[Oh, she is clever. He should have expected that. Nobody makes it in showbiz without being able to twist things in their favor at least a bit.

He laughs, lightly, but there's a hint of something more dangerous underneath.]

Hah... falling for this place's ranks is your first mistake. They're just a distraction, a hurdle to keep us preoccupied.

Which is to say, I'm happy to to get to know you better-- [He smiles, like a satisfied cat. He needs all the alliances he can--] --But because of our shared history, not because of ranks.