Every word that slipped free of the woman's voice was like warmed honey — sweet and laced with something almost a little dangerous. Even Marza found herself a little entranced with the interaction. Seraphine handled the objector like he was moldable clay, twisted him up until all that inner weakness leaked out. He fell in on himself and his resolve to object dissolved entirely. It was amusing, to say the least. Maybe even a little enviable, though Marza had never once cared to handle things so pristinely. She preferred her own methods. Blunt and brutal as they could be, she doubted she could ever be so graceful.

"Almost the sixth, one of them was smart." Crawled away like a defeated worm before he could make a bigger ass of himself. Those were sadly rare breeds, though somewhat more pitiful for being unable to so much as object to what was clearly a scam. All it took was a flash of cleavage and they were brainless idiots. There was more than one way to crack an egg, essentially.

Unexpectedly, Seraphine turned to her then. There was a sharp glint of intrigue in her eyes. It reminded her of Kuru, pitiless black avian eyes glinting at the sight of death. How many people overlooked this woman's dangers, Marza wondered. "That's usually the point. Curiously, the same can be said of you." She said simply, thumb sliding across the rim of her whiskey tumbler before taking a drink. Did details of her life actually matter? Probably not, maybe it was just a means of idle chitchat until the next idiot decided to find issue with a woman's success.

"I must admit it's probably dull. The answer is simple, money. Unova is full of penny-pinchers, so I tried Hoenn instead. Hasn't disappointed me yet. If you want a grander tale, that'll cost you. And you?"

mission: rigged gacha rolls

Seraphine D’aureville

☉

Marza wondered if this woman had ever had to rely on anything other than her charm and good looks. Not that she was shaming the woman for that, of course. She had never been the person capable of flaunting those appeals. People had a specific idea of where she fit in the world and, typically, she was all too comfortable to fit into that box. Even if her own exaggerated aggression and gruffness could prove... lonely... in the long run.

What was her price? Those sharp, cat-like eyes teased, but Marza was not about to show her cards to someone like Seraphine. The woman was far too dangerous to dare do that. That sultry expression demanded trust or carelessness, but she wasn't prepared to reward pure sex appeal.

"I suppose I can relate to that, but my father wasn't a gambler but a fighter." All the same, in the long run. Though perhaps they'd both learned from their parents, so it would seem. A con woman and fighter, they made a fairly decent team all things considered. Not that she'd entertain the thought. Still, Marza could at least respect the other woman despite the fact she often only cared to respect brute strength.

She sipped at her whiskey, forced herself to relax. She had "hobbies", sure, but maybe not as admirable at Seraphine's. She couldn't draw to save her life (anything more than stick figures, at least). She spent more of her time drinking or fighting. Anything to make her feel alive. How pathetic. "I'm not sure I'm the woman to fully appreciate your art, but if that's an invitation... I might take you up on it."

mission: rigged gacha rolls

Seraphine D’aureville

☉

She’s been bitten enough times to know when something is venomous. The prettier they are, the more likely they’re lethal. Marza wished she could say that knowledge was inherent, but it wasn’t. It required many mistakes and consequential bad decisions. No matter how attractive Seraphine was (and she knew she was), it wouldn’t change the dynamic they were playing. Even though they were on the same side, that didn’t change anything.

Trusting without warrant or merit, was beyond foolish. She was not about to play that game, not without purpose or reason at least. Maybe a few more drinks would inspire a certain irreverence for her own standards though. ”Heh, not sure that is likely.” Artistic, she was not, but let her think as she liked. If it was an attempt to stroke her ego, she’d allow it.

What a flirt though. Maybe she could ignore some of her own rules. Mmmm no, she decided. A little chuckle at that, ”If that’s a work offer, I’d be happy to take it. If not, well… you might have to buy me a couple more drinks first.” She was aware of the other woman’s reputation, which was valued among smugglers like herself. She’d never knock the occupation of one that could help her evade too much attention. ”How long have you been in the business?” She asked, admittedly curious. Whether she meant Rocket or forgery, she didn’t specify.

mission: rigged gacha rolls

Seraphine D’aureville

☉

Rocket had not been part of the "plan". Really, she'd never had much of a plan. The course of her life was a down-hill roll and she was simply trying to keep pace with the descent. People like Seraphine always enamored her, in a way. There was even something enviable about it. Try as she might to act it, she was strong in body alone. The rest of her was simply making do. Maybe Rocket helped with that, gave her a sense of purpose where she otherwise had none. Even bad people needed reasons to get up, she supposed.

Unlike Seraphine, she had no artistic qualities. Her skills were in brawn alone. All her existence marketed on the hope that people will take one look at her and think twice. Didn't mean much, in the end. They always thought twice, about everything. Yet Seraphine, she was a bold one. She didn't seem to care. "I think I would like that," She replied with a smirk, "Should you need the protection, as far as I can tell, you hardly need it. But if you need the excuse for quieter company." She added the rest with a shrug before sitting up.

The scuffle caught her eye before the other woman could make note of it. She sighed, standing. She was not a savior, by any more. She had no complex to satisfy making it necessary for her to intervene. Though perhaps she had a soft spot of sorts. "I'll be right back." She grumbled. The man lifted an arm, clearly agitated. Her hand closed around his wrist, other hand sinking into hair to crack his skull against the bar top. "You're being a nuisance, leave now." The man slipped to the ground like dead weight, slowly coming back to himself before scrambling away from the conflict. The coward.

The woman thanked her, but she ignored her. She didn't have time for weak things.

"There, had my fun. Wanna call it a night or what? You can show me this private studio of yours."

mission: rigged gacha rolls

Seraphine D’aureville

☉