Despite the fact that Emlyn found himself burning the midnight oil, Emlyn was not concerned. Every morning, without fail, he would rise just before five. He had even bent and abused his schedule in order to benefit the most out of his uniqueness. Thus, when he awoke in the morning, he threw a robe over himself and made his way into the kitchen silently. His breakfast was almost always prepared by himself. He knew it would be unreasonable to force a chef to be awake at the same time as him and he also knew just how much he would need to keep himself from getting stuffed while also surviving throughout the morning to reach an appropriately timed lunch. Thus, when Azure arrived in the late morning, Emlyn was already hard at work. He wanted to ensure that his evening was uninterrupted.<br/><br/>Though there was truly no need to, Emlyn soon left once he let Azure in, setting off to check on whether or not his own predictions were correct. Within an hour, he was already where the cultists had pulled Alice into this world. The men that were there were hard at work cleaning up the place and trying to reverse engineer whatever spell the terrorists used, more hoping for a way to duplicate it than to reverse it. It was largely a fool's errand to think that it could be duplicated safely, that was certain. But finding a way to traverse to a world that, until Alice appeared, was not even known, was outside the grasp of anyone that Emlyn could order around. That would require multiple favors being cashed in or promised to even get an answer as to whether it could be done, much less a stable way to do so. Which, in so many words, is exactly what he was told when he had arrived at the site and inquired about it. He demanded simplified copies of these findings to be waiting for him upon returning home and left. Evidence to back up what he would be telling Alice later would serve as a perfect stepping stone in what he had planned. For, though Emlyn knew and followed the law, he was not above breaking them to get what he wanted. And with the government sitting in his pocket, that ensured the homunculus' greed was never shafted.<br/><br/>With the priority of the short term resolved, Emlyn decided it was time to go to work. His job was not one of nobility, but more of a merchant lord. His job was not one of law enforcement, but more of a task force. His business was simple: organized, legalized crime. Most of the city that they were in was in one way or another owned by him. And the places that were not were owned by people that Emlyn called his more prized possessions. Thus, his business was to serve in a similar capacity as a CEO from Alice's world when it came to businesses, though in a more of a puppeteer's style. His circuit through the city was a monthly one, ensuring that those he let be seated in control of the companies were ensuring that the money was effectively being gained. Once his routes were done there, this same monthly route led him to his more shady employees. He had always arranged that a meeting would be held during the route in which he could discuss with his lieutenants on the dealings that they had when it came to the drugs and the whores, the smuggling and the trafficking, protection and even simply enforcer jobs. He ensured he was always kept in the loop, both through this meeting and through the informants he placed within his own organization.<br/><br/>By the afternoon, Emlyn was satisfied. Even with this near critical attack, Emlyn was still and would still stay very firmly in the black. Perhaps enough so that within a few weeks, he could take a trip and check in on the other cities under his thumb. Maybe even expand in the next month or two. That possibility was enough to excite the man as he rode in his carriage home. The chef that he had ordered was already there, preparing a meal for two. Emlyn did not want to overdo it, but he knew that he could not simply be lazy and cook as he normally did for himself on particularly 'light' days. He wanted a meal that was perhaps a step above what he normally had more times than not, just to ensure that Alice knew and could accept what he was laying out for the foreigner.<br/><br/>Emlyn had had the dining table resized to better accommodate the two of them and the food being prepared for them. He sat there at the table, the reports he demanded from where Alice touched down to the side, and the financial numbers he requested copies of from various places during his trip that day were in one of his hands as he idly flicked through them, a glass of wine in his free hand. Even the wine was a detail that Emlyn did not overlook. It was certainly not the best that he had in his stock, but it was far beyond whatever someone in a position lower than the nobility could hope to acquire. Idly, he wondered how a two century old bottle of wine made from magically enhanced grapes and a unique fermentation process would stack up to what Alice's world could produce.<br/><br/>But his thoughts were soon pushed away when Azure quickly and quietly stepped out of the penthouse with the feline grace that she possessed. Thus, when Emlyn's eyes rose towards the stairs, he was presented with the sight of Alice and the gown. He set down the reports and his wine glass and stood, smoothing out the front of his suit as he did so. She was certainly beautiful, and only further cemented the thought that he must make this woman a part of his possessions. "I believe Azure specifically wanted me to eat my own words when she planned your attire for tonight," Emlyn said suavely. "It is either that, or I do not give her as much credit as she deserves." Emlyn rounded the table when Alice approached, pulling out the chair out for her. "I felt you would need day of relaxation, luxury, and otherwise wholesome self appreciation after last night," Emlyn continued, explaining why Alice had such a day. "So forgive me if it was a bit much. I hope a simple dinner will be enough of an apology?"