<div align="center"><strong>~ Sasha Dearing, First Officer of the Gamble - On Persephone with Si and Steve, meeting with Ferret in the back room of The Best Little Hot House in Town, playing for keeps ~</strong></div><br/>As a Registered Companion, discretion is more than a job requirement; it’s practically a sacrament. The most egregious transgression a Companion can make in their trade is to betray trust. In this sin, Ferret was fully fallen. The antithesis of what a Companion stands for, Ferret compels respect through fear: blackmail, threats, and intimidation.  Few Companions willingly defy Guild Law, yet Ferret did so with vicious abandon. Her nefarious reputation and unbridled ambition have proven to be a potent fuel, propelling her quickly to the top of the criminal heap on Persephone.<br/><br/>Ferret’s main competitor, Badger, is a fellow criminal with a much less exalted pedigree and much less beautiful packaging. Perhaps no more trustworthy than the decidedly deceitful Ferret, Badger is a criminal who at least fancies himself an honest businessman.  And with Persephone his base of operations, suffice it so say he has been less than pleased with the relative newcomer’s overt poaching in his territory.<br/><br/>Even with her position of seemingly secure power, Ferret’s vulnerabilities were as easy for Sasha to read as if they were inscribed in ink on her skin. A natural ability honed by years of experience, Sasha’s intuitive skills are what enable her to continually wring the ambrosia of success from even the driest of opportunities. And to the casual observer, the current situation was looking especially parched at the moment.<br/><br/>However, Sasha was performing solely for her intended audience of one, not concerned with how anyone else might interpret her words and actions. And simply threatening Ferret that they could take their business elsewhere would have been too gauche a move when dealing with the ex-Companion, a  painless threat the powerful older woman would have easily discounted. However, eloquently delivering a stinging verbal slap to get her message across had certainly roused the ire of the outwardly cool crime boss. Sasha noted with satisfaction Ferret’s deliberately neutral expression and posture, the tension along her body, and smiled wickedly to herself. She had made the older woman<em>feel.</em>Being in such a powerful position, Ferret was surrounded by people who constantly only told her what they thought she wanted to hear; a non-stop litany of placating, appeasing, and continual ass-kissing.  That manner of cowed and insincere following has its heady appeal, perhaps, but after awhile the disingenuous monotony would grow stale, boring.  On the other hand, anger is a passionate emotion, and passionate emotions can be intoxicating sensations. Anger is not the opposite of pleasure - indifference is. Therefore, Sasha was more than happy to elicit and then deal with the older woman’s passionate anger; anger Sasha knew the older woman was feeling, no matter how skillfully Ferret tried to hide it.<br/><br/>As any hunter knows, cornering an animal armed with teeth and claws is a dangerous proposition; the wiser path is to choose a suitable trap and bait it correctly. Of course, depending on the strength and ferocity of the animal you hunt, there is always the chance the chase could end badly. But for Sasha, the thrill of the hunt was where the excitement lay. So when Ferret lashed out with her own cutting barbs in response to being baited, Sasha’s pulse quickened in heady anticipation; she had Ferret<em>exactly</em>where she wanted her.<br/><br/>Choosing to ignore the well-played but irrelevant portions of her opponent’s vicious repartee, Sasha focused on responding only to Ferret’s pertinent remarks.<br/><br/><strong>"Your services are no longer required. I’ll be looking for someone who can display a little more respect. Oh, and be doll for me Sasha; tell Griff he might wanna come see about his work status here on Persephone… soon. You can show yourself out, yes?”</strong><br/><br/>The true art of negotiation is not about manipulating someone to do what you want them to do; instead, it is a carefully orchestrated dance of<em>persuasion</em>. Ferret had attained a level of success and notoriety where she no longer needed to participate in the dance directly, most times choosing to delegate the often tedious exchanges to her most trusted lackeys. But Sasha had thus far never been relegated to negotiate with anyone but Ferret herself; and to one as perceptive as Sasha, that fact was a significant tell. Sasha found herself wondering which aspect Ferret enjoyed more; challenging a formidable opponent, or being challenged by one herself.<br/><br/>Pushing off from the table which she had been leaning against, Sasha stood up straight, slowly smoothing her hands over the lacy fabric of her dress where it covered the sides of her waist and hips. “Boys, me and Ferret’s gonna need a few minutes of girl talk.” Sasha spoke to the men in the room but kept her eyes on Ferret; her tone almost playfully light, her intense blue eyes all business.  Looking directly at Si, Sasha nodded her head to let him know all was well, holding his gaze for a heartbeat. “You mind keeping that Lovely up at the front of the shop company for a spell?”  Swinging her gaze over to the muscle lurking in the shadows, Sasha then pointedly focused her attention back on Ferret, her eyebrows raised as she waited for the older woman to either accept or decline continuing their<em>conversation</em>in private - although in Sasha’s mind her acquiescence was already a foregone conclusion.<br/><br/>After all three men left the room, Sasha leisurely turned to face the older woman, the palm of one hand resting on the table, the other hand at her hip. The room had suddenly narrowed to a more intimate arena now that the two women were alone, and Sasha spoke with a huskily knowing tone. “My beautiful<em>she tou</em>...you and I both know you’ve plenty of grovelers more’n willing to lick the shine onto your boots.  If witless, lily-livered “respect” is what you were truly looking for, I know for a fact you wouldn’t have been looking for me.” Bending at the waist with an almost predatory feline gracefulness, Sasha placed her hands on the arms of the chair on either side of Ferret. The soft swell of her breasts, the subtle spicy jasmine scent lingering on her skin, the silky sweep of her hair; all sensual enticements presented to the older woman as Sasha leaned forward to bring her face within inches of Ferret as she spoke softly, her warm breath a soft caress against the woman’s cheek. “And no way around it,<em>bao bei</em>- you call Griff about a job - you get me. So here I am, just like you planned; no need to play coy with me. I think we both understand each other quite well.”  Sasha’s soft lips whispered an almost-kiss against Ferret’s cheek before she stood back up to her full height.  “So, let’s not waste any more of our time playing games; how’s about you and I get down to it, hmm?”<br/><br/>Slipping her hand inside her jacket carefully to make it clear she wasn’t going for a weapon, Sasha slowly pulled out a piece of paper folded in quarters. “I ain’t never been a Companion, and I probably have about as much care about Guild Law as you do; but one of their laws that I kinda cotton to is the one that says only women can run a Guild House. I kinda like the sound of having the women in charge; the right natural order of things in my book.  So think about it carefully, bao bei; you got a new House now - but there’s still more to be gained if us women stick together, then if we’re at each other’s throats, our bickering giving the men the power without them having to even lift a finger...giving Badger the win.”<br/><br/>Tapping the folded paper gently against her lower lip, Sasha peered at Ferret thoughtfully. “Ain’t no secret you’re not exactly well-loved in certain circles, Ferret. I would say my loyalty might be an attribute could come in handy some day...soon. Strategic allies, after all, are ultimately much more useful than enemies, don’t you agree?  I would hate to see you bie wu long, when such a mutually beneficial opportunity is within easy reach.”<br/><br/>Sasha knew well that the key to successful negotiations is knowing where the fulcrum of power lies; if your opponent has the more favorable position, you must choose your strategy wisely, outwit them by being intimately familiar with their own fears and desires. Sasha knew Ferret operated in a dangerous, seedy underground world dominated by unscrupulous men, where eager usurpers were continually in the wings waiting to take over the throne. It was lonely at the top, particularly for a woman. Nonetheless, Ferret enjoyed her position of Queen Bitch, and Sasha was counting on that fact to carry the day.<br/><br/>“Word is, certain information is getting fed to the Guild, who for some reason are more’n willing to share that information with the Alliance. The names on this paper? Let’s just say I’d suggest you refrain from drinking tea with them any time in the near future.”  Her intense blue eyes capturing Ferret’s gaze, Sasha sensuously puckered her lips and pressed her mouth softly against the folded paper in her hand, the rouge impression left behind a one-dimensional rendering of the soft fullness of her lips.  Handing the paper to Ferret, Sasha smiled a wickedly knowing smile. “A little present from me to you. Or a peace offering. Hell, you can even say I gave it to you out of<em>respect.</em>Now...about that job...”<br/><br/><div align="center"><strong>~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~</strong></div><br/>Charlotte glanced up from reading her magazine as Si and Steve returned to the front of the store. Not appearing surprised to see them, the pretty petite girl canted her head slightly, lifting a delicate hand to her ear as her slender fingers absently toyed with her dangling earring.  “Been put on the bench have you, sports?” She said teasingly with a wry curve of her soft lips. “Or you gentlemen just wanting to keep a girl company?” Her caramel gaze strolled leisurely over both of the men as she continued to unconsciously fidget with her earring, her small smile somehow both shy and flirtatious as she waited to see which man would respond.<br/><br/><br/><em>She tou = Leader of a criminal operation<br/>bao bei = darling<br/>Bie wu long = Make a big mistake</em><br/>