\u201cShe\u2019s an old friend,\u201d said Blaise flatly, as Doug took the hand and shook it.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoug McCracken, Professional Bastard and Part-time Mercenary,\u201d he replied, \u201cpleased to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doug regarded the slim man next to her. The man wasn\u2019t eyeballing Doug as such, but there was a distinct hesitation in the man\u2019s eyes about approaching him. Doug searched the disorganised mess of the apartment of his mind for the slim figure, hoping to find a name hidden under a couch and a list of reasons as to why the man would be particularly wary of him tucked behind the radiator. He even checked the (long) list pinned to the fridge of \u2018People I have previously pissed off who want me dead\u2019 for a name that might match the face and hat. The search turned up nothing, which was the usual result.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you are?\u201d asked Doug.<\/p>\n
The man slid his hands out of his pockets and carefully extended one towards Doug. He spoke out of the corner of his mouth as the other corner was busy pinching a cigarette between its lips.<\/p>\n
\u201cThaddeus Cornelius Smyth the Forth. Folks call me Thad the Gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doug clasped Thad\u2019s hand with his own organic one in a firm handshake and the two made eye contact. He definitely knew the man from somewhere, and he had the feeling the man knew him. A moment of tense regard dissipated as the handshake finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018Gentleman\u2019, eh?\u201d repeated Doug. \u201cPutting coats down on puddles, opening doors for ladies, that sort of thing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an old nickname,\u201d replied the man. That struck a chord with Doug, but it reverberated out of his brain, down his leg and out on to the floor where it disappeared. The voice too, a semi-nasal pedantic sort of voice that he could picture in a half-remembered overheard conversation several years before that took up less than 1% of his attention at the time. Giving up on recollection, he just gave the man a smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot much call for gentlemen these days,\u201d he said. \u201cBit of a dying art, but good on you for trying all the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever. I\u2019ve heard about you, McCracken.\u201d Thad the Gentleman reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. He flipped open the top and proffered the open end to Doug. \u201cI see you like a smoke, you should give these a try.\u201d<\/p>\n
Doug looked at the open packet quizzically, nodded and slipped out one of the slim brown cigarettes. He lit the end of the brown cigarette using the end of his current cigarette, which he stubbed out on a table and tucked behind his ear. He gave the gifted cigarette a few experimental puffs and blew smoke out of his nostrils and mouth, satisfied.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot bad. \u2018Old Archie\u2019s Woodbines\u2019, very classy. Fancy giving one of these a try?\u201d he asked, offering up his own battered packet, a big red circle in the middle of it acting as the label. \u201cThey\u2019re Fluke Hits.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thad smiled, nodded, took one and slipped it into the pocket on the front of his jacket.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor later,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cNice to see you two getting along. Ah suppose ah better get all the pleasantries outta the way an\u2019 introduce you to the rest of my boys,\u201d said Annie, waving a gloved hand in the direction of the other members of her team.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr Stone-face over there\u2019s Allan Parkinson. Don\u2019t mind him too much, he likes to act tough but he\u2019s a softie deep down,\u201d the sniper in question was in the process of picking himself off the floor. He dusted himself off and then realised the others were watching him, Parkinson returning their gaze with a stern one of his own. He didn\u2019t make any further moves to acquaint himself with the newcomer. Doug gave the man a curt nod but was ignored.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd as for the big guy next to him,\u201d Annie continued, \u201che\u2019s Tupper. We don\u2019t know what his deal is but he\u2019s a good guy. Just, you know, keep an eye on him.\u201d Tupper had been attempting to help Parkinson up but had been brushed aside. He was in the middle of teasing his friend\u2019s poor close-combat skills when his watch snagged a grenade pin, yanking it out accidentally. Parkinson heard the tinkle of the pin dropping, immediately rounding on his friend. Tupper only laughed in response, his hand clutched around the grenade\u2019s strike lever, his hands having grabbed for it as a reflex action. Tupper calmly picked the pin back up and inserted it back into its home, securing its lever. He chuckled happily, as if he\u2019d accidentally burped loudly at a funeral. Doug couldn\u2019t help but raise a brow in response.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, it\u2019s certainly a\u2026dynamic group you\u2019ve got here,\u201d he said, \u2018dynamic\u2019 being the vaguest positive-sounding word he could come up with at the time. Annie seemed pleased with this appraisal nonetheless.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks, we try,\u201d she said, and gave him a wink.<\/p>\n
Doug looked at Blaise, who was now leaning over a table holding her head, not making eye contact with him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDidn\u2019t expect to find you here, Red. Thought you were off looking at ammo somewhere,\u201d he stated. Blaise merely grunted at him. Something was off about her. Annie cleared her throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh think she\u2019s alright, just sore. That varmint managed to get his hands on her and roughed her up a fair bit. It\u2019s a good thing ya\u2019ll came along when you did,\u201d she explained. Doug absorbed this information and knelt down in front of Blaise.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me see,\u201d he pressed. He was stern but in a way that suggested he cared; it was the closest Doug could come to sounding compassionate. Blaise sighed and lowered her hand, Doug gently cupping her chin and tilting her head to inspect the damage. A small lump was forming on the right side of her forehead. He also noted the red marks around her throat from where Delgado had been holding her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you feeling dizzy? Sick?\u201d he asked, checking for signs of concussion. Blaise looked at him sceptically.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy head hurts, that\u2019s about the worst of it,\u201d she told him. Doug made a tutting noise.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetter keep you off your feet. Get you to bed,\u201d he stated, an edge of mockery in his voice. Blaise glared daggers at him and slapped his hand away, making him laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cFuck off,\u201d she snapped, \u201cyou had me going there for a second. I almost believed you were capable of an emotion beyond being a smug arsehole.\u201d She adjusted her fringe to better hide the lump and folded her arms across her chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cAw Red, it pains me to hear you talk like that,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHa. What are you doing here, McCracken? You can\u2019t have gotten yourself fully kitted out already,\u201d asked Blaise, disgruntled. Doug awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, coming to expect another round of mothering from his cohort.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got my arm all fixed up and wondered where you had disappeared to,\u201d he told her. It was the truth after all, his goal had been to find her. The fight had simply been a bonus.<\/p>\n
\u201cMmmhmm. So you came here, to this specific building, because you heard someone matching my description was in here and not because you saw a big fight happening inside?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell yeah, mostly…\u201d he tried, fully aware she wouldn\u2019t believe him. She didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can really be full of shit sometimes, McCracken. You don\u2019t have a sense of self-preservation at all, do you? For Faust\u2019s sake, Doug, you spent the last two weeks in a coma!\u201d Blaise berated him.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh give it a rest! If I didn\u2019t come by then that big bloke would\u2019ve done a hell of a lot worse to you than that little lump!\u201d he snapped, his voice rising.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you dare pretend you were actively coming to my rescue; you didn\u2019t even know that I was in here!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI had an inkling! Harper said you might be over here! And oh look! She was telling the truth rather than doing the whole \u2019I can\u2019t tell you things for reasons!\u2019 act!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat act?! I\u2019ve been genuinely worried about you ever since the cruise ship, despite my better judgement! I\u2019m trying to save you from yourself!\u201d<\/p>\n
She attempted to stand only to immediately be hit by a wave of dizziness. She fell back into her seat, her eyes closed as she waited for the world to stop spinning. Doug\u2019s expression softened.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t kidding about staying off your feet, you might have a bit of concussion-\u201d he began, Blaise raised a hand to silence him.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t. We\u2019ll finish this later.\u201d She turned her attention onto Annie, who was watching this little tiff in a manner similar to someone watching a gruesome car crash on television.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhereabouts was the last terrorist attack? We\u2019ve still got some shopping to do so I\u2019m tempted to say we\u2019ll meet you out there,\u201d said Blaise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not meet at the monorail station? It\u2019ll be easier to take you there,\u201d the Texan replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, that sounds good. I doubt we\u2019ll be long-\u201d Blaise began only to be interrupted by Doug.<\/p>\n
\u201c-Why do I get the feeling that I missed something important? What\u2019s going on?\u201d he asked, causing the two girls to hesitate. There was even a slight shift in Thad\u2019s body language, the Gentleman moving from indifference to borderline-interest over what the response would be.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s complicated,\u201d Blaise stated as carefully as someone laying down the next section of a house of cards.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, now where have I heard that before?\u201d Doug sarcastically began, his temper beginning to rise again. Annie deftly stepped forward before another argument could start.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be angry with her, Sugah, it\u2019s my fault really! We wanted to talk to Katie about combinin\u2019 our forces but we wanted to keep this lil\u2019 old meetin\u2019 of the minds secret in case Mad Dog came sniffin\u2019 about. He\u2019s been shuttin\u2019 all the others mercs he could find down so he\u2019d have less competition for the grand prize ya see. Didn\u2019t want him findin\u2019 us. Fat lotta good it did in the long run…\u201d She smiled shyly at Doug, who\u2019s brow was creased as he considered her words.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s Katie?\u201d he asked, causing Annie to falter. Behind her, Blaise began to rub her face in frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cHmm? Katie? Ah didn\u2019t say anything about a Katie, ya gotta be hearin\u2019 things sugah,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut you-\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh was being earnest about the whole joining forces thing though, these terrorists are provin\u2019 ta be a real handful!\u201d she effortlessly steered the topic somewhere new, lying with ease. Unless you knew for a fact what the truth was, there was no way to actually tell that Annie was obscuring it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019ve been saying!\u201d Harper yelled from her perch at the bar, having been listening in, her ears perking up at the mention of joining forces. She had taken to sitting on the counter top besides the unconscious form of Mad Dog, giving him a kick at any sign of the thug leader stirring.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has and all. We were going to talk to you about her joining our group for a bit when we found you,\u201d Doug told Blaise. She glared at him over her hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cHell no!\u201d was the response.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got here first!\u201d Annie added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t sign off on you guys joining,\u201d Doug argued, frowning at Annie, \u201cI don\u2019t even know who you are!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know anything about Harper,\u201d Blaise countered, \u201cwhere as Annie and her gang have been helping us the entire time we\u2019ve been here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou might not be feeling so healthy if it weren\u2019t for us guys,\u201d this was said by the Gentleman, who was casually leaning against the table beside Blaise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell fine, you got me there. I guess I owe you one,\u201d shrugged Doug. They did have a point, even he had to admit that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see why Harper can\u2019t join in the fun too though,\u201d the others hesitated, exchanging looks as they tried to think of a good reason.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did just help to save your butts as well! You were all getting your asses beat until me and Doug changed that!\u201d Harper added. Annie sighed in defeat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s true, ya did. Fine, it\u2019s a deal. We have ourselves a coalition,\u201d she didn\u2019t sound particularly enthused by the idea. Her fianc\u00e9 stood up and patted her on the shoulder as he addressed the room.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suggest we get ourselves kitted out and meet back up at the monorail station. That crime scene\u2019s not gonna inspect itself,\u201d he turned to Blaise, \u201cand you just remember what we talked about before, Doll-face. You know what\u2019s at stake,\u201d he winked at her. Doug stared at him curiously as Blaise used the soldier to help herself up by grabbing hold of his sleeve and slowly pulling herself onto her feet. She still felt dizzy but the worst had passed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, I got the message the first time…\u201d she replied before leading the confused Doug back out to the street.<\/p>\n
\u204e \u204e \u204e<\/span><\/p>\n Half an hour later, after a cold pack and something strong to drink, Blaise was back standing under her own volition, firing off shots at a round marked target. Every burst of gunfire pierced through her head like a big bell being rang right next to her ears but it was getting better by the minute. Unloading the last round in her gun, she lowered it and peered at the smoking target in the distance. All the shots were centralised around the two centre circles, much to her satisfaction.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s good, Red, but get a load of this!\u201d said Doug, appearing from a nearby doorway, raising a large boxy handgun and discharging it at the target. There was a loud VRWAP sound, the end of the gun flared blue and emitted a bolt of yellow, which clipped the target on its edge and impacted against the wall behind. The wall bubbled and hissed where the shot landed, and the edge of the target reacted like strong acid had been poured over it, the lower quarter of the target board dissolving away into a blue paste.<\/p>\n Doug radiated happiness like a five year old with an ice cream as a man in robes behind him angrily stormed out, fists raised.<\/p>\n \u201cCan\u2019t you rrrrread the ssssssign?! No plasssssma weaponsssss in the target rrrrange! Bulletssss only!\u201d the merchant yelled, pointing at a large obvious sign asking patrons not to discharge plasma-based weaponry at the target.<\/p>\n Blaise and Doug had found the gunsmith tucked between an armourer and a flower shop. The owner\u2019s small shop had guns wall-to-wall on racks, and there were small wooden cabinets loaded up with boxes of ammunition. Walking around it, you had to be careful not to bump into any of the merchandise given the narrow space left to move around \u2013 it was a grotto of guns, and the mercs were like kids in a sweet shop.<\/p>\n The merchant himself was a small figure in green robes, with snake-like eyes and an orangey-brown complexion. He seemed to move in a slither, gliding across the floor, and his speech was equally snake-like. If it wasn\u2019t for the two bandy arms wearing gloves with pointed fingers, you\u2019d be forgiven for thinking that the merchant was just a giant snake in clothes. He\u2019d been friendly enough, helping Blaise to find the ammunition she required and taking Doug out to an equally cramped side room to look at his \u2018special merchandise\u2019. He\u2019d even pointed Blaise in the direction of the \u2018target range\u2019, which was actually just a long narrow stretch of waste ground behind a tall building fenced off at one end.<\/p>\n \u201cSorry mate,\u201d apologised Doug, \u201cjust add it to the bill.\u201d The merchant seemed satisfied by this, and slithered away back inside. Doug turned the gun in his hand sideways and showed it to Blaise. \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d he asked. She holstered her pistol and gripped the handle and underside of the gun in her hands, taking care to not touch the barrel which was now piping hot. In Doug\u2019s hand it looked a good size, but in Blaise\u2019s dainty fingers it looked stupidly big.<\/p>\n \u201cMy professional opinion?\u201d she said, turning it around in her hands and looking it over, \u201cit\u2019s a Kleimaster 4XL plasma gun\u2026far too heavy, prone to overheating\u2026the iron sights on this one are actually at an angle, probably from where they\u2019ve melted slightly from overuse\u2026a weapon that\u2019s completely useless for hitting anything accurately, you\u2019d be better off using it as a club.\u201d She handed it back to Doug, who absorbed her appraisal thoughtfully.<\/p>\n \u201cSounds perfect! I\u2019ll be a moment while I settle up with the guy inside.\u201d<\/p>\n Blaise smiled at the back of the clumsy man happy with his big gun as he wandered back inside. She was just glad that he\u2019d moved on from asking about his old gun, the one back on the cruise ship. Blaise didn\u2019t really want to have to explain what had happened back there after all the drinking, but she realised that it would probably come out at some point.<\/p>\n \u201cSo how do you know Annie, anyway?\u201d Doug thought aloud as they began making their way back towards the villa, their ammo and weapon supplies having been thoroughly restocked.<\/p>\n Blaise eyed Doug, choosing her answer carefully. He was only making small talk, there was no suspicion in his voice, but Doug\u2019s method of small talk could be very intrusive if you weren\u2019t prepared for it.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026We worked together once a few years back,\u201d she replied, as flatly as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah? You must have gotten on well with her if you stayed in contact,\u201d he observed. He was settling in to this train of thought, his posture relaxed as he enjoyed a fresh cigarette.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t, and…we didn\u2019t. I haven\u2019t seen her in about six years or so,\u201d Blaise corrected.<\/p>\n \u201cOh. Was she your mentor or something? Showing you the ropes?\u201d he guessed. Blaise\u2019s brow creased as she considered this question.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat makes you say that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell you would have been about twenty-one back then, right? You must have been just starting out at the whole merc business,\u201d he said, innocent confusion weighing on his knotted brow. Blaise hesitated. <\/span>Damn<\/i><\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSomething like that,\u201d she replied, feigning a smile. She didn\u2019t feel like she had the nerve to admit to Doug that she had been working for quite a few years before that point. That conversation would always lead to darker avenues.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018s funny, she didn\u2019t look much like a gunslinger,\u201d stated Doug, \u201cor a merc for much of that fact.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does a merc look like then?\u201d quizzed Blaise, slightly irritated.<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d said Doug, pausing to scratch the back of his ear, \u201cbut you get this vibe about people who kill for a living and Annie doesn\u2019t have it. I\u2019m sure she can look after herself, don\u2019t get me wrong, but she\u2019s a bit too…\u201d Doug searched for a word, Blaise sighed.<\/p>\n \u201cCheerful?\u201d she offered. Doug snapped his fingers and smiled, waving his finger at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that\u2019s it!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re quite a happy guy yourself, Doug,\u201d commented Blaise. Doug gave her one of his patented grins and chuckled.<\/p>\n \u201cSure, but I wouldn\u2019t class me as a \u2018nice\u2019 guy. Would you? Be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c…You have your moments,\u201d said Blaise.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a real good way of agreeing with me there Red. Sure, I can be chummy, but get on my wrong side and I\u2019ll relocate your nose to the back of your head. And I\u2019ll enjoy doing it, too. I can\u2019t see Annie being like that. I have to wonder why a girl like her would end up with Thaddeus Cornelius \u2018the Gentleman\u2019 Smythe the Forth,\u201d explained Doug, putting on a posh voice and straightening his face when saying Thad\u2019s name.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really know,\u201d lied Blaise.<\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, I can\u2019t see why Annie would end up hanging around with any of those other blokes.\u201d Doug could be surprisingly perceptive when he was on a ramble. He\u2019d grab on to a thread and keep tugging it until the web it was tied to unwound into his lap in a big mess, and then he\u2019d make a goofy face and say \u2018oops\u2019 in a sarcastic voice.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not?\u201d asked Blaise, who was wondering exactly how much of a tug Doug could give this particular thread, given the size of the giant spider made of lies and pain sat waiting on the other end.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something off about \u2018em. That tall bloke with the long hair, Parker?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cParkinson,\u201d said Blaise.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he\u2019s got that distant look in his eyes of a man who\u2019s shot one too many people from a distance. I\u2019ve seen it before back in the PSF, blokes who spend so much time looking at people down the end of a scope that they start seeing everyone like that, as if everyone is far away and one bullet away from no longer being a problem. And the big guy-\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c-Tupper.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t trust him with anything stronger than a lollipop. He looks self-destructive to the point of being dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cComing from you, the one-man battering ram, that probably says something,\u201d observed Blaise. Doug just laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cYup, she must\u2019ve done something wrong in life to end up with that bunch. No offence to your mates,\u201d Doug hastily added.<\/p>\n \u201cI bet you\u2019d take more stock in that Harper woman then,\u201d said Blaise, turning the conversation around.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. I probably would,\u201d said Doug. \u201cProblem?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t like her,\u201d stated Blaise.<\/p>\n \u201cI did pick up on that, Love. Any particular reason?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t trust her. She\u2019s confident, but it feels like she\u2019s trying too hard. No offence, but she\u2019s like a bad Doug McCracken tribute act: all mouth and masculinity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI take that as a compliment, Red. I also get what you\u2019re talking about, in that it feels like Harper\u2019s put up a wall around herself.\u201d Doug stopped walking and leaned in towards Blaise. \u201cMind you,\u201d he whispered conspiratorially, \u201cit\u2019s not a million miles away from the vibe I get from you on a daily basis.\u201d He delivered this line with a wink, and then leaned back away from her. There wasn\u2019t a hint of animosity to him, but it jarred Blaise. As they continued walking, Blaise cleared her throat and decided to change the subject.<\/p>\n \u201cI wonder how Gratin\u2019s doing. He\u2019s probably wondering where we disappeared to,\u201d she said, effectively derailing Doug\u2019s train of thought. He laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt he\u2019s even noticed we left. You know what he\u2019s like. He\u2019s in a world of his own half the time!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh I\u2019m sure he noticed. He\u2019s probably thankful for the quiet,\u201d she joked. Doug grinned.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, you are a real chatterbox, I don\u2019t know how he puts up with it,\u201d he teased, causing Blaise to give him a playful shove.<\/p>\n Both mercenaries were laughing as they climbed the stairs up to the villa and let themselves in. They were greeted by silence, which wasn\u2019t particularly unexpected considering who they expected to find. The fact there wasn\u2019t a mage sitting on the sofa waiting for them was more surprising.<\/p>\n \u201cGratin? You here?\u201d Blaise called. She crossed the room and knocked on a door Doug assumed led to the bedroom Gratin had been using during the past week. There was no answer and Blaise poked her head in to check that the mage wasn\u2019t deep in some meditative trance. She shook her head as she returned to Doug.<\/p>\n \u201cEmpty,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t think his pals found him, do you?\u201d Doug suggested as he examined the room. Blaise swept her gaze across their surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, there\u2019d be some signs of a scuffle,\u201d she began as the front door swung open. Gratin crossed the threshold and froze as he saw his friends waiting for him. The two Lusinians stared back at him, surprised. Gratin cleared his throat.<\/p>\n \u201cYou are back sooner than I anticipated,\u201d the mage said as if this explained his absence. Doug and Blaise exchanged a curious glance before returning their attention onto their friend.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been gone a few hours, where\u2019d you disappear to?\u201d Doug asked.<\/p>\n \u201cOut,\u201d was the reply. Doug took a deep breath as he tried to gather together what little patience he kept in stock.<\/p>\n \u201cOk, where\u2019s out?\u201d he tried again. Gratin considered his answer for a moment, turning to the street for inspiration and grabbing the first idea that came forward.<\/p>\n \u201cA brothel,\u201d he stated flatly, immediately regretting his decision the moment the words left his mouth. There was an extremely awkward silence, which was quickly filled with the inevitable immature sniggering from Doug. Given the deep inky blackness of his skin and the mask, it was difficult to tell if Gratin ever blushed, but Blaise was sure that his face was somehow even darker right now.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright for some!\u201d guffawed Doug, giving the mage a slight poke in the ribs with his elbow and a wink. \u201cSay no more, say no more!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI meant to say \u2018the pub\u2019,\u201d corrected Gratin, annoyed and deadpan as ever.<\/p>\n \u201cSure Archie, I bet it was a very nice pub full of ladies and some very plushly-decorated rooms out back. Comfy bed, was it?\u201d sneered Doug.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, that\u2019s enough Doug,\u201d warned Blaise, stepping into the well-worn role of mediator between the thug and the mage.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, Meatbag,\u201d added Gratin, levelling his face at Doug, \u201cand I hasten to remind you that I have seen your inner most thoughts.\u201d There was an uncharacteristic grin on Gratin\u2019s face that caught Blaise off-guard, as Gratin was normally as stoic and unfeeling as furniture; it was like the wall or the chair had just wished her good day. The smile was lost on Doug, his pride had just been pulled up off its feet by its nipples.<\/p>\n \u201cNow see here old pal,\u201d growled Doug, \u201cthat\u2019s a little fact that I think is best kept between you and me. That\u2019s taking advantage!\u201d Gratin returned his face to its regular wall-like manner.<\/p>\n \u201cI take your point, meat-bag. Besides<\/span>, I never said that this brothel I went to dealt in female pleasures now, did I? <\/span>Your preference in sexual partners however…\u201d<\/p>\n Blaise knew Gratin was playing with Doug now, and she couldn\u2019t help but smirk even without knowing the full context of this particular exchange. Doug was being batted back-and-forth between at least five conflicting emotions, and so his brain was resolving to favour his favourite one: anger.<\/p>\n \u201cAlright Archie, I think we\u2019d better take this outside!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the contrary Doug, I believe we have more pressing business to attend to, and I think it best you take a moment to tidy up. Perhaps even shave?\u201d said Gratin. Doug was hot with anger, he could feel it centralising on his face. Specifically, around his chin. Really hot. So hot that he could almost smell burning. No, he could smell burning. Hot<\/i>.<\/p>\n \u201cOh you complete fucking bastard!<\/em>\u201d he yelled, trying to pat out the small green flames blooming on his beard. He bolted for the bathroom, where the sounds of running water were promptly heard over Blaise\u2019 s laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I won that one without us even needing to step outside,\u201d commented Gratin. Blaise cleared her throat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe beard looked terrible anyway! Seriously though, I wouldn\u2019t ever do that again Gratin.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly, Mistress. Let us hope that Doug never grows a beard again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou absolute fucking-<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n What followed was a string of expletives so impressive that both Blaise and Gratin admitted, to Doug\u2019s credit, that he really did have a special way with words.<\/p>\n \u201c-dog\u2019s arse!\u201d<\/em> finished Doug, just over two and a half minutes later, mid-way through shaving off half a beard with a plastic disposable razor in the bathroom mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cYes. That does summarise me quite well,\u201d said Gratin with a nod, sat two inches above the sofa, meditating.<\/p>\n Harper was the first to approach Doug. She gave him a friendly pat on the back as she drew level with him, the merc straightening up having finished his plundering of Mad Dog\u2019s wallet and valuables. \u201cNice one, mate!\u201d she complimented him as she passed, making her way over to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[75,71,72,32,31,68,33,57,37,92,9,70,73],"class_list":["post-298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-mercenaries-tale","tag-mad-dog-delgado","tag-allan-parkinson","tag-annie-stone","tag-blaise","tag-doug-mccracken","tag-galmanoc","tag-gratin","tag-guns-and-weaponry","tag-jessie-harper","tag-thad-the-gentleman","tag-the-mercs","tag-the-monkeys-jewel","tag-tupper"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Doug's](\"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/MercsTale_Flaming_Beard.png\" "\\"Doug's")
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![\"Doug's](\"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/MercsTale_Flaming_Beard-150x150.png\")
<\/a>