Chapter 55: {A Meeting to Be}

Author's note: titles bracketed under { } = different PoV

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The Red Circle

6:00 P.M., November 3, 2117

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Casimir leaned back in his plush velvet leather chair; elbows rested upon imported wood carved from the bark of a plant type variant. Anything made from variants was all the rage nowadays, and Casimir was never one to fall behind trends, particularly when it pertained to the currents of luxury.

That was easily evident by the quality of his white snowfur deerskin suit, his scaled marsh alligator dress shoes, and the sparkling gold and diamond encrusted watch made by Regal, one of, if not the top luxury watchmaker in the world.

"So, my dear, tell me about that appointment tonight. The one with that fund heir," said Casimir. His voice projected through an oval shaped mask lit up with a neon display showing simple emotes that conveyed his emotion state.

For now, the emote projected was highly neutral, if a little annoyed (-_-).

"I've run a thorough background check on him." A slim young woman dressed in white suit and skirt spoke. The side of her head was cleanly shaved and plated with chrome. From here, she withdrew a cable which she attached a laptop port before opening the computer up on Casimir's desk.

"I've compiled a concise report on Bruce Vane for you to read," said the woman.

"Now, my dear Blanca, you've worked as my secretary far too long to know I bore of reports. Tell me what I need to know," said Casimir. "After all, it would be such a shame to waste an opportunity to hear that lovely voice of yours."

Blanca paused for a moment. "Yes sir. I will begin with the potential client's wealth. Bruce Vane possesses a gold rank citizenship in Neo-York."

Casimir whistled. "A gold? In Neo-York of all places? Heh, I like what I'm hearing. Go on."

"I will advise you to keep your safety in mind with this client. There is little to no public information about him. His wealth was inherited through a fund created from a company called Vane Industries that specialized in textile manufacturing."

"Then why not run a check on the company? Surely there's data on that," said Casimir.

"According to the details Mr. Vane was willing to share with us, his family company was a Pre-Monstering manufacturer based in Germany. All public records related to the company were lost during the tumult of the Monstering," said Blanca. "The company's wealth was consolidated and maintained, however, in the form of a trust that passed on to successive Vane generations.

The Vanes have maintained that fund in relative secrecy through a diverse portfolio of hidden investments.

Furthermore, Mr. Vane is unwilling to share proof of finances for it would force him to reveal his investments, citing a concern for safety and anonymity."

"A man of secrecy, I see." Casimir laughed. "Not entirely uncommon in our line of business, no? But still, how convenient is it that his family company's records are lost to time? And his investments are an entire mystery case of their own."

"I agree," said Blanca. "I have coordinated the meeting such that Mr. Vane meets you alone and in the safety of the Red Circle. He will have to go through thorough security checks and though he requested a private meeting, I have arranged it so that you may bring up to four Red Circle mercenaries or villains to your side."

"Ohoh. As cautious as ever, Blanca," said Casimir.

"Need I remind you that I am paid to ensure my caution keeps you safe?" said Blanca.

"True. Very true. Let me see, then. Mr. Vane wished to meet me to invest in the Red Circle, no?"

"That is correct. And I've received an update on that." Blanca tapped her the plate on her head, and her violet eyes lit up as she processed more digital information. "He specifically wants to involve himself with the Red Circle to sample our liquors."

"Liquors? How strong?" said Casimir, a note of interest bleeding into his mechanical voice.

Liquor was a key word for mercenaries and villains. Hired help or security, essentially. Especially help that did not care about the law.

"As strong as they can get," said Blanca. "He has revealed further that the reason for this is because he and his wife are Duds."

Casimir almost fell off his chair. "Duds? Did I hear that right?"

"Yes. They have sent in a preliminary AC scan to confirm this, though of course, upon arrival to the Red Circle, they will receive a thorough one from us as well."

Casimir's guard dropped. "Duds, are they? Then that makes sense why Mr. Vane would keep his profile so hidden. A wealthy Dud is a Dud just waiting to be captured and extorted. Remind me again, is he coming alone?"

"No. He wishes to bring his wife along."

"A wife? Then that's fine. No guards?"

Blanca shook her head. "I would not allow him to bring any form of threat within the Red Circle. His background is far too tenuous to allow that."

"Blanca, my dear, I have made it this far in the criminal underworld because of how open I am to receiving clients of any kind, whether they dress themselves in fine suits or wallow in the bloody mud of violence.

If indeed, Mr. Vane and his wife are both Duds and they pass through all our security checks, then I sincerely doubt they are threats of any kind." Casimir waved his hand. "Arrange this meeting."

"One more thing: Mr. Vane wishes to bring a bottle of wine with him. He strongly prefers his own drinks," said Blanca.

"Oh? A man of strong tastes. I can respect that. What does he want to bring? You did ask him, yes?"

"Of course. As you said, I have worked with you long enough. It is a 2080 Celeste. Market price: six thousand credits."

"Six thousand? A respectable vintage, then." Casimir's emote face raised an eye in curiosity. "Though certainly not the most expensive I have received. Any cheaper than that, and I would have rejected it.

But it will serve as preliminary proof of Mr. Vane's finances. And indeed, I do quite find myself wanting to savor a dry red.

Tell Mr. Vane his bottle service request is approved. Though, of course, it will have to go through all security checks as well.

That will be all."

"Understood, sir," said Blanca. She unplugged herself from her sleek black laptop and held it to her side. She turned to leave but paused. "This is simply my opinion, sir, but I still cannot shake an uneasy feeling about this meeting."

"All these years we have known each other I did not take you to be a superstitious woman, Blanca. But your sincere worries do touch me. Here, I will use my power." Casimir reached into his suit's breast pocket and retrieved a plain white dice. He rattled it in his hand, and as he did so, his hand glowed a bright white.

Then, he rolled the dice on his table.

It rolled a solid 1.

"There. I will not suffer even a single scratch of harm to my body in the next twenty four hours," said Casimir. His power involved rolling a dice to determine his safety within a 24 hour timeframe.

A 1 indicated no harm done to Casimir while a 6 meant certain death.

Depending on his mental state and physical condition, the timeframe his power could calculate fluctuated, but even at its worst, it could see up to nine hours ahead.

And Casimir was in tip top condition right now. It was this power, a power that fell under the ultra-rare Flux category that manipulated fundamental aspects of reality like space, time, causality and probability, that had allowed him to survive and rise in the criminal underworld.

That and his sharp business acumen, of course.

The only downside to this power was that it possessed a three day long period in which it was unable to be used.

Blanca nodded, believing fully in the dice. It had saved her more times than she could count over all the years she had worked with Casimir as well, back when they were both nothing more than poor and desperate hoodlums begging on dirty streets for their next meal.

"Finalize the arrangements, Blanca." Casimir rolled around in his chair, looking out from the third story of his night club. His view shot over thick, bulletproof, tinted glass down to the cracked, broken streets of Southside Haven below. "I am now rather curious to see how Mr. Vane carries himself.

As a Dud, I am sure he has had his share of hardships despite his wealth. And hardship breeds ambition.

Perhaps he shares an entrepreneurial spirit such as myself."

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