Swimming in Debt and Liquor

[demitri]

He strolled into the faded, swinging his case to the rythm of his own slow paced stride
deep blue eyes covered by a pair of shades as he flashed a sharp black laqured smile
Debt
It kept the world on spinning and Mr. Blu was about to collect quiet a pretty penny from a pretty little sweety
Slowly he sat at an empty table
Early
Mr. Blu was always early. Removing his hat and glasses, allowing the mess of shaggy black hair to fall into his face as he stared into the dark scotch
Blue nails tapping on the table, Mr. Blu didn't like to wait
Not at all
Debt with interest, if you upset Mr. Blu...he was a moody man and fickle as a summer storm. With each passing minute the rate would go up and you would either pay, or work it off.
Black lips curved at the thought...
Nothin wrong with a little hard work.

[Maestro]

Damn it. How on earth had she managed to get herself into debt? Bela prided herself on being one of the most careful gamblers around; what had she done wrong this time? The worst thing was, she didn't really have that kind of money just lying around. She supposed she could ask her parents, but she did not want to have to deal with the lecture her mother would give her. So, she was going to rely on her own wits.

Of course, Mercedes was probably going to try to do something to help her sister (Mercedes always found out when Bela was in trouble, somehow), but Bela just hoped that she wouldn't get herself in trouble.

As she arrived at The Faded (five minutes early, thank you), Bela made sure that her (as usual, fashionable) clothes looked all right. She didn't really care for Mr. Blu, but it would never do to show up looking only half-presentable.

Looking around The Faded, she spotted Mr. Blu. As she took a seat at his table, she muttered, "Well, consigamos esto encima con." If he didn't understand her, well, she'd deal with that when it came up.

[demitri]

His+eyes+narrowed,+slowly+taking+off+his+shades,+%22So+sorry+to+inconvenience+you,+Miss+Bella,+but+ah+don+speak+spanish.%22+Mr.+Blu+leaned+forward+slightly+placing+a+hand+over+the+glass,+%22so+if+you+could+do+this+dull+southern+a+favor+and+quit+being+a+smartass+and+start+speakin+english+ah+would+be+much+obliged.%22+Leaning+back+he+flashed+another+dark+smile,+%22Now,+business...Ah+suppose+we+just+move+onto+the+first+obvious+question...Do+ya'll+realize+just+how+much+trouble+ya'+in%3F%22+

[Maestro]

Bela was sorely tempted to mutter "No hablo inglés," but she realized for once that that might not be the best idea. After all, she owed this man money; it could be bad to antagonize him further.

She smiled sweetly, sunglasses hiding the anger in her eyes. "Of course," she said, voice dripping with sugar. "Anything for you, Mr. Blu," she added, unable to stop the sarcasm. It was just part of her nature, being less than completely serious at a time like this. And she had Iseabail (partly) to thank for her sense of sarcastic humor.

"No, Mr. Blu; why don't you tell me just how much trouble I'm in?" she asked, mostly serious. She wanted to hear just what he thought; she knew the number that she had agreed on.

[demitri]

Mr. Blu leaned back in his chair, holding up one perfectly polished cobalt hand,
"Here's how Ah sees it Ms. Bela."
Holding up one finger,
"Makin me wait: interest cost...how da yall say it in ya foreign tongue...uno."
Raising one finger while his hideous accent continued to slaughter, torture (inquisition style) the language of Spanish.
"Speaking a lingo ah don fully comprendi an making Mr. Blu feel just as uneducated as he is...interest dose."
Another finger,
"Finally, the worst of all: actin' like a brat an a smart-ass, which really makes just a few Kings* a hell of a lot more."
Placing a hand on his brandy and taking a quick drink, leaning towards her and flashing his dark pearl smile,
"Ah'd say, your total comes to 1.5 million kings. You can pay that, Ahm sure we can work sumthin' out that doesn' involve death and perhaps push that to 'deceased at a later date'..."
A nasty sneer over the inked-black lips,
"Do you, comprendi, Ms. Bela?"
--------------
* Kings: A form of Currency in Chimera that Red and I came up with (since we don't have one yet...) approx: one american dollar.
Prince: Cents (in general...53 cents= 53 princes)

[Maestro]

As Mr. Blu started to speak, Bela's eyes automatically narrowed. "I didn't make you wait; I wass five minutess early," she hissed, her ses starting to become more prominent.

She managed to keep her mouth shut, refraining from commenting on Mr. Blu's horrible accent. He was butchering the Spanish language, a language that was as dear to Bela as English, occasionally dearer. How dare he do that to such a lovely language?

"1.5 million kings?" she exclaimed, sputtering. "I don't exactly have that kind of money on my person, Mr. Blu," she told him, trying to bluff. She may not have that kind of money, but her family certainly did. Bela was stubborn, though; she would only go to her parents as a very last resort. "What were you thinking we could 'work out' that doesn't involve death, then?" she wanted to know what the man would consider ... fair. So far, she wasn't impressed with his sense of fair play.

[demitri]

Folding his arms he placed two polished shoes on the table
The glass teetering dangerously on the edge
"Seems to me you should a' thought ta be here ten minutes early, if this was of any real importance, but regardless, Miss Bellah,"
Flicking a silver tooth pick from his sleeve and placing it between his black lips, moving it from side to side each time his slow drawl paused between carefully planted words,
"Ah can see ya are a very good gambla', on ya good days, an pahaps, ya wouldn mind workin' fa Mista Blu for a bit. If ya can get the hang of it, Ahm sure ya can work off that nasty little Ah-Oh-U within a year...or so."
Taking the silver strand between his fingers,
"O' course...we can always do this the otha way, but mahnd, I would hate to loose such a---"
He reached over the table, taking her hand in his, the gray skin and black polish giving it a uniquely "dead" feeling,
"potential asset, afta all, ya could quite a pretteh penny, an Mista Blu"
He patted her hand, as if teaching a comforting lesson to a small child,
"would hate ta loose moneh like that."

[Maestro]

Bela raised an eyebrow as Mr. Blu put his feet up on the table. It was The Faded, no one really cared, but it did show a lack of manners to put one's feet on a table in a public place.

"I thought five minutesss would be sssufficient," she said, just barely making sure that she was still speaking English. At this point, she would have started off into Spanish, but that wasn't going to help her situation. My goodness, how did she get into binds like this?!

Just watching Mr. Blu as the silver toothpick appeared, it was all Bela could do not to make a sarcastic remark. Keep your mouth shut, de Zorro, she warned herself inwardly. At his suggestion, though, she simply stared at him. "Work for you? For an entire year?!" she asked, incredulous. Granted, he hadn't made the other suggestion that Bela had been dreading: thank the gods that she wouldn't have to sleep with this ... man.

She was very tempted to ask if she could have 24 hours to think about it, but that would only increase her debt, she was sure.

[demitri]

A rasped laughter escaped, "Now, now littah dahlin, Ah would hate for ya ta loose your tempah in such a...delicate situation..."
Narrowed eyes as the tooth pick was quickly replaced with a soft smoke, Mr. Blu was obviously a fidgety man, though he contained himself well, it wasn't really a question why
After all
Drug addicted tended to be their own best dealers,
"So...Ah suggest you loose that little tone, an yes...an entiah year,"
The smile as smoke pearled from black lips,
"It'd be longa, if ya weren't so, beautiful, but thanfully, we have a lota men willing to throw moneh at pretty women, and you, mah bell, can get them to throw that million ya owe me and then some."
The smile as grey smog trickled from those dark teeth.

[Maestro]

As difficult as it was, Bela managed not to curse at the man in Spanish. Instead, she smiled sweetly at him, as though seriously considering his offer. How the hell else was she going to pay him? But a year wasn't fair: shouldn't it be just until she worked off that debt?

Hoping to distract the man while she thought, she turned toward the window, apparently very interested in what was going on outside.

[demitri]

((I don't think red is going to reply....T_T))

[Maestro]

((We should bother her a lot! T_T ))

[demitri]

Mista Blu looked towards the door, noticing her sudden attention to the window to the outside world
A thick laugh, soaked in tar and hard liquor, "Tain nahone comin through tha door gonna save you now shug."

[redtopaz]

(Sorry T_T)

--

Mercedes led Iseabail through the winding, increasingly shady streets. When they arrived at the desired building, Mercedes wasted no time slipping around the thugs standing at the door, scaling a fire escape and breaking a window. Iseabail capably followed behind her. They dropped into a spare room that strongly resembled a broom closet. The door Mercedes pushed open led to a dimly lit hallway that smelled like mildew.

The pair stealthily made their way down the hall and Mercedes motioned for them to stop when they reached the door at the end of the hall that seperated the main floor of the the popular bar and the back room. She paused briefly, as if listening.

"Once we go through, I can't even slap a wrist to help you. I'll do what I can, but it's going to be up to you," she imparted, feeling a fresh pang of guilt for roping her friend into this. Mercedes pushed the door open, entering first. Even if she was recruiting Iseabail to do her dirty work, Mercedes was going to make certain she was between her 'Aunt' and any potential danger for as long as she could.

[demitri]

Mista Blu looked at Bella, blue lips drawn into a frown,
"Appears ah Miss Bella knows a few people in helpful places,"
He leaned forward, grasping her wrist, as mellow eyes narrowed dangerously,
"Let me make thangs cleah, Ah won't touch tha moneh, if that means lettin a little fish like you slip away."