Cinder leaned her back against the varnished countertop of the bar, plucking a cigarette from a tin case that she kept in her trouser pocket. It wasn't out of habit, it was for the man coming out of the periphery of her vision.
"Well… Hello gorgeous," As if on cue, the man next to her lit up a cigar he had sitting delicately in his mouth, and passed the lighter to Cinder, flame still burning. Smirking, she leaned forward and took a deep inhale.
"Such a gentleman," she commented, smiling darkly, looking the man up and down. He was very well dressed, with a simple white overcoat, slightly stained from smoke, accompanied with black slacks, a bowler hot and a cane he placed against the corner of the bar. It was definitely him.
"My dad always said: if you need to know a city, ask the rats," Mercury commented, following Cinder's path as she paced around the room, Emerald in the corner silently observing the both of them without saying anything.
"Oh? And would you say is the most talented of these rats?" Cinder asked, genuinely curious, stroking her chin pensively.
It barely took Mercury a minute to come up with a name. In his career as an assassin under his father's tutelage, there was one name that stood out between all the other. He quickly flicked through his scroll, finding the name quickly and easily, passing it to Cinder as soon as he did. She quickly turned back to the steel-colored hair boy, who was smirking slightly.
"My dad also said you should fear old men in a position where boys die young,"
"But of course," The man hummed, clicking his lighter shut and turning so his front faced the bar, using his free hand to bring an ashtray between them. Quickly, he looked the shorter woman up and down, liking everything he saw. "Manners are so rare these days, wouldn't you say so?"
"Indeed," Cinder agreed, raising a single eyebrow and stubbing out her almost full cigarette in the ashtray. Mercury failed to mention Roman Torchwick was a flirt, taking not of his travelling eyes. "While I agree that manners cost nothing, that is not what I came here to discuss, Mr Torchwick,"
"Oh! Straight to the point, I can appreciate that," This time, Roman locked his eyes with Cinder. A mark of respect, she thought, at least we're on the same page now. "What is it? You were fairly vague about us wanting to meet,"
"I have a proposition for you," Cinder turned around so she too was facing the bar, closing off their conversation from the public. Meanwhile, the bartender seemed too busy to pay any attention. Cinder felt a bit more comfortable.
"I wouldn't worry about the bartenders here," Roman noted, looking once over Cinder's shoulder, before looking back at her. "And I had my suspicions, the kind that can't be discussed over the phone?"
Cinder nodded once, quickly explaining her offer, hiding what the tall man didn't need to know.
Unfortunately, this made Roman laugh at loud, turning a few heads. Though at first she wasn't surprised – the extent of her mistress' plans were insane. Had it been anyone other than the lady of darkness herself who proposed tackling Remnant's governments, she would've laughed too. However, the extent of Roman's laughter was beginning to wear her patience thin very quickly. At one point, his cigar fell to the floor. Roman, still in tears, went to pick it up before Cinder stubbed it out with her foot. Angered, Roman was about to lash out, but then Cinder removed her foot. Roman noticed then that the small squashed cylinder was completely in flames, a small raging inferno that lasted a second, making Roman's eyes widen.
"How I intend to manage this operation is not your concern, Roman," She growled flatly, reaching into her belt for a thick wad of Lien, making his eyes go further. "Just know you'll be rewarded handsomely for your efforts,"
Roman took the outstretched Lien and counted it. It was remarkably more than he was used to getting paid per his usual jobs. Roman looked back at Cinder, his relaxed attitude suddenly wary and calculating. She had something in her eyes, a look he couldn't quite place that both terrified and enticed him. Was it conviction? Intimidation? Her own mental calculation? If her steely gaze wasn't enough to convince him, the thick cash in his hand was more than enough to tide him over into his final decision.
"There is an associate of mine," Roman said with a tone of finality, reaching into his pocket for a cigar. Drawing the thick cylinder out, he cut one end into the ashtray, placing that end in his mouth. "I wish to bring her with me,"
"I suppose that can be arranged, though it's a matter we may have to discuss in the future," Cinder nodded, smiling, looking the most friendly she had the whole exchange.
"Get in touch with me when you need me," Roman reached for his lighter again, but by the time he wrapped his hand around the thin cuboid of metal, Cinder snapped her fingers and a small flame appeared, burning the cigar quickly. Though he inhaled, Roman remained surprised, his eyes wide as looked at Cinder, again feeling that sense of fear and fascination.
"The pleasure was all mine,"
(Notes: This is another small project of mine. This is more how I imagine Cinder and Roman's first exchange going. Short, sweet, and Cinder very quickly establishing who's boss. Again, this is another idea that really doesn't have enough to develop into a full, multi-chapter story, but it's still something I wanted to share. I hope you guys enjoy it and ADIOS!)