[THREAD]

[manofdust]

Who: Adam Keaton and Jack Hauk.
Where: Outer Heaven, Terra
When: 5th of January, at 10 pm.
Summary: Just your average business meeting between a government spy and a retired terrorist leader.
Rating: PG, most likely.
Other:N/A

Comments

psht, it's no big deal xD

[magna_nimity]

"The garden of Eden," Jack said.

"It stands for paradise; utopia, as you said. Adam... and Eve were expelled from that paradise because they were tempted to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The tempter, in this case, was none other than the devil; under the guise of the serpent -- a snake. This is also called the original sin, the one we all inherited and have to atone for by trying to be good and lawful and obedient all our lives. Outer Heaven is my idea of a place were people who have learned to differentiate between good and evil can find shelter, and make their own decisions without being judged. A haven, if you will. A second Eden. This little story, true or not, is essentially my inspiration for Outer Heaven."

He was surprised. He hadn't really been lying up until now; just not been telling everything. The cigar, after exhaling one last time, was ground out in the ashtray on his desk.

"The Ouroboros is also a prominent theme," he continued, "it's a symbol used in ancient cultures around the world. A snake biting into its own tail which cannot exist outside of itself. It stands for eternity, infinity, unity and even resurrection. There is a recurring theme to all things in the world, don't you think?"

[manofdust]

"History does have a habit of repeating itself."

Jack was more willing to talk than he had expected from his initial attitude. Not that he complained, it made this a whole lot easier even though they had just begun to scrape the surface. So far he had kept the questions safe, not even bordering on anything that could be considered risky territory. That would have to change though if he wanted to leave with anything worth while.

"An establishment that welcomes just about anyone would see it's fair share of trouble makers. I take it security must be an issue?"

[magna_nimity]

Well this is where the questions became tricky.

"Oh, of course we have security, but it's kept within reasonable limits. There's another outlet for visitors to release their stress however, after hours, so we don't have as many troublemakers here as you would think."

Again, this part was true -- except for the security for the B2 basement and the elevator. But those were the places visitors shouldn't be venturing into, anyway.

A faked apologetic look.

"I can't divulge any details though, I hope you understand."

[manofdust]

"I'm sure you need to take your customers privacy into account."

Ah, now they were getting somewhere. For all it's idealistic appearance Outer Heaven still harbored it's secrets - but what didn't? And if it was something that Jack didn't want in print it was bound to be of questionable nature. Free advertising could still be bad for business after all.

Adam leaned in with a feral smirk, tone of voice indicating that this was more of personal interest rather than professional.

"Not even off the record?"

[magna_nimity]

He returned the smirk gladly and also leaned in, one arm on the desk, as if he would honestly answer. Two could play this game; and by now, Jack knew that this man definitely had some kind of personal interest. It wouldn't surprise him if the earlier questions had just been a warm-up.

"Not to a man that comes into my office carrying a Makarov PM," he spoke slowly, with a low voice, pointedly looking at Adam's waist.

[manofdust]

So he had spotted that, huh? Not that it made much of a difference. To be honest Adam was a bit surprised that it hadn't come sooner - after all carrying a fire arm to a business meeting wasn't exactly common practise.

"Not your preferred model?"

[magna_nimity]

"Doesn't matter what I prefer," he replied, and he thought there was a hint of nostalgia in his words. Where it came from, however, he didn't know. "But how good you can handle the model. That aside, I'm sure you understand that I won't talk about my security measures or my customer's privacy to a man that comes armed to a business meeting with poor old me."

So, in case this guy was up to something, he would never know the best way to get out of the affair unseen. Jack doubted that he had spotted all the security cameras and password protected locks.

"Unless you're not here for a business meeting?"

[manofdust]

"Old habits die hard, you never know what you can run into on these streets. As for how well I can handle it..."

He had to restrain himself in order not to whip the gun out and show the old man just how well he could handle the weapon. A bad idea, so he settled for a grin and an ambiguous gesture.

"What else could it be?"

[magna_nimity]

Big Boss wasn't overly impressed with the man's -- or rather, kid's -- attitude. He couldn't possibly be older than twenty. Editor-in-chief at that age already? Hm. It probably wasn't unusual, but something about the whole thing still rubbed him the wrong way.

To show that, he opened the drawer of his desk and produced a bottle of Jack Daniels and two glasses.

"True. I won't argue on that one. Though I doubt somebody who works in the line of journalism would be much of a gunslinger."

He poured himself a glass, and then the other, without even asking if any was wanted.

"And you tell me. The way I see it, I'd say you're trying to press me for personal information."

[manofdust]

"I do have a life outside of work, as foreign as the concept might seem."

Adam watched his movements with feigned interest. He was sharp, no doubt about it, but the young spy wasn't about to blow his cover if he could help it. A potential background check wouldn't provide him with much information - the Alpha had seen to that - and his assumed identity was close to perfect. No need to worry.

"Purely business, I assure you. Our readers have little interest in any information regarding the man behind the scene."

[magna_nimity]

So this guys favorite pastime was playing the part of a gun-toting journalist. Interesting.

"Don't we all."

Big Boss rhytmically swayed his glass and then raised it in a Cheers gesture before downing its contents in one swig. Aah. He'd needed that.

"Fine then. If that's the case, please excuse me prying and carry on, will you?"

[manofdust]

Taking his time Adam took a moderate sip of the bourbon. He needed to keep his head clear and even if his alcohol tolerance was as good as anyone else's there was no need to go overboard.

Besides, if the old man got a glass or two in him he might be prone to letting more slip than he intended.

"Very well. How would you describe your average regular customer? Even though anyone is welcome this type of establishment usually attracts a certain type of clientele, especially if you can offer specialized services."

[magna_nimity]

"That's a good question. I actually don't pay that much attention, although; I tend to see a lot of young men in their 20s and 30s frequent the club. Actually, looking at you -- you could be one of my regulars. You should give it a try, maybe you'll like it," he said, more provocative than he had initially intended.

He certainly looked the type. Actually, given how familiar the man seemed, it really did surprise him that he had never seen in his establishment before.

And he couldn't stop thinking about the damn gun. Something was definitely wrong with it, and not the fact that he had been bringing one with him in the first place.

[manofdust]

"Maybe I will."

Part of the job of course - what else would it be? - and getting a direct invitation from the owner certainly made any future visits a lot easier. This would have to do for now, he had caught the mans attention and that was acceptable for a first meeting.

"Just one last thing and I'll leave you to your work. J-"

John.

He faltered for the fraction of a moment but corrected himself quick enough. Where did that name come from? It fit in somehow, the name, the voice, his appearance, even the smell of cigars.

"-Mr Hauk. Any last words to our readers?"

[magna_nimity]

"Oh, we're done already?", he said, acting surprised as he was just about to pour himself another glass. Oh well. He set the bottle down on the table again. He was used to longer interviews.

No final showdown?

"Alright. You should really try our Neo Genesis Pizza, it's delicious. And you won't find it anywhere else, that I can guarantee. As for you, Mr. Keaton --"

A meaningful pause and look.

"Try to be a little more subtle next time."

[manofdust]

"Disappointed? I figured with your tight schedule a light interview might be more appropriate, we're not after your life story after all."

Not that you know of.

He turned off the tape recorder and returned it to his pocket. Had he slipped up? Impossible, the old man was just paranoid. Nothing worth paying attention to. Doing his best to remain calm and composed, Adam got to his feet.

"I will send you a mock-up of the article before it goes official. Wouldn't want any inaccuracies, would we?"

With a fake smile he offered his hand in a handshake.

"Until we meet again, Mr Hauk."