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Post by Torrey on Sept 17, 2017 5:26:44 GMT
Torrey was fed up with people.
For the past few days, she’d been hire to do some fairly dirty work. Some sicko wanted arms and organs for gods knew what reason, and he hired Torrey to do it. Well…she did do it, but the job was gross. The guy had told her to just grab some poor homeless person off the street, and she’d done just that. Poor guys was screaming and kicking as her claws carefully cut out his organs and removed his arms with a rusty knife. But a job was a job, and she had needed the money. Plus the guy was just a human. Not like the world would miss losing one of them.
Since that job had been gruesome, she decided to take the day off. In Spirit, she stood out like a sore thumb with her bulky wings flattened against her back and feathered covered bird-like legs, feet, and scaled hands. With the moon covered overhead, the only thing giving off light were some of the lanterns, candles, and torches that people put outside. It was well into the middle of the night and the streets were mostly empty, besides the whores, their customers, and the little urchins causing a commotion as well as other daemons in the area. Torrey had a low tolerance to the sun, so she was much more nocturnal than diurnal.
In her hands was a rat that she’d snatch off the street. Compared to many that she’d caught before, it was cleaner and well..dead now. As if it were like a treat for a kid to snack on, she ripped the head off with her teeth and easily chewed the thin bones and meat together, grinding it down to a point where she could easily swallow it without injuring herself. Bird-like hands covered with blood, Torrey ignored the looks of disgusts that some of the scoundrels on the street were giving her.
Since clothes were too much of a hassle to wear with her wings, she had her chest wrapped and wore a ratty pair of light brown trousers. Her exposed skin was beautiful and flawless, as well as bright. That, along with her bright amethyst eyes, were evidence enough along with her bird-like features that she was a daemon.
Another crunch came from her next bite, fangs extended just slightly to help with the tearing. As she was chewing though, a drunk man ran into her shoulder and caused her to drop the rat.
Immediately, Torrey scowled and twisted herself around, raising one of her legs and striking her claws across his chest ash she spun and returned back to her initial position. The man shouted and staggered back, staring down at the four gapping wounds that went deep through his chest. He sunk to the ground, blood dripping everywhere, but Torrey was already moving on. She picked up the remaining half of her rat and scowled. “Damn. Gotta get a new one now. Fucking prick.” This was her day off, damnit.
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Post by Xaviere on Sept 17, 2017 8:36:51 GMT
It should be an easy job. A man in his mid-forties, local drunkard, with brown hair and an unremarkable appearance. Father of two, liked to beat his wife up after a few too many beers. That wasn't why he was the target though - the man was badly in arrears to the King of Thieves. Myriad loans, probably mostly to fund his drinking habit, had gone unpaid. The usual lighter handed harassment had failed to produce any results and Lazarus had decided the most likely avenue for recovery of loss was through the man's business partner. And, the man's business partner would need motivation. Nothing motivated someone like thinking they might be next in line for an untimely end at the bequest of the King of Thieve's personal assassin - it was a whole other level to his usual thugs, and one that sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who valued their longevity.
Easy job or no, Xaviere didn't take a contract lightly. She wore a black dress that clung to her breasts and hips, and fell to her upper thighs. Stockings and garters were visible beneath this, and above the top of heeled boots that nearly reached her knees. Cut outs in the dress showed not only the curve of her waist but the black leather sheath for a decorative silver knife. Further knives were strapped, using the same black leather, to her thigh and upper arm. Being heavily armed in Spirit was nothing unusual, though with the tumble of silver-blonde hair, kohl-lined eyes and sultry pout, combining it with being so overtly sexual perhaps was. Xaviere anticipated needing to talk her way into a bar - who knows what kind of bar this idiot frequented - and looking hot was usually a good way to get past the bouncer, if they had one. Come prepared, that was the trick.
Rounding the corner, Xaviere expected to find a street lined with bars to start trawling. She did find that, the street quiet but the bars bustling with patrons just inside closed doors, but first she nearly walked right into a man on his knees in the street. A heartbeat later she realised she was standing in his blood and her nose wrinkled as she delicately stepped to the side, preferring not to ruin her boots. They were expensive. The reason for him bleeding all over the street was very apparent - a Daemon woman in a foul mood. The Daemons were given to murdering people all over the place even when they weren't in a foul mood, so she wasn't surprised. What was surprising, though, was to find that the man slowly bleeding to death in front of her was her target. He matched visually, and she quickly rifled through his coat to find his papers to confirm it, ignoring the ghastly rattling noise coming from his throat. The Daemon had punctured his lung.
"You've gone and killed my target. Well, nearly." Xaviere glanced at the Daemon then, without hesitating, pulled a dirk strapped to her thigh free of its sheath and drew it across the man's throat, hand curling through his hair to tilt his head back. A torrent of blood gushed over his front and she let him go, wiping the blade on his coat just before he fell to the ground.
"Well, you made that an easier kill than even I'd hoped for. I'm Xave...and I think I probably owe you a drink for that." Cutting someone's throat was a shockingly casual night's work for the gold Lazarus would pay her, and the woman had made it all the easier even if it had been unintentional.
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Post by Torrey on Sept 17, 2017 15:48:10 GMT
Torrey wasn't really sure what to expect. A scream from a bystander? Someone shouting about how she was a monster, blah blah blah? She had been expecting something predictable to respond to, and by response it was more of 'kill that person also because they're intruding on my me time'. What the daemon had not expected was some stranger crouching down to the man's level and finishing him off, all the while stating how she'd taken her target. Immediately the daemon scowled at the blatant statement of being an assassin. It wasn't that she disliked them or anything. Torrey had never been stealthy enough to get hired for that sort of job, she was just perceptive and knew that trusting one was unwise. With a half eaten rat in one hand and a hand on her hip in the other, her scowl slowly changed from something perceived as dangerous to a frown that was more just obvious irritation.
At a first glance, the woman was dressed so.....differently than what she'd expect of an assassin. And it was very clear to Torrey that she was some sort of fae. The way she held herself, the perfect, angular face and high cheekbones. Hell, even the way she dressed sort of mirrored the way she'd seen fae dress. Normally, the daemon's reaction would have been to roll her eyes and walk away. Fae were so boring and uptight all the time. She wasn't much a fan of how obsessed they were over trees too. The day that Torrey believed the trees talked to each other was the day pigs flied.
No longer feeling hungry for the rat, she let the carcass fall onto the alleyway floor, right at the feet of the man who'd just been assaulted and killed. "Er, you're welcome I guess?" She wasn't really sure how to respond, too distracted by the fact that things had gotten weird so fast. Besides with other daemons, it wasn't often she met people in Spirit that were so casual about killing someone.
Torrey cleared her throat and wiped the blood from the rat that was on her hands, onto her trousers. She cross her arms and put most of her weight onto her right hip and leg, so she was leaning to the side just ever so slightly. "Torrey. I'll take you up on that drink." Would she ever say no to free booze? Hell no. It was right up there with getting coin for doing work.
Wait, wasn't this supposed to be her day off?
She looked down at her blood soaked feet and talon, but didn't really bother to clean them. "Wait hold on. Hold the fuck up." This was just...weird. "Are you a fae? You're a fae, right? Aren't you people like......against killing and murder and all that? No offense but I'm so used to the usual stick-up-the-ass, 'Protect the trees' crap." Torrey had been alive for a long time, enough to pick out people and what species they most likely were. Wings tight against her back, she looked down at the carcass of the man, then back up to the woman.
"Don't get me wrong. It's nice to not be scowled at for once or yelled at, but you just caught me off guard was all."
Already, there were animals that were following the scent of blood and making their way to the corpse. Two rats zoomed past them, and immediately Torrey's attention had changed from the woman to them. Without really thinking about it, she lifted one of her feet up and, with impressive speed, impaled one of the big rats with two of her talons, while the other sprinted away.
She fully curled the rest of her toes around the body and brought it up to where she could grab the rat with a hand. Now satisfied, her frown had changed to a more neutral facial expression. "Aha! Guess that worked out after all. Got my meal back too." Without thinking on how the woman would react, Torrey bit off the head of that rat as well and smiled as she chewed through bone and meat.
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Post by Xaviere on Sept 18, 2017 8:11:03 GMT
Xaviere ignored the man's body now that it was slumped on the road, a rapidly growing pool of blood surrounding it. She did pocket the man's papers to show her boss later but outside of the payment she intended to receive for a job well done, she had totally lost interest in the man. Dead bodies turned up on the street all the time in Spirit, and there were all sorts of ways someone hapless could end up with their throat cut. The puncture wounds in the man's chest were, if anything, a handy diversion - should someone care enough about this guy to pay for a proper investigation it would add confusion to the circumstances of his death. She didn't really expect anyone to care enough, though; the beaten wife would hardly be coughing up her savings in the name of justice, especially now the household income was down by whatever he brought in through the business. And, unlike the City, Spirit had no formal law enforcement.
"Come on, let's find a slightly nicer place than one of these dives, since I'm paying." Xaviere might not think that anyone would work very hard to solve this particular crime, but finding a murderer literally standing over the body of their victim could cause complicated consequences on all sorts of levels. There was no need to worry about the corpse but it was also prudent to leave the area. First, though, it seemed Torrey had some questions. Which was fair enough, she supposed; an assassin had just sauntered up to her brawl and finished it off. Not an everyday event for most people.
"I'm a Fae, yes. Fairy, actually, hence the wings." Silver and black, gossamer-fine with ragged edges reminiscent of some dark, night-loving butterfly, these fanned behind Xaviere as she spoke, before folding together once more so they were less obvious again. Like her hair these seemed to be constantly stirred by a preternatural breeze, fluttering at the edges.
"I broke the Fae laws by killing for coin and am permanently banished from the Forest and Mound. So no, no stick up my arse. No sticks anywhere near me, if I can help it. I'm a city girl these days, and far more fun to drink with, if I do say so myself." Her tone was matter of fact, even brusque, as she explained her unusual demeanour. Which, as the Daemon noted, was unlike most of her brethren.
Xaviere watched with a carefully blank expression as Torrey caught a rat. Gross. But that was Daemons for you; coarse, violent, messy. Oh, always pretty, don't get her wrong, but unrefined.
"You know, I could shout you a meal too. You made my night very easy, it would be fair recompense. Though I get the feeling you're actually enjoying that." Xaviere was elegant, even when she killed. This Daemon...wasn't. But she was still owed a drink, and eating rats wasn't the worst Xaviere had seen, far from it. The heels of her boots clicked sharply against the cobblestones as she headed down the road, pausing to glance back at Torrey.
"Come on, then. He might have friends around who'd ask awkward questions, and assassins do best when they leave before anyone finds the body. Let's get that drink."
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Post by Torrey on Sept 20, 2017 5:42:26 GMT
Face and hands bloody from the ray, Torrey grinned like an idiot. “Oh thank fucking gods. I can’t handle none of that ‘I can’t kill’ and ‘protect the forest and magic’ crap. Until the fae finally lose their cool with the humans and stuff, but ya know. Still.” Torrey enjoyed violence a lot. Maybe a little too much. Oh well. The fae lady seemed pretty cool, and she offered the avian daemon a drink already so it was fair to say Torrey was intrigued and fascinated.
The offer of food didn’t seem all too bad either. Personally, she preferred her food raw, but a change every now and again was nice. In her eyes, eating a rat off the street was hardly disgusting. It was just normal, much like how the bird she had an affinity for acted. Birds of prey were pretty brutal after all, and weren’t too picky on what they ate. Except when it came do the stomach and intestines and what not. Torrey was not much a fan of eating that shit…literally.
With a shrug, she dropped the second rat she had, hands and part of her mouth covered with fresh blood. “Some food and drinks sound good. Guess I should start killing random citizens more often,” she jested. Well, sort of jested. Spirit didn’t have hounds to keep the violence down, but people were still perfectly capable of tracking someone down and giving the crime do-er judgement themselves. Though outrageously violent too, Torrey tried to not kill people without a good reason. Making her drop her food was a good reason.
She had no idea where the fae lady wanted to go, so she kept instep, but let Xave (was that her name? Or was it like….Nave? Gave? Tave? Gods, she was bad with names) take the lead. “I mean, I wouldn’t find that situation awkward,” she responded to Xave’s last statement. “More like a challenge. And fun. But I guess with doing assassin type work, you wanna keep on the download a little bit more?” She’d never had the opportunity to do an assassin job, so she had no idea. Blatant murder was a thing, but if someone spotted her than she’d just killed them too.
It was relatively dead out, but there were always people milling about in such a populated area. The fact that Torrey’s talons and claws were stained with blood eluded her, as did the idea that anyone might notice and question what’d she’d been up to. Not that it bothered her much.
“So, how much ya getting for that kill? On your own I’d bet that would have been way too fucking easy.” She was genuinely curious, and coin was Torrey’s most favorite thing besides meeting other daemons. “Done lots of killing for money myself but nothing as….specific or hush-hush as assassination really.” She wasn’t afraid to admit these things, and anyone that had an issue with it could fight her.
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Post by Xaviere on Sept 22, 2017 23:48:49 GMT
"It's not so much can't kill, as kill only within the laws of the balance of life and death, or whatever. Very eye for an eye, the Fae, which is why killing Humans for the crime of destroying a tree fifty years ago is perfectly warranted. By so many goddamn rules, it was so tiresome." Actually, Xaviere was a little hungry herself, and a rat definitely wouldn't cut it for her. She needed that drink too. It was never a bad time for a drink. Had she not walked away from her heritage many years ago now Xaviere would have been jealous of the Daemon's cavalier attitude to violence. She had been in the past, while still trying to figure out how she fit in around the Fae's ancestral laws. Now, though, she shared that freedom, although she was a little less overtly aggressive than Torrey if she had to guess. Xaviere didn't enjoy the killing, and didn't do it for no reason. But nor did she dislike it, and she considered coin a perfectly reasonable recompense for her work. The Fae, who didn't use gold and who believed in some kind of sacred balance where killing had to be morally justified, considered her an abomination.
"Hmmm. Quite the lucky evening, isn't it? You get rewarded for a regular night of brawling, I get my work half-done for me and wrap it all up in under a minute. I'd call that a good night for both of us." The pace Xaviere walked at suggested she knew where she was going and where she wanted to end up - she wasn't lingering, peering into the grimy windows of the bars they passed. She seemed to have a destination in mind.
"Exactly. Get too well known and no-one will hire you any more. It's best to disconnect your face from your work. My official role, on paper, is an escort, actually." Her employer wasn't stupid, and he also liked to have her around and visible, her real role implied but never outwardly acknowledged in public. She attended a lot of his business, but rarely as his assassin. In fact, the only reason she was speaking so openly about it to Torrey was because the Daemon had seen the kill, and it had been prudent to do it then and there and not wait. If Torrey had killed him stone dead she'd not have qualified for the payment - there hadn't been time to spin a story for the Daemon. Which happened sometimes, it wasn't a big deal if it wasn't too often.
"I'm on salary, but I get bonuses for each kill depending on the perceived difficulty. He was a lower middle class merchant, no protection. A silver kill, basically." It became apparent they had arrived when Xaviere stopped suddenly and knocked out a pattern on the door. Then, folding her arms and waiting impatiently, one foot tapping against the ground, she turned back to Torrey.
"This is one of the establishments my employer owns, so I get a discount here. I hope you don't mind? It's not open to everyone but I can bring guests if I want to. It's pretty nice inside, with decent food but better liquor."
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Post by Torrey on Sept 23, 2017 6:33:41 GMT
Torrey nodded when it came to the fae having too many rules. She couldn’t really understand since in her six hundred years of life, had never had to endure dealing with too many rules. The perks of being a daemon were that there were very loose, yet cut and dry rules that weren’t so much rules or laws as they were guidelines. Torrey lived and breathed by those guidelines, hence her intense loyalty to the daemon race.
She followed after the pretty fae lady, talons clacking against the stone floors of Spirit. Someone must have found the body, because there was a high-pitched scream that came from behind them, but the fae and daemon women were already out of sight from the scene. With no other witnesses, there was no reason to believe they had anything to do with it, though Torrey didn’t much care if she were to be blamed. If someone accused her of murdering or attacking someone, she’d be honest.
“Ha, I guess that makes sense. I can say there are plenty of people that have no desire to hire me anymore.” Torrey had never been looking for any permanent employ to begin with, so she wasn’t too worried about it. It was interesting, however, to learn about this taboo life that the fae woman was living. It was so…different from the norm, and Torrey had decided in that moment that she was somewhat fond of Xave, if anything at least for being different from the majority of fae.
As a daemon though, she did not actually dislike or hate the fae, but was just uninterested in them. In fact, from what she last heard, the daemons were allied with the fae which meant she had an obligation to kill them less and tolerate them more than humans or shifters.
Once the place came into view, it was easy to tell where Xave was taking her. On one hand, the daemon was a little on edge and on alert; Xave had just introduced herself as an assassin, right in front of Torrey. There was always the possibility that she’d want to eliminate any witnesses, and she was one of those even if the initial strike had been her doing. Really though, Torrey was confident in her abilities. She decided to go on with the offer of drinks and food, though her guard would be kept up as with most strangers, especially one that was an assassin.
She forced a smile across her lush lips. “I mean, you’re paying so I won’t complain. Plus you can’t be too bad of company. A black sheep from the rest of the fae that didn’t scream when you saw me rake my talons across that guys’ chest.” For the most part, she seemed like good company so fae, and Torrey was interested to learn more about her.
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Post by Xaviere on Sept 24, 2017 4:19:18 GMT
Xaviere pulled a face.
"Scream? Hardly. Anyway, I didn't have that much of a sheltered upbringing. Some of the Fae are precious simpering idiots, true, but some are sadistic bastards. Very into driving people insane and grotesque torture, as long as they think it's justified." What many people didn't realise about the Fae was that while the Seelie and Unseelie courts had long since been replaced by a council, many Fae were still influenced by their ancestral court connections. And, those from the Unseelie court - Xaviere's ancient family included - were the most animalistic, and darkest, of Fae. Many had an image of the Fae from the diplomatic court days now - Humans had such short lives and therefore such short memories - but Xaviere knew their true hearts could be very twisted indeed.
A loud clunking sound preceded the door being opened by a tall, dark-skinned man in a smart tailored suit. He greeted Xaviere with the familiarity of an old friend, and indeed he was, given they were employed by the same man and had been colleagues for nearly five years now. She ushered Torrey inside so the door could be locked behind them - a fact that she hoped the Daemon wouldn't consider threatening. It wasn't meant to be, it was for privacy since the bar was exclusive and entry was by invitation only. The man that had let them in was clearly there to guide and help them though, and was entirely unthreatening in his demeanor, even if he towered over Xaviere's scant five feet in height.
A short hallway soon opened into a sumptuously decorated bar. Suede couches were scattered about the place, and the walls were draped with navy velvet curtains. The lighting was dim, warm and inviting; in the winter a fire would be roaring in the very large impressive fireplace, but at the end of summer this had been left unlit and instead huge vases of fresh cream flowers dotted the room, scenting it with the fresh floral smell of gardenias. There were less than ten people inside, some at the bar and others lounging on the couches with drinks in hand. Most, though not all, were as extravagantly dressed as Xaviere. One such patron was seated on a couch in a relaxed pose, arms stretched over the back and a glass of wine in front of him. He didn't stand out from the others much - a slender, leanly muscled man of average height, with dark hair and angular dark eyes, he was handsome though not overtly striking. Xaviere, however, made a beeline for him and without missing a beat, leaned down and kissed him deeply. He responded without really moving, arms still draped over the couch, although his hands curled into fists and his hair moved at the gentle breeze Xaviere carried with her at all times.
"I take it our drunk friend is dead?"
"Naturally. Now cough up the silver, oh Kingly one. I need a drink." The Fairy was still leaning over the man, back slightly arched and hands braced against the couch on either side of his head, their eyes level as she smiled playfully. He returned the grin and produced a small leather pouch from his jacket, which was duly handed over. Xaviere straightened then, coin in hand and smirk in place as she turned back to Torrey.
"I brought a friend. She...expedited the kill. Torrey, that's Lazarus. Laz, Torrey."
"Welcome."
Seemingly disinterested in the man she'd been making out with seconds before now that she'd been paid, Xaviere took a seat at the bar and gestured for Torrey to join her.
"What do you drink, then?"
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Post by Torrey on Sept 24, 2017 5:17:56 GMT
Torrey, though fairly old for a daemon, was not that familiar with old fae customs. She’d never been that interested to learn really. She supposed it made sense that some abused the ‘justified killing’ thing though and were just as sadistic as anyone else. Torrey believed though, that if they wanted to torture and kill, then to just fucking do it instead of beating around a bush so they don’t get in trouble. The more people that take part in it after all, the more normalized it’d be.
Or maybe everyone should just be a daemon. That seemed like the best answer to her.
As expected, the man and Xave seemed to know each other. The daemon was getting a little more warry though, and the second the door closed and was locked behind her, she stopped and spun, eyes like daggers. She didn’t think she was being very paranoid, but no one had tried to kill her yet so she roused the feathers on her wins and turned around, following after the fae women and the door man.
The hallway lead into a place that looked way better than most places Torrey frequented. It seemed so…exclusive. And neat. And there was like no one there, which Torrey could really appreciate. She wasn’t in the mood to be surrounded by a ton of people. They were just as likely to be taloned as the drunk man that had walked into her and made her lose her rat.
She…wasn’t really sure what she expected when Xave approached the attractive, lounging man, but it sure as well wasn’t to just walk up and lock lips with him. Torrey arched an eyebrow curiously, but didn’t bother to interrupt their exchange on business and all that. It seemed so…official, so different from what she did to make some money.
At the sound of her name being introduced, she awkwardly raised one of her bird-like hands and replied, “Uhh, nice to meet you. Where’s the food?” She had no idea who the guy was. Though it could be taken as disrespect, she didn’t mean it that way.
Torrey was about just as uninterested in the guy as Xave was the moment they headed to the bar. She plopped herself onto a seat next to Xave, careful not to bend or break any of her tail feathers in the process. “Cider? Cider. I like Cider. Or mead. Or both.” Torrey wasn’t picky with her drinks.
“So who was the dude? Obviously, your employer.” Maybe he was some form of gangster? They were pretty popular. She was curious.
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Post by Xaviere on Sept 25, 2017 7:13:48 GMT
The man who had let them in didn't miss Torrey's reaction, especially since if looks could kill he might be stone cold dead by now. He held up his hands apologetically; ever the diplomat, Lazarus' butler, he'd gotten good over the years at appeasing those who entered the periphery of Lazarus' life.
"To keep out the undesirables only, I assure you. There is an unlocked door out the back, through the water closet, as a secondary exit if you feel uncomfortable. It opens into the back alley."
Xaviere, already busy with Lazarus, didn't hear his reassurances. She assumed, if Torrey had any concerns, Vivek would assuage them - the butler was used to smoothing over the tension that tended to crop up around his employer.
"Any friend of Xave's is welcome here. Order at the bar - there should be something there to your tastes." Lazarus made no move to get up and join them; Xaviere did not appreciate being crowded, and he would wisely leave her alone while she was with company. Vivek sat alongside him as Xaviere left and the two men were soon engaged in conversation; Vivek was not only Lazarus' butler but also an important adviser. Xaviere, meanwhile, appeared utterly disinterested in them now, focused instead on procuring a menu for herself and Torrey, as well as getting some drinks ordered. She passed over the menu to the Daemon when she got it and ordered wine - fruity, sweet, she was still a Fae biologically if not spiritually - for herself, and the cider Torrey requested. The bar tender was quiet but efficient, and Xaviere acknowledged her only by sliding the coin over the bar in payment.
"Hmm? Oh, Lazarus. Not many people know him by sight but most know him by title. He's the King of Thieves." And yes, Xaviere's employer. She'd been working for him for nearly five years, and her life had never been better. The contracts were, at times, harder and more dangerous than on the private market, and she had less flexibility in turning down jobs now that she was on salary. The perks made up for it though - not least of all Lazarus himself. Xaviere wasn't given to emotional connection, but the man was fabulous in bed.
"Notorious gangster. You've heard the title, right? He's not actually a King, of course, though half the criminal world pays him taxes in exchange for protection." A loose term, that, since the protection was mainly from his own gang. A blood tax, of sorts - pay up and avoid an awkward encounter in a back alley, plus get the perks of being in with the gang. There weren't too many criminals in any kind of organised crime in Litharia who chose to eschew the implied tax.
"The Ravens are the biggest gang in Spirit and he's their head honcho. And bloody gorgeous, obviously, but a total fucking wanker when he wants to be. I mean, King of Thieves? The title's been around decades but come on. Narcissistic, right?" She was perfectly aware that Lazarus could hear every word she was saying, of course.
"Order whatever you want, then we can drink until the silver runs out. Or until you get bored, whatever comes first." Xaviere asked for a selection of fruit - as a Sky Fairy, heavy food disagreed with her, and like her taste in wine she retained the dietary preferences of her kith.
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Post by Torrey on Sept 25, 2017 22:04:26 GMT
Torrey could tell that she wasn’t the only one that had ever felt a bit trapped. The butler that was trying to assure her seemed to have done this before, which made her feel a lot more relaxed. It was merely a natural reaction for her to get a bit jumpy from being locked in, but the mention of an open door in the back made her tenseness and discomfort go away almost immediately. Though she was still wary and on edgy, it was controlled enough to not be noticed.
While she was waiting for her drink, the daemoness had to keep from bursting out with laughter at the title that her employer held. The fucking King of Thieves? She’d heard of that person before, as had most like her that lived a life of crime and poverty, but it was still ridiculous to hear it. She wasn’t worried about Xave getting offended at the laugh, since the fae woman seemed like the type to laugh with her. There was little that Torrey was afraid of, but there was no need to start something by offending the dude in his own place. Plus chances were, if he were offended, he’d send Xave after her at some point for the disrespect. She was liking the fae so far and didn’t really want to end fighting her at some point.
A positive point with being a daemon was having excellent control over expressions, and Torrey had managed to keep most of her desire to laugh under control. There was just a hint of a smirk though, to show that amusement. The moment her drink arrived, she snatched it up, careful to not break the glass, and began to chug it. The thick strong cider had a strong, almost spicy apple taste to it that caused her taste buds to tingle. When it brought the glass back to the bar table, she nodded. “Uh yeah, defiantly heard of him. Never thought I’d meet him so…spur of the moment.” Did she feel like she owed him any sort of respect for his title though? Not really, not. The only person she felt bound to respect was the Daemon Lord and his advisors.
Torrey looked over her shoulder to look at the man again. Xave had mentioned he was gorgeous, and she wasn’t really wrong. Her amethyst eyes returned to look at the fae woman. “Gorgeous? Fuck yeah, I’d say that’s a good description.” She didn’t really mind if he heard. Seemed like he thought highly of himself already, from what Xave said and implied. “I do a lot of work for people that think they’re better than the world though, so I guess I’m sort of used to that mindset. But yeah, I'd say it's damn well narcissistic. Hey, does he ever pay people for some temporary work? I’m always looking to make some coin on the side, but I fucking hate staying in one place for too long.” She did all sorts of work, honestly. Prostitution, black market trades, stealing, murder, and more. There was the looming threat of the Angels, and Torrey was eager for the day where she could tear them apart limb from limb, but it wasn’t even clear if that’d happen in her lifetime.
“Ughhh, yes food please. I’m always starving.” Torrey was never able to get her fill. She was sure she could eat nonstop all day long and still be hungry later. She wasn’t much used to ordering food, so she basically asked for a slab of warm meat. Nothing actually cooked though, just warmed up enough for her to enjoy it better than being cold.
“I have a super low tolerance to alcohol since half the time I don’t have enough fucking coin to buy it, but I don’t mind drinking till I can’t stand.” She was grinning now. Now that sounded like a fun time.
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Post by Xaviere on Sept 28, 2017 8:22:00 GMT
The wine came first, chilled and in a long-stemmed glass, pale amber in colour. Xaviere drank slowly, enjoying the taste; she had a sweet tooth, when it came to both food and drink, and this was no exception. The atmosphere in the bar was relaxed and pleasant, the patrons all staff or acquaintances of Lazarus, the music soft and the temperature cooler than the sticky night outside. Not too long after the wine was served a platter of summer fruits was placed in front of her; Xaviere selected a slice of pale green melon and ate delicately, wings fluttering slowly in the manner of a butterfly perched on a leaf, stirring a slight breeze around them.
"Work? Oh yeah. He's always in need of basic thuggery, which judging by how you dealt to that drunkard you'd be good at. You know, head around to the hang outs of someone who hasn't paid up, rough them up a bit. He likes you to leave them alive though, so how's your restraint? If he wants them dead he sends me in." For the most part, people didn't pay very well once they were dead, so assassination was saved for specific circumstances - when Lazarus thought it would be worth his while to lose a source of income for good, in the interests of bolstering other sources of income in the long run. Or, perhaps, when he needed to send a message, or when a threat to himself or his business had been identified. He was careful not to be overzealous in his application of her, especially not when it was clear she was involved; there was a delicate balance to strike between inspiring loyalty through fear, and inspiring mutiny due to the same.
"He also hires bouncers for his establishments, sometimes. Bodyguards, depending on his business day to day. All of it temporary, for the most part. I'm sure he'd have something if you were interested."
Xaviere diplomatically chose not to comment on the massive slab of lightly warmed meat that was placed in front of Torrey. To each their own - Lazarus was a Shifter, and as such hired and worked with a lot of Shifters, and she was used to frankly bizarre dietary preferences. A liking for raw meat was common amongst Daemons, too. Xaviere preferred the sweet dark purple grapes she'd been served, but at least because the meat was raw it wasn't strongly scented.
"Good. I'm in the mood for getting paralytic."
Lazarus had gotten up while they were speaking and, wandering over to the bar, stood between the two new acquaintances and draped an arm over each of them. Xaviere, used to him, didn't bother to stop eating.
"If Xave will vouch for you, I have a job that needs doing tomorrow." So he had, indeed, been eavesdropping. Xaviere pulled a face at him.
"But before that, I'll join you in a drink. How's the cider, Torrey?"
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Post by Torrey on Sept 29, 2017 3:52:29 GMT
They seemed almost like polar opposites. Torrey was chaotic and overly violent, not even the least bit graceful or elegant. Xave was…all of that. And yet the daemon was so intrigued and even amused by the fae woman. Maybe it was just the way she’d been so nonchalant about slitting a man’s through that’d grabbed her attention. Yeah, that had to be it. And now it turned out see worked for some notorious gangster that called himself a king. She was willing to bet there were times she’d unknowingly did something to benefit the man that Xave worked for. Not that Torrey had really cared about the details. All she cared about was the coin.
Now they were talking business. Torrey was much more interested in this Lazarus guy since he was someone that she could make money off of. She arched and eyebrow and rested an elbow on the bar, leaning into it and using her other hand to finish off her drink. As she spoke, she raised her hand asking for another. “Oh yeah, I can do that. I do all kinds of shit. Collect organs, beat people up, intimidate others, steal. Little bit of everything so I don't only kill other people. So whatever the man needs, I can do as long as there’s no expectation for me to stay around all the time.” Torrey also had no loyalties to anyone that was not considered a friend, and she had very, very few of those.
Once her drink arrived, Torrey decided to not eat her slab of meat like a total savage. Instead she used her claws to cut small chunks and pop them into her mouth. It seemed like the least she could do since Xave was paying and letting the daemon get drunk. “Get me some hard liquor and I’ll be a riot.” And probably messy. It was a 50/50 chance that she’d get aggressive on hard liquor, or overly flirtatious and sexual thanks to her succubus side.
Well, she’d get like that anyways, really.
When Lazaru’s arm went over her shoulder, she stopped chewing and looked the man, close to his face. She could see the appeal that Xave seemed to have, though the extend of that appeal seemed to be physical thus far. And, well, Torrey didn’t need to know a person to have a good time.
She puckered her lips a little and gave a crooked smile, a somewhat subtle but flirtatious gesture. “A job? Hell yeah, let me know what you need. You both can call me Tor for short.” It just sounded better to her, especially if she was going to be around these two for a little while. “I mean, I’m not paying for it. So the cider is goddamn great. I ain't picky.” A drink was a drink. She wasn’t that picky on them. Cheap ale would make her happy. A pity she couldn’t afford it too often.
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Post by Xaviere on Oct 1, 2017 3:40:19 GMT
Xaviere arched a brow, her expression intrigued.
"Collecting organs? Now that sounds interesting. Lazarus, do you trade in organs?"
"Not directly. Should I be, Tor? Good money in it?" Lazarus was still between them, leaning on the two women with his arms draped casually over their shoulders. His over-familiarity came naturally to him and he was also, obviously, flirting. And not only with Xaviere. The King of Thieves was famous not only for his ruthlessness but also his talent for networking and making connections with those willing to play on the wrong side of the law.
"He does short contracts, one offs," Xaviere confirmed with the wave of a hand, the other raising a ripe strawberry to her lips. She glanced over at Lazarus as she bit into it, a smile playing on her features at the cliche of the moment. Lazarus laughed, before turning back to Torrey.
"I prefer short term contracts, actually, when I first start working with someone. It gives me time to test out what they're good at. If you're interested, the job tomorrow is a simple intimidation of someone who hasn't elected to pay taxes yet, even though he's employing someone now. Rough him up a bit and ideally collect the tax, and you can take thirty percent." Xaviere was swilling her wine around as Lazarus spoke, but when Torrey suggested hard liquor she decided she agreed whole-heartedly. Waving her hand, she summoned the girl behind the bar again.
"Vodka, I think. Tor, Laz has a guy out in the country who makes this stuff exclusively for the establishments he owns. It's called Ice, because he's that pretentious."
"Behave, you. It's called Ice because it's made with water from the northern springs."
"Preeeeetentious."
Lazarus stood then, grabbing the bottle of vodka and shot glasses that were placed on the bar and sauntering back to the couches.
"Come and join me when you're finished eating, ladies."
"We'll have to, won't we, you've taken the bloody vodka." Lazarus only smiled as he sat and poured himself a drink, so Xaviere turned back to the bar after pulling a face at him and ate another slice of melon, washing it down with what was left of her wine.
"How's the food? Once you're done we'll have to go indulge him if we want the booze, but he's not bad company as long as you can stomach the flirting and business talk."
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Post by Torrey on Oct 1, 2017 4:48:35 GMT
Torrey shrugged. “I dunno, man. I don’t really ask how much people make. All I really care is if I get paid. I assume it’s good money though. Get those jobs a lot for gods know what reason.” Cannibalizing was hardly uncommon, though it was very frowned upon and still taboo among most species. The black market was a way for people to get a hold of flesh and gross stuff to sate their weird taste buds. Even as chaotic as she was, she wasn’t really found of the idea of cannibalism.
Since he did have something short term though, she was actually interested. For just the moment, she was a bit more serious with the way she spoke. “Sounds easy enough. Make it forty percent though and I’ll get your taxes, do the intimidation, and even give you a kiss on the cheek.” She smirked, totally serious about raising the amount of cut she got. Any chance at getting more coin was worth haggling over.
The daemon had a genuine look of excitement when the vodka arrived, but she and Xave were so rudely interrupted when Mr. Pretty Face took their glasses and their drink. She groaned, but had snickered at the teasing and bickering that’d occurred between Xave and Lazarus. Ice? He really did seem pretentious, but that was fine. Thus far, he didn’t seem too bad. For now.
She looked over at Xave with an obvious look of disappointment, but determination as well. “To hell with the food. I want his pretentious drink now. I can deal with the flirting, fucking watch me.” Without much warning to Lazarus, Torrey shot up from where she was sitting and went straight towards the man as he was pouring himself a drink. She didn’t even bother to see if he was fine with her getting so close, because she was willing to bet he wasn’t.
Torrey straddled Lazarus and made brazen eye contact. Her face was only inches from his, and her whole demeanor had changed from a sarcastic, ruthless daemon to a seductive succubus. “C’mmon, love? Share the vodka. Maybe I’ll show ya a good time if you let us have it.” Selling herself as a way to get something was not beneath her, especially to someone as gorgeous as him. She looked over her shoulder to Xave. “He might need a bit more convincing,” she mouthed.
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