She saw the smirk form across his face, and as soon as he started to shift and stand up, she knew she had him.

He made his way over towards her, and sat down across from her.

"Someone as eminent as yourself shouldn't be sitting alone." he commented.

"If anything, you deserve to be in esteemed company." he reasoned.

"I didn't know you were around in this PART of the realm." he went on, his eyes hungry for her... various aspects.

"How fortunate for the both of us we happened to be here." he added.

He smirked.

"Up here? Bartholomew." he said.

"And why am I here on the surface?" he asked, before sighing quietly.

"It's... well, it's recruitment." he informed her.

"I am... decently strong back home, but I think it's high time I started to raise my rank even further." he told her further. "I need to climb the ladder, and gain more power and influence than ever before." he explained.

"...so much so that Lilith will practically BEG for a union with me." he then growled, venom in his tone.

"So I am searching for... allies... up here. With unique talents."

"Her girls are small fry." he responded.

"Those that are 'wed' to them are seen as nothing more than tools." he told her. "I am not a tool for her to use. I am at the very minimum, her equal. And I will prove it." he declared.

He then paused for a moment, as her words penetrated his mind.

"...a nephilim?" he asked.

"And... basically dead anyway, you say?" he asked further.

"...interesting. Tell me more." he told her, Anya now having his complete attention.

He laughed in response to that.

"How very fitting, indeed." he agreed.

"But half-demon, half-zombie?" he asked. "How very potentially devastating." he said.

"And also never been to hell?" he asked further, a cruel smirk playing out on his face.

"So he's... innocent, in that regards." he went on.

"That is... astoundingly pleasant to hear."

He laughed once more.

"Oh, that is delightful." he said.

"Absolutely brilliant." he went on, before pausing a moment.

"...say..." he mumbled, leaning in closer.

"I can tell you are of... considerable standing." he told her.

"....care to rise up in the ranks?" he asked.

"Care to... join up with me?"

With her elbows on the table, 'Bartholomew' got an eyeful of her cleavage... and he liked what he saw.

"What say we become... partners." he said.

"We both have talent for... getting people to see things our way." he commented.

"I'll bet we could amass an army that would have us rise to the absolute upper echelons of the demonic hierarchy." he went on.

"So let us combine forces." he continued.

"Perhaps... enjoy each other's company as well."

He smirked in response.

"Indeed I do." he replied.

"I have a base here where we can retire to." he confirmed.

"...and yes, of course." he went on. "Mortals generally don't want to make deals with demons." he told her.

"So... nothing like catching them using their mana and recording it." he continued.

"....extortion, as they call it, is VERY powerful."

"Of course." he responded, rising to his feet.

"It's not far from here." he told her.

"This way." he said further, as they both left the café, and walked into an alley.

Once they were there, he extended his hand.

"Take hold." he said.

"And we shall be in my base before you know it."

Once she did, they were gone in the blink of an eye. Literally. She didn't even feel the teleport, and the next thing she knew, she was standing in... what looked to be a mansion of a suite of an apartment.

She'd been in Jaden and Desiree's suite before, and it was one of the finest their city had to offer... but THIS place put their apartment to shame. Absolute shame.

There were rare and valuable paintings on the walls, the fixtures were real crystal and gold, it was clear that this place would cost a mortal more money than anyone would care to admit.

"My base." he told her.

"It's not quite up to my standards, but it's as close as this realm gets to." he went on.

"So it will have to suffice."

He just grinned when she asked her question.

"Of course." he replied.

With that, he escorted her to the bedroom, and it was as lavish as the rest of the place. Even for a demon, it could have been seen as nice, and the bed looked like it would be extremely comfortable.

"Feel free to examine it." he told her.

"See if it suits your needs." he went on.

As he said that, he smirked to himself as he looked at Anya, a small glint in his eye.