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[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/17c2b6ee-24bc-4505-be91-90f2c62de23a.png[/img]   [img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/d8759e3c-24e7-4fb4-b898-1155f3b5560f.png[/img]

[h1]Khor Kosivić, Antonio Litwin[/h1]

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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiS53fSzFgg[/youtube]

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[b]Mentions:[/b][@Yankee] Adel - Canary. [b]Interactions:[/b] None

[h2]Brewery District - The Jolly Jalopy[/h2]

The bar was quiet. Celebrating success so soon would just draw attention. Not that Khor felt any reason to celebrate right now. The morning had been a mess, a needless one at that, and looking to Antonio happily whistling as he moved about his bar only soured Khor’s mood further. 

Catching a glare Antonio threw up his arms. “What? It’s a happy day my friend! The new opposition has been put in the ground, with minimal bloodshed to boot. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Khor tapped their fingers on the bar top. “There were two kids in gun team Clover. Runners. Armed.” Khor’s eyes met Antonio’s. “The two [i]real[/i] gunmen say they were there on your order.”

Antonio nodded, still smiling. “That they were. Recent recruitment drive was successful, it’s high time we bolstered our numbers for what’s ahead of us.”

Khor blinked. “One of those kids died. The other, I don’t think he’s going to be the same ever again.”

Antonio almost shrugged at the report. “This life has its risks. We both know that.”

Khor’s head began to bounce. “Yeah, we do. We also know that’s why we don’t send fucking [b]KIDS[/b] Antonio!” Fist slamming against the table, Khor now stood.

Antonio stood his ground, his face going neutral, looking almost disappointed. He backed away to retrieve two glasses. Khor sat again, collecting themself as Antonio poured a drink between them. “Those kids made up their own minds. They were given a choice, and they chose to fight for what they believed in.”

Khor rolled their head. “But that’s why we only let them run party favours and messages. Jobs that aren’t going to get those kids killed.”

Antonio raised the glass. “Kids like William? William was on one of those jobs. William got himself killed because he didn’t have the equipment or the training when he decided to fight for what he believed in.” Antonio leaned in, voice low. “Would you deny those kids a fighting chance?”

Khor shrunk back. “It’s still not right. We should just be smugglers, teach people to keep their heads down, how to survive the city without the violence.”

Antonio pushed the drink to Khor. “We both know the violence will come for them though. That the world outside will.”

Khor looked to the drink, contemplated it but went to stand. “I need to think this through, speak to Akir, she can help make sense of this-.”

Antonio interrupted. “Akir doesn’t want to speak to you. You know what she thinks of this.”

Khor deflated, eye’s drifting over the door, hands on the bar chair. All they wanted was her thoughts but after this morning, they couldn’t imagine Akir wanted a bar of them from their last discussion. They slowly slid back onto the bar chair, picked up the drink, watched it swash around as they swirled it, and shot it down in one long gulp. 

After pushing the empty glass forward Antonio poured another. “See? Calm the nerves. I know everything is happening quickly, but we can’t stop now.” He finished pouring and pushed the glass forward again. “We’re out of time. We must act. It’s time to take ground.”

Khor tried to shake away the fog in their mind. “What do you mean?”

Antonio’s face lit with a vile grin. “Silverside just became the most prosperous district in Nocturnia. It’s time you crushed the Canary and-.”

Khor stood again. “I’m not a fucking killer. Not… like that at least.”

Antonio laughed. “What the hell makes this any different?”

Khor looked down. “Those guys today? They made a choice. They picked up their guns and came for us. That Canary next door has done nothing but sit in his tower as far as we’re concerned.”

Antonio snorted. “If he was given the chance, I doubt he’d hesitate to pull the trigger.” His voice took on an ethereal tone. “[color=8a00c4][b]Do what must be done. Kill him and advance our cause[/b][/color]”.

Khor’s eyes rested on Antonio, then the drink before them. The glass looked the most tantalizing temptation to ease what would come next. Scrunching their eye’s, blinking the thoughts away Khor tipped the glass over the bar. “Not. How we do things. If the Canary wants a fight, we’ll give him one, but we aren’t killers for the fun of it. No war orders, no recruiting kids, no more nonsense.”

Khor turned to leave, Antonio raised his voice. “What the hell are you planning to do then?”

Khor kept walking. “To have a sit down with the Canary, figure out where we both stand, ask some questions and get some intel like a civilised human being.” Khor exited the door, taking a moment to look back to Antonio before closing it. “This isn’t your crew old man. Get the fuck back in line.”

Slamming the door Antonio’s eye’s glared at the door, threatening to bore through it with his gaze. He snarled and went back to tending his bar. “It’s mine more than you know, little shit.”