Local Fish Supply

[JarSqwuid]

Silver was never a good thing to wear when trying to stay hidden. Not only did it gleam in even the dimmest of light, it had a horrible tendency to jingle at extremely inconvenient times. It was even more annoying when it was in close proximity to the ear. This was because you could hear the jingling but you couldn't determine exactly how far away the sound was audible. Kind of like chewing something crunchy in a silent room full of people and wondering how many people could hear you chewing.
Garrett normally wouldn't care. He walked around this area of the docks a lot, even at night. They didn't scare him. Not that he was scared now. Just slightly irritated and not wanting to encounter anyone else tonight. Jewelry made that hard since curious people had a bad habit of checking out strange noises at night, despite the fact that it might be dangerous.
"Do ya need help getting this back to yer restaurant?" A deep voice sounded from behind the irritated man. He hadn't been alone, just irked over a deal gone sour.
"Just take it back. I'll prepare it tomorrow when my customers come in." Garrett scratched at his neck for a moment, "Take him back too."
"Right. But ya know the others'll will get word right? They're gonna wonder where 'e is an-"
Garrett was quick to cut his burly partner off, "Yes yes, I know. I know, I know. I'll have a nice surprise for them tomorrow when they come in."
He'd heard it before. it wasn't the first time this had happened, especially with the people he worked with. Eager entrepreneurs wanting to bite off more then they can chew too early on in their careers. They sometimes got a second chance and left with only maimed limbs or something of that nature. Not tonight, however. Garrett was a forgiving man, but not when his family is blatantly insulted in an attempt to get more money out of him.
"Can't let nothin' roll off yer back, ey?"
"No. They must learn their place. If they're going to send amateurs because they want cheap labor then they're going to wind up paying more then they intended in the end." Garrett turned back to his work buddy. A large hairy man whose name had never been revealed, even though they had worked together for years. They both seemed to prefer it that way. Names were not necessary in this business. Garrett liked to call him Bear though.
The large man reached down to replace the wooden lid on the crate they'd been dealing with which was full of rare fish. They weren't endangered, Garrett refused all endangered animal species, they was just really hard to get to and catch.
"Get that one too, I can carry this one." Garrett mumbled as he knelt down to grab the relatively small crate, "Can you carry him as well?"
"Of course I can, who do ya think I am?" Everything about Bear was predictable because he looked exactly how you would expect him to act. A barrel chested man like Bear could most likely carry twice their weight before breaking a sweat. Garrett just liked to amuse him with questions they both knew the answer to because Bear liked to show off.
In fact he'd already heaved the overzealous man over his shoulder and picked up the crates before Garrett had finished this thought.
"Alright, let's head back then."

[wormymcsteam]

It was a lovely feeling, the strong cold wind that blew off the shore of any large body of water. The feeling she grew up with, a feeling she dreaded but loved at the same time.
The wave of sensation was intoxicating.
Mira stood just drinking in the sensation, her tall frame covered by her long coat that made her average build much more imposing.
Her boots made a heavy clunking sound as she walked. She wasn't very coordinated, it was hard to be with being so far away from them she used to remark.
She hasn't made a joke in awhile. Nor has she really said anything memorable lately.
She was working with a chief with allusive tastes. One of the finest around, probably one of the more dangerous business men around as well.
His name was Garrett, and she was watching guard waiting for his return. Apparently he wanted company, which of course she didn't mind giving. He was one of her more favorite people.
Good personality and a sense of morality, a rarity in trades such as these.
Mira stood at the edge of the building facing the sea. Her trench coat unbound and her face clearly visible.
This was an oddity as she usually had it covered up and was wearing circular tinted glasses, then again usually she was sitting in Garrett's shop with the seedier of his customers. Gambling on just about everything.
This week hadn't been good at that so she had been spending a bit of time at other bars and places. Taking up as much time and money as she could.
Of course in her position there wasn't a lot to lose. All the money she owned was either from her calling a bet right, from odd jobs that require her personal skills or from inattentive people...Her favorite kind.
There was a beggar down the street, the only one on this normally busy stretch of land. Empty stalls lined the walls and covered all available space. The man was squeezed in between a fish stall and fresh fruit.
It would have been incredibly depressing to see a man surrounded by food but unable to afford to eat had she not know that man had a small fortune in collected change gathered from unaware shoppers.
He snored lightly, a weak smile on his face although he must have been cold through the many holes in his mud stained coat.
Mira's mind had been drifting she had been standing there idly by for quiet some time. She hoped Garrett would be back soon, it'd be nice to talk normally for once.

[JarSqwuid]

Garrett practically glided across the ground on swift legs. Despite the extra weight he seemed to be doing okay and keeping a quick pace across the docks. It was nearing morning and he needed to get back to the restaurant to prepare the fish, among other things.
Bear was keeping up well, though his steps were heavy and loud.
His hands tightened around the wood on the crate as he turned a corner around one of the decks supporting beams onto the outcropping that led to the back of his shop. Mira's small and recognizable wrapped up figure was clearly visible in the dark as he neared.
"Hey there, we've got the shipment." Garrett spoke quickly before turning again to push open the door to the back entrance of his restaurant with his back, "Nice to see you again, could we get some help, please?"
Garrett nodded his head towards Bear who still had the man thrown over his shoulder, "Need to get him prepared for our company that will be coming later today. I'm thinking make him the appetizer, so they can get a taste of what is to come later if they send someone else like him. Do you agree?"
This he said as he entered his store and placed the crate down next to the door. he reached out, all to familiar with this routine, and plucked a candle from a rickety old shelf next to the door, lighting it shortly after with a match struck across his teeth.
"Bear, set him down, make sure he's taken care of before we get to work."
Bear grunted, knowing exactly what he meant. Because soon after he'd set the unconscious man down there was a sudden crack in the soft candle light.
Despite all of his morals and beliefs, Garrett was the one to take care of the most gruesome part of this job. It was in part a moral thing for him to do, at least in his mind. His choices in life were not the responsibility of others. No one did his dirty work for him unless he was incapable of doing it quickly and painlessly himself.
This he thought as he took care of the body and started preparing it for his early morning customers, which he knew would wind up being the higher ups in the business he was currently dealing with.
Taking a bite just for himself as he waited for Mira to enter. She was so helpful, and he loved to talk to her.

[wormymcsteam]

Mira walked into the back of the store, she looked at the unconscious body on the floor.
Her gaze was cold, and lifeless. Almost mockingly similar as the man on the ground.
The man had deserved what was coming to him, those who worked in trades like his always had this danger lurking over their heads and if they weren't man enough to face them even in the bitter end then it was their own fault.
She undid her trench coat and gracefully let it fall to the recently cleaned floor. She took one of the barrels of what she assumed was fish from the smell.
She had missed that smell from her childhood it brought back such vivid memories of the sea.
She didn't say much to the short barely man. While Garrett choice to give him a false name Mira thought it unnecessary. The two had a mutual don't ask don't tell attitude towards each other and had probably said no more then three whole sentences to each other in the entire time they had known each other.
Garrett as earlier stated was one of Mira's favorite people. She had quiet a deal of respect for the man and felt that he would protect her just as she would him.
Not that she had the ties to protect him politically, nor the personal closeness to protect him from a personal attack at home or something. But if there ever where a bar fight...
The thought obviously amused her as she gave a slight smile, her tall graceless body leaning lazily against Garrett's work station.
She didn't mind dirty work, she had grown up seeing these kind of things. And she didn't feel any empathy for people like herself.
They provided nothing to anyone, and only suited to watch their own backs. So it didn't matter if a few died off, it's not like they would hurt anyone by suddenly disappearing.
The candle light was very dramatic but she always liked it.
"What'd this guy do to deserve something like this?"
She joked, knowing she'd prefer not to know the answer.

[JarSqwuid]

"What they always do." He muttered as he took the razor edge of his kitchen knife to the man's arm, "Drink before they come talk to me. Insult my family. Threaten me. The usual. I tolerated it up to the point where he said he'd kill me. I don't tolerate ignorance well, you know that already though."
Garrett paused to chew on his own lip for a moment, "Anyways."
"I'll be off now, you two have fun." Bear walked himself out without a reply from Garrett.
"You didn't miss me too terribly right? And no one tried to get in?" He gave Mira a kind smile as he continued his work, making the meat thinner and thinner with quick slices from his blade.
The sun began to peek over the horizon, reflecting light into the small room through a tiny window. Still not enough light to put out the candle...
Mira never seemed bothered by these questions even though he asked them just about every time he saw her after being away for a while. Usually he got the same answer, but there was the occasional thief or petty criminal she would tell him about.
Their life was somewhat routine but he tried to keep it interesting. He enjoyed Mira's company, after all. He didn't want to bore her.
"I appreciate you staying behind. I'll take you with me next time I go out, okay? You can help me out."


(Blech short. )

[wormymcsteam]

Mira turned slightly to look at the meat, bits of blood where spattering on her side. Tiny specks that screamed to end her freedom should they be seen.
Their voices fall on deaf ears.
Mira weakly grinned at Garrett, at least he was trying. The routine was getting old but she didn't mind some stability.
A smirk crossed her face as he asked the first obvious question.
"You know that hobo that sits between the fish and the fruit stands?.."
A brief silence exposing Garrett's recognition, she knew him to well to wait for the answer, it was obvious.
"He's still there. He must be making a fortune huh...but other then that it's been pretty quiet."
She was smiling serenely up at the darkened ceiling. Any mold or mildew or stains where invisible although she doubted they would be Garrett is too professional for that.
The light pouring through the window was nice, now Mira didn't need to squint to see her surroundings. It was being to hurt her eyes.
"I'd like that a lot actually. I've always wanted to see a professional at work."
Mira herself could never view herself as one of the greats or even someone above the average group of dirt bags and miscreants who flowed through the underbelly of this and any other town.
Well at least not yet, herself and Garrett had a common interest. This was discovered quiet sometime ago when they first met.
She tried robbing him, that didn't work out to well. Things where discussed and Mira weaseled herself out of it as usual but not without some hard labor.
That had been paid off quite sometime ago yet she still came back everyday.
Spending as much time bothering him as she could.
She didn't know why she was drawn to him, she didn't understand why she respected him.
But she did so why fight it right?
"It's a nice day outside...We should go for a walk after you're done working..."
Idle chit-chat, she was trying to calm her nerves. Hoping Garrett wasn't going over his head.
"You sure you can take these guys. 'Cuz you know, you don't want to be having a girl protecting you from the big scary men."
She stuck her tongue out playfully at him waiting for his responce.

[JarSqwuid]

Garrett chuckled lightly at his young friend's comment.
"You're sweet, being so concerned with my well being like that." He stopped his work for a moment and placed his hands flat on the table to lean forward a bit, "Don't worry your silly head. These gentlemen are stronger then I am, without a doubt. However, despite being brutes these men are not stereotypically stupid. They may make decisions that make us question their intelligence. But they are far from incompetent."
He prodded the smooth wooden handle of his blade with his thumbnail while he looked over at Mira, "They will not attack me in public. They might get angry enough to send lackeys after me when our meeting is finished, but they will not attack me directly."
A broad, calm smile spread across his face. The kind of smile that relaxed those around him while at the same time letting them know he was excited about something. In this case, a bit of moving upwards in his career.
He wondered if this thought crossed Mira's mind at all. He knew it probably had. If they removed a few of those higher up on the scale than the both of them of course would move up. This would get them closer and closer to a much more impressive position in the ranks of the business they dealt with.
"I know I got us both into a bit of trouble back there." He reached to grip the handle of the blade once again, "I'm sorry for that. Especially if it worries you. But it will be taken care of."
Garrett separated more meat from the bone of the unlucky man, planning out what he'd make for his guests. He also listened intently for the bell on the door to ring when they opened it. They had a bad habit of coming in without waiting for him to put the sign out.

[wormymcsteam]

Mira stood silently taking in the scene. Listening to Garrett talking with a calm interest but still her eyes wandered as they always did.
She looked at the man absent minded, she was nervous. These where the higher ups, lords of the underground.
That nervousness wasn't shown on her calm face, just a smile.
This morning could mean a lot for both of them. Raising in the ranks, she wanted a new ship. Oh how she missed sailing the ocean even this lake...Such freedom.
A rough wave, consuming the series of wooden planks. Salt water splashing on the face of the young girl. Something stirring just beneath her. The wooden raft was swaying another rough wave consumed the raft...
Day dreaming again, she liked back at Garrett, he was smiling. She of course had heard what he was talking about, she wasn't afraid of them or their goons.
She wasn't afraid of much, although she probably should be.
"Don't worry about it, I trust you."
A brief silence as she continued to cut into the meat. She began joking again to ease the tension as they waited for the customers to arrive.
"The only thing I'll miss is the gambling. So how long do you think till he's ready?"
Her smile stayed strong as she looked right at Garrett.
"'Cuz They'll be here any second."

[JarSqwuid]

(Sorry for taking so long Wormy =O )


"Day dreaming again, girl?" Garrett watched Mira's eyes glaze over as he spoke to her. She did that on occasion. He knew what she was thinking too, he got that same look when he dreamed about his own ship.
Garrett smiled that smile again, "In just a few moments. I'll finish prepping this and then we tenderize it. We'll make a lovely 'steak' tartar for our friends."
He worked quickly now with Mira's reminder that they'd be there any second. He'd built up a good pile of fresh meat though after stripping the man's arm, "This was a wonderful selection. If only he hadn't drank before he got here. Though the alcohol in the blood might make for an interesting flavor and after effect."
He reached for the towel that hung on the corner of the prep table he was working at and began to wipe the blood from his hands with the rough cloth. When his hands were clean, he raised the towel up to Mira's face and dabbed some of the blood away.
"Sorry about that, I didn't have time to drain the poor man." He noticed a spot of blood still on his arm as he spoke and licked it up.
Then he heard a small jingle. Someone had entered the restaurant. Then another, and another...
What sounded like seven people entered.
Garrett chuckled under his breath. He removed his coat and laid it across the shelf that the candle had been resting on so that he could put on his apron.
"You might want to stand clear," He said with a wry grin as he walked back to the table. Snagging his tenderizing hammer off the counter on the way over. As soon as Mira was clear of the table, he pulled a cut of meat from the pile that they'd built and landed just a few pulverizing blows before it was tender enough to use. With every slam of the jagged hammer blood sprayed in all directions. This frustrated him slightly as he'd have a lot to clean up later.
He moved quickly so as not to keep their guests waiting. Quickly finishing his work before going over to where his sink was and pulling several plates out. Seven people, seven plates, seven well arranged meals.
He was quite proud of his work when he was finished. He'd taken some onion and capers that he'd prepped earlier that night and arranged them on top of each little mound of freshly prepared meat, also known as his guest's previous employee.
After quickly wiping himself down with the towel, removing his apron and putting his coat back on he hurriedly started piling the plates onto his arms. Four of them were arranged nicely on his left arm while his right just held one.
"Would you mind helping me carry the other two plates out?" He looked over to Mira and nodded, leaving the room before he'd gotten a reply.
His dining room was fairly large. Wooden floors and walls, simple and clean. Decorated with treasures he'd found roaming the shores of the lake during one of his long walks. Filled with large, lavishly decorated tables. Each had been hand carved by a local artist who Garret had commissioned. At one of these tables sat seven men.
"Welcome, gentlemen." He presented himself with a generous smile and placed each plate in front of the men while he walked around the table. He waited for Mira to bring the other two plates to the two he purposefully forced to wait for their food. These two were the most important of the seven that were there now.
They were the heads of their organization. Which wasn't at all obvious, as they were the most poorly dressed. They wore simple clothes and were not as intricately decorated as the others. However, both of them had clean, strong faces. Faces that gave away who they really were...
New. They were new and Garrett had never seen them before.
"My helper will be out in a moment with your portions." He moved around to the empty end of the table and bowed his head slightly, "Please enjoy your meal."
"We've not heard good things, Garrett." One of the new men spoke, placing his hands in his lap.
"I apologize, but might I ask your names before we begin our meeting?" Garrett asked politely as he watched all of the men carefully. Though it didn't show, he was on edge. These newcomers were much cleaner then the brutes he'd had to deal with. They were also quiet. Garrett hated that. People who talked a lot usually couldn't fight as well as those who kept their mouth shut.
"My name is Hadrian. My partner's name is Olcelot." He motioned towards the other man, "We will be the ones you speak with from now on."
"And what happened to Garth and Clark?" Garrett kept a polite tone, but was slightly antagonistic when he spoke.
"They resigned." Hadrian crossed his arms across his chest while the others began to poke at and taste the food he'd placed in front of them.
"Resigned with some assistance I imagine?"
"Of course." Hadrian smiled. It was a crooked smile that just about threw Garrett off guard.
"Are you here for business or a fight? I can only offer one to you. So please choose." Garrett scratched his neck and made sure Mira was clear, he wouldn't let hr approach to place the plates down for the men.
"Business. We're not interested in hurting one of our best customers. However, you seem to have a bad habit of hurting the ones we hire. We just received word that our newest employee was taken into this very restaurant unconscious. We'd like him returned to us." Hadrian spoke coolly, not an ounce of malice or warning in his voice.
"Word travels fast." Garrett frowned, faster then normal, and with more accuracy. He could usually count on twisting his story based on the lack of information from those who monitored his deals from afar.
"Indeed it does. Might we see our employee, now?" Hadrian's gaze met Garrett's and locked itself there. His eyes burning holes into Garrett's.
"I would, but your men are too busy eating him friend." Several of the men choked and coughed, spitting up what they had in their mouths when they heard Garrett's words. A couple stood up and began to angrily draw weapons.
Garrett didn't flinch and waited for Hadrian and Olcelot to wave them down, which they did.
"I see. Well, since our business if finished as all I wanted was for my man to be returned, we will leave." Hadrian stood smoothly. Scooting his chair out of the way neatly behind him. The others followed suit, some wiping the mouths with their arms and shaking their heads.
"I must warn you though Garrett. You might be our best customer, but if we continue to lose our employees you may just be removed from our 'nice' list." With this he turned and began to leave.
"Then make sure those you hire are a little more polite. Like yourself." Garrett stared daggers into the back of Hadrian's head as he left with a wave.
Garrett moved across the room to the window. The group was heading past the homeless man who popped an eye open at the sound of footsteps.
That eye didn't stay open for long, and Garrett visibly flinched. Watching the old man's limp body topple backwards and scatter the fruit he had been next to across the docks.
This was the first time in a long time Garrett had been visibly uncomfortable. These new men, Hadrian and Olcelot were bad, bad news.
"Mira, help me get these plates to the kitchen. We need to clean up for our customers. They'll be arriving soon."

[wormymcsteam]

(It's no problem ^^)
Mira stood back as the blood splattered, she was quiet now.
in a few swift steps she cleared the entire spance of the room, her long arm reaching down to pick up her jacket that at the time lay neatly on the floor.
A ring like she predicted, they where inside.
Mira turned outside the kitchen to look at the group, she never spoke or interacted with Garrett while he was cooking.
There was some new people in the group however...They wheren't as elegantly dressed but it seemed obvious, simply because of their mannerisiums. They way they walked, the way they seemed to gather the groups respect. They probably did something quite violent to get that respect as well.
She didn't feel like gambling with them, they didn't seem in the mood.
Mira walked back into the kitchen and waited patiently for Garrett to finish. It didn't take long for him to be done as well.
Mira quietly followed Garrett, she wasn't good with transactions...with buisness such as this.
She did however do what she did best, she stared down the men one by one. Her eyes boring into the backs of their heads.
They thought they where so tough...So superior to her. She hated them.
The group sat in an akward calm almost as if they where except something to go wrong today. They where all prepared...Ready for a fight.
Well so was she, her fingers twitching with excitement, like a spider ready to jump from it's hiding space inbetween the layers of fabric of her trenchcoat. Flashing backwards to capture it's razor sharp teeth.
The so called "teeth" lay crossed across the small of her back curved like crescent moons.
But still they where seathed waiting for the first move to be made.
Mira walked quietly looking at the group with a fiendish smile, her usual slumsy graceless trot now an elegant strut waiting for the punchline...
It never came. The men seemed angry, and as they jumped grabbing their weapons smoothly and methodically Mira grabbed hers.
Her hands moving without sound from her pockets to behind her back.
But they wheren't paying attention to her, their enemy was Garrett.
This sudden outburst was quickly put to rest by the two superiors Hadrian and Olcelot.
As fast as it began, this sudden storm faded into the distance giving only a vague threat...Vague but quiet real.
There was a short silence, this Mira wouldn't stand for. She took the dishes back to the kitchen and began cleaning the blood but as soon as Garrett joined her in the back room she spoke.
"So what now Garrett...What are we going to do?"
Her voicing ringing in a mocking tone, she was cleaning a rag from parts of the blood.
She had cleaned a small section but she wasn't very good mostly just smeering it until it appeared gone.

[JarSqwuid]

"What we always do." Garrett shook off his worry and composed himself as he entered, "We're going to run a restaurant and make deals with these men."
He walked over and placed a comforting hand on Mira's shoulder, "Don't worry yourself. We'll handle this like we handle everything else. It's not the first time we've been in a bind after all."
Garrett pulled the rag from Mira's hand gently. He placed it on the table and reached down beside her, snagging the shirt collar of their victim. He dragged the body outside and dumped it in the lake behind his restaurant. No emotion on his face at all at this point. His blank stare reached into the distance beyond everything around him as he thought of what to do next.
The first thing that came to mind was to just go about like nothing had happened for now. He might spread some word later, seeing as their other clients will most likely never deal with these men directly. Bear would have to know, for sure.
Garrett sighed. Routine, that's what he liked. These events were demolishing any illusion of routine he had.
He was inside now, kind of running on autopilot. Wiping down the counters and tables with the rag he'd taken from Mira. So deep in thought now, trying to decide what would be better to do about Hadrian and Ocelot.
"Maybe it would just be better if we waited to see their next move. I imagine I know what it will be, though." A challenge most likely, for both him and Mira. They would probably find the drunkest man they could and send him out to do Garrett's deals. They seemed to be waiting for an excuse to make an example of Garrett.
"Our customers will be arriving soon. You can go and mingle if you'd like, Mira."