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Yllka Qosja:
The Shepherd's Rest was a proper hotel once up on a time, not too far from the riverfront. Closed down half a decade ago and never repurposed or refurbished before night, it was a bit of a blight in an already somewhat blighted neighborhood.
Then Yllka showed up and started putting her gang together, and they moved in to make the place their headquarters of sorts. The place was cleaned up well and it once again look a bit like a hotel, aside from the lack of a reception desk or any kind of signage. In place of a check-in counter the bar has been expanded and a kitchen added, turning a large portion of the front of the first floor into a lounge/bar/restaurant combination
It would look reasonably legitimate if not for a couple of clearly armed men near the door, or the fact that a good number of the people currently occupying the room are wearing some pretty specific combinations of black and red. Also, if not for the fact that nobody seems to have any qualms about smoking there whatever the local regulations might permit.
There are also a good number of women present, not just men, and Yllka is presently sitting with a couple of them, all talking quietly amongst each other as one of them recounts a story that has everyone, including Yllka, periodically laughing.
Arthur Franklin:
Rumors of a new group setting up shop had caught Arthur's attention, and after setting things up through the proper back channels he arrived at the Shepherd's Rest a few minutes before the time arranged, a bright smile on his face as he greeted the guards. The Wizened was dressed neatly but not overly pretentiously, aiming to make a good impression but not be an asshole about it.
Yllka Qosja:
"You must be Arthur," one of the guards says when the man enters, his tone friendly even as he looks Arthur over, eyes clearly checking for signs of any weapons. He speaks with a thick accent, but seems confident with his English. "Yes?"
Yllka herself looks up when someone enters, but for the moment she keeps listening to the story, at least until there's a sign about whether this is who she's meeting with or not.
Arthur Franklin:
There were no visible weapons on his person, and he allowed them to look without putting up a fuss. "You would be correct." He replied with that bright smile still in place, practically oozing the placid pleasantness that all customer server workers embody so well.
Yllka Qosja:
"Wonderful," the man says, continuing with the friendly tone. "I'm Andri. Yllka told us that you might be stopping by. I'll take you back to meet her if you'll follow me?" He gestures and heads toward a door to one side of the room, where a manager's office might be if this was a proper bar of some sort. He doesn't seem to have much problem turning his back on Athur, but why would he, here in their own house, when there's another guard by the door to watch his back and everything?
Yllka quietly excuses herself from where she was engaged and gets up to head that way too, a lanky young woman with short black hair and cold eyes that doesn't look like she could be more than maybe 19.
One other thing Arthur might get is just the sort of feeling that tends to leave people convinced a place is haunted. There's definitely an eerie sense to the place that has nothing to do with it being a gang's turf.
Arthur Franklin:
"Pleasure to meet you, Andri. Lead on." He made an 'after you' motion before following after the guard, taking in the place as they headed further in. The spooky sensations got his Autumn senses tingling, of course, but a pin was stuck into that little tidbit for the time being. Business before pleasure, of course.
He gave Yllka a brief once-over before offering her a kilowatt smile and a hand to shake. "Good evening. Lovely place you have here."
Yllka Qosja:
Andri opens the door when he reaches it, and sure enough it's an office on the other side. There's no pretense or ostentation there, just a desk that looks like it was probably bought from a yard or estate sale, a couple of chairs in front of it that don't match but at least look comfortable, and another chair behind it, similarly straight forward.
The gangster moves into the room and steps aside from Arthur, and Yllka arrives just behind the two to make her way in as well. She takes the offered hand in hers, and for such slender hands her grip is surprisingly strong, but not challenging. "Thank you," she says as her eyes watch his without wavering. Whatever she looks like, Yllka clearly doesn't lack self-assurance. She seems to have a similar accent to Andri's, even if it's not as thick. "Take a seat if you'd like," she adds as she makes her way around to the seat behind the bar. "Can I offer you a drink?"
Arthur Franklin:
His own grip is firm but not overly so, a well-practiced motion that's almost muscle memory at this point. He met her gaze easily, that pleasant smile firmly in place.
"Thank you," he replied, taking one of the offered seats. "Some water would be fine."
Yllka Qosja:
Meanwhile, Yllka doesn't seem like a woman prone to smiling, at least not when business is involved. She was laughing with some of the women out in the bar just a few minutes ago, so clearly she's capable of humor, but it sure doesn't show in her eyes.
She sits down as Andri volunteers, "I'll go get it. Anything for you, Yllka?" He doesn't seem to think twice about leaving a near stranger who only got a visual weapon search alone with the boss, and she doesn't seem nervous about the idea either. Either confident or incompetent, perhaps?
"Rakıa," Yllka says to him with a nod, taking her eyes off of Arthur to say it. "Thank you, Andri. Would you also remind Dua that she's supposed to check in on Nadzeya this afternoon?"
Andri nods and departs with an, "of course." Yllka's hard gaze turns back on Arthur, waiting for him to begin.
Arthur Franklin:
"Rakia...haven't had that in a while." He commented, nodding to Andri as he headed off before looking back to Yllka. "Thank you for meeting with me, for starters. I've heard good things about you and yours, and I wanted to extend a hand and offer my services to help you all hit the ground running as it were."
Yllka Qosja:
"Good working relationships are an important foundation for a successful enterprise," Yllka says in her accented English. "I'm glad to make connections with the right people, and if you do business with the kind of people who are saying good things about us, not bad ones, then you might be the right kind of person." Might. "What kinds of services are you hoping to sell us?"
Arthur Franklin:
"Agreed." He nodded, his own accent pure New Yorker. "I work primarily in acquisitions and transportation services. If there's something you need I can track it down for you for a good price."
Yllka Qosja:
"There are things we can use, of course," Yllka replies as she crosses her legs at the knees. "We're not a large organization and we've made some enemies, which I suspect you know. Quality body armor and better armaments would help keep my people alive when inevitable reprisals come along. Reliable sources for untainted drugs, as well."
Arthur Franklin:
"I did hear you made quite a splash getting set up here." He nodded, sitting back in his seat. "The arms and armaments I can certainly help with; is there anything in particular you're looking for on that front?"
Yllka Qosja:
"To start with? My preference would be for function over farm, economical and low-maintenance. Glock 19s or SIG P226s, for instance. Some SMGs that fire subsonic ammunition that is easy to obtain and not armor piercing," Yllka answers plainly, and she clearly knows her business in this regard. "They're far less likely to result in stray shots tearing through the neighborhood homes and injuring innocent bystanders. Heckler & Koch UMP 45s or MP7s, that kind of thing."
Arthur Franklin:
Arthur nodded along as she spoke, his features calm and placid all the while. The mention of avoiding bystander casualties did earn a quick smile, though. "I can talk to my people and see what I can find for you. I do applaud you for thinking of the neighbors, though; most people don't take that into consideration."
Yllka Qosja:
Yllka circles a finger in the air with a gesture that indicates everything around them. "There's no fucking point in all this if we're just as bad as everyone we push out," she says, not with any ire toward Athur despite the foul language. "If you can get your hands on body armor I would gladly pay for that as well, because I'd like the people who follow me to survive it, if at all possible. Class III-a at minimum, ideally, or even Class III or VI, or ESAPI, or something equivalent."
Arthur Franklin:
"I agree fully. Working with the community rather than against it is something I strive for as well, part of why I keep things as above board as I'm able."
Yllka Qosja:
"I don't make any claim to being above board, since clearly so much of what we do is illegal," Yllka says with a hint of something like a smile, an expression that thaws the chill of her gaze more than it moves her lips. "But my motivation here isn't to make money, or to gain power. Those are side effects and means to an end. I simply recognize that certain activities are going to happen one way or another, and I have some ability to influence how safely they can be done, for everyone involved."
Arthur Franklin:
He returned that smile, if more genuine than her own, and gave a small nod. "Glad to hear it. I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's someone else in town working along those same lines and is looking for like-minded people. I can point you in their direction if you like."
Yllka Qosja:
"Would you be talking about Vincent Drake?" Yllka asks, inclining her head slightly to one side. "If so, he and I met recently and spoke about some of this. If not, then I'd be glad to know who else might have similar notions."
Arthur Franklin:
"He does get around, doesn't he." He chuckled at that. "He would be the one, yes."
Yllka Qosja:
"Maybe he does," Yllka says, finally letting out a soft laugh. "Or maybe it's that I've started getting around, now that I've consolidated our power some."
Arthur Franklin:
"Either is definitely possible." He nodded with a smirk. "What were your thoughts of him, out of curiosity?"
Yllka Qosja:
"He seemed willing to help me when all he saw was a girl looking like me asking some unhoused people if they'd seen someone from a photograph," Yllka answers, seeming curious why Arthur is curious. "He didn't know who I was or who my associates are, and was still willing to go out of his way, which is a mark in his favor. I don't know too much about his Howlers and their business, so I can't offer a professional opinion, but I don't know this is as personal for him as it is for me. It makes me wonder how he'll respond when the going gets toughest. When the people we're opposing start going after the people we care about, looking for ways to assassinate us with drive-by shootings and car bombs, and everything else that will be coming."
Arthur Franklin:
He listened intently as she spoke, nodding quietly at the end. "I've been wondering that as well. He's got a good heart and has a firm plan in mind, but I'm curious to see what and how he does when the rubber hits the road."
Yllka Qosja:
"There might not be a problem, but you never know for sure how people will deal with that kind of thing until it happens," Yllka says, as though she's speaking from experience. "Some people can handle it and some people can't."
Arthur Franklin:
"Very true indeed." He replied, his tone also expressing a measure of experience on that front. "We'll see what happens, I suppose."
Yllka Qosja:
"We will," Yllka agrees, getting up from her chair. "If there wasn't anything else, let me know if you're able to get the things I'm looking for?"
Arthur Franklin:
"Nothing else at the moment." He stood as well, offering a hand and a bright smile. "It was good talking with you, and I'll let you know what I find."
Yllka Qosja:
She takes the hand and smiles faintly. "I should go find out why Andri didn't come back with our drinks," she says. "I suspect he got distracted with flirting, but you never know."
Arthur Franklin:
"Maybe. It was a pleasant visit nonetheless."
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