Civilians
Bought the Bee Movie game
yelling at the kids on my lawn
Posts: 16
Preferred Name: Laura
Pronouns: She/Her
Character Profile: B)
Character Name: Rick
Main Account: This one????
Status: Lurking
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Post by Richard on Sept 20, 2015 23:26:25 GMT -5
SIX MONTHS AGO Rick fought the instinct to cross his arms as he headed deeper into the lower class markets, utterly out of his depth, but refusing to show it. He hadn't gotten as far as he had by running and hiding every time he was a little thrown off in a situation. And it was important to keep his eye on the prize; he'd been second in command for too long, missing out on being the CEO by the tiniest increments every year on the test. The idea to take Dan out of the picture had come to him just a few weeks previously, which had gotten him here, looking for someone who looked sketchy enough to point him in the direction of, well, someone sketchier, who would be willing to do some dirty work for him.
Or, well, that had been the plan, until he spotted a man leaning up against a lamppost, a red hood pulled up over his head, black hair obscuring the rest of his face from view. He held himself with a kind of grace that most in the lower classes did, not pulling in on himself but loose and relaxed, like some kind of big cat lounging in a tree at midday. The man turned his head to track someone walking past, and Rick felt himself moving before his brain decided to; the man was gorgeous, sharp features and eyes that couldn't be described as anything other than gold. To hell with Dan, Rick needed this gorgeous man in his life one way another.
A thought struck him as he got closer, enough to get the beautiful stranger's attention, that maybe he could kill two birds with one stone. Or, if all went well, kill one bird and take the other to bed; a bad analogy, if Rick had ever come up with one, but the man certainly seemed like he might be the kind of dangerous Rick had been looking for. He'd need to tread carefully, here, if he didn't want to offend this man and lose all chances of getting either of his goals. "Mind helping a, uh, very slightly lost guy out? I'll make it worth your while," he said, putting on his most winning business smile, but quirking his eyebrow a little in a way that he hoped would hint that making it worth his while could involve money, or perhaps something more intimate.
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i have forgotten what sleep is
Posts: 26
Preferred Name: Actual
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Character Name: Tai
Status: Lurking
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Post by Tai on Sept 21, 2015 10:29:06 GMT -5
Tai had been doing his best to watch the obviously Upper Class man ever since he entered the marketplace without making it obvious he was watching or move from the lamppost he was leaning against. His discomfort was obvious and Tai couldn't help the stab of curiosity at what the man was doing down here. This was no place for people like him. Honestly, Tai had been more than half tempted to follow the man, and mug him as soon as he got the chance. No way that a rich guy like him wasn't carrying at least some money on him. Specially if he was down here- no way he was doing anything legal and that meant money.
Or well, that had been the idea until he'd got a glimpse of the man's eyes. Startlingly blue and not nearly as scared as Tai would have thought they'd be. If anything, they were mostly calm, focused, and determined as the man approached him. Mostly.
"Mind helping a, uh, very slightly lost guy out? I'll make it worth your while," the man said, and Tai really really hoped that the man wasn't mistaking him for somebody else.
“I'm not a rentboy,” Tai told him flatly, “but whaddya need?” Please don't be a punter, please.
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Civilians
Bought the Bee Movie game
yelling at the kids on my lawn
Posts: 16
Preferred Name: Laura
Pronouns: She/Her
Character Profile: B)
Character Name: Rick
Main Account: This one????
Status: Lurking
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Post by Richard on Sept 21, 2015 11:23:23 GMT -5
Dammit. The man was probably already annoyed with Rick- sounded like it, certainly, with the almost bored way he'd told Rick he wasn't a rentboy. Rick had honestly not even considered that could be the case, and while the man had the looks to get away with it, he didn't have the manner of the kind of person used to seducing people for money. Plus, there were those teeth that Rick had just barely caught a glimpse of when he spoke. They hadn't looked too much sharper than normal canines, but certainly longer. There were probably people into that, but Rick would be willing to bet that most people would see those teeth as a liability.
"Oh, ah, no. Not what I'm here for. I'm looking for someone to do some, uh, independent contracting work for me. You seem to be familiar with the area, maybe you can point me in the direction of someone who'd fit the job?" Rick tucked his hands in his pockets, glancing around the street a bit nervously. There was no reason for the police to be on him right now, and technically, he hadn't even done anything illegal yet. Visiting the lower classes may have been culturally frowned upon, but it certainly wasn't illegal.
"I need someone who can be discrete, but doesn't have any qualms about indulging in a spot of violence now and again. You know anyone like that, Mr.- oh, where are my manners," he continued, theatrically smacking his forehead, "Here I am, talking your ear off, and I didn't even introduce myself. Richard Santos, Archangel Weaponry." He held his hand out for the other man to shake. Great first impression, Rick. Good going.
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i have forgotten what sleep is
Posts: 26
Preferred Name: Actual
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Character Name: Tai
Status: Lurking
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Post by Tai on Sept 21, 2015 15:11:09 GMT -5
Cautiously, Tai took the man's- Richard's- hand. Normally he'd be outright dismissive of this man, some Upper Class twit who couldn't be bothered to get his hands dirty himself so he could advance himself in some meaningless way. But there was something about this man that made Tai less likely to outright walk away. And not just the promise of money if he helped.
“Tai,” he said, gripping Richard's hand tightly, probably with more force than was necessary. Briefly, Tai considered giving his last name, but decided against it; it wasn't like Mr. Richard Santos was going to need it.
“I might know a few people, but I need more info than what yer giving me,” Tai grinned as he released Richard's hand, knowing that his teeth would be all the more visible as he did so and wanting to see the reaction he'd get. Considering how uncomfortable the man seemed just to be standing there and talking to a member of the Lower Class, Tai would have been tempted to bet good money that this would convince him to retreat back to his safe and comfortable home. But then again, this Richard seemed like a man on a mission, so he might not.
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Civilians
Bought the Bee Movie game
yelling at the kids on my lawn
Posts: 16
Preferred Name: Laura
Pronouns: She/Her
Character Profile: B)
Character Name: Rick
Main Account: This one????
Status: Lurking
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Post by Richard on Sept 21, 2015 22:16:32 GMT -5
The man- Tai, he was saying- had a tight handshake, like he might've had something to prove, trying to intimidate Rick. Normally, he'd be annoyed; the kind of guys who shook hands like that tended to be aggressive in ways that were ill-suited to corporate life. It's a good sign here, though. His hand was cold, too, which either meant he had terrible circulation- unlikely, given that he seemed to be in good physical condition- or that he was fond of fire Magix. Also a good sign.
"I'd like to give you more, Tai, I really would," ,Rick started, considering throwing his arm around Tai's shoulders but deciding it seemed like a good way to get killed, "but right now, I need to know I can trust you to be discrete. Company secrets and whatnot, y'know? I'm not gonna make you sign an NDA, but I gotta know you aren't gonna go sprinting down the street running your mouth. Lotta money on the line here, Tai, for both of us. You help me, I help you, y'feel?"
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i have forgotten what sleep is
Posts: 26
Preferred Name: Actual
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Character Name: Tai
Status: Lurking
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Post by Tai on Sept 21, 2015 22:55:22 GMT -5
Tai paused again, thinking. Briefly, the idea flitted through his head of simply agreeing to help Richard, drawing him down some nice, dark, and secluded alleyway, and then beating the shit out of him and taking whatever he had on him. Tai dismissed the idea almost as soon as it appeared. Richard had at least half a foot on him. Besides, he was honestly interested in whatever proposal Richard had for him, especially now that it had been confirmed that this was definitely something of a less than legal nature.
Judging from what Richard had let slip, Tai guessed it was either an intimidation and/or shakedown, or maybe simply a hit. Tai was willing to bet that it was something to get someone else out of the way so that Richard could ascend that little bit further up the ladder. And there's only one surefire way to get someone permanently out of the way.
“You mean you don't want me blabbing that yer paying to have someone above you killed, that about it?” Tai kept his voice quiet and his tone casual, waiting to see Richard's reaction.
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Civilians
Bought the Bee Movie game
yelling at the kids on my lawn
Posts: 16
Preferred Name: Laura
Pronouns: She/Her
Character Profile: B)
Character Name: Rick
Main Account: This one????
Status: Lurking
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Post by Richard on Sept 22, 2015 23:44:00 GMT -5
Rick fought the urge to flinch when Tai brought up the idea of killing someone. Not that Tai was wrong, or that Rick wasn't willing to do his own dirty work, but when Dan turned up dead, Rick was going to be suspect number one, which is why he needed to have a rock-solid alibi. Having someone else do it was just step one. If all went according to plan, Rick would be out and about in the pleasure district, being seen by lots of witnesses when Dan met his untimely end.
"That's such an ugly way of putting it, Tai. I'd prefer to think of it as, uh. Yeah, I've got nothing, you hit the nail right on the head. I need someone to deal with someone else. For a disgustingly large sum of money. You'd think it'd be easier to find someone, but everyone's all 'oooh but I'm scared of getting caught' and 'but I don't know hooooowww' and 'what the fuck, that's illegal', which is how I ended up here. Talking to you on a street corner like a chump."
Rick was careful to keep his voice quiet as he spoke, but he got more animated as he did; talking to Tai like one of his business contacts wasn't going to earn him any points. But the man seemed to be surprisingly okay with the concept of being paid to kill someone, possibly because Rick was offering quite a bit of money for this contract. Most likely more than Tai was expecting from him; Tai's concept of a large sum of money was probably very different from Rick's. Still, Rick hoped he'd found the right man for the job. He liked a man who got right to the point, refreshing after so much time in business, with people who wouldn't know how to talk straight if it was life or death. And, of course, if it turned out that Tai's manner of speech was the only straight thing about him, all the better.
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i have forgotten what sleep is
Posts: 26
Preferred Name: Actual
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Character Name: Tai
Status: Lurking
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Post by Tai on Sept 23, 2015 10:17:26 GMT -5
Tai bit back a chuckle at Richard's manner of speaking, the way he tried to dress everything up in pretty language before just flat out admitting that yes, he needed a hitman, with the implication that he was looking to hire Tai. But as much as Tai was interested in Richard's “disgustingly large sum of money,” there was a problem.
He wasn't a hitman, he was a thug. He could beat the shit out of people or intimidate them to pay up their monthly protection fees or whatever, but he'd never actually intentionally killed someone. For money anyways. Frankly, he didn't have the money to be a hitman; that required weapons and tech that he didn't have and couldn't afford. Hell, all he had was one shitty gene mod that he got when he was a kid and carbon fibre bones that took him ages to save up for and weren't necessarily legally acquired. Maybe he shouldn't take this job. But he needed the money, and maybe Richard would at least give him something if Tai sent him in the right direction? And maybe if he did Richard a favor, perhaps Richard would be more inclined to do him a favor or two.
Quickly, Tai mentally ran through his list of contacts who might be able to do this job. It was a fairly small list and most of the people were either dead, disappeared, or gone straight, so it took him even less time that usual. There was no one left to take the job, other than himself. Fuck it.
“Yeah, I think I can help you with your problem,” he shrugged, as casually as he could, as if this was an everyday occurrence for him. “But I think we should hammer out the details somewhere else, yeah? Don't wanna risk anyone overhearing us.” Tai grinned again, mentally trying to figure out what the fuck he was doing.
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Civilians
Bought the Bee Movie game
yelling at the kids on my lawn
Posts: 16
Preferred Name: Laura
Pronouns: She/Her
Character Profile: B)
Character Name: Rick
Main Account: This one????
Status: Lurking
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Post by Richard on Sept 23, 2015 17:41:30 GMT -5
Rick was relieved, to say the least, when Tai brought up that they should go somewhere else. He'd considered offering earlier, but after Tai's assumption that Rick was on the hunt for a quick lay, he decided it was better to avoid bringing up anything to further that notion. Still, it was probably an incredibly bad idea to continue discussing the assassination of a CEO in public, even it was on a dingy lower class street where most people likely didn't know who the hell Dan was.
"An excellent idea. I believe there's a transit station nearby, I can take you back to my place, if you want? Or, if you're still worried about me trying to get in your pants, I know an excellent taco place up in the pleasure district with a nice private room in the back, I'll buy you lunch. Get to file it under business expenses, I think." Rick was honestly hoping Tai went for the offer of lunch; it was getting late, thanks to his wandering around, and he was a little hungry himself. Based on Tai's frame, Rick would bet that he wasn't the kind to say no to free food, either.
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i have forgotten what sleep is
Posts: 26
Preferred Name: Actual
Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs
Character Name: Tai
Status: Lurking
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Post by Tai on Sept 23, 2015 20:49:29 GMT -5
Tai only half listened to Richard talk, something about getting into his pants and private rooms in the pleasure district. It wasn't until Tai realised that Richard was simply offering to buy him food that he began to listen.
The idea of food was definitely a welcome one, as Tai hadn't yet eaten and didn't really have the plans or the funds to do so. The fact that it was so he and Richard could discuss Tai killing someone for money, less so. Not because of the killing, Tai had absolutely no qualms with that- morals are nice, but money's better- but because Tai was only mostly certain that he'd be able to do the job. With luck, Richard would be asking him to kill some fragile old person, or something easy like that. Probably not though.
Tai knew that he should probably tell Richard that he wasn't actually a hitman, but that could wait until after lunch.
“Yeah, lunch, sure.”
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