Howell Maxen

Howell eyed the man on the floor, from first guess he’d wager the man was beaten pretty badly. Then again that was the typical motive operandi for most gangsters if they wanted their victims to live. Taking further steps into the lion’s den, he wagered that Ayumu wanted more to do with him than the man at his feet. That sort of thing happened a lot recently, various supernaturals wanted to talk to him and on occasion he just tended to bump into them. This situation was different, the man lounging in front of him that radiated power wasn’t just a random supernatural. He had acquired access to his medicinal skills in a very roundabout way. The blackmail and violence that came with it seemed par for the course in this crowd. Kneeling he took in the man’s injuries, staring with the head noticing a spilt like right away. “You’ve met me several times over the past two decades Mr. Nakatomi. What would my status change for you? A termination of employment?”

"Oh, but it has, Mister Maxen," Ayumu replied. "You're part of the Council now. That would change things a great deal between us," they added with a tilt of their head.

"Really?" One thing Howell could appreciate from his defacto boss was getting right to the point. None of that pomp and circumstance he was sure to come by at council. No there were no politics here because this was a monarchy ruled by their wily spirit king and when he held court you listened. Howell cared for his life so he listened when Ayumu spoke.

“I can respect fairness, and it’s honestly appreciated.”  Howell wasn’t sure if he’d ever get over their bias if that had decided to muffle him. He wasn’t a hard gossiper, nor would he run and tell everything to the human community but something about an NDA had sat wrong with him. Perhaps it was the years of being silenced at home as child that influenced his grown-up opinion on the subject. “Golden Rule?....the one to not expose the community to the rest of the world. As much as I would love there to be true transparency, you won’t find me mentioning any of this to other humans that don’t already know, but only if they need to know.” “I’ve meet with Elijah Remington, I think he had hoped to possibly be a friendly face as well….” Starring at the dark liquid in his cup he fought with the idea of how open he should be to her curiosity. “Well…I’ve been told I’m an open book by many, my ex fiancée doesn’t count, so please ask me whatever you’d like.”

"That is the rule," the lawyer agreed. Naz had always had a way of finding ways around rules and laws and making them work in her favour but even she knew the importance of abiding to this rule. "It's for the best, it's impossible to know if our communities could co-exist if human's knew the truth." She was sure that Howell would want to disagree but his nervousness was a dead give away that he struggled with that knowledge as well.

“Elijah.. he seems friendly enough. He laid it on thick a little with the scare tactics but I don’t have any reason to doubt him.”  In truth Elijah had left out some information about certain species and he wasn’t sure yet if that was purposeful or a mistake. For all intents and purposes, the man had seemed to care deeply for his people, his coven. Whether that made him a good man, or a friendly face, Howell wasn’t sure but what it did mean is that Eljiah was likely to always vote on the side of safety for his people. A fact Howell could respect. A small smile appeared on his lips, happy to know he wasn’t the only one with exes, and wasn’t afraid to talk about them. There were many things in his life he didn’t feel the need to randomly share but talking about his exes was never one of them. They had been apart of his life, the experiences made him part of who he was. Then again one could say the same about family and more often than not the doctor kept mum about that. “You want to know the truth?” He set his coffee down slightly hunched over the table. “To be honest it’s love. I’m forty fucking seven years old and I still don’t know if I’ve gotten over my first love. The were a supernatural and I want to find them…know why they disappeared.”

"Most of the time, on civic issues, deities and demons tend to fall on opposite sides, so they balance each other out. It's mostly a matter of keeping that balance, and making sure the elders know what's happening with their communities." Elijah took a breath, thinking back to the paintings in the ruins that Caia had shown him. A massive war between deities and demons, the sort of thing where he'd been surprised the planet had survived. He needed to get back to her about that. "If things broke down entirely, I don't know what would happen but I don't imagine it would be pretty."

This fragile peace was sightly frightening to Howell. As a human in lived in the world of laws and rules and rarely did it fluctuate to extremes in his lifetime. That was another privilege he had been born into by shear fact of where his family had decided to live. Still he’d come to know about supernaturals over twenty years ago. In the beginning he thought they must be ruled archaically through some sort of high powered monarchy but as time past he saw it was much less organized than that. By the time Artemis had come around he already had been informed of the council and was weary of exactly what the did and did not impose upon their own society. “A break down, well we wouldn’t want that.” The thought alone was terrifying, and he wondered if it had ever happened before or where they all just creatures of comfort these days. Could that be what’s keeping them all at bay from jus destroying each other and the city? “So what you’re saying is this alliance is fragile and only viable while the majority agrees on things….”

"This," Ayumu said immediately and gestured to the groaning man lying at his feet. "Can't have him dying on me when he still owes me so much money."

Howell eyed the man on the floor, from first guess he’d wager the man was beaten pretty badly. Then again that was the typical motive operandi for most gangsters if they wanted their victims to live. Taking further steps into the lion’s den, he wagered that Ayumu wanted more to do with him than the man at his feet. That sort of thing happened a lot recently, various supernaturals wanted to talk to him and on occasion he just tended to bump into them. This situation was different, the man lounging in front of him that radiated power wasn’t just a random supernatural. He had acquired access to his medicinal skills in a very roundabout way. The blackmail and violence that came with it seemed par for the course in this crowd. Kneeling he took in the man’s injuries, staring with the head noticing a spilt like right away. “You’ve met me several times over the past two decades Mr. Nakatomi. What would my status change for you? A termination of employment?”

Howell decided upfront he need not get frustrated, of course they’d likely keep secrets. The fact that he was getting nowhere though, not one scrap of information was unsettling. Would they all be this tight lipped? How was he supposed to work together with them if it was all just a dance of talk? Caleb seemed like a decent enough man, one focused on his community and at the very least he realized the other man’s concern for the safety of humans. Perhaps he could understand Howell’s worries but had it come from more of a place of neutrality?

"There are absolutely people out there more powerful than the elders." He sat back in his seat. "There are two types of power that you need to keep in mind. The first one you should be familiar with, money, social capital, those sorts of things. The other is magic. Witches can use almost any type of magic, and spirits can use illusions and dream magic, werewolves, elves, and vampires don't have any active forms of magic. Deities and demons though can use any type of magic and their powers are functionally limitless."

With a heavy sigh Howell leaned back, licking his lips while deep in thought. Elijah was almost truthful with him, but that wasn’t enough to cut him off. Again he though, the witch in front of him seemed like a decent man, intent on making sure his own people not just survived but thrived. To survive they need not get on the bad side of Artemis, or at the most desperate measures eliminate the group. The newer council member did not want to see either outcome happen. He wanted an ally, needed one for that matter. “Well that sounds…. a little bit unfair in the grand scheme of things does it not?” Taking another sip he placed the glass down, fingers playing with the edge of the rim. “I am use to the power that comes with money and status yes…..but this.. this goes beyond that.” How on earth did they have any semblance of balance between powers? Just by a hand shake? He couldn’t imagine a being so powerful they could change reality just agreeing to something unless it benefited them. “So what do you do then…when policing doesn’t work?”

His eyes followed the movements of her hand, aware that both were uncomfortable with each other’s presence. At this point in his life he wasn’t offended that a woman moved her drink way, he worked in a profession with the public and had undergone many different trainings that explained behavior patterns in humans. Though Ms. Laurent was decidedly not human she was still a woman and so the behavior patterns still lined up. In the city everyone had to look out for themselves for the most part, older beings included.

"The establishment is naught but wood and steel; it's the proprietor who might object to you being here." Her eyes glanced towards the backrooms, idly wondering if Matthew was here this evening. The demon made his opinion of Howell quite clear with the way that he walked out in the middle of the evening. "Surely you do not blame us for being weary. Your organization caused several of us sleepless nights and a great deal of heartache." She wasn't trying to be antagonistic, merely stating the glaring facts.

“Ah yes, I am guessing then it is one of the council members?” Howell hadn’t had the chance to go over all the assets of the council members. Partly because it felt like an invasion of privacy, and he certainly wouldn’t want them going through his. It was clear that certain parties in the council and likely in Vievecor didn’t like humans in the know, especially in such a high place as council. Mid sip he stopped, wanted to be as diplomatic as possible was needed with a clear head not a mouth tasting of scotch. “I don’t blame you or your people in the least for being weary. I know many left before I could finish my statement but I do not agree with every tactic that Artemis has implemented but on the other hand you can see how tired they all are of feeling used.” “I am sure he does.” The thought of blood didn’t deter him, a man in his career field had seen many things. If he hadn’t thrown up when a bikers guts came in half out of his abdomen, then just the mention of blood, even it’s imbibing wasn’t going to bother him. “That I am sorry for. You seem a formidable woman on your own, it’s a awful a sham like me has to be present for you to get some relief.”

“Ayumu must be paying you handsomely for such a discreet service.” Victoria observed, but not without her own suspicion.

What did Ayumu pay him? At this point he was certain he was paid and not just blackmailed but the actual payment was a mystery. He was sure if he combed through his accounts he’d find it but the numbers had jumped so high when he inherited his great aunt’s wealth he never really bothered to look at it. The privilege of his class and upbringing, that he knew which is why he was ever so hesitant to tell anyone, even former girlfriends his exact net worth. “But hiding in back corridors makes me mysterious does it not? Would you have spoken to me otherwise?” “I wouldn’t mind seeing your figure.” Immediately his lips tightened and he shook his head, curls bouncing against his forehead before he smoothed them back. “What I mean is you seem like a delight, and I don’t frequent most gambling establishments or brothels. I may be horrible at smooth talking as you just saw but I don’t need a brothel.” The man straightened up slightly at her introduction. Wu? Had he read a paper of hers before? “Doctor Wu…..” His dark eyes quickly observed his patient. “It seems that I am…would you be up for drink or would that cut into your time swindling unsuspecting idiots?”

services | howell & ayumu

In his desperate moments when he lacked the ability to come to terms with the path his life had taken the man choose to look at things with a tilted perspective. Things needed to make sense. No need to feel depressed about being used by a spirit being for nefarious purposes in the seedy belly of Vievecor’s underworld! Instead look at it as compliment to his skill set, though should word get out he’d lose the license to that skill set, no longer being able to practice medicine. As he walked down the dimly lit hallway sandwiched between to guards, he couldn’t help but feel maybe his titled perspective titled too much. The rose-coloured glasses viewpoint had gotten him in a right mess over the years. As the doors opened, there like a king before him sat his blackmailing employer. “Ah, Mr. Nakatomi, what do I have the pleasure of being called for?”

She chuckled at his joke, finding it amusing because he wasn't the first man to say that to her. Naz was only five feet tall and she tried her best not to be scary despite being a spirit. Somehow, men were still scared of her. The human representative was already turning out to be interesting and his need to apologise showed that he was a gentleman at least. "I appreciate the apology but I assure you it's not necessary. This is an unusual time for you so that can call for some unusual behaviour," the spirit replied.

“I can respect fairness, and it’s honestly appreciated.”  Howell wasn’t sure if he’d ever get over their bias if that had decided to muffle him. He wasn’t a hard gossiper, nor would he run and tell everything to the human community but something about an NDA had sat wrong with him. Perhaps it was the years of being silenced at home as child that influenced his grown-up opinion on the subject. “Golden Rule?....the one to not expose the community to the rest of the world. As much as I would love there to be true transparency, you won’t find me mentioning any of this to other humans that don’t already know, but only if they need to know.” “I’ve meet with Elijah Remington, I think he had hoped to possibly be a friendly face as well….” Starring at the dark liquid in his cup he fought with the idea of how open he should be to her curiosity. “Well…I’ve been told I’m an open book by many, my ex fiancée doesn’t count, so please ask me whatever you’d like.”

The neat click of Victorias heels — or rather, the illusion she created of them — came to a slow stop in front of the doctor. “What would you call it?” She asked him. She hadn’t seen an emergency vehicle outside and she could only assume from his lack of uniform that he wasn’t performing treatment officially. She could have been wrong, but when concerning Ayumu and his business, she doubted it.

“Well, I suppose touche, you got me there.” The curve of his lips twisted up into a small smile. He had always enjoyed when a woman pushed back a little with wit or sarcasm. She didn’t seem like one of Ayumu’s girls, but that wouldn’t have mattered to him. Conversation with a person, human or not was much more intriguing than tending to the injured in a place like this. Paying to lose money at the gambling tables and the exchange of it for sex weren’t on Howell’s list of things he needed to do before he died. His only purpose for being there was to keep the injured healed, so they’d stay quiet.

She was better off with the bore. Of everyone in the entire city whom Isabelle could be sitting next to it had to be fellow council member and Artemis member. She couldn't even excuse herself and leave the stranger who would not shut up with Howell. The strangers effusive chatter posed a danger to all supernatural people. Any information leaked portended a possible Artemis attack. She didn't care what the contracts outlined. Her gut told her that peace was far from achievable at this stage.

His eyes followed the movements of her hand, aware that both were uncomfortable with each other’s presence. At this point in his life he wasn’t offended that a woman moved her drink way, he worked in a profession with the public and had undergone many different trainings that explained behavior patterns in humans. Though Ms. Laurent was decidedly not human she was still a woman and so the behavior patterns still lined up. In the city everyone had to look out for themselves for the most part, older beings included.

"We do care about what happens to the humans here." Elijah turned his own drink on the table, brushing a fingertip over the lemon slice on the edge but not taking a sip yet. "We do have files on past offenses, and Zamok prison does have a section specifically for supernaturals. Sometimes when a supernatural kills a human we have to bend the truth to keep our existence a secret. We punish the killer, but sometimes the family doesn't get answers, as far as the public knows, the case is unsolved."

Howell decided upfront he need not get frustrated, of course they’d likely keep secrets. The fact that he was getting nowhere though, not one scrap of information was unsettling. Would they all be this tight lipped? How was he supposed to work together with them if it was all just a dance of talk? Caleb seemed like a decent enough man, one focused on his community and at the very least he realized the other man’s concern for the safety of humans. Perhaps he could understand Howell’s worries but had it come from more of a place of neutrality?

Even though they were in a period of peace, Eun-ji could not bring herself to simply sit back and accept it. She still connected with people online doing forgery work and hacking, but she also found herself coming back to the forum, checking on it and hoping to hear something, anything. It had become remarkably quiet as of late and she was left waiting for the other shoe to drop when it inevitably would.

03:46:45:hownow: Habit of the lifestyle being up this late

"Yes, well I'm unsure if that's a good thing. I tend to make impressions I don't always mean to make. I've been told I make myself an easy read." His younger brother had often teased him about it, in such a way Howell decided to make it a point of pride just to anger the younger sibling. Still, it was hard to shake off the idea that people didn't like him being honest. It wasn't a vulnerability in his eyes, but he'd been advised to keep things closer to the chest with this council business.

"There are a few other people who wear their hearts on their sleeves. You'll learn to read them soon enough after a few meetings." Half the council could also read Howell's mind, but it was generally considered rude. If Howell was connected at all to artemis someone there could help him shield his mind. Elijah though bitterly that Roan could at least help him with the basics.

“The fact that your numbers are limited…well I do understand the caution. The want to protect your own is something we both agree on.” Howell leaned back, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts. Mr. Remington wasn’t pleading a case for the supernaturals but in the same turn he wasn’t threatening force with them either. This he could work with as long as they stayed on the same path. “Elijah, is that alright if I call you that?” The warm oaken spiced amber liquid pooled in his tongue heating his throat. Damn that was good, but he had to be careful. Even sober he wouldn’t be able to fend off any magic from the man across from him. “Tell me more about what happens when these instances aren’t brought to justice. How are they remembered? Documented and filed away? Does the majority of council care about what happens to the human inhabitants?”