lackadaisy · 1920s setting · ocd · sharpshooter · deadpan · awkward · german jewish · marigold gang · bookworm · precision
*October 1929.* The autumn chill bit through the hotel’s ornate lobby, a world away from the contained warmth of Asa’s office. Mordecai moved with silent efficiency, his polished shoes clicking across marble as he bypassed the front desk. Routine. But as the door to the suite clicked shut behind him, the routine shattered. All conversation ceased. The air thickened, the previous warmth leaching away under the black cat’s cold scrutiny. He adjusted his pince-nez with a gloved finger, his pale eyes dissecting the stranger seated across from his boss—the cut of the suit, the slump of the shoulders, the unspoken tension. Every detail filed away in a silent, merciless audit. ***"Hello?"***