#filthystill

Billie feels for him. She does.

It's a hard thing to reconcile, that the things that go bump in the night might not be as much of a figment as you hope they are. She wraps her purely-for-show coat a little closer around her. Listens to the fire crack in the barrel. Thinks, briefly, about the gunshot that should have killed her.

"I could tell you you're crazy, baby," She starts slowly. "But you'd hate me for lying to you."

Best not remind him that he only sees her in the dead of night too.

One hurdle at a time, and the spirit that keeps following him around is probably a better place to start.

"Are you scared of it, or are you scared of what it might mean?"

Maybe it's the same thing. Maybe he'll arc up at the idea of being scared at all, macho man that he is.

He didn't want it, but it's here regardless.

More specifically, she's here, slowly taking off leather gloves, pulling at the tip of each finger daintily. As much as he stinks, she is polished, like none of this messy business could ever touch her— although, that wouldn't be quite true.

Jimmy used a gun. She had something sharper. Bigger. And massacres are still massacres no matter what you use to kill people. And massacres are still massacres regardless if you spare the women and children, although Didi rarely has.

Because examples must be set. Her job under Thoth was very simple; solve the problem. Sometimes it required simple compromise or perhaps a stern conversation, her nails digging into someone's shoulder as she told them exactly what will become of them if she has to talk to them twice. Sometimes it requires something a little more creative— but that's entirely up to Jimmy.

"I don't know if everyone would agree that what you do is fun, hm." Hands now free, the next thing to go are the shades that are slipped into her purse, amber eyes glancing up at him; it's easy to see why she was picked to be the face of HR for Thoth's operation; it's very hard to argue with that face.

"The issue with your dog in particular is that it's a very costly thing. Breaking infrastructure, loss of manpower, the cleaning up of the very big messes you leave— it does take a toll Jimmy." And while it's a cost they could cover, Thoth had made it clear that he did not want to spend any more of his precious attention on James Hopkins.

"Now, there are usually only a few ways to deal with a rabid dog, hm; the county will usually put down dogs like that but I'm a bit of an animal lover, so you can imagine I'm not too keen to do such a thing— So my options really are; neuter them, take that spring right out of their step— or a more humane re-training. Because you of all people know how valuable you can be when you want to be Jimmy." And she had no problem letting the dog off the leash, just as long as he could be...let's say re-routed towards the right people; enemies, competition.

winesburg, ohio.

"i can see that."

mutt's answer comes out in a strange evenness, sandpaper-rasp voice oddly calm in its tone. he circles further around, the better to eye the corpse's face. jim'd pretty well fucked it up beyond recognition. his own does not flinch, but a silent coldness still washes over his insides at the brutal sight.

he steps back, feels his shoulder blades press up against the concrete building behind him. he's not afraid of him, but a man's a man. jim wouldn't be the first to get the bright idea of grabbing him into his head the moment he does something he dislikes.

Cee knows the sound of genuine pearls hitting marble countertops. That's just how she was brought up. She picks up the necklace to appreciate the way the light hits it, although she doesn't look all that impressed.