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A M O U X ASCH

Life was now a mess needed to be cleaned up, due to a girl whose business she had made her own involving a man who she knew nothing about. Because of her curiosity he had almost been figured out by his competitor, and she, well...she should have ended up dead. Had he not found her when he did that surely would have been her fate, and yet it somehow it always granted her another day. He was still frustrated, rightfully so, but seeing her in the state she was left in only made those frustrations grow for the one who sent for her.

Clyde.

Right now he needed to speak to his trusted acquaintance who knew the laws better then he did. While Amoux wanted to rid of Clyde, he needed to keep things under the radar before yet another book was written about him.

He waited patiently at the commonly known inn. She would know where to meet him after he had sent for her. It took the pair some time to be better acquainted, but that time had brought a certain trust. Something that Amoux did not have a lot of.

“i talk”

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Adeline Verlice

An ear flicked as she moved along the festering streets of Rionna, dipping her head here and there to a familiar face from mostly parties she frequented far more when she had been searching for a hand she no longer required to move even further into the noble tiers. She scanned around in the streets absentmindedly for a moment, taking in the sights as it had been far too long since she set a sober paw into this realm of high standing. Unfortunately, the vomit of homeless drunks starved away the awe she used to harbor for this place. There was a time she wanted to move here and try to find a bachelor among the castle walls so she may creep inside and gain unmeasurable power being so close to the King.

Now love had its dirty claws in her and those goals were no longer the splendor she once saw them as. Nobility as a whole had been changed for her over the passing couple season. Her vision and lust for being at the top having been sated by a man, of all things. Weakness. That was what she told herself at first. Love was a weakness but now it was a drug, one she was all too eager to swallow like the burn of a shot especially now that he was home. She hadn’t wanted to leave his side, but he had work to do anyway.

A sigh dripped from her lips when she would approach the drab inn she had been requested to attend, it not taking much for her to know who that would entail. Her lips parted, catching a glance of a guard that had been keeping close to her that she couldn’t quite remember if she hired, or her husband had. It was hard to keep track of all her servants. That thought made her suddenly feel almost hesitant to enter, not wanting some crude words being made about infidelity, of her coming to the call of a man, here of all places. Maybe she should have demanded a different location this time around. It was a little late to change plans and gossip was always plenty in Rionna, there was no escaping that.

She would only spend a few seconds to detach the woman from tailing her to wait outside of the facility, demanding a bit of space though to stay close in the off-chance half face was here, lurking somewhere. Or another phantom that could threaten her life or her body again.

Walking in with a graceful step, she found herself cozy within the familiar building where deals were made and virtue was tested, two things she never had any issues playing with. As the coat of a man of monochrome caught her eye, a smile turned up her lips and her chartreuse gaze would drink him in. “Darling, whatever kind of mischief have you gotten into this time?” she chuckled after the door had closed behind her. She would extend her paw, as if to demand a respectful kiss from a well-mannered gentleman.

It had been a long time since she had last played with this starving client, and she was curious what kind of poison he had dabbled with that would make him want her attention. What lives were on the chess board?

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AMOUX A S C H

Each passing minute seemed like an eternity, but he knew better than to rush the woman whose presence he had come to know very well. A long time before the life she lived now they had a slight history. He was known for being in trouble, and she was known for weaseling him out of it. She was the best in the business no doubt, and where respect was earned she was given it. The doors opened and he knew all too well all eyes were on her. The guards stood to the side before being ushered out and away by Amoux.

Darling, whatever kind of mischief have you gotten into this time?

A slight grinned tugged against his dark lined lips, her paw extended in a more, intimate greeting. If she was anyone else he would have denied her advances, but she was not just anyone. "If you were not a lady who was spoken for I could offer you a gesture far less miniscule." He cupped her delicate paw within his own before placing a tender kiss upon it, guiding the slow decent back to the floor before he pulled away.

"Let's not deny I keep your business interesting, and your brain challenged." he inhaled a slow breath, thinking of where to start.

"I have run into an issue with a man known as Clyde. There was a book written about me, and my service, that got into the paws of a translator. She was able to decode some, but not all of the book before I burned it and well...she took quite a bad beating for it." He took a second to collect the rest of his thoughts.

"I am going to rid of him, but my name is one I wish to keep clear as you know already. Getting to him will not be easy, but I am sure there are areas where money talks. I assume you know those areas, or how best to keep this all under the radar. Because leaving him to roam freely is not an option.". It was then he would remain silent, giving her the space to do what she did best.

Keeping the law blind to his services.

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Adeline Verlice

Where many spit on her from her poor behavior with others or the countless times she “lost” a case, this man never made her feel inferior in any way, hailing to her desires and worshiping the ground she walked on. In her own eyes, anyway. She was the goddess that kept him out of trouble and without hesitation, his lips were pressed upon her paw, playing into this heavenly fantasy she enjoyed all too much. He was a devil, one that charmed her far more than she ever wished to admit, from his looks to how he treated her. If she was any other woman, she would have probably fallen head over heels for him time and time again, but her standards of wealth and power kept her from falling so far down as to wish to sink into this illusion. That grin alone might have been able to turn her to jelly at his feet, but her gaze never lost that viper-like sparkle as he spoke, though a small giggle could be heard in response to his remark.

“How naughty. Whatever would that be?” she humored, all too curious to know what promiscuous things he might have in mind as she lowered her paw from his. Normally she would play into it a little more, but it almost felt like cheating to flirt back, genuine or not. Her love for her husband stole away some of her playful side and it was a little boring to say the least but if one of his little guns for hire were within earshot, oh she couldn’t fathom the idea of Kenzo being told about her being a harlot. She couldn’t have that.

He wasn’t slow on trying to keep business at the forefront of the conversation, making her tail sway with interest as he insisted it would keep her plenty busy. Her ears twitched in waiting to hear what exactly was in store and the answer would cause her brow to raise just a touch as she observed him as he spoke. Her mind went more onto the contents of the book more so than the purpose of this meeting and she would sit back, tempted to call for a glass of wine while he continued on about silencing this man in a way that couldn’t be found with him behind bars. She found humor in the inquiry.

“Oh, you only want to snuff his flame but not the woman’s. Quite curious… unless of course you tore out her voice box to play with in this beating, she’s just as viable an issue for you as this Clyde is,” she grinned, strumming her nails briefly on the planks below her feet. “Blackmail is always around the corner in your business, darling, and she has the purest kind. Unaltered from the source.”

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AMOUX A S C H

"That is only for my imagination to envision you the way I would take you," Amoux answered with a slow breath, knowing they were best to get back on the issue at hand, rather than an empty fantasy. He had always known her to be prim, her head held high any besides herself and her new found mate, but Amoux had other versions of what was valuable. He allowed her to think what she did of him, as it did not affect him directly, nor did she take a stab at stepping on his toes. As long as she respected him at face value, he would offer the same in return. They would exchange their transaction, and be on their way.

Oh, you only want to snuff his flame but not the woman’s. Quite curious… unless of course you tore out her voice box to play with in this beating, she’s just as viable an issue for you as this Clyde is.

Amoux's eyes narrowed at her slightly, but not in a sense of disagreement. She was right, which was why she was good at what she did.

"That is true," he spoke coolly, "but I am almost certain she knows that if that was a route she desired to take she would end up like the men I discarded of. I would be sure to do it myself, a rare occasion, but a threat not to be taken lightly however," he remained silent for a moment as he pondered his thoughts.

"The dead cannot testify," but could he really rid the world of Drusilla. He had become fond of her, thought he would not speak it, and for reasons he was still unsure. If she did get upset with him though, in truth, she had more ammo than he was willing to admit.

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Adeline Verlice

“Hmmm you’ve lost your fun but fair enough. I wouldn’t want you getting too attached to me especially now that I have a husband,” she teased lightly, not thinking his flirting was ever anything serious or he likely would have made a move on her a long time ago. No, this was all just friendly banter she was more than happy to partake in with a client and debatably longtime friend, one to maybe get a drink with at most but not one she went out of her way to entertain on a daily basis. She had better things to do and she was certain he did too. She was honestly surprised he was not offering her something for her troubles of coming at all, something she would have to decline at the moment, but she did expect it from someone so keen on being a gentleman.

Her head would tilt a little as his flaming coals honed in on her like he was aiming a trigger but the rest of him hardly showed any sense of hostility, even if it had, she would not be swayed to hold her tongue. One thing she learned from being a lawyer is to show weakness and that was when someone would take advantage. Even with clients she wouldn’t fall to that, knowing with men like Amoux, she was no safer with him than anyone he wished to slaughter, no matter how much he treated her as a confidant.

A smile pulled at her lips at his declaration of having no issues of disposing of the translator herself if need be and his hesitation made her question how true that was. “You are getting soft, Amoux. You normally wouldn’t risk only giving a threat alone…I do wonder what is so special about this little fly that you hold such high confidence in her silence, but I have a feeling you aren’t about to tell me," she hummed before changing her position to a more comfortable one. “Now, first things first. Is Clyde of this nation or the new one?” she inquired, knowing the routes of which to take on this problem would go differently depending on if he was of Rionnach or Soara.

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AMOUX A S C H

There had been plenty times he met with her, often for the same reason, and so much so he was well aware she knew him almost better than most. He trusted her, which was a long shot considering how he felt about most. He knew her before her husband, and where he thought that maybe some time ago there may have been some promise of them he found it best not to mix business with pleasure. Not then, and not now. Amoux inhaled a slow breath as she began to speak, questioning why it was he felt the need to keep Drusilla on a short leash. He had to think about that one in depth, and even now as he looked her in the eyes he was not sure why. "That is a hard question to answer, and an even harder statement to hear." Soft. Was that what it was? It banged at the back of his mind, him growing soft would be no good for him, or for business.

Perhaps Drusilla was a liability, but then so wouldn't Adeline? She knew more and if she ever felt the need to get caught in the moment, to throw him into a fast moving herd, would she?

Would Drusilla?

He exhaled from his nostrils, clearing his throat as he did so.

"For what it was, and how it played out she seemed...morbidly intrigued," it sounded odd leaving his lips, but there was a hunger in the woman that made her pry more into his life. Did she wish to be a part of it? A part of the world she had never opened her eyes to? "Clyde is a part of this nation, he has very little family left as his father perished for the same reason. I don't believe this is going to be swept under the rug, and I have a feeling they are going to send someone to get answers. He is only survived by his mother, and aunts so I don't fear rebellion." All those who would seek blood, were dead.

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Adeline Verlice

She remained still, silently watching him as did a viper waiting for the perfect time to strike but she was aiming to bring him down. There were farm more entertaining and dreadful ways she could go about that if she ever wanted to and she was certain he knew that. She had ties now “so deeply woven in the army that she could make anyone likely disappear but her reach extended beyond that. Holding ticket in government, nobility, the daughter of a family practically worshiped by the college for their many books that they provided as well as funds. Just as she had Amoux at the touch of a dial, she had others within the criminal world that owed her a few too many favors for keeping their head free from execution and jail. Perhaps it was this view of herself that she didn’t fold under her new father in laws threats and malice, seeing herself as untouchable. In this, it was a naive thing to think but fighting in the war had only added to this mindset as she was one of very few that had dodged harm.

“If I didn’t dip into the hard questions, I wouldn’t be good at my job, dear. It’s the things one turns a blind eye to that will result in the outcome they are trying so hard to avoid,”she smiled, using her paw to mimic a knife sliding across her throat. Death was always looming around the corner for anyone in Rionnach, just waiting for someone to slip up.

Amoux hardly scared her as she saw his mind working, not at all thinking he’d turn on her. He’d be a fool to even try, surely aware he would be hunted like prey that was merely fun to torture. Her husband would be sure to make the criminal’s life anything but kind if she were harmed or killed.

As this stranger was mentioned further, her head would tilt, curious as to what he meant by that. “Is that a very dodgy way of saying you caught feelings and are letting her play the game with you, putting her just as much at risk, if not gravely more if she tried being a rat?” she chuckled, finding amusement in it all. She wouldn’t go as far to assume he was in love but maybe they shared a lovely kink for danger for her not to have run from it while she had a chance. She still held her reservations about this other party woman being not a threat to him, but she supposed it wouldn’t affect her at the end of the day so long as he kept his trap shut about his dear lawyer friend to this mystery woman.

“Being of this nation will make it more difficult to rid of your problem. It might be easier to hire someone using petty cash with no ties to you to deal with him. Maybe someone within the Seagull or better yet, a dirty cop. It wouldn’t be hard to find one. You’d be surprised how many within the army are twisted. I could even offer you one of my contacts should you need one, cash in one of my favors for you…” he locked eyes with the client, hardly offering such a thing for free.

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