Bonnie meets Clyde

Who: Andrei and Ava
When: Early Evening
Where: The Green Fairy

Ava was no stranger to the clubs and bars in this town, but The Green Fairy was definitely new territory for her. Even though she was Russian, distinctly so, she had never chosen to get involved with the Syndicate, especially not after their take-over of Babylon. Babylon might have been the one place Ava cared about. The Syndicate had ruined that. She hadn't been back to Babylon since Eris'...the situation with Eris....and she hadn't thought she would want to be anywhere near the Syndicate at all, but things changed. The clubs she usually frequented were closed due to the weather and while she had been content to hail a taxi each time she found a closed club, it was easily starting to annoy her.

She told the driver to take her to the nearest open club, no matter what the club was. She was in need of a drink desperately. The cold and Ava were not friends, and rain and Ava were enemies. Put them together and it only got worse. Sighing, she adjusted the blonde curl that kept sticking to her cheek. Why she'd chosen to wear her hair down on a day like this was beyond her. She should have known to put it up...but it would had been such a shame to take that clip from the woman at the restaurant last night and have no where to wear it. Unclipping the accessory, she pulled the curls away from her face, clipping the twisting metal piece into her hair at the side this time.

"Here we are, Lady. The Green Fairy." Ava glanced out the window at the establishment, a bad taste rising in her mouth. He'd brought her here? She debated insisting that the driver take her to another club, one not affiliated with the Syndicate, but as she thought about it, the temptation was too much. Maybe being here wouldn't be such an awful idea after all? She could be in the right place at the right time to overhear something useful to her. Besides, the pull of a new place with new people and new jewelry to steal admire was too much. She got out of the cab, paying the bare minimum to the driver, and started toward the Green Fairy before he could say anything else to her.

She pulled her fur coat tighter, annoyed that the rain was matting it. Winter couldn't be over soon enough. The bouncer opened the door for Ava, instructing her to wait at the end of a small line before closing the door again. But she was Ava Novikov and she wanted for nothing. She breezed by the line of people, stepping directly infront of a short, portly man and the tall woman to his right. She knew that woman's game, she'd perfected that game. She wasn't going to wait in line behind that. She looked at the second bouncer dead in the eye, choosing to speak in English for now. "...Step aside and let me in."

He insisted that she go to the back of the line again, but Ava was having none of that. Leaning closer to him, she kept her eyes locked onto his. "No. Now you listen to me. You will step aside and let me in, yes? And you will not say another word about it." When the man insisted that it was better for her to just leave, Ava scoffed. She despised it when men thought they knew what was best for her. She wasn't as fragile as they tended to think, but she played that role well and even if the concern they had, fake or real, came with the territory? It was still annoying as hell.

She let her eyes break from his gaze to scan the area, to pick out someone she could use for her benefit, someone already inside. Someone powerful. Someone...like him. Her eyes settled on Andrei across the room and her lips twisted into a smirk. Not only was he inside, but the way the people around him were treating him made him seem very, very important. "You don't want my date to be upset, do you? I'm with him." She watched the bouncer process his options. Try to protect Ava and send her packing? Or letting her through and not risk upsetting Andrei. Of course, the latter won out. Not bothering to thank him, tip him, or give hm another look, Ava breezed by him as well and made a straight, distinctive line for Andrei. She came to his small, slightly separate section of the club, and sat down directly across from him. The smile she wore on her lips was telling of so many things, but mostly she was pleased. Pleased she'd made it into the club without much of a fuss and pleased she'd seen Andrei. She still hadn't said a word to him by the time she reached up and took a waitress' arm. "Vodka martini. Two olives. Now." She said before letting go and dismissing the waitress, eyes settling back on Andrei. "Tell me your name. You can call me Ava." She said in Russian. Ava was no fool. Most of this club was already speaking the language, so why should she keep up her English?

Andrei blinked, certainly surprised by the sudden appearance of the woman before him. But it didn't take long before her greeting for his lips to curve upwards as he cocked his head a bit, fixing Ava with a bemused look.

"Andrei," he replied slowly; amusement pairing with the usual dark taunt in his tone, his teeth flashing even wider. Though his eyes were clearly fixed onto Ava, he didn't bother to lean forward. Not yet. Instead he remained lounging against the back of the booth, arms casually crossed, in the same position he had been in before she arrived. Except then his eyes had been fixed on the room surrounding him, carefully observing the exchanges, the body language, the movements of mouths forming words and whispers... only that distinctly predatory glint breaking through his feigned 'harmless' expression and a genuine bored one as he took in the vague tensions and undercurrent of politics of the surrounding Syndicate members.

But that had been then, and now was now. 'Now' was this demanding woman in the fur coat sitting before him as if she belonged there, talking to him in Russian, and bringing a dangerously interested smile to his face. He spared only a glance at one his guys sitting at the table -- who was also staring at Ava, only not so amused -- before returning the gaze on her. "So, dear Ava," he started, finally leaning forward, "You are new here, yes?" And, though it seemed impossible, Andrei's grin seemed to widen more at that thought.

Ava's eyes caught Andrei's without problem and without fear. A smirk pulled at her own lips, painted red and glossy, as she slipped out of the fur coat to reveal clean, soft pale shoulders and a strapless black dress. Crossing her legs (which ended in black leather pumps, shined to perfection), Ava broke off of Andrei's gaze to look up and down him slowly. Yes, she was sizing him up. Wasn't that what he was doing to her? It was one of her favorite pastimes and it was obvious that she liked what she saw. She'd have to be blind not to see just how gorgeous he was. And those eyes. It wasn't often that she saw such a perfect specimen of strength and charisma. It had been so long since she'd been out on the town, longer since she'd been with someone close to her age at. all.. Needless to say, Ava had her selection for the evening all picked out all ready.

She glanced over at the man to Andrei's right, her eyes much less inviting as she took him over. The once over she gave him was very, very different than Andrei's. No sense of interest, just pure, unadulterated disgust. Unamused, she rolled her eyes and looked back at Andrei, listening to the sound of his voice instead of wasting her time on the boar of a man beside him. "Is it so obvious?" Ava asked, lips back in a smile again. "It's my first time out to the Green Fairy and that poor bouncer thought I was here alone. Ignorant of him, really. I told him that he should let me through. He wouldn't want to make my date angry. Turns out he's smarter than I thought he was."

"Date?" Andrei echoed, slightly confused although that didn't dampen his amusement any. "And who, my dear, is your date?"

Ava fixed him with a knowing gaze, lifting her eyebrows just slightly as her smile spread more. The waitress handed her the vodka tonic she'd so insistently ordered and Ava took it, waved her off without giving a tip, and sipped at it. Strong, just the way she liked it. "Why you, of course, darling. Didn't you know?"

Andrei's expression showed that no, he didn't know; but it also said he didn't mind it. He caught the lack of tip there, and the annoyed look the server wanted to give but seemed unwilling because apparently Ava was him. It coaxed out that smirk that was never far away from his expression; Andrei, actually, was generally a pretty good tipper. There was something about subtly or not-so-subtley making people who had to serve him very uncomfortable... and then see them get further unnerved after he paid them generously for it. There was always that doubt: should they take the money, or not? But they almost always took the money, and it thrilled him to watch their expressions -- knowing he was watching them -- and see those expressions just die a little bit inside. Heh, he didn't always need to get physical to be happy -- Andrei appreciated the little things in life to.

But there was just something appealing about Ava's interaction with the server too -- simply taking the drink without any regard. Of course she may not care less what the server think, but Andrei watched the waitress' uncomfortable reaction with a smirk that only grew wider. His gaze came back to Ava, voice especially smooth with his bemusement, "Well, I suppose that would make me a careless date, to not know something like that. You must tell me how to make up for it." His smirk took on a dangerous edge as it widened now, as thoughts that always warmed hiim but chilled others danced in his head.

For Ava, interaction with staff was different. She didn't want them to expect anything from her but the bare minimum. They were already being paid for their job, so why should she tip them extra? Sipping again at her martini, she glanced to the side. "Why yes, that was quite careless of you, hurting my feelings like that..." Ava leaned a bit closer to him, red lips still mirroring his smirk with one of her own. "Here is what you can do to make up for it. Send your men away. I want to be with just my date alone, no one else." She shot her eyes back at the man who had been appraising her from Andrei's side. "He ruins the mood, don't you think?"

Andrei's grin was just gleaming as his bemused gaze flicked from Ava to his guys -- none of which seemed nearly as entertained with the whole thing as he was. A clench of Boris's jaw betrayed his concern at the idea of leaving Ava alone there, wheras the other two seemed wholly unperturbed at that thought. In fact, the one that had been appraising her looked outright offended, and seemed to gleefully wait for Andrei to brush the woman off. Instead Andrei, smiling lazily, nodded at Boris. "Boar-ish, Boris," he drawled in English -- because it was the only language the pun worked in -- using such pronunciation to almost seem he was repeating the man's name, "I think you boys will enjoy a spot closer to the stage, yes?" The guy who had appraised Ava looked none-too-happy about being made to leave, but a gleeful sneer returned as he figured Andrei would soon make Ava regret her choice. Otherwise, there was no fuss about being sent away. Andrei watched them leave, clearly finding amusement in it, before returning to the woman before him, "Does this suit you, dear?"

Ava shot the man who had been appraising her a nasty look as he left. She didn't waste her time with men like him. He wasn't attractive and he hadn't offered to buy her anything yet so why should she bother. Andrei's nickname for Boris caught Ava off-guard as she was sipping at her drink. Luckily she thought quickly and covered her mouth, swallowing with force as she used that to hide the laugh threatening to spill out. Boarish-Boris? How fitting. Nothing was going to make her regret her choice tonight.

"Closer, but not quite..." Once the men had, Ava had only one more move to make to set her plan in motion. She stood, leaving her jacket where it was. She slipped into the booth beside Andrei, leg brushing up against his. Shifting her glass into her left hand, Ava let her right hand brush across his shoulder, fingers running a soft, smooth line down the side of his neck. "Now this suits me. Tell me, dear Andrei, do you often have only the company of Boris and his scrawny little friend? Or do you entertain yourself with the women here too?"

"I do not 'entertain' myself with the woman here, no," he couldn't help a little laugh there as he used his own definition for the word. No, the woman here were off-limits for him to entertain himself with. His jaw set a bit there, recalling yet another 'rule' the bastards thought they could hold him to, and his eyes briefly flashed across the beginning crowd. He brought them back on Ava, his arm slipping around her shoulders to pull in her in closer (he didn't mind physical contact, couldn't love his job if he did). The dangerous edge was pronounced enough in his smirk to almost render it a sneer, "Certain parties... deem it 'prudent' I do not fraternize with their women."

Her eyes sparked, something dangerous of her own but in an entirely different way. She shifted just slightly, lifting her legs up and draping them over his thigh, crossing one leg over the other. Leaning in, Ava, settled naturally into the nook of his side, still stroking up and down his neck with her fingers. "Darling, you don't strike me as one to let any 'certain parties' tell you what to do. If I thought you were playing by someone else's rules, I wouldn't have come over here." This was perfect. Something was obviously bothering him and Ava wasn't stupid. Something about these 'certain parties'. "Prudent doesn't fit you, dear. Now tell me, why is it that a man as strong as you are, as handsome as you are...why do you let someone else tell you what you should do? Do you want one of these women here?" Normally in this situation, Ava wouldn't be so keen to dangle another woman infront of her chosen man for the evening, but secretly she was baiting him. She had a good feeling that he wouldn't choose another woman to waste his time with. "Because I, dear Andrei, do not think you should let these 'certain parties' dim your light. I believe you should do what you want. What other way is there to live?"

Andrei's eyes drifted down to her wrist, since he couldn't physically settle them onto her fingers. They were incredibly soft, and the feel of them had him mesmerized for a moment. He had a thing about hands: his hands, other people's hands, using his hands on other people's hands... and her fingers on his neck had him thinking how he'd like to spend some quality time on her hands. Nothing unusual (for him) there.

But what was unusual was, as her words drifted through to him, Andrei's eyes left her wrist and trailed back to her. For once he actually pushed away those happy little thoughts of his hands on hers just enough to focus on what she was saying. And as her words sunk in his eyes narrowed just a bit in thought, that perpetual smirk actually dropping from his face for once into a not-for-show thoughtful expression. The flattery itself had little effect on Andrei; if he cared either which way what people thought of him then his self-esteem would take a beating from the names he was called during his 'meetings'. "I must say, dear, that I do not wish for any of their woman at the moment," it was an honest sentiment, and his eyes shone dangerously as he spoke it. But her words just stirred those whispers of discontent in him in just such a wonderfully right way that he to set his mind on hearing her talk more instead of on coaxing out considerably harsher sounds.

"These parties do not have my particular... skills... that they require," the smirk returned, but now a touch grim and with a more blatant edge, "But my... 'job', fun though it may be, does have certain... risks associated with it that these parties are more... equipped? to deal with," he admitted, grimness giving full way to the edge. But the amusement soon crept back in as he returned the conversation to Ava, "But tell me, dear, what you would suggest in such a situation?" He was curious now for her answer, and that curiosity danced along with his bemusement.

"What would I suggest?" Ava repeated, looking away from him as she gave it consideration. She already had her answer planned out, but enjoyed the game just as much. Turning back to him, Ava leaned in a bit closer, giving him just a glance of the smirk on her red lips before she placed them near his ear. Whispering, she said, "I would tell them all to go fuck themselves. Why do you need them, darling? They are only holding you down. I can see. You're anxious, eager...Why do you let them chain you up when you are born to be free, to do what you wish, when you wish it. People like us...we aren't meant to be held down, dear Andrei. So what I would do would be to leave them all and do what I wanted, no matter what that was."

He considered it, and found the idea to give him nearly as much pleasure as he would've gotten 'working' alone with Ava right now. Lost in that reverie, his gaze glazed over as his gaze slipped into the distance just beyond Ava. It sounded... especially wonderful, but there was a major rub: namely Andrei was never big on the idea of getting himself killed. Not at all. And although the brutality of prison only served to excite one such as him, he wasn't particularly fond of being in cuffs or a literal cage either. Normally that thought was enough to stop thoughts of breaking from the Syndicate right then and there. But he had never honestly been so irked about the status of things as he was now, and Ava's whisperings in his ear was nothing short of inspirational: why in hell should he settle?

"They have the power-- the lawyers, the people on payroll... the capability to clean up the messes, make the 'red tape' disappear," he murmured to himself, thinking aloud, voice low enough so only he and Ava could hear. The animal within him was now greedy, licking its canines at the idea of being free of those fools. Of being out from under them. Hell, he could be on top.

Andrei's focus returned to Ava, his mouth forming into his own genuine smile: it was as twisted and deadly as he was, "I think, dear Ava, that you are very much right," there was a darkly warm compliment there, his eyes shining, "but I don't think simply leaving would do at all. They have many things that are especially useful... I should simply -- how did you put it? -- not let them hold me down." He paused, considering his words for only a brief moment, the twisted smile widening, "but rather, I should take what I want."

Now this was exactly what she wanted to hear. She listened carefully, taking in everything he said as her fingers continued their walk along his neck. "Andrei darling, they may have the power, but I have the money." Being married to one Mr. Irving Winthrop had allowed her many liberties, and many many more once he kicked the bucket. If she wanted to, she could financially support any decision Andrei wanted to make. Now, normal people would have thought: Slow down, you're going too fast. What do you even know about this man? But not Ava. Ava saw. Ava wanted. Ava got what she wanted, always. Period. No questions asked.

"I am generally right, darling, but this isn't about me. It's about you. Are you willing to take the chance that if you stay with them, they'll not try to control you again later? If you want this, and you do. I know you do...then why do you wait for it? If you don't seize your chance, if you don't grab it, take it...then you are letting them walk all over you whether you think you are or not." She explained, leaning to look into his eyes. "You are strong. Idiots can see that. You are stronger than they all are. They are afraid of you, dear Andrei, and they are baiting you. They wave what little power they have infront of you eyes. They're tempting you, darling. They want you to take the bait, to settle. I want you to excel, to succeed...to show them all that Andrei is no one to walk over."

Andrei stroked Ava's arm idly, the smile never wavering. He liked what he she was saying, hell he loved what she was saying -- for as much as he could love anything. But his whole self-preservation thing just wouldn't be budged on the issue, not when he knew just how much the Syndicate had... and how much they could turn it against him if he carelessly went rogue. "They are scared of me," he conceded -- as if it were much of a concession to make, "and they are fools. But they have power -- the useful kind of power, one that is over others -- and they have much of it. And many useful resources. And I don't think all that power and those resources should be in the hands of such fools, do you?" That smile transformed into an equally twisted, humored smirk as he answered his own question, "I do not think so. I think it should be in the hands of someone -- how did you put it? -- 'strong'?"

He leaned back just a little, considering her bit about the money. "And you, as you say, have the money. And since you are so thoughtful of my well-being," he paused, bemused, well aware that could still not be the case, "at least moreso than these fools I warrant. I am certain you would be more than capable of... preventing me from straying, dear Ava, when those fools bait." He smirked, seeing if she would accept such his proposition. Because Andrei liked having this woman around, enough to figure she'd be of some more use and enjoyment whispering in his ear than screaming in it (but he couldn't help widening the smirk at picturing her screaming, either).

"Of course, darling. Why should the power be with cowards when it so rightfully belongs to us, to the ones who know how to handle it." With another long sip of her martini, Ava listened intently to his musings and her grin widened. She had him right where she wanted him. Ava enjoyed the feeling Andrei's words gave her, a sense of worth that her late, geezer of a husband Irving had never given her. Possibly not equals yet, but there was potential for that. He, at least, was working her into any plans that he had and that was exactly how she wanted this to play out. Ava was not one to like people for more than thrills, materially or sexually, but there was something in Andrei that she wanted that was more than that. Sure, it was initially very sexual. A handsome Russian man like him? Ava was dying for that, especially after years with only Irving's old, wrinkly body to keep her warm at night, but now...Now his was talking her language.

Leaning closer, Ava pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, leaving a tell-tale red kiss mark behind her. "Dear Andrei, I believe this may be the beginnings of a beautiful friendship, don't you think so? You have my word, darling, that I will prevent you from letting those cowardly parties lead you astray again. A strong Alpha like you deserves the power that they so carelessly flaunt. With time, dearest, we'll show them just how wrong they were about you. They'll never know what hit them."

Andrei's smile was idle, one corner smirking, his gaze dancing on her martini glass on the table with his mind dancing elsewhere. He was looking forward to all of it: taking the reins from those Syndicate fools, relishing the words off her tongue further... using her body to entertain him when her words ceased to. Yes, the future was just brimming with wonderful possibility. "You know, Ava," he said, turning his head from the glass to face her, the other corner pulling into a smile, bunching the red lipstick there, "I'd have to agree whole-heartedly."

The start of a beautiful friendship indeed. Lifting her glass off the table again, she raised it slightly to him, on par with her eyes that were still baring down into his. "Cheers, darling. Here's to you, the King they never saw coming." And with that promise, and the unspoken promise of her as his Queen, Ava downed the martini in one sip, looking forward to the future and it's bright prospects.

Andrei, who was not one to drink when the Fairy had gotten as crowded as it had, merely nodded his agreement, "Cheers."