It seemed like everyone was preparing for one thing or another. Flint was preparing to take down the wall. Other mafia leaders were preparing for their own endeavors — what would Emilia and her leader think of him? If they were scared of Accardo spreading through Nocturnia, would they be worried about him? That he was going to gain 93rd soon enough along with rampaging through Yellow Brick in hopes to concur it. That made him think but somewhat carelessly — would he be next? Would he
even be worried about Emilia and the people she was attached to. His eyes examined her, giving her a once over, and staring at her as a whole. Seeing the expression on her face.
The man listened to what she had to say and he was in thought the whole time. “
You and your leader are worried about him,” Asterion stated plainly while moving away from his desk. He gestured for Emilia to follow him out of his office, going to a singular door, and opening it up into the living area of his penthouse. Walking into the
kitchen, “
So, Mister Accardo is worrying you and whoever you are connected with, yes, and you came here to negotiate, because you and your connections are scared, are not able to stand their own, or some other variable?” the man went on asking questions. He was clearly fishing for answers to get a scope of the whole scene from Emilia’s side and to maybe dip into her overall intentions for this meeting.
Everything was mood lit and dark, something that soothed Asterion, and allowed all the outside light to come in. A branch off from the kitchen was the
common space. “
Do you want anything to eat or drink, Miss Castiglione?” He asked while getting himself something. Why stay in his office when he could sit down with a drink and something to snack on while the woman brought up potential partnerships and explained what she wanted to explain. It’s not like he could go to bed with her in his penthouse. She looked like the type of girl that would take him out of his sleep or at least that was the vibe he was getting from her. Someone who was serious and down to do business.
Emilia trailed Asterion, her heels producing clicks against the floor as they stepped into the expansive kitchen. She paused for a minute, allowing herself to appreciate the streamlines sophistication of the space before responding to his inquiry.
“A drink would be appreciated, thank you. Your choice in which,” she said, her tone polite but assertive as well. While Asterion attended to her request, she leaned against the counter, her eyes unwavering as they tracked his movements and listened to his guesswork.
“How astute of you,” Emilia acknowledged once he had completed his thoughts.
“It’s true that Accardo’s moves concern us. He thrives on disruption, on forcing people into situations where they make decisions they wouldn’t otherwise consider. But while some call that fear, I call it leverage. And while he’s been quite effective at exploiting the weaknesses of others, we have no intention of letting his little tricks work for long.” “
You are a guest… of sorts,” he commented on her vocalization of acknowledgement. The man began to make a pomegranate vodka drink for the both of them. It was a slightly stronger drink in the sense of having the equivalent of almost three shots though he didn’t imagine either of them would down the liquid nor could you safely with the drink that he was making.
He put a small saucepan on the stove, medium heat, and put water and honey into it. As this was warming up, he grabbed a shaker and put that on the counter. Grabbing vodka, pomegranate juice, orange juice, some fresh mint, and an orange. Before stirring the creation on the stove with a spoon, “
Most of the district leaders fuel off forcing others into situations that they wouldn’t otherwise consider. Sometimes it is a necessity to do so,” he glanced over his shoulder as he spoke.
“
Though why does any of this concern me? I would assume that your leader is concerned about Mister Accardo so you are hoping that I can help or become an ally of sorts?” That was the impression he was getting. If the district leader that Emilia was under was nervous and unsure — he could totally understand reaching out but he was a little busy with having a truce with Matthias and having a promise with Flint. He was unsure that he wanted to get into whatever this group's problems were.
As the saucepan contents boiled down a bit, he poured the contents into the cocktail shaker, tossed some mint leaves into it, ice, orange juice, pomegranate juice, and vodka at the proper ratios for the drink. He began to shake it in one of his hands while turning off the stove, moving the pan to the sink, and looking at Emilia.
Continuing to shake it. The sound of the ice sloshing around in the liquid as he did so, “
From what you mentioned, it sounds like Accardo has plans for me. How would you know that? That he has his eyes on Nickel unless you are in contact with him,” Asterion was not fully sure if they were in contact with him or not, but he was pressing buttons to get visual reactions. Sometimes, body language or the lack of vocalization after such comments were such truthful actions versus words.
Before pouring the contents into the two glasses, Asterion put a handful of pomegranate seeds into the glasses. All the seeds mixed around with the ice and some floated to the top. The drinks were pretty visually. Adding a little more mint as a garnish before slicing the orange into circular slices and adding a few to the rim of the glass. In the way he folded them and sliced them to fit on the glass, they looked like a flower.
Asterion took a sip of his and seemed pleased with the outcome, handed Emilia her glass, and he moved out of the kitchen and into the sitting area of his penthouse.
Emilia accepted the glass with a slight incline of her head and trailed behind Kairo into the sitting area. Settling into a seat opposite him, she raised the glass to her lips and savoured a sip, her face a mask of inscrutability-save for a glimmer of approval that betrayed her appreciation for the drink’s exquisite craftsmanship.
“It would be rather reckless for us to remain oblivious to the machinations of those who create ripples in Nocturnia, wouldn’t you agree? Accardo’s maneuvers lack discretion, despite his self-perception of subtlety. He is fundamentally not the kind of person who engages directly with those he perceives as adversaries- at least not until he has already tilted the scale in his favour,” she remarked with an air of sagacity, allowing a brief intermission as the corners of her lips turned upward in the faintest trace of a smile.
“Rest assured, we have no correspondence with him. In fact, he has made his intentions unmistakably clear: he regards us as impediments to be eradicated, rather than potential allies to be wooed.” “That said, alliances are ultimately forged on a foundation of pragmatism. There are instances when even the most autonomous players must acknowledge the advantages of mutual interests.” Seeing her features falter before taking control of them again caused Asterion to chuckle, “
You can smile. That is allowed,” he sat down in his own chair and looked at the woman. “
The only thing I can do is use it against you. Remind you that you had a semi-not-so-horrible time while being around me,” Asterion teased her.
“
Also, watch that drink. It has roughly three shots in it, so I would recommend not downing it,” he mentioned casually while taking another sip of his glass and putting it on the little built in coaster of the chair.
Leaning forward, he grabbed something from the bottom tier of the coffee table, “
I am a man that can acknowledge and value the occurrence of shared interests. Yes. It is possible,” he stated while leaning back in his chair and having a deck of cards in his hand. Opening it up as he looked back at Emilia. “
Which I might have said this to you before, I have no idea what your interests are, Emilia~, nor do I know the interests of your district leader. You have no idea what my interests are. I could be a hundred times worse than the Head Honcho of the Thorned Roses,” his tone had a voice of not being serious. He was being serious but at the same time, it was late, and how could he rationally sit here and bask in work before going to bed. He had more to do tomorrow… more than he wanted to do in a sense.
“
Why would I partner with you or your district leader, Emilia? What benefits me?” He pulled out the deck of cards from the pack, setting the pack onto the coffee table, and shuffling the cards — jokers and all.
Asterion started laying cards out in front of her and cards out in front of him. Seven cards faced down. “
Since I am entertaining your presence. You can at least entertain me as well, do you know how to play Runner?” Runner was a common street kid card game. It had a few names — Coin poker so you could make cheap bets on it and win small amounts of money, runner because you had to run all cards in a line, or the Nocturnia Dream because if you had all the same suit with all the cards running in a line including the joker; you had a district of cards and won that run against the opponents other cards.
Her head tilted just so, the motion almost imperceptible, Emilia’s lips curling into a smile that spoke of clandestine understanding. “
Runner is it? A game of strategy, intuition…perhaps a bit of luck? No…no, I cannot claim familiarity with it.” Her voice carried a lilt of amusement, as though she were speaking about more than the game.
“
Shall I confide something?” she murmured, her lashes lowering in a deliberate sweep as her finger traced the crystalline rim of her glass. “
I don’t always need cards to see the game in front of me. It’s…in the shift of weight when someone moves, the hesitation in their voice when they speak, the faint trace of cologne that tells me where he’s been.” Her gaze fixed on his. “
You might even say I’ve made a career out of noticing the things others overlook.”
She reclined with an air of cultivated nonchalance, her demeanour softening into a poise of measured self-assurance. “
It’s served me well in more ways than one. After all, when you know what your opponent is going to do before they do it, you don’t need luck. But since you asked about my interests, I’ll admit…I do find a certain charm in unpredictability. It keeps things interesting when observed and kept close.” She picked up her cards, arranging them thoughtfully as she let her words settle.
“
Now then, shall we see how well I fare at this Runner of yours?”
Asterion leaned back slightly, the ghost of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he considered her words. His fingers tapped on the deck of cards in his hands, the one he didn’t set between them yet. “
A career built on noticing what others have missed? Now that is a talent to keep close. I bet you have got kicked out of a lot of casinos,” the man teased her while setting the cards in the middle of the table.
His gaze met hers, steady and unflinching, as though testing whether her confidence might waiver under scrutiny, “
But I wonder, Miss Castiglione, does that make you predictable or just —” he chuckled a little, “
— unpredictably consistent?”
The man reached out for a card, one that was facing down, flipping it between his fingers, the motion practiced and unhurried. “
Runner is an unpredictable game — strategy, luck, and just enough misdirection to keep it interesting. In that way, I suppose it is a bit like people. But since you have got a knack for reading the play before it happens, let us see how well that intuition of yours serves you.”
With a slow, deliberate motion, he placed one card face-up on the table, it had a shiny design faintly gleaming under the mood-lit lights of the room. “
How you play is you grab five cards, when you get rid of a card, you want to grab from the top of the deck as soon as possible. You do not have to grab a card but you tend to always want five cards in your hand and each turn, you have to make a decision on where to put cards each turn but you cannot continue onto the next row of cards until the first row is filled, then the second, and until the last row,” he continued to explain while he flipped all his seven cards facing up.
Three of Diamonds. Jack of Spades. Four of clubs. Eight of diamonds. Three of hearts. King of Spades. Jack of Clubs.
“
We will play, but know this — my deck has a habit of surprising people,” he then flipped over her seven cards as well.
Five of clubs. Six of Spades. Two of Spades. Nine of Diamonds. Seven of Diamonds. King of Clubs. King of Hearts.
Asterion leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, his tone dipping into something more private. “
And if unpredictability is what keeps things interesting, well, I think we will both enjoy this.”
Gesturing for her, “
You can select your five cards first, Miss Castiglione.”
Emilia scrutinized the array of cards before her with the precision of a tactician unravelling a critical enigma. The polished facade of her composure remained unbroken, her fingers hovering just above the selections like a pianist preparing to strike the first note.
“
A game of decisions, then,” she mused, selecting her first card—the King of Clubs—and setting it aside. “
Much like life itself. Strategy is important, but sometimes, it’s the risks you take that define the outcome.”
Her second choice came with equal precision: the Nine of Diamonds. She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a faint but knowing smile as her eyes lifted to Asterion. “
As for predictability,” she continued, selecting the Six of Spades, “
it’s seldom about being inscrutable. The true art lies in knowing precisely when to let someone believe they’ve unravelled your mysteries.”
She placed the King of Hearts alongside the other three cards, her movements unhurried but decisive. “
The illusion of predictability can be just as powerful as a genuine surprise, don’t you think?”
Her final choice, the Seven of Diamonds, was laid gently on top of her growing hand, completing the selection. Emilia settled back into her chair, her fingers brushing lightly against the rim of her glass. “
As for casinos, you might be pleased to know I don’t frequent them. Not out of fear of being banned—more because I prefer games where the stakes feel a little more personal.”
Her eyes flicked up to meet his, her voice lowering into the same private tone he had adopted moments ago. “
And as for your deck’s surprises, let me assure you: I’ve yet to meet a challenge I couldn’t handle.”
She gestured toward the table, her posture effortlessly poised. “
Your move.”
“
Are you referencing the risk that you took coming here? Alone? To figure out if I would be an ally or not?” Asterion was fishing for answers. They were light hearted and not very deep though it was clear what he was doing. Drawing a card, ace of hearts.
Reaching out and drawing another card, six of diamonds. “
And for the illusion of predictability. Statistically, that cannot be an illusion at all,” he added his two cents in while drawing another card. Four of Spades.
“
There is always a day and time for something new, aye?” he chuckled while picking up his drink and sipping on it before putting it down. Drawing his fourth card while glancing at the ones at the table, eight of hearts.
He thought for a second before drawing his last card, Queen of hearts.
That sucks… he thought to himself though it was pleasant to know he was taking away from Emilia’s points by having the Queen and Ace of hearts in his hand.
Asterion placed his first card down, six of diamonds right under his eight, and drew another card — Five of diamonds. “
Your turn,” he gestured for the woman before taking another sip of his drink.
“
Can you play and talk at the same time?” his tone was teasing when he said this. “
Business, I mean. We should get back on topic or you are only entertaining me while I am doing absolutely nothing for you. Now answer me this, other than common interests. Why would it benefit me to become an ally of your district?”
Emilia’s lips curved in a subtle, enigmatic arc at Asterion’s teasing inquiry. Her fingers hovered above the array of cards, poised as if weighing not just their value but the significance of the moment itself. At last, she selected the King of Hearts, laying it before her.
“
I suppose you could say venturing here alone was a gamble,” she remarked, her tone dipping into a register of intimate softness. “
But tell me, should I fear being alone with you?” She leaned forward just enough for the movement to feel intentional. “
Let’s just say I have a penchant for distinguishing wolves from sheep-and you, Mr.Kairo, are anything but a sheep.”
Without missing a beat, she drew the Nine of Spades from the deck and positioned it with care beneath the King of Hearts. “
As for what benefits you,” Emilia continued, “
you’re correct-shared interests are insufficient by themselves. Vincent’s strategy is glaringly transparent: destabilize you, bide his time, and wait for someone else to sweep up the remnants of your influence. That someone, of course, being him. It’s why he approached us instead of risking direct confrontation.”
The next card she selected, the Seven of Diamonds, was placed neatly onto the board. “
But true alliances, the kind that endure, are not forged from perceived weakness. In my district, we understand the delicate balance of power and the importance of control. And we know when someone like you has the capacity to tip the scales decisively.”
Revealing the Queen of Clubs, she placed the card with intention beneath the Nine of Spades. “
Consider this,” she mused. “
You’ve already placed yourself ahead of Vincent, or he wouldn’t expend energy trying to undermine you. But imagine how much further you could advance with someone capable of deciphering not just the moves on the board, but the motivations behind them. Someone who can see when the queen is maneuvering for your king—or when a pawn conceals ambitions far greater than its station.”
Her final draw, the Five of Hearts, was then laid beneath the Seven of Diamonds. “
So,” she concludes, “
the question isn’t why you would form an alliance with us. It’s why you would choose to face what lies ahead without every possible advantage at your disposal.”
Asterion grew quiet as he listened to the woman speak about why he should consider an alliance with them and a part of him wanted to chuckle about it — was she indirectly threatening him? It was an odd scenario. It felt like a trap. “
It sounds as if you are giving me two options and two options only. Agree to an alliance with you and your district or bad things happen,” he huffed those words out with a lack of seriousness. Deciding to glance at her cards before putting four of spades under jack of spades, ace of hearts under his three of hearts, and then he drew two cards — two of hearts and three of clubs.
“
From my perspective, Emilia~ you are saying that I am helpless unless I have you and I benefit from having you if this man ever attacks me. What happens after that? If he ever attacks, are you going to truly be beneficial to me? And after the attack, are we going to continue such a truce or alliance or is it to get him out of the way?” He was curious since he felt like he wasn’t getting the whole story from the woman. There had to be more.
Gesturing for her to go, “
Your turn,” he gestured while taking a drink of his drink and crunching on a few pomegranate seeds. Leaning back into his chair even more to get comfortable, “
And I would love to meet your district leader before finalizing anything.”
Emilia paused, her discerning gaze sweeping over the arrangement of cards before her. She drew her next card: the Ten of Spades. After quiet deliberation, she set aside the Seven of Diamonds and placed it beneath the Nine of Diamonds in her row. Without hesitation, she replenished her hand, drawing the Ace of Clubs with a flicker of satisfaction barely discernible in her expression.
“
A man like you would hardly need me to point out the flaw in assuming my offer comes with threats. Let me clarify: my presence here isn’t about coercion. It’s about opportunity. I am not giving you two options—just one. The choice to elevate your position by aligning with us.”
Asterion’s eyes sharpened when she promptly stated she was giving him one option instead of two — that was a threat in his eyes. Either way, it was a threat nonetheless. “
I do not need you to elevate my position,” he evenly stated. “
So how about you make me want you instead?”
She placed the King of Hearts beneath her Queen of Clubs, drawing a replacement card: 9 of Hearts. “
What happens after Accardo?” she continued, her tone firm yet contemplative. “
I won’t pretend I can guarantee perpetual collaboration; that’s a decision only time and circumstances can dictate. But consider this: alliances built on mutual interests don’t dissolve when a single threat is neutralized. They evolve. And I believe you’re shrewd enough to see the merit in that.”
Her hand hovered over the array before selecting the Ten of Spades and placing it beneath the Six of Spades, bolstering her position. “
Should Accardo act against you, the question won’t be whether we’ll stand beside you—we will,” she asserted. “
But alliances are not merely about weathering a single storm; they are about fortifying for the ones yet to come. The true question isn’t how we can serve you in this moment, but how we can position you to remain untouchable in the moments that follow.”
Drawing the Jack of Diamonds, Emilia’s movements stilled momentarily, her contemplative pause lending gravity to her otherwise seamless actions. She placed the Ace of Clubs beneath the Nine of Hearts, inaugurating her third row, and quickly replenished her hand with the Three of Spades. “
As for meeting my district leader,” she added, leaning forward slightly, “
I consider it indispensable. My role is to prepare the foundation, but the ultimate decision rests with those above me. Still, I suspect their vision aligns with yours in ways that might surprise you.” The shadow of unspoken complications—Isabella’s precarious position and Mathieu’s kidnapping—flitted across her expression for the briefest moment before vanishing into her usual composure.
“
Does that address your concerns? Or are there still mysteries you’d like me to unravel?”
Listening to her speak had him nod his head a little bit. There was only one thing that her and her district leader wanted — safety. Safety from Accardo and he wondered why. Did they make a deal with him and it went south? Was he targeting them for a reason? She did hint and give vague details but there was
always more under the surface.
“
And why would you want to help me so greatly?” that was a somewhat concerning position for him. Emilia was here on behalf of her district leader which he found somewhat insulting that Bella Delacroix. Glancing at the cards in his hand; eight of hearts, queen of hearts, two of hearts, three of clubs, and five of diamonds.
Asterion put his three of clubs under his four of clubs, five of diamonds under his three of diamonds, and decided to end his turn by drawing two cards — eight of spades and four of hearts. “
I will be generous to you, your district, and your district leader. I will overlook that she did not meet me herself and you are here to set the foundation for such a meeting. Color me interested but not finalized in any way,” he added his two cents in. Wanting Emilia to know that he wasn’t completely pleased with this initial situation.
“
It sounds like we will not necessarily be an alliance but a situational convenience for each other. How could you put it? You itch my back and I itch yours, type of deal,” the uncertainty in Emilia’s tone and words showed him that her district leader was most likely not interested in continuing anything long term but he wasn’t necessarily interested in playing big brother for her district either. He would humor and entertain the district leader and figure out what they truly wanted but he would focus on Emilia at the moment — she was right in front of him.
Emilia deftly placed the Jack of Diamonds beneath the Ace of Clubs, her third row steadily taking shape. Yet, beneath her measured exterior, a flicker of turmoil lingered, an unspoken tension etched in the subtle tightening of her jaw. She drew her next card—the Ten of Diamonds—and her fingers hovered briefly over the deck before selecting the King of Diamonds. Placing it beside the Jack, she bolstered her third row with the assurance of someone who understood the stakes all too well.
Her pause before speaking was infinitesimal, a hesitation so fleeting it could be mistaken for nothing more than a breath.
“
You want to know why Isabella sent me and not herself?” Emilia met Asterion's gaze squarely. “
Because Accardo already holds leverage over her. Someone she cannot afford to lose. Someone she…” Her voice faltered for the briefest moment before she pressed on, her composure visibly hardening.
“
Someone she would burn the entire district to save.”
Emilia placed the 9 of Hearts beneath the King of Diamonds, drawing another card—the 4 of Diamonds.
“
We are not here to beg for protection or to barter for scraps,” she continued, her voice regaining its sharpness. “
We are here because Accardo’s strength lies in exploiting vulnerabilities, and our district’s survival hinges on forging alliances strong enough to withstand him. If he continues unchecked, it won’t just be Isabella’s pain he leverages—it will be yours, too.”
The Three of Spades found its place beneath the Nine of Hearts, her third row now nearly complete. Drawing the Jack of Hearts to replace it, Emilia seemed to dismiss the card entirely, her attention fixed on Asterion. Her gaze, tinged with an almost incendiary crimson in the dim light, bore into him with an unrelenting intensity. “
Isabella’s readiness to act, to make sacrifices others would balk at, may be a liability to some. But to a potential ally like you, it is an assurance. She will not hesitate—not for a heartbeat—when it comes to defending those who stand beside her.”
The room fell into a weighted silence, the subtle flicker of light reflecting off the polished surface of the cards. It was a moment not just of negotiation, but of calculated risk—a gamble Emilia seemed intent on winning. Whether her declarations carried unvarnished truth, shrewd manipulation, or some amalgam of both was a mystery that time alone would unravel. And then…
“
Perhaps I overstep. But tell me, what would you do for someone you couldn’t afford to lose?”
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