viragod:

                        brows  furrowed  ^{at  his  punctuation  /  hiding  a  deep  chasm  of  swirling  emotions  over  the  thought  of  such  an  empire  being  brought  to  it’s  knees.  it  had  afforded  her  MUCH  in  the  way  of  luxury  and  prestige,  she  had  become  one  of  the  elite  in  this  industry  and,  although  this  was  not  the  only  sect  that  dealt  in  such  matters,  it  was  the  one  with  the  greatest  agency.  would  they  rebuild  ?  would  he  look  to  create  a  new  process  in  his  image  ?  caden  was  unsure  of  where  that  would  leave  her,  and  the  uncertainty  did  not  sit  well  within  her.  thinking  that  he  was  about  to  leave,  shrouded  in  night  as  he  often  was,  woman  reached  out  and  captured  him  by  the  wrist  /  brazen  touch  having  the  other  hand  delicately  trace  the  frame  of  his  jaw.}

            ^{barely  a  W H I S P E R  of  a  touch,  nothing  more  than  midnight  breeze.     ❛  think  about  what  you’re  about  to  do.  ❜     a  careful  word  of  caution,  fingers  attempting  to  brush  aside  the  fringe  of  hair  against  his  forehead.     ❛  think  about  what  that  leaves  people  like  us.  ❜     finally,  the  first  HINT  of  apprehension  within  a  typically  cool  woman.}

               ^{❛  blow  this  wide  open  and  i’ll  have  no  choice  but  to  assist.  ❜     caden  knew  that  she  could  not  have  her  alliance  remain  secret  for  long.}

        _{john is a man of calculated, impersonal focus. bones lined with steel – like a comic book character – only in a metaphorical sense. his blood runs colder than ice in his veins. a brief glimpse of the other side was all he’d gotten. a taste of how sweet life could be had he not been wicked. it’s an exhibition of a core belief he holds: everything has a price. so now the very employ that’s willfully aided him in damning his soul now seeks to send him to retribution. not that he’s undeserving of such a fate – rules are rules & this was a life filled with decisions he’d made for himself, mostly.} 

        _{but damn anyone that looks to take this life away from him now.}

        _{the cool skin of her hand stills his coming stride. it warms as the hold persists, drawing him back from threshold of rage & deep, vast agony that he keeps in his heart. words melt into his ears, & the fingers affectionately running along his scruffy jawline recalling memories of the dearly departed.}

          _{“ they won’t stop. “}

        _{not until he’s dead, at least. with such a hefty price on his head, too, everyone’s got a personal stake in it. “ but it isn’t a cause for concern. “ he assures. “ not for you. “}

        _{because he’ll stick by her until the time is right, but once he’s ready to go loud with his intentions, he’ll be sure she’s far removed from him before commencing with them.}

viragod:

                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. “}

viragod:

           ^❛  keeps  you  ^{in  the  WRONG  business.  ❜  drug  wars  were  messier  business,  lacking  the  necessary  honour  that  individuals  of  THEIR  caliber  possessed  /  the  thought  of  association  with  them  had  caden  stifle  a  visible  shiver.  turning  with  a  sigh,  arms  folded  beneath  ample  chest  and  rear  settling  down  upon  the  counter,  violent  femme  studied  him  for  a  moment.  she  didn’t  fear  her  own  involvement,  not  TRULY,  but  she  was  still  concerned  about  his  taking  jobs                      and  what  being  seen  with  him  would  cause  in  the  way  of  travesty.}

                perhaps  somewhere,  ^{deeper  than  casual  interest  and  the  PRIZE  that  he  possessed  /  uncharted  adventure  to  which  she  wished  to  stake  her  claim  /  caden  had  come  to  consider  this  moment  to  be  one  bred  from  concern.  she  wished  to  quell  it  with  common  goal,  flesh  upon  flesh  until  fascination  was  expelled.  a  dreamer’s  pursuit.}

                       ^❛  you’re  welcome  ^{to  come  to  blackpool  with  me.  ❜}

          _{“ so i was in the right one before? “}

        _{boundaries formed by rules helps to keep everyone in line. a miraculous, holy matrimony of laws & the lawless, with mutual benefit as the presiding priest. knowing this, his question served more as a statement of prospect than an actual query. john doesn’t let his own question linger, picking up right after it himself before she can answer. “ i don’t have a choice anymore. “ he says. “ i hope you understand that. “} 

        _{because john wick does have pride in his work, & having it unsullied by directly involving himself in cartel business doesn’t sit well with him. but when the world’s out to kill you, what other options are available to him?}

          _{“ did you even think that offer through? “}

viragod:

                                ^❛  have  i  ^{finally  managed  to  pique  your  interest,  john  ?  ❜     counter  bred  from  the  forward  step  /  no  sooner  prompting  her  to  suggest  her  retreat  as  she  was  calling  it  abhorrent.  proximity  was  hardly  a  rarity,  oftentimes  work  called  for  closer  relations,  but  this  was  bred  from  a  different  beast.  she  smiled  into  it’s  face,  crimson  painted  petals  curling  into  bloom  /  the  verdant  twinkle  of  mischievous  intentions  shining  up  at  him  as  she  continued  to  muse.     ❛  a  little  hot  under  the  collar  ?  ❜}

       question  was  ^{left  to  take  up  space  as  she  shrugged  at  the  occupation  of  his  target  /  it  was  either  something  sinister  or  something  insane.     ❛  cut  one  head  off  and  you’ll  grow  three  more.  ❜     cant  of  chin  down  towards  vials  and  instruments.     ❛  but  this  will  certainly  do  the  job.  ❜}  

        _{tensions mount to a head not in explosive climax, but slow burning standoff between two souls, each with a foot dipped into a daunting abyss. death’s emissary – strangely enough – finds himself enthralled by such fearless tenacity. bold, audacious … john knows what he likes but he isn’t willing to let himself even consider indulging in it. even if she seems to be wholeheartedly interested in him, to an extent. so when she asks the first question, he stays silent. solid, iron framework keeps him still & he continues to listlessly hold her gaze. wondering how long it’d be before she looks away.}

        _{the second question she asks, though, almost gets a counter. but instead of letting the topic persist, he refocuses on the subject at hand.}

        _{john knows caden is right, but that isn’t his concern. the man’s an assassin, not a harbinger of lawful justice. so long as the heads keep growing, he’s got an easy source of income. “ it helps keep me in business. “ lifting a vial of the poison from the counter, he holds it up to the light.}

viragod:

                    ^❛  shall  i  ^{roleplay  the  gentleman  for  that  evening  then  ?  ❜     she,  charming  in  the  way  that  providence  was  always  graceless,  held  a  quiet  infatuation  with  the  idea  of  a  slow  courtship  /  all  proper  knights  sought  to  woo  the  eye  of  their  adoration.     ❛  chili  cheese  dog.  side  of  fries.  ❜     woman,  consummate  enigma,  contradicted  suggested  meal  while  standing  before  him  in  lavish  fabrics  and  pristine  aesthetic.}

                   ^{❛               if  i’m  to  be  named  an  accessory,  yes.  ❜}

        _{apathetic gaze glides over undoubtedly tepid curves. enticement is an artform she’s perfected & her persistence may intend to rival his own. only subtle gestures & lightning quick glances reveal anything even beginning to approach interest in her. in spite of his apparent socially & emotionally impartial attitude, caden doesn’t lose momentum. that tenacity is admirable.}

          _{“ hot dogs ? “}

        _{wick sounds surprised – & that was probably the desired effect. he takes a step closer to her, if only for the thrill of it. & john isn’t easy to thrill. “ really? “ he asks, not in complaint, but amusement. “ there’s a place in brooklyn. but that’s a bit far. “ wick hazards a half-genuine smile, which tapers off into his neutral expression as they shift gears away from their games & back to his work. reverting to professionalism, john keeps his sentences short.}

          _{“ cartel boss.  “}

viragod:

                laugh  sounded,  ^{unafraid  of  being  demeaned  /  credit  was  given  where  credit  was  due.  it  was  an  empty  return.  she  did  not  expect  ANY  of  it  to  come  to  fruition.     ❛  depends  entirely  on  where  you  take  me  for  dinner.  ❜     risk  being  a  signature  strike,  a  venom  /  she  was  renowned  for  such  things.     ❛  who  is  this  for  ?  ❜}

          _{“ so now i’m taking YOU ? “}

        _{not that he minds any. john just derives a small bit of enjoyment from the back
        & forth between himself & caden. so, on occasion, he’ll play into it. “ well, what
        is it you feel like having? “ an average person wastes a staggering amount of
        time doing nothing but being indecisive.} 

          _{“ are you sure that’s something you’d like to know? “}

viragod:

            poisonous  preparation  ^{was  halted  /  tongue  pressing  against  her  cheek.  ❛  i’m  busy  on  the  sixth.  we’ll  make  it  a  sleepover.  ❜}

        <sub>naivety isn’t a prevalent aspect of his personality. john’s straightforward nature, however, is. 

          “  …  одна кровать? “

        spitfire & frostbite, entwined in a game of subtle competition. john isn’t
        aiming to proposition her, though, in spite of her beauty & elegance. 
        still he seeks a way past the ghost of his wife.</sub>

viragod:

          brow  arched  ^{/  smile  dripped  honey  in  it’s  saccharine  blossom.  ❛  свидание  ?  ❜}

        _{frigid STOICISM counters the nectar in her silken voice.} 

          _{“ the fifth? of march, I mean. “}

viragod:

            ^❛  ужин.  ^{❜  a  forward  attempt  at  matching  his  own  CURT  responses.}

        _{a reasonable enough request.}

          _{“ итальянский? “}

viragod:

         ^❛  i’m  more  ^{concerned  with  how  you’ll  pay  me  BACK.  i  have  a  few  suggestions  prepared.  ❜}

          _{“ – i’m  L I S T E N I N G. “}

        _{not one to waste words, john cuts straight to the chase.}