I Moderate (i_moderate) wrote in we_archive, @ 2006-07-26 20:57:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | maxine gibbons, papa midnite |
i_assist Willing to Make A Deal [Midnite]
Trip to the apartment complex done, Max headed back out. Time to try safe harbor number four. It was the last one, and she wasn't honestly sure how safe the Lair would be. Sure, she'd done all the security herself, but it was no Clock Tower, she didn't have any delusions of this. But she did know it was someplace she could get work done and not feel scarily alone.
So to the dock area Max went. The walking was hard in the ever present heels, but she headed anyway because she knew a lot of cabbies were starting to charge more to take customers down there. Ever since the crime rates had spiked.
Maybe she could work at getting out of this dress too. Max planned on trying. The frills were getting ridiculous and the coat she wore to cover it was hot. She stripped it off once she was deep into the docks, stopping in a spot she remembered, Ace's favorite spot to pee in front of the abandoned buildings. She pulled her backpack off and began stuffing the jacket in.
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/26/2006 19:39:28
He'd come outside to get away from the incessant rambling of the patrons. Midnite liked business, but he hated rambling. This time of night, the club ran itself. All he had to worry about was making sure Door didn't see any of the... more risque entertainment. She didn't seem like the type to enjoy bloody fights between home-created zombies, usually to the death. But she seemed on the verge of collapse, comfortable with the surroundings - and wasn't that unusual? A nice English girl being at home in a club like his? Midnite knew there were secrets there, more than one, and he was willing to wait as long as was necessary to find them out. She was a fascinating puzzle, Door, and Midnite loved puzzles.
And then he rounded the corner, his charms hanging by their braids and chains in one hand. A cigar was clamped firmly between his teeth, but his trademark fedora was missing in action. The night breeze was cool against his bald head, but Midnite didn't feel chills. And then he found himself staring at the same girl, back with her dog, which was urinating on his building. The urine was not the issue - he could have someone clean that easily enough.
But she'd come back, to the same spot, only a few days later - if that. He couldn't remember.
She's come to destroy you, that voice whispered into his mind, but Midnite tugged the charms around his neck angrily, and it became nothing more than wind whistling in his ears.
"You again," he said, his tone surly. "Well, I'm interested to know why you came back, little girl."
From: i_assist Date: 07/26/2006 20:25:50
What was it with people today? Sneaking up on her like this, even with Ace it was unnerving. Max turned around with a glare on her face, which mostly melted away once she saw who it was. Great. Creepy-tall-scary-man.
Why couldn't he ever look happy to see people? Granted this was only their second encounter, and in both instances she'd sort of been tresspassing, but it wasn't like she was trying to do anything bad. Despite the pink hair and tattoo, she wasn't a member of any of the many gangs that ran around the docks and she hated being stereo-typed as such. It'd happened all the time at home too.
"Passing through." She was being honest here. "Took my coat off and let the dog stop. Haven't figured out how to control his bodily functions yet. I know there's gotta be a computer program for it, I just haven't written it."
Max flashed a quirky sort of smile. She just wanted to get on to her Lair. "Really. I'm leaving." As soon as she finished stuffing her coat.
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/26/2006 20:45:09
Well, who cared if she could use a computer or not? Things like that were easily manipulated. Midnite only used computers because they made his business easier to manage, but even that was a small concession. He was about to chase her off with a glare, or a threat, until... smoke trailed from one corner of his mouth as he stared, eyes narrowed. Yes, something was off. No one walked around in clothes like that, but he'd seen two-headed frog people since coming to the City, so nothing really surprised him. But... this was odd. His hand moved to his neck, grasping the right cord out of habit, and he yanked it from around his neck.
It was a charm, simple in nature but eternally useful. It lit up if someone under an enchantment held it. Most of the time, he wore it as an early warning, but tonight it would serve a different purpose. Midnite flung the charm at her sidearm, his motion quick. Even if she didn't catch it, a simple brush against the clothing of someone enchanted would light the crystal with a bright sapphire glow.
"Catch."
And there were measures to be taken if it revealed something of use.
From: i_assist Date: 07/26/2006 21:13:06
Max wasn't sports girl or anything, but she managed to catch the charm in her hand out of instinct. She cursed herself for doing that. For all she knew it could have instantly burned through her skin or something just as horrid. But she had to catch it before Ace, who most likely would have snapped the thing out of the air with his mouth.
It glowed when she clutched it, but didn't burn through her hand. Max was thankful for it, but still held the charm warily away from her body as it continued to shine.
"What's this?" She was tempted to toss it back, but who knew what would happen if she tried that. "Seriously, I'm not really too up on people tossing weird things at me that could be like... grenades in disguise." She babbled when she was nervous.
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/27/2006 17:47:46
"I thought so," Midnite said, head titled to one side. "You're under an enchantment, little girl, and that's twice I've caught you snooping outside of my club. The best thing you could do right now is give me a reason not to kill you."
The charm cracked along its surface, the light dying immediately. Small shards broke away and clattered to the street, then more, until Max held nothing but a chain bereft of pendant or crystal.
Midnite never moved, but he seemed to radiate menace at that precise instance, his dark eyes glittering in the dismal light of this narrow, run-down street. It felt even more narrow, suddenly, and not the best place for a conversation. The little light that did exist seemed to be taken in by the ebony man's skin; now he stood out against the black sky, darker than it could ever hope to be. Murderous intent was the expression that fit his face best.
Midnite had no patience for spies, but if she was something else, a small scare could be explained away. He had his opinions about naturally nosy girls, as well - but this girl was not that.
From: i_assist Date: 07/27/2006 18:39:27
Max chose to ignore that last part. For now.
"I know it's an enchantment. Or... well... I knew it was something. This godess type... um, well, a thing. Godess type thing. She came into my room the other night and stuck this dress on me, 'cause I testifyed against Jack in the trial. And it-- Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue, and the dreams that--"
Cue a bright red blush that clashed horribly with her pigtailed pink hair. Max slapped a hand over her mouth, not even daring to budge it until she was sure the urge to sing had passed.
Oh god. She'd burst out with Judy Garland in front of the scary guy who wanted to kill her.
"Okay. See. It does that. It makes me sing. I don't sing. I don't even like this movie. Wizard of Oz-- it's the stupid one with the green witch and the annoying girl with pigtails who looks like a white version of me right now. This dress will not come off."
Max pursed her lips quickly, trying to control the nervous babble that was already spewing forward and probably not preventing the guy from wanting to kill her.
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/27/2006 20:05:11
The menace evaporated in a fit of hysterical laughter, Midnite yanking the cigar out of his mouth and leaning against the side of his building, his laughter coming in howls that he thought might split his sides. Oh, whomever had done this to her had a rich sense of humor! He wanted to meet that person, or persons. The Wizard of Oz. Absolutely inspired.
Midnite laughed until tears ran down his face, his charms rattling together as his chest heaved from the laughter. Finally it began to taper off, and he clamped his cigar firmly between his teeth. If she sang another song lyric, he might not be able to stop himself laughing. The occasional chuckle bubbled to his lips, but the laughter finally finished as he wiped his eyes with the heel of his palm.
"That is probably the funniest thing I've ever heard," Midnite told her. He believed every word of it - now that he knew what to look for, it was easy enough to see. "Good luck.. ahah... getting that taken care of, little girl. Ahaha.. sorry if I... scared you."
Smoke trailed from both corners of his mouth, his eyes crinkled in silent amusement. Another fit of laughter seemed on the verge of spewing forth once more.
From: i_assist Date: 07/27/2006 20:18:08
Max couldn't help frowning. Nor could she help, " Wake up sleepy head, rub your eyes, get out of bed. Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead. She's gone where--" Her hand shot back over he mouth, coupled with several deep breaths.
Composure. She hid her total and complete embaressment behind a scowl that would have done Babs proud. Scowling at this man might not have been the smartest thing to do, but he'd laughed at her. Laughed.
Far as Max was concerned, Jesse was the only one allowed to laugh at her for this. And he didn't know about it yet.
She eyed the man in front of her again. "It's not funny. At all. Most annoying thing in the world; have you ever tried to walk more than three city blocks in heels?" Max asked, pointing down at the sparkly shoes.
Arms crossed across her chest, still glaring. "You know about enchantments. You had that thing. That... um... disappearing glowy thing. How do I get rid of this?"
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/27/2006 21:07:51
Midnite pulled the cigar away from his lips, quiet for a long moment as he focused on her. She asked about getting rid of it as though there were a cleaning solution for this sort of thing. Well, in a way there was, but not of the sort you could buy at a warehouse store. Midnite had no use for people that thought magic was a trifle, something to be cast off in the wink of an eye, the twitch of a nose or the wave of a wand.
Real magic was far harder than that, as hard as the cruelest human heart. But... on the other hand, he wondered briefly what sort of enemy she must have made to garner that sort of curse. Midnite was willing to wager she had connections to the underworld. It might be worth his time to remove this curse, and see who came looking for him. That person might not be happy to find someone had undone their work, but if they were a businessperson at heart, they would deal.
And if not, they would die.
Of course, that didn't mean that he wasn't going to charge her for it.
"Get rid of it?" Midnite asked, with an arched brow. "Well, you could always summon Hekate. She could help you with your love life while she's at it."
When her glare intensified, he decided it was time to make an introductory offer. Antagonize her too much, and she might simply leave.
"It isn't something you can scrub off," Midnite said, another hit of the cigar rolling against the inside of his mouth as he paused. "But I can help you. For a price, of course."
Not too high. People with money didn't wander the street in this neighborhood, at this hour of night. What would be a fair price? He'd think about that while she considered his offer. And have a number ready when it was time to speak again. This might even be fun, if he played his cards right. And perhaps something else to go along with the removal of the curse... well, there were... possibilities.
From: i_assist Date: 07/27/2006 21:36:09
"Summon who?" Max made a face, thinking he was making fun of her again. She didn't need help with her love life, really, she didn't. People needed to stop suggesting she did and start staying out of her business. This man didn't even know her.
Her scowl only softened when he mentioned a price. That meant he was willing to help, and money was a language she could speak. She had some of her own. And she was lucky... a ward of Bruce Wayne. If she needed help, wouldn't he give it to her?
Max wasn't too worried, though. She had two hundred something dollars. How much could an enchantment removal possibly be? Wasn't like it was a new car or anything.
She held up both of her hands in a sort of peaceful gesture before speaking. "Okay. Price? Price I can do. Money's good. Just get the dress off me, yeah? And no more Judy Garland. I hate Judy Garland. And I'm never going to wear pigtails again."
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/27/2006 21:53:51
How much could he feasibly charge? A curse like this wasn't difficult to remove.. the ingredients for a casting no more than fifty dollars. It took time to make the brew, but that would be time he could use to prepare something else. Money was no problem, she said. Which meant she had less than a hundred, unless he missed his guess. He wanted to charge her slightly more than she had on her person, but enough that she wouldn't think he was just some cheap trickster. Ironically, it was one of his more difficult negotiations, but only because the girl couldn't realize he was manipulating her.
Since he'd come to this cursed city, his contacts were gone. If she was mingling with underworld elements, he wanted to know. And the best way to do that was to give her something that would allow him to listen in on her conversations. Of course, anything electronic would be too easily damaged, lost or stolen. A charm, then. And something that he can use in the ritual - pass it off as a temporary part of the cure. Or perhaps, not so temporary? He could decide that later. Right now he needed to name a price.
And what was he going to charge...?
"Five hundred," Midnite said slowly, and then went on before she could say anything. "I'm not worried if you don't have all of it now, in any case. You'll have to come back here at least once, a week from now. And as long as your dog continues to urinate on my establishment, I don't think I need to worry about finding you."
His smile was still completely unpleasant, but he didn't want to tip his hand. Whatever she was doing, whatever conversations she was having, Midnite wanted to be the fly on the wall. Soon enough, he would be.
From: i_assist Date: 07/27/2006 22:52:35
Max made another face, wrinkling her nose when she heard the figure. With no jobs lined up for the next week, the two hundred and seventy something she'd need to make up the difference of what she didn't have would be hard to come by unless she went to Bruce.
That was an option, but now that she thought about it... huh, the conversation sounded stupid even in her head. 'Bruce, I need money for a cruse breaker.' He'd probably ban her from the cave again. Reason? Partial insanity.
She didn't know anyone else with money, but started unzipping the pouch in her backpack where she stored her wallet. "Um... I have one hundred and seventeen? And about one hundred fifty at home. And I work... sometimes."
Max sighed and rolled her eyes. "Does it have to be cash. You've got a giant building, right?" She looked at the decrepit looking warehouse the stood infront of. "There's gotta be something you need done in there worth two hundred bucks." Because unless Mr. Murdock suddenly had a bunch of work for her to do, she wasn't going to get get the rest that quickly.
Bartering with the man might interfere with her work at the Lair, never the Cave, but she wanted this costume off. "C'mon?"
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/28/2006 01:26:12
He was not entirely convinced that he liked the idea of some girl, some strange girl that kept appearing outside of his establishment, working inside. Enchantments were easy enough to place, and easy enough to break; a clever ruse would be in order here. Midnite stared at her for a long moment, eyes narrowed as he watched. There was something decidedly not right about this entire situation. No, there wouldn't be any work in the club for her. His decision was made almost instantly.
"One hundred and seventeen pays for the materials," Midnite said, dropping his cigar to the ground and stamping it out with his foot. "Come with me."
Midnite turned the corner of the building and started down the sidewalk, easily taking note of the man stationed outside the door. Just one, but he was enough to handle almost anything. And anyone that got inside would find their world quickly unpleasant, indeed. Midnite didn't wait to see if the girl was going to follow him - he had no reason to think she wouldn't.
From: i_assist Date: 07/28/2006 09:02:18
From five hundred bucks down to less than one fifty? Max was glad she hadn't agreed to give him the five hundred right away. Obviously whatever he did didn't take that grandose and amount.
Either that or he really didn't want her going inside his building for some reason. That thought made Max grin a bit. With the recent spike in crime down in this area, she was constantly looking for a suspect. Tall creepy magic man who didn't want to let her in and had people standing outside the doors? Seemed like a good place to start to her. She'd have to remember to mention it to Kate when they next sat down to make plans.
Max tugged on Ace's leash, urging him away from the fallen cigar he'd stopped to smell and hurried after Midnite.
"What d'you down here anyway?" she asked, falling into stride. "Warehouse filled with magic stuff or something?"
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/28/2006 21:51:05
"Why are you so nosy?" Midnite retorted. "It should be enough for you that I'll resolve your problem."
It would have to be a material that would hold the enchantment he wanted - jade, then, or perhaps lapis lazuli. Something that was strong enough, magically speaking. He could send door to his room to find the proper materials, if he what he wanted was not at hand. The enchantment would be easy enough to remove, and replace with one of his own. Far less obtrusive.
"This is a nightclub," Midnite told her, as they approached the door. "And I doubt you're old enough to be inside legally. So forget everything you see within."
She wouldn't, of course, but it was worth the cost and more. If she was already prying into his business affairs, he lost nothing by intriguing her further. His business was not so well disguised that she would not have found something eventually. The potential benefits, however, of having information on who was watching him and why...
...well, that was too good to pass up.
From: i_assist Date: 07/29/2006 10:29:02
Nosy, now there was a word she'd heard many times before. From her parents, Terry, Bruce, her friends... didn't mean she thought it was true though. She prefered 'inquisitive'.
"M'not nosy," she muttered, throwing him a disgusted pout as she followed him through the door. "And I'm not some little kid. I'm eighteen."
One moment she was telling Jesse that she was still young, and the next she was insisting to Midnite that she was an adult. Teenaged hypocracy at its best. Max scowled when the thought occured to her.
She didn't plan on following Midnite's instructions at all, what kind of investigator would that make her? The layout would have to be memorised so she could report back to Kate and she'd have to see if they had security camers that could be tapped into.
"A magic nightclub?" she asked rather dryly. She wasn't being nosy, just curious. "Just 'cause, well, I've never really known any nightclub owners who dabble in the whole disappearing charms thing."
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/29/2006 23:14:51
Midnite pushed the club door open and walked through it quickly, weaving his way between patrons and nodding to those that greeted him. It wasn't unusual - he was a fixture in this club, being its owner - but he didn't stop to talk tonight, as he normally did. None of them would toy with a girl that was so clearly walking with him, but that didn't stop some of his more... socially challenged clientele from sneering at her, or calling lewd comments. For his part, Midnite was fine with that, as long as it didn't go any further. The lighting was dim and red; the smokey haze permeating the air and making it difficult to see more than a few feet in any one direction. That should keep her from getting a clear picture of how the place was laid out.
The more he thought about it, the more he thought that she must be in something, though he wasn't sure what. Most people didn't have the sort of enchantments she had, and weren't so blase about a voodoo master threatening to kill them. One way or another, he was going to find out.
Midnite arrived at the opposite end of the club, and held a rickety wooden door open for her to enter. The room that lay behind was small, concrete walls and ceiling, with bookcases along every wall and a small wooden table in the center. The bookcases themselves were lined with every sort of ingredient he might use - herb, preserved body parts, stones, powders, charms and candles. It was never an exact science, voodoo.
"This way," he said flatly.
From: i_assist Date: 07/29/2006 23:26:34
Getting more than a few sentences out of him was like trying to pull teeth. Max opened her mouth to pester him some more as they walked through the club, but several comments from various people sitting around distracted her. Hard to scowl at each of them and ask questions at the same time, so she kept her mouth shut.
It was all very curious though, Max thought and squinted in the dim light. She made a note: Kate would have to bring nightvision goggles if they decided that this place was worth checking out. It was very annoying, not to be able to come up with enough for a satisfying report.
Then they came to the door and Max was expecting more of the same.
"...Is that a finger?" It became obvious to her that Midnite did not take this magic thing lightly. She went straight up to the bookshelves, eyeing the various items laying on them and hoping that that shriveled up thing in front of her wasn't really someone's finger, because? Gross.
When Max turned back to Midnite she tried not to look so disgusted. He was going to help her after all... she hoped.
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/30/2006 10:42:54
Midnite glanced over his shoulder, with the barest of smiles, before he returned to assembling the ingredients. For the removal of the enchantment... it was not a difficult enchantment to remove, and a washleather pouch contained the ingredients for such a generic breaking. He dropped it onto the table, and then began searching for the ingredients for his more... elaborate... charm. While he searched, he spoke again.
"At the bottom of that bookcase you'll find a bowl, a glass bowl," Midnite said distractedly. "Put it on the table, and don't spill any of the liquid inside."
The bowl in question was cloudy, the glass almost milky in color, and etched with different characters - they were unlike any alphabet she might have seen in her lifetime, and indeed, they weren't meant to be similar to anything she'd experienced. The language was a mass of other languages, changed and distorted. The only creatures that spoke it fluently, aside from mages of various degrees of talent, were demons.
Midnite turned around, then, setting a jade stone next to the pouch before he resumed his search of the bookcases.
From: i_assist Date: 07/30/2006 11:19:46
That probably meant not to touch any of the liquid inside either. Max resisted the urge to poke at the stuff after she got the bowl that was requested. Her attentions were instead distracted by the bowl itself and soon her eyes were drawn back to the shelves she'd pulled it from. She couldn't help but wonder what was in some of those books if there were fingers sitting out on the shelves.
Max finally made her way over to the table and set the bowl down carefully. "What's in there?" No, there was pretty much no end to her questions. To her credit she'd tried (for about two minutes), but she really didn't like not knowing things.
Her eyes went back and forth between the items on the table and Midnite, waiting for sometime to happen. Well, something more than coming into this very odd room. Absently she reached down to pet Ace who was behaving himself rather well despite his curled upper lip and on guard position. He was just being protective.
"So, like... is this just a hobby or what?" She really couldn't help it. "Did you do it where ever you were from?"
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/30/2006 15:40:22
"A hobby?" Midnite asked irritably, placing several jars in a row on the table, and sliding the cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. "Does this look like it's just a hobby?"
For his last step, he hefted a larger piece of jade than the first, and set that down next to the pouch. There was a speculative glance at the first, as though he were measuring them, and whatever answer he found was apparently acceptable.
The washleather pouch's ties were loosened, upended rather unceremoniously over the bowl. The water inside darkened immediately, and Midnite gripped the sides of it carefully. His fingers tapped against several symbols in quick succession, almost as though he were typing. Now it seemed to have the density of tea, the water, and it bubbled as though boiling. Midnite pulled his hands away rather quickly, and began applying the ingredients in the jar one at a time.
Recording. Distance listening. The smaller jade stone would be placed in a pouch around her neck, and the larger stone would record what words she spoke for up to a week. It was useful, but only in limited situations. After all, business competitors weren't likely to put something you gave them around their necks willingly. But if they were competitors, he was just as likely to kill them as try to compete honestly.
A black powder from the first jar. A thick, red liquid from the second. A handful of blue seeds from the third. A white powder from the fourth. Each one vanished into the liquid of the bowl as soon as it touched the bubbling surface, and each time the liquid changed color. More white powder was added than black, and so the liquid took on the dense color of coffee. At last, Midnite lifted the two stones and dropped them into the water.
"Hold your breath, and close your eyes," he said, right before the bowl began spewing hissing smoke and steam into the room.
Not hot enough to scald, but breathing it was uncomfortable. Midnite suited actions to words, covering his mouth and nose with a hand and closing his eyes.
From: i_assist Date: 07/30/2006 16:56:22
She was thinking about just how weird this was when he issued the warning. Max did as she was told, but continued to think about how weird this entire situation was. And on the side hoped that this explosion of smoke wasn't going to kill her.
It also occured to her that possibly she could have asked what all that stuff was, though it was doubtful she'd have gotten any sort of concrete answer. Her host didn't seem to like to give many of them.
Max tapped her fingers against her thigh. Curiosity lead to impatience. And while she was a Bat-kid there was still only so long that she could hold her breath.
"And here I was expecting some magic words or something," she muttered after letting out a breath when it seemed like it would be safe. She waited to open her eyes.
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 07/31/2006 12:52:00
It only took a moment for the smoke and steam to dissipate. She had uncovered her mouth perhaps a second earlier than she should have, but the worst that would give a person was nausea - and that was fairly rare. Midnite himself waited fully five seconds longer than she did, and then his hand moved to the jade pieces lying on the table. They were ancient stones, and it pained him to part with them, but business was risk. This might pay more dividends that he could know right now, and if he wasn't willing to try he might as well throw her out now.
"There are different rules for different types," Midnite told her curtly. "Keep your eyes closed, this is going to be bright."
He squeezed his eyes closed again, dropping the two jade stones into the bowl. Even with a hand cover them, the flash was bright enough that he could feel the heat on his face, see it through his skin - almost as though, for that split second, he'd become transparent. It was fascinating, the things that magic could do. When he uncovered his eyes once more, he tuned out her commentary long enough to lift the smaller jade piece - it was still warm to the touch, which meant success - and drop it into the washleather pouch, tying the cords off quickly.
"One hundred and seventeen dollars was the agreement, I believe," he said as he turned toward the bookcase, looking for a suitable cord that could be used as a necklace.
From: i_assist Date: 07/31/2006 15:08:05
"Wait, wait..." Max held up a hand and shook her head quickly. "I should be able to take this thing off, right?" Sure there were bright colors, lots of smoke, breath holding, and eye closing, but had it worked? She held her wallet in her hands but didn't move to take her money out just yet.
Looking down at the ruby slippers on her feet she scowled, kicked one off and sent it shooting across the room. As it had been before, the shoe would have come shooting back to reattach back to her foot. She hadn't even been able to sleep without them.
But, now? Max wiggled shoeless toes inside of her socks (and she wanted those socks off too... stupid frilly edges). She stepped experimentally on the floor, still expecting the shoe to come flying back, but it still didn't.
She was going to need that shoe back to get home, but it was so nice to get it off of her foot. "Well. This is a nice change." Cue the pleasent grin.
"What's that for?" She couldn't resist throwing in one more question, pointing to the stones and the pouch. "Not done?"
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 08/01/2006 14:54:32
Midnite watched her shoe with almost morbid fascination, right up to the point when it disappeared and re-attached itself to her foot. People always assumed the bright flash of light was the thing - in truth, the flash of light had been unexpected, and if it had done anything that anything would most likely have been terrible for both of them.
He dangled the pouch by the drawstrings, arching a brow at her.
"One hundred and seventeen dollars," Midnite repeated, his voice dark. "In return I'll give you this - wear it around your neck for about a week, and it will absorb the enchantment. As long as you wear it, it will also disrupt said enchantment. Ready to be rid of those clothes?"
From: i_assist Date: 08/02/2006 16:34:03
"So. Not. Fair." She gave in then though, because she wanted that pouch, and pulled out her wallet. She was pretty sure that there was only one hundred and seventeen dollars in there in the first place, but she counted it all out anyway. It left no money for a taxi meaning she'd have to walk back to the manor, but that was alright for now. It gave her an excuse to maybe stop by the apartment complex again.
Max handed over the bills to Midnite. That was a new flash drive she'd just handed over. Or new com equipment. But it was important enough.
"Okay, necklace on, enchantment goes away. Got it." She held out her hand for the charm expectantly. "And it's not gonna slowly kill me in my sleep is it?"
From: i_dovoodoo Date: 08/03/2006 17:18:13
Midnite dropped the leather pouch into her open hand with a smile, the largest one by far that he'd had since coming to this God-forsaken place. He just hoped - had to hope and believe - that the information he was going to receive from this charm was going to be worth it. If she was not interested in him before, not overly, then she was now. The crumpled bills lay on the table where he dropped them. Having coming down from $500 to $117, she knew he didn't care about the money.
"Satisfaction is guaranteed," Midnite said. "It's Papa Midnite you're talking to. Just remember to come back here before you take it off. One week."
He held up a finger, just to emphasize.