Mark stood in the Foyer of Ballo Del Notte waiting for his meeting with his Priscus. In one hand was a bottle of Wine. A very good bottle of wine. He had hoped it he could find an older bottle or a more classic vintage but this bottle was very good. The wine is a Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito 2003. His wine guy told him it was a very good vintage despite its youth.

The look on Mark's face was on of nervousness. He had not spoken with his Priscus since his screw up at new years and he was worried that she was still unhappy at him.

Twist walked out of door tucked back in the corner with Kalos. As she talked up to the taller man he nodded steadily, taking in whatever she was saying with a stoic face. Her eyes flickered to where Mark stood before she returned her gaze to her ghoul. Finishing her conversation with Kalos well before they reached Mark, Kalos nodded one final time and split off from Twist so that when she reached him she was alone.

She was dressed in a black tailored suit that hugged every curve she had. Its jacket had only one button and the low cut rich purple blouse under it was only a few shades from black itself. The top of her hair had been braided back in 2 french braids strung through with purple thread, but the bottom half fell in soft waves. A purple velvet mask, embroidered with black scroll work was tied around the top half of her face.

"Deputy Connelly" she intoned with a brief smile, "I am glad you could make it."

"Priscus, Thank yah for the invitation. Ah gift. Its is a bottle of Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito from the Umbria Region of Italy. Where my mother was born." Mark held out the gift to his Priscus. He spoke the name of the wine as someone who has experience with the language but not a fluent speaker. "Ah am, of course, aware of our inability to drink such ah drink but Ah felt it was both polite and necessary that Ah bring you ah gift as an apology for my behavier on New Years."

Twist's eyes widened marginally in surprise as she accepted the gift. "I was unaware that you had roots in Italy." She smiled as she looked down at the bottle in her hands, "Grazie". Unlike him, her Italian was fluent, and it was apparant even through the single word of thanks. She returned her focus to Mark with a small nod, noting that it was in apology for New Years. "Please- we can talk with more ease in my office." She spread an arm indicating he walk with her to said location.

Once there she motioned to one of the seats, as she set the wine down and took a seat herself. "I hope the evening finds you well?" she asked as Mark made himself comfortable.

Mark kept his best manors. Sitting after she did and giving a small bow as she said thank you. "Mah Father was full blood Irish, Mah Mother was full blood Italian. What ah near psychotic pair they were." Mark says with a smile. His tone was jovial when he spoke of his parents, he has love for them.

"As far as my night, its ... I've had better, but Ive had worse as well. Thankfully it is improving." Mark did not want to bring up the Union or any of his woes with the prince. It was not Twist's problem and he did not want to sound like he was running to mommy for help.

Twist returned the smile, but it lacked true understanding. She didn't understand what part of his mother being Italian had to do with her being part of a psychotic pair. The Irish- yes...but the Italian?

She ducked her head for a brief second, "I am glad to hear that it is improving." When she raised her head she had a smile in thanks for the compliment she heard. She fixed her dark eyes on him,"I imagine you must be curious as to why I wished to speak with you. I understand you are looking to expand your own business ventures in Sacramento?"

Oh shit...

"Yes Priscus Ah am. Ah have made an error though. Ah neglected to get his majesties permission before purchasing mah business. And now my doors sit closed while Ah wait for an audience with him." Mark explained still not dropping the polite tone in his voice.

"What sort of business did you purchase?" Twist asked, a curious look on her face.

"A Bar, The old Tartarus. Turned it into a pub, calling it the M.C. Union. Its a small hole in the wall kinda place but Its got a private room for meetings and a small kitchen." Mark explained to his Priscus.

"A bar?" Twist made a small moue of displeasure at it. "From the... Tartarus?" Her eyebrows drew together as she tried to recall what the Tartarus was.

"Yeah Ah don't know what it was first but for a Short time it was owned by Ronald Tapps and he was in the middle of making it into a bar when he left." Mark explained "So it was basically half a bar when I purchased it."

Twist lifted one shoulder a hair and let it drop, "I am unfamiliar with the man and the place it seems." She blinked and fixed her gaze on Mark, her eyes dark and shadowed in the holes of her mask. "Why another bar?- I understand that half the work was already done, but the city already has multiple successful bars. Are you sure that you want to go up against that?" *Are you sure you want to go up against Asa Clark and the Millar House?* Twist's thoughts echoed, but she didn't voice the obvious underlying meaning to her query of Mark.

"Yeah but its the only Irish Pub in town. And to be honest Ah am not trying to go up against anyone. Priscus, Ah understand you have something to do with the business of the Avalon. And Ah am not trying tah compete with that. Some people just want tah go somewhere that they can sit and have ah quiet pint and chat. Ah don't think there is another bar in this town like that. The Avalon is way to ritzy for my clientele, Reverence is not the type of bar that most of my down to earth customers are gonna go to. Raven is a biker bar. Inferno is ... well yeah. This town has a bar for every type of people but it doesn't have a small hole in the wall place that people can go and feel like family. And that is what I am trying to do. Again Ah need to say In no means am ah trying to take away your customers." Mark explained.

"That is good to know." Twist said softly, almost absently as she listened to Mark explain. "Something to do with the business of the Avalon"...did he really not understand what her involvement with the club was? Houses were Invictus by nature, but if he didn't understand that, then maybe he knew less of the covenant than she assumed. That would explain his slips ups. But that would mean that he wouldn't truly understand her message now. She was not worried about customers, or his concept bar taking them away. She was reaching for a different goal.

But it seemed that she wouldn't reach it as his Priscus.

"It sounds like a nice concept" she said lightly, "I've never been interested in running bars myself. That is why I leave the management of ours to the Prince and Harpy. But I am even less interested in running a car wash." She blinked again, and tilted her head slightly to look at Mark. "Have you ever been interested in running a car wash Deputy?"

Mark's face was blank but stunned, Damnit I am a fucking idiot... I should have fucking known...

Then this bit about the car wash, "Um Ma'am I am a bit thick in the skull, if I may ask could you please be forward with me. I don't understand?"

Twist's lips made another moue at the title he afforded her, but she managed to refrain from narrowing her eyes in distaste. "I don't at all believe you to be thick in the skull," she said with a small smile, chasing the prior look away and calling his bluff. "I will be more straightfoward though. It was felt that your business talents could be put to better use in the car washing industry, rather than in the bar business."

Twist paused to let this sink in before continuing, a reassuring smile aimed at Mark. "As I said, I personally have never felt the calling to run a car wash. I also highly doubt any Daeva would- I wanted to check with you first though. Sometimes there are a few who will surprise you." She gave another small shoulder shrug, as if to say that there was no accounting for some people's taste. "When I brought this fact up, after all- I don't want to see any my clan forced to suffer when I can help them not to, a different alternative was suggested. You said you wanted to have a place where people could feel like family? This is good- I think a bowling alley would be an excellent place that could have that family atmosphere you are looking for." She smiled a reassuring smile at Mark and waited to see his reaction. To see if he understood this time what she was saying.

"Ma'am, is this basically the Prince telling me, through you, that Ah can't open mah bar? Mark asks with a rather bewildered look on his face.

Twist winced, and fixed Mark with a steady gaze. "See- I told you you weren't thick in the skull."

"Is this a Permanent thing? Or some kind of punishment? The Prince putting me in time out and if I go and run your Car Wash or your bowling ally for a while you will let me have my bar?" Mark asked never loosing his polite tone...

Again, a single shoulder lifted and dropped. "I do not know the answer to that," she replied, an apologetic tone filling her voice. She then shook her head slightly, "Not my car wash or bowling alley- yours. The Prince didn't want to cut back you owning a business so he was going to give you permission to open a car wash. I," she paused to search for the right word, "thought that as a Daeva you wouldn't like this so much and a compromise was reached. Thus the bowling alley. You can still serve alcohol if you so choose, but it will not be considered a bar."

Mark thought for a minute or two... "Priscus, Ah've an Idea. Ah would be more then happy to open ah bowling ally or ah car wash. But how about this, Ah convert the Union into ah Restaurant. Ah will also ask you to be mah partner, As an apology for the issue at the Avalon and out of Respect to You, Mah Priscus, and His Majesty."

Twist shook her head only a few moments after Mark finished speaking. "As I said- the bowling alley was a compromise. Further clarification is that there was haggling to reach it. My first suggestion was a restaurant. That was denied." She paused, thinking. This was turning out to be more difficult that she had imagined. In the end she decided not to touch on the partnership offer, it was moot anyways. Instead she spread her hands and although her tone was again apologetic for his loss, her eyes were steady and resolute. "I'm sorry. The time for negotiating is done. I have done the best I could for you."

"Very well then, Have a good night." and with that Mark stood and turned to leave the office.

Twist stood, moving to walk Mark to the door. She wasn't surprised that Mark wanted to make a quick retreat. She had just given him very bad news. She wouldn't want to hang around herself.

"Thank you. I wish you the same Deputy."

With a somber look Mark gives a small bow and leaves the Office, he then finds his way out of Ballo Del Notte. Mark saddles up on the Ducati's and rides off into the darkness. Mother Fucking Bureaucratic bullshit. The evil bitch was right, shouldn't have set down roots, Should've just kept riding...