IC: Chapter 1 - NEW YORK, Starts 12th Jan 1925

[Laraqua]

Maksim smiles at her and takes off his bowler hat, holding it over his heart. "I would love to go dancing with you," he says in a reasonably thick Russian accent. "And an adventure? What a beautiful thought. I am, as always, curious. Forgive me if I can't wait until tomorrow to hear of it though I will try to be patient."

He reaches out to grasp her hand and, if she lets him, he raises it a little, as though to kiss it, then changes his mind and gives it an awkward shake. "It is hard to tell, with a modern woman, such as yourself, what makes for the proper greeting. May we enter?"

[thewhatchamacallit]

Timour who had quickly followed his brother upstairs after parking the car shrugs his shoulders and nods a quick greeting, "If we're going, we should go. I had to double park. The traffic around here is nightmarish."

[Grafster]

Johnny paused at the door of Elizabeth's apartment.
If she were around she'd be making more noise...
Miss Downing traditionally mentioned his leg when she was inviting him to an event but wasn't planning on waiting up. Or spending the night in.

Opening the door with the spare key he'd picked up on his way out of the Downing House, he stepped inside.
Not here for long; if she stopped by at all.

Dorothy had, as usual, provided a useful chunk of information. God, or whoever, knew the woman was a tremendous gossip. He tapped out a small amount of tobacco into a paper.
Elias... Telegram... Meeting later this week...

He idly lit the cigarette and worked through the current choices.
1. Hurry out, catch up and play shadow for the evening.
I'll only get one guess, and the guess would be the Russian. Which did me good in Paris. But she didn't know half the city. And I'd be up most of the night, if not longer
2. Look up Elias
Didn't ring much of a bell. Maybe he was in Egypt? Anyway he's not in town till later. If she wanted something snooped Miss Downing would have mentioned it.
3. Get a good nights rest; show up in the morning for marching orders.
Best idea

Johnny quietly let himself out and locked the door behind him.
She'd see the cigarette in the ashtray and know he was around. And if she was too busy to notice... then I'm not needed anyway.

[coffee demon]

Andrei steps out of the bathroom, wearing the suit Elizabeth requested.

He freezes in his tracks when he sees the Russian Twins at the doorway. For a moment, he regards them with a cold stare, until he sees that both twins are watching him.

Andrei steps up beside Elizabeth and puts his arm around her. "You're coming out with us tonight, friends?" He asks. "Fantastic!" There's no use in trying to fight it, they'll come now no matter what. He is smiling, but his bright blue eyes are still boring holes in the two brothers.

On the way out the door, Andrei slaps Maksim on the back.

"So, how soon until you're leaving town?"

[OOC: Since I'm standing next to Elizabeth, (and behind her when I first see the twins), I'm assuming she doesn't see Andrei's piercing stare.]

[Laraqua]

"To go on this adventure, you mean?" Maksim asks, eyes twinkling in response. He understands what he's trying to say even if Andrei won't come out and admit it. No reason to let him off the hook that easily. "Or is this supposed to be, how do you say it? Hush hush? Your lady friend seemed excited at the time. Or is this adventure something she has not told you about?" He turns to regard Elizabeth with a calculatedly sheepish smile. "If so, I am sorry to spoil the surprise."

[coffee demon]

Andrei reverts to his easiest way of talking - polite and formal. "It would be a pleasure to have you along." He falls silent, looking lost in thought.

An adventure with Ellie would be a dream come true. With these two along, it's going to be a nightmare. I can only hope it doesn't last longer than tommorrow.

Not wanting to look stupid, Andrei resolves not to ask Elizabeth anything more about the mystery. But the suspence is killing him. Tonight, after dancing, when they're alone, he'll ask her some questions. He doesn't want to be on an equal footing as the two brothers. Ellie is HIS girlfriend, so he should be the second-in-command of this "adventure."

Andrei will try to enjoy himself for the rest of the night, and will keep a close eye on Elizabeth and the brothers. He wants to make sure they don't try getting too close with her. They can dance together, but Andrei will always be watching.

[Laraqua]

Maksim will be the perfect gentleman all night and will return Andrei's watchfulness with thoughtful scrutiny of his own. He'll attempt to persuade Elizabeth to move to a part of the room where he can hear better, only to quiz her as to the adventure she's got planned for him. He's quite keen on knowing what it might be and whether there might be a little financial reward at the end of it.

[thewhatchamacallit]

Timour alternately concentrates on his more carnal pursuits. He likes the look of Elizabeth but doesn't fawn over her like he sees the others doing. There are many amusements at the party and he has an eye for all of them.

[imme]

Elizabeth seems very excited about "The Adventure", but in response to questioning will only reveal that it's about unraveling a mystery and will likely to involve travel to exotic locations. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow" is her reply to any further questioning. "Don't you love some suspense in life?"

Her excitement is contagious, and anyone who allows himself to relax (OOC--I'm looking at Andrei, here) will have an enjoyable evening full of dancing and jazz at multiple clubs around the city. Elizabeth obviously knows where to go, and has an easy time getting in. Eventually, after many hours, she will admit to being tired and allow the Russians to escort her home, only charmingly intoxicated.

[coffee demon]

After 4 or 5 drinks, Andrei worries less about Elizabeth. As with most introverts, he becomes a bit of an extrovert when drunk.

He buys drinks for the group, shares some belly laughs with the brothers about their Russian past and experiences in New York. He dances with Ellie, sweeps her up in his arms, and whispers funny drunken things in her ear.

The rest of the night is a blur for Andrei, but when he wakes up the next morning he feels good - his brain feels fuzzy, but a lot of the stress is off his chest. As always, Elizabeth makes Andrei feel like the world is his oyster.

He drinks a cup of orange juice, dons a freshly pressed white shirt, and brushes his teeth, all the while watching the clock. He decides to show up a little early at Elizabeth's apartment with a rose for her.

[Laraqua]

Maksim wakes up in the Studebaker with only the faintest trace of a hangover, despite the copious volumes of liquour he managed to con, steal or coax from that various patrons. He finds himself sprawled across the front seats and bangs his head against the steering wheel as he groggily tries to sit up.

Wincing more from the early morning light than anything else, Maksim gets the feeling that this just isn't going to be his day. He can already imagine what tales Timour would have to tell from last night.

He yawns and checks his pocket watch. Good, he still had time to get to Elizabeth's. There were two questions, though. Did he have the time to shower and not just straighten up his clothes? And where was he?

[Raiko]

Dakota Apartments - 72nd Street and Central Park West, New York
9:00am – Tuesday 13th January 1925


Dakota Apartments

As the sun slowly rises into the clear January sky above Central Park, the temperature is still well below freezing. The park itself looks beautiful shrouded in a thin layer of white mist that is slowly being evaporated by the weak rays of the winter sunshine.

Those people who are out and about on the park and the sidewalks are well wrapped up, their breath misty in the frosty morning air.

Throughout the Dakota and the other Central Park West apartments of New York’s rich and famous the party-goers of the night before are rising from their beds. Prohibition has had little effect on the Jazz Age nightclubs of this mighty metropolis, and many of those waking now have hangovers to prove it.

[imme]

Elizabeth wakes up bright and cheerful in the morning. Russians are always so much fun. I'm glad Andrei was able to relax and have fun. Sometimes he gets in funny moods. She has some orange juice and toast and puts herself together. She notices the cigarette. Oh, Johnny must have been here. I'm sure he'll come back now that it's morning. The doorbell rings and she rushes over to answer it.

"Oh, Andrei, what a beautiful rose. Thank you. Wasn't last night a blast?"

[Decrepit]

As dawn broke, Caroline rose somewhat wearily from bed. It'd taken her longer than she'd expected to wrap up her business enough to be gone even for the day. Lord help her if she had to be gone longer than that. Hazel was an angel, but she wasn't a doctor, and she could only cover things for so long before her fickle patients with their ailments, real and imagined, found another fashionable physician.

As she drank her morning coffee, its magical properties clearing her head, she ruefully imagines what Elizabeth's head must feel like this morning. She was probably fine, actually, Caroline mused. She seemed to have a preternatural ability to imbibe without discernible negative effect. And she was doubtless with her Russian man, Andrei. Everyone knew how *they* could drink; they were practically medical prodigies. She'd be interested in taking his medical history. Purely for science, of course.

Later, dressing for the brisk weather, she hails a cab for the trip over to her friend's. She's brought only the clothes she's wearing and her ever-present medical bag. If Elizabeth needed her for more than a day ... well, Caroline would see.

She rings the bell, and after a moment is greeted by her dear friend.

"My dear," Caroline says playfully, "you look fresher than I suspect you have a right to."

[coffee demon]

"Oh, Andrei, what a beautiful rose. Thank you. Wasn't last night a blast?"

Andrei gives Elizabeth a big hug, picking her up and kissing her. "All because of you, my wild little rose! All because of you!"

Andrei helps Elizabeth make coffee in the kitchen, "Before the guests arrive and you let us all in on your little secret." He jokes with her about the hijinks of the russian scoundrels the previous night (he calls them scoundrels).

He hugs her again, making the most of the private time they have together. "I want to take you out for a nice dinner tonight, Ellie. Will we have time for that? Or are you whisking me away to Iceland this afternoon?"

[imme]

"How did you meet those fellows anyway? Iceland? Can you only think of frozen places you big, silly Russian? Think somewhere warmer ... But we won't be leaving for a few days, I'm sure. Of course we can have dinner." Elizabeth is interrupted by the door bell. "Oh!" She scurries off to answer it.

"Hello Caroline! What do you mean? I was only out late dancing the night away, as usual." Elizabeth grins and leads Caroline into the apartment. "Andrei, you remember my friend Dr. Caroline Ward, don't you?"

[Laraqua]

Maksim watches the mysterious woman rush up to Elizabeth's apartment as he walks from the parking spot he had slept in. She was an enticing sort, and apparently knew Elizabeth quite well.

He smiled, rubbing his hands, still encased within the leather driving gloves, and knocked on the door, flashing his most cheerful grin when the door is opened.

"Hope I'm not too early," he says. "What can I say? I'm a curious man."

[coffee demon]

Andrei looks over his shoulder at Caroline, where he's pouring coffee from Elizabeth's fancy new electric coffee purcolator. "Good morning, Ma'am."

He quietly pours coffee and listens to the two of them chat.

Andrei will offer any newcomers a fresh cup of coffee. He looks Maks up and down, smiles and says "You need this. Where did YOU end up last night?"

As more people arrive, Andrei politely greets/introduces himself, and quietly observes everyone from a chair next to Elizabeth's.

[OOC - Andrei often unconscioulsy uses his Psychology skill, evaluating peoples' interactions with each other, and watching their body language to see if they're nervous, comfortable, etc. If someone doesn't look comfortable, he'll make eye contact with them and give them a warm smile.]

[Laraqua]

"I ended up sleeping in my car," Maksim says, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. He turns to the woman he hadn't seen before and extends his hands, again uncertain whether to kiss it or shake it, it's hard to tell with some of these modern women and he would rather seem too modern than too traditional in front of Elizabeth. Normally it was safer not to extend a hand at all, but he liked the physical contact. Women often had such lovely hands.

"Maksim Mikhailovich Kliment Mechulaiev Drobnitsa Rukov." He felt in the mood to speak Russian and had the feeling that his name would be the closest he'd get to that. "And you are?"

[imme]

Elizabeth will direct Maksim to the bathroom, if he would care to freshen up (she is so polite that this could not possibly be interpreted as an insult). As people arrive she will make introductions and encourage conversation, gracefully stepping into the role of hostess. She will fend off any questions regarding the mysterious adventure with a polite, "I'm still expecting some others, let's wait until we have everyone."