Collaborative Efforts [Vanyel, Lilith]

Vanyel was not one to waste time when it came to getting things done. It didn't take him long to get into contact with Lilith and get a meeting set up regarding Gracen Arms. He was...surprised and confused at her initial choices for where to sit down, namely the choices of a gym or a boxing match, something he quickly turned down for the sake of his own ability to focus and hear himself think.

So, instead, they settled on a club in the City of Lights. As he left, right before he entered the club, he sent a text to Violet, letting her know where he was heading. Upon entering, he was sat down at a small booth, waiting for Lilith to show up. He was a bit early, but, he preferred that over being late. Plus, it gave him some time to think, organize his thoughts and make sure he had everything ready.

When she got the call, she was expecting something… different, but whatever! The brat didn’t like any of her initial, more fun, locations, so they settled on a club. She thought the theme park was much better. They could have enjoyed the whole day, sat down to a good lunch, and then enjoyed more of it, but he insisted on something else. Though a club could be equally as entertaining, it was louder.

The lights were shifting colors, the music was loud, the club was filled with young people with too much time on their hands. Alcohol was being served, and Lilith walked in to the place in a thigh-length, cleavage-showing, red dress, three inch-heels, and gold jewelry. She arrived on time, not late or early and moved toward the side of the club they decided to meet. It didn’t take long to recognize the white hair.

"Hey, kid," Lilith said as she stepped up, a hand on her hip. "For someone who wanted a quieter spot, you certainly picked a dumb spot. Come on..." Lilith gestured for him to follow her and the woman made her way to the back of the club. Passing by a couple of bouncers, who allowed Vanyel in because of her, she made it into the elevator and led him upstairs to a private room. An ice bucket was already present, along a few club snacks, lighter music, and the whole room was sound proof, so the ruckus outside did not make its way in here. "Alright, shoot your shot."

His eye twitched at being called a kid, but, he stood up. He hadn't worn his best suit -- that was for later tonight. But, a simple pair of dark-blue dress pants, paired with a matching, jacket alongside a black shirt and tie underneath, there wasn't any question he looked professional and well-dressed for the meeting. As he walked with her to the elevator, the loud music finally dulled as the doors closed, earning a quiet sigh of relief.

"Not as loud as a theme park. Figured this would be a nice middle ground."

Ding.

The doors opened, and Lilith led him to the private room. Surprisingly prepared, but, not unappreciated. The two walked in and sat down. Vanyel's leg idly bounced as Lilith broke the ice, and, with a deep breath, he leaned forward a bit.

"I was talking to my boss about figuring out a way to work in the City of Lights. I saw that there's some history between Gracen Arms and Eden, and, I wanted to see if we could get something set up in the city. In particular, your medical company alongside our pharmaceuticals."

“It’s louder, in some ways, actually,” Lilith replied. “It’s… a different type of noise. These are adults doing stupid things to get attention and get drunk or high, while theme parks are usually filled with kids and teenagers laughing their hearts out…” Even though she didn’t say it, the softened look in her eyes made it very clear which one of these venues she would have actually preferred.

Lilith took the time to pour both of them a small drink, nothing that would cause a normal person to get anymore than a little warm inside. Setting his drink in front of him, she nodded as she listened to his presentation. He had done a little homework, but not… much. “Are you talking about my clinics, my own pharmacies, or LLSG?” she asked, having three lines of medical focus in her work.

Though he only took a brief look at her when she said that, he could tell from the way that she said it, and that look in her eye...it made him think about the past -- bad times, ones that part of him wished ended differently. Yeah...it was a different type of noise. His gaze turned melancholic for a moment, before he took a drink.

...Right, he'd forgotten that she had three lines of medical focus. "LLSG," from what he remembered, wasn't the most fitting for the overall structure of how Gracen Arms' medical focuses were. Then again, Rita had amassed a lot of businesses, and while he knew of many, he certainly didn't memorize the names and roles of all of them. There was possibility, but, that'd require further discussion, and that was still just working on the pretense that this meeting went over smoothly.

"Mainly the first two. There might be potential with LLSG, but, the medical divisions aren't the only things that could work well. My boss, Rita, also has a collection of businesses dealing with food. With the quality of your farms, it could provide an outlet for the ingredients. In tandem with that, given the state of the world, we could also collaborate to work on getting quick and easy-to-prepare meals for, say, members of the Vandenreich, or even your security force."

Lilith was already thinking about contacting the Vandenreich to expand her businesses further into the City of Light, but she wasn’t sure exactly how that would go. Lilith was not known for her compromises, often preferring to own and control businesses she deals with to prevent any underhanded bullshit from happening under her watch. Lilith knew of Rita, but never met the woman in person, the same way she knew about the new head Alistair. Due to other skills and resources Lilith had, she knew of a lot of people… She even knew about Vanyel.

“The idea is not lost on me," Lilith said as she sat down, crossing one leg over the other, and then taking a drink. Letting out a soft "ah," she asked, "How's Violet doing?" If he came here expecting just business, then he was dumb. "Kiss her yet?"

Vanyel didn't know much about the Vandenreich beyond the fact that Gracen Arms had a contract with one of their members...well, up until they died. He had an idea of how to approach that and potentially expand Gracen Arms through that, but, it would entirely depend on what their leader was like, and if they even wanted the help of a normal human who wasn't affiliated with them. They hadn't been too shy about pushing Gracen Arms out of Africa, so, who knew.

Reaching for his glass after Lilith had gone for hers, he had been halfway through a drink when the question "Kiss her yet?" came out, causing him to suddenly choke and cough on his drink before finally calming down. His face had turned red, but it certainly was not from the alcohol.

"S-She's doing good. Got a meeting set up with her for my boss after recommending her. As for kissin' her...n-no, not...yet. I do have somethin' special planned for her tonight, though. My best suit's at the dry cleaner's, and it should be ready by then."

A shy smile formed as he reached up to rub the side of his neck, before checking his watch. The mask of professionalism had dropped somewhat, but, he didn't seem to mind much. It gave him a chance to talk about what he was excited about tonight, and talk about Violet.

Lilith watched Vanyel with a smirk while he pulled himself together. His answer had her smirk grow into a small smile. This kid was a fucking slow burner, wasn’t he? Either Violet was extremely patient or so head-over-hills in love she would have stayed without the attention. Either way, she gave Vanyel a nod.

“I hope you don’t have a place like this planned; she ain’t the type." Lilith took another drink and then set it down, laying her arms across her lap as a more interested look came to her eyes. "I really do wish you good luck. You come off as a decent, young guy. She seemed like a sweet girl too." Though, if Vanyel fucked up, she knew a certain blond that might still want a chance...

Lilith sat up, more professional, "So, what exactly are you needing from Eden to help with this Gracen Arms endeavor. I hope you have something bit more solid than that, unless you're just trying to set up a meet between Rita and I."

Somewhere like this for a first date? Definitely not, neither of them were the type for this. He shook his head lightly at the thought, lifting his own glass to take a drink. Though the wish of good luck was genuine in its intention, it didn't help soothe the anxiety he felt creeping in. His leg seemed to bounce faster at the thought of screwing up, especially with someone he genuinely cared about.

But, his attention quickly shifted to the question relating to Gracen Arms and Eden, he sat up a bit straighter, taking a breath to compose himself. Now, all of a sudden, with her saying that, he found himself doubting everything that he had thought of for this.

"Primarily, support and locations to further distribute medicines. I was hoping to also extend the idea of a collaborative effort between Eden and Gracen Arms, so, setting up a meet wouldn't be bad either."

A finger lightly drummed against his knee as he sipped from his glass, took a moment to think, checked his watch, before sighing softly.

"Do you, um...have any advice? F-For Violet, I mean. I...haven't been on a normal date like this, and, I don't want to screw up."

Lilith took a moment to think; her IHSClinics could always use extra stock in pain medication and anesthesia. That would be a start, but anything deeper was likely going to need a conversation between herself and Ms. Grace. Besides, with the intent to move into the Middle East and converse with the Vandenreich some time soon, this could prove more lucrative than Lilith initially thought.

With the nerves clearly showing from Vanyel, it wasn’t surprising the man brought things back to his lady love. Lilith looked up from the ice in her drink, raising a playful eyebrow at the young man. “Advice?” Lilith’s professional demeanor softened and she set her glass down on the coffee table between them. “So young… It’s not hard, sweetheart, but make sure you show an interest in her. I don’t just mean in her beauty; we both know she’s pretty, but show an interest in her interests, her past, her future… Show interest in anything you plan to be a part of.”

"Let's try an exercise real quick..." Lilith straightened her back and pulled her legs up onto the couch, sitting sideways. "What's her favorite color? What does she like to do to relax? What is her dream job? Why does she dye her hair two colors? What are her parents names? Does she have any siblings? What size dress does she wear? Does she sing or dance? If she was choosing between watching TV at home and going to the movies, what would she choose? If she had a chance to meet a celebrity, who would it be? What are her views on children?"

The amount of "I don't know" with this questions was a good thing. Lilith made it clear that each question was not meant to be answered, but a way to show him what he could ask her, how he could get to know her on a deeper level, and what pieces of her as a person he may be missing. Some questions were simple, some complex, some intimidating and maybe even embarrassing to ask, but... "If you are not okay with being uncomfortable around the girl you love, then she might not actually be the one for you... It is that trust that you want out of a partner."