HELLO, VILLAINS!

【 🎩 】— “ And to what do I owe the pleasure, Madame? ”

【 🎩 】— “ YOU CANNOT SIMPLY MAKE MORE VIBE CHECKS, DOCTOR. ”

“ Have you the faintest idea of what you’ve cost the organization?! Fortunately, I have a way around this one idiotic problem, just as I have the rest of yours... ”

【 🎩 】— What an interesting way to word it. While the response was commendable given her mouthy history, Black Hat had knew exactly how to work claws into the crevices of ones very existence, pulling it apart piece by piece until there was something he could work with. Fear was a powerful energy, one to be thrived off of as it dripped from pneuma and onto a forked tongue. It was to be assumed he lived off it.

“ ‘ Can ’ you? If one were to recall back to a peculiar piece of parchment, a more appropriate word to use would be ‘ MAY ’, wouldn't you agree? ”

Befitting the features, his voice was thick with venom. The single visible eye he had narrowed, but his vicious smile never wavered. As if it had been some time since their last encounter, the half-dryad was held still between two hands, ten digits tightening and threatening to puncture the sides of her face and pull the skin off. Huntress was being studied.

“ A client complained about your misconduct. They found your comments regarding their unfortunate figure rather hurtful. I can’t help but wonder why you still find it in your best interest to be so INSOLENT with our fellow villains. ”

🍃🏹➳ She jerked her wrist down and away from her snooping nostrils when he snapped at her, and quickly distanced herself from the evil entity once they were in the elevator, preferring to lean her back into the corner perpendicular to the level controls.

           “…’Kay,” was her only response, refraining from making a snarky comment as they rode the elevator, mild elevator jazz music buzzing in the cramped space, not helping the tension at all. What exactly did he mean by ‘keeping her mind safe from invasion’ exactly? Were there Illithids or mind flayers here or something? Glob, she hated those things, but it made sense that they’d be here, she guessed. 

         She was still trying to figure this guy out, Black Hat. Admittedly, going to a fancy party was probably one of the nicest things a demon’s contract had ever led her to, but Black Hat also seemed more on edge than the rest of what she had dealt with. He wasn’t nearly as chaotic, so he was somewhat predictable, but at the same time, this also made him pretty unpredictable. He was still an incredibly on-edge character, like angering him would cause him to overreact and lash out violently. 

       Sharp, magical cat-like eyes barred into the other, finally having the time to get a good look at him with her Arcane Sight spell. It was a bad idea. As soon as she focused in on his headwear, a steady trickle of amber-colored blood began to drip from her nose, and her eyes began to water. She coughed a bit, using her now-free arm to wipe her nose. 

【 🎩 】— The pair would regard each other in silence, which brought an ever-increasing level of tension to the tight elevator. From the view of the building prior, it would be a long, long ride up to what would likely be a penthouse of sorts. Of course with a crowd of prissy villains such as this, it wouldn’t come as a surprise.

Black Hat’s gaze was fixed on the door. While most would avoid eye contact out of nervousness or something along those lines, it would be unlike such an entity to feel that way. Perhaps he was thinking? Scheming something? It was hard to tell. And yet, something finally brought his attention to the other, and it was the blood.

His head swiveled quite suddenly, to an alarming extent, and Black Hat glared at the Huntress’ eyes, pupils drawn to mere slits, and then to the blood now staining her wrist. Thin eyebrows raised, the corners of his mouth turning up into a modest but unforgiving coy smile. Of course he’d know. It likely wasn’t the first time that someone had tried to analyze the hatted demon in such a way, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. However, most weren’t stuck in an elevator with the ""person"" of interest.

“ I would have assumed you knew better, Huntress. ” it was almost as if he took great pride in her little act of curiosity, a mocking tone dripping off each word like thick venom. The rest of his form followed his head with a sharp snap! and yet, despite the sudden movement, Black Hat remained perfectly still. One hand behind his back, his other rose slowly to point an index at the eyes now clouded in tears. The green glistened against the dim lights of the elevator, even a simple being could see it. Although, aforementioned simple being would likely consider it an allergic reaction of sorts. “ What your mind interprets of my capabilities will suit you just fine, despite it barely scratching the surface. For your own good, you’ll keep your nose and your Arcane Sight where it belongs; to yourself. ”

“ But you both work under me. You are both paid by me. You both answer to me. All this time spent with this brainless display of superiority could be spent working. ”

The human wouldn’t lie, in all his years of working for Black Hat, it still startled him when things moved of their own accord. Especially out of his hands. Jerking back, he straightened, at least glad he’d had a good segway into asking a different, less forthcoming question.

Until Black Hat spoke again.

“F..Finish the thought? I – It wasn’t really a thought as much as I didn’t want to disturb you – then I thought better of it and I was already here.”

Gloved hands wrung themselves at his sides, refusing to show weakness. More weakness. Having to eat, sleep, and drink was weakness enough, he figured.

“I just – needed a signature. Since – since it was a budget thing…”

And since he remembered last time he’d not gotten the signature when he needed to for the records.

@loinhumano   CONT

【 🎩 】 — With each paper, he didn’t take long to scan his eye down it. Although, with how quickly he flipped through them, it would be assumed he was able to read the information in the millisecond that he spent with it in his attention. Frankly, it wouldn’t be the strangest thing he was capable of. He didn’t even look at the doctor, simply signing documents and setting them aside. And yet, he continued.

“ Do you take me for an idiot, doctor? ”

Black Hat made it through the final signature, picking the stack up and tapping it against his desk a few times to make sure they were pristine and organized, before holding them out for the other to collect. He could have just returned it to Flug himself through whatever means he summoned it to himself, but that would be far too generous. 

【 🎩 】 — He didn’t take kindly to others coming into his office without his specific summoning. Naturally with things such as signatures, there were exceptions to be made. There were things that he needed to review carefully before signing, especially in the business of supplying weapons to villains. He wasn’t a being to be conned, but one could never be too careful.

With a mild flick of the wrist, the documents slipped out of his employee’s hands and into his own. The signature fountain pen he used was summoned, writing swiftly a signature of approval, he regarded Flug very curtly.

Answer or take a shot! | Accepting

【 🎩 】 — “ No. ”

Answer or take a shot! | Accepting 

 【 🎩 】 — “ Yes. ”

Answer or take a shot! | Accepting 

【 🎩 】 — Maintaining eye contact, Black hat grabbed a glass and started pouring. 

He stayed eerily still while bringing it up to his maw, and then he knocked it back swiftly. Slamming Setting the glass down with a rather loud CLACK, it would seem the games had now begun.