Silk Purses and Sow's Ears

"Sori." I snap, and my voice is cold. "Enough."
The man scrambles back when he's let loose. Frowning, he turns away, a radio raised to his ear. After a few moments, he turns back. "They'll see you. This way."
Passing pits where humans writhe in pain slight enough that it brings pleasure, I stare straight ahead. Fools. Real pain is not pleasurable, and this illusion of pain is...
The door at the top of the stairs is opened by a tall dominatrix. I give her a glance. "You don't do human very well."
"Well fuck you very much." she snarls in a cockney accent. "And I'll be happy to suck your eyeballs out when the bosses are done with you."
I give her a slight, cold smile. Demons never did learn manners.

i smirk at her and say "you think its hot in hell? you dont know nothing".

as we pass the dominatrix I bring one of my hands up and fake a sneeze spraying the catch all mixture i had over her, fae or demon it would still burn, and blister, "next time you threaten my friend, I will send you to the pit myself." up a short flight of steel industrial stairs, and a plain no nonsense door and we are in a sitting room with some of the worst would be human actors i have ever had the misfortune to lay eyes on. "still no taste" i mutter

"Agreed." I murmur. All about, demons lounge, in rather pathetic glamours. But it's the two tallest I have eyes for.
Mr. Bones lives up to his name, cadaverous thin and chipped from granite. Mr. Blood is his antithesis, unpleasantly heavy, blubberous. I meet their eyes. "Lords among those who fell, well met."
"Well well. Not often we get such polite tidings in these degenerate days." Mr. Bones whispers. "And what brings you, little girl?"
"I come here to demand redress." I state coldly. "You have touched one who is kith to me. Kaija of the bright hair. She is under Kindred hand. By the Compact we drew in time out of time, you who are of God do not touch what belongs to Danu. I call on my rights. You have touched what is mine. You have gone against the compact. This, I will not tolerate."

i unsling the assault rifle from my shoulders and say "the armed might of the third reich stands behind this one" i throw a casual salute to liv "mein frau".

mister blood smiles, an entirely unpleasant thing all sagging jowls and saliva "What proof can you offer half blood" in a voice as heavy and wet as his name, almost like the sound of congealed blood
"Yes" the reed thin creak of mister Bones voice agrees "without inarguable proof we don't have to do anything and you are trespassing" then to sori "and you are one compared to the thousands conscripted to our service bound by the Judas Rope, what threat are you"

I straighten. "I tasted your taint to the magic that touched her. I am Ard Ri. My speech is truth. I do not speak falsehood, and I am not decieved. If the Ard Ri states that she has seen a thing, all the Kindred will listen. And we all know that a kobold with her head in a sack of onions could still taste the taint of your sort. So drop the prevarication. I have no patience for it. My kind were spinning riddles before your master decided to have a fight with daddy. Don't try to talk me around. As for trespass,well, this is a place of business, is it not? I break no law by entering." Crossing my arms, I meet their hard, black eyes. "It is reasonable. I am owed either explanation, or an end of the hostility. Immediatly. Otherwise...." I let the threat hang lightly in the air.

i smile and say "oh me? im noone well i guess thats strictly not true im the girl whos gonna kick your ass if you try anything stupid you know like double crossing us".

"Oh such fancy titles this one has" one of the assorted being on the couch has but the pair in front of us don't seem to notice "Do not presume to threaten us in our place wanderer. What lead you to our doors?" Mr bone's says the tones setting Liams teeth on edge "and do not pretend that you have a standing army to sweep us aside, Infernal magics are as common here as royalty in the Nightside, that is to say only slightly less common then the fleas on a mongrel cur." he looks almost pitying at Liv. one of the ones on the couch says to Liam "don't try what you did outside, it will end in death" then as an after thought "actually try it lets see how long you can last"

i laugh "i could have a platoon sized unit of waffen ss ubermensch soldiers here in five minutes complimented by my mother whos a pure bred jotn i myself am a half breed and should be more than sufficient to deal with the two of you".

"And I do not have an army. But I do have the ears of those who do." I state, very quietly. My words have no swagger, no bravado. They are as plain and unadorned as a spear blade. For a long moment, I hold their eyes. "The Dannan still know how to fight. As do the Devas. And the Tree People remember how to do battle. All those Kindred races who you once thought to best, at one time or another. If you know your history, you will know those names, demon. When you face Kindred, you tend to end up running back to the Pit with a whimper on your lips and a tail between the legs." Then I let my stance relax. "But I did not come here for a battle. Only for a request. Either tell me who touches my charge and why, or make it stop. A very simple request. You are lords, are you not? You order your folk. Do so, at the behest of another of equal rank."

Mr Blood speaks up "We seem to be at odds with each other since neither of us knows this 'Kaija' nor do we know what brought you with threats and reeking of revenge to our doors," he takes a theatrically deep breath "how do we know she isn't just a run away and you seek to blame us for"

I snort, letting my derision show. "Oh come now, lords. We are all too old for these games."

"Old or young we cannot deny our natures, and we are bound to be unable to do anything without something in turn, I have asked twice what brought you to our doors and will not ask a third time. if you pass that to us then we ourselves can do something." Mr bones seems to be trying a reasonable man approach, the inhabitants of the couches shifting subtly in their positions

i eye the various *people* around the room carefully and lean close to liv "just give me the word and i can have the cavalry here in a few minutes liv".

Mr Blood looks sharply at Sori, "I would not advise it Little half man, your soul is as twisted as any of ours." then eyeing the blade you carry "how many souls have you already bequeathed to us with your battles" he licks his lips an all to familiar and unfriendly gleam in his eyes.
"Yes." starts Mr. Bone "you would call in a cavalry that may or may not reach you, are you even sure you are still in the Nightside" his creaky voice harsh on the ears of any non demon "or would you leave one of your number with us as a token of good faith should we give you the information you seek?"

i smile and bluff "my family is sitting out there fully geared up in an assault van ready to drive through the front door and gun down your customers and light this place on fire while they fight their way to us i heard that was bad for business and if this is hell as you are implying then i must say its not very impressive or intimidating".

A young demoness sauntered over. Her short hair was a deep crimson that teetered on maroon. It had been left to grow wild atop her head. Delicate horns protruded from her head and her blue eyes glinted in the light of the establishment. Her clothes were tight so as to embellish the endowments she had received. Unlike many of the other demons there, she possessed a tail but did not have hooved feet.

Standing before Liv, she smirked. "You've invited a pretty one this time sirs. She looks angry though. Have you offended her?" She didn't even look back as it as clear she didn't expect an answer. "I can make you feel better miss." Seductively and quickly, she leaned in to capture Liv's lips with her own. Her tail moved around and wrapped around Liv's wrist to complete the connection and begin funneling energy from the guest; leaving only pleasure behind.

Of course when she got a taste of the energy, she immediately pulled back from the kiss. "A proper guest." Her eyes held Liv's with a sense of wonder. You will get nothing from them using your position. I have seen many a lord come demanding what was theirs. All fell to their whims.

i smirk and extend a hand to the succubus "sori yngvarsson bounty hunter assassin soldier of fortune and troublemaker extraordinaire nice to meet you miss...".

"Aruna." She took Sori's offered hand and gave her a small taste of the pleasure she offered with touch only. It was muted and hard to fully press her energy into Sori, but she was confident it would be enough to get her heart beating a bit faster. "You keep powerful friends Sori Yngvarsson. You must be very capable indeed." She ran her eyes over her, clearly stripping her with her eyes before looking back to Liv. Think carefully Ard Ri, you will lose your friends here if you do not fashion a different tactic. You are playing into their hands.

i smile and say "i think you will find myself to be quite the power".

Straightening, drawing myself up, I give back stare for stare with this thing that dared to intrude on my body and my mind. "Touch me again, succubus, and it will not go well. You've had your taste. Be satisfied." And if you trespass in my mind again, I'll send you screaming back to the pit that spat you out. I add silently. She flushes becomingly. A half-breed, I realize. Half demon, half human. And not hiding behind glamoury. All of what I see about her is real; real skin, real eyes. Not like the others here. A surprise, to be sure.
There's an unpleasant, gurgling laugh from Mr. Blood. "Aruna, dear, this isn't the junior leauge. Out the way, sweetheart. Daddy's working." The girl shoots him a glare of pure venom, but steps away.
Holding the demon's eyes, I bow low. "If this is not your work, then my apologies, Lord, for the intrusion on your time. If you find which of your people is causing me grief, I'd appreciate an end to it. If not...well, no matter. I'm sure others will sort it. Those with the power to do so."
To my side, there's a slow, bone-dry laugh. "Oh, I don't think so."
I stiffen. I was afraid it might come to this.

i unsling my rifle and look to liv raising an eyebrow.

the smile that curls Liam's lip could almost match one of the sadists downstairs, "you could have left out "so" in the sentence "
Mr Blood seems to find this amusing "Grizzle, you and tendon know better then to provoke 'honored guests' the tone has just the mildest bit of mockery in it hidden among the required manners "after all what could we possibly do to such mighty ones as a near immortal, a ressurected man, and the Ard Ri of the fae?"

i look at him and grin savagely "i think you should be more concerned with what we could do with you".