she considered his question with the proper amount of mindfulness / studying his expression, as if answer would be written on his face. in truth, he was successful in both ventures she had witnessed. the BABA YAGA, where she be named after serpent, and the man who had believed himself to be worthy of grander venture. caden had not thought him to be simple / simply tragic. the bounty on his life was large, the expectation was for her to collect instead she provided him with what he had been severed from. she cared little for consequence. she was not a woman to waste time on forced prescription.
❛ they did what they thought was right, john. so am i. ❜ brazen shrug, fingernails tapping along the table as she waved of his attempt to have her understand. ❛ we do what we need to. you don’t owe me anything. ❜ a statement ripe with truth / she was not bound by the favours she believed he owed.
❛ why not ? afraid of some culture ? ❜ when, in fact, she knew the dangers.
trusting anyone – even her – could spell disaster for him.
knowing that, he decides to anyway. anyone can chalk it up to desperation, but what’s really convinced john is the way she looks at him. fear, contempt, respect; the most common elements he can pick up when staring into somebody else’s eyes. caden doesn’t fearfully shrink in his presence nor does she ever act with ulterior intent. not from what he can tell, at least, & john tends to be pretty good at judging that sort of thing. he’d not be alive otherwise.
“ i’m more concerned with the LOCALS. “
john begins packing away the tools of their trade. “ – but i’ll come. after the job is done. “ because he’s professional. “ & it’ll be done soon. “ because he’s good & he knows it. “ i can find my way there if you’d prefer not to wait. “
