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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Jul 1, 2012 13:49:08 GMT -5
Arthur has been keeping quiet, hanging out at a spot that was close enough for him to eavesdrop, but far enough for him to stay relatively unnoticed. He did not catch everything, but enough to know that he has yet another Autobot to add to his list.
What Addison just said provides him the perfect opportunity to segue himself into their conversation.
He disengages from a group of socialites, glass of wine in hand, a confident smile plastered on his lips as he approaches the pair. He raises his hand to his mouth and scrapes his throat in a cough meant to draw their attention, and when he lowers his hand he is smiling politely. "I believe that the lady does not belong to Muzzle. Still, while I never met him, he does sound like the protective type. So let's not take that chance, hm?"
A playful chuckle escapes Arthur's throat, his smile widening as he turns to Addison, offering him his hand in greeting. "Mister Addison Payne. My my my. It is quite an honor to meet you. I am a big fan of your work, the early material in particular. Simply spectacular. But ah, where are my manners? I am Arthur Aldrin, miss Dahlia's friend and company for this evening, before you managed to draw her attention away. Not that I blame her, of course."
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Post by Pee-Dee on Jul 2, 2012 16:53:44 GMT -5
Petunia brightens as Arthur returns. He looks so handsome next to Addison! They both look so handsome, and ohhhh, if Muzzle were here-
That file in her desk rears its ugly head, but it's brushed away by the thought of Addison and Arthur and Muzzle and her. Such a tableau, such a display!
"He won't take me home," she says woefully to Arthur. "Why not? I'm pretty tonight, and no one owns me."
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Post by Mirage on Jul 3, 2012 10:23:05 GMT -5
He cuts his eyes up toward Arthur as the other man approaches. As he settles back in his chair, Addison very pointedly looks Arthur up and down, obviously judging the man's looks. Pretty, in that generic European way. Not as pretty as Rodney. Certainly not as pretty as Addison. Still, pretty.
Addison accepts the offered hand with casual negligence. He finds that Arthur lays the praise on a bit thick, but not intolerably so. Such are the trials Addison must suffer, time to time.
"Charmed," he says as he drops Arthur's hand in favor of catching up Petunia's again.
"You are not pretty tonight, you are beautiful," he says, leaning in and trying to brush his lips along Petunia's cheek, "and under other circumstances, I might already have whisked you away."
He sighs, "But I have too much respect for you- and for Muzzle- to do so. It would be taking advantage."
Yes, he's pretty much ignoring Arthur. The other man isn't overly important at the moment.
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Jul 18, 2012 14:43:47 GMT -5
Poor Petunia's woes get Arthur to look at her with dramatic pity, but he does not say anything. Instead, he merely watches the pair with an amused smile, and by the time Addison finishes speaking, he just chuckles as he shakes his head. "Tsk tsk, mister Payne. I applaud you for your manners, but you do not know what you will be missing. Miss Dahlia is...Special. Not of this world. Beautiful in body, mind, and soul." He says this as he looks at her, offering her a warm, fond smile. If she even has eye for him.
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Post by Pee-Dee on Jul 19, 2012 13:55:23 GMT -5
"I don't see how it would be taking advantage if I want it." Petunia has had this exact same discussion with Muzzle. Wow. Possible minor supervillains use 'I respect you' as a reason not sleep with her. She is not sure what to make of this.
Besides that Addison Payne might also be a minor supervillain. A sexy minor supervillain.
"Oh, please." Petunia tilts her head to smile up at Arthur. "I'm just a little crazy. Nothing special."
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Post by Mirage on Jul 21, 2012 21:15:07 GMT -5
Arthur's comment "Not of this world," Addison cocks his head and regards the other man with a raised brow and thoughtful expression.
"She's from a whole other world, a different dimension*," he says softly. Petunia will appreciate the bit of pop culture, but the words aren't for her. They are as deliberate as Arthur's own. Petunia's "friend" has just moved to Person of Interest status for Addison.
In other words, Mister Aldrin, shall we dance?
"I've no issue with giving you what you want, my sweet and lovely friend," he says, attention back to Petunia, "But until you can remember me as your friend, I'll not travel that road with you. Please do not consider it a slight upon yourself. It is my own honor which dictates my decision."
Very Mirage-like, those words, and not very Addison Payne.
*Katy Perry's E.T
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Jul 23, 2012 14:09:56 GMT -5
"Oh, hardly. You are excellent." Oh, he is not completely ignored? That's certainly a reassurance for his ego. But not even his massive ego likes having the spotlight focus on him. He levels a look on Addison, lips pulled back into an amused smile. "Hm. Interesting, but appropriate choice of words."
But Arthur is not that good an actor, and he is not able to hide the uncertainty in his tone, or the sudden distrust in his eyes.
Or how quickly he focuses on Petunia again. "Well, my dear, would you care to spend more time in mister Payne's presence, or would you perhaps like to continue our dance from earlier?"
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Post by Pee-Dee on Jul 23, 2012 14:22:33 GMT -5
Arthur and Addison are speaking in code about her. Arthur sounds like he knows more about her than he's letting on, Addison knows Muzzle, there's that file in her desk back at the station...
Petunia slips behind her mask. The world is her stage; the only sign of anything changing is perhaps a slight uptick of the corner of her mouth.
"Excuse me," she says, standing up and stepping away from the table. "I need to powder my nose first."
So saying, she turns and makes her way to the ladies' room. If either of the men try to stop her, she'll smile and repeat herself firmly; she is not going to be dissuaded from this. But who would stop a lady from attending to her biological needs?
Once inside the bathrooms, Petunia locks herself in a stall and pulls out her phone. She scrolls through her contacts, pauses on "Strong Silent Type", then scrolls back up to "Officer Hollister".
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Post by Mirage on Jul 23, 2012 22:01:20 GMT -5
Addison inclines his head and smiles, giving just a small acknowledgement to Petunia's leave-taking. The actor adjusts himself in his seat, propping one arm on the back of his chair and taking up his drink in his other hand. As he sips his drink, Addison cuts his eyes over toward Arthur and waits for Petunia to be out of earshot.
"If you do her damage," Addison says softly, the words for Arthur alone, "There will not be a place on this or any other world from which you will be able to hide. Keep that in mind, Mr. Aldrin, as you continue in this game."
Now, that is a set of lines from one of Payne's lines, just from his cameo on one of those mob family crime shows. It could just be him attempting to intimidate a rival for a pretty lady. There's a determination and a hardness in his steel-blue eyes, however, that indicates his very much means what he says.
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Jul 24, 2012 13:27:45 GMT -5
Arthur just smiles only as long as Petunia is around. When she is gone, he does not act pleasant. He turns to look at Addison with an intense glare, fire raging in his eyes. Oh, how Arthur wants to just go for his gun right now and make for a headline. Famous actor shot in a nightclub! Though the media would spin it into a love triangle gone horribly wrong. Arthur can't afford it, anyways.
Instead, he will have to make words his weapons. So he leans in closer, and says very plainly, very slowly, softly in a tone only Addison can hear, and with a great deal of malice: "Listen here. I think I know what Petunia really is. But I now certainly know what you are. You consider this a game, but I refuse to play it. I refuse to play the stakes, for that cost is too great. I will not let you suck her back into your hell, to hurt her, just so you feel a little less alone. I will not let you do that the woman I love. So do me a favor, alien. Stay in the spotlights, where everyone can see you, and let miss Dahlia remain in the shadows, safe from you. Let her be happy. Or I promise you that you will follow the honored and proud Hollywood tradition of having your lifeless, pill bloated carcass be found in a hotel room. "
By the end of it, he straightens his back and starts to turn away, disappearing into the mingling crowd gathered around the bar. He will hang around for a bit longer, see whether or not Petunia returns, alone. If not, he will leave.
_____________________
Skippable.
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Post by Pee-Dee on Jul 24, 2012 13:44:13 GMT -5
Petunia comes out of the bathroom a short time later. Bright eyes look towards Addison's table - she is missing a boy! And Addison looks so lonely sitting there all by himself...
She wanders in the actor's direction but looks around for Arthur. He's the one who brought her here, he's the one she'll need to let know about the 'emergency at work' when Hollister calls her.
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Holi
Major
Captain Can-Do
Posts: 672
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Post by Holi on Jul 24, 2012 14:11:41 GMT -5
Petunia's likely searching for Arthur a few minutes before her phone rings. At the other end of the line, Hollister sits awkwardly in his minivan with valets giving him the stink-eye as he idles at the curb outside the club, painfully conscious of how out of place he looks in his jeans and henley shirt. It seemed reasonable attire for rescuing a coworker from a bad date, but now he wishes he'd picked something a little more dapper. Still waiting for Petunia to pick up, he fiddles anxiously with his watch. He could….
No. No, Petunia called Hollister, not – his embarrassingly nameless alterego. He waits. And he flashes his badge every time a valet tries to usher him off.
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Post by Mirage on Jul 29, 2012 21:09:53 GMT -5
Addison listens impassively to Arthur’s little tirade. It is all the model-turned-actor can do not to call the other man on his little charade. Oh, perhaps this Arthur Aldrin is not one of them, but to even make the guess which he claims to have made, the man is something other than he claims, for Petunia does not know herself enough yet to have said. One thing, however, is quit clear to Addison.
It is not love of Petunia which motivates this man. Addison knows love, he knows all if its idiosyncrasies, every way in which it marks a person, and while certainly there was jealousy and even possessiveness in Aldrin’s behavior, there was no love.
Once Petunia has returned to the floor, Addison leaves his table and moves toward her. There is a scrap of paper in his hand, which he will attempt to hand to her.
“My direct number,” he says, “and, if you would like to visit the movie set, the proper thing to say to the gate guard in order to be allowed back.”
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Post by Assault/Arthur Aldrin on Aug 1, 2012 19:13:21 GMT -5
Arthur hides in the busiest parts of the crowd, occupying his time with talking to strangers, feigning any interest. He always keeps an eye on that door though, and when Petunia steps through, he excuses himself...Only to see Addison beat him to her. Damnit! Back into the crowd he slinks, but as he does he whips out his smartphone. Without looking at the screen, he swiftly types something, and then hits 'send'.
When Petunia looks at it, she will see the following message waiting for her: 'Staying out of sight. It's not safe. We will talk later. About everything.'
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Post by Pee-Dee on Aug 3, 2012 16:19:48 GMT -5
Petunia puts on a smile for Addison. It's so nice to be with a man like him. He doesn't confuse and disturb her, not like the others.
Except when he does.
"Thank you." She tucks the scrap of paper away. "I hope to see you again sometime. Have you seen Arthur?"
She does, at the moment, hope to see Addison again.
Her phone buzzes with an incoming text message. She clicks it on to check, blinks, stares. Her hand starts to shake, and she hurriedly clicks the cellphone back off. Where's Hollister when she needs him? Because she needs him badly.
Her phone rings. Relief touches her eyes before she even answers it. "Hello? ... I'll be right there." She hangs up, reaches out as if to shake Addison's hand. "I'm sorry, I got a call from the station. Playtime's over. Give my regards to Arthur if you see him? Thanks."
As soon as she can, she's away from him and striding towards the door.
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Out of thread next round? Soonish, anyway.
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