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Post by Countess on Aug 22, 2024 0:26:24 GMT
Matias wakes suddenly and without any warning. His hair stands up at the back of his neck, Instinct screaming that something is wrong. He doesn't know what- he just know that it is. He takes deep breaths, panting as if woken from a nightmare. Sweat gleans on his skin. Yes, something is terribly wrong. He can feel it, deep within him.
Good. Something to hunt.
Matias' home is peak home security, but even he understand there will be those who can bypass it. There is nothing he can do, there are powers and plots that he could never prepare for. There will always be blind spots, always those who want something more than his ability to protect. That's fine. This is his home. Whoever this intruder is... they have gone deeper than they could have anticipated.
Matias moves some pillows, making a dummy person for anyone who might glance in the room, then starts stalking through his home. He is quiet, deathly so, as he prowls for the possible intruder.
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Post by Nomz on Aug 22, 2024 6:07:07 GMT
Felicia, always knowing better than to celebrate a mission not yet complete, smirks to herself as she slinks into the rather expensive residence. If she were to squint her eyes just a little, this heist would look like any other. There is a priceless artifact in this home of Aztec origin. All she has to do is find it and get out.
Quick. Easy. Simple.
Of course, there is more to that. Black Cat sticks close to the shadows as she moves down a long hallway, long white hair pulled back in a ponytail. She considers each step carefully before pressing forward. The artifact only holds meaning due to who she's stealing it from. This home happens to belong to the owner of a rather large security firm and there is something so deeply, terribly pleasing about stealing from people who sell security.
While no sound comes from them, Felicia can't help mouthing the word 'almost' to herself. In and out. 20-minute adventure for a lifetime of bragging rights.
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Post by Countess on Aug 22, 2024 23:53:00 GMT
Matias can feel the interloper in his home as if they were touching him. Little steps, quiet and careful, stalk his halls, and he meets it in kind. They have foolishly decided to come into his home, and he would make sure they pay for that mistake in blood. He grins, teeth glinting in the meager light of the evening. The moon calls to him, urging him on.
There- he can smell them. They were here recently. The smell of their soap, the smell of their clothes, some sort of bird dandruff...
Matias continues his hunt, renewed. He follows the scent, just as quiet as his quarry. They are good- if Matias had been anyone else, this would have been an easy hit for them. He wonders what they want- already they have passed multiple expensive art pieces, a hidden wall safe, luxury goods... There is a hint of respect in him; his prey is a professional. They have done research, and they are here for something specific. Does it have to do with his company? They could be looking for information on STS... or perhaps his little side project.
That wouldn't do. Not at all. He lives a carefully constructed double life, and would have to do very terrible things if his secrets were exposed to anyone in any capacity.
Matias stalks his prey, moving towards the his office. There is art in there, rare books, some artefacts, but also his computer.
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 0:18:02 GMT
Felicia suppresses the urge to hum under her breath as she examines the windows in the office with her eyes only. Double layering and just the faintest bit of a wave to the glass sheets, it would make sense that such an important man would have bulletproof glass. If she had been a shooter on a nearby rooftop, she doubts she would have noticed and she just hopes that it isn't glass-clad polycarbonate. That glass is resistant to blunt force.
The cat shakes her head and turns back to the room at large now that she's decided that the windows in the room are not suitable for a secondary escape plan. Learning how to revise her plan on the move is a skill that has kept all 9 of her lives intact.
Right, she thinks to herself as she turns back to the bookcase on the far side of the office itself, I've already been here too long. Felicia tightens her gloves as she walks up to the terrible heavy shelving. The only issue now was picking which item to take. It would need to be something that Mr. Jacinto would not notice right away, but still something that they would both know belongs to him.
Her hand closes around a small statue, pulling it down for closer examination. It only drew her eye for its obvious age and for the fact that it lacked any dust.
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Post by Countess on Aug 23, 2024 0:29:53 GMT
There... she... is. Dressed like a cat, much to his pleasure. She is pilfering through his things, more like a perusal than something pointed. Interesting. He sticks to the shadows, letting them swallow him and his large, imposing size. The man is curious now- she's gone to great lengths to get here, and is looking at one of the least expensive objects in the room. There is a necklace, a priceless piece of Aztec gold, not two shelves away from her and the statue she has in her hands.
She isn't going to leave here with anything unless he wills it. What kind of look would that be for him, his company, if he were stolen from, however? Should he make an example of her? Should he catch her, trigger all of his security, and let his company speak for itself? He puzzles over this, still rather hidden from her.
Small thing, isn't she? He fears he could break her if he plays too hard. For now, Matias watches her, following her steps, following her gaze... He wants to know why she is here, then he will do something about it. If she is just a... cat burglar she chose so very poorly in coming here.
Matias waits for the perfect moment to strike, all of his muscles tensed, ready to pounce.
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 0:41:02 GMT
Pale hair shifts as she tips her head, turning the small figure over in her hands, before nodding to herself. Yes. Felicia doesn't need anything terribly expensive. The monetary value has long since stopped being a factor in her field trips. After all, she is a rather wealthy woman by her trade and her father's.
Practiced movements have her tucking the object into a pouch on her hip and she dusts her hands, reaching out to pull out one of the books nearby. Slowly, she tugs it down until it is clearly lying flat on the shelf and out of place. Satisfied that this would likely draw his attention, Felicia steps away from the shelf and nods to herself.
It is all about the message. A grin slips her pretty little face as she tries to imagine the man's confusion when he realizes something is missing and that he has no idea who took it. Yes. The thrill of the job pumps in her veins and she has to force herself to calm back down.
It's time to leave. The cat turns on her heel back towards the door she came into the room through. Half-way done.
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Post by Countess on Aug 23, 2024 0:52:35 GMT
"My grandmother gave me that," Matias murmurs, stepping out of the shadows to close the door that would be her exit. "I had just joined the military. He is the patron saint of soldiers," he murmurs. "Saint Michael," he continues, taking a single step towards her. He has a horribly menacing air about him, the kind of thing you feel when a jaguar is staring you down, and there is nothing stopping it from putting your head in its jaws and... clamping down.
"You've had your fun. Put it back, before I make you put it back. You've gotten far, further than anyone else in fact, so I am offering you the respect of an out. From one professional to another. If you don't take my offer... well..." Matias says, taking yet another step closer. He oozes danger, predatory danger. He is a man who kills, likely takes joy in the act. His eyes glint devilishly like he does.
"I will do everything in my power to force you to give it back, and I would hate for you to break one of those pretty little claws, pussy cat."
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 1:01:22 GMT
Too many years of dealing with Spiders popping out of the dark like a bunch of hatchings keep Felicia from jumping at the sound and sight of Matias. That does nothing to keep her heart from pounding in her chest both in surprise and thrill. Oh, it has been so long since she's been caught in the act.
"Saint Michael," she replies with a warm voice, not unlike one you would use when talking to an old man, "Is also the patron saint for the sick and dying, isn't he? Are you going to tell me you're either of those as well?"
For every step forward he takes, she matches with one going backward and slowly inching to put his desk between them. Still, she engages in talk even as she practically oozes confidence and elation.
"Make me put it back? Why, that doesn't sound half as fun as your handsome face promises it would be. What kind of man threatens to break a lady's nails, hm?"
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Post by Countess on Aug 23, 2024 2:37:02 GMT
Matias can hear her heart, smell the adrenaline. It makes him antsy, anticipatory, waiting for her to make the wrong move. Her fear is delicious, and he wants more than a mere taste of it.
“We are all dying, pussy cat. Some sooner than others,” Matias says, low and almost like a growl. She’s promising to be a fun time, a little diversion in this hum drum life of his. He keeps walking towards her, not caring about the desk between them. He puts his hands on the desk, leaning over it with a sinister smile. She doesn’t know what a gift she is to him.
“Fun for me, Gatita. That I assure you. I’m the kind of man that protects what’s his, and you… are a threat to that. Please tell me we are doing this the hard way. I really love the hard way,” Matias murmurs to her, and the dread in the air increases exponentially. It’s almost like she’s fallen into a horror movie, and she isn’t the Final Girl.
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 2:56:02 GMT
There is a twist, somewhere low in her stomach and under the adrenaline. A hiss of instinct demanding she heeds its calling, it's warning, in this moment. Everything about him is screaming Danger! Threat! Predator! Felicia shows it further down where she can't hear it.
Her lips purse as he leans over the desk, the corners of her lips trying to pull into a frown. She swallows around the knot in her throat, "Maybe, we don't play the hard way, hm? You seem a little...dangerous for just a businessman."
Felicia glances at the bookshelf that she took the statue from before meeting his gaze again. She licks her lips before trying to talk again, "I just put it back, right?"
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Post by Countess on Aug 23, 2024 3:06:04 GMT
Matias’ hands on the desk clench into fists on the desk. Damn. He really wanted the hard way. He listens to her, doing everything he can to suss out if this is a trick, a ploy, a trap. Fuck, he wants it to be. He wants to know what it sounds like when his flesh connects with hers, that dull thump of pain.
“That’s right. Just put it back. I won’t hurt you if you do,” Matias says, simmering now. He can pull back. Let her make her decision. Better this than pulling her teeth out of his knuckles.
“I am not just a businessman. Military, Green Beret. Over a decade.”
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 3:18:58 GMT
It kills her pride so very dearly as she shies away from him, watching his hands form fists on the desk. Every bone in her body is begging her to just put the stupid statue back and put as much distance between him and her as she possibly can. Instinct is such an overwhelming force even when one tries to shove it into the darkest corner to be ignored.
"Yes, sir." And there is a tremble in her voice, head ducked just a little bit. Submission from a smaller cat to a larger cat. Felicia takes a step towards the bookshelf before pausing, checking both for permission and to see if he'll come closer to her. Skittish best describes her. "You'll stay there? I'll put it away and be gone, okay?"
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Post by Countess on Aug 23, 2024 12:28:48 GMT
"That's a good Gatita," Matias praises. "But you can call me Matias. You've been in my home, why not have that level of familiarity?" he murmurs, a hint of amusement in his tone. She is playing nice for now- so shall he.
"I am many things, but I am most of all a man of my word. I will not hurt you, if you do not steal from me. That being said..." Matias says, shifting so instead of leaning over the desk, he is now leaning onto it in a partial sit. "If this is about money, I would like to hire you. Under the table, of course. If this isn't about money... I would still like to have your expertise. You got into my home, after all. No castle is impregnable, but breaking in like this is not what I excel at. You could show me weaknesses in my work, or weaknesses in others' that I can improve. You clearly take direction well..." Matias says, smirking a bit. He is almost charming now, the aura of fear he had before waning.
"I think we could make a great deal of money together. I also think we could play this game you've started just a little bit longer...." he murmurs. "I know a lot of rich people with expensive little things. I'm still not sure why you do this- but then why does anyone climb Mount Everest?
"Because they can."
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 14:11:52 GMT
"Gatita? You'll have to tell me a bit more about that word, Viejo. Was always told I should have paid more attention in Spanish 1," Felicia teases almost automatically as some of her confidence slinks back like a cat in the night. She shifts another inch towards the shelf as he speaks, giving him as wide of a berth as physically possible. If she could stick to the walls instead, she honestly would.
Stupid Spiders.
"It isn't about the money," she answers honestly, nose wrinkling just a bit. If she's honest, she thinks he knows she was trying to send a message. Or, she hopes he does. Her opinion of him seems to rest on which way the scales tip on that. Felicia takes a full step towards the bookshelf now, keeping her eyes pinned to him and her back to the wall. He said he wouldn't hurt her, but she knows not to trust someone who caught her in the act.
"Don'tcha run a security firm? Sounds like yer lookin to set me up or maybe yer just another crook like the rest of the men in the city." And isn't that interesting? Whatever he's got her feeling has her accent coming in harder than before.
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Post by Countess on Aug 24, 2024 1:47:40 GMT
Matias smirks a little, body shaking just once as he huffs a laugh. Viejo. He isn't going to give her the benefit of any doubts, nor is he going to answer her stupid question. He can feel her bravado, he can hear her heart slowing now that she has some sense of safety. If she does anything to make him think she is no longer trustworthy... he will take that safety away.
"Crook?" Matias says, chuckling now. "No... no I am not like them, I will never... be like them," Matias says, growling the words. "I only make five times as much as my lowest paid worker. You damn better believe Hector deserves that pay, he keeps my buildings clean. He has healthcare, on par with Tricare, and leave up to six weeks. Not only that, he, along with everyone else in my company, can take fourteen weeks off should he have a child. Crook... you call me a crook..." he says, starting to growl more.
"I have lawyers, accountants, mental health officials, daycare, furthering education scholarships, benefit after benefit at no cost to my employees... I am bleeding money, making sure the people under me are taken care of... and still, last year, I became a billionaire. You know what I did with that money?" Matias asks, starting to get a little angry. "I donated half of it to various philanthropies, paid off medical debt, paid off college debt of strangers... I pay my fair share of taxes, Gatita. You think me a crook?"
Matias simmers, just a little. "They are, though. These people who step on the necks of others to get to where they are, exploit the working class for their own benefit, find every loophole not to pay taxes, pay off every official they can with bribes to get the legislation they want passed... passed... so they can rape the people of this country, suck them dry of every asset they have... not to mention other countries, with less laws protecting workers, less wages paid to each person, slave labor to get the clothes on your back and the chocolate in your Hershey's bar...
"It has always been about the money."
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