Frigidus Castle (CVnU location)

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Beremud

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#1  Edited By Beremud
No Caption Provided

Located in the craggy peaks of the German Alps, Frigidus Castle has long been the ancestral home of the Beremud family. Originally a Roman mountain outpost, it has been remodeled, rebuilt, and modernized so many times throughout the centuries that it now bears no resemblance to its original construction. Now a thoroughly modern building, Gunther Beremud uses it as his own private retreat and research facility, its isolated location making it ideal for both purposes.

The castle is not an easy location to reach. For starters, it is not listed on maps or directories, and a few well-placed bribes have ensured that it is unknown to even online map services and GPS devices. Getting there by ground travel involves negotiating a twisting and confusing series of ill-maintained mountain roads (most of which present no directional signage), and the few locals that call the area home are notoriously hostile to strangers, as well as extraordinarily superstitious about the castle itself, refusing to speak of it. Getting there by air is a much more direct route, but the savage mountain winds make this difficult, or even impossible, during stormy periods, which are frequent.

However, those few trusted individual to whom Gunther has granted guest rights will find that their reception is anything but medieval. The first floor of the castle is largely occupied by various offices and a comfortable lobby and reception area for official business. The second floor is much less formal, and includes spacious and elegant guest suites, as well as recreational facilities and an old-fashioned ballroom for entertaining. The floors above this are much more restrictive, the third being given over entirely to living quarters for Gunther and his closest friends and relatives, and the rest being reserved for “special purposes” (such as data farms, records rooms, and laboratories which require access to the open air).

The lower levels are completely off-limits to visitors, but hushed whispers among the less-discreet staff members seem to indicate that occasionally disturbing sounds and smells drift up from below, and periodic power surges seem to have their source, there. It seems that anywhere that Gunther Beremud sets up shop, shady dealings follow…

To protect his privacy, Gunther employs a private security force of highly-trained professional guards. Each member has some form of military or law-enforcement background, and is paid well to follow the commands of their employer without question. They use a variety of lethal and non-lethal weaponry, as the situation warrants, and are all skilled hand-to-hand combatants, though individual styles vary.

Other security measures include highly-trained attack dogs used to patrol the exterior grounds, video surveillance (including night-vision and infrared cameras) motion sensor-activated automated gun turrets, and retinal scanners securing all doors to sensitive areas. The roads to the castle are carefully monitored, both by human and technological means, and a radar station in the castle’s tower ensures that aircraft without stealth capabilities cannot approach unnoticed.

No Caption Provided

Rules

  • This is a largely restricted location; visits are by personal invitation of Beremud only, and visitors will largely be restricted to the first, second, and (very rarely) third floors, unless Gunther has reason to personally escort them elsewhere.
  • If you decide to infiltrate (or if you are a guest who is inclined to snoop), please sell. Outsiders will have to do a good bit of detective work to even locate and make their way to this location, and the security is state-of-the-art.
  • If you want to have an interaction here with Beremud, shoot a PM to Inner_Demon.

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Trinity-Blue

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I want in.

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_Goliath_

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The hell are the dogs gonna do if I want a new baseball bat?

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Beremud

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_Goliath_

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@beremud: I'll bring my avatar ring for them to play with. I'll just fix up a giant bouncy ball for them and throw it somewhere.

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Trinity-Blue

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@beremud: Can't sayyyyy! It's a secret for now.

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Beremud

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_Goliath_

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@beremud: d^_^b

Yeah @superstay, come at me bro.

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Lena_Dante

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Hot damn!

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Amaranth

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Awesome thread.

Also, I must point out that I LOVED the image.

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Beremud

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DwRonin

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This is pretty badass

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Beremud

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superstay

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Beremud

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@lena_dante:

Gunther stood in his penthouse suite, glaring out the window at the picturesque Alps, oblivious to his decadent surroundings. A forgotten scotch sat on the coffee table, and the large-screen television mounted to the wall played an ignored news broadcast. To many, merely having such a sumptuous lifestyle would have been the achievement of their life’s ambition, but Gunther Beremud was not many, and his mood was dark.

He had been forced to abandon his operations in Gothic City, leaving a large portion of his life’s work to the none-too-tender mercies of the lawless mobs that now overran it. Stark’s subsequent announcement that the city was being declared a no-man’s land had confirmed his suspicions: the president had never intended to intervene in the situation, and had ordered him to resist the attackers knowing full well that they would eventually be overrun. He had ultimately fled the city, leaving behind the halfway house that served as the front for the nerve center of his entire operation.

Well, he was many things, but a silent martyr was not one of them. If he was to suffer losses from this debacle, he was going to ensure that he wasn’t the only one. Snatching his phone from where it sat next to his forgotten drink, he opened his browser and, after a few moments of searching, found what he was looking for. Dialing a number, he was connected to voicemail account, and began leaving a message.

“Hello, Ms. Dante. We have never officially met, but I am a devoted fan of your work, and was hoping that I might be able to help you advance it…”

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Lena_Dante

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@beremud:

“Lena, you know he’s gonna have a problem with this one.” The voice of reason, as always, Gabriel Pierce looked briefly over his shoulder as he expertly piloted the sleek aircraft that was currently carrying Lena towards her destination.

She zipped up the insulated white parka around her as they approached airspace surrounding Frigidus Castle. “You know that I don’t care at this point, Gabe. His worries are rooted in parental concern, and I’m past the age where he had any purview over those actions. He can huff and puff all he wants, it’ll have no effect on my decision, especially not at this point.”

The thirty-one year old former black ops specialist just breathed an exasperated sigh, knowing full well that arguing with this particular woman, or attempting to introduce logic that didn’t compliment her own, was akin to arguing with a brick wall. “You can have that conversation with him, then.”

“Of the two of us, I’m not the one here who’s afraid of my parents and finds that thought intimidating.” The corner of her mouth ticked up in a smirk before she wrapped an encompassing face warmer around it, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous gleam.

It was an additional forty-five minutes before the paragon of perfection arrived at Frigidus Castle. The white parka was taken for her as she was lead into the luxuriously decorated abode. As somebody well acquainted with the lap of luxury, this estate was truly exemplary. Alas, the underlying current of nefariousness was something that her instincts simply could not ignore.

“He will be with you shortly.” The rail-thin butler lead her to a small sitting room, where she declined a seat and remained standing.

The expansive paned windows overlooked a truly breathtaking view of snow-topped mountains, untouched by the dinginess of human nature.

Bedecked in skinny white jeans, a form-fitting black Alexander McQueen turtleneck, and black winterized boots that hit just below the knee, Lena looked every inch the always put-together public relations representative that she was, her face the public vision of Avalon.

Her presence had been requested, and considering that she had found absolutely nothing on the figure who had requested it, Lena could do nothing else than appear, feeding her dangerous need to sate curiosity.

Declining to take a seat, she grasped her hands loosely behind her back, surveying the impressive view before her.

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Beremud

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@lena_dante:

Gunther observed her aircraft as it approached the castle, handled by an obviously skilled pilot. His surveillance cameras followed her as she entered the castle; he watched as his attentive servants greeted her, and observed her stance for a few moments, subconsciously gauging her mood, before heading to the sitting room where she waited. His suit was well-tailored, if not particularly formal, and his polished shoes produced light footsteps on the marble floor as he entered, closing the door behind him to ensure a degree of privacy.

“Welcome to Frigidus Castle, Ms. Dante,” he said as he stepped forward, a practiced smile upon his lips. Though Gunther had never considered himself an especially striking man, he took great pains to ensure that his appearance was always impeccable. “I am Gunther Beremud. Allow me to thank you for agreeing to come to this rather remote location on such short notice.” Taking her hand in his, he raised it to his lips and kissed it chivalrously. “Please forgive me if this seems too forward, but you are even more lovely in person than you are on the television, something I would not have thought possible.”

“But where are my manners?” he continued with a laugh. “You must be tired, and have more than a few questions. If you are not pressed for time, I have prepared my finest guest suite for you; you are welcome to take some time to refresh yourself, and the kitchen staff should have dinner prepared, shortly. I find it best not to discuss business on an empty stomach.”

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Pyrogram

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Lena_Dante

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Pyrogram

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Lena_Dante

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@pyrogram: It's good to want things. Helps build character :D

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Beremud

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@pyrogram: We're planning a superhero date auction.

For charity.

0:)

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The_Last_Samurai

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Lena_Dante

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@beremud:

The blazing oranges and golds reflected off the snow as the sun set below the mountainous horizon, providing a streaky glow. Lena had been set up in the most luxurious of suites, an accommodation that she was well acquainted with, but nothing shook the feeling that she was not simply a guest here.

“Gabe, it’s going to be...an extended meeting. I hope you brought something to entertain yourself with.” The speaker of her gold iPhone 5s picked up her melodic voice as she adorned a set of sleek and understated black pearl earrings.

The resounding silence on the other end was enough of an answer. Rolling her eyes, Lena stepped into the sleek purple and lace Alexander McQueen dress, a garment that lovingly hugged petite curves and her fit frame. “You’re paying me double,” he grumbled over the line, the natural gruff in his voice petulantly accentuated.

“Double of nothing is still nothing, mio caro.” Tapping the ‘end’ option on her phone, she reached behind her and zipped up the dress, prior to stepping into peep-toe Louboutin booties.

The opulent luxury of the dining room was nearly over the top. Truly a statement as to the wealthy and power that was at hand, somebody lesser acclimated with this world would have found themselves out of place. Conversely, Lena was at home.

Emanating her chosen persona, the meticulous public relations expert was lead to her seat by one of numerous members of the in-house staff. All closely vetted, she was sure. Whispers had made their way to her ears about Beremud, this particular character, and they were all less than savory.

Alas, even with her own extended contacts, there was frustratingly little information to be gleaned about him, something that brought her no small matter of irritation. Knowledge was power, and Lena was a junkie for information, knowing that it could be utilized as just as powerful a bartering tool and strategic asset as money.

Gracefully crossing one leg over the other beneath the table, Lena graciously accepted the premiere glass of red wine that was being poured for her. Her dinner companion was not here, which meant that he would have the automatical upper hand in this meeting, having his time to survey her in a setting that was not familiar to her.

Lightly and absentmindedly tapping a fingertip against the crystal of the wine glass, Lena patiently awaited his arrival, eager to gather new information, information that would hopefully be relevant to her media crusade against President Stark.

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Beremud

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#25  Edited By Beremud

@lena_dante:

Lena was quite correct, of course; Gunther had delayed his arrival in order to give him a few critical moments to observe his guest, and learn what he could of her. Unlike himself, of course, Lena Dante was a well-established public figure, but as a public relations specialist, he had little doubt that what the public saw of her was very purposefully engineered and crafted. He could certainly appreciate and even respect this, but he preferred to be as informed as possible, especially when the stakes were as high as they currently were.

What he had learned of her, then, was that she was a woman of exquisite taste, with a personal sense of aesthetics that many a socialite would envy. She was clearly comfortable moving in elite circles, and was not intimidated by displays of opulence. This was going to be a very enlightening evening, it seemed.

He made his own entrance then, having exchanged his suit for a comfortable pair of black silk slacks, a white turtleneck, and a black silk dinner jacket. He gave her an apologetic smile as he took the seat opposite her at the table, and nodded appreciatively as one of the servers filled his own wine glass with a dry red. As the kitchen staff began to wheel out the courses (sea bass with a lemon ginger sauce was to be the main dish, if he recalled correctly), he raised his glass in toast to his dining partner.

“To your health, Ms. Dante.” After finishing his sip, he sat back comfortably. “I hope your accommodations are acceptable? It has been some time since I have entertained at Frigidus, and I fear I may be unforgivably out of practice. Please let me know if you have any needs which are not being met.”

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The_Last_Samurai

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@beremud: I think Stark's going to terminate your.....Contract.

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Inner_Demon

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#27  Edited By Inner_Demon

@the_last_samurai: Which contract is that; the one for the prison that the psychic demon is now renting out to supervillain teams, or the one in Gothic, which Stark has allowed to turn into the setting for Mad Max 3? ;P

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The_Last_Samurai

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#28  Edited By The_Last_Samurai
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Inner_Demon

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#29  Edited By Inner_Demon

@the_last_samurai: Well, when one's entire existence is thoughts, one had best attend to their quality. ;)

No Caption Provided

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The_Last_Samurai

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Lena_Dante

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@beremud: Was about to write a post for this, but I've gotta get to bed. Will get it tomorrow :)

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Beremud

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Lena_Dante

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@beremud:

“And to yours.” She toasted back, a beguiling smirk on her face, curving up the corner of full lips that were painted red.

Taking a languid sip of the heady wine, Lena savored the taste, allowing it to slide slowly down her throat before answering his query.

“My accommodations are more than acceptable, they are truly exemplary. You have my gratitude and appreciation.” Cutting into the fish, Lena took a small bite and chewed, admiring the skills that went into the preparation of the delicious offering.

“I have to admit, I’m more than a little curious as to why you’ve invited me here.” Any in depth information that she’d attempted to collect on him had lead to a dead end, something frustratingly uncommon in her endeavors.

“Your invitation mentioned helping me advance my work. It is public knowledge that I am affiliated with Avalon, I presume your offer has something to do with that…?” She allowed her words to drift off in a question as she took another bite of the delectable meal.

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Beremud

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#34  Edited By Beremud

@lena_dante:

Gunther nodded his appreciation at Lena’s answer, as he sipped his own wine. He took a bite of his own fish as she asked her question, politely dabbing his lips with his napkin before setting his fork down and answering her.

“I suppose it does relate to Avalon, albeit indirectly,” he said thoughtfully, choosing his words with care and precision. “I am aware of the…turbulent history of Avalon’s parent organization, and the violent way in which it ended.” He paused, raising an eyebrow inquiringly as he asked his next question. “I do not mean to presume, but I trust that you are aware that your CEO was at one point incarcerated in the metahuman prison located on Alcatraz Island?”

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Lena_Dante

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@beremud: "I believe that's a piece of information, among many others, that Ms. Dain chooses to keep to herself." It was not a clear cut yes or no, by design. It was one of the weakest stances to give away what you did or did not know, and this was important information, information that would be kept secret within the confines of her own knowledge.

"Is this somehow connected to something else involving Avalon?" The more investigative side of Lena's natural instincts was taking hold, rearing its head as she took another savory bite of the delectable food, washed down with a substantial sip of the wine.

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Amaranth

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The setting might be cold but the RP is red hot. Drumroll!

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Lena_Dante

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@amaranth: That's a dad joke if I've ever heard one

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Amaranth

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@lena_dante: Mercy, this is your father. Armistice. I have hacked all of LL's accounts. Because she's a bitch.

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Amaranth

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Lena_Dante

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#40  Edited By Lena_Dante

@amaranth: I didn't mean thattt kind of dad joke, I meant stereotypical dad joke :P

That's not even slightly convincing. You didn't harass me about bedtime, shipping, or alts.

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Beremud

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@lena_dante:

A clever answer, revealing nothing, and then smoothly redirecting the conversation, Gunther mused, allowing himself a moment of envy that Ms. Dain had managed to procure this one’s services before he did. Here was a woman who could bring down any number of his enemies, without having to resort to all that messy murder and destruction that required so much cover-up. An intellect was a formidable weapon, and Lena Dante was obviously proficient in its use.

“I believe it may, albeit indirectly,” he answered casually, taking another sip of his own wine. “More directly, it concerns our dear President Stark, and some of the little side projects he has going on.” He set his glass down, focusing all his attention on his dinner companion. “Tell me, Ms. Dante, what would you make of the incarceration of an individual in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Kamelot, an individual who had been charged with no crime, but was ordered to be kept out of the public eye? An individual who would, as it turned out have very close ties to the Knightfalls, the Sheridans, and the Huntington Whiteleys?”

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Amaranth

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@lena_dante: Okay, about two minutes have passed so I unquit.

Awwww dang it. I'll do better next time ;-P

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Lena_Dante

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@amaranth: You're in a mood to rile today, huh :P

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Beremud

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@lena_dante: @amaranth: You two absolutely kill me.

...I rather hope that statement doesn't prove to be prophetic.

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Amaranth

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Lena_Dante

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Amaranth

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Beremud

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@amaranth: @lena_dante: Well, if Stark doesn't do the deed, I think the chances of him being done in by a Mercy or a LL alt are pretty high. That is the leading cause of death of CV characters, after all. :P

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Lena_Dante

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@beremud said:

@lena_dante:

A clever answer, revealing nothing, and then smoothly redirecting the conversation, Gunther mused, allowing himself a moment of envy that Ms. Dain had managed to procure this one’s services before he did. Here was a woman who could bring down any number of his enemies, without having to resort to all that messy murder and destruction that required so much cover-up. An intellect was a formidable weapon, and Lena Dante was obviously proficient in its use.

“I believe it may, albeit indirectly,” he answered casually, taking another sip of his own wine. “More directly, it concerns our dear President Stark, and some of the little side projects he has going on.” He set his glass down, focusing all his attention on his dinner companion. “Tell me, Ms. Dante, what would you make of the incarceration of an individual in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Kamelot, an individual who had been charged with no crime, but was ordered to be kept out of the public eye? An individual who would, as it turned out have very close ties to the Knightfalls, the Sheridans, and the Huntington Whiteleys?”

Lena slowly put down the bejeweled goblet of wine, her motions intentionally slow as she allowed herself several extra seconds to process the information that had just been granted to her. It was no secret that Avalon, and Lena specifically, had undertaken a mission of undercutting President Stark and highlighting his inadequacies to the world. It was one of her easier jobs to date, although the repercussions were perhaps more extreme than usual.

"I would say that those are suspicious circumstances that were presumably tailored for the utilization of the United States government as a power play in the current political playing field, and I would assume that you have more information that could be of use to me, as you seem to be a font of interesting factual knowledge." Her interest was piqued, and if he could provide proof to these statements and insinuations, her job would be that much easier.

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Beremud

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@lena_dante:

“I would say that you presume correctly, Ms. Dante.” Gunther’s gaze never left her face, his dinner seemingly forgotten in front of him, his fingers steepled. “Let us not mince words, here. Stark is taking political prisoners, incarcerating them unlawfully and without due process. The individual I mentioned to you is the one who sticks out the most in my mind, but I would not be at all surprised to learn that there were others.”

“I suppose, however,” he continued, leaning back in his chair, “that you would like some assurance that my information is credible, and not some story I fabricated merely to acquire a lovely dinner companion for myself.” He retrieved his glass from the table, taking a small sip to wet the back of his throat, before going on. “I have no doubt that you put your considerable skills to work in researching me before you accepted my invitation, but I have gone to great lengths to minimize my public footprint, for a number of reasons. However, you can trust that my information is credible because the prison on Alcatraz is, or at least was, my creation. My foundation was responsible for its design and funding, and I personally saw to its administration until a proper warden could be installed.”

He rose from the table then, stepping over to one of the expansive windows that offered a breath-taking view of the mountains outside. “I don’t expect you to simply accept what I am telling you at face value; in fact, I would be disappointed if you did. Therefore, I will provide you with two possible points of investigation that you can use to confirm my story for yourself. The first is the prisoner that I have already mentioned. Her name was Mercy Sheridan, and while the prison records list her as deceased, I can assure you that she is very much alive, or was, the last time I saw her. She would not be an easy individual to find, but I have no doubts that if you could locate her, she could provide you with some very enlightening information.”

“The second option,” he went on, a slight note of hesitation creeping into his voice, “would be to investigate the prison itself. I can assure you that there are many uncouth activities occurring there, ones that unlawful incarceration would pale beside. I doubt that our dear President is aware of all of them, but the fact remains that the prison exists only because of his sanction and blessing.” He turned to face her then, his face grave, with an almost haunted look in his eyes. “I would strongly recommend, however, that were you to pursue this second option, you not go to the island, yourself. I would be greatly aggrieved to learn that you had come to harm.”

With that, he resumed his seat, his polished and inscrutable demeanor returning. “Now then, unless you have any further questions, dessert should be nearly ready. Do you need to rush off, or would you care to spend the night? You pilot is welcome to join you, or I can provide him with quarters of his own.”