SET FIRE TO THE RAIN (VICTOR)

[ATHENA WEDDINGTON]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]WEARING FOR VICTOR notes can go here. this will scroll. notes can go here. this will scroll. notes can go here. this will scroll. notes can go here. this will scroll. notes can go here. this will scroll. notes can go here. this will scroll. DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]slipping her hands down into the pockets of her tweed overcoat, athena leaned back against the building in the alleyway outside of the growing nexus of underground affairs in sapphire bay. if she was going to find the notorious v anywhere, she figured here was the best place to start. she had no way of knowing he'd set up his own cafe right on main street where he conducted his business. so, she went with her instincts and hoped she could find him here. men leered at her as they passed, and she offered them a smile in return. they stereotyped her, thinking she would be an easy target - a woman in the slums of the city surrounded by men coming and going - but they would be foolish to pursue their inaccurate assumptions. she had never killed anyone, but she certainly knew how, and she could incapacitate an attacker long enough to remove herself from a situation. she had been an interpol agent for almost five years before falling off the grid and becoming the high-profile thief she was now. she'd become known as 'the goddess' or simply 'goddess' in the crime circles because her name was one of the greek goddess' names as well as the fact that she was remarkably attractive for a woman in her field. but it was as she'd explained to her mentor ari once when he asked why a beautiful young woman like her would want to become a thief: "what better way to pickpocket a man than to use my good looks to get into his pants? literally and figuratively." she smiled at the memory, but it was a sad smile. reaching up, she pulled the fedora she wore over her blond hair down slightly so no one passing by could see much of her face. she missed ari so badly sometimes, even more than her own parents at times. freezing out her rising emotions, she steeled her face and lifted her head to peer out from beneath her hat. as she did so, she caught sight of more figures entering the alleyway, but beyond them was what intrigued her most. there were people moving up and down the street, even in this area of town, and her fingers itched to be used. pulling her hands out of her pockets, she blew into her fingers (there was still snow on the street and it was march, shouldn't this damn cold be gone by now?), and exited the alley, merging into the streetwalkers. to the innocent observer, she looked just like every other person walking down the sidewalk, blowing into her hands to warm them and squinting against the sun that glared harshly on the snow that had yet to melt under its warming rays. however, she was warming her fingers so they could deftly slip into someone's pocket and retrieve what she wanted. she was squinting so the people who passed her couldn't easily see her eyes raking them for possible items to pick up. then her target came into view. he was taller than her by almost a foot which meant his visibility on her level would be to his disadvantage, and he was well-dressed although not too flashy. he looked like a promising target, and averted her eyes just before he could look at her. feigning ignorance, she ran right into him, her hands dropping as she gasped and looked into the man's face in faux surprise. "i'm sorry! i should have been watching where i was going," she apologized, offering him one of her winningest smiles. backing away from him and to the side, she began to move off down the sidewalk with a small tilt of her head to say goodbye. smiling to herself as she turned her back on him, her fingers petted the wallet she'd confiscated from his coat pocket as her hands had dropped, lifted it, and slipped it into her own coat pocket. hopefully he was well off enough to have at least a 20 on him. she wanted steak for dinner tonight. [/style]

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[Victor Grey]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] The man didn't even know why he was here. This place was so beneath him. The last time he had visited a place like this, it was to speak to his cousin about shipping that pregnant wench to Russia, where he later organized her death. Like always, he took pride in his appearance, so you'd never find him dressed in anything that made him seem poor. Looking like a 'commoner' simply wasn't his thing. He had the money. Why not use it, right? As he traipsed around what he considered dirty streets, he was hardly paying attention. When a woman bumped into him, he had a half a mind to call her every name he could think of. Her apology stopped him short, and he grunted in response. As the woman walked away, he noticed the missing weight of his wallet in the pocket of his jacket. "Son of a bitch!" He hissed, marching after her. His arm shot out and pianist-like fingers wrapped around her upper arm, the short nails digging lightly into the fabric of her jacket. Without even a warning, he pulled her against himself and shoved her roughly against the closest wall, not even caring if he hurt her in the process. His free hand reached for the gun in the waistband of his pants. The gun lifted, pressing the barrel just beneath her jaw. "I suggest you give me the wallet." He growled, dark eyes narrowing into slits as his weight pinned her to the wall. If she opened that pretty, little mouth of hers to scream, he'd splatter her brains over the dirty bricks, take his wallet, and go. If you were to ask him if he cared about the consequences, the answer would be no. There was a reason he chose not to get along well with others. This would be part of it. If people weren't after glory or sex, they wanted your damned money. He was getting to a point where he was starting to believe that if you wanted something done right the first time, you had to do it yourself. Hell, his own student hadn't even payed attention to him when he had told her to steer clear of Sapphire Bay. Well, she had but only for three years. On top of his worries that she'd screw things up for the both of them, Interpol agents had been flocking to Sapphire Bay. Just what he needed. If worse came to worse, he could either fake his own death or have his dimwitted half-brother take the fall. After all, Vincent was quite privy to Victor's crimes, and his first name started with a 'V.' Hell, his half-brother had even been stupid enough to take part in his sick schemes. He had been the one to point Victor out to Ryder, the very punk he had sent into Gabriel McKettrick's and Jasmine McKettrick's life. The plan had almost been a success, but he did things too quickly, which was to be expected. What he should have done was go after the cop when he was alone. Next time, he'd just have to find somebody that was a bit smarter and not hyped up on drugs, which had partially been his fault. His mind came back to the present, although it was hard to tell the man had even zoned out to begin with. "Who the fuck are you?" He snapped, dark eyes blazing with a mixture of rage and hatred. Victor's temper was what had helped to make him legendary. His intelligence, coupled with said temper, had been a deadly combination in many situations. Now, that very temper was being mercilessly pushed upon the blonde that he held pinned to a wall.

[ATHENA WEDDINGTON]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]WEARING FOR VICTOR i love banter xD DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]most people she pickpocketed had no clue they had been stolen from until later in the day when they reached into their pockets or purse and found their wallet missing. so athena strolled nonchalantly away from the man she'd just heisted without a care in the world. the sun was shining, there was snow around, and she was a bit richer than she had been an hour earlier. she was still left at a dead end on her search for v, but stealing usually improved her mood. so she was completely caught off guard as she was grabbed and pulled toward the tall man before being shoved roughly back against the wall of a nearby building. she was stunned for a moment by the sheer irony of the situation, but she quickly regained her wits and glared up into the man's eyes as he hissed that she better return his wallet. athena was not easily thrown by people's threats - even if it was true she had stolen it - thanks to her years of training with interpol and then her training in the underground by ari. in general, she was unshakable, and that's what made her such a good asset as an ally. so instead of shivering and spitting out an apology as she handed the man his wallet, she began to laugh. his gun was drawn and shoved under her chin, forcing her head up which cut off the laughter, but she still smiled up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement. although she chose not to use them, guns didn't scare her. she knew how to use them, she just chose other methods of defending herself other than a firearm. "what wallet would that be? are you mugging me, sir?" she asked casually as if she wasn't being held against a wall with a gun pointed at her head ready to take her life at any moment. she could see the raw anger burning in his eyes, and she knew she was only going to make him angrier, but she didn't care. she figured she'd been up against bigger cocks in her lifetime than this rooster. then he sized her up, and asked her who she was. getting tired of being held against the wall, she reached up swiftly, catching his wrist with her hand and pressed on the pressure point on the inside of his wrist so his fingers holding the gun would weaken. she didn't know if she could disarm him or not, but at least she would get her breathing room back. as she got some space, she straightened out her clothing and examined him, noticing the cocky stance he had and his sharp eyes. he was a predator, just like her. "a lady never tells before the first date," she retorted slyly, with a smile across her gorgeous face. she was baiting him and his temper, and she knew it, but it was fun. she'd dealt with easily angered men before, and although she'd never win in a fist fight (or a gunfight considering she didn't have a gun) against him, she enjoyed sparring verbally. "as for your wallet, you must be mistaken. perhaps one of the many miscreants in this area parted you from it?" sauntering closer to him, she sidled up next to him, smiling her beautiful smile. he was a strikingly attractive man, moreso than some of her past targets, and although he'd opened their line of communication by pointing a gun at her jaw (after she had stolen from him, mind you), she had to admit he was arrestingly attractive. "however, if you'd like to find out my name, i'm always open for that dinner date. after you find your wallet, of course," she commented with a sly wink. [/style]

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[Victor Grey]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Normally, he would have appreciated such banter, coming from such a beauty, however, it just irked him further. He decided to change tactics. The only things the wallet really contained was his Fairfax driver's license, the key card to his penthouse suite, and a few pictures that were of sentimental value. He wasn't a fool, so he had left his bank card back in his suite, which would be easy to get into without the key card. Did she really think a man of his stature would be foolish enough to come to a place like this with money on hand? He wasn't about to get shanked over small change, not when he had enough money to be set for several lifetimes. He also wasn't dumb enough to flaunt it. The man was careful, if nothing else. Of course, that was an understatement. "Fine, keep it." He said simply, lifting his shoulder in a shrug as he turned on his heel, which essentially meant he was turning his back on her. His hand shifted, sliding the gun back into the waistband of his pants, where his jacket hid the rest. The gun didn't have bullets, so he didn't have to worry if it went off. He usually just used it for a prop when going into places like these. He was well-dressed, clean-shaven, and he had a piece. People without a brain just assumed he was a pig, so he usually came and went without incident. You'd never be able to guess that he had come from the other side of nation, unless you caught a glimpse of his driver's license. Even then, Fairfax was fed city, which came with a higher penalty if you were to insult one of them. Cops were small fries, compared to the feds. With the wave of retarded Interpol agents, it was even easier to assume he was a fed. While most of them sniffed around the slums, hoping to get lucky, he was always either kicking back in his suite or in his office with a glass of wine, not having a care in the world. His anonymity was usually a high bonus, and he went to great lengths to keep it. Surprisingly, he didn't want people to know his name or even to fear it. That might lead to a record, and he damned sure didn't want that. He worked even harder to make sure everything he did was above board and didn't raise suspicion. That would mean people looked into it, which was something else to add to the list of things he didn't need. "Have fun with the wallet, street rat." He said sweetly, just as his legs began to carry him farther away from the blonde, although slow enough so she'd be able to catch up if she got smart and had a change of heart.

[ATHENA WEDDINGTON]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]WEARING FOR VICTOR haha she's having such a good time going through his crap DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]when he pulled the gun away from her jaw, athena's eyebrows raised slightly and she examined his face. nonchalance replaced the rage that had been there only moments before, and when he casually told her she could keep the wallet, she figured it was either a tactic to get her not to care about it or it really had no value. her slender fingers toyed with it in her pocket as she smiled and watched him. he ignored her flirtacious offer for him to take her to dinner (men could be so dense sometimes), and he coldly turned his back on her. usually, she would simply turn and walk away as well, pleased with whatever she got out of the stolen item in her possession, but something intrigued her about this man. most men weren't able to so easily put away their anger, and that showed he was a professional. his style was so precise and calculating, she was instantly intrigued. he looked like a businessman, but why was he walking through this area of town? she'd been in sapphire bay long enough to know this was a bad area, hence the reason she was here, and businesspeople usually didn't make it part of their daily routine to wander through. besides, the underground fight club was only a mere block back from where she now stood, and that only drew the lowest of the lowlifes. so he was very out of place with his apparel. but his calculating eyes spoke far more about him than anything else ever could. only a hunter had those eyes. she knew he was either a fed of some sort, or he was one of the top criminals of them all. she could read a person by their eyes. so she stood in the center of the sidewalk and withdrew his wallet from her pocket, opening it and beginning to rifle through it. she found the room key first and smiled slyly, pulling it out and waving it, holding it between her middle and fore fingers. "mmm this is certainly interesting..." she commented offhandedly, "no wonder you were so upset to lose it. let me guess, you're having an affair with your secretary and you don't want your wife to find out!" she guessed dramatically, entertaining herself immensely. next was a picture of an attractive brunette who appeared around her own age or a bit younger. her eyebrows raised as she exhibited this find. "ooo is this the secretary? she's certainly bangable... i mean, if i swung that way of course." shrugging, she found the driver's license and instantly noticed he was an out-of-towner. or was he? she had a feeling this was only another clue into the mystery that was the man she'd 'bumped' in to. "so you're here on business, banging your secretary, and covering it up from your wife," she concluded, knowing she was only picking at him and not actually getting any details about his real reasons. "how very... boring." her smile was mischievious and cunning as she snapped the wallet shut and waved it slowly back and forth in the air. he need only try if he wanted to take it back. [/style]

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[Victor Grey]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] He rolled his eyes as the woman began to speak. If she wanted to piss him off, she had succeeded. "You're joking, right? Do I seriously strike you as the kind of man that practices monogamy?" He turned to face her then he moved closer, his movements calculated. Once he stood only a foot or so away from her, he held up his left hand and cocked his head. It took him only a moment to put his ducks in a row. "Do you see a ring impression?" He queried in a fashion that hinted his question was most likely rhetorical. His hand fell to his side, and he watched her through dark, brooding eyes that seemed to reveal everything yet nothing at all. Perhaps, if he dropped his well-known name, it'd ruffle a few feathers. The more he thought about it, the more his lips twitched into a smirk. "Perhaps, it'd end this travesty faster if I told you that you can call me V." He purred, leaning forward so only she could hear. Did he believe she was part of a law enforcement agency? Hell no, so he didn't bother with hiding who he really was. If she were in law enforcement, her backup would have swarmed him by that point. Not even a fed would be dumb enough to go this deep without backup, least of all one that was female. He wasn't saying she wasn't capable, but law enforcement agencies never got so desperate as to send an unarmed female without backup after a guy that was twice her size. It was simply unheard of. He may be a rough and tumble kind of guy, but he knew the ins and outs of the law, considering his father was a policeman, albeit a bit corrupt.

[ATHENA WEDDINGTON]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]WEARING FOR VICTOR ugh i thought this would be longer. please don't hate me xD DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]she could tell she'd irritated him by the way he turned on her, held up his left hand, and instantly put down her accusation of marriage. crossing her arms over her buxom chest, the wallet still in her hand as she watched him, she listened patiently. his irritation entertained her, and she enjoyed watching his handsome face screw up in anger as he corrected her amusing anecdote. Perhaps, it'd end this travesty faster if I told you that you can call me V. athena's jaw dropped open, and her heart leapt. the very many she'd been searching for was standing right in front of her and she'd just stolen his wallet. her day just couldn't get any better. a smile spread smoothly across her face, and she uncrossed her arms, planting her hands on her hips. she had to control her excitement so she didn't instantly come across as a fangirl in his presence. "i've been looking for you," she admitted, holding out the wallet as an offering in her upturned hand. "i heard you were setting down some business here and may need some hired hands. you may know me as 'the goddess'." while she didn't really expect him to know her as well as she knew of him - despite the fact she had been rumored the best pickpocket in the world after ari died - she hoped that he would know of her. v was one of the world's best-known criminals, and in the criminal world he was a bit of an icon. she'd been wanting to be on his team since she'd heard he may be opening his ranks, and now she hoped he would accept her. "it's obvious i'm good at what i do," she commented, sidling closer to him, still feeling his vehement irritation radiating off of him. "i stole your wallet right off of you, and you're the infamous v." she offered him a wink and a smile. "that either says something about you, or it says something about me." [/style]

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[Victor Grey]

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] He smirked a moment. "It tells me you have a death wish, among other things." He slid his wallet back into the pocket of his coat and took out his gun again, pulling the trigger. All it did was click, signaling to an empty chamber. After a moment, he chuckled and slid the gun back into its proper place. "It's good to have for security measures and should I need protection...well, let's just say that's covered in other ways." He cocked his head, looking at her, silently sizing her up. He already had a plan in mind for this little dove. "I'm going to appoint you my protege's babysitter. She's already fucked my business partner, Connor Selwyn, and I don't intend for her to screw anybody beyond him. She might be a tool to use at my discretion, but she's not a whore. That bastard has already sullied her innocence and in due time, he'll pay dearly for that mistake, as will she." The man's brow crinkled, and he averted his gaze, becoming momentarily lost in thought. He could already feel the heat of Interpol getting closer and closer. He had overstayed his welcome in Sapphire Bay. If worse came to worse, Vincent would be the fall guy in all of this. He was certainly dumb enough for the task. The name 'V' would become part of the past, and its memory would forever be on the lips of plenty. His protege was slowly but surely breaking free from him, and it irked him to know he couldn't even control a girl he had gotten in a trade a decade ago. "Also, I want to know anything you have heard about me, including anything Interpol might have on file." He murmured, glancing toward her from the corner of his eye. If he planned to get out of this, he would need information and somebody he could trust with his very life. That privilege was one he never gave out, not even to his own brother. The majority of his family was on Interpol's list, and he was merely amused by it all. Thus far, only his sister had been caught, and that had been out of sheer stupidity on her part. To make matters worse, it hadn't even been Interpol that had slapped the cuffs on. It had been the FBI, which was simply pitiful. She had gotten caught, which was a weakness in itself. She would have either pleaded out and gone into witness protection or lived the rest of her days in a cushy, federal prison. Either way, it was a risk he couldn't take. He had been the reason behind everybody on that transport bus getting killed, including his sister. Of course, he didn't care. Why would he? It was no skin off his back. He had no real loyalties, other than to himself. If it didn't fit in with what he wanted, it wasn't going to happen. "Do we have a deal, then?" He queried suddenly, moving so that she was pressed against the wall once more, only this time it wasn't with the intent to harm her but rather keep her attention, perhaps even arouse her. He would be the first to admit that he rather enjoyed her being beneath him. It almost felt...natural. "If you betray me, even once, I will kill you, and that's your first and final warning." He growled, dark eyes narrowing for a moment.

[ATHENA WEDDINGTON]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]WEARING FOR VICTOR ugh i thought this would be longer. please don't hate me xD DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]athena raised her eyebrows as he commented she must have a death wish and the gun came back out. she resisted the urge to look at it as he pointed it near her and his finger depressed the trigger. for the briefest moment, she thought her belief that it was a trick may have been wrong, and then the gun snapped lifelessly as he smiled. his mention of 'other protection' brought a wry smirk to her face. "you look like a man who could easily protect himself from just about anything," she commented, her voice dropping to that sultry tone she had at times. she had to admit, although his demeanor already annoyed her a bit, she was wildly attracted to his power. as he told her his 'plan' for her, however, her arms crossed over her chest yet again, and she planted her feet as she glared at him. "i'm a world class thief, and you decide to make me your fucking babysitter?" she asked incredulously. snorting, she shifted her weight and fixed him with a 'really?' look. "i'm sure your protegé is a big girl. she can screw whoever the hell she wants," she commented, shrugging. "i'm guessing she's the girl in your wallet. she looks a bit old for you to be her father..." her light eyes fixed him with a penetrating gaze. "no, i don't think you're that messy... just... overbearing perhaps. either way, i don't get paid to babysit adults." Also, I want to know anything you have heard about me, including anything Interpol might have on file. athena froze in place and stared at him expressionlessly. she wondered if he knew she'd once been an interpol agent, or if it was mere coincidence. no one knew that, so she doubted he did, but he was v after all. ironically enough, her older brother michael was the head over the division tasked with tracking v, and she'd once been in on those investigations. thoughts of her brother brought back many memories for her, some bitter and many wonderful. she had been close to her brother since they were children, when their father had seemingly abandoned them to long nights alone in his study. her guard momentarily dropped, a crack in her defenses v was sure to notice, and she hurriedly covered her discomfit. "what makes you think i would be able to tell you anything that interpol has on you?" she asked as he eyed her. "and just because you are who you are doesn't mean i would trade anything i do know for the chance to become your babysitter." she glared at him now, clearly irritated that he would completely ignore her actual skills in an attempt to make her his gopher. he turned slowly toward her, backing her against the wall. her back hit the cool stone and she looked defiantly into v's gaze. even as she did, she took in his cool, calculating eyes and she couldn't deny the attraction she felt toward him. she was drawn to his power and, honestly, his evil. Do we have a deal, then? he asked. If you betray me, even once, I will kill you, and that's your first and final warning. she set her jaw and uncrossed her arms,, noticing movement on the sidewalk past them. thinking on her toes, she reached out, her fingers hooking into his belt and pulling him against her to give the illusion they were whispering romantically to one another. as her body touched his, she felt the heat of attraction burn within her, but she ignored it as she looked up into his eyes with all seriousness. "i'll babysit your little protegé if you give me the resources i need to get what i want." she had one target in mind, and although she knew it wouldn't be her last since that was never the way with thieves, she wanted to steal a very valuable artifact and it would be basically impossible without some heavy funding. "we both get what we want, and then we've got a deal." [/style]

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[Victor Grey]

His brow quirked, but he said nothing for several moments. After her bitch fit had come to a close, he smirked and kissed her. What could he say? He didn't like loudmouths, for one thing. "Deal." He said nonchalantly, pulling away only to speak then he kissed her again. If she wanted people to think that they were being romantic, whatever.

If it got her to shut up any faster, he'd do it. He already had a headache as it was. "I only suggested babysitter because I really don't have anything else on the agenda. As for why I asked about what you knew, you're fresh meat to me, so I wanted to pick your brain." He shrugged, puling away as he patted his pockets. "If you know something, fine and if you don't, don't get defensive about it." He grouched, fingers curling around her wrist.

There was a part of him that didn't want to trust while on the other hand, he felt an odd attraction to the feisty woman. "Follow me." He said flatly, tugging her toward the street, where he hailed a taxi. "I'm going to show you something as a testament of my faith in you. Just remember, if you lose that trust, even once, you're not going to get it back and there's a possibility that you won't live to tell about it." He muttered, opening the taxi door as it pulled to the curb. He quickly recited the address, which was in the slums and gestured for her to get into the idling car.

[ATHENA WEDDINGTON]

[style=font-family: times; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: lowercase; color: #989898; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;]WEARING FOR VICTOR ugh i thought this would be longer. please don't hate me xD DREAM [/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: #6d6d6d;] [style=padding: 10px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 10px; height: 475px; overflow: auto; color: #1e1e1e;]as the infamous v kissed her, athena thought she would explode into a million pieces. it was like a fangirl being kissed by justin timberlake. she was furious that he'd gone so far as to boldly kiss her, even if it did keep up the act she was trying to prolong so they didn't look suspicious, but she delighted in his lips in the strangest of ways. she should be completely turned off that a practical stranger had just made out with her, but she wasn't. if anything, she wanted to try it again, but the professional in her knew such thoughts were foolish. as he explained himself for asking about interpol, she relaxed inwardly. he didn't know. that was good. she'd heard about him long before she'd taken to a life of crime herself, since her older brother was the interpol agent in charge of the investigation surrounding him. michael believed it his life's work to catch the criminal, and athena had even told him that he was obsessing. she didn't even want to imagine how obsessive he was over it now that he believed her dead. to michael, she had been his only biological family left (since he considered their father dead to him), and she knew it would tear him apart to fake her death. but it had been a necessary evil. the russian mafia would have killed her if she hadn't, so she had become something else entirely: the goddess. temporarily lost in her thoughts, she was mildly surprised as victor took her arm and led her to the curb. the taxi swung to a stop as if it had been waiting just for him to hail, and he piled inside with her right behind. a good faith gesture... it sounded suspicious, she had to admit, but she would play along for now. she had plenty of ways to get out if the situation turned ugly. and she would desert v in an instant if it meant saving her own life. she wasn't his loyal minion yet, and it would take a bit of effort on his part to prove to her that it was worth her effort. "where exactly are we going?" she asked, smoothly folding her arms over her chest and raising a well-manicured eyebrow as she set her gaze on him. [/style]

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