Paint me like one of your French Girls (( Micah + invite ))

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

These last few months had been bollocks. She made no bones about it. They ******* sucked. She'd been in the accursed realm twice, neither of which were her fault and in fact the second one she didn't even have a ******* clue as to why! Then, it turned out she had a ******* kid she knew nothing about. The night she'd come back from the realm after dipshit had put her there, she'd rampaged through the ganglands and smacked the **** out of some men. She'd thought they were all dead, but with the wounds she'd received, it seemed that her blood had gotten into one of them and turned them. Then again, was it just one of them that had turned? Or were there others out there? She had no ******* clue. She'd returned a couple of nights ago, after Hedwig had sent her there, and found out that this guy existed when he'd tried to kill her. Of course, he was only a couple of months into the life of a vampire, so didn't know how to do what she could do. He'd ended up dead, and left her on the hunt for a telepath to give him what for.

Tonight had already been eventful in it's own right. She'd gone to see some new thing in town that had been ******* with her business by drawing the crowds. Tried to persuade her to come and work for her, and ended up turning her to make sure she was hers. Then, leaving the new kiddo to sleep, she'd gone to relieve some tension with some gangsters - wanting to cave their heads in - and that crazy ***** Reganleif had come at her. She'd attacked CC before, but CC had no idea why then either. But this time, she was ready for her and after quite a frenetic battle that at one point she thought she might lose, Regan crumbled at her feet and vanished into dust. What in the **** was in the water right now?! Bitches be crazy!!

Speaking of, CC hadn't seen Lorelai yet. Pru apparently had, but she hadn't. The woman had been rather busy as of late doing..... well, CC had no idea what she was doing. But she really should check in on her and see her - once things had calmed down. After all, wasn't she due about now? She thought about it, added it up, and then shook her head. No, this was only August. Popping now would be far too soon. Cause she was sure she was due in November. Wasn't she? Again, fucked if she knew. She could take another night to calm herself and sort herself out, become less feral, before going home to her.

Ever since she'd come back from the dipshit death in June, she'd been wanting to get her tattoos retouched because they were looking faded. It seemed that her body was healing and trying to reject them. It was slow, and any normal person probably couldn't tell. But she sure as **** could tell that they were fading and didn't look as sharp as they once had. So tonight, she was sitting in the street, just on the curb, looking at her phone for tattoo parlours. There were quite a few listed, so she was trawling through the reviews posted online to see what was said and the images posted of tattoos done. She ruled a few of them out immediately, after seeing some horror stories and tats gone wrong. So after a good few minutes of reading and contemplating, she finally plumped for one which seemed reputable over in Riverwood Market.

Reading through, she noted that they preferred appointments to be made, but she wasn't in the mood to wait too much longer than she already had. So picking herself up off the curb, she clipped her way on over to Riverwood Market. Tonight's ensemble consisted of her usual clear plastic heels, though these ones had roses enrobed in the centre of the platform sole. To match, her bra top was made of actual rose petals, which had a green strip of cloth that ran down and around her body with spikes sticking off it, to end at her green hotpants that were shaped like two leaves. Her hair was big and poofy, having been back combed and pinned into a mohican yesterday. So today, it was soft, wavy and voluminous - and sprayed with glitter. She was literally, dressed like a single stem rose and she was attracting quite a few looks. But she just smiled sweetly and gave them all a wave and sometimes a business card or a flyer.

Finally, she made it to Riverwood Market and began wandering around, looking for the right premises. There were quite a few interesting looking shops, and she needed to make a note to maybe pop down here another night to see what was here and if there was anything of interest to her. However, she was on a bit of a mission and couldn't help but grin as she saw the place she was looking for. She walked over confidently and opened the door, and then went on up to the desk and waited for someone to appear while browsing the pictures they had up and around.

[Micah]

“Master Micah there’s a woman at the reception desk.”

Micah glanced up from the document he was reading and frowned at the blonde who had slipped into his office. She didn’t usually interrupt him when he was working unless it was a problem she couldn’t handle on her own. A woman wasn’t usually a call for an interruption though, as Bunny would either speak with her and take care of whatever was needed or she would refer her to one of the other artists that worked at Masterpiece. “You know what to do Bunny, so I don’t know why you’re in here interrupting my work.” He started to turn his attention back to his work when he noticed the girl wringing her hands and shifting rather uncomfortably in place. An exasperated sigh left him. “What is it?”

Bunny stepped fully into the office and closed the door behind her, casting a glance back at the reception area. The office was soundproofed so she didn’t have to worry about lowering her voice. “It’s that stripper woman.” A single eyebrow was raised as she had his full attention with those four words. “You’re going to have to be more specific Bunny. I’m sure that there are several strippers in this city.” Not that he knew any personally, it wasn’t his thing but they were out there.

The thrall gave him a rather unimpressed look and simply pointed to the window. Deciding to indulge her Micah pushed away from the desk and crossed the room to look between the slats of the blind. He knew who she was the second he got a good look at her. It was that Cinnamon chick, the one with the big mouth that seemed to land herself in trouble all the ******* time. “Well ****.” At his side Bunny nodded in agreement. “Well I can’t just let her stand there all night. Though maybe once she realizes who I am she won’t want to stick around?”

Bunny started laughing. “Yeah right.” She opened the door and gave him a shove. It didn’t move him but it did get him walking. He approached the desk and pulled out a chair, taking a seat and opening the appointment book that he couldn’t make heads or tails of. That was Bunny’s job. “Welcome to Masterpiece Tattoo. How can I help you this evening?”

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

"Awww, hell no!"

She said as soon as the mountain of a man walked out of the office and into sight. Her head had to look up to see his face, what with her being quite a bit shorter than him, even in her heels.

"You ******* work here?!"

Her eyes narrowed as he sat down and asked her how he could help. Her feet shifted ever so slightly, putting her into a defensive stance in case he decided to start any of his funny business again. After all, he'd killed her before for **** all - so what was to stop him from doing it again. Which meant she had to be ready for anything. She continued to glare at him as he seemed to look through appointments and then half growled, half grumbled.

"You owe me a ******* apology Micah! And, I want my tats redone. They're..... fading. I'm sure you ******* know why!"

And then she just stood there, still ready in case he made a move, and waited to see how this might go.

[Micah]

“Trust me darlin that was much my same reaction when I saw who had decided to stroll through those doors,” came the rather snarky retort and he pretended to look over the book. It looked like business was good, most of the guys were booked pretty solid for the next couple of weeks. At her next words he finally decided to look at her, a smirk firmly in place. “I don’t just work here. I own it.”

Micah wasn’t surprised that she remembered him. But if she thought he was going to apologize for that she was out of her ******* mind. He didn’t do apologies, especially not for something that was business. He flipped the book shut and leaned back in his chair just as Bunny came out and handed him a stack of forms. Her I told you so look didn’t go unnoticed and he glared at her retreating back as she disappeared into the office again.

“I ain’t apologizing for ****. Business is business after all, and that is all that is was.” He scribbled his name at the bottom of one of the forms and stuck it inside a file folder. “You’re a businesswoman ain’t you? So I’m sure you’ll understand when I say it was nothing personal.” It was then that he got his first good look at her. He tried not to stare but really, who the **** walked around dressed like a ******* rose? “How the **** have you not been arrested for indecent exposure by now?” Really, he wanted to know the answer to that. “As for your tattoos...I don’t know why they’re fading.” He looked at his own heavily tattooed arms and frowned. There had been no fading on any of them that he’d noticed. Over time he knew that it was possible but it wasn’t something that he’d had to deal with.

Noticing her defensive posture he rolled his eyes. “Would you ******* relax? I don’t even have my gun on me.” A lie that rolled easily off of his tongue. He never left home without his gun. It was just concealed, so that no one would be able to spot it. “Besides, it would be bad for business if I shot you in here. So chill the **** out stripper chick or else I ain’t gonna be able to help you.”

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

Which comment to deal with first, there were so many thoughts and comments running through her head and she had to pick one to use first. It was a close run thing, but the first thing that came out was a snort of laughter before she simply stepped forwards and leant on the counter in front of him, hands reaching out to turn the forms he was looking at over. If he was a bussiness man as he claimed, then he should be paying her attention. ALL of his attention should be on her and she wouldnt have him distracted. A soft smile played about her lips as she waited for him to look at her, and then she winked.

"So many questions, so lets start with the one on how I'm ******* dressed eh? Why haven't I been arrested for indecent exposure? Well, first off - nothing is exposed....."

She stepped back and spun around in a circle for him, doing a couple of dance moves - one of which brought her calf up to her ear and proved that even in that position, her crotch was covered by her hotpants. Just. Her leg back down, she once more leant against the counter and smirked.

"And secondly, at least half the ******* police department are clients, or on the payroll. Sex talks you know. All languages, and gets you so many benefits, if you're willing to give it up. It's ******* power! If used right."

She laughed, her flirty little laugh used on customers to prove a point to him, her whole demeanour seeming to change as she became the picture of sweetness and innocence for that one minute, before she reverted to herself and leant in closer to him, her voice lowering to a sultry whisper.

"And don't take the piss and tell me you're not armed. There aint no ******* way you've not got a weapon on you. And looking at you, I bet it's a nice big 'weapon'"

She purred the last word, chuckling to herself as she leant back and looked around, considering what it was she'd been told. He had basically said that he was a contract killer, available to hire to take out those you didn't like. That was certainly interesting, and possibly something to keep in mind for the future. But she was always armed, and she couldn't imagine him going anywhere unarmed. That was just, in her book, stupid.

"So anyways. Can you ******* sort out the tats or not? Seeing as how they started fading right after you.... took care of your 'other' business. Which I may have use of you for in the future likes. If you let me know your prices."

[Micah]

He wasn’t impressed. At all, and the look on his face showed that. She didn’t capture his attention in the way that she might want it to, and so her little dance had gone unnoticed. All he was looking at was her face. There was only one woman who would ever be able to capture and hold his attention, and this wasn’t her. “You’re dressed like a ******* rose. A rose. Who the **** wants does that **** unless they’re….desperate?” He looked thoughtful for a moment.

“So wait a minute. You’re saying that they pay you for sex?” He snorted out a laugh. “So on top of being a stripper you’re a prostitute as well?” Why didn’t that surprise him? And why the **** was he sitting here carrying on a conversation with her? “That ain’t the kind of power you ought to be proud of. Cause it don’t last. When the high fades you’re just gonna be left sitting there...alone, used. But hey if you like that sort of thing more power to ya.”

His hand flew to the small of his back when she leaned on the counter and the subtle clicking from behind him told him that Bunny had caught the exchange and had drawn her gun. To the general public she might appear to be a dumb, ditzy valley girl type of woman, but that was a front. His thrall was extremely loyal and was quick to get involved in a situation that she thought was going to be problematic. This was something he could handle on his own though so he pressed his thoughts into her mind. ”Relax Bunny, I got this. Go back to what you were doing.” Micah didn’t need to look to know that she obeyed him without question.

“Whether I am armed or not is irrelevant. I don’t need a gun, or a blade to **** someone up. Which is exactly what I’m going to do if you don’t keep your innuendos to yourself.” His hand fell away from the weapon that was concealed underneath the plain black T Shirt he was wearing. Drawing in a deep breath he pushed his irritation away and got to the matter at hand. “Yes. I can help you with your tattoos.” He stood and came around the counter, keeping his voice low so he wasn’t overheard. “Don’t kill for cash darlin. Ain’t who I am. But if you got someone in mind, there’s a possibility I could take it under consideration.”

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

She was highly amused with this entire situation. The click of a gun hadn't gone unnoticed, but she didn't turn her attention from Micah. She didn't give a **** if she was shot - it would just be another thing he owed her an apology for. She'd add it to the list and keep right on asking until she got a satisfactory answer. She nodded her head when he asked if she were paid for sex, her lips grinning as he tried to mock her. She'd heard it all before though and it simply rolled right off of her back. She was proud of what she did, the service she provided and the plasure it gave.

"I have dressed like a rose, because it's a ******* funky outfit! My *** looks great and the petals fluff out to make it look like I've got more boobage than I actually do. Plus, it gets me ******* noticed, which means I can give folks leaflets to my gaff. Free advertising! And yeh, i get paid for sex. Don't act like you've never in your ******* life paid someone for it in one way or another."

She looked him over and nodded, definitely sure that some woman out there had been paid in one way or another to **** him. It's how a lot of women spread their legs, by being sure they were getting something out of it - or hoping they would. In her mind, prostitution wasn't all about cash - and your every day, run of the mill, vanilla woman would sell herself at least once in her life for something she wanted. And she wouldn't even realise she was doing it.

"Yeh, I don't need a physical weapon either. Whoop de bloody doo. Aren't you the big badass, threatening the poor little prozzie!"

She was grinning as she said it, her voice coming across like a baby-voice as she mocked him jovially. Though when he came around the counter, he again towered over her, so she hopped up onto the counter and sat there, bare legs crossed one over the other and stared up at him, fronting it out.

"And if you don't kill for cash - then tell me, what in the **** did you kill me for?"

Her voice was just as low as his, making sure they weren't overheard as she asked her question - seriously unsure as to why he'd got involved that time and VERY curious to learn why.

"And yeh - I have some names on my list. But if you aren't doing it for cash, and you don't want to **** me - why would you do it for me? Oh, yeh, and tats, how much?"

[Micah]

Did nothing offend this woman? Ever? He’d insulted her and called her a whore, not in those exact words but a prostitute was the same thing wasn’t it? Instead of being insulted she was proud. What kind of person was actually proud that they took money in exchange for sex? A ******* lunatic, that’s who. Anger tore through him but he refused to let it show. He wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d pissed him off. “Unlike you darlin, I never needed to flash a wad of cash to get a woman into bed. Kind of speaks volumes there, doesn’t it?”

He rolled his eyes and mentally counted to ten. “I think you’ve hit your head on a headboard so much that you’ve rattled what little brains you’ve got left. I don’t really make threats, and that wasn’t meant as one. It was a fact. Your innuendos and blatant flirting aren’t going to win you any points. You want work done fine. But I will be damned if you’re gonna stroll your *** in here dressed like it’s Halloween, on your tacky stripper shoes and think you can treat my shop like it’s the Silks private rooms.”

There wasn’t anything else he needed to say. He’d spoken his mind and if she wanted to continue on the same path then so be it. But she’d get no further reaction out of him. A scowl crossed his face as her *** connected with the countertop and it took every single ounce of restraint that he had not to shove her off. “I told you that it was business.” He spoke in the same low tone that she did. “Pi asked us to assist her, and at the time my wife was friends with Pi. It was a favor, and no ******* cash was involved. So again, I don’t owe you **** in the way of an apology.”

“As for your list, you give me the names. Ain’t making you no fuckin promises because I ain’t a hired hitman. I don’t need the fuckin money, and money ain’t got **** to do with why I do what I do.” He gave her a death glare. “And no I sure as **** don’t want to **** you so kindly get your *** off my counter. You make a horrible decoration.” This time he did give her a light shove, just enough to know he wasn’t ******* around. “Now for your ink. It depends on what you want done, and how much. You mentioned you needed them touched up. Are there more than what I can see?” He sure as **** hoped the answer to that was no.

[Cinnamon Cherrywhip]

She couldn't help it, she burst out laughing when he said that he wasn't like her because he'd never had to pay for sex.

"Sweetcheeks, you've got the wrong ******* end of the stick. You and I are on completely opposite sides of the fence there. I've never had to wave a wadge of ******* cash to get my jollies either. It's the clients who wave their wadge at me, and then I go to town on them. If I wanted it from someone, I'd not ******* have to pay for it. So, no volumes have been ******* spoken. But you have a good long think sweetcheeks. Think about all those women who've taken your 'weapon' willingly, then think about what you might have given them in return. Kids? Marriage? Power? Love? You ******* gave them summat right? Well then, you ******* paid for it. Me? I'm just up front about it. Damn right I want summat for opening my legs and rocking their worlds. I make no bones about it."

None of it was said in anger, nor in a confrontational manner - it was all just chatting in her opinion. She was just making conversation. She grinned up at him though, shaking her head.

"I ******* love my outfit, it's different and my shoes ain't tacky! They're amazing! Look, roses!"

She lifted her leg up, showing him the soles so he could see the roses suspended in them.

"Plus, they add to my height - which is never a bad thing - and they're comfy, and they look ******* amazing on stage when the lights hit them. They sure as **** are more comfy than those Hitler boots look!"

She chuckled, nodding down at his own shoes and comparing them to the boots the German Army used to wear. Though her mind was swirling with the information - well, it was more the confirmation - that Pi had gone running to them for help. All because she'd ripped Aidan's top and called it ugly. That, that was ******* precious. Pi had never been high up in her estimations, but she'd just slipped even further down than before. It was just pathetic really. All over a ******* ripped top!

"I don't want to ******* **** you either dickwad! Jesus! You're sure as **** not god's gift to the planet."

She grinned up at him and wiggled her half bare *** across his counter top a little bit, grinning into that stare she was sure was supposed to be scary - but really, just made him look a little cuter than before. Not much. But a little.

"I'm ******* pretty as a picture, and I brighten this place up!"

She grinned, and waved at a guy who was looking in the window as she caught his eye. Her legs crossed one over the other before she beckoned to him with a cheeky smile and a wink. He came on in as beckoned and she began to prove her point.

"Well hello there Sir!"
"Well hello!"
"How are you this evening?"
"Not bad, just considering a tattoo"
"Mmmmm, I do love a man with ink! You see? I have quite a few myself!"

Her leg slowly came up, brushing up his outer thigh to his hip before she ran her hand down her leg and up again, rolling to her opposite hip to let her hand continue on up over her *** until the shorts began. The man's eyes were captivated, watching her fingers in their travels intently and she was sure she could see the beginnings of some drool at the corner of her mouth. Yes, she was exerting a little allure over him, letting whatever it was she'd gained when turned ooze out over him to make him more pliable. But it totally counted.

"Well then! Where do I sign? I mean, how do I get one."
"Oh! Well that's easy. Just speak to this.... gentleman here and I'm sure he will set you up with an appointment. But there will be a $100 deposit ok?"
"I.... don't have that on me."
"There's a cash point just down the road. I'll wait here for you. Because I'd 'love' to hear what you're going to get and where!"

She purred out the last line, watching as he spun on his heels and all but ran from the shop to go and get some cash as suggested. After he was gone, CC smirked and looked back to Micah with a chuckle.

"See! Brighten the place up and attract folks in! As for my ink - it all needs touched up and blackened. And they run from my feet all the way to my shoulders. So yeh - ******* covered. Oh, and my list. There's a couple of fuckers I'd LOVE to see dead right now. But whom I don't ******* think I can take on myself. You know a Madison? And I know you know a Zodiac...."

She grinned at him wickedly, eyes sparkling as she watched him for any sort of reaction to that last name, wondering if he'd seen the video he'd been emailed.