82 Ymiden, Arc 719
Alex stretched her neck from side to side, ensuring the makeup didn’t smear.“I told you, it’s fine,” Trixie’s exasperated voice rang out near Alex’s ear. Unconvinced, Alex peered closer in the mirror, looking for any sign of pulling or unfinished lines.
Trixie rose, quickly cleaning up her various bottles and supplies. A painters palette was rinsed off; Trixie had shown Alex how the match the foundation to her natural color, a technique far better than the “close enough” approach Alex had taken up till now. It involved a set of specialized cosmetic paints, but the result was impressive.
Alex shook herself out of the fascination at her own reflection, and grabbed the various brushes and sponges Trixie had used. She quickly walked to the other side of the small room and began cleaning them off in the bucket.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Trixie asked, far closer than Alex had thought she was. She suppressed her flinch, and turned to face her. Expressions felt odd with this much stuff on her fact, but she figured that was for the best.
Maybe that was how actors managed- with the heavy stage makeup, only the reactions they wish to show can be seen. It was something for her to keep in mind today, in any case.
“No, I’m not. But this seems like the best way to get new business, and making connections is never a bad thing,” Alex replied at last.
Trixie’s perfectly manicured eyebrows furrowed over her face, an expression she rarely wore.“But surely one of us could do this, no? There’s no reason you need to meet with them personally, is there?”
“No, I need them to see I’m serious. I suppose,” Alex said, “that I could have had one of you pose as the operator.” The idea had appeal- the gang she was about to meet with wouldn’t know any different, and the face she was wearing tonight was only going to be used when meeting with them. There was no chance she’d be recognized outside of this, but if one of the others could play her role… “No.” She said again, more firmly this time. “I’m sure. I can handle myself you know.”
Trixie and Alex had gotten along well, though Alex didn’t know anyone that didn’t get along well with Trixie. She was a good choice as an underling; happy, friendly, and no morals that Alex had seen.
Trixie sighed theatrically, and shrugged her shoulders. “Hey, it’s not my neck on the line. It’d be a shame to be sent back to the Hood, though. Some of the people who rise up in our group… well let’s say they’re rarely the most normal individuals.” Her hand had some to rest on Alex’s shoulder as she spoke and she straightened up suddenly. “But enough cleaning. I can handle that- You have to get going.”
Alex nodded her head, and left the bucket alone. She wiped her hands on the old set of laundress clothing Trixie had given her and returned to stare at her reflection again.
Alex liked to think of herself as fairly nice looking individual, but Trixie had managed to completely change her face. Her eyes were harsh and stood out from her face. The makeup was done with sharp lines, accentuating the non-existent cheekbones and jawline. All in all, Alex looked cold, calculating, and ruthless. Perfect for tonight.
Two breaks later, she knocked on the dark door lightly. She had to tell herself to relax, to breathe. The nerves were there, like a jumble of insects crawling around on the inside of her stomach, and she felt a single drop of sweat work its way down her back. The eeriness of the streets being nearly deserted didnt help things. So few Etzori were left alive.
“Yeah?” The voice shouted from inside, not opening the door to see her. “What d’ you want?”
“Looking for Richard. I’m supposed to meet him here tonight.” Alex replied loftily, and feigned boredom. It wasn’t likely anyone was watching her right now, but it never hurt to be extra cautious. She heard a rattle behind the door, and it swung open just wide enough for her to slip inside. Alex stared at the darkness for a moment before slipping in. The door slammed shut behind her, and she heard the click of locks sliding home.
“Do you really expect me to find my way in the dark?” She asked, her voice derisive.
“Hold yer horses, lady. Syroa’s tits, it ain't a race.” More scuffling noises, and a light flared to life. Alex blinked several times, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the torchlight. “Follow me,” the man said before turning to shuffle off.
Alex kept pace easily. The man seemed to have one leg shorter than the other, and he walked with a hitch in his step as he rocked the other leg around. He wore nondescript clothing, and had a large bald spot on the back of his head.
The long hallway ended suddenly at a door, and the man paused again, fiddling at his belt for the correct key. The ironbound door swung open after a moments pause, and the man moved to the side, gesturing with the torch towards the staircase leading down. Flickering light reflected from somewhere downstairs and Alex walked haughtily past the doorman. Again, the door behind her slammed shut as soon as she was through, and she heard more locks.
Alex paused for a moment, waiting until she could see again. The cold stone stairs led down and to the left, the close walls feeling almost claustrophobic as she descended. The light grew brighter as she went down, and after a few flights of stairs, she emerged into a brightly lit room.
Wood floors and ceilings along with luxuriously thick rugs gave the room the appearance of warmth, and a roaring fire against one wall chased away the dampness of the staircase. A large chair sat behind a plain wooden table, a man’s body draped across it. She narrowed her eyes as she tried to make out the features, and nearly jumped when a figure detached themselves from the shadows against the wall, and strode forward. Her eyes narrowed, staring at his face, but she didn’t recognize him.
Her eyes flit back to the body in the chair, noticing how the head was lolling at an uncomfortable angle forward. The steadily growing stain on the neckline of his white shirt could only be one thing.
“Richard?” Her voice sounded weak, and she cursed herself for it.
“No,” the voice responded, barely audible over the crackling fire. “Richard is… no longer in charge.” The figure drew closer, and Alex’s eyes widened slightly as she realized it was a woman. The woman had slim, narrow features, though a dark cloak obscured most of her body.
“Who are you?” The voice inquired softly and Alex felt chills run down her back. The woman’s extended fingertips dripped blood onto the floor, though she didn’t appear to take any notice.
“A-Alex,” she said, forcing her voice to be steady. Even the Hood didn’t give her the same feeling this woman did, and that was saying something. “I was supposed to be meeting Richard to discuss a business proposition.”
“Hm”
The sound hung in the air as Alex waited for the woman to react in some way, but as the trills stretched, she began to feel uncomfortable. It was the feeling prey felt, she knew, the cold gaze of a predator causing her chest to tighten and her hands to ball.
A soft, sardonic smile flit at the corners of the woman’s mouth as she watched Alex try to control herself. As time ticked by slowly, the woman eventually sighed and tilted her head. "You know, I shouldve killed you when you came in here, little sparrow. It's what I've done to the rest of Richard's business partners. But I thought I'd give you a chance to explain yourself. I haven't seen you around Richard before, and I always have been a sucker for a pretty face."
The small voice that told her to run began screaming it inside her head, but Alex took a deep breath and did her best to ignore that part of her. Focusing on her breathing let her calm herself enough to respond without sounding like she was about to wet herself. "I barely knew Richard, but before I left two years ago, he told me to set up a meeting with him when I got back. That he had a deal for me."
"And you have no idea what this deal was?"
She took a deep breath and began to speak. "If I had to guess, itd be that he wanted me to make drugs for you. I make drugs, but I don’t have the connections or crew to sell them. You get them off me, and sell them on the street. You get a cut, I take the rest.”
Her voice was stronger this time, and more sure of itself. She didn’t hear any wavering, and she actually managed to look the woman in the eyes briefly. They were ice-blue, nearly white, and as inhuman as you could get.
“That seems like a good deal, but we already make our own. Despite all the deaths we've had, drug sales have skyrocketed since Lisirra was driven back. Why would we loose out on the extra profits?"
"I can make them better," Alex said simply, unable to tear her eyes from the womans. Some part of her remembered the feeling of hunting as a Grey Velox, and knew that if she looked away now, shed be devoured.
The womans eyebrows rose sharply at this. "Is that so?"
Alex nodded, unable to speak.
"Then we'll try you out on a small order, and see how its recieved. What drug do you make?”
"A-anything," Alex croaked, and cleared her throat.
My but you are confident in your abilities. Hm… So perhaps we can make a deal. I want a hundred doses of Spring Slam.”
Alex’s eyes widened- the drug was extraordinarily rare up here, and she was surprised the woman knew about it. It was made from a specific vine from a country far to the south, and sped up the users mind and body, while keeping their senses moving at the same pace. Alex nodded slowly, thinking it through. “I can do that, though I’ll need some time to collect enough resources.”
Alex thought she saw a slight tightening of the lips, but when she looked closer, the woman’s face was smooth and clear of any emotions. “Very well- you have fifteen trials.” With that, the woman turned around and stalked back to her shadows, leaving Alex to find her own way out.
As she turned to leave, she was suddenly overtaken by a wave of fear; the skin on her back began to crawl, as if insects were swarming over it, her breathing became more shallow, and her heart thundered in her chest. She sent a quick glance over her shoulder as she reached the staircase, and met the eyes of the woman, seeming to hang, glowing, in the darkness.
With a shudder, Alex shook herself off and walked up the stairs, wondering what she had got herself into.
