he said leave the politics to mad men.

[mightyfallen]

Who: Jack Benjamin, Nuala, Lex Luthor, and Adrian Veidt.
What: Jack meeting with each of the above, separately.
Where: Sobek Croix, Coin's End, and Spit Hearth, respectively.
When: Backdated to Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Givdi, Veerdi, and Sukkardi of last week, while fogspedition was gone.
Notes: In the interests of not spamming the comm, I'll be posting starter-comments to this post for each of the logs that need starting. IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE A JACK LOG, PLZ PM ME. :D
Warnings: Politicking?

It could be said that Jack is in a bit of a mood. The volunteer he snaps at on Mistdi would say more than that, given the chance, as would the barista who has the misfortune of putting too much cream in his Coardi-morning coffee. Those more familiar with his habits keep an intelligent distance – which he notices sometime Coardi afternoon and decides enough is enough. He has more important things to do than succumb to his own emotions. There's business to attend to, after all.

Comments

[mightyfallen]

"Mr. Luthor." His handshake is firm, maybe a little moreso than you'd expect from the ostensibly pampered politician. (But then, there's more to him than just that.) "So glad you could join me."

"How are you finding our fair city? No trouble with the tailor, I see." His smile crooks at that, amused. He does like the suit – and he likes that is suits his purposes, here. It's always easier to market someone who knows how to market themselves.

[patricide]

Lex tries not to have expectations of politicians. It usually leads to disappointment at best and unsavory actions at worst. Not that he's ever been involved in either. The handshake is accepted with a nod before he releases Jack's grip.

"Baedal is quickly becoming my own city as well," he admits. "I've got a good job with an agri sci company that's allowed for me to move out of the inn. It's not home of course, but I see no reason to waste an opportunity." Especially not tonight now that he's here.

[mightyfallen]

"No, indeed." He gives a slight smile, with a note of approval much like the last time they spoke, for Lex's unflappable ambition. Jack appreciates a certain drive.

"Shall we?" He gestures toward the event. "I thought we could start with a drink and you could tell me a little more about yourself – where you've been, where you're going." Which will presumably help him get a feel for who Lex should meet, while they're here. "Is agri sci your area of expertise, then?"

[patricide]

"Yes it is," Lex answers with a nod. "I went to school for bio chemical engineering and came back home to run a fertilizer plant of my father's company before moving up the ladder to head the agriculture division. We were currently working on real breakthroughs, breeds of various fruits and vegetables that will stay ripe longer. Seeds that would sprout in even the harshest conditions. Nothing is perfect of course, but there were definitely steps in the right direction that I'm going to look into here."

He walks with Jack in acceptance of both the drink and his offer of delving further into the event in exchange for a bit of details about himself. Food may be a simple thing, but it was an important thing, and one that he knew he could use to make strides with here in Baedal. "And you? What did you do back home before greeting bewildered travelers?"

[mightyfallen]

"War and politics, mostly. Thankfully Baedal is lacking in the former." He smiles as if he might just leave it at that, gesturing to the barkeep for a whiskey once they're inside, but that would be a little cruel. "I've spent most my life in the military, and all of it as Crown Prince of the Royal Kingdom of Gilboa – which more people seem to know as Israel, but most people don't know at all, so I'll forgive you if you don't." He'd like to know who does, however, thus the title drop. Better to get that out of the way, he thinks, if it's going to be an issue.

Of Lex's career, he adds with a slight gleam in his eye, "You'll be very popular with a background like that, you know; limited resources make people very keen on making the most of their efforts."

[patricide]

"I know of Israel," Lex says, "but you're right. I don't know of anything regarding a kingdom." He realizes that they most likely come from different worlds but it still chafes a little to be ignorant on what should be familiar.

At Jack's remark about popularity Lex regards him with a wry look of appraisal. "Judging by your invitation I'm sure you know that I would be lying if I said that the prospect doesn't appeal to me. Though my projects aren't simply idle talk, and they may take a while to come to fruition, but I want to show the city what I can do. People will always need food and I want to be someone who can provide."

After watching the barkeep hand the two men a glass Lex returns his look to Jack. "What I'd like to know is what the city can provide for me in return."

[mightyfallen]

Jack suspects, if Lex knows of Israel, he may be able to connect more than he thinks (the name Israel doesn't come from nowhere, after all), but he waves a hand, dismissing it. It's only a useful connection to make if it's meaningful to the other party; otherwise it's dangerous – his biblical portrayal is rather violently anti-polytheistic, after all – and he'd just as soon not.

"That is the question. And the answer is," he responds smoothly, bringing his drink to meet the smile on his lips, "Everything."

"I thought we'd start small, though. See what you get up to with the right connections – and a little independent funding, if we're lucky. How does that suit you?"

weghpohqgqwg[jperb sorry for such a late tag!

[patricide]

Lex finally cracks a hint of a smile, tight lipped and hardly noticeable, but it's there. Everything was precisely what he wanted and what he knew he was capable of getting here or anywhere else. There was no reason he couldn't continue his research that would benefit society at large and make a name for himself while doing so.

"It suits me quite well," Lex says taking a sip from his glass and proceeding to regards its contents. "Though I'm sure you can understand my desire to learn more before I agree to anything on a handshake." He returns his attention to Jack, shifting his position a bit closer. His tone is perfectly cordial, even friendly, but there is no mistaking his reserve. "You know what I want. What is it that you want in return?"

IT'S COOL, this is a slow tag party

[mightyfallen]

For all that Jack's smiles come easily and completely devoid of sincerity, he can appreciate the subtler variety.

"Aside from your fortune, your firstborn, and your immortal soul? I hadn't decided." Which, teasing aside, he realizes is not the most comforting answer, but he has the upper hand in this particular exchange; he doesn't have to be comforting. Out of respect for Lex's intelligence, though, he can be reasonably straightforward. "I'm a politician, Mr. Luther, it suits me to have friends in a variety of places."

Friends who owe him favors, doubly so. He figures Lex can put that much together himself.

[patricide]

"My fortune is inaccessible from this city, I don't intend on having children, and I'm pretty sure any soul I had left me a while ago." He returns the teasing comment easily, both as a means of easily adapting to the tone set in front of him and putting the ball back in Jack's court.

Lex is no stranger to exchanging favors and this opportunity is certainly one that he doesn't want to pass up. For as much as he wants to climb up the social ladder in the city, there is no way he is going to turn over complete trust in Jack. A certain amount of caution however, could afford to be sacrificed. Life was nothing without risk after all.

"So. How do I go about staking my claim in one of these places, friend?" Jack wasn't finished fulfilling his end of the deal. If Lex was going to be owing anybody any favors he was damn sure going to squeeze out all he could of the agreement.