(no subject)

[nestingdevil]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, avaricious. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 012.07.333.07 *** avaricious has joined 018.07.154.55 <avaricious> ithsihoitiwrks ? <BANNED USER> SCREENED MESSAGE. UNSCREEN? Y/N -- <avaricious>thdvllsnst <avaricious> vdndrere

CONTACTS

0.0.0.0 ♦ "MASON" | Heather

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ STOCKE

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ AOBA

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ "JUSTINE"

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ KILLUA

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ ZOLF J. KIMBLEY

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ EDWARD ELRIC

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

0.0.0.0 ♦ "XANDER" | SANDRATH

TEXT ABOUT THEM GOES HERE.

Comments

[nestingdevil]

[An odd kind of stillness takes hold of him as he watches her speak. Still tipping over his hips, Greed's mouth presses with hooked interest. The tail behind him churns slower, finally freezing in a point-posed position. The pierced string of coins hooked into the tip trill to a stop, the jewelry wafting with the last throes of momentum.] Justine, huh? It's a pleasure.

[A pleasure indeed and while most would be more apt to hide their intentions, Greed isn't. The want on his features sketches into every tick of his eyebrow, every pull of his lip. His shoulders sag and the white fur at his neck slides to caress the backside of skull. A midnight lover's touch; ginger, wafting. Ghostly.] I'm sure you aren't, but don't mistake me for something I'm just not lovely. I'm not about to force you to do anything, if that isn't what you want. Even I have some standards. [From behind his sunglasses, the faintest touch of red glimmers. The glow spirals behind thick panes of black, shining off to chase the metal keeping the pair together. There one moment, gone the next. Whether that's a trick of the light or something else - ]

[Her hand comes out and Greed's face falls for a split second at the comment: "But don't mistake loyalty for subservience - " Everything else falls on deaf ears and the Sin's head violently sways backward with a resounding snap. His jaws open wide and a bark of laughter thunders through the bar. The exposure of his throat shows off blistering fingers of warm heat that brighten gold with the onslaught. After a moment or two, Greed calms and his laughter cools. Until he's slick again, smooth. A right criminal and his head falls forward, his boot sways out with an anchored heel.]

You've got it all wrong, sweet-heart. The people here are mine, sure. But that doesn't mean I expect something like that - [A flash of movement behind his shades has him looking at the hand outstretched in front of him. Greed opens up his own in return, gesturing to the air between them.] - I do count myself as fair and if I wanted something like that, I wouldn't be much different from him. No - [His arm falls boneless to his side, his other palm fastened around the small of his torso.] - I'm not keen on that and I've always been a fan of choice. Even here - I've been doing this for a long time, but that hasn't changed.

[dialtones]

[Where the rest is fairly expected of someone presenting himself like this, the laughter is jarring. His eyes still haven't left Greed's from the brief glint of red he'd caught sight of. That was startling too, still. Such a common change in this place, but each sight set off waves of memories and pain. Slowly, his own hand drops from between them, and he tears his gaze away to look elsewhere, around the bar.]

Then we won't have a problem. [He hadn't been speaking that for his own protection, anyway, but as a warning. Of course, that probably wasn't understood. Kurapika always had an intensity about him in situations like this, but it was hard to pinpoint. It just showed in his eyes, and in his posture.

It's his turn to glance down at Greed's hand now, and then back to his face.]

Standards are key, but I wouldn't be here if I wasn't willing to work. So, is there something you could use me for? [Does he have a job or not, basically. To the chase-- but there is one thing that caught his ear. 'Him', he'd said, in reference to someone Kurapika hadn't been able to catch.]

"Him", though... Who is it that you mean by that?

[nestingdevil]

[Slam, bam, thank you ma'am; Greed straightens his back, standing a tad taller to loom over the other. The claws wrapped around his torso click against the brown fabric of his shirt, threatening it with a scratchy kind of sound.] Right to business then? I like your attitude.tgyythu

[The Sin throws his head over his shoulder, chasing a look through the bar. While the amounting possessions employee base has been slow and staggering, it isn't like he's entirely lacking either. He recoils around, swaying his hip out to quick-jerk on his heels.] Depends on what you can do. I already have plenty to bring shipments in from Bavan. And I could use a couple more here - serving drinks, taking care of the bar when I'm not around. Think you can do something like that?

[With his back exposed to her, Greed lulls his head over the back of his collar, turning a stray glance; the gesture gives a brief look at just what's hiding behind those impossibly-dark shades. A flicker and his eyes are a pale kind of purple, the white of them slowly being invaded by the same stretches of black that pepper-mark the rest of his body. The slits of his pupils shiver to sharp points - akin to a serpent and chilled despite his too-hot temperature.]

Hmn-? [He hums distractedly. For a second, a comical expression crosses him, making his features sag. Him - Greed hisses out a curbed-cut laugh, the tone of it more like a gasket that's been released. He tosses his head away and one foot kicks out, then the other. Sending him in a trawling kind of waltz as he heads for the bar.] It's a bit of a boring story, but if you really have to know - good ol'Daddy sir. I wasn't really human before I got here, lovely.

But that isn't really important now, is it?

[dialtones]

[When given the chance, he takes in as much as he can of this man's appearance. It seems the longer he stares, the more monstrous he appears. New details get picked up and filed away, like those eyes that have Kurapika narrowing his own ever so slightly in thought.

It doesn't last long, seeing as Greed starts heading to the bar. He listens intently, following along without a second thought. Daddy sir? The way he was speaking on this was pretty cryptic, all things considered... But it was likely involving too much detail to offer for a complete stranger.

Even when they reach the bar, he's stiff and official, not bothering to sit or even lean or relax his posture. He stands straight, looking to Greed as he finishes.]

I suppose not. [Not now, at least, and so he'll let that slide. Questions about pasts and humanities were a sore subject here, weren't they? And as much as he wanted to know what Greed was, in that case, he would find out later. Perhaps there was trust to be earned. Slowly, with hard work.]

You're not the first I've heard to say they weren't originally human. [He leaves that in the air for a brief moment before looking to the side, at the area behind the bar.]

And I do like to stick to business. [For the record.] So as far as that goes, I could do serving and taking care of things easily. [More convenient than traveling back and forth to Bavan, he thinks.]

holy shit i just noticed that vomiting of letters in the text above

[nestingdevil]

[The mirrored wall of bottles and booze melds with his movement; reflecting him back in amorphous shapes that flow into one another as he walks. Faintest hints of terrible red and charcoal catch in mismatched forms of glass. Bulging out and thinning again in the wide collection of liquor.]

[He runs an index and a middle across the bar when he rounds to the side-entrance, the tips of his nails creating a pitch. Meeting the battered top, they jump and glide; tuning the surface with a deep hum.] No, can't imagine I'd be the only one. That's a little naive to think. But most here tend to have the same story - being human once. I'd imagine this would be pretty difficult to get used to. Not that I can blame them, but it seems to me it's better this way, right? [Maybe, maybe not. The Sin's muscle oozes when he walks; as he sways and runs the curve of the bar with a practiced knowledge.] Gunna guess you were human before all this? Or did I get that wrong, lovely?

[The small door to the side swings open and bangs deaf against the back of the bar. For a second, it stays pinned to the surface. Until the shadowy form of his tail jerks away, unplugging itself similar to a lodged-in spear.] Fair enough, though you can drop that. This isn't military position, sweetheart. Don't get the wrong idea.

[With the door free, it sways and wafts behind him for a few seconds. Slowing down as it finds itself again and the latch snaps closed with a soft click. Greed reaches across the bar, shelling out a barely-smoked butt from one of the ashtrays. The tip of his thumb cleans it off, plucking away ash with a pleasant kind of grin that's more like a shark on its best behavior.]

[Still just as deadly and just as predatory as the next.] That's fine, but in case you change your mind - [His hand reaches underneath the bar-face, disappearing into one of many compartments to find just what he's looking for. A ring of keys rattles and he pries it open, flipping through the collection until he finds the right one. Silver, old; flecked with rust and a number reading in a crooked "4". Greed tears it out from the set, sending the piece of metal tumbling over his knuckles and onto the bar.]

[A pinch and a slide sends it her way.] - that one's yours. [Lips pull aside and his grin is nakedly wanton; all that need, all that desire - it coils in the fire in his throat, hisses with the words on his tongue:]

Welcome to The Devil's Nest.

HAHAHA well I mean, they're accidentally demonic, maybe

[dialtones]

[He's tempted to correct him with a pointed "Justine" but he holds back for now out of curiosity in his actions. His actions and his words, rather. Kurapika couldn't blame him for questioning his humanity-- people could appear completely human and be complete monsters in various ways. He'd learned that.]

Better? That's not a thought I hear from most. [An eyebrow raises, and finally, he breaks down enough to fold his arms over the counter top.] You're right. I am human. No part of these transformations or trials are going to change that.

[One of those types, he is. Watching as Greed reaches below the bar for something, his lips press into more of a flat line. Not a military position... He's well aware.]

It's just my personality. [His hands open to catch the key suddenly slid his way, and when he catches it, he blinks down at first. He's still getting a room? ...Well, if he's not expected to stay here every night, it could come in useful. He may end up using it at certain points.

Brown eyes slide back up to Greed only to meet with that expression of his. Kurapika can only describe it as distasteful, but he keeps that to himself, pocketing the key in one simple motion.]

Thank you for having me. Now, [He straightens the nice bow on his blouse and then smooths his hand down the rest of his shirt. His head looks elsewhere, but it's only a few seconds before his eyes are flicking back to Greed.] Is it "Boss?" Or just "Greed?"

[That's telling in a way, too, he thinks.]

PFFT ..

[nestingdevil]

[Human. Definition: former. It isn't the first time he's dealt with a similar kind of story and while it had been a mix of both chance and circumstance before, Ryslig's in no short supply. People who once were, trying desperately to hold onto a glimmer of a chance: to be normal, to be what they used to be. Greed's look turns oddly pleasant, his razors shielded away as his mouth closes up.] Maybe not for you. I've never been human, least not until the first couple of months here. Wasn't really something I could get used to.

[Abandoned smoke creeps in above him, lingering at the ceiling in a mounting cloud. It moves with an airy disposition, as if suspended one moment and animated the next. He turns a look back to her, the lids of eyes falling softly behind his shades.] I am sorry, you know. But that new body of yours will come in handy. Might just take a while for you to get used to it. Either way, I'm not about to judge. I really don't care what you are.

[His claw hitches away from the key, leaving a slight smear of ash across the surface. Faint, hardly noticeable. A look twitches behind his shades, the only tell-tale sign the slight dip of his brow. The key disappears from sight and whether that's a silent confirmation or a pick up for a future conversation, he's satisfied with the transaction nonetheless.] You wouldn't be the first - [Greed's voice practically pops in his throat. Burning, burning, burning - straight down his gullet with a holding-purr.] - and there's no need to thank. You're one of mine now. I might not be so good, but I'm not so bad either.

[The Sin's face falls slightly at the next question, his head rising up like perked-sprung gopher.] Ah-? [He starts in. Before a sly laugh slithers through his teeth, making the split tip of his tongue ricochet off the roof of his mouth.] Ha - ! No. It's just Greed. Though if that's what you want to call it, I'm not about to stop you. [A loose ember dances across his tongue, jumping from one side to the next until it sizzles when it meets the inside of his cheek. A strand of steam curls in the aftermath and Greed swallows, his hand grazing the side of his hip.]

Feel free to start whenever you've got the time. We're busier at night, but I'm sure you already figured that out.

[dialtones]

"Handy," perhaps, but only in the context of this place. Everyone is forced to be human upon arrival, then?

[That's some information he didn't have before already. Greed's struggling with his first few months of being more 'human' than not is the same sort of feeling he's experiencing now, he knows. The lack of his nen, no chains on his right hand... It's empty.

Anything he gains from becoming a vampire will not be enough. He needs to work at getting back his normal abilities, and he intends to find out how.

For now, he closes his eyes in understanding at the name. Greed, then. Maybe he'll use Boss if it ends up being particularly flattering later on down the line, but for now, he'd rather not if he doesn't have to.]

I see. In that case, Greed, how about tomorrow night? [Blinking his eyes open again, he fixes them on Greed. There's something more in them now, the only hint as to what being his next few words.]

I have business I need to take care of tonight, but after that, I'll be available.

[nestingdevil]

That's what they say. Not exactly something I was interested in anyway. [The cigarette gets tapped again, his index extending to rap-rap-rap against the side. Fresh fire crackles with the exit of ash, digging itself further into what remains of the cigarette.] It's pretty inconvenient, but I guess that's not the case for most.

[His shoulder and back sag, allowing him to retreat from the face of the bar again. His tailbone anchors to the prep-station behind him and Greed stretches out his legs, letting them hang loosely together by the ankles. The cigarette gets one last drag in the aftermath, the smoke charring down his throat as he idly pinches the hot tip. The scales on his finger pads spit, smoke plumes. Then it's dead again, the useless butt snapped away with a flick of his pointer. It sails into some dark corner of the bar, out of sight and mind entirely.]

Tomorrow night? Sounds fine. Just make sure you're here before it gets too busy - [The Sin latches both thumbs through the loops of his leather slacks, his head tilting back in "Justine's" direction. The look on his face is coy and sly - the devil ready to present his best fiddle. At his side, his tail lulls curiously at the floor. Swishing across the thick boards of wood.] Take care of what you need to. Like I said before, I don't really care what you do otherwise. We tend to have more later in the evening. Midnight's usually pretty busy.

[Greed slowly lifts his bones from the shelf behind him, twisting his head over his shoulder at movement deeper inside. He caresses the roof of his mouth with a jarring sneer, a Cheshire's look in an onslaught of teeth.] Don't think I have to show you out, hmn? [A blare of red slides behind his sunglasses, crawling drearily through the lenses.]

[dialtones]

[He stays silent at the mention of inconvenience. Yes, it is, in a way. He was stripped down not just to humanity, but to humanity before he was able to control his nen. That's something he needs to gain back more than just his humanity.

Following the smoke of that cigarette, he nods, taking a step back from the bar and straightening out his blouse with both hands. His eyes flick back to Greed.]

I'll be sure to get here earlier. In any case, I appreciate the smoothness of this. [It was fast and easy, just how he likes it.] I'll find you then. Until next time.

[His ponytail waves a little as he turns, confident steps taking him all the way out of the bar. One step done, and just a little business to take care of before he starts working. Hopefully there will be plenty to learn here.]