"As a verified member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad you hereby comply with all designated rules and regulations stated in the material below. If so, please print your name here, codename here, and signature on this line." Every year on the so-called anniversary of when Bill first 'created' the DiVAS it was mandatory that all members had to sit through two long grueling hours of going back over their contracts. This entailed; signing a shit load of lines with a little black x, reviewing old rules and sometimes a few added new ones, establishing salary, and other details that didn't group in the category of fun.
It was that time of year, the 'official' date in which the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad came to be. Usually Bill met with two Vipers at a time but this year he had help. Sofie Fatale proved to be a worthy protégé when it came to the legal-issues of the organization, which could have been one of the many reasons he hired her. Each Viper came in and met with either Bill or Sofie at a designated time throughout the day. It was two o'clock in the afternoon and Bill was meeting with Elle in the business room while Beatrix sat with Sofie in the living room.
There was a shit load of documents spread out on the oak wood table top and two chairs opposite one another. Beatrix was sitting up straight with a ball point pen in-between her fingers, her other arm folded on the table top. Blue eyes were performing a quick skim through of what was just vocalized to her. She was trying to be somewhat professional about it even though it was almost the same thing each year. She knew what it said. She idly brought the pen down in authentic and not the neatest penmanship in the world she signed on the lines. She slipped the paper back in Sofie's direction, her expression docile.
"Very good," Sofie stated in an all out professional tone, she was taking this very seriously. Like a real life lawyer, it was kinda funny. She shuffled the papers on the table, all in neat stacks, and reviewed another large context of documents in front of her. "Now Miss. Kiddo you are aware that due to no circumstances are you allowed to neither break this contract nor question it. If for any desired reason you choose to, as strategically quoted, 'You better have a damn good fucking reason for it.'" She cleared her throat and handed Beatrix the document to sign, again.
"Next;" Another stack of papers placed out. Beatrix's lips twitched in a noticeable point of annoyance. Sofie didn't notice nor did she care and continued, "Bill has printed that you are still withdrawn from your designated salary for another two months. When that time has concluded you will be set back to your starting salary and will in time work back up to where you left..."
"What?" Perhaps one of the few words Beatrix said throughout the whole forty minutes she had been sitting there. "He's not putting me back on the salary he took off?" Her tone hinted at a rising anger. "It's taken me a good year to work up to that amount..."
"Beatrix," Sofie interrupted in a bluntly serious tone. "There is a sticky note here." She poked it off from the document and read aloud; "Please tell, Kiddo that she should know better then to question my tactics and that no....personal...issues will conflict with business." She set the sticky note back down, her eyes half lidded on the tall blonde. "Sign on the line."
Beatrix's blue eyes flashed and she roughly snatched the pen back up and scribbled her name down. She pushed the paper back at Sofie. At that moment a familiar and hellishly annoying cell phone ring tone echoed in the room. Sofie held up a finger and flipped out her cell phone. "Hello? Yes..." She began to rise from her seat and gave Beatrix a fleeting glance as she muttered, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Take a break." She then shuffled into the hallway to continue her conversation.
"Now...Miss Driver......," a long pause, "Elle!!"
Elle's drooping head snapped up, "Uh...sorry Bill...." She looked completely bored out of her skull...very likely she'd just nodded off. Bill frowned, giving her a glare before going back to the large spread of papers sitting on the table between the two of them. In an attempt to make this whole affair more "business-like", he was currently wearing a suit that even would make good old Bob proud in its quality. Elle on the other hand, was highly lacking in the business attire department at the moment. Her loudly colored button up shirt was conveniently unbuttoned on the top; her pants were tight Capri's...on her feet; stiletto heeled sandals.
"As I was saying...." Bill started again with an annoyed raise of an eyebrow, "Going over your business expense sheet." He pushed the piece of paper to her side of the table, "I have highlighted some questionable items that you've apparently written off as business expenses on this years tax forms."
Elle looked over the piece of paper with a flippant look, "Yeah....so...looks legit to me."
Bill leaned forward, "A '78 Trans Am is not a business expense Elle, neither is a Whirlpool bathtub."
Elle folded her arms, "I needed the car to get me to assignments and the tub to recover from such said assignments."
"And the baby Kimono Dragon you ordered from a private breeder in Brazil?"
"She's "
Bill looked unimpressed. "Not a business expense.....like all of that shit I've highlighted." He went back to his own ledger; pen in hand, "This is all going to be deducted from your upcoming salary." He wrote a few figures in the legers many columns.
"Fuck!" Elle hissed, "That's real shitty of you Bill."
"Welcome to the real world Elle," Bill replied, eyes still on his own work, "It's me who ends up paying for your expenses. I have to gain that loss back somehow and your salary is the best way to do it."
Elle stood up, lips pursed out, "Fine.....I don't need it anyways."
Bill looked up, "Do you want me to cut your entire salary then? That could be arranged."
"No...." Elle's eye widened sarcastically, she spun on her heel, "I'm going to get a drink.......it's the only thing that's going to get me through this torture." Bill smirked and went back to his paperwork. He could find something sadistic in nearly everything...even droll legal issues.
It seemed both blondes had similar ideas on what would get them through the long day. Beatrix already had a crystal glass filled with crushed ice on the counter top. As Elle approached the bar area she could see Beatrix clad in a pair of blue jeans, black round neck t-shirt, a zip-up hoodie tied around her waist, and a pair of neon yellow sandals. Locks of blonde hair were layered like a veil against the sides of her face as head tipped down to view the liquor contents in the bottom cabinet. She heard Elle's distinct foot steps but didn't bother to look up. She snatched a bottle of vodka from the cabinet and came back to her full height. Blue eyes couldn't help but take a glance at Elle. She looked just as irritated as Beatrix was. She set the vodka on the counter with a dramatic thud. "Want one?" She questioned in a casual tone.
Elle sauntered up to the other blonde causally, she seemed too irritated and tired to care that the blonde happened to be Beatrix. "I'll take two...." she said in a crackly voice. After a moment, she sat down on one of the stools. She plopped her elbows on the countertop, resting her face in her hands. "I think I'd rather be meeting with that French bitch than Bill...." she mumbled into her hands. "He's being a fucking asshole." She looked up, "Like....why can't I use his money to buy a Kimono Dragon baby? It's not like I don't work my ass off for his goddamn organization every day of my life....augh...." she went back to covering her face.
When Beatrix set down two glasses of vodka in front of her, Elle reached out and drowned one in a single long gulp. "I hate this shit.....it gives me a headache," it was hard to tell if she was referring to the vodka itself or the whole....legal issues day. She didn't seem to mind that it was Beatrix that she was currently conversing with. But, with Elle...that could change any moment.
Beatrix stood behind the counter with the glass of vodka in hand. She had an arched brow at Elle's mumble about a Kimono Dragon but she wasn't going to even ask. Unlike Elle, Beatrix used her money more or less wisely. She wasn't brought up to be a spoiled brat and so that trait didn't come off in her adult years. Thus, she didn't need a ton of expensive shit to get by in life. "Sofie's no better then Bill," she stated dryly. That wasn't saying much to compare the two but they dealt with legal issues in a similar fashion. She downed half of her drink in another quick gulp. "But, for the moment, I'm glad I'm stuck with her. You have my sympathies." A coy smirk was hidden behind the raised glass.
"Yeah.....bahh..." Elle waved a disregarding hand. Of course, deep down, Elle was much happier she was stuck with Bill, but she wouldn't say that. "I'll manage," she picked up her other glass of vodka. "I think I'd be more likely to kick that bitch's ass than Bill's..."
As if on cue, Bill came strolling up the hallway, "Christ Elle! Let's not take all day here...there's still a hell of a lot more to go through...." his gaze slid to Beatrix and he gave her an affectionate smirk before returning his glare back to Elle, "Come on....you can take the drink back in." He placed a hand on the small of her back as if to literally push her back down the hallway. Elle cast a glance at Beatrix and then with her head slightly bent she trudged back into the meeting room. Bill, despite the quick glance at Beatrix, was all business. Doing all of this shit took a good amount of concentration and he needed to make sure he was not distracted, even the slightest bit. "I found a rather....questionable bunch of receipts with your stuff......" he began, back on Elle's case. His voice faded away as he shut the door behind them.
"Beatrix?"
The tall blonde blinked away from the closed door down the hallway and turned to look at the French/Japanese woman that had returned to the table. "Are you ready?" She questioned with a slight bit of irritability in her tone.
"No."
"Pardon?"
"Yes," Beatrix said louder and she finished off her vodka before rejoining Sofie against her will.
It was drawing near to the end of the piles of paper that had to be reviewed and signed. Beatrix was busying herself by fiddling with her pen as Sofie was reading off the finer print. "Sign there and we're almost through."
"Thank god," Beatrix muttered. They had gone past the usual two hours it took to do all of this shit. It was only because Sofie insisted going over the fine, fine print on some of the less important documents. Beatrix was tempted to rip her fucking arm off but restrained herself with a great deal of self control. Sofie took back the sheet of paper and put it in the pile. She held a pleased smile on her face. "All done. Now," she fixed Beatrix with a hard look. "That wasn't all that bad, was it?"
Beatrix was slouched back in her chair, hands stretched out on the arms of the chair. Her pretty blonde head canted to the side. "I don't know. Is being thrust through the gut with a metal rod all that bad?"
Sofie scrunched up her nose in disgust. She rose from her seat and began to stack up the signed documents. "I'll go," she began flatly, disregarding Beatrix's earlier comment. "We're finished." With a few of the papers in hand she hustled down the hall way. When she came into the office she found that Elle had gone and Vernita was now in her place. She gave the woman a respectable smile and settled the papers on an empty place on Bill's desk. She leaned over to him. "Beatrix is done. I'll have everything filed by tomorrow morning."
"Excellent work. Thank you Sophie," Bill replied with a genial smile to his protégée lawyer. "Ah..., wait," he placed a hand on her forearm as she turned to leave. "I have a couple questions for you....."
Vernita was watching from her chair on the other side of the table with her arms crossed. She was frowning and had the beginnings of an impatient and tortured expression on her face. She'd only been at this for an hour....she had sometime to go. It wouldn't be long until she was just as exasperated as Elle and Beatrix had been.
Bill splayed a few sheets of paper on the desk in front of Sophie, "Now....does Vernita need to sign both of these? This one was from last year's reports.....this," he picked up another, "I'm not sure what the fuck it is...." He furrowed his brow, sifting through some other papers, "And.....does this need to be filed or can I toss it?" Vernita stifled a yawn with a hand. God, how could Bill and Sophie stand to do this sort of shit was beyond her. Just give her a good knife and a gut to stick it in and she was happy. But this.....was just flat out boring.
"Oh...and this one," Bill picked up a carbon copy sheet, "I don't think Vernita needs to be concerned with this one....but I just wanted to make sure." He gave Sophie a calm but pleading look. He had some idea what he was doing, but Sophie was the real expert on this sort of thing.....thus why he was so thankful to have her around. "Help me my dear....." he pleaded with a half smile. Vernita tried not to roll her eyes and instead decided to stare out the nearby window.
Sofie was more then willing to help her boss. She could be very loyal and especially with her best friend, O-Ren's interest involved she wasn't about to let down either of them. The woman stood behind the desk and beside Bill as she began shuffling through the papers he had questioned. She held a pleased smile on her face. It was as if the woman thrived to be asked these types of things. "This one I was concerned about," she took the sheet of paper and placed it to the side. "And this, I'd have her sign as a repercussion." She glanced to Bill. "As I was told by a mentor of mine, when documents are involved its best to get it signed then not signed at all." She turned back and shuffled numerous papers into a designated pile. "These aren't of a great importance but it doesn't hurt..." She went on like this for a good ten minutes until she stood back up straight instead of leaning over the desk. "There, I do believe that covers it. Can I be of assistance with anything else?"
Bill watched Sophie sort and explain all of this with a look of genuine thankfulness and interest. Vernita on the other hand looked like she was going to go insane. This was fucking torture! And Sophie's prissy, oh-so-ready to please attitude just made it all the worse. And that goddamn cell phone.... Vernita swore if it rang in front of her one more time...she was going to take it and shove it up Sophie's ass. Bill looked very contented with Sophie's "work", "My god Sophie...what would I do without you?" He smiled, pulling her dainty face down for a big kiss on the cheek. Vernita nearly gagged. What Bill saw in this Sophie woman was beyond her. Sure, she was good with paperwork and shit....but she wasn't even nearly as charming as Bill acted like she was. Bill straightened up the piles she's already just straightened up. "I think that's all I needed Sophie....if I have any other questions I'll be sure to call you." Sophie continued to look pleased with herself. Vernita smirked....this woman loved getting phone calls.....no doubt she just hoping Bill would call with some boring legal issue to go over.
"Thank you again my dear." Bill said, again the proud twinkle in his eye.
Verntia shifted in her chair uncomfortably and Bill caught on. "Ok...now that Sophie has sorted that out...we can get back down to business Vernita."
"Oh joy...." Vernita retorted dryly.
Seeing that it was the anniversary of the 'creation' of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad it was only proper for a celebration to occur. It was a big feat to keep an organization that killed people running so successfully. The squad itself was about twelve years old but it took a good twenty years before the organization was up to top notch and running efficiently. Usually this celebration was held at Bill's or another area that was strictly Vipers only but this year that could become complicated. So, Bill gave everyone directions to a small Mexican border town where a supposed 'good friend' lived. Surprisingly everyone came in separate cars, even Beatrix. Bill had given out directions when everyone left after their legal issues were discussed. These directions entailed; directions to this good friend's abode as well as something on the back which stated; if any of them misbehaved it would not be a pleasant evening. It was a logical solution to their 'celebrating' dilemma. As long as the Vipers were in strange company it was more likely they'd behave around them. This wasn't a fact but it was a greater possibility then if they were alone.
This abode belonged to a man named Peter. He was a longtime client and sometime friend of Bill's. Bill could trust him and he was very low key...which was what the Viper's needed right now...in Bill's mind. Peter was rich, like all of Bill's clients, but he didn't flaunt it to the extreme such as Raul and Vincent did. His house was very similar to Bill's. The stylings were noticeably different, but the size and cultural influence was very close. There was large circular driveway that was lined with a variety of plants. The colors and angles of the house were all soft and high in tone.
A number of cars where already parked out front...most of them either very nice or very eccentric. They were obviously cars of people who had money. There was the sound of music coming out from the open front door. The atmosphere seemed casual. The afternoon was setting behind the house and the air was warm and still. It seemed a perfect night for a little get together. There was no snotty valet when each of the Viper's pulled up. They simply had to ascend the few marble stairs and through the open door to get in. Bill had arrived early and was mingling around cheerfully. There was about fifteen or so people floating around that were not members of the Deadly Viper Association Squad. They all certainly seemed to be well off, but most were wearing jeans and more casual attire. The inside decor of the house was in a very similar fashion to the outside. A strong Southwest influence was everywhere, even more so than in Bill's place. Everything was tiled in adobe, painted in tans, creams or light turquoises. It was very stylish, but again...still causal. American Indian artwork hung on the walls, ranging from paintings, to arrowheads, to masks, spears, garments, beadwork and musical instruments. There was an upstairs as well as a basement leading off from the main floor. In the back there was a small sized pool and a hot tub surrounded by a good sized garden area that was littered with lawn chairs and tables. Food was everywhere. It appeared some people had brought their own, besides what was being offered. Thus, there was a large variety to eat and drink.
Bill was standing in the living room talking with Peter. Peter was a man of medium height and build. He appeared to be in his early 40's...but had a very young face. His hair was tied back and went down to the small of his back. It was dark, almost black, but streaks of grey were prominent around his forehead and temples. He had a very genial and almost kind face and large brown eyes. He was wearing tennis shoes, jeans and a tucked in t-shirt with a metal Native American belt. By the way he and Bill were talking it was obvious they had known one another for quite sometime. Vernita had arrived sometime after Bill and Elle shortly after her. Both of them mingled around aimlessly amongst strangers who all seemed to know them, by giving them friendly waves and smiles. Both women were at a loss on that one and finally met up to talk to each other on the back patio. So far, Bill's tactics for the making of a pleasant evening were working.
Not far into the beginnings of the party Budd arrived and just after he parked his car Beatrix pulled in. Budd was wearing typical attire of jeans, white t-shirt, an open button-up t-shirt of a Hawaiian style with blues and greens, and a pair of sneakers. "Hey Bea," he greeted in an all out friendly tone.
"Hello Budd," she replied in an equally friendly tone. She was clad in jeans (a pair that didn't go in her 'work' pile), through the loops of her jeans she thread a silky light blue scarf in place of a belt, she wore the same black t-shirt she had on during the day, but she had a black leather jacket to go over it, and a pair of black heavy boots. She let her hair down and combed out nicely.
"You look nice tonight..." Budd began.
"Save it," she quickly interrupted. Budd shrugged and turned his head away. His expression turned up beat when he spotted a familiar Japanese/Chinese walking in their direction. "Hey O-Ren!" he called and waved her over. O-Ren gave them both a long look with those hard brown eyes as she stalked to the stairs. She gave them each a nod and ascended up the stairs.
Budd looked puzzled. "What was that about?"
"O-Ren is still pissed off at me and that is her way of playing nice."
"Better then nothin' I suppose. Come on," He ushered himself and the tall blonde inside, he was acting very gentleman like for some reason but that faltered as soon as they walked in and Budd found the wet bar. Beatrix was left on her own. She took a few steps into the small crowd of people and blue eyes peered about cautiously. Everyone was staring and smiling. She felt like she was in some fucked up psychotic thriller. She was turning uneasy but she quickly spotted Bill and made her way over to him. The tall blonde was almost there when she abruptly and rudely cut off.
"You must be Beatrix!"
"Pardon me?" Beatrix stared at the woman in front of her with a questionable eye. She wasn't that pretty, very skinny, a few inches shorter then Beatrix, she was wearing a pair of jeans and a button up shirt with a flower print of light blues. She had dark brown hair that was curly and waved down past her shoulders. Her skin was a pale ivory with small green eyes and a nose that was too small for her face.
"I've heard so much about you," she began in an alto-toned voice with a touch of spring flowers. "You know, I always wanted to meet you...I've heard what you can do...and I was like...woah..." Beatrix's features contorted into an evident frown. Obviously this woman had plans of speaking with her for a long time.
Bill had spotted Beatrix coming towards him, but apparently she'd been sidetracked. He turned back to Peter. Peter was a drug dealer. He didn't really look it, or act it....but he was. He dealt mainly in large shipments of marijuana up to the US. It was a very risky business, but he had done well for himself over the years. Every now and then he'd deal in acid or E...but no matter what decade, people always wanted pot and he was a large supplier of it. He was also Bill's personal supplier as well. Often Peter would run into a situation where he needed certain people ridded of, and thus he called up Bill. Peter was not a killer in the true form of one, and he knew Bill could be counted on for such tasks. The two men had had a very well established and successful friendship over the last fifteen years. "You've met my wife?" Peter inquired to Bill, his two silver and turquoise earrings glinting off the soft lighting as he turned his head to look at an approaching woman. Peter spoke in a very soft and mild voice and had a tendency to drop off the end of his sentences to a barely audible level.
"I believe I have, but it has been sometime," Bill replied with a cordial nod of his head. A shorter woman, with a head of long dark brown hair and blue eyes came up next to Peter. She was dressed in a long flowing skirt and an African patterned tank top. She was wearing glasses and had freckles. Pretty, but far from stunning. Not the type you'd expect to see married to a drug dealer. "Jasmine...," Peter laid a hand on his wife's shoulder, "This is Bill....you've met Bill haven't you?"
"Oh, of course," Jasmine smiled broadly, shaking Bill's hand, "Very nice to meet you.....again...Bill."
"And you as well," Bill replied with an equally broad grin. The three of them fell into easy conversation.
Meanwhile, Elle and Vernita had been conspiring on the back porch. Their huddle was aborted when they spotted Budd heading for the bar. "Honky piece of trash," Elle snorted, a cigarette of course jammed in-between two long fingers.
Vernita nodded, too distracted by the other party members to make much of a reply. "Elle....do you get the feeling that all these people here.....know about us....?"
"Yeah...." Elle exhaled a puff of smoke, "Sorta getting that vibe I suppose."
"It's really fucking annoying....." Vernita whispered. Just then two men stepped onto the patio and spotted them. "Oh shit..." Vernita turned away. "I think they're going to talk to us..." Elle looked momentarily freaked out. She hated social situations.
"Holy shit!" One man, a young-ish guy with blonde spiky hair and a silk lounge shirt said, "Your Elle right.....?" Elle just stared at the guy. "And....Vernita?"
"Yeah.....so.....," Vernita played it cool.
"Wow...we've heard so much about you," the man continued, undaunted by this less than warm welcome, "This is my buddy John.....oh...I'm Dan....." John was about the same age, very thin with red hair that was shaved down nearly to his head. "You guys kick ass!" He said with relish. Elle smirked, giving Vernita a look.
"And I tried so hard to get him to agree but he wouldn't! I swear I would have chopped his head off with a meat cleaver if I had one...Can you chop people's heads off with that?"
"No," Beatrix bluntly replied. The woman was still franticly talking to Beatrix. It had been a good five minutes of pointless chatter from only one side of the conversation. Beatrix kept a fake smile on her face and continued to throw fleeting glances in Bill's direction. He was distracted and she cursed him multiple times for that.
"Isn't that funny?" The woman stated between a giggle. Beatrix laughed lightly although this was also fake. "Would you excuse me," it was her time to cut in and cut out quickly. The tall blonde immediately walked in Bill's direction. She came up to him and nonchalantly slid her arm around his torso. She offered to the two people he was talking with another 'fake' smile, unaware of which they were and leaned into Bill. "Some savior you are," she hissed in a whisper. She was obviously irritated by her earlier encounter.
Bill smirked, "I never promised I'd be your savior Kiddo..." he whispered back, likewise wrapping his own arm around her torso. He turned back towards the couple facing them, "Beatrix, this is Peter...he owns this wonderful house and was nice enough to have this little party for us, and this is his lovely wife Jasmine. This is Beatrix Kiddo...my...." he paused.....girlfriend just didn't seem right, lover...hrm, too...much..., partner...too...PC...., "...my woman," he said with a decisive tone, giving Beatrix a grin.
"Oh! Very nice to meet you Beatrix," Jasmine replied, "Beatrix....like the Greek goddess....very appropriate." Jasmine seemed like a nice enough lady, a little New Age-ish, but friendly.
Peter nodded likewise, "A pleasure," he said in his soft voice and shook her hand as well. "I hope your enjoying the party so far. I'm afraid....many of the guests here are already aware of you and your associates. Call them....fans. You may have already encountered a few," he smiled gently at Beatrix's look of mild irritation. Bill just chuckled amused by the whole thing. Of course, he hadn't been stuck listening to Miss One Sided Conversation for over five minutes. "Oh," Bill reached over to the tall table they had been standing next to, "I got you a drink," he handed Beatrix a cup of coffee, "It's a little cold I'm afraid...."
Beatrix took the cup gratefully. Her blue eyes still sparked as half of her annoyance was directed at Bill but it was wavering off. She took a few gulps before bringing it down and back onto the table. The coffee helped clear her state of irritableness and was now mellowing down to something more pleasant. This had to be the host and hostess of the party and the supposed good friend of Bill's. She settled her eyes on Peter. "Fans, aye? Well, I'm flattered to even know I have fans." Actually she was disgusted by it. Well, not disgusted but the fact was terribly unsettling. She hated when people knew more about her then she about them. It had to do a lot about privacy and insecurity issues but she'd manage. Her attention came back to Peter's wife who she found to have a very nice aurora about her. The tall blonde's expression softened further. "What was that you were saying about a Greek Goddess?" Beatrix always thought her mom had been high on something when she was born. Of course she wasn't about to voice that. These people seemed to have very formal mannerisms and she didn't want to come off as 'immature'.
Jasmine looked surprised, "You didn't know.....oh yes!" She seemed excited to impart this bit of information on Beatrix, "Oh yes....she is a bringer of joy. Likewise...Dante's muse was Beatrix or was it Beatrice? Oh, I can't remember. Anyways, he loved her from afar and was tortured to his dying day by her beauty..." she smiled, "If you read any of his beautiful poetry.....Beatrix is a constant."
Bill was watching Beatrix with an affectionate look. He wasn't much of an academic himself, not in the classic sense at least, but it was an interesting bit of information nonetheless. And ironically appropriate for her. Peter looked at his wife with a soft smile. It was obvious to see he adored her. "My wife...." he chuckled, "Always....reliable to have a bit of questionably correct information on just about everything."
Meanwhile, far less high brow discussions were taking part in the house.
"Fuck no!" Vernita crossed her arms, "Go for it Elle, but count me out."
"Come on Vernita," Dan pulled on her arm, "Peter's got the best weed in Mexico....your going to be missing out. And we really want to hang out with you."
"No thanks....Dan," she gave him a wide sarcastic smile, "I've done enough of that shit in my life to know that the moment I'm fried one of is going to try to grab my tits."
"No way...." John shook his head, "We're not like that...seriously Vern. We just want to hang."
Vern? "I don't want to........hang..."
Elle snorted, "Suit yourself.....Vern...your just being a pussy..."
"Fuck off Elle!"
Elle laughed, "Come on boys...let's go get ripped...." The three of them headed into the house and into the basement, where apparently the more illegal of activates were going on. Vernita scowled, wishing, for the first time in quite awhile, that she could talk to Beatrix....like they used to. Budd had gone down to join Elle and the boys to try some of the weed. He was finding the whole adoring fan thing very entertaining and he was getting used to it. O-Ren found it enjoyable as well but she had put herself in an intellectual conversation with a fellow man of 'Yakuza-backgrounds' instead of getting off on an illegal drug.
"Do I torture you, Bill," Beatrix asked in a light but overly dramatic ounce of tease. She found the fact that she was supposedly named after a goddess, which she wasn't, very interesting. Her mom had been high but it was still cool.
"Greatly," Bill replied in an equally dramatic tone, his face close to hers, "I can't remember which level of Hell your supposed to show up in...." a wicked grin, "...but that's where I'm stuck at." Fuck, he hadn't read Dante's "Inferno" in ages....but he remembered that much. He raised his eyebrow, looking to the others, "If I remember correctly...the lowest level of Hell is reserved for betrayers." A small smirk. Jasmine nodded emphatically, obviously very excited to be discussing such intellectual matters with others, "It is occupied by Judas...the worst betrayer of them all."
"Hrm..." Bill replied, falling silent on the subject. "I think I'm going to get myself a drink...." he gave Peter and Jasmine a polite little nod, "Join me Kiddo..." It wasn't that he didn't enjoy their company, in fact they were quite refreshing compared to most of the assholes he had to deal with, but he wanted to talk to Beatrix alone for a bit. He'd have more time to talk to Peter later. They took a slow meandering stroll around the house, his arm encircled through hers, "I think this was a good idea," Bill said softly, a drink now in his hand. "You did catch my little message on the back of the invitation card?" He gave Beatrix a sidelong glance. "I'm really serious about this.....for once, it would be nice to have an outing where it doesn't all go to hell," he paused, stopping his steps and turned to look at her, "Are we on the same level here?" He wasn't trying to threaten her, it was simply that Beatrix...right now, was the center of all this hostility. If he could make her more....aware of how much he meant this, and then maybe...just maybe, there was some hope of peace.
Beatrix stared at him. She knew he hadn't meant that to be threatening but she couldn't help but accept it was such. She was well aware that he didn't want anything to fuck up this 'celebration' party and neither did she. It'd be nice to have an enjoyable evening with everyone present. She didn't need him to reinstate it. She could read. Her lips came into a taut line across her angelic facial features and blue eyes flashed. "Of course we are," she replied a tad dryly. She took a step away from him. "I'll be wandering around...behaving," she coarsely added before turning and walking away.
Bill threw his hands up in the air as he watched Beatrix's back disappear onto the back patio. Well...fuck, now she was mad at him. Great. He had just been trying to make his expectations a little...more clear to her. He turned away with a scowl, goddamn women. On a whim, he bypassed the kitchen and opened the basement door...which upon opening, emitted a giant cloud of smoke. Taking a long moment to inhale as much of that smoke as possible, Bill descended the stairs, slamming the door behind him.
It didn't take the irked blonde long to get to the back patio and spy a familiar face. Vernita was standing out on the patio alone, silhouetted by numerous hanging lamps. Beatrix approached her cautiously, her earlier expression masked over with something more placid. "Enjoying yourself?" She asked casually.
Vernita turned to look at Beatrix. This was unexpected. Her eyes flashed momentarily, and her lips pressed tightly together. "Not especially," she hissed, quickly turning away to look out into the garden. A few people were out there socializing. "Elle ditched me for two geeks. So, I-" she stopped short, realizing that she was confiding in Beatrix....like she used to do. But, she couldn't do that now....this was not the Beatrix that had been her friend. She folded her arms and pivoted away from the tall blonde. "Yeah.....well....it doesn't fucking matter now does it?"
Beatrix stood there with a now void façade but blue eyes were sparkling with a mixture of emotions. She wanted desperately to gain back what she had lost and she knew the only way to do that would be to go back to the way things were before she fucked Bill. It was a catch twenty-two and she wasn't about to break out of what she had. She was really happy with Bill...well...when they weren't irked with one another she was. They had worked so hard and she wasn't going to toss it away for a 'friendship'. Her slender brows narrowed on her darker skinned associate. "Apparently not." She paused. "Since you don't want my company I'll go back inside and leave you here to drown in...self-remorse."
Vernita's head snapped around, her long braids flying out in the process, "Self remorse?" She snorted, "Whatever bitch." Her eyes took on a deadly facade, "Your the one who should be drowning in self pity.....I'm not the one who's stooped to a pathetically low level so I could be officially deemed the "favorite".....", she shook her head in pity, "No Bea, I feel sorry for you......so you can just save your fucking breath for somebody else......." She let that sink in. "And no....I don't want your fucking company." But there was a lack of conviction in her tone. "Not anymore...." A pause, "Why don't you go find Bill....I'm sure he'd much prefer your company .If you stick here with me...I'm not gunna fuck you."
Beatrix found that so pathetic and uncalled for she couldn't help a light chuckle that passed from her lips before coming into a straight line. She shook her head from side to side in an equal amount of pity. She knew that if she even tried to explain to Vernita that she hadn't fucked Bill to gain a higher status, she wouldn't listen. The bitch had it set in her mind that Beatrix was the greedy one. "You'll never understand," she said in a low, icy tone. Vernita was pressing Bea's buttons but she promised to behave. That promise was beginning to falter. "You're too fucking absorbed on yourself and what happens to you and how it affects you to give a fuck about me. You're just like the rest of them and for a while there, I thought you weren't."
Beatrix had hit a little to close to home on that one, and Vernita knew it. "Fuck you," Vernita turned back to Beatrix with a sassy tilt of her head, "Ya know what.." she raised a finger at the tall blonde, "You don't know a fucking thing about me...so how dare you call me self absorbed. I'm not like the others....so fuck you for even thinking that." She took a threatening step towards her former friend, "At least.....I don't presume to hold myself on some....fucking righteous little throne. You think all that shit Bill tells you....about you being different than us...his best assassin...and whatever bullshit he's whispered to you...that any of that is true? Please," a sneer, "Your really clueless Bea....you always have been and you always will be. Bill is just as egomaniacal as he's always been." A smirk, "You'll never understand," she mocked Beatrix's voice, "Again...fuck you bitch..." she flipped her the finger. "Don't even give me that shit." Another step forward, "You wanna start some shit with me? Because you sure as fuck seem like you do..."
It was no mystery why Vernita had gotten into a ridiculous amount of fights in high school.
Beatrix knew and Vernita knew that they had both stated a moderate amount of truths and lies. She tried to behave, she truly did, but what Vernita said pushed buttons upon buttons. It wasn't just what she said but the context and how she said it. They had been 'friends' and now they were throwing things at one another as true enemies. The tall blonde had gone void, emotionless, and blue eyes stared at her with flourishing detestation. Vernita wouldn't understand. That was what annoyed the fuck out of Beatrix. But she had to let it go. Fine, let her believe what she wanted but she wasn't about to walk away from just being 'challenged' like that. Instead Black Mamba curled up a fist at her side and without much warning struck Vernita right in the nose.
Vernita had not expected that. Sure, she'd called Bea on a fight....but holy fuck....she's actually gone through with it. Vernita wheeled backwards, a hand coming up to cover her quickly bleeding nose. After a moment, she swiped the hand away...her face partially covered in blood. She smiled broadly and with a frightening look of bloodthirst in her eyes. This was not Vernita the former friend looking at Beatrix now, this was Vernita the killer. She grin turned wicked. "Good shot......" With that she stopped and sucker punched Beatrix right in the gut, as the tall blonde bent over, Vernita grabbed her by the head and kneed her right in the chest....knowing full well the last place that Beatrix had been injured...as if that didn't hurt enough on it's own. Even as Beatrix was recovering from this, Vernita shoved her into a table, which had a good amount of food on top of it. The impact sent everything crashing onto the patio tiles.
"Holy shit! Two of the Vipers are fighting!" somebody yelled from inside the house. There was some excited murmuring and the scraping of furniture legs as people scrambled to see some of the action.
"GET UP BITCH!" Vernita yelled at Beatrix, her bloodstained face contorted with an overflow of pent up anger.
Beatrix didn't need to be instructed again. She came up into a sitting position, diminishing the pain that was surging from her chest, her façade took on that same killer glint, and she jumped up to her feet. She had no intention on killing Vernita, maybe just hurt her...a lot. Maybe then she'd get a fucking clue. Back on her own two feet she came at Vernita again with a balled up fist. This time Vernita saw it coming and ducked but as she ducked Beatrix brought up a long leg and kneed her in gut. As the woman took a familiar stance of doubling over, side turned to Beatrix, the tall blonde took a pivot around and jumped Vernita. Both Vipers hit the ground hard but that didn't stop Black Mamba as she grabbed up a clump of Vernita's braids, pulled back, and then thrust her head down to hit the harsh cobblestone.
Vernita let out a fairly loud yell, as her face was smashed into the patio tiling. She could already feel a good amount of blood flowing across her face. It fucking hurt...but pain she could deal with. But, like hell she was going to let Beatrix do that again, which more than likely she would attempt to do. Throwing a sharp elbow back, she managed to nail Beatrix right in the cleavage. To no surprise, the blonde instantly let her grip loosen on Vernita's hair. Throwing her body at an odd angle she pinned down the other woman, hands wrapping around her slim neck. She pressed Beatrix's legs down tight with her own knees.
At this point a good sized crowd of people had gathered at the patio doors, watching with a mixture of fascination and horror as the two assassins duked it out. "This is way hot!" A short guy in running shorts and knee high black socks breathed to his equally dorky looking friend. "Vernita's gunna win," a middle aged woman said to another woman, standing next to her incidentally was the same annoying woman that Beatrix had been stuck listening to less than an hour ago., "Black chicks can fight better...." she ignorantly whispered. Unaware of any of this idiotic chatter, Vernita continued to try to choke out Beatrix....but Bea was a master of choke holds and she quickly kicked out of the hold, throwing Vernita onto her back. As Beatrix got up to gain the upper hand, Vernita kicked out a powerful leg and caught the blonde right across the face. So far, Bill nor the rest of the Viper's had noticed this downhill turn of events.
Beatrix stumbled and tripped back into the table she had already once smashed into. This time she'd use this fall to her advantage. As Vernita came at her the blonde quickly snatched up a handful of party dip and ruthlessly threw it in her face. This left Vernita at a temporary blinded state giving Bea back the upper hand. She swung a long leg around and into the side of Vernita's leg causing her to fall face first onto the ground. Black Mamba immediately crawled back over and onto her back. An arm wrapped around taut against her neck. It was time Copperhead learned what a real chock hold was and Black Mamba wasn't going to hold back on it, well, not until she started to turn blue, then she'd let go.
"And it was...Oh, I wonder what the big crowd is for," stated the older gentleman O-Ren Ishii had been chattering the night away with. The half breed turned her head to the large crowd outside on the patio. Her thin brows furrowed and she followed her companion outside.
"That was a cheap shot, throwing that food in her face," O-Ren heard someone beside her quarrel with someone else. "It worked didn't it?" Argued someone else. O-Ren grew more curious and pushed her way through to the front. What she saw made her jaw drop and eyes go wide across her freckled face. Cottonmouth didn't even think of attempting to break apart the two snakes and quickly dashed off back into the house. She last recalled seeing Budd and Elle vanish into the basement and that was her first stop. She swung open the door and her eyes squinted at the amount of smoke that came pouring out. Undaunted, she yelled to the downstairs occupants, "Budd!"
"What?" A graveled voice yelled from within.
"Where the fuck is your brother?"
"Down here."
"Tell him to get his ass up here." Budd was reclining on the couch between two lovely ladies. Bill was across from him on a chair and Elle was to his right. He gave Bill an uneasy expression and stated, "You heard the lady."
Vernita struggled against Beatrix's iron clad choke hold. She desperately wanted to wipe the party dip out of her eyes, but her hands were pinned behind her back, pushed up against Beatrix's torso. She kicked viciously, managing only to get a good shot in on the other woman's shin. "Augaghfuck," she spat out a mouthful of party dip in an attempt to curse the bitch. She could feel the blood flow to her head quickly beginning to decrease and a feeling of lightheadedness took over.
"What?" Bill hissed.....a good amount of smoke escaping with the word. He'd barely heard O-Ren over the loud buzz of music and voices. He'd heard Budd clearly enough though, and whatever it was sounded pressing. "Goddamn," he grumbled, picking himself up, giving Elle a brief glance and then somewhat disoriented, made his way up out of the basement, a huge joint still in his hand. He was fucked up...more than he'd wanted to be. And, for some reason...when Bill was stoned, he was even more of an asshole. A huge crowd of onlookers blocked his vision as well as his path to the patio. Sticking the joint between his angrily clenched teeth, he began violently shoving people out of his way. Finally, he managed to break free of the crowd to witness the situation.
There...in the middle of the glass and food splattered patio was Beatrix straddling Vernita's back. The blonde had Vernita's head in a yanking choke hold. Both of their faces were equally bloody and Vernita had an added dose of party dip smeared across her eyes. Beatrix's forearm was taunt across the other woman's neck. The situation was fairly clear. Bill froze momentarily, the joint nearly falling from his mouth. "I should have fucking known," he grumbled and took a couple of room spinning steps towards the two women.
The crowd grew more apprehensive at this. Bill's renowned ferociousness was well known in this crowd. There was a dangerous glint in his slightly fuzzy gaze.
Grabbing Beatrix by the collar of her coat, he yanked her off of Vernita. Leaving the other woman down momentarily, he spun on Beatrix and with a tiger-like intimidating prowl he forced her backwards a few steps. Grabbing her once again by the collar, he pulled her towards him briefly and then shoved her backwards right into the pool which began right behind where her heels had been a second ago. Spinning back, Bill yanked up Vernita and this time literally pulled her along with him and threw her bodily into the pool to follow Beatrix into the luke warm water. There were a number of chuckles from the crowd, but also a murmur of disappointment at this sudden end to the brawl. "Cool off ladies...." Bill grated with an irate glare leveled at the two women.
Beatrix broke to the surface with a gasp for air. She had been so irate and concentrating so hard that she almost hadn't realized what had happened until her body was submerged in water. She gave a side glance to Vernita whom looked equally as confused and irritated. Her hard gaze then settled on the man who put them in the water in the first place. She was angry with him before but now she was infuriated. "What the fuck, Bill?" She grated between clenched teeth as she raked a hand over her face to move misplaced strands of blonde locks to the side.
"That was funny," Budd stated as he had followed Bill from the basement to catch a glance at what was so important. He was a tad too stoned to realize the death glares he was receiving from either woman.
The blonde scowled and began to trudge out of the pool.
"Get out!" Bill yelled, not even bothering to reply to Beatrix's question. He appeared to be equally infuriated.
Vernita looked like a pissy cat, her braids plastered to her face. At least that had gotten rid of that shitty party dip. With a scowl at both Beatrix and Bill, she began to pull herself out of the pool, on the opposite side of Beatrix of course. Her clothing was sticking to her and the added water made it difficult, but she finally managed to stand up. She stood there, hugging herself, ignoring the amused crowd and watching the droplets of water from her clothing splatter on the tiles.
Elle at this point, had gotten through the crowd. Like hell she was going to miss this. Now she was laughing historically. She was stoned off her ass, and everything was funny...especially this. "They're both drenched!" She giggled in that high pitched tone. "Wet bitches!" She put a hand on Budd's shoulder, doubling over in laughter and then she laid her head on his arm, still giggling.
Bill stood there, furious glare split between Vernita and Beatrix. He took one last long spiteful drag of his joint and then snubbed it between his fingers. The crowd began to disperse a little, seeing now that the fun was over with. There were a few stranglers hanging around in hopes Bill would do something nasty. But, at the moment, he seemed frozen in anger, unable to anything but seethe and emit a murderous aura. "What......the........FUCK...just happened?" He thundered, in that rare shouting tone of voice.
Vernita stood silently, eyes still averted to the dripping water from her hair.
Beatrix stood there in the same fashion as Vernita. She was drenched to the bone, clothes clinging to her figure like saran wrap, and wet darker blonde strands settled against her irate features. A few trickles of blood smeared into her wet skin and arms crossed over her chest. She held the posture of a stone statute. Bill was furious, that was obvious, and perhaps more so due to the fact he was getting high. That fact alone irked his 'lover.' Her feet shifted and she remained silent. A quick glance around, a few bystanders stood behind Bill, and the remainder of DiVAS had every intention on remaining. Icy cool blue eyes darted to Vernita. The bitch wasn't going to open her mouth. Vernita wasn't going to be the one to get shot down first. If Vernita could hold her tongue then so could Beatrix.
Bill raised an eyebrow. Their very deliberate silence just proved to make him angrier. He was a killer, and a killer was hardwired to see a target. Even in his hazy state, he was prone to this. Beatrix was standing closer...Vernita on the opposite side of the pool. Bill's dark glare landed on Beatrix. He zeroed in on his target and advanced right up to her chest to chest. There was no missing the very dangerous field of electricity around him, not to mention an almost visible cloud of pot smoke. There was nothing intimate or caring about this gesture, it was pure intimidation. He locked eyes with her, his pupils so dilated with drugs that his eyes looked almost entirely black. His jaw was set in a furious expression of haughtiness and anger. "I asked you a question," he said in a low whisper, "When I ask...a question...it requires an answer. I think...of all people...you should be more than aware of this...Kiddo..." But Beatrix simply stared back him with an equal amount of fiery anger and determination. Bill stared her down for a few seconds longer and then pulled away. With a sneer, he stalked around to the other side of the pool, like a true predator seeking out the weaker target. He grabbed Vernita roughly by the arm and walked her back around to the other side. "A reply...Vernita...." he hissed at her, pulling her next to Beatrix. Vernita was noticeably cringing. "Did I, or did I not ask you a question?" He continued in that deadly tone. Vernita nodded silently, her braids still dripping water down her bloodied face.
"What did I ask you?" Bill was now in Vernita's face.
"You asked..." her voice was barely audible, "......what....just...happened..."
"I asked....What the fuck just happened..." Vernita nodded again. "So..." Bill leaned in even closer, his nose almost touching Vernita's, "...what the fuck just happened?"
Vernita licked her lips, trying to get away from his close proximity...but one again, the edge of the pool was right behind her heels. Bill had planned their current placement perfectly. "Bea....Beatrix....talked shit....said she wanted to fight me......we...fought..."
Beatrix jerked her head to turn to Vernita, a few droplets of water spraying into the air as wet locks shifted. "Bullshit," she sneered between a firm set jaw. "I tried to be genial and she threw it back." Beatrix was never one for playing 'she/he did' game but this instance called for it. "She asked me first...so, I complied." Another very stupid answer but the whole situation was even stupider. The blonde kept her chilling gaze on Vernita as she didn't want to catch Bill's. She planned to keep her anger directed at only one snake, for now.
Verntia sneered, some of her timidness melting away. "See what I mean Bill.....she's always been a lair....she always will be. She can't tell the truth to you....even now...she never will." Bill remained silent. Yes, he was angry...yes he was fucked up...but he had far enough sense to know not to believe such catty accusations so quickly. And, despite it all...he was not in love with Vernita. He was not a fair or unbiased judge in this situation. Vernita seemed to have picked up Bill's expression, "Fuck....it doesn't even matter what I say...or what happened, I'm the one who's going to get the blame ....Jesus...." she looked away, nostrils flaring. "Ya know Bea....if you were ever my friend to begin with, I just might be a little sad to see you make such a fucking fool out of yourself. But.....as it turns out," she turned her dark eyes on the blonde, "...you never really were. So.....it doesn't mean a fucking thing to me. I hope you get every fucking thing you deserve....because....Bea.....you've got it comn'..."
"I've heard enough," Bill whispered and with a strong shove, pushed Vernita back into the pool. Without even a look at Beatrix, he turned and stalked back into the house. "Show's over...." he pushed through the few remaining people, disappearing into the crowd.
The tall wet blonde stood there in complete and utter confusion. She honestly wasn't sure how to take that. Sure she had just been shot down but her anger was masking the full impact. Well, Beatrix could let it sink in plenty at home once she was out of her wet clothes. She placed a foot forward but when she moved to raise the other it went taut, like a wildcat trapped just walking into a snare trap she fell. Beatrix was quick thinking enough to shift her body so she landed on her side instead of an arm. Her pretty blonde head hit the cobble stone hard enough to make up for what her body missed out on. The impact was almost enough to cause a concussion but instead it delivered a large gash. Beatrix gingerly rolled onto her back and picked her swaying head up to view her snatcher; Vernita. The bitch had grabbed her leg from the water.
Budd was still standing nearby with Elle hanging on his shoulder. He nudged her with an elbow as he had caught sight of what happened, though he was a few seconds delayed. "Suppose we should go tell Bill?"
Elle giggled, her head nestled on his shoulder. For some reason she was clinging all over Budd, and she was too stoned to even realize what she was doing. "Nah...I wanna see some more blood.....he'll just ruin it....."