[IC] The Island of Shadows (Rain/MissAddler)

[MissAddler]

The Pacific Air X11 had been airborne for a couple of hours now.

Melanie had just finished writing improvements into the speech she had penned for the Tokyo conference and had cast one last critical eye over it, before she'd slid it into her bag and begun reciting the first couple of lines over and over in her head, like a mantra. She almost had the whole two pages entirely memorised but she liked the comfort a physical piece of paper gave her and so kept it within her potential grasp.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you for allowing us the opportunity to present...

Her parents would probably already be there. She could bet half her company that both of them would be attending with their own respective businesses, and they always seemed to like to maintain a 'friendly' family competitiveness. She was surprised her mother and father's marriage had survived all these years; their rivalries did tend to become a little extreme. Melanie liked to keep out of it, but they always liked to point out how small her own enterprise was compared to both of their corporal giants - ignoring the fact that they operated in entirely different industries.

Melanie found herself glancing around the first class section of the plane. A lot of it was taken by people attending the conference; most notably, Silver Lining's biggest competition, SOFEX - headed by Adrian Helderbrand, who was sat a couple of seats down from her. She wondered what kind of thing he'd prepared, in relation to her speech - no doubt something big and flashy, in an attempt to eclipse her. She'd suffered through political bullying, underhand tactics (that she couldn't legally link back to him, but she was fairly certain he was behind it) and his numerous offers to buy her out, but she'd resisted. So far.

She instinctively clutched the armrests as the plane wobbled slightly. Turbulence, the air hostess reassured on her next round of the cabin, and Melanie grimaced. She'd hoped for a relatively peaceful journey but it seemed that that hope was a vain one. She dug her eye-mask out of her bag and lay back on her seat, reclining it as far backwards as was deemed polite. She'd rarely had time to sleep as of late - often only grabbing a few hours each night, due to various business complications - and so it was an inviting prospect, even if she was unlikely to doze off entirely. She slowed her breathing and focused on inhaling and exhaling. One thing that she could guarantee; this would be the last shred of relaxation she'd get for a long while.

[StrangerDanger]

The Tokyo business conference. That wonderfully cutthroat corporate playground for the select few chosen to attend. It was a Chief Executive Officer's dream to take whatever industry they took part in and lodge themselves as the leader indefinitely and this was their chance to do just that.

"Sir, as for IT related services we stand near alone. As for the presentation..."

The man was stopped by Adrian's raised hand. "Yes Philip I am well aware. Please, let me enjoy my over priced whiskey."

A bit chastised put Philip's indignation lightly as he watched his boss knock back his second shot. Behind him a few seats and to the left sat young Melanie Solomon. As the head of Silver Lining, the 'little IT group that could' she was his only real rival in business at this point. She was one tough cookie, this Solomon. Many a-times Adrian had sent his physical security personnel to play spy games at Silver Lining regional branches. One of Adrian's less socially and legally acceptable pass times happen to be rather juvenile. Having the reputation as an enterprising conglomerate carnivore was well founded. A number of smaller businesses have been absorbed into SOFEX through means closer to Corporate Espionage than through legitimate buy outs, most of which involved entering physical branches and the judicious use of social engineering.

Melanie, bless her little heart, pushed back his every attempt at acquiring her assets. No matter how many expertly placed sticky notes with his number made it into her locked office, no matter how many asset transfer agreements awaiting her signature popped up in her high rise apartment, and no matter how many taunting marriage registration forms found their way amongst her personal legal documents, she resisted. In all honesty he had high hopes for the proposal idea. But alas, no calls congratulating him on being a newly wed. As were many of his former colleagues, Adrian himself was still a young man out of high school at heart, that was one thing the military life didn't cure you of. Looking over to his rather overbearing personal aide, the CEO smiled with great mischief in his eyes.

"Excuse me Philip, I have a 'business' proposal to make."

The bespectacled man's eyes grew comically wide through his thick lenses as Adrian got up from his seat and slid into the seat next to Melanie with a practiced ease. It wasn't much of a feat really, seeing as she had a blind fold on and the constant ambient noise drown out his approach. She was pretty, although the business life didn't do the best for her complexion. May as well get to know her while he had the chance, no?

"Hello, little Solomon."

[MissAddler]

It certainly would be the last shred of peace she'd get in a while.

"Hello, little Solomon."

Melanie knew that voice and she could identify it's owner without even removing her eye-mask - she had bristled at it on several occasions. She groaned and adjusted her position so that she was facing towards the window and way from him. This was the last thing she needed scrambling her thoughts before the conference; which was, of course, probably exactly why he was doing it.

"No," she snapped "I know what you're going to say, but I won't pull out of the conference nor sell you my business. I'm pretty sure your offers are in the trillions now, yes?"

Well it was either going to be that, or a witty comment related to his more recent joke marriage proposals. She was never going to forgive him for that - her mother had nearly had a heart attack when she had rifled through Melanie's documents and demanded to know when, exactly, Melanie was going to tell her own parents. It took exactly three cups of Earl Grey tea - her mother was of British origin - and a pack of bourbons for her to calm down enough to believe Melanie that she knew nothing about it. Her revenge plan for Adrian had been deliciously easy to cook up; after she discovered his mobile number on a sticky note in her locked office - the cheek! - she'd mailed the number to over a 100 notoriously-pushy advertising companies and told them he was had a million pounds to donate to the pushiest it. The only annoying thing was she hadn't been around to view his reaction.

She felt herself smile, a little.

The turbulence increased a little in intensity and she tugged the eye-mask off, staring Adrian in the face. His bright blue eyes were rather hard to avoid. She ripped her gaze away to stare out the window, wondering whether a bad storm was brewing. For saying this plane was the best the business world could offer, it wasn't particularly making the journey very smooth. She turned back to him.

"By the way, that's Mrs Solomon to you", she said, with a hint of self-importance and frustration.

[StrangerDanger]

"Oh the sass you have! Well noted Ms. Solomon. As the only other industry leader aboard this flight I am invested in your well being, am I not? It's only natural for me to ensure the future of my potential wife is a healthy one, yes? Your parents would be elated by the arrangement don't you think, their blessing is assured, one would think. After all, when there's a missing piece to a puzzle that requires two and my chips are down the missing person is who? The who, is you, Melanie. You can put that down Elena as 'proposal by man and professional, will the world see global market change?' Yea, that's good." Adrian looked across the aisle at the woman sitting next to the window quickly before turning back to Melanie, a twinkle in his eye. "Now, I don't intend on simply cannibalizing your assets of course, you'd naturally have full control of them as the division leader but under my protective umbrella and influence. It's mutually beneficial with much happiness to be had for both, I would think."

Pausing, Adrian looks over to his business rival, a semi-serious look to his face. Even as he teased the young woman with unclear intentions the plane continued to shake harder. It wasn't too much different from flying into the face of a storm just to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft, a feeling that was rather nostalgic for him. Her eyes only met his for a few moments but it had done it's job before she broke his gaze to peer out the small window. The frustration and obvious posturing was endearing in the most amusing sort of ways. Between her more than likely pouting face and the slim chance of her being red, he couldn't help but chuckle. Reaching out to pat her on the shoulder was interrupted by the sudden retreat of their overhead lights and a cracking over the intercom.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we're experiencing a bit of unexpected turbulence caused by tropical conditions but we should be clear of them soon so please sit back and relax, Tokyo is only a few hours away."

Well that set the mood quite well didn't it? 'Plane rides are awful' they said, 'there's nothing to do' they said! Poppycock, there was pleanty to keep him occupied and the flight crew had just poured fuel on the fire.

"Melanie, dear. I simply want for us to get along. After all, we only have things to gain by the things ventured here do we not? It wouldn't be too hard you know, I offer my hand openly and without conditions. I understand the world in which you live, the world We live in. Can you honestly expect a normal sod of a man to understand priorities? I myself and head of a corporate juggernaut while you are tenderly raising a seed into a stalwart tree, deep of root, branches heavy with fruit. You know why and how you've gotten it to this point, as do I, which is why I respect you greatly, Melanie..."

[MissAddler]

Melanie rolled her eyes as Adrian continued through his alleged marriage proposal, flashing a dazzling grin at Elena - who swooned, and nodded with wide eyes - and made a scene, as usual, just to annoy her. As if she didn't have to put up with him intruding on her business life enough, he had decided to break her via her private life and, more cruelly, by mentioning her parents.

"Now, I don't intend on simply cannibalizing your assets of course, you'd naturally have full control of them as the division leader but under my protective umbrella and influence. It's mutually beneficial with much happiness to be had for both, I would think."

"Mutually beneficial?" Melanie shrieked indignantly, her voice raising several octaves to accommodate for her irritation. She hushed her tone slightly, once she realised the whole plane had turned to watch, ducking slightly below the seat. Fuming, she found herself pointing her pink eye-mask at him to emphasize her point - oblivious to the comicalness of the action - well and truly awake now, "In what Universe do you expect me to accept?!"

"Ladies and Gentleman, we're experiencing a bit of unexpected turbulence caused by tropical conditions but we should be clear of them soon so please sit back and relax, Tokyo is only a few hours away."

Melanie slammed her head back on the seat as the intercom droned out the message, groaning loudly. Typical - freaking typical. Proof the Universe truly does hate her, she thought bitterly; the storm would probably delay the plane landing. She ran a hand through her hair and propped her chin on her elbow on the chair's armrest, sighing loudly. When he started listing off the detailed benefits of becoming Mrs Helderbrand, she simply stared at him. Well, if he wanted to embarrass himself, that was his decision...

"From what kind of leaflet did you memorize that off?" she interrupted, genuinely curious. There was no way that that speech was spontaneously - even if Adrian was a master of communication and persuasion. She snorted when she caught several young women watching his seemingly romantic speech with dreamy, glazed-over expressions. And Melanie knew for a fact that Helena Jacobson was married herself.

The plane suddenly jerked violently and she found herself clutching at the nearest thing she could see - Adrian's arm. Realising her mistake, she let go hastily and felt herself tumble in the opposite direction. Once she gathered her bearings and her disorientation had ebbed slightly, she noticed that they were now travelling angled steeply to the left.

"This is not normal..." Melanie muttered, rubbing her head, as the people seated around her began to chatter nervously, grabbing their own armrests swiftly. The sky outside the plain was a calm, serene blue, making the even seem even more bizarre than it had felt.