Nightshade

Riley - Murmur

Riley swung their fist one last time, knocking the rogue faerie unconscious. This collar had been a pain, the little shit had used heavy illusion magic. Without her focus to hold it back, her father's murmur came back. Time froze, and her dad stepped out from behind her. "Another successful hunt, hm?" She sighed. "Yep." She really wasn't in the mood for 'a talk' with this man right this moment. Shavronne frowned. "When will you visit your mother again?" "When she calls to tell me she misses me." She snapped sarcastically, and she saw the hurt in his eyes, instantly regretting that cruel comment. She sighed. "Look, I'm not talking about this right now. I'll be heading there soon." He looked sadly at her and nodded, and time sped back up. She huffed, but the anger had left, replaced with pity. Of course he worried. His wife was... well... how she was... and it must be lonely to be dead.

She walked out of the ACS (andermin control station) humming a bit. She stopped, opening her custom cigarette case with a deft flick of calloused fingers, and the mechanism inside popped up two, of which she took one, and snapped it shut, then used the lighter built into it to light up. She took a drag and sat in silence a moment, till the thoughts got too loud, then she put in her headphones, turning on a song by banshee, faerie metal, then headed off into the night. Her stomach rumbled hungrily, and despite her intentions of heading back to her studio, she found herself walking into the grocery store where her friend Arwin was the night manager. Arvin was odd, but her type of odd. Not a drop of ambition, yet bizarrely independent, refusing an allowance from her, despite the opportunity of never having to work again. He liked his simple life, and only took money from her when his parents needed help with something. The store was pleasantly distant from all her problems, and they were both happy to keep it that way. She stepped in, the harsh fluorescent lights glaring in a way she found oddly comforting, and she waved to the lone cashier, a young man named max, who blushed and waved back with a smile. She held back a chuckle, and grabbed a few things from the aisles, a package of filet mignon, strawberry monsters, red white n berry smirnoff, and some sour patch watermelons. "He in the back?" She asked as max rang her up. "Yeah!" He smiled cheerfully, and she handed him two hundreds, and grabbed the bags. "Keep the change, and don't bother us, got it?" He smiled "yes ma'am!" She nodded and headed back to the managers office, and opened the door to a very overwhelmed and lanky looking young man, his skin tan and his dress shirt adorably ill fitting. She shook her head at her companion, who hadn't even noticed her arrival, absorbed in some sort of disciplinary paperwork. She set the groceries down on the desk, clearing her throat. "Helllo? You alive, arwin?" He yipped as he jumped "j-jesus, what are you, a cat?!" He blushed, embarrassed thoroughly. She chuckled and sat down, tugging her tie a bit looser as she took in the familiar stuffy air of the office. "Don't gotta be a cat when you're that oblivious, darlin." "You're lucky you're my boss" He said, sulking a bit. She laughed. About a week ago, she'd come in for a visit with him, and store ownership was ridin his ass for it, so she'd sent her uncle Cody a text, and the next day, the store was hers. "I was just wondering when you'd show again" He eyed the grocery bags on his desk. She shrugged as she grabbed the two glasses he kept in his office, and cracked open the two monsters, pouring half of each into either glass. "Yeah well... busy week." She unscrewed the smirnoff and filled both glasses and cans the rest of the way before chugging what was left in the bottle, arwin wincing with a smile as he watched. "That bad, huh?" She ignored his question, letting out a breath as she finished the bottle. "Ya know, it'd sure make things easier if ya just let me put you on an allowance, then I wouldn't have ta come here." He eyed her, amused "why, so you could get me drunk every night, wasting my life away? I'm good earning my living." She chuckled. There was no bite to the words, but he was being honest. She couldn't say she understood the desire to work a 9 to 5, specially in a dump like this, but hey. To each their own and all that. Having said all that... "well, how about..." She pushed the two drinks for him to his side of the desk. "I give ya a lil bonus." He raised an eyebrow skeptically "consider getting shitfaced with me... a special assignment~" He laughed "yeah, yeah. As you wish." They drank and snacked together a while "you dress way too well for what I pay you" He grinned "dress to impress, pops always says." He turned to look at her, both of them thoroughly drunk by this point, as she got onto his desk, sitting directly in front of him, booted feet swinging casually. She watched as his eyes were drawn to her lips, moist from the last drops of her second drink, which she'd just finished, and were slightly open as she whistled a little tune. She smirked. "Somethin on yer mind?" He blushed dark "how'd you know, am i so transparent?" "Mmm... partly, but i mean..." She gestured to herself "duh." She snorted with laughter and he did too, though as she stopped laughing, she placed her boot teasingly lightly on his groin. "Now... distract me~"