A little later in Roanapur...
Depending on who you ask, regardless of their alignment, time could be your friend or enemy; so many things to do and so many to undo in order to achieve that a non-existent goal and idea. Some succeeded, others not, some played for the fair norms of society, others not, since they broke the patterns and schemes to make their own rules, a secret society far from the flower garden; one that used the method of violence as a philosophy and way of life, without caring about the circumstances of why and how they ended up like this, it was pitiful to ask them and even feel sorry for them.
They didn't think they deserved it, not at least by the rules of their beloved society, the rules of the flower garden... Not when you were too deep at a certain point.
But they were still human, no matter how much they want to run and ignore that fact because of the war's fire, the scars and the pain. You could hate someone's guts, of course, ¿But how far would you be able to judge them...? Suddenly because you are in a better position, ¿You had every right to condemn those who never had education, kindness or any better opportunity from this world? Doubtfully no one is or would be stronger than the emotion of hate...
Hate a person, ¿But hate a scumbag? ¿To a cancer of society who attacks your neighbors, friends and loved ones? Generally, it isn't something to think twice about, there are even those who are happy that these vermin exist to unleash their negativity and resentments of the past against them... The perfect punching bags, if you trespass on someone's freedom, logically the action would be a punishment instead of asking and understanding why.
If the majority of people had an idea of what Roanapur really was, the problems that got unleashed at the government level would be terrible... Not because the mobs can be cleaned up, but because some governments, people who were in power and dirty politicians were related not directly, but through contacts. So turning a blind eye was very typical...
Bribing a liar is always easy, and even more when it is someone who is in the elite... Alcohol, women, drugs, money and debauchery, a lot of debauchery.
The salesman wondered if he really wouldn't helped that injured thug in his store, ¿Would that also be a good deed? He should never have gotten involved so deliberately, he didn't want to get involved with anyone in this dump of a city beyond running his business in peace on the free market...
He was never one to believe in karma but he was religious, with a minimal belief in fate... Just as God grants, God takes away and punishes. But the beings of Roanapur had a strange inclination to challenge God and get away with it, especially those with power.
Maybe, and just maybe, just like the kingdom of the afterlife, the mundane kingdom also needed a hell to segregate those who had been denied the right to the flower garden, the unsympathetic, the living dead, with a fondness for deadly dances. It wasn't possible...
God was pitying them and at the same time pleasing them by giving it this place. Roov thought of comparing it to a purgatory, which was illogical, no one here sought purification to achieve eternal divine glory. There were even those who used the God's image for the purpose of carrying and receiving illegal products, making use of God's house in the process...
He thought in disgust what the rip off church was doing. But the idea of a corrupt nun was funny to him... The clients who used to come to him had their own ways of telling stories, a good way to get information. Some very unlikely; a woman with a burned face addicted to villainy, a ruthless Italian boss with braces, a low-profile but dangerous Colombian cartel and finally, of whom he already had a glimpse before, the asian mobs triads and their boss, who seemed to be the friendliest and most sensible of those mentioned above, Mr. Chang. For a gangster he gave off vibes of being the cool drunk uncle, with impeccable swag.
That was just the exterior, it sounds stupid to be the leader of such a large criminal organization just by dressing well and being carefree. Roov had it crystal clear... One of these days; Chang and his entourage of guards were walking along the opposite sidewalk with an obviously unknown destination. At that instant of time, the head of the triads occurred to look to the left in the direction of the store out of mere reflex.
Their eyes connected like electrical cables making a short circuit; even when Roov was behind the store's glass, the mere sight of Chang gave him a horrible feeling of aversion, like the bite of a spider. Nothing compared to Revy's event from several days ago...
If Two hands could be able to impose with her presence, Chang would simply crush you with his, without the need for bad words, the emission of emotions or threats... ¿How was that possible? Be so silent till your intentions speak for you. It wasn't even a meeting, just a glance that lasted 2 seconds and then he continued on his way as if nothing had happened.
He wished could forget him, no, he begged to forget him. There have been no very violent altercations these days, only a few robberies on passers-by that go unnoticed a few blocks from the store... That a big shot from the mob was passing through these streets cannot be see it as a good omen, ¿Something was cooking for the future? He didn't want to know either, let alone get involved. He thought about buying a weapon and reinforcing the entrance and windows of the local just for security...
Moving to another district would be very complicated, few resources for transportation, not to mention how long it would take to carry it out, in addition to who he was taking care of...
Weapons scared him but he was not reluctant to use them, avoiding seeing them as objects of destruction is the key, but rather as tools to safeguard himself. He hasn't had time to pray properly since he moved here, which both worried him and didn't; because even the bad guys pray that his plans don't get messed up...
No, he couldn't see it that way, couldn't shake his religion, he could trample on his dignity, but not that at least. Nihilism was one of the most dangerous weapons of human beings besides misanthropy. But no matter how much time passed, the fact that he allowed himself to fall into that thought became recurrent in this city abandoned by god, he didn't fight it despite still rejecting it and keeping it at bay. Almost as if he no longer had ways or arguments to fight it.
Time passed unconsciously for everyone. For some slow and some fast, people came and went as well as their souls, in some nearby areas the mortality rate increased and decreased, but for short periods over the months... Curiously, the Lagoon crew hadn't been involved, for now. The action called to them from the jobs.
In hers free time, and if she remembered, Two Hands would check the guy's place out of the corner of his eye as she passed through the roads on his motorcycle. He was still there, whole and without any missing pieces, in fact, she noticed that the outside glass and the doors seemed reinforced... ¿Was Roov taking the drinks seriously or could he also forget? She really believed that he would die from playing the fool, which hadn't happened yet, or that he would at least have forgotten the drinks. Not her, unfortunately...
She wasn't so cheating and disloyal to not fulfill something promised, it's just that when things don't go the way she wanted it sucked and it made her reluctantly comply... The experience spoke for itself; the living only bet when they had the chance to win, ¿What was the fun in that? Those who professed and lived from violence gambled whenever they fucking wanted.
¿Isn't that what being powerful and secure was about? ¿That everyone knows and doesn't mess with you...? Chang and Balalaika professed that, but they may have disagreed with that thinking, and maybe Dutch and Rock did too. Out of wisdom they saw things from another perspective that Revy was trying to decipher, but not for long...
She wouldn't waste gray matter on someone else's POV's, not when could always simplify everything and make a choice, whether it was life or death at work or small nonsense.
After all, the bullet is god, the bullet rules; that's how it always was, free without needing to believe in fate... ¿Right?
Revy told Benny and Rockt to make her a quick favor, buy something from a certain store of which she specified the location and the way. Gave them a rubbish excuse on why she didn't do it by her own, and like good comrades they swallowed it without a complaint, it wasn't a big deal. This was a mini information gathering tactic, precise and not direct, and even cheap. She gave them the money of course and told them what wanted from the winery, some fresh apples...
After a while, they returned with the requested message; a transparent bag with about five apples. She grabs the bag and then focuses hers attention on them... They also brought something for themselves, one of those books with the Asian language that couldn't decipher.
.- Well, ¿What did you guys think...? .- She asks with a dry expression .- ¿Didn't got lost or fool around on the way?
.- Nah, we went fast in the car. ¿And what do you mean by what we thought? .- Benny answers and asks at the same time, smoking a cigarette. He had changed the red Hawaii-themed t-shirt for a green one, square glasses and besides, he had cut his hair; Jane let him know that he looked sexier and more attractive that way, so he continued to maintain that style.
Dutch and Rock changed but very little in the intervals. Dutch accumulated noticeable gray hair and Rocky boy had a good beard that was not so noticeable. Apart from reducing his tobacco consumption, he looked more alive than ever...
.- I mean the winery, ¿What you guys think? .- Revy pointed out, eating a good piece of apple .- Weird, ¿isn't it? It looks more like a messy warehouse than a regular store.
.- Ah, that. It's beneficial to have something with a little bit of everything around it. ¡I was even able to buy a manga! .- Rocky says relieved, showing the book that he brought in the separate bag. The cover of the book had a young girl with a melancholic face, beautiful and enlarged eyes, on her cheeks she seemed to have a kind of makeup that simulated gray lines, her arms seemed to be cybernetic and the title, which not even the slightest idea of which meant: "GUNNM"
.- ¿A what for what?
.- Manga, Revy. They are similar to American comics but Japanese, there are other Korean and Chinese ones. But I think the most iconic are those from Japan... It's like going to another world .- Rocky explains, taking a seat in front and starting to read. Benny proceeded with the same action, taking a seat with the furniture on the right.
His manga was something curious, on the cover there was a smiling teenage girl, blonde with long pigtails and a sailor suit, gloves and characteristic boots. This title was understandable to others: "SAILOR MOON"
.- Mmmm... ¿Just that and nothing else? ¿Didn't talk to the seller...? .- Revy asked moving to the apple, was not getting the answers she wanted from these pair of fools. ¿Should have sent Dutch? It could turn out the same because she wasn't really very specific, but it bothered her to have to doubt their prospective ability .- I think the place and the guy don't have much time cus' i had never seen them before.
.- ¿Oh, really? .- Benny asks.
.- Yup...
.- If that is the case, then he knows how to manage quite well in the environment, he was very kind and attentive when assisting us .- Adds Rock to the conversation, impassive and imperturbable, reading his book with emotion. This brought back memories of his teen years, reading mangas on his break from his part-time job. He hasn't read a book that had all the collected volumes complete. Benny was a little newer, since he read more online, but he quickly got used to the corporeal and in a legal way...
.- I imagined that he would have some problems.
.- ¿Why you said so? .- Rock asks turning a page.
.- That guy is suicidal. He works at dawn when there is not soul in the path. I found him a few weeks ago .- She revealed that precarious detail, no more than necessary so that Rock and Benny wouldn't make a clip on it because she really sent them there in the first place .- I imagine that by now he would already be thinking in moving his ass to another place or changing the work shifts.
.- Those who don't bathe in violence may also be desperate for some money, Two hands .- Dutch intervened in his usual recliner, he had just fixed the Black Lagoon a while ago, so he would spend the rest of the afternoon relaxed in the office barracks with the crew .- ¿Who knows? There can be many reasons why someone is desperate for money. Maybe he owes the wrong people and they are nipping at his neck.
.- He looks too calm and articulate for the street rats be nipping down his neck, Dutch... When someone owes money, you can see it from their eyes to their soul. I know 'bout that .- She contradicts unconvinced, the possibility had crossed her mind, it was not ruled out but she did ignore it completely. ¿What was driving him to such suicidal behavior? He could earn the money like any other shitty winemaker, with a reasonable schedule.
No, of course she wasn't questioning his work ethic or decisions. Questioned the machinations of why he did it...
.- A person may be desperate for money, sure, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's for them or to cover a debt .- Rock intelligently revealed, without taking an eye off the book yet .- Maybe it's for someone who needs it further.
.- ¿Altruist recognize altruist? It's a good hypothesis, Rock. Look, didn't occur to me.
.- You lack altruism, haha.
.- Shut up, you punk .- She reprimanded in the sarcastic atmosphere, with a small smile. She wasn't lying because it didn't occur to her. If the money was not for him, then it could be for a loved one, acquaintance or friend.
That stupid ass fool was desperate to help someone, that sounded like the most coherent thing for someone who didn't belong to this criminal underworld; very bad luck, because god had laughed in his face for having left him stranded here, managing at his expense and counting blessings that would eventually run out. Even if he managed to win the bet, there was no guarantee that he would survive in the long term doing those stupid things, it wouldn't last more than a 1 or 2, that was final... You couldn't defy fate, regardless of whether you believed in it or not.
.- So, ¿Two hands? ¿What will you do...? ¿Give that poor winery a big loan from the greens? Pfff .- The captain questioned with a sly smile and holding in a few small laughs. Benny's laughter also infected him a little, except for Rock, who were both still immersed and without leaving their books.
.- Fuck off, Dutch, never, it won't happen. Let the poor loser solve his shit on his behalf .- Two hands replied with a raised eyebrow and a somewhat frowned brow. She made some purchases, yes, there was also an exchange of money obviously, yes, but she couldn't count all of that as a loan of money, at least not voluntary nor with intentions to help or benefit him. Never an act of premeditated kindness by someone outside the group...
.- I hope it really lasts, I like these mangas and the guy seemed nice .- Benny spoke to top it off
Two months later at night...
The funny thing about bets and fate is that they go very hand in hand, related. But not like most people think. Gambling is one of the few moments where you aren't aware, and one could even say free, of your fate. You had power that was given to you and that power could be taken away out of nowhere. Men, women, the elderly and... ¿Children? No one was exempt from gambling. Just like being on a battlefield, there was the adrenaline rush when you won, or so it seemed to everyone else.
The opponents never mattered, nor the enemies, no one there cared about fate, whether you won or lost... The problem always comes when it becomes an addiction to put on the blindfold and remain blind to fate permanently. It's just when you start receiving signs, the wake-up calls that the living shouldn't ignore...
The living don't have the power of the living dead to do so and continue breaking the paradigm... Although very rarely did a living dead keep his word and not compromise his moral integrity, ¿What morality, if possible, can know? It was around 8:30 AM, the only two people in their normal senses, not taking account the homeless and drug addicts scattered here and there, traveling a large road of Roanapur on foot, a leisurely walk from side to side.
There was no utterance of words or any attempt to start a conversation by either of them... Nor did they have much desire to guess what the hell was in their heads, the fact is that...
Fate will always let you know when you lost a bet even if you don't want to.
The word defeat was not in Revy Two Hands book, mind or vocabulary, not in a long, long time... She was always looking for a way to win by logic. But now she had lost, whether in something as stupid and almost childish as: "Hey, if we lose, the drinks are on me!"
.- Fuck this and everyone... .- She whispered to herself. Roov next to her could hear anything of the vociferous that she said, little, he decides to ignore it and turn a blind eye to her heavy companion who guides the path. Death guided his path. He looked somewhat crestfallen, not to say depressed and melancholic. Revy noticed it when they met again in the store, and the circles under their eyes had completely disappeared, thus discovering a young and vigorous man, she was 2 or 3 years older than him and he was surely over twenty-five.
This wasn't an act against her will, even though she felt that way, she would have preferred that they both had forgotten about the silly bet. Two hands wouldn't put it past this guy's kindness, because hella sure he would accept, telling her to forget about the setting if she asked politely, that was the way of the living... A ridiculous show of mercy, it wasn't even that deep. Her spoiled little pride was on the line.
Perhaps, this would serve to show that Revy Two Hands wasn't a sadistic and compulsive witch as the rumors and legends say, however, the promises, behavior and inhibitions usually disappear like foam when the alcohol descends through the esophagus... Amusingly, she thought that in the end she might kill the guy by accident, blame it on the Bacardi and go home with a; "If I don't remember, ain't happened"
.- Pff pff...
.- ¿Did something happen, Miss Revy...? .- He asked, unsure of her reaction, she was holding in something.
.- Nothing, fool, nothing. We are already close. Think carefully about the brand of whatever you going to order, cus' there is no way I will pay dearly for you, ¿Crystal clear? .- She explained the terms and conditions of what it would be like to have a few drinks, although had tomorrow off because didn't have work, she doesn't plan to stay up late with this guy until dawn. The faster they made the drinks and useless chatter the better. She would continue with her path.
.- I can see it, I swear it looks more like a tourist resort than a bar .- The man pointed out that they both could see the bar about 15 meters away. As bustling and busy as ever, like any other place that lives at night. The Yellow Flag was not at its maximum power, not even though, not at this time when the night was not at its peak, in the early mornings is when Bao could boast of earning good money and the guards had to take the greatest precautions and take out those who cross the line.
.- It didn't always look like that, not at least several years ago. Now it's a techno and delicate shit, almost family friendly. What a waste...
.- ¿What was it like long before I got here? .- Curious Roov, open to dialogue. He was interested in knowing a little about the buildings and businesses of Roanapur.
.- As it should always be. Like an old tavern where the best competitions were fought between who could hold the liquor the longest, shots here and there... Hahaha.- She explains, recalling the old vicissitudes, warm and endearing of the old Yellow Flag's spirit. The blows came and went, and even missed that too.
.- A... Seedy bar basically.
.- That's another way to see it, punk... .- Revy says as if it were nothing or something everyday.
That didn't give him a good feeling, it meant that, although the previous bar was much more dangerous for the common civilian, there was the dubious guarantee of dealing with a relaxed Revy focused entirely on the drink, with the feeling of familiarity. In the present it was the opposite, they would be in a better and safer bar, but with a Two hands annoyed and without much desire to pass hang out... ¿And what reasons did he really have for coming? This was forced, Roov didn't like forcing anyone to do things against his will.
Technically, he wasn't forcing anything, she was just forcing this because she didn't think was a big deal... ¿Was there honor and principle among thieves? Impossible.
They entered through the large glassy blue checkered door, opened by a large guard at the entrance. The noise, bustle and atmosphere flooded Revy's ears, but the salesman's unaccustomed ears did their best to digest this sonic pollution and not break his eardrums. He paid little attention to how dazed he looked and just kept walking, sure would get a punch from her if he told that hated the sound.
There wasn't much audience, about 40 people in how spacious the place was, some sitting on the furniture talking, others dancing and others betting, the dancers were also few, but surely the rest would come later. Obviously, the small audience noticed the presence of Revy Two Hands as an MC who makes an appearance at the last minute.
The women whispered things to each other, the men admired her with lustful eyes and ridiculous talk between them, those hips and pretty face... They only allowed themselves to think and not go beyond that, her frivolous nature made them retreat and besides reputation that was burdened. However, they saw her accompanied by a random guy, not at all identifiable, he was a little taller, with a black jacket and hat, facial hair, blue jeans and comfortable sandals; "¿Who the fuck was dis' limpdick?" Some of the guys mentally asked themselves as they watched them pass towards the door that led to the stairs to the upper second floor.
The noise decreased slightly but rose again as they finished climbing and passed through the door, entering the top floor. If there were few people downstairs, here there were even fewer, at most about 20 people. They also quickly noticed the presence of Two hands, Bao was the only one who paid much attention to her, but the unknown guy she was with... ¿Was this a business that would be carry out? He was not there to be an intermediary for both of them.
The music again overwhelms Roov, but he ignores it in an attempt to get used to it.
They both approach the bar where Bao was serving, and take a seat.
.- Wassup, Bao, ¿Are you still working here? Woah, I admire you .- Greeting as only Two hands knew how to greet, with the usual familiar sarcasm. Bao rolled his eyes and gave an equally sly smile .- Serve me a bottle of Bacardi .- She asked the bartender at passing the green ones and gave it to him without no time, in addition to serving him the drink in a glass, almost as if were waiting for her.
.- Good night, Revy and...
.- Huh... Roov, name is Roov. Nice to meet you, sir .- The salesman introduced himself in a cordial manner, extending his hand to the bartender. Bao raised an eyebrow for about 10 seconds and looked at Revy, his accomplice, who ignored him and was pouring himself to take his second drink at once. Then he turns back to the young man, changing his face to a neutral and professional one. He accepts his handshake.
.- Nice to meet you, Roov, I hope you have a good time and don't get spat on by the Yellow Flag .- Bao said sarcastically. Yes, he definitely had the thought that this cultured guy was going to be beaten by the experience of being in a place that channeled a lot of debauchery and underworld themes; so, he would definitely die if he had been in the old Yellow Flag, and capable not even by getting into a fight, but because a bullet hit him by accident... What a shame .- ¿What can I served you, boy...?
.- Remember what I told you... We didn't come to shop or have a great time. Ask for something cheap .- Explain Two hands give him a gloomy countenance, as a way to establish dominance and command. If the salesman was as samaritan as his manners assumed, he would ask for something inexpensive and modest, something for someone of his level. Analyzing it in the most realistic way, without any desire to offend or denigrate Roov's financial status, many men feel pressured by this, although according to her; ¿How could hurt you a fact?
If you are broke, be honest and better luck next time... There were those who, despite being broke, could still bet against fate.
.- Ok... Huh, ¿What would you recommend that is light to drink, Mr. Bao? .- Roov humbly asked, in contrast to the bitterness of her companion.
.- Mmmm... Decide with this .- Bao gives him a generic and colored catalog of drinks, both cheap and refreshing and very expensive with questionable alcohol percentages, only for the most experienced and demanding palates. Of course has consumed beers before, at some event or on his own, so he decided to try something different this time. Seeing his obvious financial and physical limitations, he was hesitant. Turned the pages until he came across one that did interest him.
.- This, give me a tequila sunrise, please .- He finally asked, returning the catalog to Bao. The bartender understood the order and went to comply. He perfected his preparation of new drinks, mixes and new flavors over time, wanting to provide an exceptional quality of service, and because of course, it was corresponding and deserved.
He added the vodka, the fresh orange juice and, finally, he poured in the grenadine, letting it go to the bottom. 3 parts tequila, 6 parts orange juice and one part grenadine in total. He served the drink to roov.
.- Enjoy it .- Wish it Bao, happy with the creation. Afterwards the bartender retired to other clientele that was arriving, the beings of the night were gradually making their presence known.
Now, they both had their supposed drinks in hand. Roov enjoyed his calmly, taking small sips from time to time, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Two hands was already a little more than half the bottle, she showed no signs of drunkenness, which left him perplexed, from what he remembered, 2 or 4 shots of Bacardi would be enough to leave him talking funny and goofy for the rest of the day. This lurking woman from the abyss wasn't fazed one bit by just one bottle...
.- Good choice, a little sissy for my own taste, although I don't care... At least you weren't so dull when choosing the drink, enjoy it .- Says a neutral and disinterested Revy, taking a drink .- Sooo... ¿Roov? Answer me a couple of questions while we finish our things here, ¿Ok?
.- Ok.
.- ¿Why?
.- ¿Huh...?
.- You know what I mean. ¿Why is a salesman like you, with your articulate words and robotic manner, selling in a place like Roanapur? ¿Suddenly there are no more places in the world to do business? .- She questioned, quite curious, now looking at him, she only had one drink left, the first bottle didn't last the night.
.- ... That... Uh...
.- Look, I don't plan to get involved in your shit or anything, if you feel like you don't want to respond cus' you hide a double life as a transvestite, that's fine. I'll order one last bottle and get out... By the way, ¿How the hell are you only halfway through the drink? Gosh .- Said Two hands sharply, clarifying and actually taking the first steps fo not make this a cringey and boring piece of crap. In addition to yelling at Bao to kindly bring her another bottle of the good Bacardi, if possible one that contains larger quantities; the bartender went to take the order between a mix of professionalism and reluctantly.
Revy realized that in this uncomfortable silence, the man's face and attitude diminished like the current of a wave, and then became gloomy and tense... His brow furrowed a little and the shine in his eyes disappeared. She realized that had kicked Pandora's box, loosening its lid with the innocent, half-hearted, question of hers. She wasn't doing this out of hatred, but brought up mixed feelings in the salesman that he possibly didn't want to remember, something they both could identify with, but discerning different fates, paths that collide and make them who they are...
She was just one step away from opening her mouth and telling him not to continue, that she was just messing with him, that they should just finish the drinks and all of this would remain one small, forgettable night of many. Until...
.- It was not by my own decision, family issues... .- He answers, giving the green light to imply that wasn't so reluctant to talk about his past, with a miserable and sad smile. No one even asked him, no one beyond the loneliness and his buried desire to interact with someone else .- I am from Latin parents and we lived on the run, i was born on the river that connects between Venezuela and Brazil, then I spent some time in Táchira, to our bad luck, my father got into debt with the wrong people and we emigrated to Colombia...
.- Hmm...
.- I transferred schools many times, including high schools, but I was able to graduate by a miracle, we were celebrating one day, with the little savings we could afford. I never needed much to have everything, not when they were with me... .- He paused, he didn't know if it was because of the little alcohol in his system, was getting melancholic. Revy seemed to ignore him, drinking the drink and hers new bottle, on the contrary, she was listening to him and imagining everything, like watching a movie .- The day after tomorrow my father was murdered by the guys who were looking for us; he was shot and chopped into pieces according to police reports... My mother and I ran the risk of being next, so we fled again from country to country.
.- ¿Arriving into the abyss's world? .- She complements.
.- Correct... That would be it basically .- He finishes narrating, squeezing the glass's base tightly with his right hand in sadness and remorse. Struggling to contain his glassy eyes. The disadvantage of alcohol for someone without resistance is that it takes away any pain and inhibition, the emotions came easier, if not to the surface. Two hands had a calm and serene countenance, was not thinking much about what she was going to tell him, nor how or when, she would take a brief moment in silence, it were connecting the dots... ¿Wasn't something missing?
.- ...
.- ...
.- ...
.- ...
.- ... Well, I think I get it now. You need money to fly away with your mother to who knows where .- She threw her riddle into the air as if it were nothing.
.- ...
.- ...
Another uncomfortable silence couldn't make the atmosphere any more sad, which was now being filled by the bustle of more people entering the bar. ¿What was this? ¿Riddle me this? ¿Why did Two hands seem not to be stepping on thin ice, but rather to be careful of stepping on a landmine?. This poor bastard was about to whine like a sissy and the last thing she wanted was to have to feel sorry for him.
.- Miss Revy... My mother passed away two weeks ago, she fell ill some time ago and... I was desperate to get the money, since it was an expensive operation for a disease that was difficult to treat, with few results of survival, the sequels would be for life. She died in bed before even getting the rest of the money .- Add the end of the story, his face was destroyed and immersed in sadness, being able to contain the tears, but not one that came out without permission and delicacy.
Revy was a little surprised, evident in her slightly open eyes that were watching him. In fact, Bao, who was doing the work on the other side of the bar, looked at them out of the corner of his eye from time to time, wondering what the conversation was about, and he assumed it wasn't anything good.
So many years of cold nihilism as a coping mechanism made it quite difficult for her to feel a feeling as banal and pathetic as the pity, for not mention that she no longer had empathy, but chose to suppress it as much as she could. Like an accompanying suitcase of mental problems; Two hands didn't indulge in that kind of shit, wasn't alive enough to do it. At least... She understood over the years that the fear of feeling emotions was only a bad excuse to hide weaknesses, weaknesses that she remembered at all times; the best at her job, but she couldn't fight the shit inside of her.
"¡If there is no Robin Hood, then become one, be Robin Hood!" Rebecca Lee remembered those words with laughter, how they had affected her. It was easier to do what was immoral, to go down the path of the living dead, than to have hope and faith... Or to seek forgiveness where tears had run out eternally.
.- At least you had a mother... A real family .- She says partly melancholic and in a low, almost inaudible tone. Whether she was telling Roov or herself didn't matter. The point is, just said it.
To be on even, Revy told the melancholic salesman a brief and condensed version of her past, the childhood abuse, the muggings, how she made a name for herself in the criminal underworld, jail, Chinatown, and how she ended up here. Didn't emphasize details. It almost look like letters of introduction.
.- ¿Have you already buried her?
.- No, she is still in bed, covered by a blanket... I... I would like to give her a nice grave, but it is difficult in a cursed land like this.
More than difficult, tomb looting was quite regular as a way to hide weapons or illegal merchandise. Roanapur didn't let even those who had already gone for the afterlife rest.
.- Good point, but... Uuuh... It wouldn't have to be on dry land, ¿You know, punk? .- She suggested turning on the light. The bottle and drink had finished, they were not drunk, which benefited the emergence of ideas for the topic of conversation.
.- ¿Do you mean the sea? Hey, ¡I like the idea! Mom liked the beach, and she loved going out with dad from time to time on his boat... Maybe.
.- Transportation wouldn't be a problem, of course, for a fair and reasonable price .- She mentions in the territory of sealing a deal, almost. Roov knew where this was going, he was not ignorant of the small but well-known Lagoon Company and its superhuman ability to carry out varied jobs, both complicit violence and searching, receiving and giving documents to whoever it was the employer of shift. The most surprising and incredible fact is that they had a small immunity from the mob bosses, or to explain it another way, owing favors to each other .- I can't talk to you 'bout discountst, you would have to resolve it with the captain, Dutch. I dunno if he has ever given a discount. But he might give it to you if he sees you with a good face...
.- It isn't that i am so broke, miss Revy Hahahaha... .- The man replies with amusement, he felt more confident, may be because of the fact that he managed to come up with something for his benefit. No need for consolation, just move forward and see what fate has in reserved for you. The dear mother couldn't continue taking his tears .- I think I'll accept the offer, a free sea seems like a more suitable place, I'll never know if she would want it that way, but it sounds quite suitable for me .- Roov offered her the hand in a shake.
In contrast to how they met, she this time shook his hand out of good will, as a good way to seal the deal.
.- ¡We have a deal, fool! .- She acclaim victorious.