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 Inception - Hollingsworth Job

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Prisma*Illya
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Thu Feb 12, 2015 4:25 pm

The other three in the room halted as a very young man - a boy, really - barged into the room with barely a greeting and no introduction before submersing himself into some alternate world they could not see.

Sofie pursed her lips as she surveyed the boy. Elliot might have a rocky, awkward start, but at least he had some concept of human interactions.

Speaking of which, the chemist appeared to have torn himself away from his workspace to approach the boy tentatively, like a fascinating subject he might scare away with a sudden movement. When he felt he was close enough, he began to circle around, craning his neck and moving his lips soundlessly as he studied the device.

"I suppose I'll have to be the one to ask," Sofie sighed, seeing as how neither of the other two seemed willing to break the stiff silence. She walked up to the boy and tapped on the top of his head. Elliot stopped, looking surprised by the intrusion.

"Excusez moi," she said crisply, "But would you mind explaining who you are and what that contraption is?"

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Thu Feb 12, 2015 5:48 pm

Michael had been lost in his work when a tap on the crown of his head jolted him back to reality. His body physically flinched away from the touch, and he flipped the device back up into his hair, throwing a startled look at the woman standing beside him.

"Who I am?" He repeated her question, as if he himself were curious of the answer as well. "Well, by western culture, you are what you do. So, the answer would be that I'm the Architect. If you want to be more specific, I'm Michael David." He sounded out his name, allowing a touch of the desert to color his accent for just a moment.

"I assume what you're referring to as a 'contraption' would be the visualized environment interface that I've been using. It's a 3d projector that pulls information from my development environment and encodes it in a visual manner for segmentation and recreation." Michael paused for a moment, studying her face. "I suspect you have no idea what that's supposed to mean though. So few ever get it without visual representation."

He flipped the machine back over his eyes for a moment and twisted a few gears before removing the strap from the back of his head and taking the device off completely. "Loop the strap behind your head and cover your eyes with the visor." Michael said, holding the device up to her. "But don't drop it. That prototype cost more than the payout for this job three times over."

Michael waited patiently while Sophie secured the strap and moved the visor into place. "As you can now see, the interface tool creates a copy of the reality space I'm currently developing. The one you're seeing now is something I'm throwing together last-minute for a client of mine. It's quite interesting technology. The visor can actually detect your movements, and it will adjust your relative location in the environment based on what direction you turn or walk."

[OOC: Sophie would see an empty dreamspace in the visor (a city block in this case), and it would be displayed in 3d. If she turns, the dreamspace would turn in the same direction, and if she steps forward, it would scroll past her, as if she were walking down the street inside the dreamspace.]
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 13, 2015 12:38 pm

So this was Michael David, their Architect. Sofie made a mental note never to deal with children in this line of work. They had no sense of social protocol.

Or manners, for that matter. She gave him an unflattering stare at his implication of her ignorance of cutting-edge technology before the device was shoved into her hands.

"How did you manage to get your hands on something this expensive?" she asked, scrutinizing it as she placed it warily on her head. Elliot watched her closely, his eyes bright with interest and a bit of disappointment that she had been selected to try it out.

Fixing it in place, Sofie watched as the world around her was suddenly replaced by a realistic city block. If she didn't know any better, she might have thought she'd slipped into dreamspace.

"Brilliant," she said, astounded. "It's like you're actually there."

Absently, she began to walk with tentative steps, mouth open in surprise as the city began to move around her. She could see how something like this would indeed be exceedingly expensive.

"Does the device have download/upload capabilities?" she could hear Elliot asking the Architect - and by the sound of it, she was moving away from them and toward the entrance. "If it were possible to upload chemical structures into the device, or medical samples from inside the body... it could revolutionize science."

Sofie tuned out their conversation, more interested in the virtual environment she was in. Discreetly, she gave a small hop and was delighted to see that the environment jolted vertically, about the distance she had jumped.

"I wouldn't mind finding a virtual dress shop to try some things on," she said to Rina, smiling as she twirled the next few steps forward.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Tue Feb 17, 2015 1:19 pm

Michael raised an eyebrow at the woman's question, feeling as if the answer would have been obvious, but he humored her with a response anyway. "I constructed it." He said, watching her to make sure she was careful with the device. "That's the second iteration of the device itself, and the fifth iteration of the operating system that manages it."

As she began moving around, Michael started to warn her about wandering too far, but the man beside him asked a question, and Michael responded, sensing somewhat of a kindred spirit perhaps. "The device runs purely on download capability at the moment, and I'm afraid you're giving it too much credit. It only accepts locational input. All of the schematics it's pulling down are constructed on a remote server. The device only allows them to be viewed remotely and in a 3d environment."

Across the room, John had just entered, and had opened his mouth to introduce himself. His words were never spoken though. A woman wearing some strange contraption twisted into him, bumping his chest with her shoulder and throwing her off balance. Without thinking, John reached out to keep her from falling, pulling her back against him with one hand on her upper arm to steady her and his other arm hooked in front of her stomach.

"Generally, women at least wait until I give them my name before they fall into my arms." He mused, almost thoughtfully. "It's John, by the way."
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Tue Feb 17, 2015 3:47 pm

Sofie gave a start as she collided suddenly with something, her balance thrown off enough to send her toppling sideways. However, something suddenly grasped her and pulled her back with surprising strength, and it wasn't until she found herself surrounded by a pair of arms that she realized she had been saved by a person - a man, particularly. From the sound of the voice, and particularly the words, she could already guess who it was.

"My, we think highly of ourselves, don't we?" she said crisply, looking immensely dignified despite the alien contraption still blinding her view. Sofie stepped back from the man's grasp and removed the device from around her head, shaking out the long honey-colored tresses.

"I'm guessing your our Pointman then," she said, scrutinizing the man with a somewhat frosty smile as she extended her head. "I'm Sofie Verdreaux. Forger extraordinaire."

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Tue Feb 17, 2015 6:03 pm

Rina (using my iphone to write it)

Rina smiled as the "pleasant" events accelerated its course; she studied the team members silently with her mysterious smile, not giving much information about what kind of feeling she was going through.

Was she amused by Sofie who was finding her ways to deal with the new members? Was she impressed by chemist, who asked somewhat interesting question to their architect? Was she astonished by the gadget that young architect decided to show off? Was she charmed by the man who is so full of himself?

Her face didn't show it, but it was definitely clear and that mysterious smile let all the members know that she was welcoming everyone.

"Well, talented gentlemen, as my name is complicated, you could just call me "Rina". I am your extractor and, yes, I am the one responsible for gathering you here."

Signaling Sofie to take it over to talk about the actual aim of the job to the team.

(OOC:Trying to move the RP little bit forward, Sofie should be able to go through who is the client, the mark(basic info only) and the aim of the job as well as the reward. And illya you could take control of Rina to assign the roles of each members)
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:50 am

Sofie nodded to Rina and turned to the other team members gathered. There was little need for the two to communicate with words. They had worked together enough to send messages by simple look, and she knew Rina wanted to take this time to observe them silently.

"Well, let's get started then," Sofie said brightly, indicating for everyone to take seats.

"Our client, as you may be aware, is wealthy business tycoon Julian Hollingsworth. His daughter, Lana, is engaged to a hit artist Gerard Mercier, who's all the rage in Europe right now. Our client isn't convinced of the Mark's intentions or suitability for his daughter, and wants him thoroughly screened for any information of interest."

The three men nodded mutely, and Rina decided to take the reins.

"To get started, John, try to see if you can find any information on Mercier's background. Our client says he comes up blank, but you might be able to dig up something."

She turned to Michael.

"Without any definite information on the target, it might be hard to get an solid ideas for the dream layouts. But try to see if you can't start on anything basic that we can build on."

Next, she faced Elliot.

"Elliot, we may need to go up to three layers deep if the target is keeping his secrets tight enough. See if you can work up an effective compound for getting us down that low."

Finally, Rina looked over at Sofie. But the Forger was already way ahead.

"I need to study Lana Hollingsworth and get her act down. That'll be the most effective way to manipulate the Mark within the dream space."

Rina nodded, pleased, and indicated for them all to get to work.

Although Sofie was not particularly eager to do the verbal tango with John again, she approached him with a smile on her face and sat on the edge of his workspace.

"Do you think you can find where Lana and Mercier might pop up in public next? I'd like to get an idea of them in a public environment first," she explained.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Wed Feb 18, 2015 3:09 pm

John had merely raised an eyebrow at the woman who introduced herself as their Forger for the job. Although with the initial meeting wrapped up, it appeared that she was also very informed about the client. Actually, she seemed to know the client almost too well. That could make the fallout of a potential screwup very risky for the team. He didn't voice that concern as they broke from the meeting though.

Michael had resumed whatever he'd put on hold inside of his visor for the meeting almost immediately after it finished, and his hand moved along the gears slowly, his expression impassive. Working with other people was rarely fun. He just wanted to construct the dreamspace and be done with it. Taking note of a few glitches in the street he was examining, Michael pushed his visor back and made for the exit. He could do some initial development for the job, but until they had a plan, most of his time would continue to go into his current project...

John watched the Israeli step out of the room with an impassive look on his face. He didn't judge people for their career choices, but a part of him did wonder what had dragged a kid into the world he inhabited. His thoughts were broken by the honey-laced voice of the woman who had run into him earlier though.

"Don't do that." John said before he could stop himself. Then, since she would have no clue what he was referring to otherwise, he dug a deeper hole by clarifying. "The slight inflection you put on your voice when you're trying to coax information out of someone won't do you any good with me. I'm forthcoming enough without you wasting the effort on manipulation. So, let's not be fake, shall we?"

He turned in her direction, a hint of a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth, despite his better judgement. "Unless you need the practice, of course..."

John gave his words a moment to sink in before he continued. "I can't guarantee that it will be the next time they appear in public, but Mercier will be attending an art gala tomorrow evening. It's the sort of event that falls under the 'plus one guest' social norm. So, I suspect he'll bring her with him." He didn't mention how he'd known about that before initial research. Actually, he had an invitation for the gala on his kitchen table, but he hadn't planned to attend it, even if he had glanced over the names of artists up for rewards.
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Wed Feb 18, 2015 9:58 pm

Sofie's eyebrows rose high into the air at John's words, equal parts annoyed and impressed.

"Well," she said breezily, a real smile flitting across her lips. "That simplifies matters, doesn't it?"

Truth be told, she preferred not to have to put on an act, but she seldom had that sort of luxury. It would be a pleasant change of pace - well, for her anyway.

John's information was quite valuable indeed, and Sofie found herself smiling at their good fortune.

"Tres magnifique," she said cheerily, turning to go. "I hope you like art then."

Sofie turned to walk away, then paused to look back with a grin.

"Oh, and since we're being honest with each other, John, make sure to wear a better tie. That one is hideous."

With that, she turned and sauntered off back to her corner, feeling that this team might work out after all.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Thu Feb 19, 2015 12:29 am

John blinked once, looked down at his tie, and then looked back up at Sophie's retreating figure. "I like this tie." He said, managing to sound indignant, and he was... This woman had basically just told him to attend the art gala with her, completely ignoring the fact that she didn't even have an invitation. The audacity of it all was... Well, honestly, it was a bit of a turn on, but that was an unprofessional train of thought.

Still, he could practically see the gauntlet laying on the floor, and John had never been one to turn down a challenge. With a bark of laughter, he fished a card out of his pocket and followed after her, depositing the card on the table next to her just as she took a seat. "Be at that address tomorrow afternoon, four pm, sharp. The gala starts at five thirty. So, we should have an hour to case the exhibit hall before it starts."

Without another word, he turned and made for the exit, not bothering to look at her expression. A part of him hoped that it was shocked, but he already knew it wouldn't be. She'd just played him, and he knew that she would know it. Smug bitch...

[OOC: The address on the card would be a small office complex, where John fronts his business as a psychologist.]
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Thu Feb 19, 2015 3:11 pm

Four o'clock sharp, and no escort to be seen.

Sofie stood in lobby of the office complex, double checking the address that the Pointman had given to her and tapping her foot impatiently as she waited.

She was draped in a long black evening gown, with a strand of glittering diamonds around her neck. Her hair had been curled and done up in the back, allowing a few loose strands to hang about her face.

People leaving work for the day continued to pass by, eyeing her with no pretense at subtlety, but she supremely ignored them and continued to stare at the clock, waiting.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:23 pm

John flipped open his gold pocket watch, noting the position of the hands behind the fractured glass. The spiderwebbed crack was slightly worse above the twelve, making it difficult to tell exactly when the hour turned, but he knew from the digital clock on his desk that it was almost two minutes after four.

Good. He knew she would probably give him crap about being late all evening, but he was vindicated by the fact that she was standing out in the hallway, waiting. John knew she was there, had known since the secretary out front alerted him to her arrival ten minutes before the hour.

Smiling to himself, he closed down his workspace and stood up, straightening the black and white scrollwork tie that rested against his baby blue shirt. John crossed the office to the door and pulled his suit from the hangar on the coat rack before slipping it over his shoulders.

He stepped out of his office a moment later and turned to see Sophie standing a few feet down the hall, glancing at the door. Had she been expecting him to arrive from the street? Judging from her posture, she wasn't pleased with him being late. Actually, she almost seemed prepared to bolt at a moment's notice. That was strange. She seemed like a woman who was comfortable in her own skin, but at the same time, there was an underlying tone of wariness in her stance that he couldn't quite puzzle out the reason for.

"My apologies. I had a particularly difficult client on the line, and it took me a few extra minutes to get rid of him." John said as he stepped up beside her, putting his hand in the small of her back to keep her pointed towards the door. It wasn't exactly a lie. He had been dealing with such a client... About an hour ago...

"Shall we?" He asked, but it wasn't phrased as a question, and John moved towards the door, keeping his hand behind her to guid her outside and into the parking lot. A few spaces down the curb, he stopped at the passenger side of his Forest Green Aston Martin and walked past Sophie, opening the door for her with perfect manners.
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:52 am

Sofie was startled by a sudden voice and a hand at her back, but aside from a momentary jolt of surprise, she gave no reaction to John's arrival as he steered her toward his car.

By the time they had reached it, however, she seemed to be returning to her usual self. When he held open the door, she arched her eyebrows imperiously.

"Well, your mother taught you that much, at least," she noted, sliding gracefully into the seat.
As she waited for him to come around to his side, Sofie took note of the state of the car - clean, tidy, well-kept - and approved. Well, given what she'd picked up of his personality, it wasn't very surprising.

When he had climbed in, she momentarily considered giving him the cold shoulder, but it seemed like a waste of a good night. Sighing, she pulled her lipstick out of her back and applies a fresh coating.

"So, do you like art, John?" she asked casually, giving him a swift glance before returning to her task.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:19 pm

The look on John's face tightened for just a moment as Sophie stepped into the car, but it was gone too quickly for anyone not watching closely to see. "Sorry to impress, but I taught myself this much." He closed the door softly and made his way to the driver's seat.

As he slipped into the seat and fastened the belt, John scrunched his nose. Strawberries... The woman smelled like strawberries... He hadn't noticed it as they walked, but in the confined space, it was stronger, although still subtly pleasant.

Telling himself to ignore it, he started the engine and backed the car out into the street before slipping into the stream of traffic. "Oh, I love art." John responded to her question, throwing a glance in her direction. "So long as it's not overly superficial." He continued as she flipped the mirror back up.

"How about you?" He asked, giving a moment's pause before adding a second question. "Sophie was it?"
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:42 pm

Slipping her lipstick back into her bag, Sofie reclined back against the seat, turning her gaze toward the window.

"Oh, I love art," she replied off-handedly, her finger delicately curling one of her loose bangs. "My apartment is its own little galleria of fine art."

Her finger stopped playing with her hair as John stopped to ask her name, and she turned to give him a mockingly incredulous stare.

"John, dear, it's bad enough to make a lady wait, but to forget her name on the first date..."

Sofie clucked her tongue disparagingly before deciding to change the subject.

"So, you're a psychologist then," she said, smiling. "I know a little something of psychology myself."

Sofie made a point of scrutinizing him intently - despite having come to this conclusion ages ago - before nodding to herself, as though arriving at an epiphany.

"You are undoubtedly an only child," she declared, then added as she glanced at his watch, "With a sentimentality you try to bury beneath an indifferent façade."

Sofie leaned back once more, eyebrows raised as though daring him to contradict her assessment.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:15 pm

John sat in silence as she spoke, a hint of a smile pulling at his lips. He'd learned a long time ago that sometimes it was best to let others do the talking. They told him about themselves that way, even if they didn't mean to. Sometimes, they were able to work out their own problems without his help as well. Those were always the best clients...

"So, this is the discussion you choose then?" John asked, sounding amused, as he merged onto the freeway. "Are you sure it's the one you want though?" His voice was soft, but something darker lurked behind it, a subtle threat that he made no effort to hide in his tone.

"My level of sentimentality is questionable, as I rarely dwell on the past at all, but we're all prone to our moments of nostalgia, are we not?" He said, taking the option to change the topic again away from her. "Your other assessment, that I was an only child, is slightly more complicated. In a sense, you're right, and in a sense, you aren't. That's the only comment I'll offer on the subject tonight. Perhaps another time..."

As his words trailed off, the smile that had momentarily slipped returned, and he shot a wolfish glance in her direction. "Your turn on the hot seat now..." John said, clearly enjoying the words. "You're repressing something, probably related to your childhood. It's almost second nature to you at this point. So, it must have happened a long time ago, or you've just grown numb to it. You're also afraid of not being in control of situations you're put into. That's why you only look me in the eye when you feel like you have the advantage."

"Finally, you're attracted to me. Pulling at your hair is a dead giveaway, as was the fact that you called this a 'date', despite it being a professional outing, not a personal one. If that wasn't enough, you keep looking away from me, but you leave your upper body turned in my direction."

"How am I doing so far?"
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:47 pm

John seemed to give her the opportunity for an out. But Sofie didn't need the gesture, and remained silent as she allowed him to continue. She did, however, raise her eyebrows as he answered her assessment.

"We're already talking about another time?" she said lightly, smiling.

But he refused to rise to the bait. Instead, he turned the tables on her, attempting to read her like a book.

Did it work? It was hard to tell. Her smile was as impassive as ever.

"Well, you did learn a thing or two, didn't you?" she replied after a moment, almost flippantly. There was no sense in trying to deny anything, as he'd merely pick apart any protests. Far better to accept it all with indifference.

"But then," Sofie added, her tone dropping softly as she reached over to touch his wrist, one fingernail tracing along a crack in the watch's surface. "We're all a little damaged, aren't we, John?"

With that, she sat back in her seat, staring out the windshield as the city swept by, the car now thick with silence.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 3:14 pm

Well, you did learn a thing or two, didn't you?

The question resonated in John's mind as he continued to drive. He'd learned more than a thing or two. For starters, the woman sitting beside him had a very strong sense of self-preservation, even so strong that when cornered, she could completely shut down the attraction that he had so easily picked up on before. Her body language now seemed almost dejected as she sat in silence, completely turned away from him. That also told him that she felt very much out of control in this situation, which implied that his assessment had been spot-on. Now, he just had to figure out why instead of his usual satisfaction over a positive assessment, he instead felt like he'd kicked a puppy...

He could cheer her up. John knew that. But was that what he wanted to do? He didn't have to get along well with his co-workers to get a job done. Still, ruining a lady's evening didn't sit well with him.

"I don't consider myself damaged." John finally said as he pulled the car into the parking lot outside the exhibit hall. "Jaded? Sometimes. Disillusioned? Absolutely. But not damaged. That would imply that there's something wrong with me, and I can only be myself, as I'm sure is the same with you."

He put the car in park and got out without waiting for her response. After the moment it took him to walk around the front, he opened her door and offered her his hand to help her step out.
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 4:12 pm

Sofie looked around in surprise as John broke the long silence with a statement that made her feel equal parts relieved and disappointed. Perhaps they weren't that similar after all, if he could still say that.

But externally, all she offered him was a guarded smile.

When John had come around and opened the door, Sofie stepped out as an entirely different person. Her usual, confident smile was in place, and her eyes flashed with alluring confidence as she took his arm and walked up the stairs toward the gallery, looking every bit the charismatic socialite.

Upon entering, a server with a tray of champagne was already at their elbow to offer them drinks. Sofie took one and took a small sip, offering the man a dazzling smile before tugging on John's arm.

"I don't see the guests of honor," she said discreetly, looking about. "I suppose that gives us some time to appreciate the art."

The first set of nearby paintings was, as she termed them, "a trifle too avant-garde" for her taste, so they quickly moved on to the next set. Sofie seemed to be in her element, any trace of the unusual behavior in the car vanished without a trace.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Fri Feb 20, 2015 9:26 pm

John kept his arm behind Sofie as they strolled into the exhibit hall, his palm pressed into the small of her back. Despite her withdrawl in the car, she seemed to have put it behind her for the job. He found himself wondering if she'd revert back after the gala, but there was no sense in worrying over it.

As they passed a server, John snagged a glass of champagne and downed half of it in the first sip. Art, he loved, but the people who stood around all day looking at it, he could care less about...

"It's still another 40 minutes until the gala begins. So, I doubt they'll show up for at least the next half hour." John responded to her comment, draining the remainder of his champagne. "At some point, we should scope out the main hall. I need to see which table is ours and how far it is from theirs so we can decide how best to approach dinner."

Just as he finished, another server walked past, and John fluidly deposited his empty glass onto the man's tray, snagging a fresh one to replace it. "So, business first?" He asked, taking a long sip of the fresh glass. "Or would you rather I spend some time as arm candy while you socialize?"
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Sat Feb 21, 2015 1:43 pm

Well, Sofie did have to admit that this was a business venture first. But, as many people didn't realize...

"Who said business and pleasure have to be mutually exclusive?" she asked, smirking as she took his arm and let him take the lead toward the dining hall. A large table was set out with the names of the attendees, along with the table at which they would be seated.

"Table 11," Sofie said, taking the tag with John's name and the "plus 1" indicator. "And our targets..."

Gerard Mercier would be at table 3. They would have to go inside to see for sure, but she had a feeling the arrangement wouldn't be in their favor.

Sure enough, when they'd entered, she found that their table, while not particularly far away, was seated at an odd angle for viewing the guests of honor.

Pursing her lips for a moment, Sofie viewed the scene before leaning in closer to John and murmuring, "Follow my lead."

Fortunately, there was no one at their table. As they walked past it, Sofie swiped the table marker and slipped it into her handbag until they approached one that had a good vantage point. Unfortunately, people were standing by this one, so Sofie turned her back on the table and began to chat with them about the gala and particularly her interest in seeing Mercier's work. As she did so, she slipped the marker out from her bag and passed it back to John to swap them out. When she felt the other marker slipped into her bag, she turned and gave John a swift kiss on the cheek.

"Save out seats here, will you, dear?" she said sweetly. "I'm going to use the powder room."

With that, Sofie sauntered away, passing by their old table as she did so. When she had passed it, the new table marker was in place, as though it had never been moved.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:20 pm

"No one said as much, but in my experience, mixing the two often lead to certain... Inefficiencies." John responded after a moment, but he didn't take his arm away. "For example, a Forger that has trouble keeping her hands to herself during a team meeting, or perhaps a Pointman who's more interested in the promise behind her smile than researching the Mark. You can see why it can quickly become a bad idea."

As they stepped into the dining hall, John did as Sofie requested and followed her lead. Judging from the confidence of her movements, this wasn't the first time she'd pulled such a trick. He was especially sure of that when she created a distraction on the spot and had him finish the switch. There was something sexy about confidence in a woman. He would have to remember not to leave anything valuable within arm's length of her though, just in case she had kleptomaniac tendencies...

"I'll be here when you get back." John responded to her banter, giving her upper arm a quick squeeze before slipping into one of the chairs, notably the one facing the Mark's table. They would both need to be able to see that table at some point, but he had a plan for that...
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:22 pm

A Forger that has trouble keeping her hands to herself during a team meeting...

Or perhaps a Pointman who's more interested in the promise behind her smile than researching the Mark....

"Inefficiencies, indeed," Sofie thought with a snort as she touched up her face in the mirror of the bathroom. She didn't really need it, but she thought she might as well do something if she made the effort to walk here. Besides, it gave her an opportunity to cool down a bit.

Perhaps she was taking it a bit too personally, but he was sorely mistaken if he thought there was anything going on here. Putting her heart out was something she had no intention of doing, even if she were capable of it.

He was handsome, yes, but she wasn't even certain yet if she liked him, much less... liked him.

"Stop," she told herself firmly, clasping her purse shut and casting aside her thoughts. He was right about one thing - business first. And she couldn't afford to let herself be distracted by her irritation with the Pointman.

Setting her smile in place once more, Sofie strolled from the bathroom and back to the table, sliding gracefully into her seat and taking a look around the room.

"You seem familiar with these sort of events," she said casually, taking a sip of her champagne. "But you don't seem to like them much."

She looked away, watching as more people began to enter. Still no sign of the Mark, however.

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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:41 pm

John smiled at Sofie as she sat down across from him. "There are certain things you're expected to do when you live in the social circles I frequent." He responded, taking another long sip of champagne. "I find that some of those functions are more appealing to me than others. However, with the right company." John raised his glass towards Sofie. It was his fifth, but there was no reason to tell her that. "I can be persuaded to attend such events as this one."

"Generally, I'm more interested in my partner for the evening than the art itself." He continued. "But the lady gets to enjoy herself, and I get to mingle with enough of the right people to not fall out of good social standing."

"Rarely do any of them handle themselves in a crowd the way you have tonight though." John leaned forward a little, as if examining her more closely. "You're used to this kind of event, and yet I'm the one that had the invitation. That raises some interesting questions..."
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PostSubject: Re: Inception - Hollingsworth Job   Inception - Hollingsworth Job - Page 2 Clock11Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:10 pm

So, he was used to all this then. Used to plenty of women as well. Neither was too surprising, really.

What was more surprising seemed to be her bearing, however. John leaned in closer, his eyes searching into hers for interesting answers to interesting questions.

Interesting questions indeed. Sofie raised her eyebrows and smiled, reaching for her champagne even as her eyes locked onto John's.

"Does it now?" she said silkily, sipping delicately from her glass. But she gave no further response. The Mark had entered the room.

Mercier strode toward his table with Lana on his arm. He bore himself with an inherent confidence, though he did not carry the arrogance that so many breakout artists bore. If anything, he seemed disinterested in the pomp and circumstance of the event. As they took their seats at the table, Mercier seemed to only have eyes for Lana.

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