she had access too, then sat back for a second and rubbed her eyes. "Does not make sense," she muttered to herself, then bent forward and checked again. Everything balanced, but some of the transactions... there was no way they could've been at these places, given the meetings and time frames. "Stupid money," she huffed, sending off a quick message.
Her calendar was clear for the next few hours, so once she got confirmation for her new appointment she swept it into the calendar and let herself into Warren's office to portal to District X. The Snow Valley office was nearby, and she politely grabbed two coffees and a box of pastries, similar to the peace offering she'd brought for Artie and ended up sharing with Amanda. A quick walk upstairs and she was talking to the brunette behind the desk before being guided to Kevin's office.
She knocked twice, sharply, and waited patiently at the door.
"It's open." A deep voice said, and as she stepped through, she found a dark haired man in a shirt and tie stretched out on an office couch with his eyes closed.
"Did not make meeting to do sex with you," Illyana replied promptly as she saw the voice stretched out, nudging the door shut behind her with one high heel as she balanced on the other. "I did bring pastry and coffee from downstairs, as polite. Do not cook, will not offend anyone by trying." She crossed to a chair with long strides and sat primly, balancing the box on the arm while setting the coffees on a table. The box joined them after, and she straightened, giving the older man her polite business smile. "Pleasantry first, or to business?"
"Well, since 'do sex' is off the table..." Kevin said, not moving, his eyes still closed. After a moment, he stretched and swung his feet out, pulling himself into an upright position. ~What brings you here? I wasn't aware we had any specific business with you beyond the magic types and your particular home address.~ He said in Russian so flawless and authentic it was like being on the streets of Moscow again.
Fancy. Illyana was reluctantly impressed, and responded in kind. "There are discrepancies in part of our finances. Warren made off-hand comment that you may sometimes take his card for a ride. I would like to point you at other targets instead of ones that will have auditors crawling up our ass. In this case the numbers match, but the calendar does not."
"Oh, I steal from Worthington constantly. You found one of my fish accounts." Kevin said, pausing with her reaction. "Can I get you a drink? I have excellent vodka that they don't export."
"Small vodka is acceptable during work day," Illyana replied. "I do not know what this 'fish' account is. Explain please."
Kevin looked through his bar fridge and flipped open the freezer finally, pouring a couple of small glasses of ice cold liquor. "A fish account is an account meant to be found."
"Like bait, or trap?" She sat back, body angled to take in every move Kevin made.
"Both. If it is found, it means that someone is looking, so it serves like a tripwire. It also means if someone finds it, I have a way to see who is looking." He passed over one of the glasses.
Illyana let out a small hum, waiting until Kevin had taken a sip before taking one of her own. "It is my job to look, reconcile, make sure expense account is not going to cause problems. Lunch in two places, far away but at same time... this is a problem. Can earmark, get account frozen, but that is hassle when we know who is stickyfingers. Would rather you play in accounts that are not my problem."
"Oh, I do that as well. But I like taking Warren's money occasionally. I consider it a personal tax for his continued existence. Afterall. I did stop a demon bitch from eating his soul." He said. "But, you see, it would never get frozen. No bank is freezing Worthington's accounts for a lunch bill, no matter how high. Even if they thought to, the dozen lawyers would poke a hundred holes into the charge. Worthington is a generous man; he picks up tabs all the time. The fact that two lunches ended up on his tab on the same day is just business as usual for the wealthy."
"This is work account, not personal. It is problem because it is work account, and work auditors love reasons to tattle to Second." Illyana explained this very patiently and simply, as if Kevin were a child. "When Second has problem, Second becomes my problem. I do not want him as bigger problem than he is, but I cannot run him through with sword and be done. Use different account in future."
"Nah. I mean, well done picking up the obvious account, but I plan to fleece Warren, amongst others, for as long as I want. Want to stop me? Then get real good at this."
Her heeled foot tapped slowly. Once, twice, a third time as she let out a slow breath. "I do not care what you do with personal accounts. Those are not my problem. This account is my problem. You will stop using it. I have offered you trade, I am not unreasonable."
"You didn't offer me a trade. You offered me something I already use. So how about this." Kevin said, leaning forward and steepling his fingers. "You find my usage, and each one you find, I'll stop. That seems fair."
"Offered to hand you other targets, and you do not consider that trade? You are strange man, Kevin Sydney."
"I found those targets when you were still in grade school. Consider this, Ms. Illyana Nicolaevna Rasputina," His Russian was flawless. "I have been playing this game a very long time against people with more experience than you. If you want to play, impress me."
Her brother had tried to warn her away from these people because they were spies. Either he was right, and this man was trying to yank her around for his own entertainment, or he was old, settled. Lazy on his accomplishments. Regardless, she was a queen, not a mere pawn for whatever whims this man had. If he wanted her to cater to them, he could provide actual incentive, not just annoyance.
"Last time old man wanted to play with me, I became child sacrifice in hell dimension. You will have to offer actual incentive if you want me to play." Illyana's smile was a thin, razor-sharp thing as she stood and turned, exiting the room with her vodka glass still in hand.
Illyana frowned at the financial records for one of the expense cards, checking a few days of purchases against confirmed parts of the calendars she had access too, then sat back for a second and rubbed her eyes. "Does not make sense," she muttered to herself, then bent forward and checked again. Everything balanced, but some of the transactions... there was no way they could've been at these places, given the meetings and time frames. "Stupid money," she huffed, sending off a quick message.
Her calendar was clear for the next few hours, so once she got confirmation for her new appointment she swept it into the calendar and let herself into Warren's office to portal to District X. The Snow Valley office was nearby, and she politely grabbed two coffees and a box of pastries, similar to the peace offering she'd brought for Artie and ended up sharing with Amanda. A quick walk upstairs and she was talking to the brunette behind the desk before being guided to Kevin's office.
She knocked twice, sharply, and waited patiently at the door.
"It's open." A deep voice said, and as she stepped through, she found a dark haired man in a shirt and tie stretched out on an office couch with his eyes closed.
"Did not make meeting to do sex with you," Illyana replied promptly as she saw the voice stretched out, nudging the door shut behind her with one high heel as she balanced on the other. "I did bring pastry and coffee from downstairs, as polite. Do not cook, will not offend anyone by trying." She crossed to a chair with long strides and sat primly, balancing the box on the arm while setting the coffees on a table. The box joined them after, and she straightened, giving the older man her polite business smile. "Pleasantry first, or to business?"
"Well, since 'do sex' is off the table..." Kevin said, not moving, his eyes still closed. After a moment, he stretched and swung his feet out, pulling himself into an upright position. ~What brings you here? I wasn't aware we had any specific business with you beyond the magic types and your particular home address.~ He said in Russian so flawless and authentic it was like being on the streets of Moscow again.
Fancy. Illyana was reluctantly impressed, and responded in kind. "There are discrepancies in part of our finances. Warren made off-hand comment that you may sometimes take his card for a ride. I would like to point you at other targets instead of ones that will have auditors crawling up our ass. In this case the numbers match, but the calendar does not."
"Oh, I steal from Worthington constantly. You found one of my fish accounts." Kevin said, pausing with her reaction. "Can I get you a drink? I have excellent vodka that they don't export."
"Small vodka is acceptable during work day," Illyana replied. "I do not know what this 'fish' account is. Explain please."
Kevin looked through his bar fridge and flipped open the freezer finally, pouring a couple of small glasses of ice cold liquor. "A fish account is an account meant to be found."
"Like bait, or trap?" She sat back, body angled to take in every move Kevin made.
"Both. If it is found, it means that someone is looking, so it serves like a tripwire. It also means if someone finds it, I have a way to see who is looking." He passed over one of the glasses.
Illyana let out a small hum, waiting until Kevin had taken a sip before taking one of her own. "It is my job to look, reconcile, make sure expense account is not going to cause problems. Lunch in two places, far away but at same time... this is a problem. Can earmark, get account frozen, but that is hassle when we know who is stickyfingers. Would rather you play in accounts that are not my problem."
"Oh, I do that as well. But I like taking Warren's money occasionally. I consider it a personal tax for his continued existence. Afterall. I did stop a demon bitch from eating his soul." He said. "But, you see, it would never get frozen. No bank is freezing Worthington's accounts for a lunch bill, no matter how high. Even if they thought to, the dozen lawyers would poke a hundred holes into the charge. Worthington is a generous man; he picks up tabs all the time. The fact that two lunches ended up on his tab on the same day is just business as usual for the wealthy."
"This is work account, not personal. It is problem because it is work account, and work auditors love reasons to tattle to Second." Illyana explained this very patiently and simply, as if Kevin were a child. "When Second has problem, Second becomes my problem. I do not want him as bigger problem than he is, but I cannot run him through with sword and be done. Use different account in future."
"Nah. I mean, well done picking up the obvious account, but I plan to fleece Warren, amongst others, for as long as I want. Want to stop me? Then get real good at this."
Her heeled foot tapped slowly. Once, twice, a third time as she let out a slow breath. "I do not care what you do with personal accounts. Those are not my problem. This account is my problem. You will stop using it. I have offered you trade, I am not unreasonable."
"You didn't offer me a trade. You offered me something I already use. So how about this." Kevin said, leaning forward and steepling his fingers. "You find my usage, and each one you find, I'll stop. That seems fair."
"Offered to hand you other targets, and you do not consider that trade? You are strange man, Kevin Sydney."
"I found those targets when you were still in grade school. Consider this, Ms. Illyana Nicolaevna Rasputina," His Russian was flawless. "I have been playing this game a very long time against people with more experience than you. If you want to play, impress me."
Her brother had tried to warn her away from these people because they were spies. Either he was right, and this man was trying to yank her around for his own entertainment, or he was old, settled. Lazy on his accomplishments. Regardless, she was a queen, not a mere pawn for whatever whims this man had. If he wanted her to cater to them, he could provide actual incentive, not just annoyance.
"Last time old man wanted to play with me, I became child sacrifice in hell dimension. You will have to offer actual incentive if you want me to play." Illyana's smile was a thin, razor-sharp thing as she stood and turned, exiting the room with her vodka glass still in hand.
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Date: 2024-01-22 09:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-23 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-01-23 08:39 pm (UTC)This was very fun to read, great back and forth!