Trick of hand. -Tempest

"You there! Do you enjoy -"

"No, no thank you." Martina replied sharply to one of the vendors in the square as she made her way toward where she was going to meet Soren at. It didn't phase the woman one bit as she walked through the crowded area that so many people were still out so late.

Instead of the market square being usually populated by children and families, there were now various couples scattered about going in out of the resturants as well as the occasional lonely looking person. Frowning curiously at her surroundings for a moment, Martina carefully fixed her hair - which so happened to be straightened - her natural curls of course flattened out for the moment. Adorning her person was a slimming red strapless dress stopping just before her knees. As well as equally red high-heels, the shoes having a certain shine to them. Finishing up her outfit, was a silver necklace with a small metallic looking decoration of a sun hanging from the chain - the necklace itself occasionally glinting in certain lighting.

Taking a deep breath, Martina stopped infront of the resturant she was to meet Soren at - unsure as to what to expect from the date but nonetheless looking to get her mind off of Nikolai.

Soren was immaculately dressed, as usual. Unlike Aodhan, who seemed to have become (ugh) the help, Soren was a successful businessman with contacts all over the world. He was capable of keeping his human life and his dragon life separate, in a fashion, and he had his human persona "die" every eighty years or so and leave all of his wealth to a new "heir", which was, of course, himself with a different name.

Tonight, he wore a dark blazer, khaki pants, and matching belt and shoes. No tie, since he didn't want to create an air of formality between himself and his date. Instead, the top of his plain white shirt was left unbuttoned. He carried a single white rose gently.

His eyes searched for the woman, dismissing everybody else until he saw her. She was a vision in red, reminding him of the cliche from the movies. No wonder the movies used it, he mused, for it was something to see. The glint of her necklace made his draconic heart race.

The tall scandinavian-looking man stopped near Martina and said gallantly, "Never has a fairer flower bloomed than the one I spy before me. Tell me, Lady, how I was so fortunate to have made your acquaintance." He bowed and offered the Headmistress the white rose, a chivalrous smile curving his mouth. "It's not quite so beautiful or vibrant as you, but I hope you'll take it as a token of my gratitude. Thank you for gracing me with your presence."

Meanwhile, he kept an eye out for Aodhan. He'd spotted the other dragon when he'd arrived at the marketplace. It really didn't surprise him that his rival would come to spy on them- in a sense, Soren was stealing a treasure from him.

Soren presented himself to her, his words seeming to flow just as easily as his demeanor. His compliments caught her off guard, and for a moment the skin in her face almost match her dress. "Quiet now, you don't have to flatter me so much," she said with a sort of hushed tone - accepting his rose nonetheless. It was a strange change, but a welcome one nonetheless. "Shall we go in now?" she then asked him, unsure as to what to do with the rose beside hold it in her hand.

The woman was unaccustomed to so many gifts she had been recieving as of the recent, but the rose of course being the only one she had well... accepted so far. The thought made her purse her lips, but she brought her attention back to the charming face infront of her. How was it possible for a man to have such fine looks? Oh... that was right. This man wasn't a man. He was a dragon too... wasn't he? Why else would he have hunted Nikolai down and attacked the other so ferverently?

Soren straightened and opened the door for Martina. "Yes, let's go in. I've made the reservation and they'll be expecting us." This was the swankiest place in the marketplace and he had reserved them a nice cozy booth. He would have opted for the private room, but he knew Nikolai would be nearby and he wanted his rival to see him court the woman he so desperately wanted.

A hostess was already waiting to seat them. Smooth string music came out to meet them.

As Martina preceded him into the restaurant, Soren glanced behind and surreptitiously waved at a figure in the shadows. The figure receded and Soren stifled a laugh.

He said, "Karlsson, reservation for two." The young woman smiled and said, "This way to your table." She led them to a booth, only big enough for two occupants. As it was, Soren's large frame would make for a cozy fit.

Soren turned to Martina and said, "After you, my Lady. Order anything you like, I've got the bill."
---

Nikolai gritted his teeth. The big arse was taunting him! He followed at a safe distance, trying to keep focused on staying inconspicuous. It was not the time to get distracted by Martina's beauty or by his need to put the other dragon in his place.

Everything was beyond nice, the decoration and just the situation in general was something Martina was not used too. It had been a long time since she had been on a date, and even a longer time with such a handsome man... and there she went again with the man thing. Distractedly, Martina went ahead and sat down - her eyes wandering over the menu in silent thought.

The woman couldn't help but shake the feeling that someone was watching her, but chose to ignore the sensation for now. Instead she went ahead and ordered her drink and meal, one of the moderately less expensive items on the menu - but still a good bit in price. Turning her attention to Soren, she admired the man carefully and couldn't help but think once again he was the complete opposite of Nikolai. He didn't work for her, and he was full of the compliments. She could see a possibility, but some part of her mind still occasionally drifted over to the dark haired janitor.

"So, what makes you grace this island with your presence at the moment?" Martina asked - always having the nice habit of getting straight to the root of things.

Soren took a mouthful of scotch and smiled at Martina. He'd ordered a steak, very rare. The food hadn't arrived yet, but his other guest had.

He could sense Nikolai somewhere hidden, perhaps at the bar. The man was goddamned good at keeping a low profile, something Soren almost envied him for. After all, Soren himself had no gift for hiding due to his size. He figured that this was as good a time as any to spring his trap.

"Well, aside from confronting Aodhan, I scoped out some business opportunities here. I am of the opinion that the Gifted population of the world is a growing market. Maybe my shareholders would be interested in exploring services in that sector." He was very relaxed in his subject. "Your school is the perfect business design. You manage to cater to a number of different types of Gifted, right? Well, if I can do the same in a business, I might be able to do something truly beneficial for those like us." He touched her hand warmly at this, flashing a charmingly boyish grin.

The large dragon pulled the dagger Nikolai had intended for Martina out of a hidden pocket when the waitress came by again to refill his drink. She seemed startled, but he quickly handed it to Martina and asked, "What do you think of this? I picked it up in an unexpected place and wanted to see what your perspective was on this. I had noticed your collection in your office and figured you would be quite knowledgeable."

The ornate weapon was clearly old, clearly a valuable antique. It had rubies inlaid in the hilt and there were runes scrawled on the blade itself, along with intricate, curling designs.

Martina's eyebrows rose as Soren spoke of his business - or his idea at least. It sound innocent enough, but something in her gut told her otherwise. It was necessary for her to be able to judge people well, afterall she needed only the most trust-worthy of teachers to take care of the students at her school. "Well, that's very nice. And my school does cater many gifted person's..." she trailed off when Soren touched her hand. Half-expecting the man to leap at her. What was wrong with her thinking right now?

He then pulled out a curious looking dagger, and Martina was immediately mesmerized. "It's beautiful to say the least," she responded as she took the dagger to admire it more. Running her fingers over the rubies, the knife glinted in the light and Martina took a deep breath. "You say unexpected place? Do you remember exactly?" she asked Soren curiously.

Soren smiled at her, wondering what she actually thought of his business plan. Not that it mattered. He would continue to scope out the area regardless of what she thought.

"Flea market," he replied smoothly. It was sort of an internal joke and he flashed a smile. Aodhan would have fleas. All vermin did. He pretended joviality and acted as though she had said something that had made up his mind about the dagger. "It will make a wonderful addition to my collection," he said triumphantly.

He took the blade back and spun it deftly between his fingers. "It has good balance, I think." He grinned at Martina and continued the conversation in another vein. "So... how long have you been interested in weapons..."

---

Nikolai's mind flashed as he saw Martina hold the dagger adoringly, then hand the blade to his rival. In his mind, this was the ultimate rejection. He handed a bill to the bartender, drained his drink, and left without a word.

It was clear who she preferred and he was not going to pursue her as long as she wanted to be with his rival.

Again, he wondered what he had done to Soren to warrant this and cursed his inability to remember.