By the way, my spell check is now online again. How Evil of me. The trip to the address of their client was uneventful, perhaps too uneventful. It seemed that whoever had wanted them dead, had been pretty sure that one man would be able to do it. Either that or they had no idea who they were dealing with. Based on their fearsome reputation, the latter seemed more likely in Mireille's eyes. Still it had been more than enough to shatter what peaceful calm they had left, what had originally been little more than an easy trip was now turning up to be more of the same. It was a game they had played well for a long time. And Mireille intended to keep on playing. Of course, she had never been forced to deal with the varying factor. Namely; Kirika. Or at least Kirika in her current situation. "I have an appointment with Mr Edwin, he is expecting me." She told the clerk behind the desk who was staring at her avidly. Just another feckless youth who wanted to ogle her, Kirika growled quietly from Mireille's side. "Umm, yes of course,.... Miss Bouquet?" He asked nervously, his eyes darting to Kirika quickly. Mireille smiled as she nodded, Kirika did have her uses in this situation. "Well, he is awaiting you, on the fifteenth floor, an elevator is over there." Mireille thanked him and with Kirika at her side walked over to the elevator, stepping inside and pressing the button for the fourteenth floor. It was an old habit. Elevators were death-traps to assassin's, and an ambush could be awaiting them, so they would take the stairs for the last floor. It was a spacious elevator she had to admit. One of those round, glass walled things that Americans seemed so fond of, looking over New York. None of this Mireille of course saw, since Kirika was eyeing her. She moaned inwardly, of course it had been too much to hope for that she might behave herself. She eyed the small Asian girl warily as she stared into Mireille's own eyes, making her nervous and uncomfortable. Mireille looked away, slightly frightened by what she saw there. Mireille heard the rustling of fabric and edged away from Kirika, who seemed to be almost slithering around the edges of the elevator, moving closer to her. The girl smiled as Mireille continued to edge away until they had pretty much exchanged places with each other. Mireille was well aware that Kirika could close the distance between them in mere seconds. Her breathing quickened. Again Kirika's eyes snared hers, the look perfectly clear as the girl gave a small seductive smile, the gesture so out of character that she might have laughed normally. "Who are you running away from?" The girl asked easily. Mireille's nerves frayed and she burst out before he could think. "Just what the hell are you doing!" Kirika smiled and stopped her edging, the seductive look vanished too, to be replaced by one of great amusement. "Just seeing how much I can make you panic. But there's hardly even a challenge." She explained with a laugh. Mireille huffed angrily as her face went red with embarrassment, that Kirika could fluster her so whilst playing with her. The elevator door swished open, and not a moment too soon. They walked up the flight of stairs without any words, Kirika apparently alert and ready for danger whilst Mireille fumed angrily. By the time they were both before a glass door with the plaque Edwin Marcis engraved on it she was calm again. Kirika made to open the door but Mireille stopped her. "Kirika?" She waited until the girl nodded in apparent confusion, "I want you to stay out here." Easier said than done, Kirika's face went blank for a moment before her eyes turned steely and imploring at the same time. "But... Mireille? Why? This is about me, I need to hear it too. And what if it's a trap I can't protect you!! I need to be with you." Mireille sighed an exasperated sigh as she prepared herself to withstand the hurt look Kirika was giving her. "It's a private conversation, you're still too young to have medical talks like this so as your guardian I go in alone." "You just made that up!" Kirika accused angrily, "And besides we break the law at every step, and you're balking at a medical talk?! What is going to happen in there that you don't want me to hear?" Her voice was getting quiet now, an angry quiet that reminded Mireille of that other Kirika, the one that had almost killed her. But she would NOT relent on this. "No Kirika. No. Please stay out here, for me.... Please...?" Kirika's anger faded and her face was again hurt, almost teary. Oh God no, not the sympathy cell, she moaned to herself as she looked into the girl's imploring eyes. "But what if you get hurt?" She whispered, Mireille tried to dispel the tension with some humour. "Then I'd like a funeral at sea." It was defenitely the wrong thing to say. A lone tear fell down the girl's cheek and she seemed to droop as she stood. Her shoulders falling and her mouth opening slightly, her breathing hitched. Mireille threw her arms around her before she succumbed to tears, crushing her tightly to her chest and rocking her slowly. "Shhh, I'm not going to die Kirika, I'm not going to leave you alone so don't worry. Look, the walls are glass so if you see anything you can shoot it before it hurts me okay?" The girl nodded her head against Mireille's chest and seemed to melt further into her, sobbing slightly. Mireille continued to stroke her hair comfortingly. She'd never realised how much the girl depended on her, it was almost frightening, to have so much power over someone. The worrying question was; What would happen if Mireille were to die? Of a bullet or more natural circumstances. She had the unhappy feeling that Kirika would join her soon after. A minute more of comforting and Kirika pulled away, her face a blank mask as it had been almost constantly before the drug. For a moment Mireille almost thought she was back to normal. "Fine I'll wait. But I want a kiss for it." Obviously not back yet Mireille thought with an exasperated smile. "A small one!" Mireille countered before heading inside with a smile, it was cute really. The man behind the desk raised an eyebrow at her, indicating with a nod of his head the Kirika who was sitting sulkily outside, although she was staring through the glass at them. "I don't want her to know." Was all Mireille said, the man smiled. "A kind thought." He complimented before arranging some papers on his desk. "Well, my name is Edwin Marcis, I'm the one who wrote the e-mails to you, though my superiors were the ones who wanted your services. She's the one I take it?" "Yes." Mireille affirmed without looking back at Kirika, she didn't want to make it too obvious what they were talking about. "That is probably in your favour." He received a blank look, "You see the effects of Merophoxyll should be slower on her because the drug will be fighting over stereotypes in her mind and natural blocks." "English please." Mireille moaned, wondering why she used that phrase since she was French. "I apologise, to put it in Layman's terms; The drug will not effect her so quickly as it is forcing her to be a lesbian, and the natural predisposition of her mind will be fighting it." That made sense, which also meant that the drug had a psychological effect as well as a physiological one. Though Mireille wondered why figuring that out would help her at all. "You see, women effected had no problems. Men are always up for, pardon my frankness, a good shag. And lets face it, the man in question was probably the one who drugged her. It had a far more negative effect on men however." He trailed off, his eyes shifting slightly to Kirika, before moving back to Mireille. "Is she strong? Physically?" Mireille found the question innocent enough so answered. "Stronger than me." The man sighed. "That's not good, you see with men, because they are naturally stronger, they would try and win the person over to them. But failing that they would rape them." Mireille's eyes widened in fear, "And then they would force them to love them and stay with them. Prisoners in their own homes. Often tied to a bed and kept like a pet. Disgusting really." Mireille felt her eyes narrowing in anger. "But that hardly matters now that it has been destroyed, and since I am here for the cure that's it right!?" The man shifted nervously under her ferocious glare. "You bastards. You're not going to give it to me are you?" "Now Miss Bouquet I argued against this, I really did. I do not want to use you, you've been through enough, but I am a lowly official. Look, the high ups are arguing over a single job, I managed to make it just one instead of hundreds, and are trying to decide what. If you go back to your hotel and leave your room number here then I'll send you the job when they decide." Mireille looked at him but sensed only truth in his words, she sagged in the seat and let out a defeated sigh. "And just what am I supposed to do until then? What if she tries to rape me?" She could never imagine Kirika doing such to her, but if she couldn't control it, how different would it be from that other Kirika she so feared? "You must pretend to be interested. She won't force you if she thinks she can seduce you. Play along, you're a beautiful woman I'm sure you've had to lead many men along that you had no interest in sleeping with. Just take it slow and if she tries to rush things, then tell her you're not ready." Mireille nodded. "Golden chambers, penthouse. One job or we hunt them down and take the cure ourselves." He nodded and smiled at her as she departed. "Well!?" Kirika asked as they walked out of the building and into the busy streets. "They have a cure that will purge you of any effects the drug might have had, but we have to do a job for it." Kirika snorted. "Any effects," She mimicked, "Don't play dumb, you know it's done something to me, and what about my kiss?" Mireille blushed slightly as some passers by laughed to themselves. "Later oh impatient one." Mireille laughed placing an arm around Kirika's shoulders and dragging her close. Kirika seemed surprised but after a moment hesitation melted into her side. This is going to be a long day. Mireille said to herself as she plastered a happy smile on her face. Well that's it. Have fun, sorry again I was so late. But my laptop is back in working order. Lets hope it stays that way.
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