| Details for Making Arrangements |
| Summary: | Magnus meets with Wolfgang to discuss some important business arrangements. |
| Date: | Septemeber 29, 1937 |
| Location: | Natrix Dance Hall |
| Related: | None |
| Characters |
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Formerly a restaurant and bar alone since 1850, this building has been remodeled and updated to also include a large dance floor and bandstand and stage. The restaurant still lives in that the white linen draped round tables positioned around the dance floor are catered to the best Saltimbocca dishes in England. The other regular Italian food fare is also deliciously found on the menus in the center of the table that are crystal plaques engraved and frosted so the lettering sparkles in the dim light making the script easier to read. Silver is used liberal in the decoration, the table legs, the chair legs and backs besides the green tapestry cushions are all silver. The styling beyond that is all very modern art deco. Greens and silvers prevailing. The live orchestra always always has a finger on the pulse of the crowd, they pick up tempo or slow things down with amazing empathy.
The cold fall winds of London have driven away most people from the sidewalks at this hour, although since it's a weekend, night-time establishments like The Natrix are sure to be busy enough. Magnus, holding his grey peacoat tight around his midriff (he's left his cape at home today - it tends to raise too many eyebrows in Muggle public), slips inside the dance hall and shivers once as the last of the cruel breeze prods at him. He makes his way over to the bar, and when the tender notices him and offers to get him a drink, the long-haired man shakes his head politely. "No, thank you. I'm here to fulfill an appointment with Mr. Montague."
Wolfgang is up on stage playing the piano along with the big band. He's grinning ear to ear and his eyes are closed as he's tickling the ivories, truly enjoying the act of making music and hearing the audience enjoy it and dance to it. But his revelry fades slightly when he is approached by one of his workers and a whisper is planted in his ear. He smiles and waves one hand towards Magnus. He then points towards the door to the side of the stage that'll lead the man back to his office. Then the hand returns and he finishes out the song before he himself heads to the office.
Magnus waits patiently at the bar, looking around and enjoying the pleasant sound of the music. After a moment, when the bartender asks him if he'd like a drink while he's waiting, he accepts and is given a cognac to sip on. Eventually he looks up at the stage and notices the player, and he grins in admiration. After Wolfgang's wave he stands and makes his way over to the door as directed, taking his glass of cognac with him.
You head towards The Natrix Office
There are certain rooms that, when entered, seem to amplify their contents and make everything in them seem larger than life. This is one of those. In reality its dimensions are small-to-average for an office, but the eclectic art-deco furnishings (not to mention the burnished-silver wallpaper) lend it the atmosphere of a throne room.
Everything here rebels against post-War humbleness that is typical of most of English decor: at the front of the room squat two chairs, armless and almost booth-like in their dimensions, with plush steel-gray seats and backrests. Their round wooden bases are polished to a sheen; curving black and silver stripes adorn their cushions. Between them is a short, circular wooden table with a square black base and four curving supports. The pale green carpeting is luxuriously thick and springy. In the back of the room is a desk that spans almost its entire width, monolithic of proportion and tastefully simple of design. Behind it is a tall leather executive's chair with a high back and wooden armrests carved in the semblance of snakes poised to strike. Behind that is a set of lofty glass-fronted shelves, short at the ends and tall in the middle. They draw attention to the center of the room and lend the desk an altar-like focus.
<FS3> Magnus rolls Awareness: Good Success.
Wolfgang steps into the office and gestures Magnus to one of the comfortable bench like chairs. "Mr. Troy. Please, have a seat." For himself he heads around the massive desk to sit down in his chair. MAgnus' keen eye can easily pick up that within the designs that geometrically inhance the stateliness of the desk there are runes of protection hidden very subtly within. "Now tell me, Mr. Troy. How can I help you? Before we begin though. I would like to thank you for your patronage of my establishment. I do hope that you'll find our VIP lounge more to your liking as you get deeper in your cups. There's nothing wrong with your enjoyment of the beverages served here. I just would prefer no Obliviators having to frequent the place I made promises that this place wouldn't turn into a nightmare for MAC. I'm sure you can understand that. But never mind all that. I'm sure that's not why you wanted to see me."
Magnus sits down, peering around at the eloquent room as he does. He nods appreciately, both at the design and the magic at work here, and then turns his attention to Wolfgang. "Of course, I'll be sure to make use of it in the future. As to the reason for my wanting to see you, I'm sure your man Sweeney has informed you that I am very interested in making an investment into your commercial enterprises. I've also spoken to him about providing guards for my person and around my residence, since it seems I've become something of a target for malcontents from abroad these days. There's also one other thing I'm interested in." He smiles thinly, folding his hands on his lap. "You have excellent tastes, by the way. And thank Mr. Sweeney for petitioning you on my behalf."
Wolfgang nods his head slowly as he listens and takes in what Magnus has to say. "Home security is a specialty of mine. Every home within my realty portfolio comes complete with just exactly what you are asking for. So if you are willing to include your home in my little empire. Which in contract puts the property under my control if you should ever move…along with said investing. You Mr. Troy will completely forget your troubles."
Wolfgang pulls out a stack of papers that look clean and legit and pristine even though the 'fine print' is Magnus makes Wolf a co-signer so to speak so he has control over the Watershed and can there by sell it as he sees fit when Magnus moves. It's Magnus agreeing to add the Watershed to Wolfgang's exclusive Realty Empire. It will also means that Wolfgang provides the security and protection and also will add Magnus to the benefit of being one of his clients that means that Wolfgang will hide him in one of his many properties all over the world if it is required.
Magnus nods silently to Wolfgang's explanation, then reaches out and takes the sheaf of papers. He spends several minutes looking them over, adding low 'hmms' and 'ahhs', then takes a pen from his suit pocket (no quills for someone who has to walk around in Muggle public constantly) and puts his signature to the last page with a flourish. After that, he stands and sets the papers back on the business magnate's desk. "I think this will work out splendidly. There is one other small matter I wanted to ask you about personally; I'm afraid it was a bit too sensitive to ask Mr. Sweeney about." From the same pocket he retrieves a piece of paper which he sets on the desk. Six names are written on it. "You may or may not be able to help me with this matter, but these are the names of six Muggle criminals who were recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape and murder of several civilians during a robbery spree. Unbeknownst to the Muggle authorities, however, just before they began this spree, they managed to seriously offend - and personally injure - a powerful Wizard friend of mine in France, who has asked me to help deliver these fellows to him, since they are in the hands of the British authorities." The diplomat smiles grimly. "This is not my area of expertise, however. But I thought perhaps a man such as yourself…" He trails off. "Naturally, my friend feels it is unfair that these men, guilty and dangerous as they are, should be able to live out the rest of their lives free of further punishment."
<FS3> Magnus rolls Mind + Awareness: Good Success.
Wolfgang frowns gravely at the next request. He shakes his head and reaches out to slide the paper back without looking at the names very pointedly. So that he can maintain strict deniability. "I'm not my father, Mr. Troy. I don't delve into these kind of unseemly matters. I run a club and a realty empire. Your friend has my condolences, however. Perhaps a vacation at my palazzo in Venice might be able to lift his spirits some. Do give him my card. But I keep my hands clean of such things." Wolfgang seems to have the sort of subtlety that Magnus' keen mind can pick up on. The between the lines of that whole 'scolding' sounded more like a recommendation that he see Piero Montague on the matter than it was a true scolding. But Wolfgang also wants to make it clear that they are two very different beasts and does not want any involvement in the future with such overt criminal dealings.
"Oh, I understand completely, Mr. Montague. And I thank you for your time, your aid, and… your principled words." Magnus offers the other man a grateful smile, and extends his thin hand over the desk, though he keeps a respectful distance. The gears seem to be turning in the ambassador's mind already, but that's only revealed by a slight twinkling of his pale grey eyes. "I look forward to doing business with you, and I feel a good deal safer already."
Wolfgang pulls out a quill from his desk, even though he has fountain pens and pens also around the desk. It scratches a message on a piece of stationary and as he writes the ink disappears. Then he takes one of the regular pens and writes down the address of the Watershed. Seems he's done his homework since Sweeney approached him. "Clive and Owen will be in charge of your security team." Wolfgang presses a button on his desk and a previously invisible sliding doorway slides open close to the ceiling and a very large completely white (albino) great horned owl sweeps in and Wolfgang gives the owl the invisible note with the Watershed address on it. "Two goons approach you and start talking about books, you say, "I always liked the writings of Sergei Prokofiev." They'll answer. "Yeah? Peter and the Wolf is my favorite." He smirks, "Those'll be my boys. It was very fine doing business with you. I look forward to hearing from Gringotts on the matter of your investing, Mr. Troy." The owl flies back through the opening and the button is pressed to close it back up before he finally shakes the other man's hand.
The ambassador's eyebrows arch at the appearance of the owl; clearly he's impressed. He waits until Wolfgang has finished up the process of putting his own name to the paperwork, then chuckles. "Well, I do enjoy a good Prokofiev symphony now and then." Easy to remember for him, in that case. After they've shook hands, he turns to go, but pauses at the door at the mention of Gringott's. "Oh - by the way, Mr. Montague, if you'd like, I happen to be acquainted with a goblin - Kogrod, by name - who handles my finances for me here in England. He's a smart little fellow, and if you're looking for someone who has experience making money with a… complicated history more useable. I could introduce you at some point, if you're in need of such services." He's speaking of laundering, of course, but he has no doubt the man will know what he's talking about. "Thank you again for your time." And with that, he slips back out the door and into the bright lights of the night club.