Thread: Venus Ascending [Chai & Alkaline]

Big Mike was anything far from big. In fact, he was rather small with his 5'7 frame and lean body, but what he lacked for in physique, he completely made up for in presence and ego. If the tangerine suit wasn't enough of a signifier, the borderline gaudy rings on each hand were most definitely a display of his ostentatious flair. Brilliant precious jewels covered his fingers, all of them the real deal. They must have cost a fortune, but in the line of work he was in, his goods sold for a fortune. No one really knew where he got his supply from. Rumor had it that he managed to take over a few warehouses through bribery and connections. Others said he was the shadow behind all the legal distributors, playing both sides like puppets on strings. Either way, he was a man with goods and a reliable mouth over his customers' names. Then again, it would be a bad business move to spill the details over who purchased what from him. The men and women he catered to were powerful and definitely the type to seek retribution if he didn't keep things on the down low. Place seems more full than the last time I was here, Kaisa commented as Mike put his hand up to a display and unlocked a heavy steel door. The soft sounds of gears turning and locks clicking open preceded the gentle hiss of the automatic vault. And inside were weapons upon weapons pistols, shotguns, automatic rifles, knives, the shiny brass of ammunition, and even the blue glow of energy packs were on display. Business is booming, Mike replied serenely, walking toward a chiller on the far side of the room and popping a new bottle of wine open. He poured two glasses and handed one to the female assassin before positioning himself behind a glass cabinet full of handguns. Word travels fast about where you guysmy valuable clientsget the reliable... services . I was talking about Applause. So was I, the arms dealer said, grinning from ear to ear over the ambiguity of the conversation. Weaponry and strip clubs aren't exactly all that different. You provide high-quality products that people like, and they come back for more. Sometimes with friends who also like to pay top dollar. Now, what can I do for you, Rose? The last I heard, you were captured by some uppity Adirans who wanted you dead. Instead, you're here doing business with me. Interesting, how even on the brink of death, you come out the other side unscathed. I know, I'm a walking life cheat code, Kaisa responded, returning the grin, not unlike Mike's from earlier. Really, she had no business being so braggadocious about the situation, but she couldn't help herself. Rumors like these helped fuel her reputation, and she intended to keep people fixed on the fact that she was a dangerous hitman, not on the fact that she was caught over some rookie mistake. But not unscathed. Weapons stock is now floating away with no intentions of returning, so I need to start replenishing. Pistols, blastersyou know what I like. And the knives, too. Hand to hand still your thing? Mike asked, more rhetorically than anything, before pulling product after product from the shelves and her letting her try the feel of them. He seemed to pride himself on his selections, setting aside each of the confirmed items. I know you'll like everything about these. Custom grooving for a nice grip, and the marble resin is just as beautiful as you are, he commented on a pair of twin daggers, holding out one of the blades for her to play with. She took it, smiling as she checked the balance of the blade in her hand. The point was slightly curved upwards, able to cleanly slice through a flesh even at the tip. And the black and gold resin on the handle was something she admired. It was ROSE, came a scream from down the hall, and the sounds of a body heavily stumbling into the walls. I'm gonna fucking kill you, little bitch. The words were filled with venom, hate, and disgust easily traceable in his voice. The door to Mike's weapons room was open, and Kaisa's instincts immediately took over, adrenaline coursing its way through her body. Pressing her body to the wall adjacent to the door, she waited until the idiot had poked his head inside to strike. The dagger in her hand found its way to his exposed arm, blood splattering on the ground as he retracted his hand. He staggered backward, his injured arm aimlessly swiping in front of him to fend off an attack. GODDAMN BITCH, he roared, just before Kaisa ducked and maneuvered to wrestle the club from his fingers. It was a basic weapon, a slab of wood with nails crudely attached to one face, but lethal nonetheless. She grabbed the handle and swung it down, hearing a thud and a sound somewhere between a scream and a sob. One of his kneecaps was now crippled, and Kaisa stepped behind the man to catch him before he sunk to the ground. Tragic, she said softly in his ear, the dagger pressing against the soft flesh of his neck, You were going to kill who, again? She made a thin incision, just enough to break the skin and have blood bead up on his neck. You're a whoring, dirty little cock suc the man managed to say before the assassin slit his throat mid-sentence, a stream of blood leaking out onto one of her hands before she let him drop. So sorry, Mike, Kaisa said apologetically, accepting a towel that he offered her. She wiped her hand mostly clean, and then the dagger. I honestly don't know how these people find me anymore, and actually think it's going to do anything. But anyway, let's transfer these credits I owe you. I'll take the daggers now, but have the rest delivered to the bay in an hour, and I'll come pick it up. Secured, I should add. No worries, Ms. Holland, my staff will be waiting. He tapped a few times on his watch, accepting the pending payment and then sipped the rest of his wine. Let's check on Mr. Ryan? Kaisa nodded, strapped the daggers to her belt and walked out, frowning slightly at the bit of blood that had spilled on her blue shirt. She was a mercenary, not a barbarian, and she hated leaving a mess on her clothes. Then her eyes drifted to the three bodies on the floor, eyebrows raised at the quick work Dom had made of them. Not bad, not bad, she complimented him as she walked behind the bar, washing her hands in a sink off to the side. I'm guessing you didn't get that strip show finished, huh?