RP:Poison For Rue

Background

A second meeting between Fingon and Pariah's thugs. After learning some small bit about Fingon's proficiency with poisons, Rue has taken a specific and dangerous interest in Fingon's capabilities, perhaps leading to a more permanent use of Fingon's skills.

NPC Severin played by Thistle

Pariah's Territory, Cenril, Cobbler's Shop

The slums of south-eastern Cenril were largely composed of old, dilapidated buildings that only could boast a shabby three stories at maximum. In that quarter, it was far more common for single-floor buildings, with two floors scattered in. Those with multiple floors were often unsafe, though that did not stop the poor from taking residence in those who were so ruined no one lay claim to them anymore. There were a few buildings in better repair owned by landlords, and those poor with enough of an income to afford that slightly better option took those where they can. For the rest, those whose homes had been destroyed or who had, perhaps, never had a real home to begin with: they made do with shacks between the buildings, and in empty lots whose sole purpose, as far as anyone could tell, was to collect rainwater. It was here that Pariah had staked their claim for years, making a solid reputation as "respectable" men who would not tolerate petty violence on their turf. This was both a blessing and a boon for those few scattered businesses who fell under their purview; they did not often have to worry about thieves or those who might vandalize their property, but in the stead of that they in turn paid monthly protection money to Pariah. It wasn't an easy living, in those few blocks, but it was a living.

Severin did not like the Cobbler family who lived on the north side of Pariah's territory. Their patriarch, Odo, was a vile old man who constantly prattled on about the ills of various substances (most of which were considered illicit in most cities, and most of which Sev had helped deliver to those who lived within Pariah's part of town), honor and how much better things used to be. All of it was proclaimed with the lung-capacity of a preacher, and absolutely none of it was condusive towards the continued smooth running of Pariah's turf. Which was why this time Nils had sent Sev along with Rue and Gila: to supervise the former and make sure the latter, considerably attractive and with the naivete of a debutante, was able to perform her duties. Beating up an old man wasn't part of Pariah's business. Getting his oldest son to shut him up in a decent enough way that rumors bad for business wouldn't spread? That'd become Severin's job. He had argued to just get someone to off the old man (he was ancient by anyone's standards, and if nature, by Lore, was allowed to have her way he'd be croaking any day now). So that was why he was standing between an ugly broad and a pretty, sweet lass, holding a basket of some baked concoctions. The alley they were in was muddy, sloppy, and he'd had to slog through the middle of it so Gila's skirts weren't too badly fouled. The cobbler's shop was a crumbling, two-storey affair that had so far avoided becoming another ruin by sheer luck alone. It was cracked, weathered, pitted, and bore scars from fighting some years past now, yet despite all odds it clung to its existence with the tenacity of a bulldog. "Gila," Sev said, for what had to be the fiftieth time, "Your job is to jes' go in there, and smile real pretty-like at th'son, Guido. A'right? Y'gonna hand over this basket, and tell 'im how glad y'are the family is in good health. That's all y'gotta be doing." He felt more than saw Rue roll her eyes. "But why do I care how his family's doing? Guido is so rude!" Gila stamped one of her beslippered feet, and pouted. She was one of the Korato family's granddaughters, spoiled into monstrous proportions. Sev sighed. "Just do it, a'right? Yer gonna get me in trouble."

Fingon had been wandering the streets again, looking for items he could use, but he was already loaded down with poisons of many different ailments. But, he had to keep making more if was eventually going to sell his creations for a profit. His mind was so clouded with alchemy that he had forgotten the gang issues here in Cenril, well, one particular one. The sound of horseshoes echoed off the buildings, making them sound louder than they should, or perhaps it was because he is larger than most centaurs, yet thin and muscled. His hair is now cut into a mohawk, looking just like a mane running down his back. Voices reached his ear's and he perked up and gave a look around, only to find a little girl that he recognized. Little, because well, she was small compared to him. He didn' fear the little group, so he approached, appearing as a shadow at first, then the reflective lights caught his dark, handsome skinned face, and those eyes.

It wasn't the appearance of the centaur that made Sev pause. There were all sorts of dangerous monsters in Cenril, though none so dangerous as the lizards who'd made the city dance a merry jig some years ago, and one or two in Pariah's territory didn't make a lick of difference so long as they kept their meaty hands to themselves. No, it wasn't the centaur, or his unusual coloring, but rather Rue's reaction. She suddenly pushed away from the gritty wall, away from Sev's side and his unfortunate interaction with Gila, and stood in front of the centaur. Gila, as oblivious as always, flipped her glorious (even Sev could admit that) mane of hair over one shoulder. Her only real use was her looks. Otherwise she was as much use as a patriciate brat, and with far more attitude. "But I don't like Guido," she said. "Hold it a minner," Sev said as he turned to watch Rue approach the centaur. She was only a few years younger than Sev's capable 28, but she had the balls of a suicidal vamp, and a love for violence and pain that exceeded Sev's tolerance. It exceeded most folks', he supposed; she could be a loose cannon, and sometimes she went blimmin' crazy, but she was useful for intimidation. Most of the people in Pariah's territory weren't easy around her. For good reason. Sev could guess, as he looked the centaur over, that this wouldn't be the case now. "I got a problem," Rue began as she put herself square in the centaur's path, and Sev could hear the grin in her voice. He swore.

Fingon looked down to Rue with a grin, "Hello again, 'dear'. The star's said we would meet agan soon, but I didn't think this soon. Seems like you're out on another job. I do hope this boy here is a lot tougher than the other one." He laughed deeply, then cast his gaze to the male and the other female. "What is this problem that you say you have?" he asked her, knowing that she may not have a problem and could be trying to pull one over on him. His tail flicked in the shadows as he stood there, looking down at the tiny Rue. Muscles flexed in the centaurs long and lean legs, a sign that his body was never at rest, even if he was. Black, shadowy smoke swirled around his hands, waiting to be solidified if he need a weapon to defend himself, though his hooves would be deadly enough if he kicked someone in the head just right.

Severin turned his head slightly at the word 'stars', not sure at first if he'd heard right. Stars? This weren't no bloody elf camp. He took a step forward, and felt Gila crowd in behind him, tugging at his leather duster. That left Rue free of him dragging her away from the centaur, who Sev had utterly no desire to piss off at that very moment, but that didn't mean he couldn't call her out. "Oy. Whaddya think this is, a picnic? Get your ass back here, Rue." Rue, of course, ignored Sev. Only a weapon usually stood a chance of getting her attention when she was focused on something. Rue, for her part, squared her shoulders. It wasn't due to low confidence; from Sev's experiences with her he knew it as a sign that she was preparing to face a fight. Though, since she hadn't raised weapons, this was something a little. . .different. Rue was looking up at the centaur's face. "Yeah, someone needs t'shut 'is mouth, but th'boss is all squeamish about killin' old men. Y'said y'got poison." Before she could say another word, Sev ripped his duster free of Gila, who wailed with disbelief and petulance, and took two long strides forward to close on Rue.

Fingon gave the girl a wink and dug around in his bag, pulling out a few vials of his freshly made poisons. "This yellow one can paralyze a full grown man for a few hours. This purple one here will make him sick for days. Combine them together and they can be deadly, causing one to be sick, but unable to do anything about it." There was a third one, red liquid this time, but he was cut short at the actions of the strange male, and this is when he opens his hand and the blood lust dagger forms, allowing him to grip it quickly. The vials are put back and a green gas of some sort, forms around the centaur, daring anyone to come near him. They would wish they hadn't, for they would be sick for a few days, sicker than they have ever been. This green gas has killed animals, and if hte centaur kept at it, it would kill the humanoid races as well. He snarls and looks from Rue to Sev, then back.

Severin reached Rue's side, and grabbed her by the shoulder to pull her away from Fingon. She pulled her knife, and it was only Sev's speed that kept him from losing blood. He put his hand on one of his own blades, but she wasn't looking at him. She clenched her free fist. Sev saw it, and he could have gutted her for all the issues she caused day in and day out. If it wasn't for her abilities, for all the sordid reasons Nils kept her around, he swore he would've gutted her long before now. "Rue," he said, warning. She took a step back as a breeze filtered down the street, stirring her short-cropped, nasty hair. "'E's just some ol' troublemaker, 'e is. Wouldn't need nothin' fancy." She eyed the green smudging the air around him. "There won't be any poisoning," Sev said, holding his long knife down by his side as he glared at Rue. "Don't be a bint, Sev. You an' I knows you wan' 'im dead. I'm findin' you a way." She grinned at Sev, and then at Fingon. The expression wasn't friendly. Sev, himself, wasn't feeling particularly friendly. "I won't be participatin' in your little -- " "I'm gettin' 'em for meself, then, eh? That all you got, Hooves?"

Fingon let his dagger fade away, and the geen smog around him blew away in the breeze, possibly making small rodents down the way fall over dead. "Oh I got more, but I can't just give them all out for free," he said as he pulls out the first two he mentioned and handed them to her. "Try those out and if you want more or need more, come find me and I might be able to work something out, I will keep all the others to myself until I hear your feedback. I'm sure you don't want me going and trading with other gangs now." He smirked a bit then winked at Rue as he lowered his head down to her's and waited for her answer. A flash of his vampire like fangs was given, just to see if Sev would tense or react in some way. He hasn't shown th other two that he is of thsi world and not the undead and sharing it with the vampires. But, he sure did look the part, and the smell of blood on his breath was something else that would make one guess vampire.

Severin narrowed his eyes as he watched Rue step forward to accept the poison, and he promised himself he'd thrash her for it later. Not in front of a stranger, no, and not on the street -- but she was long overdue to understand who Nils put in charge was in charge, and that meant listening. For now, he watched as she smirked, looking back over her shoulder. She had an ugly face, broad cheeked with small eyes and a mouth too generous to be pretty. She'd acquired scars, and one of her cheekbones was misshapen from hard times in her childhood, but even so she knew how to sneer and her face was all sneer as she looked back at Severin. He'd give her a few more lumps, he decided, as he stared coldly back. He noticed Fingon's fangs, and his estimation of the other's unnatural origins went up. No, this wasn't someone he wanted Rue hanging around, not with her already unpredictable behavior. He'd have to notify Nils of the centaur's appearance in their territory once their present job was through. Rue's nostrils flared in response to the smell of Fingon's breath, and she took a step back, head cocked to the side. She dug in her layered clothing, coming up with gold coins from all sorts of little hide-aways. With one more daring glance at Severin she handed some over. Sev could see that it was gold, and that it was enough to feed several families in the slums for months. He'd known that she, herself, had engaged in some activities that weren't on the level even by Pariah's standards, but he hadn't realized she'd been making quite that much profit. He didn't trust her. She said, chin going up and eyes gleaming, "Come back 'round in a few days. We'll see if y'worth keepin'." Sev glared between the centaur and his wayward charge. "Got work t'do, Rue."

Fingon gladly accepted the coin and tucked it away with a grin. "Come back? Why, I never left really. Cenril is full of bums, willing to buy a fair share of my supplies to keep them high and going for weeks. I wont be leaving any time soon." True, there were a few men and women, mostly teens, seemingly on an all out high. That would be his doing and he was proud of it. He stood up straight and folded his arms over his chest, a sign that Rue could get back to work and that he would not interfear. He was a supplier of Hollow's equivilent of 'shrooms', and was great at growing the best. There was no reason for him to leave, so he just stepped back into the shadows and winked at Sev, feeling as if the male didn't trust him and that is the way he liked it. He liked to put fear into others, until him or they could profit from one another.

Severin didn't flinch when Rue gave him her own glare as she finally stepped away from the centaur. He did sheathe his knife, and handed the basket still hanging on the crook of his arm over to Gila, who looked fascinated and vaguely confused, rather as if she didn't know whether or not she should be afraid. "In," he said, gesturing towards the door to the business, and gave one last glare over his shoulder at the centaur and Rue. He had her step in first, and then he walked in after her, rehashing in his head the words he would say to quietly convince Guido to see to his side of things, assuming neither of the women messed things up beyond an ability to recoup. He filed away the centaur in the back of his mind, as he faced the cramped interior of the store. He and Nil's would talk about Rue, and the centaur's presence, and what he'd been doing in the city. If the centaur showed up again in Pariah territory, whether or not Rue was with him, he'd be having words with the dark centaur, himself.

Fingon watched as they entered the business and kept Sev's face fresh in his mind as a possible target if anything was to come up. Now silently, he walks away with carefully placed steps, back toward the docks of Cenril, to see if he could get feedback on a particular fungus he was able to grow.