Participants:
Scene Title | Courting Disaster |
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Synopsis | He's been given the warnings, he has seen the signs… A storm is coming, and he might not survive. |
Date | May 15 |
Central Park - Zoo
The five acres of the Central Park Zoo are divided into three major exhibit themes: the Polar Circle, the Rain Forest, and the Temperate Territory. It features everything from leaf-cutter ants to the ever-popular polar bears; California sea lions to colobus monkeys; the two-toed sloth to the Japanese macaque. The exhibits are always a major draw for tourists, but the zoo offers a variety of classes and programs intended to educate the public in wildlife and wildlife conservation. The associated Tisch Children's Zoo includes a petting zoo and the Wildlife Theater, as well as a variety of exhibits targeted to the younger audience.
It's early in the afternoon, and after a brief lunch Magnes and Yana are walking through the zoo until they find a bench, and he of course makes sure there's no gum or anything that could ruin her outfit. He's in a dark grey suit himself, with a black tie and black leather shoes, and he's been acting a bit different. Maybe it's their new arrangement, the thought that she won't tell him what he does wrong, but he hasn't attempting to touch her at all unless appropriate within proper etiquette.
He's also not really been talking about his problems or the potential relationship he's pursuing with her, instead keeping discussions within the realm of current events, their work, and other casual things. When they do sit on the bench, he finally opens that box he's been carrying around. "I've been working on this for a while, Elvira, especially for you. I've been reluctant to show you until I was absolutely sure it was something you'd like." So he pulls out the black silky dress, with the crystal ornate band around the waist, something simple yet elegant, and certainly not made with cheap fabrics.
Yana had informed him of plans that she had a little later on in the day. There were some Asian businessmen in town, supposed to meet with her father, the details of why they are meeting is a closely guarded Puika secret. However, Yana is to fill in for him yet again, and make whatever presentation he was to make. Which means she was busy this morning, memorizing the notes. She has until tomorrow, but she is meeting and taking the group out to dinner later. As such, she showed up wearing a cheongsam; a chinese dress that fit her slender form rather well.
Befitting for it to be black, the designs are that of a silver outline through the dress of two vicious dragons clashing together, while their tail ends blend into petals of flowers down near the bottom. She even wore her hair tied up behind her head, with a pair of black chopsticks stuck criss cross in the center. The neckline of the dress doesn't allow for her to wear any neck jewelry, but her ears are adorned with dangling earrings of black jade.
Since they are actually discussing regular events, as opposed to things that are more personal, Yana talks about what is happening with her. Not the secret things, involving the virus and her plans, but things that happen outside of that. "This is getting to be ridiculous. I'm having to stand in for just about everything he has his hand in. It's far too frequent not to be some sort of plot, but what is he doing?" Yana's eyes narrow, "These associates of him are going to be a chore, I just know it. Fortunately I at least have an interpreter for the evening." And hey, perhaps if she is lucky, she can send a few of them back to Asia with the non-Evo flu. Mm.. no, she isn't really ready to take it outside of her controlled environment just yet.
As she finally has a seat, resting the Gianmarco Lorenzi Swarovski pumps on her feet with a metal snake spiraling up the heel, she waits for him to present the box, brow arching as he reveals the dress, "You made this?" she questions with a bit of skepticism. "Well, it shows that you have been paying attention. I'll say that." She lifts her eyes to look at him, "Had you not changed your intentions, I'd not be able to accept this. But given the recent change, I thank you for the gift, and eagerly await to see just how you outdo the first one."
"I've worked on it for quite a while, I wanted to make sure I did the fabric some justice, and made something to your tastes. I thought it would be more thoughtful than going out to buy an expensive dress. Anyone can go out and buy an expensive dress, not completely ruining expensive fabric is much more of a challenge." Magnes carefully folds the dress back into its box, and holds it out to her with a slight smile.
"If my father didn't work for the Institute, it sounds like something he would do if he were testing me. I'm having to rely on a lot of the things he's taught me again, now that you're no longer teaching me, and thinking so much on what I've been taught really brings to light what his intentions would be in a given situation." He of course keeps eye contact. Her dress is nice, very nice, but he's kept his wandering eyes under tight control today. "I'd think he was testing me, if he started making me fill in for him more frequently than normal, testing to see if I'm worthy of taking over his work."
"Well I agree, it has a bit more meaning to it. And I am sure you remember our conversation about clothing and as a gift for women. Which is why I'm sure you're presenting it to me now, rather than before." She says this just so he knows that she knows and understands the underlining reasoning for getting a dress. Now whether she will abide by it easily or not is her decision. In anycase, she takes the dress, seeming at least appreciative of the gesture. But there is still a fair amount of ice to the woman. Being who he is, Yana doesn't have to put up the facade of being bright, she just simply lets herself show. The mask she wears normally is probably a much prettier sight than the truth.
"Oh that's right. Your father is one of my superiors. That totally slipped my mind." Yana contemplates the thought. "Anyway," she dismisses, "Mikhail Puika is a very very harsh man. Other than the fact that he is my father, and I'll do as he says, filling in for him means that he really trusts that I will not mess up. But if he is testing me, the question is for what? At first I suspected that he was using me. Beautiful daughter placed in the sight line of his male associates. A little charm thrown here, a small smile thrown there, and then his words spoken through me would have a much heavier weight than just simple business. But.. that's not it. There is something I am missing."
"I remember, quite hopefully in fact." Magnes says this casually, not trying to put any weight behidn it, but not trying to obviously joke either. His banter is calculated, trying to use everything he lerned from Tracy Strauss and his father. "You're a very intelligent and talented woman, Elvira, I wouldn't doubt he was planning to ask you to take up some high position in his company, or maybe a new role in the family while he maybe prepares to retire. Though that would hold a lot of heavy implications regarding his opinion of your current position in life."
"My father will only retire when he is dead." Yana states as a simple fact of life. Which, for the look of her brow arching, the woman seems to have possibly hit a point of discovery. "Could that be it?" she questions, in the way a scientist might, as opposed to a daughter. She then goes into a line of contemplating logic, "It would make sense. He isn't sick with anything viral, or I would know. I'm ruling out Alzheimers because that doesn't run in my family. Very few disorders do. The only other thing I can think of is cancer." Yana squints her eyes a little, like she is considering a complex math problem, "My mother will be devastated." Though there is no indication as to how she feels about it, if anything at all.
"We don't know for sure that's the case, this could still be some other kind of test. Though when was the last time you actually saw your father, face to face?" Magnes asks, and then her mother is mentioned and he has a bit of a surprised look. "You never mention your mother, I assumed she was… deceased, or not around."
"From the way it sounds now, it is looking to be the most likely possibility. A test would be pointless at this stage in my life." After a moment more of thought, Yana is struck with a notion, lifting her brow rather curiously, "Unless…" moistening her lips, she doesn't really elaborate upon that thought much further. She suspects something, having put together some kind of puzzle in her head at this point, but is not privy to reveal it. "Hm?" she looks at him, "Oh, no. My mother is very much still around. She and my father are still together as they always have been, and in fact, I take lunch with her often when she is brought into the city. She didn't come with my father last week when he dropped by, but I'm sure she'll be calling soon."
"Your mother must be a sight. It's hard to imagine that there are more people with your genetics in the world." Magnes rises, offering his hand in case she wants to take it to stand. "I'd like to meet your father one day, but I imagine he'd never have time for that sort of thing."
"My grandfather, my grandmother, my father, my mother, Arkady, Anton, me then Diana." Yana rattles off. "I had an eldest brother, Mikhail Jr, but we lost him in the Midtown disaster. Keagan's father." Again, she sounds like she feels neither one way or the other about it. "All of us are still living and stay in regular contact. Family is what is most important, as far as my father is concerned." She takes a look overhead for a moment and then out to the street, looking for a car that is due to take her to her engagement. "Oh, it all depends really. How badly he would want to meet you. If he does, then he'll make time. The world somehow seems to revolve around my father, it always has from what I could see."
"I know it's a bit old fashioned, and most women don't really care about such a thing, but getting your father's approval would mean a lot to me." Magnes looks around as a few people pass by with small children, then stares down into her eyes. "I've never been really sure what you've thought of me, especially since your opinions have changed over time, but one thing that will always remain consistent is that I want to treat you in a way befitting of who you are. I may not be royalty, but at the very least you'll always know my intentions, that I would never betray or use you."
Yana almost has to laugh as he says that, "Good luck. You obviously have no idea how many years I had to put in for the man to recognize me for my accomplishments. Of course, I was always his little knyaginya, Diana and I both were. But like everyone else, we had to prove ourselves to him, to earn his acceptance. We were already genetically predisposed to being accepted because we're his children, everyone else tends to have to move mountains." Which would explain where she gets it from, exactly. She is her father's child. "My mother on the other hand? She somehow manages to emotion in a way I couldn't even fathom anyone else could. She is so enduring, accepting of things that just aren't morally right, yet she is supportive, caring and understanding. It's bizarre. I probably wouldn't have her if I hadn't cured her condition when I was younger." That was back when she had a heart still.
Yana takes in a breath, looking at him with a casual glance, "I understand that, yes. But I also understand that is what you want. You know my situation and status on these kinds of things Magnes. And I can't stress enough just how much you're courting disaster. But.. you do what you need to do." she goes on being casual, "I've given you all of the warnings. I can't really do much else than that."
"I'd rather court disaster than live my life with regrets." Magnes doesn't further comment on her father, he simply waits there, thinking. "I just hope this doesn't come back to blow up in my face, my relationship with my friends is rather rocky, since they don't want me to date you. But it's my life, I can date who I want."
Seeing a black limo pull up, one that isn't hers, and a driver that isn't Christopher step out of the vehicle to walk around and open the door to stand beside it, Yana simply presses her lips together as she looks at Magnes, "I've said all I can say. The rest of it is on you after that." her shoulders come to shrug lightly. "Thank you again for the dress. And lunch. I'm sure I'll talk to you soon." Without too much ceremony to her departure, Yana makes her way to the vehicle to duck down inside.
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