Starring:
NPC:
Lane
Summary: Wolfram & Hart gets together for a board meeting.
Date It Happened: December 11, 2001.
Being Creative
Sleek and stylish, Wolfram and Hart is state of the art in everything. The security is always watchful to keep the riff raff and anyone without a proper appointment from entering. The large, open lobby is filled with windows and cheery sunlight is in sharp contrast to the business that is down on the upper floors. Once past security and various other checkpoints, the decor remains bright and welcoming, but the atmosphere lends to something more cutthroat. It's not uncommon to see many different species walking the expensive carpets and hardwood floors as both employees and as clients. The conference rooms are huge and filled with plush office chairs and long tables. The offices of the higher ups are even more luxurious. Long hallways are filled with doors that lead off to the varying departments with names like Corporal Acquisition and Prophesies and Harbinger Division. To the evil and the rich, these lawyers can get anyone out of just about anything. Of course, they always come a price.
The large meeting room has nice plush chairs and a long table where many bright and evil faces have gathered round. It's that time again - staff meeting. Where everyone can get together, drink coffee, gossip, and share information that may help bring about the end of the world. Of course, those gathered are more likely to play their cards close to the vest than reveal everything. That's just their nature. Everyone is a backstabber in their own way or, otherwise, a self-preservationist. The chatter amongst themselves is quiet, but tangible.
A tall blonde woman strides into the room, causing all chatter to cease as she slides into the chair at the head of the table. "Alright, everyone. Stop your backstabbing and chit chatting and let's begin, shall we?" Lane Murphy has called this meeting to order. "Eve is on vacation at the moment, so I'll be running this little get together. First off, I'd like to thank Logan for his excellent company barbecue. I think we'd all qualify it as a success and I've certainly never had virgin werewolf cooked so delicately. Now. Before we get into the nitty gritty, how about a status report?"
When the meeting very abruptly starts Edgar halts his lazy recline and straightens up in his chair, pulling it in closer to the table while folding his hands in front of him neatly. He's been chattering away at everyone within earshot of him, providing a disturbingly cheery face for everyone else to look at, and he seems just the slightest bit disappointed that he's been prevented from continuing his wonderful conversation about neckties with Madison. Some people might think it rude that he just jumps right in without letting anyone else voice their own departments, but what the hell. "We've made several interesting purchases in the last month from around the world. At least three shipments are due into this branch by the end of the week, and Special Projects tells me they have several employees free to devote themselves to object research."
Madison is seated in his chair, hands folded across his chest. Wearing his best poker face, Maddy is hard to read. Then again, he's hard to read even when he's breaking fingers. It's all business to him. As Lane brings attention to herself, he turns his head to regard her, listening closely. "My department is all in order. Our revenue is up and I've been working closely with AR to bring accounts up to speed. Needless to say, we're well into the black." 'Course, the only time his department is in the red is when he's up to his elbows in blood.
Blood and money are fun to mix together. It's really what Wolfram and Hart thrives on. As Lane consults her notes and her legal pads, she nods as each department gives their rundown - starting with Edgar and moving through Special Projects until there's silence again for a few moments. "Well. That's all interesting, but really, it doesn't do me any sort of good. No one here seems to notice the big picture here. It was just months ago that we missed a uniquely world ending possibility and no one seems to be killing anyone over it. Or is the death of a Slayer something we no longer care about at this branch? Now, I have reports from all of you that things are changing around here. Toward us. More chaos, more vampires, more demons, more …things we can't even identify yet. And we missed an opportunity to bring this world to a hell dimension already, we can't afford to miss more chaos to be had. The Senior Partners are taking special interest in the death of Buffy Summers and what that means for our branch.
Now. I need everyone's manpower in on this. Do I make myself clear? Now. Meeting's over. Get back to work." She stands again and pauses, pointing at Madison and Edgar. "Except for you two. Both of you stay here."
It appears as though it's time to suffer through a lecture. Edgar settles in again, crossing one leg and leaning back in his chair once more while fixing Lane with an almost pathologically attentive stare. Unlike most people who that, he actually listens, too. And it turns out to be something that deserves thought. The meeting soon proclaimed over, Edgar makes to rise from his chair, flipping the leather folder in front of him shut - until he's told to stay. There's no sign of flinch or fear that might normally be expected from such a demand, and the tall man just smiles at the administrative stand-in.
Madison listens to the reports, which would be boring were this a firm other than Wolfram & Hart. What Lane goes on about, that seems more the realm of Special Projects than his department. Unless he's called in as muscle. Which he hasn't been. Not that he lacks initiative, far from it. He's just had a full plate. At the instructions to stay put, he does so. A mild glance is turned towards Edgar before his undivided attention is given to Lane.
Lane waits until everyone else has filed out. In terms of meetings, this one was relatively short. It was mostly a formality. When the room if finally just the three of them, Lane seems to relax and lean back in her chair. "Well now. What an interesting fold we find ourselves in." The chair rolls back a little. "You two are in quite a position, as I see it. Special Projects is full of incompetency and failure as far as I can see. Maybe that will change, but I'm not about to risk it for now. However, you two, you know research - both kinds. And I'd like you to do some for me. We've left the Vampire alone for too long. He's been out mourning and we haven't used that to our fullest ability. While he's gone, we should be crushing his business. This increase in activity should only help us in our goals. I'd like to set up a little party for the Angel Investigation squad. What do you think you two could do for me?"
Edgar smiles to himself as Lane talks, making an excuse out of straightening his watchband so he can send a returning glance at Madison. "A party. I'll provide the music and entertainment. I play piano, you know." But that's probably not what Lane is after, and rather than let himself hang for too long the man continues smoothly. "That or we could make use of some of the incoming items. I'm sure we can find out the methods of using them within short order once they arrive. We could also go through the law; I imagine the property that they use as their base of operations isn't up to code. Shutting them down wouldn't be too hard."
Madison glances slowly at Edgar, then at Lane, "I see. How badly you want people hurt. I know the Vampire is to be left as is, no dusting. Could drive him over the edge if we were to get our hands on some of his crew." And it all depends on what kind of party. "I got some guys on retainer, nasty types, hard to kill demons. I think we could arrange a welcome home soiree for him. Cause while you say party, I highly doubt you mean the clown and balloon type.. although…" If you wanna be sick with the humor about it.. "Got any noisemakers and those little bang things you pull on and get hats out of?" When Edgar gets all mundane about it, he gets a sour expression. "That'll work only temporarily, watch 'em scramble to set up shop elsewhere. All you're doing with that is buying us time to rig up the bigger event."
"Sure, the Vampire is left as is, but that's not saying anything about his friends." And what she knows of this Vampire, that's something that would be good to use against him. Friends. What liabilities. "The Real Estate division is already looking into that junk he calls his home base. But even then, even if we take it from him, they'll just set up somewhere else. No, I want something truly devastating. I don't want him seeing where we're doing or even know what's coming." As for Madison's question, she just gives him an enigmatic smile. "Do you really think all this is just to mess with some vampire's mind? The Senior Partners are merely interested in making sure that Angel and his merry band of misfits get what they really want - trouble. I'm sure business has been slow for them lately."
"—Are you serious? Maddy, I'm ashamed of you. You always resort to violence before using that impressive brain of yours. It's just not healthy." With a frown Edgar turns his attention back to Lane, looking very slightly ruffled. "One of the items coming or way has a wonderful tendency to make people lose all their inhibitions. Given that and a few well-placed influences, I'm sure we could turn our little pest problem in against itself. I hear they're astonishingly barbaric, and it'd be ever so entertaining if they split each others' skulls open without us so much as having to touch them. Beyond that, all I can suggest is seeking out another item, hiring outside contractors, or staging some sort of trap for them."
Madison doesn't take kindly to the look he's getting, or appreciate to being made to feel like he's being patronized. His expression hardens, "Hell no. I understand the picture just fine. You wanna give him trouble, we can make that happen." Even if some of it seems like a waste of resources to him. "We can keep 'em so tied up he ain't gonna know his … Now look Eddie, there you go again, thinking like a crusty headed whit.." He cuts himself off before he and Edgar get into one of their arguments in front of the voice for the Partners. "Fine. We'll play it Edgar's way. Since his first suggestion has a whole lot of merit. Now, how do we implement this little item?"
"Boys boys." Lane may have a scolding tone, but she sounds more amused by the fighting than anything else. Maybe she's just one of those women who like to see men fight over different positions. Or maybe it's just the Wolfram and Hart part of her. "Don't make me turn this conference room around. I don't care how you make them hurt, just as long as you get it done and get it done efficiently. Obviously, it would be best if they don't even know that it came from us." Because for some reason that group has some sort of grudge against the firm. "This is a time to get creative." A bit of a smirk is added, "In whatever way you feel is best."
But no. Even with Lane's interruption Edgar is, for the time being, occupied with snipping back at Madison, holding both hands in the air palm-upwards. "Honestly I don't know how you keep your clients if you treat them all like you treat me. I'm going to shine the golf course with your head this weekend just for that." Harrumph. Everyone knows he waxes his dome. How else would it be so darn shiny? It's at this point that Edgar returns his attention to the more appropriate member of the group, prepared to make a contribution to the conversation that doesn't involve henpecking like an old maid downing shot glasses of testosterone. "I'm sure we can be creative." He is very helpful.
"Fine. We'll do it Eddie's way, if that fails, we'll take my approach." Since Edgar seems to forget the personal injury part of Madison's title. "Of course Miz Murphy, despite the violence with which I work, I do know how to be discreet and cover my tracks. I've learned a lot from Edgar since he came to work for this firm." See what he did there? He's making fun of Eddie. It's all in good sport though. (And he does not wax his dome. It's naturally shiny.) "We'll make the Senior Partners proud."
"Do it whatever way and with whatever force you feel fits the cause." Lane snaps her briefcase shut and eyes the two of them, not pleased at the interruption or the continual lack of respect being shown by Edgar or by Madison. "Fail us and the infamous wine tasting from before will be nothing compared to what the Senior Partners will do to you." Standing up, she makes for the door. "Good day, gentlemen. I'll leave you two to discuss new developments amongst yourselves."
"I think you made her mad," Madison says once Lane has left the room. "Now she doesn't like us."
