the-middleman

[the-middleman]

deltawen‌:

Holding his gaze levelly for a moment or two after he motioned for her to walk ahead, Delta took those steps forward after a few heartbeats. From what she could tell he hadn’t underestimated her but the look she had given him before she turned was intended to suggest that she would not be easily gotten rid of. As they walk her eyes travel the room, doing her best to spot anyone who could be a threat to her if she was considered to be a threat to the man behind her. It seemed only expected that he would have some kind of muscle with him but she had learnt long ago to know better than thinking someone would be above doing the dirty work themselves.

She finds herself studying him once more when they come to a halt, noting his shift in demeanour but meeting it with a stubborn refusal to change her own along with it. Shoulders relaxed but still held as well as always, she makes it clear that she is unaffected by him and the situation. No one in this business liked a coward and meeting someone toe to toe albeit with neutrality had always proven to be the best course in the past.

The lack of questions surprised her slightly when by this stage most tended to have already demanded answers from her due to questions that her obvious intel unfailingly raised. However, it took more than a different tact to unsettle her and so the brunette was able to answer smoothly and truthfully regardless of the fact that she was now certain that he was not someone truly involved in the hotel. “My stay had been lovely, I can assure you of that.” 

Hands smooth over her skirt but don’t clasp in front of her like they usually might when she’s unsure if she’ll need to block anything. “It is actually another kind of service - outside of the hotel industry - that interests me.”

Brown eyes swept her form in an unapologetic manner, the dress she wore hugged her figure enticingly and Matias could make a guess or two where she could hide a wire or a weapon-- she could fit a blade and a gun between her thighs, he supposed. The woman was far too calm which meant she came prepared and as she humored him about the satisfactory service of the hotel staff, Matias glanced back at the crowded restaurant. 

“Is that so?” He responded idly, a waiter approached them and offered them drinks, the tray of champagne making its round in the room; Matias took one for himself, nodded and then motioned for her to get one as well as he took a sip. “That’s good, this place charges an arm and leg, the service ought to be good.”

“Fiji does offer a multitude of things to do, what exactly are you looking for? Maybe we can help you.” They were painfully coy in their exchange, and had it been someone else, the tension would be so thick that it was only a matter of time before they cracked; but Matias was relaxed and so was the stranger in front of him, and while the two convened, his clients who were eating their dinner in relief for a successful transaction were already being ushered out of the room. 

Their fates would rest on her answers.

[the-middleman]

rapidashpatronus‌:

runakvaed‌:

B A B Y F A C E

I like in the second gif which is not even acting it’s just Diego thinking how hard he’s going to murder the screenwriter one day

[the-middleman]

howitzerliterarysociety‌:

The Rich pay the Smart to tell you how God loves you more when you’re Poor.

Coffee Shop Overheard

[the-middleman]

veronicawong‌:

“you should! you’ll catch a cold that way, sweetheart.” she laughed, patting him on the shoulder. “what you doing on this side of town?”

Matias grinned, nodding at her light chastising, almost motherly in her tone. “Just exploring, the hotel can get so dull,” he explained. The Middleman stepped back a little, a hand pushing Veronica gently as well, when a cyclist rolled by, obviously in a hurry to get back or reach his destination. “And you?”

[the-middleman]

simonemalek‌:

Her question had been an icebreaker, not a test, but if this was the very person she was meant to meet, his words suggested he may have been interested in the latter. In the same vein of thought, however, London was a sizable city, and it was entirely possible her contact was no one in this bar, but someone who’d already slipped away, yet another chance at the truth just out of reach.

Nevertheless, she wanted to study the man further, even in the dim mood lighting of the Connaught, as though she could recognize an unheard, unseen inquirer from the sharpness of his clothes alone. “And there is a chance I’ve kept someone waiting for quite some time,” Simone replied, the curve of her lips a touch too eager as she took a steady sip from the glass, amber liquor simultaneously setting a fire to her interests and calming her nerves. “And what’s got your nerves on edge, if I may ask?” She inquired innocently, hoping to glean an answer with the imploring of her eyes and the unspoken promise of another drink – provided, of course, that this was the very person she was looking for.

He could see the flicker in her eyes when he responded, as though she understood what he meant, and the woman’s interest in learning more piqued his interest. Of course, in a place like the Connaught bar, small talk was always in demand, and she might just be waiting for her blind date, that, or she was a high-end escort. He’d soon find out.

“Is that so? What are the odds of that,” he mused and Matias gave her a knowing look. “I think he might still be here,” he offered, and there was a considerable pause before the man raised his glass at her and emptied it, “there’s nowhere to go with that downpour.”

[the-middleman]

Only fools do just one thing their whole lives.

[the-middleman]

simonemalek‌:

There was more to people than just the sharpness of their features or the quirk of their brow. Simone had learned this from childhood, when she had been nothing but a slip of a girl, stumbling into new households like a stray cat who knew precisely which number life it was on. Her adolescent virtue, it seemed, was to walk through life perfectly unnoticed, even when soot-freckled or rain-drenched. Still, she existed, continually holding onto something within her that rendered her bones made of iron and skin made of steel, as though the map of her was not some archaic guide with scratched out words and symbols, but a chart of constellations and planets no one else bothered to see.

It stood to reason that, if the girl had known herself so easily and simply when she had been invisible, then she could recognize a person of interest even as they donned the ordinary mask of flesh and blood and humanity alone. But a line of reason was so often the path to fool’s gold, and despite her hopes that the person at the bar with her was the anonymous tip who called in to meet for an exchange of information, the influx of patrons at the Connaught Bar clouded any proposed sense of identification. Now, it was clear she had to rely on introduction alone. Raising her tumbler to the light, Simone mused, “It’d have to be one hell of a fancy cocktail to convince me it’s better than Irish whiskey on a cold, rainy night like tonight.” A sip, and then a smile, passed at her lips before she asked them, “You drinking something special?”

He was waiting for a confirmation, an overnight bag already packed and waiting in his hotel room in case the deal would proceed, and Matias sat by the bar nursing a drink. He dressed smartly for that evening as he blended right in with different versions of Peter, Isabella and Nadia-- lovely and beautifully dressed, all seeking shelter from the rain and hoping to more than just a drink. A voice interrupted his thoughts, and the man offered a smile. 

“Something to calm my nerves,” he offered as an answer, “I’ve been waiting for a while.”

[the-middleman]

gabrieldeluna‌:

Gabriel, again, tried to stop the man from paying for anything else, but it was futile. He seemed to enjoy the company, and Gabriel would have been lying if he said he wasn’t grateful for it too. “No, definitely not.” He laughed in response, shaking his head and even gesturing with his hand to suggest that he would never be caught working in retail. “It’s not something I could do, there’s no ladder to climb. Start at the bottom and you kind of just stay there. No offence, if that’s what you do. Just how I see it.”

Another heart laugh as Matias shook his head, no, he didn’t work in retail, it’d be fate worse than death he remarked dramatically. Tossing him the can, the Middleman perched himself against the railing as he expertly balanced the newspaper covered chips and the soda in one hand, letting a minute pass as he seemingly pondered on the other’s job.

“What kind of work makes you do long hours?” there was heavy foot traffic but they were at a safe distance from it at least, “Are you an accountant?” Matias played the long game, if anything, he knew from experience that law enforcement officers had enough training to notice it when someone was prying; he didn’t have to get close to him, the Middleman could have easily asked help from any of the Thirteen but he wanted to know some things for himself. 

[the-middleman]

opheliaxrichards‌:

Of course, Ophelia didn’t expect to get a thorough and honest briefing on the man’s day. Not only did she probably not want to know exactly what he’d been up to, but she fully believed that the only reason their friendship worked was because they kept their professional lives separate from their personal lives, no matter how much they knew about both. In fact, only a handful of people were successful in occupying both spaces in her life. Matias was one of them.

“Well, I spilled coffee on my best blouse and dodged three calls from my mother,” the brunette quipped back, having automatically reached out to move the beer bottle that was dangerously close to tipping over. “So, almost as exciting as seeing a tourist getting attacked by a giant mutant bird.”

“Any calls involving your mother is always exciting news” Matias grinned, “did she say what she wanted?” He knew her enough to be comfortable, then again, the man had made himself comfortable around the multi-faceted woman long before. Off the clock, Ophelia was detached from the lavish lifestyle of the thirteen which made her an ideal companion for when he too, wanted to step away from it all. “It was just a freakishly large seagull. I blame the fish and chips.”

[the-middleman]

scythetm‌:

peter is growing…tired of matias’ teasing. though, he remains as calm and cool as ever. he isn’t the type to let emotions rule him and considers his options. he finishes off the rest of his drink, ordering himself another. his smile is a thin line, “i appreciate the offer, but i do not need gifts from you.” he remarks, smoothly. thin smile still on his lips, he shrugs, “though,” a teasing smirk curls his lips, “you are more  than welcome to worship me elsewhere.”

Matias’s laugh was caught in his throat and barely made it out, as Peter decided to turn the tables on him; he’d momentarily forgotten, in all his revelry, about the man’s tendency to turn the charm on just about everyone. The Middleman grinned, emptying his glass in one go as he nodded at the barkeep for a refill.

“And here I thought I’d get the treatment on my third drink at least, you do work fast,” he chuckled.

[the-middleman]

nadczhda‌:

“I wonder at what point we should start worrying he thinks too highly of himself,” Nadia spoke, shaking her head at her own words and lacing them with a playful tone. 

“I couldn’t agree more.” Surely, all of them had story after story about how they came to become such untrusting people; perhaps it was inherent to their line of business or perhaps it had been within them before that. “I’m exchanging something I took for a great deal of money. It’s big enough to not fit into a briefcase but I trust you’ll know a good place to conduct the trade at. I would hope for some advice, at the least.”

“As long as he offers each of us a very expensive bottle of scotch, I’ll tell him he’s three gods in one if that’s what he wants to hear.”

“The size shouldn’t be a problem,” he mused, “everything is done separately anyway, and all cash and products checked...out of curiosity, what is it exactly that you took?” Matias’ lips stretched in an amused smile as he watched the woman, Nadia was the best in her trade and didn’t mind lending her a hand whenever she needed it. 

Emptying the contents of his glass, the amber liquid slid down his throat smoothly, and the man held back a grin at her teasing remark regarding their colleague. “So what’s your asking price?”

[the-middleman]

gabrieldeluna‌:

Gabriel’s eyebrows raised as he laughed, finding it an interesting comment to make. The man surely had a positive attitude about him, but one that seemed a little more unruly than most. “You stopped me to buy me dinner. I would be an asshole to complain about that.” He commented, the smile still on his lips. “Nowhere to be and the day off, you sound like a lucky man.” Gabriel could hardly put himself in the same boat. “It’s long hours, but most of them I do because I want to. The boss gets pissed when they see me clocking so much overtime, but that won’t stop me.”

“Lo siento, though a little snack never hurt anyone, why don’t we keep each other company until the chips run out?” Matias smirked before motioning for a short walk to stop in front of a vending machine, he candidly remarked that a day off was nice but that he easily gets bored of his job. Inserting coins and pressing a button, two sodas dropped from the chute. “You like the long hours?” he chuckled in disbelief, “you don’t work in retail now do you?” 

[the-middleman]

deltawen‌:

Over the years analysing everything had become second nature to her when there was almost infinite amounts of information to be gleaned from any conversations when enough attention was paid. Every word and every flicker of expressions meant something and Delta had tried to make sure that she was as good at picking them up as she could be. The man before her though was far better than the average crook that she came upon and to a certain extent she found it mildly irritating that she couldn’t see right through him immediately. If nothing else she had to hand it to him that he didn’t break character or even seem to think twice about continuing his little charade.   

Her own eyes flicker over him again, judging and appraising but still keeping up the act that he had set out for them to play along to. “I’m sure you do or I would not have heard such good things about you.” For the most part her voice is as unaffected and indifference as it always was when life so frequently came up short in finding anything to surprise her or keep her occupied for longer than a matter of minutes. Expect there is perhaps the slightest tinge of intrigue lurking behind that cool neutrality, a sense of curiosity about just who this man was coupled with perhaps the most fleeting sense of being impressed by him.

Mincing her words had never been a habit of hers when every minute of time was precious and so the brunette cut to the chase. With shoulders set back and an air of self confidence that could not simply have been taught but rather grown from experience and assurance, Delta replies smoothly. “A moment or two of your time.” There was hardly the place for her to make her client’s pitch and she would be lying if she said that some of her motivation wasn’t the rather selfish need to have her questions answered in some way.

Matias could feel her eyes on him, studying him, looking for a crack in the mask as the male continued to look at her with an earnest smile. Frankly he was both annoyed and intrigued that she managed to pick him up from the crowd, that she spoke in a manner that led him to believe she knew enough. 

“A moment or two of your time.”

He scoffed, and a sliver of coldness slipped through as his expression finally showed something other than that dumb look he’s been sporting for his role. Matias grinned and motioned for her to walk ahead, and he eyed the hired gun that’s been watching them not to follow suit. If she was a threat, he’d kill her himself, and then afterwards, it’s anybody guess what he’ll do to the rest of his hired unit. He hated incompetence.

The time spent walking behind the lovely stranger was used on reviewing every aspect of his plans as Matias tried to figure where she fits in-- if she worked with either side of the party as a guarantee or worse, someone who worked for the law. It was a cheap ploy to use a woman against him, he’d might be gentle about it yes, but she’ll be dead all the same. When they reached the balcony overlooking the sea, the man tugged at the first few buttons of his waiter uniform, and while his smile remained, his demeanor had changed to something more foreboding.

“You asked for a moment of my time,” he began, and Matias paced himself before asking any questions, not until she talked. “And here I wonder what a guest would want with the help, the service was that bad huh?” he smirked.

[the-middleman]

My heart currently resembles the ashes of my cigarettes.

Virginia Woolf

[the-middleman]

nadczhda‌:

“He’s a what now?” Nadia asked, raising her eyebrows. It must be a joke. And with that thought, she let out a small laugh, thinking Matias was just messing with her. “He might be good at his job, but he’s far from being omniscient.” Even if he was good at his job, so was everyone else in the Syndicate. If he was going to call himself a god, then every one of the Thirteen was a deity. 

“I’ll leave those menial jobs for you, Matias. Don’t want to make you work twice as hard to keep them.” Nadia teased, shaking her head at her own words. They were meant to be funny but perhaps fell short. “Yes. I don’t trust the buyer, but then again, I don’t trust anyone but the Syndicate. If they know you’re handling it, they might not try anything.” 

“A god,” he repeated, “I even got him a prayer candle too.”

Talks of the Peter Juric being the almighty would have to wait though the the ghost of a smile lingered on the corners of Matias’ lips; it was time to do business, just as the Boss dictated, it was important to put up a united front amidst the tragedy after all. 

“Trust is a luxury we cannot afford,” he mused, swirling the contents of his glass as he continued, “I’d be more than happy to lend my services to you. I’ll need the details and I’ll have some of our friends to help. Then afterwards, maybe you’ll join me to pray to Peter Juric, god of three piece suits and top shelf liquor,” he finished with a laugh.

[the-middleman]

sforzatm‌:

At the mention of another ‘date’, Bella perks up a little & smiles when she lays eyes on the little piece of plastic & metal that is certain to hold all sorts of information. She starts to reach out to take it, only to see him hesitate & pull back his hand. She raises an eyebrow, not sure what the hold up is. At least, until he spoke again. She smiles softly, mad herself for being a bit rusty. Pickpocketing a man with his wallet in his back pocket while sitting isn’t the easiest but she used to be better. With her other hand, she reaches into the pocket of her coat & produces the leather bifold with a small smile. ❝ Here I thought I had pulled a fast one on you. I should have known better. ❞ She offers it out for the exchange he mentioned, quite glad to know Matias in that moment. His smile is quite infectious & something she quite needed.

“You did,” Matias nodded, smiling encouragingly, “You get credit for that, I don’t usually have my wallet stolen,” and he paused to correct himself, “not ever actually, I think I just got lucky.” He didn’t want to offend the woman, Isabelle Sforza was much too elegant to be insulted like that so the Middleman feigned luck when it was experience that helped him notice that. 

With one hand he pushed the flash drive towards Isabella, while the other pocketed the bi-fold, and Matias looked around to catch the waiter’s gaze, the very same boy who was sent away earlier. “I think we are ready to order, wouldn’t you think so, Signorina Sforza?” 

[the-middleman]

Oh no, I can't slow down, I can't hold back Though you know, I wish I could Oh no there ain't no rest for the wicked Until we close our eyes for good