The girl was utterly oblivious to the armed guards that watched , likely with her in thier sights. The Ethorians just didn't operate like that. Sure sometimes people died, but it was still 'family'. If you were taken out , it was by yr girl during sex, or from your mother poisioning your meal, or a single shot to the heart from your closest companion-nice an quick. The idea of hiding behind a sniper, seemed cowardly , and even otherworldly to the girl who grew up with dead 'uncles' found in the living room at least once a month .<br/><br/>So, Cain walked along side with a confident gate, but worry and uncertinty still gnawed away in her belly . If she or Toshimi was found by the family...it would be a slow painful death. See, death came face to face...but that was only if you were offed in good standing. Killed cause it was business, not personal.  This? If it worked, would be very...very personal. Her actions were certainly going to be enough to get her shunned. She'd be 'Yai'kal lath'= no longer family.<br/>Lesser offenders had their ink blacked out before they were beaten an left to live out the rest of their miserable life with the understanding they never showed their shameful face again in Ethonian space.  Something of this magnitude... Going to an enemy for help? -Going to the Black Dragon-for help? Unsuccessfully killing a mark?   Shit. She'd be lucky if the ink wasn't sliced off her body with a vibroblade by her own grandmother, before she was lynched, or crucified, or given the 'chills' (a process by which old human dialysis technology was repurposed to pump poisons into the system,forcing the body into shock via overloading it, and slowly...slowly dying.Like an overdose, but intentionally drawn out. ).<br/><br/>Cain blinked. This had to work. She had to get help by any means nessicary, and keep both herself and Toshi safe. Her heart caught in her throat as she remembered the first kill order filed on Toshi. She wasn't family. Her coupling was fine when it was just fun, but someone caught wind she had feelings for the alien girl. And no greenblooded Ethonian fell in love. They took. They laid claim. Conquered. Mates were won with bite marks and taken to wedding beds bleeding. You fought to prove your desire, with one of the couple standing strong , and alpha. The other served. Toshi...would never serve. And ..while Cain would have happily served Toshi...it would still put them in danger. Ethonian purebloods didn't serve. Especially not high ranking ones. So the kill order went out, and Cain knew she had to be the one...or it would get,..well..fucked up.<br/><br/>Cain knew it when their coupling had started, but it had been 'just fun' then. She didn't think the banter and weird understanding would lead to much. But it did. She hated herself for not being more careful, for putting her love in danger. Shit. For loving in the first place.<br/><br/>But that was history and all that mattered was fixing a fucked situation. And in this case, the enemy of her enemy might be her friend.  Maggie was real type 'A' after all, but she was well connected. And Cain refused to believe her insistence that she was not 'special' . She was -there- she felt the heat and the tension, for maybe the first time -since- Toshi , she had wanted someone. To hurt and be hurt, to push buttons. And lose or win...deal with the aftermath.<br/><br/>She understood this was a long shot.   It was unlikley a woman like Maggie would trade secrets or protection for sexual favors , but it was worth a shot. The older beauty pushed too many buttons to be a 'cold fish' in the sack. Cain could bet Maggie was into all -kinds- of fucked up shit.  It came with the job. She'd dated women of 'control and substance' before, and it was always a mixed bag : some wanted to be fucked till they didn't feel feelings...others had needs that were....a little more complex. While Cain enjoyed all flavors of hedonisim  , the mere thought of what 'needed' to be done made her stomach lurch.<br/><br/>Until, that is, Maggie hesitated with the door to the elevator.  The porcelain veneers of calm and collected didn't seem so calm and collected when the older woman was about to walk into an enclosed space with a known thug.<br/><br/>She tried to hold back the faint smile when the doors opened, but decided it was time to act.  She wrapped her fingers around Maggie's wrist. She didn't tug so much as whirl her into the elevator, pressing her own lithe, muscled body against the much softer frame.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0059b3">"Bullshit." </span>She smiled, digging deep for the last strands of resolve.<span style="color: #0059b3">"A woman like you doesn't fly by the seat of her pants. You wouldn't live long. I'd put -money- down that you planned -all- of that as a little display of power. Either to give yrself a thrill, or get my  attention. Shit. A woman like -you- doesn't need to slum in a shit hole like that." </span><br/><br/>Cain leaned in close, the scent of whiskey thick on her lips.<span style="color: #0059b3"> "Whatever yr angle, you got my attention. " </span><span style="color: #000000"> She chewed her bottom lip, trying to make her body as large and intimidating as she could.  She'd held the reigns in situations like this, way more than she'd lost control, but she was still fragile. Her brow weak, her eyes held fear. She could be dismantled with a few well placed words, and crumble. She may have been bigger, stronger, and armed, but that didn't matter in a game where Maggie was holding all the cards. She tried to finish strong, still holding Maggie's wrist, and never pushed the elevator button,</span><br/><span style="color: #0059b3">"We should really finish that...<b>conversation</b>...There's no reason we can't both get what we need. Information, or otherwise."<br/>
<br/>
((Checked w/ dreamer ooc before tugging Maggie Into an elevator!))</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>