I step forward and nod. “Greetings.” He responds with a similar motion of his head.
“Then, we have Ghost,” Blossom follows my example this time, “and, lastly, Blade.” Finally Ayame proceeds with the curt greeting motion.
“I see. I presume you three are not here to browse my velvets,” he says while chuckling at his own joke.
“Your presumption is correct.” Broderick takes over the conversation for us. “We are here for two reasons. First, there’s a merchant carriage full of wares parked on my property. I want you to take care of it, but be aware that my servants have already taken inventory so if you low-ball me with a scummy offer I will fuck your wife.”
I raise an eyebrow towards Broderick whose attitude underwent a 180 change in an instant.
Aurelion snorts, “please! My wife is thinner than I am. You wouldn’t even be able to get it up.”
Broderick smirks with raw confidence oozing from his person. “We will never know until we try, and we both know that she would be more than willing to help me find the truth out.”
A sudden murderous atmosphere descends on the room. I turn to see a few guards approaching us with hands firmly planted on their swords’ hilts. They seem more mad than the threatened man himself. Aurelion raises his hand and silently tells them to stand down.
Just from this exchange it’s easy to tell that while Broderick calls him his friend, they are not very close in reality. He has his guard up quite heavily, his usual nonchalant attitude having long since disappeared. I can only guess that this merchant has possibly scammed him in the past, or at least attempted to. Well, he is a merchant, after all, and a black one at that.
A combination that should instantly alert everyone that he isn’t to be trusted even with your dirty laundry.
“I understand. I will send some of my most trusted men to take care of this errand of yours. What’s the second item on our agenda? I presume it has something to do with these three friends of yours.”
“Indeed. I want you to give them a tour of Shadowhold and the branch in general. They are interested in the syndicate but before deciding how to proceed from here they wish to see how you function.”
“Since it’s you who is vouching for them, we shall do just that,” he nods, before shouting; “Jasmine!”
A few awkward seconds pass in silence as we are each waiting for the called woman to arrive.
The door to the back room creaks open, and a young woman steps out, her movements sharp and deliberate. I can tell right away she’s not thrilled to be here- the slight narrowing of her eyes and the tension in her posture makes that crystal clear. As she fully steps into the room, I can’t help but take in her striking appearance, and it’s impossible not to notice the intensity she radiates.
Her piercing blue eyes are the first thing that grabs my attention- sharp and calculating, they seem to take in everything, missing nothing, even as they clearly show her annoyance. Her sleek, dark brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail, emphasizing her high cheekbones and the strong, defined lines of her face.
She’s wearing a well-tailored black leather outfit that clings to her athletic frame, the glossy material catching the light and adding to her imposing aura. The jacket is fitted and zipped just enough to reveal a hint of the white silk blouse underneath, and it pairs perfectly with her high-waisted leather pants, which highlight her slender waist and long legs.
A simple silver necklace rests against her neck, the small pendant glinting subtly, adding a touch of understated elegance to her otherwise formidable look.
(Picture)
She stops in front of us, her gaze sweeping over me and my party. The annoyance in her eyes doesn’t fade- it’s obvious she has better things to do than deal with us, and her entire demeanor makes that fact abundantly clear.
Jasmine’s expression is a mix of annoyance and resignation as she walks up to her father. “What is it now, Aurelion? I was in the middle of something.”
“You shouldn’t call your father by his name…” He whines but only gets a glare in response.
Oh dear. I don’t have a good feeling about this. Why not just have one of your henchmen do the task? Aurelion is definitely high-up on the syndicate’s pyramid, so him sending his daughter to show us around definitely has more to it than a simple friendly gesture towards potential recruits.
Aurelion’s lips curl into a half-smile. “Jasmine, meet Devil, Ghost, and Blade. They’re interested in joining the Consortium, but they’d like a tour of Shadowhold first. I need you to show them around.”
Jasmine’s eyes flicker over to us, her gaze lingering on each of us for a moment. It’s clear she’s not thrilled about the task,which is further evidenced by her mouthing; “fuck!”… What a lovely guide we’ve gotten.
The old merchant then approaches his rude daughter and leans in to whisper something in her ears. “Urghh. Fine. Follow me.” She finally relents after a few dozen seconds of -probably- rather forceful encouragement from her father.
I struggle to make up my mind about my initial impression regarding this young woman. She definitely seems to be a spoiled bitchy daughter but based on Broderick’s antics towards Aurelion he might be a really big asshole, so maybe her hostile attitude could be explained with her hatred towards her father.
Well, either way, I don’t really care. I just want to be shown around… Don’t make my life harder than it has to be with your stupid games, you slimy black merchant.
As we fall into step behind her, Jasmine leads us through the luxurious shop, past the velvet curtains that separate the main area from a more private section. Here, the decor is darker, more subdued, with heavy tapestries lining the walls and plush carpets muffling our footsteps. The air is cooler, and there’s a faint scent of incense lingering in the background.
Finally, we reach a large, ornate door at the end of the hallway. It’s made of dark wood, almost black, with intricate carvings of serpents coiled around the edges, their eyes set with tiny, glittering gems.