shrimp.

[Nessa] Nessa has appeared. She must have come up the stairs through the kitchen door to the great frigid outdoors. The woman is sitting on the couch-- In Lukas's Spot--, nodding over some cup of tea. Two blades are near her, one in the five fingered hand not holding the tea, the other ready Just In case. However, she'd likely have to wake up to be any good with them and that might just not be happening any time soon.
Well, if she wasn't in Lukas' Spot, that is.

[Lukas] The door to the kitchen doesn't latch, and it's doubleswinging: you push your way through, either way. Will has probably not been here before -- the controlled chaos of cooks and waiters, steaming pots, sizzling pans. The scent of hearty foods pours out of every stove and oven, mingling in the air into something indistinct but distinctly delicious. Lukas passes all this, leads William to a staircase toward the back, unobtrusive, opening up through the ceiling to a much quieter second floor.

"This area is private," he explains as he takes the staircase two steps at a time. "Garou and kinfolk only. There's quite a few of us bunking up here, and visitors are always welcome."

He comes into the common room. Nessa is there, in 'his' spot. He pauses when he sees her, stepping aside for Will to enter the room.

"Have you met? That's Nessa, Shadow Lord kin. This is Will, one of Katherine's." And he passes the kinsman the beer -- some microbrewery hefeweizen, pale and wheaty.

[William D'Aubigne] He was surprisingly adept at dodging people in a kitchen. It was shocking, really, because he didn't seem the type that had ever really been in a kitchen, much less knew its flow well enough to avoid intercepting a vital parsley transplant or something equally important. It had a scent, and it was one worth mentioning.

Might be a place worth coming back to.

Lukas took two steps at a time, and Will kept up. One at a time, behind the Shadow Lordand slightly to the left. He came upstairs soon enough, taking a step inside and looking around. The place was... homey. It reminded him of college. Truth be told, it made the atmosphere endearing. He was passed a beer, and he accepted without a beat missed.

"We have not met, it's a pleasure Nessa," with a smile. With a too damned white, too perfect smile. Will was a decent looking guy, with a smile that came too easily, that was genuine. He seemed relaxed, maybe he was.

[Nessa] She has food in front of her too, pita filled with several sorts of grilled veggies, greens and what looks and smells like garlicky, saffron-yellowed shrimp. It isnt' keeping her awake.
Lukas, now, he could work.
Her head starts suddenly at the voice, but not until he says her name. Two men, saying words, with some of what was said slowly trickling in. Seconds pass until she can manage a coherent response. "Ahh.. Katya-- no. Will. Privyet."
The woman lowers her head to peer at her watch through a mane of wavy black, catches her teacup before it can tilt enough to spill the steaming sweet beverage on the black denim or the cuddly silver-gray sweater she's wearing.

"Mm. Thanks. " And that's all Will gets in the way of social niceties, but then she is clearly sleepy as hell, staring at the garou and kinsman from under heavy eyelids. There was something she was going to tell the man. Lukas. That was him. Never mind.

The tea reaches primary goal status. Nessa sips and buys time, Will's too-perfect smile sliding off her teflon-coated mind.

[Lukas] "You look half asleep, Nessa. Why aren't you home?"

Lukas twists the cap off his beer with an understated turn of the wrist; sets it down on the coffee table. Earlier, he'd had dinner here: lamb chops over saffron rice, greek salad on the side; eating every last shred of lamb, leaving some rice, and most of the salad. He ate alone, and this did not bother him. He enjoyed it: the time to absorb himself in the meal, the textures and the flavors, the tender, pink-centered meat.

The plates have been cleared away; the bottle of wine take away or disposed of. All that remains now is one sleepy shadow lord kin, some tea, a silver fang kin.

And Lukas. Who takes up a spot on the shorter arm of the sectional couch, not his usual spot; but then, Nessa was occupying that patch of prime real estate.

"You know, Will," he adds, "I could probably call Kate for you if you wanted. What did you need to talk to her about?"

[Nessa] "I was waiting for Mrena, am just off work. But.. " She yawns. "I missed her again." Slowly it sinks in that Lukas has NOT booted her out of her spot; she stares at him, her face turning a little pink from pleasure.

That is sweet. Or suspicious. Either way, Lukas giving up his space is cause for pink.

And, with the ahroun present, she has no need for her blades to be out. She sheathes them carefully, one into each sleeve; apparently she's got a place for them all nice and waiting and not in the target she kinda expected, tonight.

Will, that was the guy's name. "Will. You are garou? or Kin? You are living here? Passing through?" Katherine's. He's Silver Fang. Got it. The woman guzzles more of the hot tea as fast as she dares.

Someplace deep inside, the duty side of her wakes up too, grumbles some, but starts to pay attention.

[William D'Aubigne] Nessa. Looked. Tired.

It made him blink, then take a drink of beer. The top came of, then was held for a moment while he seemed to try and find something to do with it. Lukas put his top on the table; when in Rome, do as the Shadow Lord does. He then put his briefcase down by the table with a slightly resigned thump of paperwork.

The first thing he did was loosen his tie even more, more like a noose than an accessory. He sat down; strategic positioning put him near enough to talk to Lukas, but far enough away that he wasn't at arm's length. Then again, he was an ahroun. The distance didn't matter.

"It's fine, you don't have to call her," he said. "We just needed to touch base. We didn't really have much of a chance to speak; it was essentially introductions, pleasantries, need-to-know information, etcetera. Then again, the location couldn't dictate much more. I'm not exactly fond of keeping ditant relations with my tribe though."

because they might think he was up to something if he didn't keep in touch.
Then? To Nessa.

"Kin, and I'm planning on... well, not living here specifically, but I'd planned 0on staying in the city... does that answer your question?"

[Lukas] Sadly for Nessa, the reason Lukas has not booted her out of 'his' spot is likely that he doesn't attach great sentimental significance to that spot. Certainly, he likes it -- will even defend it on occasion when he's in the mood -- but he's not in the mood right now; doesn't care right now.

He puts his feet up on the coffee table as he relaxes, sinking lower, tipping his beer back for a gulp.

"All right," he says to Will's reply; doesn't insist one way or another, doesn't really ask either. Tribal business, not pack business. "Well, if you hang around here, I'm sure you'll run into her sooner rather than later."

Then he falls quiet, listening to the kin with half an ear as he hunts for the remote control in his immediate vicinity.

[Nessa] "Mmhmm. Da, it does. Just recently, we kin began keeping better track of each other, for easy access to what skill sets we have, contacts, that sort of thing. What is it you do, Will, when you are not drinking beer in secret locations?
Lukas do you want to try one of these shrimp? Is really good." She isn't done with her tea yet, though, and is in any case involved with this current newb.

It hits her then. She'd fallen asleep- HERE. With no one around. SHit. In as much hurry as she can manage, she sets the tea down, the liquid sloshign along the sides of the teacup but not quite spilling over. One hand dives fro her mesenger back, which was next to her, and -- Yes. Still is.
Whatever answer WIlliam gives is heard, while she roots around, double checking her posessions.

[William D'Aubigne] "Thank you, Lukas," he said. And when he said it, he meant it. "I appreciate it."

He took another drink, letting out something of a satisfied sigh that only came from drinking a halfway decent beer. he would have asked something else, but he seemed to lose the thought halfway through. It had been a long day. the young(ish) man pushed his glasses up briefly, rubbing where they'd sat before putting himself back in order and looking at Nessa with a renewed sense of composure.

"I'm a criminal defense attorney," he said. He said it like this was just another passing thing. "Though, I must admit, drinking beer in secret locations is a small passion of mine. I..." a pause, like he was trying to think of what would be helpful, "Have a degree in anthropology? I'm not entirely certain as to what you'd get out of having a contact with that but... if you ever run into old Latin manuscripts that need to be translated and or argued about, I'm your man."

A pause, he reached into his coat pocket, then the other, and then procured a business card. His name was in the corner with contact information. Something small and white and boring. The law firm was a respectable one.

[Nessa] She listens.
She nods. Criminal defense, got it. Beer drinking. He does. Degree-- right.

LATIN?? Her eyes widen a little , her face jerking forward to regard him more directly. "I could see how that skill could be quite useful, da." Yep. She's up to something.

But she doesn't expound, as she accepts his card. "I am Agnessa Malikoff, Nessa if you will. My brother is Milo Maesky, fostern theurge of my tribe. I do ahh.. things regarding acquisition of knowledge and items. Also, expert in security systems. Also, gymnastics, but not so much lyrical.
Also, other things.
Do you have bribable or influensable contacts in ahh courts clerk in Chicago courts? That could be very useful sort of person to cultivate. We don't have anyone there, as far as I know."

Her stuff is all accounted for. Nessa slides the card into a safe place in her bag, then pulls her sandwich forward, takes a bite while William answers, or Lukas comments.

[Lukas] Lukas has found the remote -- it was wedged in between the back and seat cushions, all the way at the end of the couch. He only puts it back on the coffee table though, apparently having decided not to watch the news after all.

When Nessa offers shrimp, he smiles at her, politely, shaking his head. "Thanks, I already ate." The conversation moves on; Will introduces himself as a criminal defense attorney, and Lukas is interested. The Shadow Lord sits up, taking another swig of his beer before setting it down on the coffee table.

"Private practice, I suppose?" He watches the business card pass. "Can you get in and out of prisons fairly easily if you have a client inside?"

[Zoop] (Anyone mind if I lurketh?)
to cricket, Lukas, Nessa, William D'Aubigne

[Lukas] (nope. i'm heading to bed soon, though!)
to Zoop

[Nessa] (nope! enter or lurketh!)

[William D'Aubigne] "It's not that difficult, if I have a client I could get in and out of prisons fairly easily. And yes, private practice," he said. Stated. It was useful information, and when one has as much riding on the line as William D'Aubigne did, one could not afford to be anything but compliant.

[Lukas] "Good to know," Lukas says. Future reference, and all that. And on that note he gets to his feet, picking his beer up. Picks a shrimp out of Nessa's pita too, offhand, and without asking. "I'll be in my room if you need me," he adds, and, popping the shrimp in his mouth, heads out of the common room. A little later, they hear his door shutting gently.

And Nessa's right: the shrimp are pretty good.

[Lukas] (thanks for the scene, all! i need to hit the sack!)