Silencer and Stun [Kaspar]

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

"Come on. Do you really think I care?" It wasn't as though she'd been making any effort to be polite to him. Still, she entered, stepping through the reception area.

Still, she entered, giving the girl at the counter a long look. She stayed inside the reception area, leaning against the door toward the kitchenette. The irony didn't escape her, there.

"It's the principle of the thing. I don't work for free. You said to name my price, and I did," she said.

Of course, her offers were high, but this was totally a seller's market. Or would have been - in hindsight, she should have worked out the deal ahead of time, but she hadn't been expecting to get paid, anyway. This was just to piss him off - and maybe get an easy paycheck in the process.

She glanced at his kettle and mug, momentarily sidetracked. Was he planning on making tea?

"So. What is Danny worth to you?"

[Kaspar]

His mother had always taught him that even an unexpected or unwelcome guest was still a guest, and to be polite. It was habit then that even as he wanted to tell her to get out, he was asking, "Would you like a cup of tea?" And making a mental note to glare at his mother next he saw her. Kaspar grabbed out another mug, placing it beside his in case. "Yes, and you know full well you are being extortionate. Plus, if this is a business venture then you should present me with a proper invoice."

Hel turned to face her, gesturing towards the couch with a coffee table in front of it, "Please, sit and we can discuss this. If you want to do business, then we can do business. We can negotiate the terms, albeit after the fact. Technically I don't owe you, because it was a mutually beneficial agreement at the time and that was why it was arranged. You get Danny off your back, he is happy and I... Well ****, I didn't get much out of it except easing my curiosity and a damn headache." He scoffed at her, turning back to busy himself with making tea.

The man made her one anyway, just in case, if she said no his receptionist would eventually drink it even cold. As he tossed in tea bags, poured hot water and let them brew Kaspar begun singing quietly the song on his mind. Foot tapped idly, and he was beginning to think it might be fun to do a cover of it some time.

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

Vienna eyed him. He was making this official. She didn't have the least idea how to prepare an invoice, and he probably knew that. He was a businessman.

"That's not how I remember it," she informed him. Curiosity and a damned headache? He acted tough after the fact, but he'd actually given a damn about the guy.

What a sucker. Caring about dead people was a loser's game. But then again, he was a dead person himself.

She'd forgotten that for a bit or at least, tucked it away in the back of her mind. Kaspar wasn't normal, but he seemed more rock star with personal space issues than, well...Lestat. She watched him as he made the tea, singing something she couldn't catch the words to.

She stepped into the kitchenette. In for a penny, in for a pound.

"Can you even drink that?" she asked abruptly.

[Kaspar]

He let his voice raise to make the lyrics and tune more clear as the woman entered into the kitchenette finally. Kas gestured vaguely towards a couch with a coffee table in front of it, his preferred place to sit in the room. His movements were practiced as he removed the tea bags, adding the lightest splash of milk to his, grabbing out a small plate to place her cup on and two packets of sugar beside it in case. He grabbed out a mini jug, pouring in a bit of milk rather than questioning what she preferred. He wasn't in the mood to memorise how she liked her tea. Putting things quickly back in their places he brought over the cup and saucer, placing the milk beside it for her. As he returned to collect his own cup she spoke again, asking him if he could even drink his tea, the man barely flinching in response, a shrug of shoulders and no answer given. Not yet.

"Well," He finally spoke, finishing with his content singing. "Remember it how you like, the fact is you are trying to extort money out of me which I don't appreciate. Were you a reasonable being this could be a smooth transaction, but since you are insisting on playing tough then i'll play right back." As to her other question, he paused, considering how to answer seeing as he'd avoided it thus far. "And yes, of course I can drink it. Why would I make it if I could not? Don't be silly, Vienna." As if to prove his point he lifted the cup, blowing gently before taking a cautious sip of the hot liquid. "Of course i'll let it cool a bit first, if that's alright with you Your Highness."

Once more he lowered it, settling back in against the couch and folding one long leg across the other. "I will even be so gracious as to show you how to create a basic invoice, and work with you to create a contract to have both parties sign prior to your working for them. If you want to make money from your gift, you best consider learning how. Idle threats and harassing men in the streets rarely work, especially if they aren't as patient as I am... Or as sure that Grey would have my *** if I tore your throat out." He said the last nonchalantly, tugging a guitar pick out of his pocket and toying with it, flicking it over his fingers. Would she react? Would she spill? He'd figure Grey must have already done so, told her about him and perhaps Adley too. He made a mental note to kick the pretty man's *** for it.

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

She could hear what he was singing now - a catchy earworm of a tune that she recognized: an old guy singing about a teenage girl who'd thrown herself at him.

"Don't flatter yourself," she said. "No one would ever take you for a savior."

She didn't want the couch, but it would have been childish to refuse. And he'd make such a ******* big deal on calling her out about it like he did about everything else did.

After a beat, Vienna sat down. She studied the tea for a moment, before she ripped open one of the sugar packets and tossed in the sugar. Then, she moved on to the next packet - and at his last words, her hand twitched, scattering grains of sugar across the table and onto the floor..

[Kaspar]

He smirked, he outright smirked at the woman's reaction. She'd taken a dig at him, again, and why not have his fun? Rile her up? "Heathen." His nose wrinkled, watching her dump sugar into her tea something which he really found quite unnecessary. "You see it would be very easy to do, Vienna." He sipped his tea carefully, "You wouldn't be the first." Kaspar avoided killing humans, but when they psychopaths trying to kill you, sometimes you had no choice but to incapacitate them.

A flash of pink, tongue flicking over his teeth, tempted to coax forth the fangs to make his point. "You think you know everything, you think are above it all but you are not. Stop acting so tough, you are a human. Weak. There is a target on your throat little girl, every time your heart rate rises that pulse thuds, so loudly we can hear it."

Again his tea was sipped, so dismissive as he continued to flick the pick between his fingers, watching it's movements. "Just give it a rest, pick your allies before they become your end."

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

She let go of the sugar packet. A few more grains of sugar spilled out, but she paid it no mind, her eyes catching upon his face.

Sharp, bestial fangs curved in a human mouth - the effect repulsed and fascinated her. Grey hadn't showed her his fangs for long, and he hadn't been threatening her.

Her instincts told her that he was telling the truth. For a moment, she couldn't think of a reply - her mouth was dry.

"You already said Grey wouldn't like it if you killed me," she scoffed. It wouldn't fool him - she could hear the quiver in her voice, the uncertainty. She curled her hand around the hilt of her sword, the coolness of it a comfort.

She drew in a breath. Her voice was steadier this time. "What's your point even supposed to be? Is that supposed to be a death threat or an offer to be, I don't know, allies?"

Who even used that word these days?

[Kaspar]

Another sweep of his tongue and they were barely noticeable, merely canines, many might think they'd hallucinated it. "Hush, Vienna, I just told you I was tired of your bravado. Of course he would not be pleased, but I don't know how much he cares for you. He'd get over it, no doubt." Probably untrue, Grey wouldn't forgive him for it so easily, but that was fine. Kaspar had no intention of harming her.

Her fear, the tremor in her voice, the falter in her heart beat as it stuttered to keep up, adrenaline lifting was enough. It was sweet music, and he drank it in.

"Stop fingering your sword, unless you're going to use it. You should get a less obvious weapon, by the way, that thing is ridiculous." As much as he liked to feign ignorance, he was observant, he watched her from the corner of his eye, waiting for her to give it a rest.

"I could have hold of you before you manage to get it out, especially sitting. Besides, even if you managed to hurt me, I could kill you before you killed me. Fact, Vienna, not challenge."

With a reluctant sigh he placed down his cup, turning to face her, studying her features in earnest. "I tried to be kind to you, I tried to be polite. You asked me a favour, I did it. At every turn, you threw these things back in my face, you made me be rude, you made me..." He cleared his throat, "Do things I would rather not have to resort to. Your anger is pointless, and pathetic. Grow up... And perhaps we can get along."

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

He'd get over it. Kaspar dismissed her as if she was just some toy to Grey. Replaceable.

It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. She wanted to claw his eyes out for saying it.

Her jaw clenched. She managed to hold her tongue and keep from interrupting him. ******* fanged freak.

"No one's making you go for the death threats," she pointed out. "That's all you." He tried to pin everything on her, as if he didn't have a temper of his own - and as if he wasn't the one making threats.

"Keep your money." And rot in hell.

Holding his gaze, she rose to her feet. She'd kept her hand upon her sword, though she hadn't drawn it. He was right when he said that it wouldn't be much use.

"People will notice if I don't come out of your studio. I'm going home."

[Kaspar]

Did she really think it was so simple? She got to just walk away? No. He'd had enough.

She spoke of his death threats as if they were actually legitimate, as if he had ever laid a harmful hand upon her.

The man rose to his feet, he rarely did anything outside of human without reason, and he figured proving his point to her was reason enough. With impressive speed aided by both his vampiric abilities and much taller frame he blocked her passage with his body, hand snatching out to cover hers where it held the sword, pressed at her hip. His grip held it in place, not aiming to cause pain, just enough pressure to let her knew who had the control. His free arm curled around around her, drawing her close to his chest so that she were trapped facing him.

"Vienna, you are a fool." It was muttered on the tail end of a sigh, blonde head shaking as he bowed it, lips finding the top of her head. "Dummkopf."

Idiot.

His gaze moved over her face, studying the planes of it. The young woman tried to act as if he had taken advantage somehow and yet had it not been her who had asked him to leave with her? To be hers for the night? He had. It was foolish, a slip in judgement after a trying week. And when she had demanded a favour, he'd given it. Yes, he had made biting remarks and been short with her, but damn if she hadn't earned it. For that too Hel had apologised, why? He was predator, she prey, what respect did she deserve? Little, yet he still tried to give it, in his way. "What makes you so angry? You are ALIVE, Vienna. You have opportunity, you have a chance. Why do you court death? That is what it is to involve yourself with Grey, to demand things of me. Do you understand that? What has he told you?"

Not enough, that much was apparent. Hel released her, though his hands hovered, prepared to capture her should she try to make a scene. Really, all he needed was a few words, he'd proven this in the past. "Are you aware we can do more than just kill? I could make you do anything with a few words."