✧ unexpected complication

[quicksilverwings]

[This was supposed to be an easy con. Well, easy-ish.

Taking down the entire IPC is a bit of a far-off pipe dream for Wing and his team (he's still marveling that he's ended up with a team, some days), but particular nasty individuals within or working with them is fair game. Just, you know, make sure picking them off is few and far between.

This was supposed to be a relatively routine takedown of a shithead of a mark. But there's been a wrench thrown into the works--one that the mark refuses to refer to by a name, and it leaves Wing seeing red. A slave.

This fucker has a slave.

Wing maintains his perfectly polite facade, the one meant to lure the target in, so that Wing can lure him into acting against his own best interests, too blinded by what he has to offer. Wing's all smiles, but for anyone really paying attention, he's seething.

Once the mark has left the room--he'll be out for a while, if a couple of Wing's teammates have anything to say about it--Wing makes his way over to get a better look at that slave.]

Comments

[quicksilverwings]

Well, he was greedy and thought he was smart, so honestly, he was kind of the perfect sucker for what we do. We talked a bit, I got him to believe I was there to offer a partnership with another company he'd been angling for for a long time... he didn't even realize what I was saying was too good to be true. Eventually I put a few papers in front of him and asked for his signature...

[He smirks a little.]

You'd think, for being an IPC guy, he'd have thought to read the fine print.

[takesitall]

For being a Cornerstone, you'd think he'd learn to read the fine print. But unless he was writing the contracts, he didn't care.

[quicksilverwings]

Well, now it's bitten him in the ass! I'd say maybe he'll learn from it, but I don't think he'll have the time for the lesson to sink in.

[takesitall]

What's going to happen to him?

[quicksilverwings]

I don't know exactly--I'd prefer not to know specifics, even. But... well, I know a couple guys who are more than fine with making sure he ends up dead. Given... everything, it'll probably be slow and painful.

[takesitall]

Think they'll let me help?

[quicksilverwings]

... I could ask, at least. You deserve to have that much.

[takesitall]

Please. The bastard loved to mock how cheap I was, how much I kept bringing in because of the fighting rings.

[quicksilverwings]

[Wing growls a little, but nods.]

I'll have a word with Akabane later, in that case.

[takesitall]

Thanks.

[He holds the small pile of things closer, looking out the window.]

[quicksilverwings]

[Eventually, the two of them get to Wing's place.

It's a bit on the smaller side, and while it shows signs of having been lived in for a while, there's still plenty of half-or-more-packed boxes, as if Wing expects to have to pack up and run on short notice.]

Well, here we are. I'll go make sure the guest room's set up for you, make yourself at home.

[takesitall]

Alright.

[He's just going to stand around, confused and overwhelmed and uncomfortable. Sorry, Wing.]

[quicksilverwings]

[Wing can't really blame him, at least.

Eventually, Wing peers from the stairwell, giving a thumbs-up.]

We're good. The room's up here if you wanna see about getting settled in.

[takesitall]

[Kakavasha startles, lost in thought, but heads up the stairs to see what Wing is talking about.

He just sort of stops and stares. He may be tearing up.

A bed. A real, actual bed.]

[quicksilverwings]

[... Oh.

Maybe he'll ask Karma about making that fucker's death as painful as possible.

The guest room is arguably almost nicer than the living room--it's certainly more cozy, at least. The bed's a nice one, with a couple of extra blankets off to the side, neatly folded up.]

[takesitall]

...is there somewhere I can shower? I'll have to put this back on but I'm probably not the cleanest right now.

[His voice is soft and a little rough.]

[quicksilverwings]

[He nods, motioning for Kakavasha to follow him.

... Not that it's far to go, he only takes a few steps out of the room and gestures.]

Bathroom's here, right between our rooms. Go ahead and use whatever of the soaps you like. The green bottles are herbal scented, the orange ones are citrus, and the red ones are a spice and floral scent. Towels and washcloths are, uh-- [He gestures immediately across the hall to the open linen closet.] There. Just hang the towel over the railing here to dry when you're done and I'll chuck it in the laundry basket later.

[takesitall]

Thanks.

[He grabs a towel and a washcloth and heads into the bathroom.

At least the shower manages to muffle most of his crying. He hopes.]

[quicksilverwings]

[Most of it, at least. Wing does hear a little of it, but... he won't give any indication he has.

(There will be a new set of clothes waiting for Kakavasha, laid out on his bed. They'll be a little big, but they're clothes Wing outgrew a while ago and never did anything with afterward.)

If Kakavasha comes downstairs after he's done, Wing can be found on the sofa in the living room, messing with something on a laptop. He looks up.]

... Coffee, tea, or cocoa?

[Mainly because something warm and potentially comforting seems like the thing to offer right now.]

[takesitall]

[The clothes...he changes, and pulls the jacket back on. He needs that extra weight right now.

Once he makes his way down to the main room, he just sort of stands around again until he hears Wing asking a question.]

...tea. The bastard drank coffee and it stank.

[quicksilverwings]

[A nod as he sets the laptop down and hops up.]

So, for future reference, is there any particular kind of tea you like? Or will any kind do?

[takesitall]

...Mama talked about chai, and we had it a few times when we could find it. I don't know if you can get that off Signonia, though.

[quicksilverwings]

[He hums, thoughtful, then nods as he looks in the pantry.

Where was that blend with cinnamon anyway...]

I'll see what I can do.

[takesitall]

You don't have to. You're already doing too much for me.

[quicksilverwings]

... Too much?

[Shit, did he overstep or something...]