Francine's was one of New Haven's newest delis, a hip little place tucked in among equally trendy shops. The midmorning sun was warm but not oppressive, and Alain DeMuer sat at a wrought iron table in a tieless suit and his sunglasses, enjoying a glass of limeade with a splash or two of gin. Different parts of town required different looks, different attitudes, and this was what the Baron had learned was appropriate for so much of New Haven, where DeMuer Exports had its offices.

Two Aurkindri, a man and a woman, were a couple tables over, their green heads close together, chatting and laughing intimately -- and every so often they checked on their boss.

Marc Franco was familiar with not going much of anywhere without others. He always had at least an intern or two at his heels and sometimes there was even a representative from one of his advertisers or a publicist with him as well. For this particular meeting, he took only a single intern -- a young polished looking blonde in a business suit who had to have been a beauty queen title holder at some point.

Marc thought of his interns as accessories and this particular intern was brought for Alain's viewing pleasure.

He was dressed casually in a sports coat and khakis with his shock of naturally pink hair spiked messily. A wide, welcoming smile formed as he caught sight of the rabble-rouser at the table. "Well, Baron DeMuer! What a pleasure to see you!"

Alain stood to shake his hand, grinning at the sight of him (and the accessory), and replied, "Please, call me Alain. I'm glad you could make it. I've been meaning to do this for months... How are you? How's blogging?" He reclaimed his seat, and perhaps showmanship, perhaps not, he gave a little wink to the blonde that Franco brought along with him.

After a dismissive nod from Marc, the blonde intern made herself scarce. Although, labeled "interns", the young men and women (save, of course, Intern Pumpkin Head) that were employed by Marc were in fact highly paid professionals. They were good at disappearing from sight when need be.

Marc bobbed his head in a nod as he took a seat, pulling it up to the table. Despite his reputation, there was no pause for small talk or gossip. He moved straight towards his point. "I have as well. I have heard of what you and young Lirssa do for the children of this community and it had always been my goal to have our charity help fund your work."

Alain gave the menu only the briefest of perusals - good business would be this meal's most important spice. He smiled and brought his drink up for a sip: "You're very astute, Marc... but we all know that. I have enough out of my own pocket to keep High Spires afloat, and to find education and apprenticeships for their children... but I've been made aware of a few other upcoming projects, and I'd really like to help them along."

The waiter approached, and Alain ordered quickly, a caesar wrap with garlic fries, and once they were done, he moved right back to their conversation. "The Holy Order of Saint Aldwin -- the order Sir Roland belongs to, you might be familiar with him -- could do a great deal with the right resources. My friend Renna's opening a new hospital, and she needs plenty more cash to get it off the ground. Anything left over, the Order would invest in other charitable works. And I know you're the best man to help me get this whole thing organized."

Late nights spent at his computer had left Marc with a bit of an unfortunate bulge. Mindful of that, he ordered a grilled chicken salad and handed the menu back to the young man with a friendly smile. Over the top though he may very well be, he had not suceeded in business without a shrewd eye. He took a sip from his ice water while contemplating his reply.

"Truthfully, children are what are near and dear to my heart. However, I will listen to any and all proposals. I must admit that the two you mention in particular concern me a bit. For one, religious orders do not tend to want much to do with my sort and, for another, you wish me to trust Renna with the money that has been entrusted to me?"

It was Alain's turn to consider. His eyes narrowed slightly, though not at all maliciously; the young man was simply thinking.

"...I see your point. Perhaps a more autonomous initiative would be wiser. I can assure you, though, any charitable works the Order engages in are and will be without agenda. What if..." He tapped his finger on the rim of his glass, his lips tightening. "What if we established a fund, and you used your platforms and I used mine to encourage donations, and once it's established, charities and other organizations would submit grant proposals for funding. Whatever either of us doesn't agree to, doesn't pass. So, as an example, if you're not satisfied that Renna's hospital is detached enough from her previous endeavors, then they won't receive funding, plain and simple."

Marc clapped his hands together in delight. A warm smile overtook his face again. Despite what shadows and secrets were lingering beneath the surface of his being, he was the sort of man that smiled with his entire face. "That is just the thing I was thinking for my organization. My name helps raise money as does yours. I would like to use my notoriety to raise money for the overlooked charities of this city and the surrounding region."

The business man in Marc rose to the surface again. Every angle on this had been considered. "I want there to be openness in the process which grant proposals would allow. Perhaps a committee consisting of both your people and mine would hear the proposals and make the final decisions. It would lessen the possibility that anyone could claim that either of us are using our charities to promote our own personal interests."

"Naturally," Alain said with a nod. "I know my export company's DEO, Mr. Aurene, has taken a great personal interest in charity work, and I'm sure others will, too. And if you have any particular charities in mind, you could always encourage them to submit a grant, or perhaps submit one for them yourself. And if any of us on the committee felt it was too biased, we would say so."

He couldn't help but fight down his grin. This had taken an excellent turn, and even better, their food arrived! "Do you have someone to take care of the legal end of this for you? All the paperwork and red tape."

Marc gave a warm laugh after taking in the salad set down before him. "Of course! A man in my line of work pays half his income to attorneys!"

Alain chuckled; increasingly, he could relate. "Cheers," he said, lifting his glass to Marc.