Private Finished You know what they say about curiousity

If there was one person who was in touch with the current goings-on of the city, it was one Natalie Kurono. She enjoyed keeping up with the latest gossip, making it her business to be in the know. The latest drama caused by those Halycon city refugees had been in the news a lot, and for the moment it was keeping her entertained, but she was always looking for another story.

New businesses opening on the island usually weren't a special occurrence she paid attention to. Though, when a big, global corporation set up shop, that was occasionally worth a look. So when Nat heard about the new House of Volkov restaurant, she figured she'd do a little bit of digging, not expecting to see much.

What she found, however, definitely caught her interest.

The restaurant itself seemed legit, she couldn't find much incriminating coming out of it. But the company bankrolling it, however, there was a lot of dirt surrounding it. Nothing concrete, nothing that could be proven, but her more illicit sources all seemed to say they were more than a little shady.

Nat was reformed now, she wasn't the same person she was when she'd first became a youkai. She didn't feel the same burning fury at organised crime she felt back then. Besides, these weren't the first shady people to show up on the island, she'd been keeping her eye of plenty of others.

Of course, she did still enjoy ruffling a few feathers, and a global mafia was sure to have plenty of feathers to ruffle. She found herself smiling at the opportunity.

It was late in the evening when Nat strolled into the House of Volkov. She'd dressed for the occasion, wearing what looked like an expensive black dress, open at the back and accenting her body well, and had a small purse hanging off her shoulder. She approached the front, speaking to one of the employees at the entrance.

"Hi! I'm a writer with the Manta Carlos Print, I'm writing a column on up-and-coming businesses." She lied with an animated smile, raising her voice a few octaves higher, giving her an almost ditzy sounding speech. "My boss wanted me to get a report on this place. Is the owner around? I was hoping I could ask him a few questions."

If she wanted to make this more legit, she supposed she could have arranged for a proper appointment, but she didn't want to give these guys a chance to prepare for her, she wanted to try and take them by surprise.

@Zora

Her cat ears perked up as she heard his voice, she turned her attention from the staff over to the source, flashing him another smile.

"Hello there! I'm Natalie Kurono." She extended a hand for him to shake, her voice tinged with the smallest Japanese accent she could never quite suppress. "As I was telling the hostess here, I write for the local newspaper. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your restaurant? Its so fancy! I promise it will only take a few moments out of your time."

She kept that same tone of voice, her body language moving to match. She presented herself as excited but thoughtless, almost a little dumb, like some young, inexperienced, over eager reporter who just wanted to try the food. However, her eyes were dressing down Malakias much in the same way he was doing to her. He seemed stern, and from the way he quickly hid his expression, very in control of himself. Nat thought he might be a hard nut to crack, but the hard nuts were always the most fun.

Nat sauntered after him, tails swishing behind her as she glanced around the room, taking in the decorations, the people, the atmosphere. It looked as high class as she had heard, and while she was still faking her enthusiasm, she had to admit it was the kind of place she'd like to dine in often.

"I'd love one, thank you." She slid into the booth, sitting across from him. She put her purse down next to her and reached inside. Her finger pressed down on the small plastic button of one of her recording devices before she grabbed onto the pen and pad she'd brought with her, pulling it out and setting it on the table in front of her.

"Maybe we could have a couple before we begin?" She casually suggested, giving him a disarming smile, batting her eyelashes a couple time. "It helps to be comfortable for these kinds of things after all. Besides, I can't really write much about the restaurant if I don't sample some of what's available, right?"

Even if this little investigation was meant to be serious, she thought it was worth throwing the idea out there. She never was one to pass up a chance to indulge her stomach.

Nat's eyes lit up as the waiter presented the drinks, smile widening as she nodded to him in thanks.

"Thank you, so generous of you." She said to Malakias, taking one of the glasses in her hand, holding it forward as if to toast him. Then without further ado, she down the shot in one, clearly someone who was accustomed to her liquor.

"I love my job sometimes." She thought to herself, clasping her hands and resting them on the table.

"It goes down real smooth." She commented idly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ears as she talked. "You must have quite the talented people working here if you're so confident in your food and drinks, especially for such a new restaurant."

"I see." She kept the smile on her face, watching him watch her. Nat was still having trouble getting a proper read on him, but if he seemed to enjoy looking at her, she could possibly play that to her advantage. She kept that in the back of her mind for later.

"You sound like you have experience in the matter." She said, picking up another shot glass, letting the liquid swirl a little inside, before downing it in the same manner she did the first. "I wouldn't guess that from someone so young."

She put the glass down, then pick up her pen and pad, resting back in her seat, one leg crossed over the other. He looked like he was fairly relaxed, so she thought she might throw a couple questions out there, just to ease him into answering.

"Have you had much prior business experience before coming to the island, Mr Volkov?"