"Mmm. That's unfortunate."
Hiba bobs her head up and down like a boy in the water, quiet for a moment as she considers her options. She's not going to take 'No, goodbye' after all.
"And just how much might that cost me, or us?"
She could pull some strings. Take all that some can offer.
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Kitty's eyebrows raised. That was a tall order. Too tall for her means, probably, but she didn't want to admit that.
“If I had the means to do *that*,” she said, “I wouldn't be here myself. You need serious money for that.”
Kitty Banks
"Wellllll."
Hiba averts her gaze, looking up at the ceiling of the shipping container home that's housing them. How does she word this...
"It's me. I want to be shuffled off this rock, to someplace with, new faces, and such."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Kitty nods, folding her arms, leaning back in her chair. Well worn leather, picked at over the years. It squeaked a little.
“What do you want moved? How big is it?”
Kitty Banks
It's so, so, subtle. The faintest motion of Hiba arching her back away from the seat she's sat on when her name is spoken.
"I heard you, move things, in a sneaky sort of way. And I want something moved."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
She shrugged, she'd been doing this long enough, people knew her.
“I am.”
Hiba. What a pretty name. She says it out loud almost unconsciously just to hear it again.
“What can I do for you?”
Kitty Banks
"𝐇𝐢𝐛𝐚
You're Kitty, right?"
She's got not a weapon on her. A white long sleeve button up, pleated skirt and knee socks. Her thumb taps against her knee as they speak.
"I heard it through the grapevine if you're about to ask where I got that from, by the way."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
“It pays to be cautious in my line of work, that's all. Now what can I do for you, Miss...?”
She hadn't caught a name, though perhaps she'd missed it when she'd been inspecting the stranger for hidden weapons. Yeah, that's what she was doing.
Kitty Banks
"Well, MY place was this club. There's a second story, VIP rooms and stuff, I know the owner. We could have privacy, drinks.."
She leans back, left leg swung up and over her right. Hands come to rest on her knees.
"But you wanted to be here. It's alright."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
She blinks at that. Yeah, her home wasn't much to look at, being half crudely put together office space for business, and half living quarters, the two divided by folding curtains.
“Your place was *nicer*? So you got money?”
Kitty Banks
Hiba trails behind at a pace that never quite puts her alongside Kitty. When she glances back her eyes dart to meet the redhead. As she steps in she onces over the place and remarks.
"My place was nicer, but this will do."
Take a seat she does, making sure to flatten her skirt down with her hands.
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Better. She relaxes a little, but just a little. The redhead seems to be a walking, talking ball of tension at all times. She glances back frequently, but her home, little more than a modified steel shipping container, was close and warm.
“Have a seat.”
She locks the door behind them.
Kitty Banks
Hiba stops. Kitty can't see it, but her expression stiffens somewhat. Before she turns back around and smiles.
"That's fine too. I'll be the one that does the following then, that's fine."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
She hesitates.
“I'd rather do business in *my* office, if it's all the same to you. Unless this place is very close. And public?”
Kitty Banks
Take alllll the time in the world. She lets Kitty look, shifting one leg forward to stretch it out a bit in front of her. Show it off.
"Good. It'll be right up your alley, if what I've heard is true."
Hiba turns sharply, one hand motioning for Kitty to follow.
"Come. I know a place..."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
She sounds genuine, but there were plenty of good liars out there. Kitty narrows her eyes, looking Hiba up and down for some time. Down for especially long.
“You want to talk business? That's different. Fine. Come in. We can get out of the cold.”
Kitty Banks
"I would never! I don't need your money, not by a longshot. Whatever you've got on you is safe. Promise."
Hiba lingers quietly for a moment, bending one leg at the knee to tap the tip of her shoe against the ground.
"Though...I could make use of, other, services of yours?"
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
“Marked by whatever con you're tryna pull. You bat your eyelashes and lead me down some dark alleyway for a one-way purse exchange. I don't think so.”
Kitty Banks
"Mark? Marked by what?"
An eyebrow perks up. Slang she doesn't know, to think that after all this time there's still some she doesn't know.
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Well now she *really* didn't trust her. Pretty girls with money? That's not wavy gravy, lady.
“What is this? I'm nobody's mark.”
Kitty Banks
Kitty is right to be. Who knows what resides behind a smile like Hiba's.
"That's good. Don't worry, I'll cover any losses you would take. It'll all be my treat."
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
She blinked; suspicious of pretty girls.
“Never free when there's money to be made, doll. But for you? I could make an exception.”
Kitty Banks
Must be. Your luck could last all day long too, you free today?
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
I believe it, doll. But seeing a lady through a screen isn't the same as seeing you up close like this, is it? Must be my lucky day.
Kitty Banks
It can be a lot. I like having a lot of eyes on me, it's not for everyone though. I'll take good care of anyone that would follow you online in your place.
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Oh, right. Neat, I guess. I'm what you'd call "offline". Better for business that way, if you catch my drift. The thought of having an online presence of any kind gives me anxiety.
Kitty Banks
I'm a...
Hrm. I'm an internet personality, let's go with that.
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Banks. Call me Kitty. What exactly do you do?
Kitty Banks
There are few women in more power than me. I think we'll get along.
Actually, what's your name?
𝑯𝒊𝒃𝒂
Hey, that's all moonshine with me, doll. We need more women in power.
Kitty Banks
Well, it's not like a nation with borders or laws. It's some slang term people use. I think.
