Xisuma's Parrotsitting [HermitSteal AU]

Origins

"What did you find out?" Clown asks immediately when Branzy enters his office at the casino. The mahogany door closes behind him with a quiet click and the man shrugs off his suit jacket to hang on the coat rack.

"Well," he clears his throat, approaching the desk the killer clown is sitting at. Leant back in his chair, the dark eyes of the mask reveal nothing as the head follows his movements. There is a variety of different weapons mounted on the wall behind the desk such as the sharpest swords and axes and his favourite scythe leaning against the wall, within reach and shining like it hasn't been used to cut the throats of hundreds. "I found where he works and his work schedule, which is morning to afternoon but sometimes he does extra hours but..."

"But?" he can feel the inquiring eyebrow Clown raises.

"He's got kids, Clown."

"Those kids know how to use a gun, Branzy." Clown comments flatly.

"Self defence is important!" Branzy protests. "Especially when there are evil clowns on the loose," –he vaguely shows Clown with a hand; the man huffs a chuckle at that– "Regardless, I don't want you to harm them. He isn't even your target, he's a relative!"

At that, Clown sits up. Any normal member of the staff would have backed away or bowed their head in respect but Branzy isn't a normal staff member; he's more than that and he has earned the respect that he, too, shows Clown. The owner of the casino stands, tall and looming as always; the most dangerous person in the whole city is so out of place in an office, dressed in his black and red costume, idle without blood on his weapons.

"Which is exactly why I'm going after him." he says, putting his hands on the table. "Xanthus hasn't shown his face since last time he came to negotiate, so he is going to turn up at his brother's sooner or later like last time."

Last time, Branzy recalls that Clown had driven the guy into a corner himself until they were led to the brother's residence. Of course, they didn't attack head on; there were too many possible witnesses around, so they waited. The night Clown planned to go in and drag Xanthus back to the casino was a very bad night for Branzy. What do you do when your boss and lover goes missing for more than six hours, when the whole ordeal should have lasted two hours tops? You panic, that's what you do. Apparently, as much as the law forbids voidwalkers from using that alien power of theirs, there are still things and actions that trigger it.

That trigger, Branzy speculates, are the kids. Parrot and Spoke, the two children whom Clown described after he got back from that corn field he ended up in and whom he met at the cafe with their friend, Pangi. Researchers and scientists call the Void dangerous. It's something he doesn't want Clown to end up in ever again, so discouraging him from going after Xisuma directly is his go-to option. Plus, he doesn't want to orphan two innocent, gun-wielding boys. He may be working for a man who has no issue getting his hands bloody but he does have morals when it comes to that.

"... Still! Don't hurt a single father of two, Clown!"

"They aren't his children, though–", his words stutter when Branzy pulls off the best puppy eyes he can muster. Clown loves the lavender of his eyes and Branzy takes advantage of it a little too much but it's always for the better good! "Ugh, fine. I won't hurt the avian and the shadow one."

"Aw–"

"But anyone else is free game."

His voice drops to a threatening tone, one that makes Branzy chuckle nervously. It's as if he's challenging him to forbid him from going after other acquaintances of the voidwalker. Branzy doesn't utter another word. He is perfectly satisfied with this because he knows that's the best deal he's going to get. Xanthus is behind on payment; he has been for two months now and Clown is enraged by his insolence (though he isn't the only one who has taken the money and taken to the hills and he certainly won't be the last but none of them escaped in the end).