It's a pleasure doing business with you. [Private | Lani & Rackie]

Timestamp:
Mark's Magic Tool workshop. Shopping District, Death City, 1:32 PM
A long time after: Don't Threaten me with a Good Time

A typical normal and routine-filled Friday in Death City, if such a thing even existed. People were going their way, doing their thing. Those with jobs were working and students studying, enjoying their post-classes free time or doing their part-time jobs. A typical Friday in Death City indeed.
Mark Kozak was busy in his workshop finishing a very important order for his old and most important business partner. It was an order for multiple wavelength rifles and a few pistols. He'd be using the last of the crystals to complete it, so he needed to get new ones if he wanted to continue work with his usual methods in the future. While Mark was capable of making tools without magic-infused crystals, his inventions were much better with those. Good thing his business partner was also his supplier in that matter.

After finishing packing the order into sturdy crates and moving all of them to the main shop-part of his workshop, Mark allowed himself a few minutes to fix his hair and adjust his clothes. His business partner, however, had perfect timing, and just as he finished patting dust off of his vest, she entered the shop, followed by two of her bodyguards. Chloe Carmen, his supplier, and a business partner was wearing an elegant business suit with a black skirt, heels, and a tie. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, which didn't hide the fact that her hair was very long. Her appearance screamed 'I'm a woman of business' basically.

One of her bodyguards put two suitcases on top of Mark's counter and then stepped away to stand near the door. "It is wonderful to see you, mister Kozak. I have started to miss our transactions." The witch said with a polite smile on her face. Mark knew she wasn't a big fan of humans herself, but it was clear to him, she at least respected him. "The pleasure is always mine, miss Carmen." Mark simply replied
"Your supply of crystals and money are, as usual, in the suitcases. I have personally counted everything." The witch told him while pointing at the two suitcases, before waving at one of the weapon crates. Her bodyguard opened a smaller one and pulled something out of it - it was a small, but very elegant wavelength pistol. It was all black and rather modern-looking, but it also had decorative golden carvings. The bodyguard put the weapon on top of the counter and Chloe started inspecting it with a rather happy smile on her face.

Mark's enchanting workshop was either far from a secret or simply one of the worst kept secrets in Death City. By the fact that she'd initially only begun tracking it down based on rumors, rather than from whispers in the shadows, she was betting on the former. Originally, she contemplated stopping by in her Bovine form, but that would not work out well with the horns that accompanied it, as they wouldn't make it through any standard-issue doorway. It was a shame, really, as that was one of her strongest and most shapely forms; Phoebe had always found it to be significantly easier to show people that she meant business when she used that one. That thought aside, she'd ended up picking one of her older forms at random, settling on the tan, shapely form connected to gazelles and the like: Eale. It was a speedy form, all legs --- she honestly was almost always all legs --- that were toned and magically enhanced when she got her skills going. Tanned richly with a killer hourglass figure, she scoured her closet for nearly an hour before settling on soft dress pants that hugged her hips before tappering off to straight lines down her long legs. Shoes were easy enough to find --- she could run in most anything. Locating a pair of dress pants that actually had some traction to them, she set about finding away to tame the bust she was unaccustomed to, eventually pulling on a more modest undershirt that would hide her bra color --- it wouldn't do to just go off trying to seduce people on her first meeting every time --- and a plain, if professional, white blouse with a ruffled design down the middle. Pinning her hair up into something of a professional bun was a separate issue, and it made her brown-grey, almost twisted horns more obvious. She could work with that. Putting on just enough makeup to make her golden eyes pop, she gave herself a once over before snapping a picture in her full-body mirror. {ARC} The witch looked at it for a moment before sending it to her most frequent contact of... well, the century, along with the caption: "Tell me I'm pretty ;)" While she'd managed a professional appearance overall, there was no doubting the flirtatious look she had given the camera. No one would be able to deny that she had taken it specifically to flirt, and it appeared it was for Jay's eyes only --- she sent it to no one else. {/ARC} Grabbing the briefcase, office bag, and her purse from beside the door, she donned what she could before heading out, setting the alarm and locking the door behind her.

By the time she made it down to the workshop, she was behind her preferred schedule. She would have liked to have gotten there when he had first opened, but she'd been too indecisive throughout the day with making a good first impression and had lost track of the time. The horn witch wasn't to be swayed however, even when she arrived to another customer already present, and a frequent one, by how they spoke and interacted. No matter. Shifting her other bag to her off-hand, albeit a little awkwardly, she began to walk around the shop, eyeing what was on display and waiting pleasantly for a chance to butt in. Of course, by the looks of things, the entire shop's inhabitants were made up of no more than herself, the shopkeeper enchanter, and the customer with her entourage. It would be hard for her not to stick out, especially with the amount she was carrying and her horns. She hadn't even bothered with her soul protect, making her witchy presence that much more obvious.

Mark's workshop wasn't really a secret at all. He saw no point in making it such. After all besides selling weaponry, building full robotic golems for AIs, creating enchanted clothing for witches and making sure his friend's prosthetic arm worked properly he liked creating more mundane items for his customers. After meeting an enchanter who specialized in creating magical clocks, he took an interest in creating Nixie tube clocks powered by magic-infused crystals provided to him by Chloe Carmen. In his fascination, he even made a small section dedicated to such clocks. Apart from that, he had other simple items, all of them had some elegancy to them since he liked used gold to decorate more expensive of his wares. Really, the quality of the item was often determined by the amounts of gold used in most cases. No gold obviously meant that the item was designed for an everyday person who would enjoy some cool little gadgets. Among the most notable items sold there one could find, for example, portable chargers, fancy radios, gramophones, and even a waffle maker. Yes, a waffle maker.

Of course, Phoebe's witchy presence was easily noticed by Mark who apart from being an enchanter, was also a meister. He smiled towards her politely, also taking a curious glance at her horns. "Welcome, miss!" The enchanter greeted her, as Chloe examined a wavelength pistol. Hearing him greet another customer curiously, or perhaps cautiously made the witch look at the newcomer. Seeing that the other customer seemed to have horns certainly awoken some curiosity in her. The two bodyguards didn't even move, only sending Phoebe discreet glances as if to make sure she wasn't going to attack their boss.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Mark asked, keeping his gentle and polite demeanor.

"By the looks of your shop, a lot of things actually, Mr. Kozak." Her interests had flitted around the store multiple times, and while she was currently rather intently examining and appraising the clocks, her eyes kept drifting down to the waffle maker. It felt so out of place in the store, but it was so unique. She wanted it. "My business can wait if you would like. I don't wish to interrupt." As she said this, her gaze turned to Chloe, and she gave her a rather obvious once-over, ending at her face and presenting her with a gorgeous, earnest smile. "No need to interrupt the beautiful lady, after all."

Chloe looked over at the newcomer once more and raised her eyebrow looking at her. What was that supposed to mean? As far as she was concerned, they were just two random customers in that shop and there was no connection between them. Then why was she complimented like that out of the blue? The necromancer witch moved to the side making space for Phoebe by the counter and gestured. "My business is concluded. I only admire the work. May I take a look inside? I'm always fascinated by the internal design of these things." Chloe said addressing Phoebe and then Mark.
The enchanter reached underneath the counter and pulled out a small toolbox and placed it on the counter. One of her bodyguards moved on to carefully remove the cover on the pistol's grip revealing a glowing gem inside which was connected to some intricate, obviously enchanted mechanism. Chloe took a magnifying glass and with clear fascination started observing how all the tiny pieces were basically the heart and soul of the weapon.
After clearing his throat Mark once again looked at Phoebe, once again giving her his usual polite smile. "Is there anything that's caught your eyes, miss? Or perhaps I can create a custom made magic tool for you?" He asked.

God, him offering commission work off the bat made her want to dance with joy, but she kept her composure. Still, she turned back to the clocks before approaching the counter. Setting the office bag down beside her, she lifted the briefcase up to set on the counter between them, facing him. It was warded such that one couldn't tell anything from it; it gave off no magic, no scent, nothing. "I have a proposition for you, sir, though even if you refuse it I would be interested in some of your items." She wanted to make it very clear that this was a business offer at worst and a friendly interaction of consumer and provider at best. Her mind kept getting hung up on the silly presence of the waffle maker, and she did have a genuine interest in his clock designs as well. "If you'll permit me, I'd like to show you."

The briefcase and the wording used by the other woman only caught Chloe's attention. Although it was probably just how her line of work started affecting her - she started reading into some things too much. Probably.
Mark gave Phoebe a somewhat curious look, his polite smile still present on his face. He was certainly intrigued as it was probably the first time when someone had a proposition for him other than just asking for a commission. "Please do. I would like to know what I will be working with, madame." The enchanter said pointing at the briefcase with his hands.

She smiled, pausing for a moment as her hands went to hold both halves of the case. "Don't be worried. I can control this." Phoebe told them as the case was opened, revealing, among several things, the Hope Diamond. It gave off a faint hint of something sinister, nothing outright, but a well-known, though powerful death curse. Of course, these things only affected their owners, and never someone who had only seen it. Even with this, the aura was powerful enough to make the glistening blue gem seem far from safe, for anyone's hands. It wasn't the only thing present, however. Now that it was open, the briefcase could easily be noticed to have something of a warding enchantment on it, blocking the things inside it from spreading or being sensed. It still held up, even open, enough that while one could tell that the objects were tinged in magic, the magic wasn't seeping out.

Beyond the diamond were a few other things, however. A simple dagger that seemed to be charmed, a series of small scrolls, a light tome, and a few other small, cursed trinkets, some of which appeared to be of voodoo or other poor reputation sources dotted the bottom of the space. It was a small container, and so not many things were in it. Taking up a good bit of the space inside, however, and likely the reason for the case being so thick was a well-known object with a curse similar to the Hope Diamond's: the Basono Vase. Everyone that came to possess it had died within a day of coming into possession of it. It had been thought to have been buried in an unmarked, sealed lead casket in the previous century. Though not as remarkable as the diamond, it was still well-known, and unmistakable in its beauty. It was, after all, pure silver. Unlike everything else int the case, it gave off no magic, as though its aura had been... dispelled.

"Among other things, I'm a collector." She stated in explanation; this much was obvious enough. "I can enchant and disenchant objects. Some of these, I've made myself. I've removed the curse from the vase myself, as well." She made a slight nod towards the jewelry. "I'd prefer some privacy, but I can disenchant this for you, if you want proof." She waited to explain her reason for being there, waited until she could prove her point that yes, she was capable, and curious.

"A fellow witch then, hm?" Chloe thought out loud after overhearing what the other woman had told Mark. She was given enough proof to believe the other customer was another magic-user. Such a coincidence. It also didn't seem like she was one of those DWMA witches she preferred to stay away from. Chloe's interest went up somewhat as her curiosity started growing.

In the meantime, Mark put his magnifying goggles and as well as a pair of enchanter's gloves that he had tucked behind his belt. He started examining the items carefully and while he was no expert in historical jewelry he could determine the items shown to him were old and probably pretty valuable despite the curse that was attached to them. He finally looked up at Phoebe and removed the goggles. "I can tell that some of these items have been infused with enchantments or... curses, indeed. Judging by your unprotected witch soul I doubt a proof is needed." Mark said, glancing over at the briefcase again. "What exactly is the proposition that you wish to give me then, madame?" He asked calmly resting both of his hands on the counter.

"A sponsorship, for one," She said, gently closing the case and relocking it when she was sure he had his hands clear of its contents. Setting it between her feet and the counter, she lifted the office bag to the counter and pulled out a contract. It was a lot, but she wanted to make sure that it was all sorted out and would cover both of them properly, mainly himself. To gain an ally you needed their trust, and to gain their trust, she usually opted to give them the upperhand. "By no means do you have to respond immediately --- I know that it's a lot --- but, I wanted to make sure you knew that I was serious in this endeavor. I can enchant and disenchant items, but the timing, among other things, have to be just right. The same goes for curses. However," She glanced around the shop again, clearly, genuinely in awe of it. Turning back to him, she continued, "I can't do what you can do with them --- I can't bring them to life, figuratively or literally. My work is parlor tricks, by comparison, and I have my own reasons for not being able to do it extensively. You, though," She said, and while she didn't make it obvious, she knew that the other witch was listening in. With luck, she'd be able to entice her curiousty into some sort of deal as well. "You have a natural talent and drive for this the likes I don't think I've ever seen --- certainly not in a sane man. I'd be honored to encourage your business to grow, as well as to have some regular commissions myself." Turning to the last page of the documents, she set them on the side of the bag closer to Chloe, knowing that even with her glasses she might be able to see. The page contained a summary of the agreement, including the price point she was willing to invest, annually --- on something of a salary basis --- into Mark's work. There were two many zeros for anyone of modest upbringing to quite comprehend. Clearly, the girl was loaded and she was willing to show it, to use it, when she wanted. Right now, she wanted.

Mark crossed his arms on his chest, focused entirely on listening to what Phoebe had to offer him. By no means, he'd considered his work the best in the world. He was rather modest about it and all he would admit to was doing his best to create items he himself was proud of. In fact, apart from the weaponry, he wasn't really too interested in making one type of item all over again. Besides, he didn't want to judge Phoebe yet, but in his eyes, she was probably trying to use sweets words of praise to get him to sign something he would probably regret later on. It was just healthy skepticism, but he had no proof to judge her intentions yet. When Phoebe was done talking, he patiently and carefully read through the contract, or at least what was provided to him. Out of respect really, because he'd already made his decision and no amounts of money would change his mind.
"Madam, I really appreciate the offer and all the praise I have just received. However, I am afraid I am not going to sign this contract. I can take commission work from you but under my standard agreements." Mark quickly said.

Chloe's response to that decision was unusual, at least in her opinion. She immediately reached out and grabbed by Mark's tie and pulled him close. "Mark, you imbecile! This contract could literally change everything!" The witch harshly scolded her business partner. "Damn it, if I got such a contract for security work or revivals I would probably accept it!" She said.

"I do not care about riches. I am quite content with the current state of my business." Mark said calmly. He had his reasons. Multiple ones. He simply wouldn't talk about them with anyone.
Scoffing, Chloe let go off Mark's tie and shook her head.

Her pleasant expression didn't fade, though she did nod, closing her case and holding a hand out to him. "That's just fine," she asserted. The money could be directed elsewhere if she couldn't find success in investing in him. With luck, she might be able to find a specialized golemancer. "I appreciate you taking the time to humor me. Do you mind if I still look around?" Her eyes flickered to Chloe, a tinge of amusement in them. She'd heard the outburst: security work and revivals. She could make use of such talents, and in fact she knew just the little devil that she could introduce the woman to, with any luck. She'd need to get to know this woman first however. It wouldn't do to bore the man or ruin the woman.

Mark shook a hand that was offered to him and a polite smile returned onto his face. "Yes, feel free to look around. I would not mind giving you a tour around my workshop in the back if you are interested, madam." Mark stated, then looked around his shoulder at the door leading into his working area.

Chloe started taking a real interest in the mysterious and uber-rich woman. Who was she? Why was she so rich? Would she be able to get some of those riches? Her own greediness was slowly filling her head with desire to get richer than she already was. It wasn't her fault that she liked the money so much! "Alright, again, Mark, why?" Chloe asked, still unable to comprehend why would he turn down so much money.

"As I said, I have no desire for riches and I do enjoy my freedom to enjoy and completely decide what to focus on. As an example, the waffle maker was a result of me getting awoken in the middle of the night by a surge of inspiration. Uh, I just love my job and I believe being tied by a contract would kill it for me, okay, miss Carmen? Besides, with my current assets, I was able to create some things I am so proud of, I am assured that getting more funds is not necessary: A golem-doll for a person who can't leave their room, a prosthetic arm, even a robe that forces an artificial soul protect on a wearer in case the sway started affecting them. Some of those projects would not even be possible without the help of my friends..." Mark explained calmly to Chloe. Of course, it wasn't all, there were more reasons, but he was just revealing the things he was comfortable with revealing.

"Ah, fine! As long as I can count on you to get me more guns, it's all fine. After all, I need equipment for my people." Chloe said and then sighed quietly.

Speaking of the waffle maker, Phoebe returned in short order with it bundled up in her arms like a baby, and her eyes sparkling. Clearly, she had taken a liking to the little device and wanted to buy it, and possibly more. Still, she waited until the pair were done with their exchange before even approaching the counter, at which point she gingerly set the machine down before glancing towards the clocks. Even with longer legs, she was still rather short. "I... might require some assistance," she admitted softly, clearly not proud of the fact.

Seeing the other witch so interested in Mark's waffle machine brought a smile to Chloe's face. It was a really cute reaction on her part, especially after she had displayed her business-like demeanor just moments before. Her asking for assistance was even cuter. Discreetly Chloe found some entertainment in watching the mysterious horned witch in action.
"Right away, madam." Mark said, before vaulting over the counter, somehow not knocking down anything that was already on it. Being a tall man he was, he could easily reach every shelf in his shop. He looked towards his richly decorated Nixon tube clocks each powered by two magic-infused crystals which would last potentially for centuries. "You are interested in one of these clocks, correct?" Mark made sure before approaching the shelf

Phoebe's face shot red in a heartbeat, and she quickly moved out of the way as he vaulted. Of all things she'd expected today, that certainly hadn't been anywhere on the list. Composing herself, she nodded, pointing to one of the ones higher up, her eyes dancing all the while. To no one's real surprise, it had a nice collection of in-lain gold, though that wasn't exactly what had drawn her attention... she'd just clearly not bothered to care much about the price. "That one," she said gently, at least able to point to the proper shelf, "Third one from the right."

Chloe amusement started piking up seeing the horned woman's face turn red after Mark had vaulted over his counter. She couldn't deny the man his style. After finally packing the weaponry up, she just whispered to her bodyguard to start transporting the cargo to a car, basically leaving only one of her bodyguards with her. She stayed there, just to watch what else would happen under the excuse of watching for something she could buy for herself.

Even though Mark was tall he needed to stand on his toes to get that clock with both of his hands. He quickly examined it. Definitely, it was one of his best-crafted ones and also one of the first. Another product of him being unable to sleep in the night. He handed it to Phoebe with a polite smile. "Here you go madam" Mark said before he returned to his previous spot with a and started typing in the products on the cash register, which, of course, was also his magic tool. He even used Nixon tubes for a price display. The clock was quite expensive as it turned out, but the waffle maker, on the other hand, seemed quite affordable for an ordinary person.

"Card, cash, or check?" She asked him pleasantly, wanting to pay with his preferred method. It made no real difference to her what she used, and she seemed to be bouncing a little in place, if only slightly, as another idea danced around her mind. "And how does your commission process work...?" Actually, her real question was can I place a commission order, now? Phoebe wanted to make sure she could go ahead and do so first, however.

"I accept all methods of payment, madame." Mark responded, again giving Phoebe his signature polite smile. Of course, cash was probably the safest option and the card was the quickest. He'd simply adjust to what his customer was most comfortable with. "The process is simple: A customer may come into the shop or use any other form of contacting me to present me with their idea. If I deem it doable, I discuss the details, the estimated price, and the time required to complete the commission. During the process, I may contact the commissioner again if further details are necessary. Depending on the complexity and the materials that are needed to be used, sometimes I will ask a certain amount of the final price to be paid in advance. That doesn't happen often." Mark gave a very brief and simple explanation. He liked challenge and he'd usually agree for most commissions.

She set the office bag on the counter again, studying the total before pulling out the exact amount, in case, from the bag. There was no telling where the change came from. "Would... a robotic vacuum be possible?" She asked, pulling up an image without thinking of a little Roomba and holding it out to him. Surely he knew what it was, but she wanted to clarify that she wanted a low, down-to-earth one rather than a robot with vacuum feet.

Mark quickly opened the cash register and put the money inside. After printing out a receipt and handing it to Phoebe, he finally listened to what was on her mind and... She wanted him to make a Roomba? At first, Mark stared at her in disbelief, but then he suddenly started chuckling amazed by the question. "Of course it would, madame! I may already have a few ideas for it." Mark said, smiling widely, politeness replaced by actual excitement to work on the commission. He was really, really passionate about his work and it showed. "Do you have any specific requests regarding its design and materials that you'd like to be used?" He asked.

The little witch shook her head, smiling at him in turn, "I'd like a Kozak original. I want to see what you would do with it, given only a base request." Besides how simply interesting it could be to see what he could do with the design itself, she felt that if she tried to customize it too much then she would only have more issues with pack bonding with the poor thing, which would render her ultimately heartbroken any time she bumped it or if it ever broke. With most things, she had no trouble with treating it as a mere object, even sometimes with people. On the other hand, she had a fierce maternal instinct, which was a large reason why she didn't often return to her monsters' hideout. If she stayed too long that she would inevitably never leave, which would cause a whole host of other issues. Instead, she left the mothering to Xenia, who not only had experience but did a phenomenal job besides the fact.

Mark let out another chuckle at "A Kozak original". In his mind, he already had an idea of how to design such a little robot. It had to look somewhat cute to please Phoebe's eyes. Good thing he'd already had someone who would help him with the programming part of the device so he could solely focus on the design, creation and enchantment. "Very well! May I get an email address or a phone number from you madame, so I can contact you with further details?" Mark asked. He needed to do some math to determine how much did he'd need and how expensive the project would be.

With the bag still on the counter, she opened an outer pocket and withdrew a card from it. Examining it to make sure she'd kept them properly up to do, she handed it to him. It appeared to be a business card, or at least a contact one, with her name, first and last, neatly written across the top in legible calligraphy. The rest of the card had contact information for her cell, email, fax, and a business address. If Mark had explored the City at any decent length then he would know that it was a small office space like one would find in something like a Noir movie or a private psych practice. "This should still be right," She said, handing it to him. In the corner, covered by her thumb with how she handed it, was a sort of emblem with three horns on it; the two on the ends were curved inwards like traditional demon horns while the one in the center looked like a unicorn's. Neither set matched the ones currently protruding from the woman's skill.

Taking the card from Phoebe Mark started reading what was on the card, taking notice of the emblem and comparing it to Phoebe's set of horns - out of curiosity than anything. ""Still"?" The enchanter repeated after the witch curiously raising an eyebrow. With a weird sign of respect, the placed the card down underneath the counter, onto a small shelf. It seemed like he didn't recognize the address though. "I will attempt to contact you in the evening or tomorrow with all the details regarding the estimated price and the number of days I will need to complete this project." Mark said and smiled again.

Chloe, who'd been listening and observing the exchange between the two under the excuse of being also interested in one of the clocks Mark'd made approached the counter again just in time. "The guy's a workaholic. I bet he won't sleep at night now that he's been given something specific to do." Chloe commented.