Nodus yawned as he rubbed his face while stepping off the plane onto the tarmac at the airport in Detroit. "I aaaam nooot rushing back home after business here.  I'm finding myself a hotel room, and staying a while this time."   He said to absolutely no one in particular.   "So the first thing is business, then a hotel." 

His business went quicker and smoother than he had anticipated.  After shaking hands with the jeweler that bought the precious stones he nabbed from his last heist, he walked the streets looking for a hotel. He flipped a silver dollar with his thumb, catching it as he walked.  He looked around as he passed bars, bakeries, coffee shops, even a group of people playing street monte. Who'd have thought finding a hotel would be so difficult... Nodus thought to himself, and he smiled taking in the warmth of the sun on his face. 

"Chaise Hotel..."  He read the hotel name out loud. He shrugged when he walked in.  He paused just inside the lobby and looked around, it was still nice, but he could tell it has seen better days.  He let out a sigh when he noticed a piano in the corner of the lobby. "Figures, it's a piano and not a guitar.  Should have just been smart and brought mine... uuugh"

Alice stood behind the counter and stared at the young blonde man who was mumbling to himself about the piano in the corner of their lobby.  "Can, I help you, sir?"

Nodus turned and looked at the woman behind the counter, and let out a jovial laugh as he made his way towards her.  "Yeah, I'd love a room for a few days.  Something with all the amenities would be grand if you have them.  Oh, and suggestions for a place to get a drink and a bite to eat would be wonderful as well."   He smiled brightly at Alice, his hazel eyes sparkling with the spring he felt in his step.  "Please."

"Of course sir.  I believe room 207 will be to your liking. A suite that includes a private bath, shower, and a small stocked kitchenette." She brightly replied back to him.

"It's perfect.  I'll take it."  He said as he paid for his entire stay in full. 

"Thank you so much!  I hope you enjoy your stay Mr. Tollens."  Alice said to the young man.  Right as he turned to check out his room and rest for an hour or two, Alice piped up.  "Oh, sir... would you like us to find a guitar and have it brought up to your room?"

Nodus's eyes lit up, and a smile broke across his face. "That, would be beyond wonderful!"

Alice nodded at Nodus, "I will speak with Wesley. He will bring it to your room when it's brought here. Oh, and one last thing... the hotel bar actually has some really good food if you don't feel like going too far!"

Nodus got to his room, took a shower, and relaxed there for a good long while before coming back down and taking a seat at the bar.  After a while of looking over the menu, he ordered a Shooter and a beer.  The friendly smile never left his face as his eyes wandered around the bar watching individuals as he drank beer while waiting for his food. 

Amazingly that still Chaise Hotel were opened, he gets in and asks for a small room for the night and then the night-clerk tells him this was the last night this building stood up, they were about to demolish the building to build a new better hotel he was told, geh, good to have some luck he tells the man tellinng him this. he gets the key and hurries up to the room so he could get so long sleep he could before they throwed out the guest early next morning before they started to take down the building.

After a long trip from Philadelphia, Sal needed a place to crash. He found out that theres a pretty decent solid hotel not far from centre. He took a taxi and gave the driver address. He arrived at the hotel and registered in, took their best suite and went to the top floor of the hotel. He took a shower and shaved himself. Ordered a roomservice and enjoyed some time. After few hours he got dressed up and went downstairs. Called himself a taxi and drove to an empty warehouse where some people were already waiting him. He meet the guys and they talked about their job tonight. It was a Truck depoo heist and it was a complicated one. 

He had slept long this morning and were down at the lobby near noon to pay up for his room over night, he pays up to teh clerk and then gets out again feeling good after a long neede sleep after much work done last week he needed that sleep for real. Now he felt completely as a new man/dog again.

Ron wanders in to the Hotel with a dead elk across his shoulders.

I need a room to hang this beast for 28 days so that it is at it's most flavoursome at the BBQ

I shall be waiting at my cabin please and thank you.

On a trip back home to Seattle, Ethan decided to spend a few days in Detroit. The business trip he took to New York didn't go anywhere near as smoothly as he would have hoped. Then, a chance encounter with a man from his past had left Ethan feeling mentally torn, lost, and confused about his future. Spending some time in an unknown place, as an unknown person sounded ideal to him.  As he strolled along the streets he found himself drawn to the Chaise Hotel.  As he walked through the doors he took a moment to appreciate the grandiose old building. It was obvious the hotel was long past its glory days. The wood lacquer was worn to the dullness of the wood itself in high traffic areas, and the shine on metal accents had clearly lost their shine. Ethan grinned as he stood there, even with its faults he thought it gave the hotel a special sort of charm. 

An older woman greeted him, "Hello. Thank you for choosing the Chaise Hotel. I'm Alice, so tell me how long will you be staying with us and what sort of room are you looking for?" 

"What a grand place you've got here Miss Alice." Ethan smiled as he greeted the consigliere, "I'm Ethan. I'd like some kinda suite, nothing too fancy if ya got it. Please." 

After flipping through the book, Alice gave the young guest an apologetic smile.  "I'm sorry sir, all our general suites are occupied at the time. The only one available at this time is our top floor penthouse suite." 

Ethan gave it a brief thought and threw caution to the wind. "I'll take it, after the last few weeks I've had... some pampering is just what I need."

After paying for a 3-night stay Ethan took the lift up to the room.  His eyes scanned the room, and he got flashes of guests past.  A rich businessman sipping whiskey at the private bar, a couple slow dancing in front of the fireplace.. they brought a smile to his face.   He tossed his duffle bag down on the floor by the large plush couch and made a bee-line for the bed.

Ron returns to the hotel with another of his hunting kills, a bobcat strangled with his own fair hands.

Good day, do you need a rug?

"They bought you this room, a good view, eh boss? When are we meeting them? Sure, the Chaise Hotel has seen better days but right now? I'm trying to get a burger at Dale's place, you want anything?"

Rom shook his head, right now he wasn't in the mood for anything like a burger. He had a few chips resting on a plate to the side of him as he worked over a few numbers for a couple of games that were coming up in his park. After tall that business with Zek, he decided to head into business for himself, he got into his own with a few of his friends in Mexico. 

Gerry walked out, leaving his boss with the numbers. He wondered if he would need help but for right now, he wasn't going to be leaving the room and Rom had no need to be on edge right now. He was safe, maybe.

Jose Cordelia had come out here, setting him up with the room and now apparently he was on his way to deliver a bunch of products that would square him up for life. This was supposed to be one of the biggest product transfers that Michigan had ever seen, forget Detroit, the state was about to see one of it's biggest buys, of course, he needed a partner, someone that could support him in this venture...but who?

DickGrayson was well...a dealer and didn't seem that big on becoming a broader part of the society he was building here. There was that gentleman he and Gerry met in that gambling den but even he was a bit of an out their person. So currently, it left him and Gerry, the man didn't even seem like that kind of guy. 

"Fuck...who's going to be the second partner, I need someone, anyone, fuck!"

Taking a chip and eating it, he kept writing down the numbers for the game as the moments with the Cordelia's drew closer, he thought he would have a few months at least but this was it, and he would need something, fast as fuck and quick. 

"Shit, I guess it's time to visit him then."

Stepping out of his room in the chaise hotel, he decided to head out and go to a park, maybe he would find a social club and the guy he was looking for would just drop out of the sky. This was the one person he could trust to secure him in this world right now.

Ennio sat in the VIP room, the phone call from Jose Cordelia was short but helpful. He watched the maitre d' as Rom entered the room. He scanned the room, but Ennio had learned from years on the street and smokey rooms, that it was best to just look in one direction and he was watching the maitre d', and the thick wad of dollars that he'd given him to ensure this was a secure and private conversation.

Rom was ushered over to Ennio's table. The two men were of similar height, with Ennio being the senior, some greying starting on his temples. They shared a smile and Ennio offered some champagne.

"We're about to become family, I like to take time to enjoy life when I can and I know we are going to do swimmingly together. Your name has come up several times with those I trust. You have drive. I like how you stick with the Latinos in the south, they are loyal to each other. You can trust them. Although I prefer the Columbians the most myself. Never been, but liking them more and more everyday."

Ennio stopped and let his words sink in.

"Underneath your leather chair is a large briefcase. It's a starter loan to help you get started. I've called you here because I'm getting older but I have all this information in my mind. I need young smart folks to continue the.. good work for America. I'd like to be one of your white knights. I can help open things up for you. In return, when the money begins flowing, you help me buy more.. houses and cars."

Rom began to relax and Ennio believed even more that he had made the right choice in this quick witted fellow.

His eyes narrowed on the man, he had never expected this but of course, the Mexicans and their ways. They were always something of a surprise and when he went to visit them, many months ago. They had never told him that he would have a third partner in all of this, it was welcome but a part of it, pissed him the fuck off. 

"Well...glad you know my name, but you are? I need to know who I'm stepping into business with here before I start making moves to unload some recent weight that I have got."

Leaning forward, he looked around and noticed a bar. He held up his hand, strolling over to it, he grabbed a bottle of bourbon as well as two glasses before he began walking back to the table. 

"Here you are, now let's talk some business and let's see how we can operate with us being the people that the Cordelia's come to. This is an operation that means a lot to me, mainly because they got me out of a sticky situation with some of the chosen society here. I need this to work, it's not a maybe, if, or a fucking chance."

Shrugging, he poured them both drinks as he settled himself again. This man, whoever he was, needed to know that this wasn't another line of income. This was his life, this was his chance to be someone. He couldn't let this kind of life escape him now, the Cordelia's had saved him and unless he became his own supply, he wasn't going to be doing shit.

"So what I'm saying here, what the moment here says is that I am not leaving this life alive. The Cordelia's saved me, and they brought me this kind of work, if we work together, you understand that they come first. Not the monies, not the women, not the cars, not the houses. The family that brought us here, to this moment...to this life."

And he realized, as he said those words that they echoed words of an oath. As if his life belonged to that of the Cordelia's and nothing else, he felt a bit of tension. He knew that this life was only leading two ways, shaking his head, he had to feel comfortable. Rom knew, this life was not one where he would be living on an island and retired. No, he would be dead or....in prison, he accepted that. 

"The impact of those words my friend, that's what this means if we get into business together, my priorities are on satisfying the suppliers of our product..."

Ennio listened to the young man share his continued commitment to his family.

"This is not a test Rom. I don't work for the Cordelia's, nor am I here to test your loyalty to them. I'm hear on my own dime and my plan is to develop our own interest. Your family is aware we are having this conversation. It's not uncommon for families in two cities to work together to find ways to enrich our own lives. Take your time. Ask around. Check me creds out. Once you do, our first plan will be an effect structure. Use that money to work out a way to move the product from the state border. I'll handle it from the other side. No need to tail me after I leave. I'm staying at the Madison Hotel."

Rom watched him for a moment, the man had stated it outright that he was here on business and that is something that he was ready to truly enjoy. Deciding that the man could be trusted, that this one person was something of an enigma, maybe. Shrugging his shoulders, he took his drink and sipped it down in one go. 

"I understand and it's good to know that this is going to be a smooth transition into doing our little game of trust here. I'm going to be opening up some avenues of getting some of the product across state lines but for right now, Michigan is where I maintain the product's outreach."

He noticed that many of the people were giving them a wide berth. This business was private, and he was glad that the man opposite him was already telling him that he had plans like these. 

"If we can work together like this, how we can support this business in multiple ways, you're someone that I believe I could trust for the future of my business, the business that, well, we've found ourselves in, eh?"

Deciding that this was something of a bigger deal, he let the man go and would remember the hotel he was in. Maybe he could meet sometime, but for now, he had to secure Michigan. The state had to be one of the better product centred ideas that he had up until now.

"Let the good times roll..."

With that, Rom walked out and would decide that this would be a great partner to have in the future. If they could secure Illinois or Ohio, that would be a better thing for all of them but for right now, he needed a drink, and he needed to find out if he could finally get a doughnut in this place.