It was raining again...but that's how Seattle always was. But perched as it was on the shores of Puget Sound and the sea, it reminded Ksenija of St. Petersburg. Granted, it was impossible to hear the storm over the music and crowds of the Metropolitan, a high-class night club that catered to the wealthy and criminals alike.

"Hey, why don't you let me buy you a drink?" a man slurred, almost tripping into the bar next to Ksenija.

"Not interested," the brunette woman said, holding up her hand to push him away if necessary. Ksenija was dressed casually for the place, wearing a kevlar motorcycle jacket over a simple T-shirt and a pair of jeans. This was her vacation in America, after all.

I walked into the bar my hood covering the top of my head shielding me from the rain, I smiled softly enjoying the light breeze but was too annoyed by the rain to show it much. I sat at one of the bar stools pulling my cap down so that it lay on my back still connected to my leather coat and ordered an ice tea.

I looked over my shoulder amused at a mains failing attempt to get a girl, first of all obviously drunk which never helps. I chuckled and took a sip of the tea as it was passed to me.

The drunk gentleman seemed very persistent, leaning in towards Ksenija once she lowered her hand. "Aww, come on, what could it hurt?"

"I asked you to leave, mudak," Ksenija said, her Russian accent getting thicker as her temper started to rise. "Go away." She started to get up, to move further down the bar and away from the drunk, when he grabbed her wrist.

I stopped, my ears giving me the slightest hint of a nearby attack from my lessons and I turned on my chair a small toothpick in my hand and I launched my fist forward the toothpick released hitting his finger forcing the man to let go, "Would you mind not touching the lady sir? Or else I will do something you will greatly regret later" I smiled walking over between him and the woman.

"Are you alright miss..?" I ask her nicely, my back to the man but my body tensed and ready to strike if he tried anything miraculous from rage. I smiled and looked into her eyes mine being a soft green.

The drunk staggered back, shocked but unwilling to start a fight. Particularly with a bouncer bristling nearby--he knew that the Russian citizen was staying at the embassy. The agent smiled, extending her hand. "Ksenija. I appreciate your...intervention. It was very gallant of you. Might I have your name in return?" she said pleasantly. Her eyes were dark, almost jade green.

She liked this new man. He was much more polite, and he had a different feel from the average dilettante going wild here.

I smiled, "Miss Ksenija, my name is Grim... or Reaper if you prefer.. It is an insider joke I am not the actual death bringer, although I may certainly bring it." I smiled at her my lips up at the corners.

"May I buy you a drink? These peoples ice tea is delicious!" He eyed her warily though feeling something slightly off like she was from some the cops. I had to be careful around her just in case...

I didn't let my uneasiness settle onto my form though and casually motioned towards the seat next to where I was sitting, "I'll buy"

"No 'miss', please. I get enough of that at the embassy," Ksenija said with a wave of her hand and a polite smile. "Spasibo, for the drink. Iced tea sounds very good."

Maybe a drink would help her forget how hungry she was. Being off work also meant being away from food. But no one could stand operations all the time, even a hard-core SVR agent like Ksenija. The woman smiled at Grim. "You are from Seattle, then, Grim? You sound American."

"But of course! You sound... Chinese is it? I was never good at placements of origin or language" I looked at teh counter thinking 'spasibo' meant thank you in another language and ordered two lemon ice teas, handing one of the tall glasses to her and took a sip of mine. I was also trying my best to remember where I was from, I had no idea.

Nobody had ever asked where I was from, only said where I must go and what to do when there.. I let out a small sigh then looked back up to her, "Do you have a nickname?" I added playfully. "Your name is a mouthful to us americans we need it dumbed down for us" I chuckled from my own remark

Ksenija laughed. "I'm Russian--I only know how to ask where the back door and the airport are in Chinese. And Kseni is shorter, if you like," she said, leaning back lazily in her chair. For some reason, there was a tiny paper umbrella in her drink. And she had no idea why.

"But you sighed. You are far from home, maybe? I am sorry if I made you homesick--I understand the feeling very well," the agent said apologetically.

"oh no it is quite alright Knesi.. Its.. It is fine.." I managed to say nothing else

"So what brings you to the Metropolitan?" Kseni asked after taking a sip of her iced tea. "You don't seem like an embassy type or a wealthy man...how do you say?...slumming it."

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was probably a call from the office to find out where she was, so she decided to ignore it. Grim gave her a criminal vibe. He was wary of her, more aware of her aura as an agent than the average person. He probably assumed police or FBI.

I smiled at her knowing she now knew of what I was capable of.

"I am um... looking for an old friend, how about yourself what are you doing here?" I looked into her eyes giving a faint warning of lethality, then chuckled hearing a small vibration. "Phone? Ill let you take that if you need to"

"If it is important, they will call back," Ksenija said with a shrug. She smiled and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bar. But her eyes were watching his every move--Kseni didn't seem lethal most of the time, but there was always an undercurrent of danger around her. It gave her a strange magnetism that had served her both well and ill in the pass.

The agent continued, "It would be quite rude of me to interrupt our conversation. No, no. You, Mr. Grim Reaper, have my full attention. And as for your question--I frequent night clubs. They are my kind of place. I always meet the most interesting people, such as yourself."

I smiled, I liked her. She was nice, but I was still wary of what was to come if she was a police agent. I had met one before to.. Where was sit now San Francisco? I could not remember.

"Thanks" I said. "Are you going to finish your tea? And I come here a little bit.. Seems to attract me a lot, not for the people but just... Well I honeslty don't know why" I tried not to laugh

"Certainly. I am in no rush," Ksenija said lightly, looking down at her watch. She wore it so that the face was on the inside of her wrist, mostly so it didn't flash and give her away at the wrong moments. "No one at the embassy keeps tabs on me. I am a free woman...until someone calls from work and goes, 'Kseni, dorogoi, we need you at the office'. It happens more than you might think."

It was her way of hinting to him that she was not in fact a police officer. A foreign national would have no power to arrest him on any charges, or even to make a citizen's arrest--now if he were Russian, he might find that statement far less comforting.