\ Character:Balthazar Romano http://unlimitedi.net/taxonomy/term/166/all en 2021-05-25 01:57 - Tuesday http://unlimitedi.net/node/3512 <p><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> The vampire took the steps to her condo two at a time. If nothing else, Jasmin was in a good mood tonight. There wouldn&#39;t be much that could get her down, after all. She was home, she had the Eye safely stowed in a small box; her sword hung in her left hand in the sheeth, carried like she had just come home from practice, if anybody had bothered to ask. Her keys were out and in the lock as she passed inside, shutting the door behind her and locking it.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Jasmin turned then and stopped at the sight before her. Balthazar she knew; Logan she knew. The other two heavies with him, she didn&#39;t. &ldquo;Balthazar,&rdquo; she spoke with more venom than usual. &ldquo;I come to find you invading my personal home without an invitation. Is there a reason for this? I thought we had an understanding.&rdquo;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> The sorcerer was sitting calmly on the woman&rsquo;s sofa, surrounded by his three henchmen. &ldquo;You know what, I also thought we had an understanding. But then, you had to go and lie to me. I don&rsquo;t like liars Jasmin, I don&rsquo;t like them one bit&rdquo;. Balthazar crossed his legs, making himself comfortable as if he was in his own home. &ldquo;So it leads me to wonder, why did you do it Jasmin, why did you have to go behind my back? It&rsquo;s just so very disappointing&rdquo;. Balthazar gave a quick glance to his two brutes and they began to advance.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Jasmin looked between the two of them and sighed to herself. Humans, she knew from the smell. More importantly, how the fuck did he... <span style="font-style:italic"><i>the old geezer must have been scrying</i>.</span> She put the sword aside for a moment as they started to walk over, setting the box down, moving to stand with both arms out before her, palms in.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &ldquo;Let&#39;s do this the legal way. This is your <span style="font-style:italic"><i>warning</span></i> to leave now.&rdquo;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> The first one aimed a fist to her face, the vampire&#39;s face quickly shifting as she reached up to knock the arm away. His other other came around to be blocked easily enough. As her fingers came out to strike his windpipe, she could feel the other one kick her in the kneecap. Jasmin dropped down to one knee, rolling aside in time to avoid a stake aimed at her back.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Then she was back on her feet, and moving again. She caught the next blow on the way to her chest, pulling him towards her. A quick grab, twist, and audible crack as his neck snapped. Her attention returned to the first one now, trading blows with him quickly. The din, the flow of battle, she just felt so <span style="font-style:italic"><i>alive</span></i> when it happened. As her palm struck bone of the nose, she again felt another life snuff out. Another lifetime of possibility, gone in a moment.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Jasmin licked her lips as she picked up her sword again, holding it in the left at the ready position. &ldquo;....you have no idea what a turn-on it is when someone provides foreplay like that.&rdquo;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &ldquo;Well, that was a waste of two perfectly good employees,&rdquo; the sorcerer yawned, completely unconcerned that two men were just killed. &ldquo;Logan, can you please retrieve that box there. Then we can be on our way&rdquo;.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Logan nodded, as he advanced slowly. The vampire was clearly dangerous, but he was no push over himself. When he got into range, Jasmin lashed out like a viper, her blade arching up, down and then straight towards his chest. Matching her inhuman speed, Logan spun sideways, his hand shooting out to grasp Jasmin&rsquo;s wrist. She was quick to react, kicking up, but Balthazar&rsquo;s bodyguard had anticipated the response and his foot was up even faster, knocking her leg out of the way with his own. With strength that he shouldn&rsquo;t have, he tugged to his left, practically throwing the vampire across the room.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> As she sailed through the air, she had to wonder. What was he? A normal human shouldn&#39;t be this fast or strong. Maybe one of those half-breed dem- the thought broke as her back landed on the ground. Legs came into the air, jumping back up onto her feet. &ldquo;Logan, this man is not worthy dying for,&rdquo; she snapped at him.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> When he began to come close, she struck again with blinding speed, Logan catching the blade of her sword in his hands. She could smell the blood in the palms this closely, more pungent and sweet than normal, drawing her blade back towards her, Logan&#39;s advance forcing her to actually retreat up the stairs, towards the terrace.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Logan ignored Jasmin&rsquo;s comment as he continued to stalk forward, preparing to pounce.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &ldquo;That&rsquo;s enough Logan,&rdquo; Balthazar&rsquo;s voice called out seriously. Although relatively sure his bodyguard could finish off the vampire, at this point, he was not going to take any unnecessary risks.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Grinding to a halt, Logan stopped his advance and stole a quick glance back. The sorcerer had the box in his hand. &ldquo;Whatever you want boss,&rdquo; he answered, honestly a bit disappointed. His blood was pumping and he was itching for battle.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Always an opportunist, Jasmin tried to take advantage of the distraction. Running forward, she intended to decapitate the young man, but it was now the mage&rsquo;s turn to intervene. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned an unseen force which he used to hurl Jasmin through the windows to the balcony outside.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Balthazar casually walked towards the newly smashed window and inspected the small outdoor space. No fire escape, no other close rooftops - this was perfect. &ldquo;You know, I do believe morning is just over the horizon,&rdquo; he laughed, enjoying the sight of his enemy struggling to her feet. &ldquo;When was the last time you got to see the sunrise? I bet it&rsquo;s been far too long&rdquo;.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Calling out words of power, the broken glass flew back into place, reforming the window. One final small spell to reinforce everything and it was done - the sorcerer had sealed her fate. &ldquo;Thanks for picking this up for me Jazzy,&rdquo; Romano called out, holding out the box to taunt the woman caught on the other side of the glass. &ldquo;I owe you one&rdquo;.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> With that, Romano and his bodyguard disappeared out the front door, leaving Jasmin locked out on the balcony.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Jasmin rushed forward. Rage boiled up inside, over any sense of pleasure she might have at the battle, her blade left on the roof. Hands moved over her face, expecting to crash through her own window, fantasies of digging her fangs into Balthazar&#39;s neck running through her mind....</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> ....a moment later, she was looking up from the ground, up at the windows, banging fiercly on it. &ldquo;Get back here you coward!&rdquo; she screamed at it. &ldquo;BACK HERE&rdquo; A final, frustrated bang on the door, and she turned back to survey the area, face returning to normal.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> The vampire paced, and felt around in the back of her pocket. There it was. Cell phone. Handy inventions, as she looked back inside. He was gone with the Eye. For a moment, to soothe her rage, she reclaimed her blade and made just a small taste of the blood there... and the rush was incredible. Oh, it was always was, but this, this was special. Powerful.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> &nbsp;</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> When she came down from the high, a plan formed, beginning to dial her contacts.</div> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3512#comments Author:Kaarin Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Jasmin Character:Logan Location:Jasmin's Apartment Tue, 22 Mar 2011 01:45:10 +0000 Kaarin 3512 at http://unlimitedi.net 2021-05-25 00:46 - Tuesday - Waiting for a Friend http://unlimitedi.net/node/3506 <p><p> <span style="font-weight:bold">Balthazar&#39;s Office</span></p> <p> &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s a good idea to bring him,&rdquo; Balthazar whispered to Tabitha. He pointed to the two, meathead goons that were sitting patiently on the other end of his massive office, &ldquo;Dumb and dumber over have all the muscle I need for this&rdquo;.</p> <p> The weathered seer rubbed the sorcerer&rsquo;s shoulder affectionately. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t doubt that you couldn&rsquo;t handle this vampire alone darling, but it&rsquo;s not the point. A dog needs its exercise so to speak. The more he can get out of his system, the easier he is to deal with&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;I know, I know,&rdquo; he sighed. &ldquo;But I can&rsquo;t afford anything to happen. Not tonight of all nights&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;It will be fine. Take him, let him live his nature and if anything happens, just use your magic to make right the situation&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Thank god this is almost over. I&rsquo;m getting too old to deal with this shit,&rdquo; Romano laughed, his fears quelled somewhat by Tabitha&rsquo;s logic. Just then, his young bodyguard entered the room.</p> <p> &ldquo;Ah Logan, there you are. How you feeling tonight? Full of piss and vinegar I hope!&rdquo;</p> <p> Logansurveyed the room, instantly knowing it wouldn&rsquo;t be a typical evening. He recognized the psychic and the two henchmen, <span style="font-style:italic">what were their names, Bill and Frank?</span>. It didn&rsquo;t really matter. Logan knew their presence meant that whatever he was doing tonight, it involved some sort of strong arming. The young man&rsquo;s blood began to pump in excitement. &ldquo;So what&rsquo;s on the agenda then?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;We&rsquo;re visiting my friend Jasmin. She went to pick up something for me and I want to save her the trouble of coming all the way over here&rdquo;.</p> <p> Logansmirked. His boss was obviously being facetious. In reality he knew they were probably going over to forcibly take something from the woman, not that he minded. When it came to humans, Logan had a strong moral compass, but in the demon world, all that went to the wind. Morality and ethics never came into play for him when dealing with monsters. &ldquo;Sounds like fun&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;My limo is waiting downstairs, I&rsquo;ll be there in a second,&rdquo; Romano ordered. As the three men left, he turned towards Tabitha. The smile on his old face was big and bright. &ldquo;Ironic isnt it?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;The irony wasn&rsquo;t lost on me,&rdquo; she smiled back.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p> Balthazar practically skipped out of his seat as he grabbed hold of Tabitha&rsquo;s arm to walk her out. &ldquo;What a beautiful evening,&rdquo; he sang loudly, as he flicked the lights off.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3506#comments Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:43:08 +0000 Logan 3506 at http://unlimitedi.net 2021-05-23 22:22 - Sunday "Out of State Trip" http://unlimitedi.net/node/3504 <p><div align="JUSTIFY"> Jasmin drummed her fingers on the dashboard of her car, looking down at her spedometer one more time. It was rarer for her to travel, and she knew that she had to get back to New York as quickly as possible. Still, the ride was only a few hours on I-95. If all went according to plan, she would have the Eye and be back in New York before anyone knew that she was gone. Looking up at the latest sign, she decided that it was time to make the call she had been dreading, putting her Bluetooth headset on.</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Reaching down, she picked up the phone to dial a number, waiting for someone to answer. A secretary picked up, and asked her to wait a moment as she was transferred to him. &ldquo;Balthazar!&rdquo; she let out before he could say anyway. &ldquo;How are you doing this evening?&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Jasmin, darling!&rdquo; The voice on the other end of the phone was loud and excited. &ldquo;I was beginning to think you&rsquo;d never call. Put an old man out of his misery and tell me you have some good news&rdquo;.<br /> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Her eyes glanced over to the seat beside her only briefly, with the address and sketch. Once she&#39;d seen the Eye in Kadmus&#39; work, it had proven surprisingly easy to locate. It lead to a flurry of phone calls and deals to make arrangements to meet the demon who had it to discuss a possible deal, and used up <span style="font-style:italic">most</span> of her favors owed to do this discretely. It was, she decided, fate bordering on predestination. &ldquo;Unfortunately not,&rdquo; she said, trying to keep her voice light. &ldquo;The information on the Eye is scant at best, despite my records. By all accounts, it vanished into the vaults of the Knights Templar &ndash; if it existed at all.&rdquo;<br /> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> There was a long silence as the mage was contemplated her words. Balthazar was not used to being disappointed and the bad news clearly weighed heavy on him. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s quite upsetting. You&rsquo;re telling me that with your extensive library you found nothing? No leads, ideas, anything?&rdquo; His tone was becoming frantic. &ldquo;I can&rsquo;t stress how important it is I get the Eye&rdquo;<br /> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Any doubt she had had before at the course of action faded, though she could smell the opportunity. Balthazar was desperate for something, and desperation breeds stupidity. &ldquo;I don&#39;t know. Can you travel back in time a couple hundred years or so? There are limits, even to my knowledge. Although, maybe if you gave me some idea as to what you needed it for, that would help me broaden my search.&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> There was another pause and for a moment the vampiress thought that he just may show his hand. However, despite his anxiety, Romano remained tight lipped. &ldquo;I have some critical experiments I want to do and I believe the Eye has the properties I need for them to be successful&rdquo;. It was enough to shut her up, but not enough details for her to ask questions. No, no one could find out the true reason he needed the artifact. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he damned well sure wasn&rsquo;t going to do anything to jeopardize it now. &ldquo;I need you to keep looking Jasmin. If you find it, whatever you want, you name your price and I&rsquo;ll get it&rdquo;.<br /> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> <i><span style="font-style:italic">So. Close.</span></i> She swerved to the side to avoid an asshole who cut her off letting out a slight shriek. &ldquo;Sorry, stuck in traffic,&rdquo; she said, returning her voice to a light tone. A blank check. He had offered her a blank check. &ldquo;I&#39;ll keep looking. But no promises. It doesn&#39;t look good - especially with St. Vigeous, it&#39;s hard to separate fact from myth. Call you back when I have more.&rdquo;<br /> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;I look forward to it.&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Sitting in his office, Balthazar sighed as the phone clicked and went dead. He tried to calm his nerves but the bad news put him over the edge, &ldquo;Fuck!&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Oh Balthazar, don&rsquo;t fret my sweet.&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Balthazar turned to the old woman who was sitting on the edge of his desk. She had been there for the entire conversation and from the coy smile on her face, the mage was certain she was about to be the bearer of good news. &ldquo;Well out with it. What did you see&rdquo;<br /> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;The vampire is lying through her pointy little fangs.&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Romano practically jumped out of his chair, as he grabbed hold of Tabitha&rsquo;s withered old hands. &ldquo;You beautiful woman, tell me more,&rdquo; he flattered.</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;She knows where it is and she&rsquo;s on her way to get it now.&rdquo;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Where is it?&rdquo; His voice was almost hysterical.</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;That I&rsquo;m not sure. But she&rsquo;ll be successful in getting it. By tomorrow night, it will be in her possession here in New York&rdquo;.</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> &nbsp;</div> <div align="JUSTIFY"> Balthazar beamed with delight as he pulled the Tabitha close and, to her delight began to waltz around his office. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve made me a very happy old man my darling&rdquo;. As Tabitha laughed, a wicked smile crossed the mage&rsquo;s lips. If Jasmin wanted to play games, he would be happy to oblige.</div> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3504#comments Author:Kaarin Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Jasmin Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:26:19 +0000 Kaarin 3504 at http://unlimitedi.net 2021-05-21 - Friday 07:25 - An Interesting Conversation http://unlimitedi.net/node/3496 <p><p> <span style="font-weight:bold">The Office of Balthazar Romano</span></p> <p> <span style="font-style:italic">&hellip;Police still have no comment on the recent spree of murders which have overtaken New York&hellip;</span></p> <p> &ldquo;This has something to do with what happened at that party doesn&rsquo;t it,&rdquo; Logan asked, as Balthazar clicked the remote control to shut off the 70inch TV in his office.</p> <p> &ldquo;And why would you think that?&rdquo; The sorcerer answered, seemingly preoccupied with something else. He kept checking his watch and glancing out his massive window at the street below.</p> <p> &ldquo;Call it a hunch. We both know the two guys at the Graveyard were not &lsquo;normal&rsquo; and when it comes to the &lsquo;abnormal&rsquo; you&rsquo;ve always got your ear to the ground&rdquo;.</p> <p> Balthazar&rsquo;s face grew cold in annoyance. &ldquo;What does it matter if I know something or not. Does this crime wave concern you? Perhaps you should channel some of that interest into doing your job better,&rdquo; he snapped. Logan had failed in finding the Grathoki demon, and because of it, Balthazar was no closer in finding that damn gem. Only when it was in his possession could he get control over the situation afflicting NY - and when Romano wasn&rsquo;t in control, he wasn&rsquo;t happy.</p> <p> Logan kept quiet for a moment, not sure how to respond. His pride couldn&rsquo;t stomach being patronized but with Balthazar he didn&rsquo;t have much of choice. Plus, the man had a point. He had lost the demon, there was no denying that. &ldquo;I told you, I&rsquo;ll find him.&rdquo;</p> <p> Romano waved his hand dismissively, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t bother. You&rsquo;ve been out of step these days and it got me thinking, maybe I should just keep you to simple bodyguard work. It seems the other assignments are a bit too much for you to handle&rdquo;.</p> <p> The young man&rsquo;s teeth grinded as he fought to keep his tongue in check. &ldquo;Whatever you want, sir.&rdquo;</p> <p> A sudden voice from Romano&rsquo;s intercom interrupted as security announced the arrival of another guest, &ldquo;Sir, Tabitha is here to see you&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;It&rsquo;s time to get your head back in the game, you understand,&rdquo; Romano said as he glanced at the door, making it obvious that it was time for Logan to leave.</p> <p> Without another word, the bodyguard nodded. As he left the room, he passed the grizzly, old oracle. The woman made no effort to hide the disapproving look on her face as she gave Logan the once over.</p> <p> <span style="font-style:italic">What&rsquo;s your problem</span></p> <p> As Tabitha shut the door of Balthazar&rsquo;s office behind her, a small voice in Logan&rsquo;s mind told him to hold back. Normally, he would never have thought to spy on his boss, but the feeling in his gut was undeniable. Quiet as a mouse, he took a step back towards the door.</p> <p> &ldquo;This is a dangerous game to be playing Balthazar, even for you.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;With risk comes rewards my darling. You can only win big when you bet big.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;True, but I have a bad feeling and you know I don&rsquo;t want anything to happen to you.&rdquo;</p> <p> Logan could hear the old man laugh. &ldquo;A feeling is all you have. Come now, you&rsquo;re more skilled than to rely on just &lsquo;feelings&rsquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Yes, but things have always been foggy with that one. I told you from the beginning&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Well once we find &lsquo;The Eye&rsquo; we wont have to worry about it will we?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Yes but who knows how long it will take to find? And the longer he&rsquo;s cooped up, the more his nature is going to come out and the harder it&rsquo;s going to be to keep the spells intact&rdquo;.</p> <p> <span style="font-style:italic">What is this all about?!</span> Logan wondered. Were they talking about him? None of it made sense. A strange sensation of dread washed over him. Soemthing told him Balthazar knew more about the murders than he let on and just what was this &lsquo;Eye&rsquo; he wanted so much. Before he could give it more thought, the conversation in the room came to a halt.</p> <p> <span style="font-style:italic">Shit</span> With seemingly inhuman speed, Logan dashed to the stairwell, disappearing into it before Tabitha had time to open the door to scan the hallway.</p> <p> &ldquo;Something amiss my dear?&rdquo; Balthazar asked.</p> <p> &ldquo;No&hellip;everything is fine&rdquo;.</p> <p> Only a few steps down, Logan stumbled as he suddenly became extremely dizzy. <span style="font-style:italic">Feel like im going to hurl</span>&hellip;steadying himself against the railing, he took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. What had he overheard? He tried to think back but things were suddenly cloudy. &ldquo;What am I doing in the stairwell?&rdquo;</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3496#comments Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Sun, 06 Mar 2011 18:59:07 +0000 Logan 3496 at http://unlimitedi.net 23:10 A meeting of old friends http://unlimitedi.net/node/3479 <p><p> From the moment they&rsquo;d stepped inside the club, Niall and Chiedra had been on crowd control and triage.&nbsp; With only two gunmen, and a whole host of people engaging them, it had seemed like the best option.&nbsp; They had guided as many people through the exit as they could, and kept things on an even keel to avoid any additional injury from a mob rushing the door.&nbsp; Through a combination of cajoling and threatening (from Niall and Chiedra respectively) the pair had managed to move most of the partygoers outside as the police and paramedics arrived on scene.&nbsp; Now that the shooting was over, and the two maniacs appeared to have disappeared out the other door, Chiedra had moved on to focus more on triaging the wounded.&nbsp; Unfortunately, there were quite a few bodies lying in and around the area that were too still.&nbsp; Niall cursed himself for every kind of a fool when he saw a man younger than even his former ward lying a few feet away, his glassy eyes staring from below the bullet wound that had taken his life.&nbsp;</p> <p> <em>Should have stopped them before they came back in here, damnit.</em>&nbsp; Chiedra was working her way towards a young woman sitting dazedly nearby.&nbsp; She glanced up now and again to check and make sure that her employer, Ricky, still sat behind the makeshift barricade of a thick table she&rsquo;d thrown down against the wall when she&rsquo;d caught up to him.&nbsp; Even for a hardened ganger like Ricky, the last few minutes had been harrowing.&nbsp; He kept looking around the room, his eyes wide and his mouth grim.&nbsp; Niall watched him, nearly feeling sorry for the bottom dweller, despite his well-known reputation.&nbsp;</p> <p> Niall glanced over at Chiedra, who was wrapping the arm of a wounded young woman in what had obviously once been a pretty cocktail dress. When he turned back towards the stream of people making their way out the door, now slowing down to the few stragglers who could still make their way on their own, Niall noticed Balthazar Romano exiting, followed closely by a limping man.&nbsp; The man was considerably younger than Romano, and even Niall realized how good looking the man was. Unfortunately, the poor guy had a deep, ugly cut on his thigh and blood was steadily running down his leg beneath the tear in his pants. <em>That&#39;s just like Romano, to except his guard to walk out of here while he&#39;s practically bleeding to death.</em></p> <p> &quot;Nice, Balthy, you hoping this poor kid dies before you have to cut his next paycheck?&quot; Niall stepped in front of the young man, coming between Romano and the other man. He glared at the back of the older man&#39;s head.</p> <p> Logan was cut completely off guard &ndash; he had assumed they&rsquo;d make a quiet exit amongst the chaos and yet, someone had managed to recognize Balthazar. <em>Balthy? </em>The bodyguard cringed? The guy was either stupid or brave. Unsure how to react, Logan simply looked to his boss who had now spun around. &nbsp;Luckily, Romano was never at a loss for words.</p> <p> &ldquo;Niall,&rdquo; Balthazar smiled with all the charm of a crocodile. &ldquo;Are you getting rusty? You know I counted maybe 4, 5 people dead inside&hellip;I would have thought if you were around you&rsquo;d do a better job stopping that unfortunate incident&rdquo;. Before the man could respond, Balthazar flashed a look at his bodyguard, nodding towards the limo as if to say &lsquo;hurry up&rsquo;. Though always a nuisance, Niall&rsquo;s presence here was even worse than usual. Balthazar couldn&rsquo;t afford the do-gooder wizard to have any exposure to his favorite work associate.</p> <p> &quot;You&#39;re definitely right, Balthy,&quot; Niall replied icily. &quot;If I were up to snuff, you&#39;d be the one limping out of here, or better yet waiting to be carried out in one of those black bags.&quot;</p> <p> Niall turned to the other man. &quot;Please, stop for a moment and let me help you, son,&quot; Niall urged. &quot;Whatever this bastard is paying you, it&#39;s not worth your life. That&#39;s a bad cut you&#39;ve got there. Let me at least bind it to stop the bleeding.&quot;</p> <p> Logan&rsquo;s head was swimming. On top of the excruciating pain of standing on his stabbed leg, he was now being offered assistance by a stranger who just outright threatened the very man Logan was in charge of protecting. For a moment he hesitated, unsure how to react until a strange sensation began to wash over him. For a brief instance, the pain subsided as Niall&rsquo;s offer to help flittered out of Logan&rsquo;s mind, leaving him only to remember the menacing comment to Romano.</p> <p> &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know who you are buddy, but you better watch the way you speak to Mr. Romano,&rdquo; Logan said, puffing out his sizable chest and purposely bumping the man as he made his way to stand protectively in front of Balthazar. Behind him, the older mage was smirking devilishly.</p> <p> &ldquo;Well Niall, it&rsquo;s always a pleasure, but why don&rsquo;t you run along now,&rdquo; Romano chuckled as he and Logan turned their backs on the man and continued on to the waiting limo.</p> <p> Niall felt the surge of magic flowing from somewhere on the younger man&#39;s body. Niall could easily recognize the flavor of the power he sensed. Obviously there was something more than just regular compensations involved in this relationship. Balthazar was definitely up to something. And knowing Balthazar, whatever it was, it wasn&#39;t good for anyone but Balthazar Romano.</p> <p> <em>We&#39;ll see about that.</em> Niall moved to intercept the men once more, placing a gentle hand on the younger man&#39;s shoulder as he reached into the reserve of power he held within one of the many fetishes he wore. Over the years, Niall had built a number of fetishes to store his power. The bracelets, rings, and other items he carried or wore at all times were reserved wells of pure magical power. Niall drew upon one now, pulling power from the warm pool as he pushed gently upon the younger man&#39;s emotions, soothing as he spoke. &quot;What is between your employer and I has no bearing on your current condition. I just want to help. If you&#39;d give me a moment, I could at least bind your leg. I can take away some of your pain. Then you can do your job more effectively.&quot;</p> <p> Niall&rsquo;s magic began to wrap around Logan like a comforting blanket, but the feeling was fleeting. Deep within the young man, darker charms were triggered by the presence of the foreign spell, and they worked quickly to unweave any of the good Niall had intended. The result of the battling magics left Logan dizzy and aggravated. Though Niall&rsquo;s power was great, he had not been prepared for the resistance and unfortunately it was not long before his energy was completely blocked out.</p> <p> Balthazar almost laughed, seeing that his magic had won the invisible war that was raging within Logan&rsquo;s head. This left the bodyguard seeing red.</p> <p> &nbsp;&ldquo;This is your last warning asshole&rdquo; Logan spat. Unable to control the sudden flash of anger, he found himself shoving the stranger backwards with surprising strength.</p> <p> Niall turned his attention fully to the older mange. His face twisted with rage and disgust. &quot;I have no idea what game you are playing with this poor boy, Romano,&quot; he all but snarled, his eyes narrowed with fury. &quot;I promise you, though that I will not just let this one go. I am going to find out what you are doing, and I am going stop you.&quot;</p> <p> Niall turned back to the younger man who was nearly shaking with his own rage. &quot;As for you,&quot; his voice gentled, full of remorse and sympathy as he spoke these words, &quot;I don&#39;t know who you are or why Balthazar is willing to spend so much energy on you, but I know him. I know him well. So, when his plan comes to fruition, please remember that you are not alone. Whatever is within my power to do to help, I will do so. My name is Niall Tiergnan. You can find me in the yellow pages. Please come to me when you find yourself in need of friend.&quot;</p> <p> Balthazar&rsquo;s eyes shot daggers at the young sorcerer as he physically pushed his bodyguard towards the car. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re always such a delight,&rdquo; he practically hissed. With that, he slammed the door of the limo closed.</p> <p> As he relaxed into the seat, Logan&rsquo;s rage began to subside, leaving him once again with the pain. <em>Niall Tiergnan</em> &ndash; the name sounded funny. <em>Well, he was one hell of a crazy bastard, that&rsquo;s for sure.</em></p> <p> Niall watched Balthazar and his guard leave, feeling frustrated and useless once again.&nbsp; Tonight he couldn&rsquo;t seem to get anything right.&nbsp; He would have to see about the young man, though.&nbsp; Even besides Balthazar&rsquo;s interference, there was something&hellip;something that set Niall&rsquo;s instincts on edge.&nbsp; There was more going on there than was even apparent after their brief encounter.&nbsp; Niall would have to do some digging when he had the time.&nbsp; Anything he could do to thwart Balthazar Romano was worth the effort after all.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3479#comments Author:Kristen Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Chiedra Character:Logan Character:Niall Tiergnan Tue, 08 Feb 2011 03:19:32 +0000 Firefly 3479 at http://unlimitedi.net 23:12 - Balthazar's Limo http://unlimitedi.net/node/3466 <p><p> &ldquo;You know you&rsquo;re bleeding all over the leather,&rdquo; Balthazar said coolly, as he reached into the limo&rsquo;s liquor cabinet for the bottle of brandy.</p> <p> After Pablo had left Logan on a bench in the club, the shooters either got away or were apprehended, he wasn&rsquo;t quite sure which. After that, it wasn&rsquo;t long before Logan spotted his boss, strolling casually down the stairs, completely unaffected by the night&rsquo;s events. Knowing Romano&rsquo;s aversion to cops and messy situations altogether, the bodyguard had no choice but to pull himself to his feet and hobble after Balthazar. Together, the two had made a discreet exit from the Graveyard bloodbath.</p> <p> &ldquo;So what exactly possessed you to get involved in all that nonsense?&rdquo;</p> <p> Logan&rsquo;s head was swimming. He leg was mangled, people were dead and despite all that, Balthazar didn&rsquo;t seem the least bit worried. <span style="font-style:italic">You sadistic piece of&hellip;.</span>. In the blink of an eye, a wave of intense dizziness washed over the injured man, causing him to lose focus as he struggled to suppress the bile rising in his throat. But, as quick as it came, the nausea left and with it, his train of thought as well.</p> <p> &ldquo;Cat got your tongue my boy?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;No, sorry sir,&rdquo; the bodyguard winced. &ldquo;I just figured it was better for me to try and stop the shooters before they got up to the second level where you were&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;So preemptive body-guarding is what you&rsquo;re saying,&rdquo; the sorcerer replied, his voice flat and ambiguous.</p> <p> &ldquo;I guess you could call it that&rdquo;. Biting down on his lip, the man fought through the jolt of pain coming from the stab wound.</p> <p> While Logan struggled to keep himself together, Balthazar on the other hand seemed cool as a cucumber. &ldquo;Well you&rsquo;re nothing if not proactive. I like that, you don&rsquo;t find that quality in a lot of employees these days. Of course,&rdquo; he added, taking a sip from his glass, &ldquo;being recklessly proactive is not necessarily a good thing&rdquo;. The sorcerer had to play his cards right. There were so many moving pieces on the board now and with his plans so close to completion, he couldn&rsquo;t risk Logan getting himself killed.</p> <p> &ldquo;People were getting shot, I couldn&rsquo;t just stand by and..&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;I know I know,&rdquo; Balthazar said in his most understanding voice. &ldquo;You&rsquo;re good at being the hero Logan, but that&rsquo;s a dangerous game to play. You keep tempting the odds like that and eventually your number will get called&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;You pay me to look out for you and that&rsquo;s what I was doing.&rdquo; Though technically true, Logan had other personal reasons to get involved. With Cadee and her friend at the party, he definitely had had a reason to try and help put and end to the chaos.</p> <p> The two sat quietly for a moment, draped in an awkward silence. Logan knew his boss well enough that he could tell the old man&rsquo;s mind was elsewhere, but where? His gut told him Romano knew more about tonight than he let on, but before Logan could question, the sorcerer spoke.</p> <p> &ldquo;You plan on visiting Angus this week? I&rsquo;m still waiting for an answer&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Yeah, actually, I&rsquo;ll go tomorrow,&rdquo; Logan replied almost eagerly. Stopping at Slainte meant he could check up and make sure Cadee was alright.</p> <p> &ldquo;Will you be up to it?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Well, if you can do some hocus pocus on my leg, I should be good to go. I heal pretty fast anyways&rdquo;.</p> <p> Balthazar smiled as he noticed that the bodyguard&rsquo;s leg had already stopped bleeding. &ldquo;They make them tough where you come from,&rdquo; he chuckled slyly.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3466#comments Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:04:59 +0000 Logan 3466 at http://unlimitedi.net 23:08 An Hypnotic Encounter http://unlimitedi.net/node/3465 <p><p> <span lang="EN">Slowly, Meredith slid from the booth, checking the way was clear before bolting for the cover of the bar. She had to get out of here, preferably before the cops arrived if she had any hope of actually getting to work tonight. More importantly she had to find Gail and make sure she was okay. </span></p> <p> <span lang="EN"><span style="font-style:italic">Beedle-Beep&hellip;</span> </span></p> <p> <span lang="EN"><span style="font-style:italic">Beedle-Beep&hellip;</span> </span></p> <p> <span lang="EN">&ldquo;Oh, shit! <span style="font-style:italic">Shit!</span>&rdquo; Meredith cursed under her breath as she fumbled inside her purse, trying to find her pager. She quickly shut off the alarm and read the message.</span></p> <p> <span lang="EN"><font face="Courier New" size="2"><font face="Courier New" size="2"><span style="font-style:italic">10-4 U? Meet ASAP.</span></font></font></span></p> <p> <span lang="EN"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2">Gail. Thank-god. It was one of their standard messages when they got separated on a night out meaning she was fine and that they needed to hook up quickly. That last was kind of unnecessary considering, but Meredith&rsquo;s heartbeat slowed to a more reasonable pace just knowing that her friend was safe. </font></font></span></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">&quot;Hello, what treats are they hiding behind the bar? Trust Jasmin to save the good stuff for later.&quot;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">Meredith&rsquo;s gaze shot upwards, meeting that of the very man she&rsquo;d been trying to avoid. Balthazar Romano leered down at her and she could almost feel the slimy trail of his gaze as it glided slowly up her legs before coming to rest on her tits. For a moment she was thrown, thinking that maybe he&rsquo;d noticed her listening in on his conversation. However, it quickly became apparent, as Meredith rose to her feet and Romano&rsquo;s ogling gaze fell to the hem of her dress as she held it from riding any higher, that he had other, more sordid thoughts occupying his mind. </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">&ldquo;Dream on, Grandpa,&rdquo; she snorted dismissively as she replaced her pager in her purse, easily able to mask her unease behind genuine disgust. This man had not only just faced down a gun-toting criminal, he&rsquo;d struck up a deal with him. Ordering the murder of one of his own employees with as much concern as ordering a Big Mac with extra cheese. Now he was coming on to her while people were still screaming and sobbing all around them?! He really was a stone cold bastard. </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">Romano laughed scornfully, &quot;I understand if you aren&#39;t interested, honey, but I am. And I get what I am interested in. Look into my eyes and tell me I&#39;m wrong.&quot;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">Meredith did look, she gave him her iciest glare, the one that could freeze Satan&rsquo;s underpants. This guy wasn&rsquo;t just a murdering son-of-a-bitch, he was delusional in the extreme. He had to be like three times her age for a start! </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">Only&hellip; the more she looked into his dark eyes, deep and bottomless like the depths of the ocean&hellip; the more she felt her determined resolve slip away. It was like having a warm bath after a tiring day, heating her body from the inside and slowly easing out any knots of resistance one by one. The more she continued to look into Romano&rsquo;s eyes, the more she felt like&hellip; maybe he was more handsome than she&rsquo;d given him credit for and maybe she wouldn&rsquo;t mind getting to know him better&hellip; a lot better actually&hellip;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-style:italic">*What!? Snap out of it girl!*</span> The voice inside her head was practically screaming that something wasn&rsquo;t right. That&hellip; <span style="font-style:italic">fuck</span> he had to have slipped something in her drink when she wasn&rsquo;t looking! Meredith was usually so careful about that sort of thing, she never accepted a drink she hadn&rsquo;t seen poured and if she ever took her eye off her glass she&rsquo;d get rid of it. But&hellip; wait, hadn&rsquo;t she put down her drink when she&rsquo;d been at the buffet? It hadn&rsquo;t been for long but&hellip; perhaps long enough for someone to slip her a roofie? </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">And after all, if Romano was capable of sanctioning murder, date rape was probably how he got his kicks. </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">&ldquo;You&hellip; bastard!&rdquo; she spat, though even the act of speaking took too much concentration. He&rsquo;d drugged her, it was the only explanation for how she was feeling. Anger flared like a struck match. Her eyes burned with it while her fingers gripped the edge of the bar for support. </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">&quot;There, there, temper, temper!&rdquo; Romano&rsquo;s voice was like honey dripping off the edge of a knife. You could stop one, but not without starting another. &ldquo;Wouldn&#39;t you rather have a nice drink with me rather than fight me?&quot; </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">She did, actually. A drink sounded nice. Especially if Romano would be there. <span style="font-style:italic">*And then what? You know what he wants, just like the rest of them. You weren&rsquo;t big enough or strong enough to stop that happening before. But you are now.*</span></span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">Meredith frowned and some of the last lingering flickers of her resolve returned. Blindly she grabbed one of the empty beer bottles on the bar and threw it at him. It missed by miles and smashed noisily on the floor. Romano looked faintly amused, his gaze intensifying as she reached for another bottle, her fingers halting in midair&hellip;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">Suddenly rough hands grabbed Meredith and pulled her forcefully away from the eyes that threatened to sap her will. Instantly her mind began to clear, like stepping from a dark room into the sunlight&hellip;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">&quot;None of that, now, lady! There&#39;s been enough disruption for one night without starting more trouble.&quot; </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">A bouncer had hold of her by both arms and was dragging her towards an exit. Meredith could see another bouncer talking to Romano, occasionally throwing her an angry glare. &quot;Are you okay sir? Did she injure you? Do you want to press charges?&quot;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN-GB">&quot;Best be on your way, Ma&rsquo;am,&rdquo; the man said in a gentler tone than he had used before. &ldquo;The party is over for tonight, I think.&rdquo; Releasing her arms he pointed to the exit. &quot;Watch your step.&quot;</span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN">Meredith nodded, casting one quick look back at Balthazar Romano as she stumbled uneasily towards the fire door, lit with a bright green EXIT sign. Pushing down on the bar, she heaved open the door and stepped out onto the metal staircase that was the emergency fire exit. The cool night air felt good, <span style="font-style:italic">really</span> good against her hot skin and she breathed it in deeply, clearing out the last of that woolly headed sensation. Whatever Romano had slipped in her drink it seemed to have worn off pretty fast. </span></font></font></p> <p> <font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><font face="Comic Sans MS" size="2"><span lang="EN">And had only made her more determined to uncover the truth. </span></font></font></p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3465#comments Author:David Author:Louisa Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Meredith Bell Location:Graveyard Wed, 02 Feb 2011 20:34:28 +0000 Meredith Bell 3465 at http://unlimitedi.net 05:40 "Sunrise - One side of several phone calls" http://unlimitedi.net/node/3447 <p><p> <strong>First Phone Call</strong></p> <p> &quot;Balthazar.&nbsp; Tony, why are you calling me at ... 5:40 am? what?&nbsp; Who is this?&nbsp; Sabine? Where&#39;s Tony?</p> <p> &quot;Slow down, Sabine, you aren&#39;t making sense.&nbsp; He what? Are you okay? Okay. From the beginning, please, Sabine.</p> <p> &quot;Okay, let me see if I got this, you and Tony went back to your place, and he spent the night.&nbsp; This morning you say something happened to him?</p> <p> &quot;Ash, hm?&nbsp; Was there fire? No?&nbsp; Okay, leave it there, I&#39;ll send someone to take care of it.&nbsp; Go to your mother&#39;s or something. Sabine, I know this is upsetting, but it isn&#39;t your fault.&nbsp; There, there.</p> <p> &quot;Listen, don&#39;t tell any one about it.&nbsp; No, not even your mother, and <em>especially </em>not a priest. I am <strong>serious</strong>, Sabine, nobody. If I hear you have been talking then I will be very angry.&nbsp; Very.&nbsp; Listen, after you calm down some, take yourself to the spa here in my building.&nbsp; On me.&nbsp; It&#39;ll help, I promise.</p> <p> That&#39;s a good girl.&quot;</p> <p> <strong>Second Phone Call</strong></p> <p> &quot;Frank, tell everyone on the staff that if they see Carmine Bocelli to keep him the fuck away from me.&nbsp; All of them.&nbsp; Email list, stupid! Shit! do I have to tell you how to do your fucking job?</p> <p> &quot;What do you do with him?&nbsp; If you know where he is, then kill him.&nbsp; No scratch that, that won&#39;t work.&nbsp; Drop him in a well somewhere and watch&nbsp; him for three days.&nbsp; Then call me.&nbsp;</p> <p> &quot;No, I don&#39;t fucking care which well it is, dumbass.&nbsp;</p> <p> &quot;Oh, and call the spa and tell them to keep an appointment open for Sabine to come by today.&nbsp; Tell them she needs to forget.&nbsp; Yeah, one of <em>those</em>.</p> <p> &quot;Thanks, Frank.&quot;</p> <p> <strong>Third Phone Call</strong></p> <p> &quot;Logan, sorry to wake you up.&nbsp; Whatever you are doing tomorrow night, cancel it, you are going with me to the Graveyard club.&nbsp;</p> <p> &quot;I know you wanted the night off, but that&#39;s too bad, I really need you to be there.&nbsp;</p> <p> &quot;It will be a lot of fun, but more importantly you blend better than Dumbass Frank.</p> <p> &quot;Tony isn&#39;t available.&nbsp; No, he&#39;s really not. Look, just do it!&quot;</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3447#comments Character:Balthazar Romano Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:44:20 +0000 mrdave2176 3447 at http://unlimitedi.net 21:33 Pablo vs Balthazar http://unlimitedi.net/node/3428 <p><p> Pablo looked into the alcove where Balthazar chatted to a pair of women.&nbsp; One of them looked barely seventeen.&nbsp; <em>That old letch</em>, Pablo thought darkly, <em>I wonder if he&rsquo;s using some sort of glamour on them.&nbsp; Or a talisman.&nbsp; Possibly a potion in the drinks?</em></p> <p> He looked down into his empty glass.&nbsp; His fifth. He made a disgusted face at both himself and his quarry. With the way the booze was flowing tonight he didn&rsquo;t need a potion to make those girls interested.&nbsp; He just needed a smooth line.&nbsp; Pablo fingered the badge. In his pocket.&nbsp; He&rsquo;d promised to behave, relax, be a date and not the cop tonight.</p> <p> But he&rsquo;d been neglecting Alison most of the evening.&nbsp; He&rsquo;d been lurking in the dark corners and around the food like a loser because this wasn&rsquo;t his kind of place.&nbsp; He would have been more comfortable in an Irish pub or an Italian restaurant.&nbsp; He wanted to be listening to a folk-rock band in a coffee shop somewhere with Alison not tarted up at a dance club with Lucinda.</p> <p> And the more he thought about it the less satisfied with the situation he became. And then he was standing next to Balthazar.&nbsp; Sandoval snapped his fingers and the two girls looked at him.&nbsp; He waved at them and they blinked dazedly. &ldquo;Hi Ladies, &ldquo; he said flashing a badge, &ldquo;Do either of you have ID?&nbsp; I&rsquo;d understand if you had to scuttle back to your coats to get some.&rdquo;</p> <p> They looked nervously at each other and then left without another word.&nbsp; Balthazar turned to face Pablo.&nbsp; His brow was knitted and he was not smiling. &ldquo;<em>Detective</em>,&rdquo; he said in a low tone, &ldquo;you seem to have interrupted my conversation.&nbsp; How rude of you.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Sorry, Balthy, I didn&rsquo;t know you had brought your grandchildren with you.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ll be more considerate in front of the kiddies next time.&nbsp; Wouldn&rsquo;t want to set a bad example or anything.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;In that case, Detective, I&rsquo;ll make sure that you live to have some seeing as you seem so eager to raise them right.&rdquo;</p> <p> Sandoval could feel the buzz leaving as the adrenaline began to surge through his system, &ldquo;Was that a threat, Mr. Romano?&nbsp; I&rsquo;d hate to make a scene while we are both having such fun.&rdquo;</p> <p> Balthazar moved a step closer.&nbsp; His shoes were practically touching Sandoval&rsquo;s.&nbsp; The two men stood stick-straight and looked into each other&rsquo;s eyes which were mere inches away. Neither man wanted to provoke the other by leaning in, but neither was willing to back down first.</p> <p> Sandoval was keenly aware of where Balthazar&rsquo;s hands were.&nbsp; He didn&rsquo;t want to risk the mage casting a spell or something.&nbsp; Balthazar as well was waiting for Sandoval to make an aggressive move so he&rsquo;d have an excuse.</p> <p> A perfectly manicured hand slid between them. Both men looked into Jasmin&#39;s ice-blue eyes. &quot;Gentlemen, the booze and the food is free, but I will tell you that starting trouble tonight will cost you <span style="font-style:italic">both</span>...dearly.&quot;</p> <p> Balthazar took the hand and kissed it almost tenderly and wandered away.&nbsp; Jasmin nodded and turned to Sandoval who just glared then turned and stomped away.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3428#comments Author:David Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Juan Pablo Sandoval Location:Graveyard Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:19:39 +0000 mrdave2176 3428 at http://unlimitedi.net 21:04 Pablo and Logan on Balcony http://unlimitedi.net/node/3425 <p><p> &nbsp;&ldquo;Logan, you don&rsquo;t need to hover around all night,&rdquo; Balthazar whispered, as he waved to yet another person he presumably knew. You had to give the man credit, he was an expert at working a room.</p> <p> &ldquo;Just doing my job sir.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;I know, I know, but how am I supposed to meet any of these gorgeous ladies with a guy like you standing next to me?&rdquo; The sorcerer had one of his mischievous grins plastered all across his face. He slapped Logan on the back and pointed discreetly to a red headed bombshell just a few feet away. &ldquo;If we go talk to her, who do you think she&rsquo;s going to be more interested in, an old man like me, or a young buck like you?&rdquo; Logan smirked, he had a point. &ldquo;Now give a player a chance Logan, go get a drink or something.&rdquo;</p> <p> The bodyguard was hesitant. &ldquo;You sure?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Of course. This place is filled with publishing suits and literature groupies, not really the most dangerous crowd. Now I&rsquo;m going to make my move, so skedaddle would you&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Alright, but I&rsquo;ll be close&rdquo;.</p> <p> With Balthazar scurrying off after the vivacious redhead, Logan was left standing alone. *This is a bit awkward*. Not sure what to do with himself, he decided to get the lay of the land so to speak. The place was crowded, but Balthazar had a point, no one looked particularly dangerous.</p> <p> &quot;Sorry....excuse me....sorry about that.&quot; Logan did his best to wade through the mass of people, until he noticed a man going through an archway to a more sparse area of the club. Smart guy Logan thought, following him, hoping to get some respite from the crowds. As he passed through the threshold, he immediately regretted his decision. The man he had been following to salvation had stopped to lean against the wall.&nbsp; Even from behind, Logan immediately recognized him. The cop! Fantastic. Was this just another coincidence or was something going on Logan wondered.</p> <p> Sandoval breathed easier now that he was out on the balcony, even though he didn&#39;t smoke, it was clear that this was usually a smoker&#39;s refuge. The beat of the music was still loud but it wasn&#39;t making his temples throb like it had been. He set his drink down on the railing and closed his eyes only to hear a voice behind him.</p> <p> &quot;Hey Pablo, right?&quot;</p> <p> Pablo turned and saw Logan, the strange man from earlier this week that had been attacked by the demons. He&#39;d not stopped to get to know him because of Alison, but he still had questions. It&rsquo;s was a party, it might be better to approach this as a social contact rather than a police matter. Pablo smiled and extended a hand.</p> <p> &quot;Pablo, tonight, Detective Sandoval most of the time. Logan, isn&#39;t it? Look don&#39;t look so stricken. I&#39;m off duty. I had to come out here because if I hear that &#39;unh-chik unh-chik unh-chik&#39; beat for another second I&#39;m going to either have to start dancing or go postal.&quot;</p> <p> &nbsp;&ldquo;Not sure which one is worse,&rdquo; Logan smiled, though he still remained a bit on edge. Balthazar&rsquo;s warning about Sandoval rang in his ear, even though his own &lsquo;spidey sense&rsquo; was definitely not tingling.</p> <p> &nbsp;&ldquo;Funny, I wouldn&rsquo;t have pegged you as a Lucinda Graves fan,&rdquo; he said, trying to make small talk. It was a tough situation - on one hand, he knew he couldn&rsquo;t just excuse himself without drawing suspicion, but on the other, if he stayed and chatted, for sure the topic would turn back to Tuesday night.</p> <p> Pablo laughed, &quot;I&#39;m not. Lucinda is shallow and vain, and I&#39;ve not read any of her books. <em>Alison</em>, on the other hand, is someone I admire and am looking forward to getting a lot closer to in the coming days.&quot;</p> <p> <em>The cop and the reporter together?</em> It was as if the coincidences were just compounding. &ldquo;Well, tonight&rsquo;s probably not the best date night is it,&rdquo; Logan chuckled, taking a quick glance back at the crowded interior.</p> <p> Pablo thought that Logan was glancing over his shoulder uncomfortably.&nbsp; Almost as if he was embarrassed to be seen with a cop. Pablo hated to push him for fear he&#39;d run again, but he had a feeling that he&#39;d be back before long.</p> <p> Pablo leaned back and lifted his drink, &quot;I didn&#39;t think it would be, but it has actually been very entertaining. I&#39;ve been able to see another side of Alison I didn&#39;t know. I&#39;ve been able to be an insider and an outsider tonight. You, for instance, why would you be at this party? What is your connection to either Lucinda Graves or Graveyard Club?&quot;</p> <p> The young man knew the cop wouldn&rsquo;t buy it if he said he was a die hard Lucinda fan, but what was the other option? The club owner was a vampire so it wasn&rsquo;t a good idea to connect himself to her either. Unconsciously, he began to rub his neck nervously. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m ah&hellip;I&rsquo;m actually working tonight. I do security&rdquo;.</p> <p> Pablo nodded, lots of guys work security at clubs, especially if they are strong and have some training. &quot;Nice work, especially tonight,&quot; Pablo tipped his glass toward a cluster of young, half-naked, heavily made-up ladies surrounding the blond giant who modeled the covers of Lucinda&#39;s books.</p> <p> &quot;Of course, if you were doing security, you&#39;d be closer to <strong>her</strong>,&quot; Pablo pointed the other way towards Jasmin who was being a gracious hostess and greeting people as they came in, &quot;or <strong><em>him</em></strong>,&quot; Pablo pointed at a darkened corner where Balthazar was lurking.</p> <p> Pablo&#39;s eyes burned across the darkened room. He talked absently as if thinking aloud, &quot;I spotted him a few minutes ago. I am trying to guess what his interest is in this particular event.&quot;</p> <p> Then he returned his focus to Logan and the moment, &quot;Never mind, It isn&#39;t your problem.&quot; He drained his drink, &quot;I&#39;m going to get another and maybe strafe the buffet again. Have fun.&quot;</p> <p> &nbsp;</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3425#comments Author:David Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Juan Pablo Sandoval Character:Logan Location:Graveyard Sun, 23 Jan 2011 18:49:38 +0000 mrdave2176 3425 at http://unlimitedi.net 20:35 Alison, Balthazar and Logan http://unlimitedi.net/node/3421 <p><p>Wending her way through the crowd, Alison caught up with Connie after having to stop only a couple of times to sign autographs and chat for a few moments with assorted people. </p> <p>“There you are!” Connie grabbed Alison’s hand and pulled her through one more crush of people to where an older man stood with Jasmin. The two seemed to be very close, their heads together, and Alison tried to pull back. </p> <p>“Connie, I’m not sure we should disturb them.”</p> <p>“Nonsense, it’s a party. Besides, it’s my turn to have a chat with our lovely hostess anyway.”</p> <p>As they drew closer, Jasmin carefully disengaged her arm from the man’s and cast a glance her way that looked like gratitude. <span style="font-style:italic">Ah, and haven’t we all been in that situation?</span> Alison mused, glad now that Connie had insisted on breaking into this tête-à-tête.</p> <p>“Balthazar, you old devil,” Connie began cheerily, “I’d love to introduce you to tonight’s guest of honour. This…” She gestured, game-show girl style, over Alison from head to foot as though she were a fancy car on display. “…is Lucinda Graves. Lucinda, meet Balthazar Romano, one of New York’s most eminent entrepreneurs.”</p> <p>“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” As Alison extended her hand to Balthazar, it wasn’t lost on her how Connie took the opportunity to sweep Jasmin off to one side. Still, helping to rescue the owner of the club from the unwanted attentions of one of the guests could be considered her good deed for the day. And gaining the ear of a businessman was never a bad thing, either. </p> <p>The older man took Alison’s hand and brought it to his lips. “The pleasure is all mine. I’ll confess right now, I haven’t read your series - I don’t think an old man like me is quite the right demographic,” he laughed, charmingly. “I’m being rude keeping you all to myself,” Balthazar said, taking a step to the side, to reveal his associate that was lingering in the background. “This is one of my associates, Logan.”</p> <p>As if being pulled out of a daydream, Logan snapped back to attention. Mechanically, the young man‘s face turned friendly, but it quickly faded when he noticed just who his boss was introducing. The woman was dressed to the nines and looked quite different from when they first met, but there was no doubt who she was. <span style="font-style:italic">Aw man, the nosey reporter.</span></p> <p>“Hi again,” Logan said politely, extending his hand.</p> <p>Alison blinked. Damn, but it was turning out to be a small world tonight. “Well, hello Logan,” she said, resting her hand in his for her light Lucinda version of a handshake. “You’re looking mostly recovered from the other night, thank goodness.”</p> <p>She turned to Balthazar, disengaging from Logan’s grip as she did so, and smiled coquettishly at the older man, in full Lucinda mode. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but Logan here is a bit of a hero. He helped fight off a group of thugs the other night.” </p> <p>Balthazar’s expression never faltered, despite the fact that his blood pressure had just risen a notch or two. Logan had recounted in detail the whole story and the wizard had not been too happy about it. Obviously it hadn’t been Logan’s fault, but still, attention like that was never a good thing. </p> <p>“Yes I know. Logan here is a real life super hero,” Balthazar chuckled. “You’re just missing the spandex outfit, aren’t you?” Logan blushed slightly, praying the conversation would take a turn and quick.</p> <p>“Anyways, enough about us. Tonight is all about you and your success!” Waving down a passing waiter, Balthazar grabbed three glasses of champagne which he distributed to Alison and Logan. “A toast to you, whose success in literature is only outshined by her radiant beauty.”</p> <p>Alison blushed and reacted as Lucinda, lowering her head and fluttering her eyelashes a little. The male punters always seemed to expect it and who was she to disappoint? “Well, aren’t you a charmer?” she said, taking a sip of the champagne. Pablo still hadn’t turned up with her drink, so this would do nicely in the meantime. </p> <p>“As for my demographic, you’d be surprised at the variety of people who read my books. I have a feeling this latest book in particular would have elements you enjoyed.” Alison’s smile never faltered for a moment, but she was definitely getting dirty old lech vibes off this guy. He’d definitely like the sex scenes, she was sure.</p> <p>The thing that had her puzzled was Logan’s role with Balthazar. At first she’d assumed the shape she’d seen behind the businessman was just a bodyguard. But one didn’t introduce their bodyguard to everyone. And the fact that it was Logan, who also seemed to know Pablo… there was some weird connection here. She just didn’t know what.</p> <p>“I guess you have a lot of different talents,” Logan said, cutting into the conversation. “I wouldn’t have expected a hard hitting reporter like yourself to also be a top author in supernatural fiction.”</p> <p>Balthazar did not miss the hidden meaning behind the young man’s comment. <span style="font-style:italic">You’re a clever boy, Logan.</span> If this was the reporter that had been interrogating his bodyguard after the events at Slàinte, it was not the wisest idea to stick around. The less anyone knew of the sorcerer’s connection to that fight the better.</p> <p>“Well, my dear, I know you must be very busy, and you don’t want to spend your evening talking to an old geezer like myself. Go enjoy the party - it is in your honour after all.”</p> <p>“Of course. It’s been a pleasure to meet you, Balthazar.” She nodded to his ‘bodyguard’. “Logan, good to see you again.” She backed away from the pair and weaved her way slowly through the throng, deep in thought. That was an incredibly abrupt dismissal, coming suspiciously close on the heels of Logan’s revelation of her as a reporter. Something was going on there, that was for sure. And she’d be damned if she didn’t work her butt off to find out what. </p> <p>“Hi, yes, lovely to meet you.” But first, she had a room full of people to schmooze.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3421#comments Author:Heather Author:Shaun Character:Alison Scruggs Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Location:Graveyard Sun, 23 Jan 2011 15:32:21 +0000 Heather 3421 at http://unlimitedi.net 20:24 Balthazar and Jasmin http://unlimitedi.net/node/3420 <p><p align="JUSTIFY"> As the party continued, Jasmin moved about with the practiced grace of one long experienced to hosting upscale events. The evening was going well, she thought. Nothing well and truly major had gone wrong, and as far as she could tell, she hadn&#39;t run in to anyone there to cause trouble. It left her making her way through the crowd with a Singpore Sling, highly alcoholic though it was and having less of an immediate effect. A slight frown crossed her face, though, at the newest arrival she found herself almost literally crashing in to, gone just as quickly.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> She forced a smile to her face as made out the familiar sight of Balthazar Romano and his new associate standing to the side. Putting on her best smile, she moved to put her free hand up on Balthazar&#39;s shoulder, moving to kiss each cheek lightly. &quot;Ah, Balthazar, such a pleasure to see you. Didn&#39;t realize you were on the list or I would have made it a point to come greet you, personally. How are you this evening?&quot; <i>And how many women have you tried to pick up so far?</i> she wondered.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Oh you know I hate to miss any A-list party&rdquo;. The older man took in the sight of the vampiress, decked out in her overly sexualized outfit. A grin crossed his face. &ldquo;You&lsquo;re so stunning, I think my heart might just stop,&rdquo; he purred, turning on the charm. &ldquo;Perhaps that was your plan all along; shame on you, trying to kill an old man.&rdquo;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> <i>You have to have a heart before I can make it stop.</i> &quot;Alas, you have uncovered my hidden agenda. As always, however, you have managed to survive my best attempts to do you in.&quot; She clears her throat slightly, taking a perhaps longer sip of her drink than she intended. &quot;I hope things are going well?&quot;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> Taking Jasmin&rsquo;s arm, the two began circling the room, Balthazar&rsquo;s bodyguard trailing a few steps back.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Things are well, for now,&rdquo; the sorcerer said cryptically. &ldquo;Great party by the way,&rdquo; he added, changing the subject, as he smiled and mouthed &lsquo;hello&rsquo; to some bossomy blonde across the dance floor. The girl giggled, waving back as she flashed a coquettish smile. &ldquo;Money and power, it&rsquo;s the best aphrodisiac,&rdquo; he whispered, into Jasmin&rsquo;s ear.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> Jasmin stopped and turned to him, with her thin smile. She knew he was like that, but the earlier ruining of her evening several nights before still grated. &quot;Yes, it is. Many young <i>women</i> have told me the same thing.&quot; Well for now. That hung in the air, along with their earlier discussion. Just what was he planning? &quot;I know you. You&#39;ve got something on your mind, and it&#39;s more than A Little Piece of Heaven.&quot;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;You&rsquo;re always so straight to business,&rdquo; he sighed, their arms still locked. Romano was about to speak, when he noticed a familiar face across the room. Balthazar scowled. &ldquo;Playing with fire are we?&rdquo; Jasmin followed his gaze to the Hispanic man at the bar, waiting for drinks to be delivered. From the look on her face, he knew she wasn&rsquo;t following. &ldquo;His name is Pablo Sandoval. He&rsquo;s a cop who specializes in cases dealing with people who run in our social circles. If I were you, I&rsquo;d be wondering exactly why he&rsquo;s here&rdquo;.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> Jasmin looked over at him, flashing a small smile. <i>Special Crimes Unit. Of course.</i> It was the way that her luck went. Still, she wasn&#39;t too concerned. It wasn&#39;t without the realm of possibility that something strange could happen at an event which was, in a sense, dedicated to the supernatural. Even when said dedication was to a romantic, highly inaccurate version of how things really were. &ldquo;Probably just a fan. You worry far too much for your own good some nights.&rdquo;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Well, there&rsquo;s something else, but we need to talk private. Especially with people like him, around&rdquo;.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Unless you haven&rsquo;t noticed, this is a bit of a busy night and I don&rsquo;t have time to&hellip;&rdquo;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> Balthazar interjected &ldquo;well if it&rsquo;s time we need,&rdquo; he huffed, catching Jasmin off guard as he grabbed her hand. The sorcerer began to mutter under his breath, weaving together the pieces of the spell which would offer them some privacy. &ldquo;Perhaps you now you&rsquo;ll be more willing to listen&rdquo;.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> Jasmin looked about the room again. Balthazar was still clear, but everything else seemed slowed down, blurry. Like looking through a glass. <i>I really hate it when he does that.</i> No matter how often he dropped the Cone of Silence, she would never get used to it. &quot;This is important if you&#39;re willing to risk this. What&#39;s going on?&quot;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;I need your help finding an artifact,&rdquo; he said, his face serious for the first time all night. &ldquo;We both know that you have the most comprehensive library in all of New York and I need some information which no one else seems to be able to provide. Of course,&quot; he added, the sly smirk once again emerging, &quot;If you help me, i&#39;ll be indebted.&quot;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> <span style="font-style: italic;">Most comprehensive in all of New York, now?</span> Now she definitely knew that he was up to something. Yes, she had a decent collection of general knowledge. But she knew damn well that her own collections could not hold a candle to the more <span style="font-style: italic;">specialized</span> occultists around. &ldquo;What are you looking for, Balthazar?&rdquo;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Whatever you can find on The Eye of St Vigeous&rdquo;. Balthazar seemed to waver, the exertion of the magic catching up on him. &ldquo;And this is time sensitive my dear. The quicker you can help me, the more I&#39;ll make it worth your while&rdquo;. The wizard hesitated a moment, considering if he should bring up the other topic that was weighing on his mind. <i>The </i><i>Drop</i>...Tabitha had mentioned Carmine had the object and that spelled trouble. <i>Let&#39;s just see how that plays out</i> he decided, not wanting to show all his cards to the crafty vampiress.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> The Eye of St. Vigeous. The name hung there, not because of what it was but because of part of the name. She knew in the vaguest sense who St. Vigeous was. Any artifact related to him, though, spelled trouble in the hands of a human. Especially among the older vampires, it would make him both a target and a person with leverage. &ldquo;I&#39;ll see what I can find,&rdquo; she said softly to him, mind already racing to recall details. &ldquo;No promises, though.&rdquo;</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> With that, the room came back into focus as he let the spell drop.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Now, that business is out of the way,&rdquo; he huffed, his breath coming a big heavy, &ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s time to enjoy the party&rdquo;.</p> <p align="JUSTIFY"> &ldquo;Yes, it is,&rdquo; she spoke, staying locked into his arm for a few moments longer, as her mind considered the possibilities. Whatever he had gotten himself in to had to be bad for a meeting, and if that bad gave her bad publicity, he&#39;d pay. She was broken from her reverie, disengaging from him gratefully as someone else approached.</p> </p><table id="attachments" class="sticky-enabled"> <thead><tr><th>Attachment</th><th>Size</th> </tr></thead> <tbody> <tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://unlimitedi.net/sites/default/files/jasminparty.jpg">jasminparty.jpg</a></td><td>138.87 KB</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3420#comments Author:Kaarin Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Jasmin Location:Graveyard Sun, 23 Jan 2011 01:20:16 +0000 Kaarin 3420 at http://unlimitedi.net 15:40 "Balthazar and the Soothsayer" http://unlimitedi.net/node/3362 <p><p> Bored, Logan spun the stir stick of his gin tonic as he gazed absentmindedly around the room. A mix of humans and demons littered the swanky establishment; a typical crowd for the Hellfire Lounge. Next to him, Balthazar was deep in conversation with his associate, laughing as he always did, a bit obnoxious and a lot too loud.</p> <p> Balthazar&rsquo;s &lsquo;friend&rsquo; was a scraggily looking woman by the name of Tabitha. She wasn&rsquo;t overly fond on the eyes. She had short, frazzled, grey hair which matched her greyish skin, and when she smiled, you could see the excess of plaque around her cigarette stained teeth. From the conversation, Logan pieced together that she was a witch, like Balthazar. However, where his boss specialized in spells and rituals, invocations and basically anything that was big and flashy, Tabitha&rsquo;s talents were more subtle. She had a knack for divination. From cards to crystals, she was proficient, and this made her a useful pawn to someone like Balthazar. However, for all her skills, the witch was never able to see just how fake Romano was with her. He would lavish the hag with praise and adoration and in return, she would use her gifts for whatever he wanted.</p> <p> &ldquo;So tell me gorgeous, where can I find this Eye?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Oh you silver tongued devil, sometimes I think you only call me for information&rdquo; she laughed, enjoying herself too much to realize that&rsquo;s exactly what was going on. Maybe on some level she did realize, Logan thought, but she probably didn&rsquo;t have much of a social life, and these suppers with Balthazar were the highlights of her year. <span style="font-style:italic"> Guess it&rsquo;s a win win</span>.</p> <p> Logan tuned out again, scanning the other patrons for something, anything interesting. It&rsquo;s then that he noticed Persephone, the Hellfire&rsquo;s peculiar manager. The strange beauty was speaking quietly to three women, sitting in a plush booth at the back of the bar. The women were also lookers, not like poor Tabitha, and Logan couldn&rsquo;t help but wish he was sitting with them instead. As he let his gaze linger on the quartet of beauties, a strange feeling brewed up in him. <span style="font-style:italic">Why do they look familiar?</span>. He sat there staring, racking his brain for any scrap of memory that could tell him just why he thought he knew them. Suddenly, the four ladies halted their hushed conversation and simultaneously turned their attention to Logan. Instinctively, he looked away, embarrassed to have been caught gawking. He waited a few seconds before stealing another glance their way. <span style="font-style:italic">That&rsquo;s weird</span>. They were all still looking at him, each one now sporting a fresh scowl. <span style="font-style:italic">Guess I&rsquo;m not their type</span>.</p> <p> &ldquo;He has what?!&rdquo; Balthazar&rsquo;s tone had suddenly taken a turn south, catching Logan&rsquo;s attention once again.</p> <p> &ldquo;I had a dream of it last night and you know my dreams are never wrong. Your Grathoki friend gave your little gopher <span style="font-style:italic">a drop</span>.&rdquo;</p> <p> Logan kinda wished he had paid more attention. He had zero idea what they were talking about but his boss definitely seemed pissed.</p> <p> &ldquo;Well what else did you see?&rdquo; Though he tried to keep his cool, Balthazar was seething with rage. He was on the verge of something big, something he&rsquo;d been planning for months and the last thing he needed was a supernatural catastrophe going on in New York. In the hands of an idiot like Carmine, the Drop could lead to some serious problems, inevitably drawing unwanted attention to Balthazar.</p> <p> &ldquo;Oh Balthazar, you know I wouldn&rsquo;t keep anything from you if I knew,&rdquo; Tabitha said, taking a sip of her wine.</p> <p> &ldquo;No, of course you wouldn&rsquo;t&rdquo; Romano replied, his mind contemplating the repercussions of the news he just received. &ldquo;Well my love, it&rsquo;s been a pleasure as always, but I&rsquo;m afraid we have to run.&rdquo; Abruptly, Balthazar stood up, disregarding the glum look that appeared on the witch&rsquo;s face.</p> <p> &ldquo;Why so soon?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be sad gorgeous,&rdquo; Balthazar said, as he leaned in, giving the hag a kiss on each cheek. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll do supper again soon. Can&rsquo;t stay out late tonight, I&rsquo;ve got a big party to attend on Saturday and you know at my age, too many late nights don&rsquo;t agree&rdquo;.</p> <p> Tabitha did her best to hide her disappointment. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll hold you too it.&rdquo;</p> <p> As Logan politely said goodbye, he noticed Persephone standing near the bar with one of her steroid ridden bouncers. She was fixated on Balthazar now, a mischievous smirk on her porcelain face. <span style="font-style:italic">&lsquo;The hotter they are, the more crazy they tend to be&rsquo;</span>,&rdquo; Logan thought, remembering Balthazar&rsquo;s words from earlier that day.<br /> &nbsp;</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3362#comments Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Character:Persephone Location:Hellfire Lounge Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:12:44 +0000 Logan 3362 at http://unlimitedi.net 13:14 "Balthazar's Office" http://unlimitedi.net/node/3345 <p><p> 2021-05-13 13:14 - Thursday<br /> Balthazar&#39;s Office</p> <p> The elevator dinged opened, revealing the familiar hallway to Balthazar&rsquo;s office. Logan lingered a few second; he wasn&rsquo;t in any rush to tell Romano that Rob had gotten away because he had bee too busy taking care of some girl he bulldozed over to keep up the chase. <span style="font-style:italic">man, what a mistake that was</span>. It was almost funny when he thought about it. Just how many times would he get chewed out in the same day?</p> <p> &ldquo;You going to dilly dally out there all day my boy?&rdquo; Balthazar&rsquo;s loud voice boomed jovially from the office down the hall.</p> <p> &ldquo;No, sorry sir,&rdquo; Logan called back as he sped out of the elevator.</p> <p> His boss&rsquo;s office was really something to behold. Close to 1300 square feet, with marble floor, a small fortune in imported furniture and a western wall completely made of tinted glass. As massive as it was, there was definitely still a lot of unaccounted space on the 13<sup>th</sup> floor. <span style="font-style:italic">There must be a hidden room or something</span> Logan guessed.</p> <p> &ldquo;So, how is our friend Rob?&rdquo; Sitting behind his gargantuan mahogany desk, Balthazar had his back turned to Logan, as he stared out the window to the city below.</p> <p> &ldquo;Well, probably halfway to Mexico, to be honest&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Is that so? He managed to get away?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;I&rsquo;m afraid so sir.&rdquo;</p> <p> Slowly, Balthazar&rsquo;s chair spun around, but to Logan&rsquo;s surprise the man did not seem angry, in fact, he looked to be in quite a decent mood.</p> <p> &ldquo;Ah well, don&rsquo;t worry about it Loggey, can&rsquo;t expect a big, athletic guy like you to be able to run as fast as a gangly little demon.&rdquo;</p> <p> Logan felt a bit offended at first, but when he noticed that Romano was laughing at his own joke, he relaxed. &ldquo;I ended up crashing into this girl in Central Park. Banged her up pretty bad actually&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;HA!&rdquo; Balthazar slapped his knee, delighting in the thought of Logan clumsily running into some hapless woman. &ldquo;Is that your way of trying to get a date my boy?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Actually, she wasn&rsquo;t half bad to look at, but man oh man, definitely a few screws loose.&rdquo; Logan was now chuckling along.</p> <p> &ldquo;Isn&rsquo;t that the irony of the world, the hotter they are the more crazy they tend to be! Anyways, don&rsquo;t worry about Rob, the money&rsquo;s not important and I think he got the message. Actually I wanted to ask, are you busy tonight?&rdquo;</p> <p> The question caught Logan off guard, &ldquo;Well, sir, you&rsquo;re the boss so that really depends on you&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Touch&eacute;!&rdquo; Balthazar laughed again. &ldquo;Of course of course. We&rsquo;re going to the Hellfire Lounge again. I&rsquo;ve got a meeting with an associate. And, given some of my track record there, I think it best if you&rsquo;re around&rdquo;.</p> <p> &ldquo;Whatever you want.&rdquo;</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3345#comments Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:55:33 +0000 Logan 3345 at http://unlimitedi.net 11:22 "Balthazar's Building" http://unlimitedi.net/node/3339 <p><p> <strong>2021-05-13 11:22 - Thursday<br /> Balthazar&#39;s Building</strong></p> <p> He tried to scream, but nothing came out. He just kept falling&hellip;</p> <p> Falling&hellip;.</p> <p> Falling&hellip;</p> <p> Logan&rsquo;s eyes burst open as he woke. His heart was racing from the dream&hellip;nightmare&hellip;what was it? He tried to grasp at the images, but the dream just slipped away, his conscious mind unable to hold onto it. It wasn&rsquo;t an uncommon occurrence for Logan. Since he moved into Balthazar&rsquo;s building he&rsquo;d often wake in a panic. <span style="font-style:italic">Did I always have these dreams?&rdquo;</span> he wondered, trying to think back to when he didn&rsquo;t live there.</p> <p> &ldquo;Arghh&rdquo; he grunted, his head instantly throbbing from a sudden migraine. <span style="font-style:italic"> What was I thinking about again? </span> The pain quickly subsided, but he had lost his train of thought - <span style="font-style:italic">ah well</span>.</p> <p> Pushing off the covers he stood, stretching out the morning kinks. The late morning sun was pouring through his floor to ceiling window, gently bathing him in it&rsquo;s warm glow. Enjoying the feeling, Logan let out a big yawn as he began to examine his wounds from Tuesday&rsquo;s battle. <span style="font-style:italic">Wow, not bad at all</span>. The cut on his shoulder was hardly visible and the burns were just about gone as well. <span style="font-style:italic">Balthazar must have done some hocus pocus</span> he thought, as he realized, embarrassingly enough, that he was standing in in front of the massive window, wearing only a pair of white briefs. Logan let out a chuckle, a second later <span style="font-style:italic">Oh yeah, tinted windows</span>. Relaxing again, he took another mighty stretch.</p> <p> It was rare he got to sleep in, but the boss had been really sympathetic about the whole thing and gave him some time off to heal up. He didn&rsquo;t even complain about the fact that Angus hadn&rsquo;t given an answer to whatever it was written in the note. Although, Balthazar wasn&rsquo;t too happy when he had mentioned the cops got involved. &lsquo;Keep a low profile and avoid Sandoval,&rsquo; is what Romano had said. Funny, Logan had a good impression of the guy, given that he had saved his life and all,&nbsp;but he wasn&rsquo;t going to question the boss.</p> <p> He stripped off his underwear and headed for the shower when he heard the familiar beep of his cellphone.</p> <p> &lsquo;Office&rsquo;</p> <p> It was one of Balthazar&rsquo;s templated text messages which he would send when he needed something fast.</p> <p> &ldquo;Guess the shower is going to have to wait,&rdquo; he sighed, hurrying to change into a fresh pair of clothes. &ldquo;At least it&rsquo;s the world&rsquo;s shortest commute&rdquo; he mused, as he opted for the stairs up to the 13th floor.</p> <p> &ldquo;THAT&rsquo;S IT!? A Fucking name?&rdquo;</p> <p> Logan could hear Balthazar&rsquo;s familiar voice booming from down the hall. Whoever was with him was really getting their ass chewed out.</p> <p> &ldquo;I paid you for info, not just a fucking name! The Eye of St Vigeous, what the hell am I supposed to do with that? Ah, Logan, there you are,&rdquo; Balthazar said as his body guard quietly slipped into the room. &ldquo;Rob, this is my associate Logan, Logan this is Rob. Rob here is a Verbati demon, a bit of a shape shifter now aren&rsquo;t you Rob. Now I, knowing Rob has been a little down on his luck these days, was kind enough to give him a job. I fronted this little shit five thousand big ones to get me info on something of interest to me and all he comes back with is a fucking NAME!&rdquo; he barked again, causing the man to flinch.</p> <p> Logan could sense the fear emanating from the young demon. He looked no more than 18, maybe 19 years old, wearing a dark hoodie and big, loud high-top shoes. <span style="font-style:italic">What are you playing at kid</span> Logan thought dismally, knowing what was expected of him. He&rsquo;d probably have to rough the guy up, if not worse.</p> <p> &ldquo;I..I..I told you, that&rsquo;s all I could find,&rdquo; Rob stammered, &ldquo;I swear, I hit up all my contacts and asked around everywhere. &ldquo;The Eye, it kept coming up.&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;YOU DON&rsquo;T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT DOES!&rdquo; Balthazar was practically frothing at the mouth now. &ldquo;I am going to say this one more time, I. Want. My. Money. Back&rdquo;.</p> <p> The kid shuffled uncomfortably, but said nothing.</p> <p> Balthazar&rsquo;s voice suddenly became chillingly calm. &ldquo;Do you have my money Rob?&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;N..No&rdquo;</p> <p> &ldquo;Logan, did you hear that?&rdquo; Balthazar said, looking at his body guard. He didn&rsquo;t need to say more, Logan had got the message loud and clear.</p> <p> &ldquo;That&rsquo;s bad news for you Rob,&rdquo; Logan said flatly, as he planted a punch in the kid&rsquo;s gut.</p> <p> With a loud groan, Rob keeled over.</p> <p> &ldquo;You shouldn&rsquo;t have spent my money Rob.&rdquo; Balthazar was practically grinning, enjoying the spectacle in front of him. He really couldn&rsquo;t care less about five thousand dollars, this was about principle. Do not fuck with Balthazar Romano.<br /> Logan gripped onto the back of Rob&rsquo;s neck and practically dragged him back up to his feet. He was about to lay into him again, when the kid shifted, keeping the same form, just making himself a bit smaller. Wriggling free, Rob wasted no time as he bolted out of the office and headed for the stairs.</p> <p> &ldquo;Teach him a lesson Logan, and bring me whatever money he has on him&rdquo; Balthazar ordered, a wide smile now plastered on his face. He loved these little unpredictable moments in life.</p> <p> Like a jungle cat, Logan sprung into action, racing down the hall and into the stairwell. The kid was fast, real fast and was already down a few flights. &ldquo;Come on Rob, don&rsquo;t make this harder than it has to be!&rdquo; he called out, taking 3 steps at a time to catch up.</p> <p> It wasn&rsquo;t long before they both reached the ground floor. He had managed to gain a bit of ground, but the Verbati was still just out of reach.</p> <p> &ldquo;Fuck off! Just fuck off ok!&rdquo; the kid called back, terrified that Logan would eventually catch up. Willing his legs faster, Rob charged through the lobby and out into the street. &ldquo;MOVE! MOVE!&rdquo; he screamed frantically, as he raced between flocks of people.</p> <p> <span style="font-style:italic">And I just wanted a shower</span> Logan huffed, following Rob as the kid headed into Central Park.</p> </p> http://unlimitedi.net/node/3339#comments Author:Shaun Character:Balthazar Romano Character:Logan Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:29:08 +0000 Logan 3339 at http://unlimitedi.net