I've seen the world, lit it up as my stage now..
Shuckster
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Post by Luciano on Sept 24, 2015 5:05:35 GMT -5
In deinen Augen sehe ich den Mut, saturday, 02:21 PM den gleichen Mut des Volks meines Lands
The thoroughbred and the mistress, the curled up energy. Lips spread into a grin. Eyes surveyed the number 21 as it raced by, down the track and to the finish line. The race, was the first in a series that day and the crowd cheerfully, applauded the end, and beginning of a whole new race. The many faces in the crowd reminded him of the mistress number 21 as she rode herself on the horse to success. The horse, under her careful hands, he thought, projected the dreams of the many mortals in proximity. He glanced towards these faces, randomly, and wondered just how many thought the same way he did. The magnificent horse was power, beauty and strength and Luciano DiGrazia was a lover of the idea. Exiting the 3rd level Grandstand A, the man unbuttoned his blue blazer and placed his hands in his pockets. He began to take a short walk in the area. He was alone that day. No bodyguards, no friends... It was a beautiful, sunny and a well crowded Saturday afternoon. Children played in the playground, some were gathering up in front of a light-blue tainted icecream truck and families sat at the picnic tables in the infield having lunch. Others, stood in a circle around other racers drinking soda and munching on salted french fries as they watched the riders going about daily workouts in preparation for their upcoming races that weekend. He wondered what it would be like to live a life so simple, like some of the many locals around. Wake up in the morning, go to work, return home; dine on your wife's delicious dinner, perhaps watch what was on tv before going to bed to sleep the night away. Rinse, repeat. They don't have to lie about who they were, what they do. They don't need a cover-up job or carried immense responsibilities. Well, maybe his cover-up job wasn't a made up job after all Luciano was a sailor and he will die as one. Under his beige hat, he glancing one last time towards the horses in splendid display before his eyes. The man cocked his head to the side and continued on his journey to nowhere in particular. He just needed to stretch his legs a bit, and perchance grab a beer before going back to watch the next races. One who knew him from the outside would think that he has got everything that he needed and aside from eating high on the hog, he must have everything he could imagine to enjoy the pleasures of life, anytime he wanted, whenever he wanted. The truth is that, Luciano barely even had time to be alone with himself, excluding the time of sleep. Lately he's been riding towards an opportunity of a lone time, like the number 21 raced to the goal. Tilting his head in reminiscence of everything that he had to do in order to be free for only a day has made Luciano a worthy king of his Saturday. Bliss. It turned out that when he was deep in thoughts whilst contemplating the scenery, he found himself standing in an open clearing, at quite the distance from the crowd, the cheers and the cries of infants. This was perfect. But... in the midst of lighting an Old Gold cigarette, a lone purebred flashed on his radar as if, by magic. It stood at exactly two feet to his left. So close. He could feel the heated heavy breathing of the beast on his neck. Holding his cigarette between a thumb and a forefinger, Luciano staggered backwards. The horse in the other hand instinctively moved a few feet away, lowered its head and waved it from side to side. He knew how to handle guns, how to shed blood, fight wars and how to bring peace; survive in the heights of icy mountains and stand in defiance against the roaring sea, but, the Don didn't have the beginning of a clue on how to understand equine communication. Going back into the fiery entertainment from whence he came was not an option. The horse was on high alert. So he did what he should have done already, step back... very... slowly.
outfit: he's wearing:this
MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ
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Ante exposure card counting. Swim-up blackjack bars payoff odds.
Tourist
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Post by Nina Blackmoon on Sept 25, 2015 3:47:35 GMT -5
take care of business for me nina fanned herself with the leafs of betting tickets clasped between her fingers. her feet were kicked up on the chair in front of her, her legs straight and ankles crossed as she stared more at the shapes of clouds as they raced through the sky than the horses as they raced on the ground. she had long since gotten used to the stares thrown her way by people who believed judging the propriety of others was the very thing that made their existence better than others--rest and relaxation were her goals for the day, her one day off, and she would do as she pleased.
she raised the can of beer to her lips and sipped--her eyes closed while she soaked in the sun beating down on her skin. she could take her pick of reasons as to why she could feel eyes upon her. she was a savage, which her lineage and behavior no doubt indicated to the particularly snobby--why such a woman should not be resting her feet up in such an uncouth manner. since nina only had orders to wait for colt jackson's response to her extended offer, she felt no need to put on a front.
she often saw the appeal of adapting to societal norms--style of dress included. she would even go so far as to disclose that she appreciated the skirts, dresses, and blouses of the common style. on the other hand, the clothes that did not belong to such a category which she owned happened to be far more comfortable.
her day off was all about comfort. the announcer's hollow voice echoed in her ear drums when the winner of the current round had crossed the finished line. she tilted her head up, sliding her shades slightly down her nose to peek over their rims and examine the name and number on her last ticket. she sighed and pushed her glasses back up the ridge of her nose and rested her head once again against the back of her chair.
so she hadn't exactly gotten lucky today. but, alas money held no importance to her anymore. taurus had made her more than comfortable in her years working for them. while she was out on location all of her expenses were paid for, which meant her spending money was to be taken from the stashes she had saved over the years.
such thoughts didn't indicate she was unappreciative of her comfort. growing up on a reservation allowed her to be grateful for every luxury she received. if someone was to look at her these days, they would never guess that she grew up with virtually no money--she had looked forward to the day when she would be provided the chance to spend as though money grew on trees. now she could. so she did.
she chuckled to herself as a thought crossed her mind--see, people with bad childhoods were great for positions like hers: they were used to getting thrown around and they never got homesick.
seeing as her beer and bets were finished she decided she would find her kicks elsewhere. she was the midst of her departure through less than crowded roads--she really despised crowds--when a particular site slowed her steps to an eventual stop. she observed in amusement as the man backed away from the tense horse. if she wasn't mistaken, she knew the man from somewhere--and when she knew someone from somewhere it generally meant that they had done business at one time or another.
she leaned against the fence that surrounded the clearing, laying her arms across the top post. "i suppose i'm supposed to know how to handle this. whisper some native word to the beast that my ancestors used to subdue the horses with which they were one," she remarked in amusement. might as well beat the man to the punch before he expected such an action from her.
truth was she'd never seen a horse in her life until she left the reservation and was brought to tracks such as these for business. "sorry to say you're out of luck, pal." she didn't budge an inch, still entertained by the whole affair. of course, if the horse were to charge or attempt to damage the handsome stranger she was prepared to act quickly to help out an old business associate--even if she couldn't recall his name or what exactly sort of business she had done with him. business was business. although, this was her day off. outfit: here notes: thank you for starting! TAGGED: Luciano
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I've seen the world, lit it up as my stage now..
Shuckster
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Post by Luciano on Sept 28, 2015 1:51:14 GMT -5
In deinen Augen sehe ich den Mut, saturday, 02:35 PM den gleichen Mut des Volks meines Lands
The sky was blue and clear that afternoon but the weather forecast prophesied a depression of heat waves moving across the Nevada throughout the rest of the weekend, with possible precipitation in late afternoons but nothing was certain. Even when it rained during late summer in Vegas, it was almost always just a passing shower and more than often, only happened a day in the whole season. The gentle wind braced him up as his eyes locked on the beast. The captivating beauty was both mysterious and dangerous and the man felt unable to think clearly as he found his mind drifting away to the horse to understand it, while the beats behind his chest spoke of a man who was, enthralled. The horse must have been brought down for work, but where was the master? Somebody clearly must have failed keeping this one off the gate. Now, in unfamiliar company, the horse became irritated. Or was it the smell of cigarette smoke in the air that infuriated it? Should he run, or should he just continue backing away slowly? "sorry to say you're out of luck, pal."From a distance, Luciano thought for only a moment that his female company was none other than the owner of the horse. "Ma'am, I bet I am. How do you tell a bad luck from a bad fate?" With a sleek mild laugh, perhaps amused at his own situation too, he shouted back but hushed himself quickly in an effort to avoid drawing unwanted attention from the horse. He simpered and smirked as he gave her a second glance through the sun rays. He backed away again and paused but the horse continued kicking the ground and waving its head in a menacing way. What was the worse that could happen aside from getting a sore ass, sore hips, dislocated knees and smashed feet? Well, none of these possibilities sounded pleasant or welcoming. He had never heard of one chasing after people, but heard tons of stories about humans chasing after horses so it was only natural that a horse would find justice through violent means, in order to tell the offender that he or she, had crossed the line. So the man created as much distance as possible, between the horse and himself, and he did so without turning his back to the beast just in case he becomes the exception and the horse chases after him. Each step was measured carefully, sweeping over a dead pasture buried in dust as feet made way not only away from the horse, but towards the fence-rows where the woman stood. It was then that Luciano realized that he must have ventured into the clearing while lost in thoughts, minutes earlier. Funny enough, Luciano was the one on prohibited ground. It made perfect sense that the horse felt irritated or even threatened because, the horse never ran away; the beast was within its own territory. He traversed the open fence door and locked it for whoever must have left it open. The woman was positioned near. He took a drag and felt the smoke roll over his tongue before purging himself of the cigarette. With his palms, he wiped the invisible dust off his chest while addressing the woman, eyes on the horse. Luciano leaned over the weeded fence-rows with his right arm, two feet away from Nina. "Now do tell me stranger, was it entertaining enough for you? It was absolutely ridiculous but to a limited extent, fortunately. Don't you agree?" He turned his head at an angle where he was finally able to get a clear view at the female, giving her an occasional glimpse into his plaintiff, vulnerable eyes that certainly did not convey the same message found in the words that slipped through his lips. Somewhere within, he was laughing at the whole situation. But then, he scanned the sight before him, the dark long locks of hair framing a visage of flawless exotic beauty, each magnificent trait only outsoaring the previous, it evoked the memory of a face once forgotten until then. Suddenly, eyebrows rose as if in response to a loud sneeze of a gun nearby. "Aren't you.. Moon? Ni... Nina... Nina Blackmoon!" He cocked his head to one side and put a left hand in his pocket. He added in a serious, low-pitched voice: "You work for Michael Gray, Taurus Corporation. If I'm correct then we've had a business meeting in New York last Christmas. I'm Luciano DiGrazia, if you remember me. Small world." He didn't offer his hand for a shake but instead, gave her a small nod of the head and a simple closed-lip smile. He shifted slightly into a straight posture and turned, giving his back to the fence to seek that full eye contact with the woman. He wondered if she was alone, on vacation in Vegas, or if she was in the company of her employer himself, but while curiosity was present, he preferred to remain subtle and never ask.
Nina Blackmoon note: should be raining soon, hope she got an umbrella (; outfit: he's wearing:this
MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ
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Ante exposure card counting. Swim-up blackjack bars payoff odds.
Tourist
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Post by Nina Blackmoon on Sept 30, 2015 21:59:31 GMT -5
take care of business for me "Ma'am, I bet I am. How do you tell a bad luck from a bad fate?" She shook her head, her long black tresses tickling the frame of her face, and shrugged. She wasn't one for this sort of hypothetical, philosophical jargon--she'd leave that fluff for Michael. It wasn't so much that sort of contemplation bored her, it was only that she believed there was so much more she could be doing with her time. content aside, she supposed she enjoyed his nonchalant manner. the laugh and smile that flowed from him did not appear forced as she was certain it would be for every other man in his position. why men thought laughing through danger would hide their fear, she was uncertain.
she observed him with interest as he maneuvered himself away from the beast to the false safety of the flimsy gate. he was handsome as far as handsome went, which made it curious as to why he was out here in the company of a horse than back in the cushioned seats with the long legged beasts there. "Now do tell me stranger, was it entertaining enough for you? It was absolutely ridiculous but to a limited extent, fortunately. Don't you agree?" She eyed the cigarette in his fingers, suddenly craving one. "Do you always use so many words to say so little?" Her words weren't intended to hurt, they were merely her blunt observations--it was her day off, remember?
"Aren't you.. Moon? Ni... Nina... Nina Blackmoon!" She raised an eyebrow, a little surprised that her name had come out of his mouth. "You work for Michael Gray, Taurus Corporation. If I'm correct then we've had a business meeting in New York last Christmas. I'm Luciano DiGrazia, if you remember me. Small world." Realization slowly dawned on her. "Yes, there was burnt ham and meatballs, if I remember correctly." If she also remembered correctly Senor DiGrazia was a far more important man that she had initially pegged him for this afternoon. Of course his occupation was an openly ambiguous one, but she had spent a lifetime knowing that ambiguity hid a great deal of power--of the sordid type.
It might prove more entertaining than his dance with a horse to attempt to figure out from where his power originated. "Are you in Las Vegas for business or pleasure?" She shifted her body now to that she could face him while still leaning against the fence with once of her arms. Why anyone would choose this god forsaken city for pleasure she would never know. The heavens seemed to echo her thoughts as it rumbled. She sighed, understanding the city well enough to know that rain was not far behind those clouds that moved quickly to shroud the sun. "Perhaps we should--" Her thoughtful statement was interrupted as raindrops began to patter down on them. "Get somewhere dry..." she finished, her tone as dry as her skin once was. outfit: here notes: i hope it's okay i started the rain! TAGGED: Luciano
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I've seen the world, lit it up as my stage now..
Shuckster
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Post by Luciano on Oct 1, 2015 2:25:15 GMT -5
In deinen Augen sehe ich den Mut, saturday, 02:47 PM den gleichen Mut des Volks meines Lands
A smile upon her face, shared without hesitation; eyes fluttered upon him once again, him, her gracious host. "Tell me, is this a meeting of business... or pleasure?” She asked, his lips bared a set of perfectly white teeth as he gave her an artful smile in return. He locked his orbs with hers upon uttering the word 'pleasure', and into her green springs of beauteous pebbles his cold stormy ones plunged. A man so familiar with the word in question, it could only attract his full attention.
He poured them champagne. The tone in his voice conveyed his inner strength, a tone that commanded respect if the other wished to be respected in return. A brow lifted as he tipped a small spoon into the liquid substance of a hearty soup, the zest and spice of an Italian broth, and he held it to his mouth and paused a moment to answer. "Aristotle once said that pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work, and business is a job. Like business, pleasure comes in variant forms ... and scales. The highest, my Dear, is of an utterly ... intoxicating physical reflex and of sublime, brutal intensity! It was the sort that some made the choice not to discover, out of fear of losing touch with reality, or God."He held her gaze captive of his own and swallowed the liquid from his spoon. “So what kind of pleasure were you refering to when you asked your question, Senorita?’’ He held his spoon down and, fleetingly, a thumb rubbed the bumpy Lapis Lazuli gem decorating the spoon's handle.
Yvonne then smirked and he found himself laughing softly, almost silently for he knew how much his words must have made the chaste woman wholly, uncomfortable. His eyes floated into her springs only briefly before she lowered them to her meal, that one evening of 1940, April.---
Luciano was staring at Nina that whole time his mind drifted away in memory of an age long gone. The last image of it as he focused on Nina's question, was the way he felt when the heroine from the past stared at him in his thoughts. It had resulted in a ululating desire, resonating within the man endlessly.
The Don had a way to express through his eyes without having to utter a word. When he talked, he often played with words when he pleased, never speaking their true intent unless it was necessary. So it was not to his surprise that the dame before him considered him one who used many words to say so little. He enjoyed the words, immeasurably.
He parted his lips slightly, chest rising and falling in slow but equal rhythms. "I am here for business." He responded and it was all he said for a moment. He raised his eyes to the sky, capturing the sight of darkening clouds while the woman suggested that they go somewhere dry. A closed-lip smile glided across his lips. He was smiling because nobody else had asked him a question of business and pleasure, for seventeen years. Seventeen years...
"As you please." He responded to her suggestion as the raindrops began to assault his forehead, the tip of his nose, his cheekbones and then soon, his clothes. Any safer place from the rain would have been already crowded if they sought the same shelter as all the others. The tracks at times could still be safe for the races to continue unless the rain turned heavy for it would become dangerous for the riders to race on flooded tracks.
"But I also live here." He added, giving her an oblique glance. "It is actually good seeing you again Miss Blackmoon. I am very pleased with my purchased property in New York. I am of happy fortune." A satisfied voice rose steadily in pitch as he waved a hand towards an invisible path, leading them both into safety from the elements.
"I would like to get in touch with Mr. Gray, for a new business opportunity that he may find himself pleased to hear." Luciano wasn't sure if the woman was sticking around for the rest of the event but until she spoke otherwise, he lead them both towards the sports bar. "Are you in Vegas for business? Or should I ask... here for pleasure?" There was a clandestine smirk on his lips as he looked away to push the old west swinging doors open. From the sight inside, they were lucky to be of the first to arrive because the moment they stepped into the building, it began to pour down, heavily.
The atmosphere within was already festive in celebration of the event, although only a few private lounges looked busy. He regarded her with a questionable stare, as if asking her if the bar would do until the rain is no long, or if she wanted to go elsewhere, somewhere other than than the race park.
She was, he noticed, a woman of few words, analytical and sharp-eyed. If his memory from their last meeting was correct, Nina had given him the impression of being as cold as howling winds on a winter day at Mittenwald. Not that he minded. He had known someone who had made his life as miserably cold as that of a yeti trapped in the glacier. He thought, with a silent laugh and one could tell that he just did by the narrowing of his eyes and the slight twitch in the corners of his mouth.
Nina Blackmoon note: I hope it was okay that I moved them around. Feel free to change the setting from the bar if you have anything in mind. outfit: he's wearing:this
MADE BY ★MEULK OF THQ
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Ante exposure card counting. Swim-up blackjack bars payoff odds.
Tourist
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Post by Nina Blackmoon on Oct 10, 2015 2:48:41 GMT -5
take care of business for me Nina eyed him cautiously as silence befell him after her question had been thrown out into the space between them. She didn't think it was a question that required long deliberation, yet the man seemed quite lost in his own thoughts. Nina took the quiet moment to examine her nails. She clicked her tongue in a "tsk" at the sight of them--so many chips and she had hardly even had to use her hands since she'd returned to Las Vegas.
"I am here for business." When he finally answered she realized he was perhaps more a man of few words than she initially judged. A characteristic which she always appreciated about a man. She began walking beside him as the rain pattered down on them. She wiped some moisture from her golden skin as they walked. "But I also live here." She refrained from telling him she was sorry that was the case. She wouldn't wish living her on her worst enemy--well, no, that was a lie,it would be the perfect torture for her worst enemy.
"It is actually good seeing you again Miss Blackmoon. I am very pleased with my purchased property in New York. I am of happy fortune." She nodded, "And I am pleased to hear that, Mr. Digrazia. The Taurus Corporation always provides." She stepped carefully where he directed her. "I would like to get in touch with Mr. Gray, for a new business opportunity that he may find himself pleased to hear." She raised a brow, pleased at the notion that she'd be able to bring Taurus more business than she was dispatched to retrieve.
She nodded her head once more as they made the final approach to the bar. "Of course. Mr. Gray will be venturing out here soon from another business venture. In the meanwhile, I can help set up this opportunity, as I did the last we met."
So much for being off the clock. Well, at least she'd get some free booze out of all this. "Are you in Vegas for business? Or should I ask... here for pleasure?" She didn't answer immediately, and instead stepped through the saloon doors. She glanced over her shoulder back at him as she approached the bar, "Both." She answered.
Truly it had only been business that brought her to this God forsaken spit of desert, but she was currently trying to retain the man's repeat business and so required a bit of that impish coyness men so often liked. She sat down on one of the bar stools and removed her jacket. "Two Negronis." She ordered from the bartender. She swiveled slightly to face Luciano, "That is still your drink of choice?"
Once they received their drinks, Nina raised her glass and inclined to toward his, "To untamed beasts." outfit: here notes: i hope gave you enough! i wasn't sure what direction to take their convo! TAGGED: Luciano
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