[Simon Cleary]

Simon shrugged, then said, “I am very close with her, very trusted. She lisens to me. If you want an in you got it. I suggest starting on the outside of the rings, impressing her with your skills, and then entering the rings as a fighter.”

“Better to be a prize the keep then an unknown to be simply used.”

[Zara Sheppard]

Zara turned to look at him, frowning.

"Get me in. Do that, and I'll owe you one. Now get out and let me finish packing."

[Simon Cleary]

Simon glanced away... so she couldn’t read anything in his eyes.

He already had plans, and he wasn’t sure she would like them if she knew...

“Alright... “ he said slowly. “You will owe me.... And it will be interesting to see how you handle being under a woman like Astrid Iver. She is...” he couldn’t stop a faint smile from tugging at his lips. “something else...”

Like no other woman he knew...

Simon turned then and left the room, already thinking out his conversation with Astrid.

[Zara Sheppard]

Zara paused for a moment. That hesitation in his voice. She could almost hear the smile on his lips.

She glanced back over her shoulder, watching him walk away. There was no way, was there? What was more confusing was the fact that he had not pushed to be closer or offer her a position himself. Had he perhaps finally moved on? She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that...

[Marcus Reef]

Looking back at Magda, his arm lazily drapped over Lily’s shoulders, Reef spoke up saying, “Why do you need to kiss anyone at midnight?”

Ignoring the coughs and glares of some of his friends, he went on to say, “You seem conflicted. You haven’t been dateing because it distracts from work, you also have a crush on someone else...”

“Let’s all guess who...” said Egan in a morose tone. Why else would Caleb refuse because of Ivan?

Ignoring Egan, Reef went on saying, “you offer yourself to anyone in the room, yet rejected two offers because in reality you don’t want it to be just anyone... What is a kiss going to mean to you? Or even leave you feeling like?”

[Egan Cleary]

“Uhm... less like a lonaly loser?” Said Egan, looking with annoyance at the other man. “Nice advice Reef... but here you are with your arm around a pretty girl wile you give it. Some times it’s just about feeling good for a minute. And I don’t blame her turning those two down. She is clearly way out of their league. Why scrape the bottom of the barrel?”

Looking to Magda then he said, “Kiss Anghel at midnight. At least he is taller and better looking then those two, even with that scar on his face.”

Anghel shrugged, then said, “Gives character I think,” lightly brushing a finger across the scar. “And I vould not say no if it vould help you out Magdalina...”

[Magdalina Eklund]

Magda shuffled uncomfortably in her seat, catching eyes with Lily who seemed rather content under the arm of Marcus. Magda couldn't help but feel a little envious of her situation. Whilst Marcus spoke, she tucked some hair behind her ear, really not wanting to have to explain herself. It wasn't that she was desperate, but she did want someone...desperately.

But then Egan spoke, and she had to nod in agreement. "Right, what Mr Cleary Says I just want to feel good for a minute." She spoke. Though then Egan suggested Anghel. She blinked, having half expected him to offer up himself. Though that likely wouldn't have been good. She looked up at the other man - she had seen the scar before, but now with the permission to, she really studied it.

"How did you get it?" She asked.

[Egan Cleary]

Anghel shrugged and said, “I was too hasty in opening can of beans...”

“Ah... don’t let him fool you...” said Caleb, comming up behind the other man with a smirk, “He got that from fighting a dragon with his bare hands...” patting Anghel on the shoulder he said, “I did warn you not to spit in it’s eye...”

“No,” said Egan, interjecting. “He actually got that at The Battle of Hogwarts. From a little kid. Before he ended him. Doesn’t like to tell the story. Colin Creevey was it?” Said Egan with a smile.

“No, no...” said Reef with a laugh, “It was actually a lover’s spat. Ture story. The girl said if I can't have you know one else will want you. Then tried to mangle his face.”

Shrugging again, Anghel said, “Maybe all stories are true.... Do you have any special scars Miss Magdalina? I could imagin you with some special ones...”

[Magdalina Eklund]

Magda looked from man to man, listening to eachstory. She definitely knew it couldn't have been the can of beans, and likely not the dragon. The Battle of Hogwarts? What was that? Did Astrid know about that? Was she just in the dark about it? And maybe the Lover's spat makes sense too...

At Anghel's question, she nodded. "Yes, a few. His have this little one behind my ear, but it's not too bad. A couple on my legs and back, mainly from training, but..." She pulled at the neckline of her shirt, revealing her shoulder and collar bone where a darker pink, raised part of the skin was. It seemed to have a centre point, with lines fading from it. "This is from an attempted break into Lundstrom Estates. I was struck at close range with a fire spell, or something. It felt hot, so it might have been a burst of electricity. It really hurt but it's a good reminder to know that I'm never really safe, even in the confines of my own home."

[Ivan Ramazanov]

Ivan was not actually looking for Zara when he passed her door, but seeing the light on, and the door ajar, he glanced in, then pushing slightly on it so it opened further he cleared his throat and said,

“Sorry, saw light. Thought you were still down at party.” He looked at what she was clearly doing, then added, “ If you are clearing everything out tonight make sure you leave key in security box before you go.”

Feeling his job was done he turned then back into the hall way.

Kyle wanted them to talk, but did it really matter if she was leaving? He might not ever even see the woman again...

[Zara Sheppard]

Zara jumped as she heard Ivan's voice. She had definitely heard the footsteps, but the fact that they were Ivan's caught her off guard immediately. She switched around, looking over him. He apparently didn't want to stay, and she was going to let him leave, but yet she found herself stepping forward and speaking.

"Ramazanov!" She called after him. "Just wait a second."

She chased after him before leaning forward, gripping his wrist and pulling him back into the room. She closed the door behind him, standing in front of me.

"Look, I'm leaving. I don't know if we're ever gonna see each other again. But you and I both know there's something unsaid between us, so it needs to be done, and left in this room, and then we can move on. So just..." She gestured to him. "Say everything you need to. Say everything you feel about me; how much you hate me or dislike my methods. Talk about something I did that you found repulsive or something. I don't care but..."

She took a deep breath, looking off to the side.

"I want to do something different with my life. I want to start fresh, not specifically with you, but overall. And I can't do it with all these questions in my head about our experiences and differences and arguments and tension. I don't want to find myself in this situation again, and I'm sure you don't either."

[Ivan Ramazanov]

Ivan allowed her to pull him back, but he crossed his arms at once, looking down on her untill she had finished before finally saying,

“And vhat situation is that? Having a woman constantly digging her harpy claws into me because she can’t reconcile her own desires? No. I don’t want to find myself there again.”

Kyle would be so proud...

“Look...” he said, taking a step towards her. “I know why we both vhanted to keep our business private, but your tactics don’t need to include trying to drag me through the mud. You vant to regret every decicion you make in life then fine, but is not my problem. I tried to say no to your proposition you get mad at me. I say yes you still get mad at me. I can do no right in your eyes, Hera’s eyes... vhat you vant me to do, eh?”

Well she told him to say what he needed to say and that was it.

[Zara Sheppard]

Zara's expression changed, and she crossed her own arms in resentment.

"What would you have preferred I say? Of course we had sex since he's the most handsome man alive? I totally cheated on my fiance? I would do it all again if I could? Sure what I said was low and hurtful, but it was far more believable than me just sitting there calmly."

She stepped forward to him, brows furrowed.

"And another thing! I'm not mad because you slept with me, you moron. I think it was stupid for you to accept due to the timing, but clearly it was effort on both sides, and we both wanted it. I wasn't even talking about sleeping together - I was talking about the differences in views on women and co-workers, and social structure. Not everything is about sex, you know."

That was ironic coming from here considering her tendencies. She was quiet a short couple of seconds, but then narrowed her eyes.

"Why are you bringing up Hera, anyway? What has she got to do with this? What does her opinion matter after so long?"

[ View OOC Note ]

New thread here

[Ivan Ramazanov]

Ivan ran his hand though his hair in frustraition, then said, “Because she keeps inserting herself into my life! Vhen she has feelings for me she tell me to stay away. Now that she does not she things she know better zhen me and can keep poping up and telling me vhat to do. She vas very concerned about you for some reason...” he said, raising a brow at her. Clearly she had been talking to Hera... even if it hadn’t been exactly what Hera had lead him to believe.

Recrossing his arms then he said, “And maybe I don’t thingk is was bad timeing on my part. I think I helped you to see more clearly that you did not want to be with Hugh Cleary. Vhat you think of that?”

Speaking about Hera just reminded him how much he hated being blamed for all his actions these days. Maybe there was a virtue in them! Why not?!

[Zara Sheppard]

"Oh really? Are you going to make the same excuse with Hera then? That it was such good timing that it gave her clarity on whether she wanted to stay with Egan or not?" She placed her hands on her hips, looking over him. "What is wrong with you? What do you want me to do? Take all the blame for the night? It was my fault you couldn't take your eyes off me, my fault you got turned on and had to go out for fresh air?"

She stepped forward, giving him a light poke on his large chest.

"Perhaps it was my fault that you pinned me against a wall and then invited me back! Who knows in your world! Anything is possible! I'm at least saying it was my fault for saying yes in the first place, but you can't waltz around thinking you did nothing but a favour. You knew it was wrong to do, otherwise you wouldn't have been so keen to halt mid-foreplay to tell me to keep quiet about it, or use your employees' job status as leverage over me not telling Hugh."

She stepped up to him, snarling in his face.

"Is that why you slept with me? Because you thought you was doing me a favour? Just another way to be a white knight, right? Or is it just some sort of internal victory - the man who managed to tame the ice queen of Cleary Co?"