[b][slint x TheYellowKing][/b]

"Should we leave?" Callie said from Ash's bed, no longer nestled under the sheet and blanket (undoubtedly, she had taken note at Ashling wardrobe change: the hockey sweater, black leggings, and ballet flats). She looked ready to brave a lengthy hangover.

"Yeah..." Callie's bright face dropped and Ashling quickly laughed in defense, "...no, no, no. I have work later. Y'all are good for now. You can chill here, smoke, I don't care I'm just going out... but... you should TOTALLY see if they want to do shrooms." Callie cocked a meticulously plucked eyebrow. "Listen." Ashling closed the door and led her friend to the bed, they sat in an attempted huddle that she quickly abandoned all notion of. "He wants me to pick up more when I ain't even sold current stock..." She trailed and when she opened her mouth again, spoke softer, "...I mean, not that he knows that or anything."

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you yesterday."

"Yeah, neither did I. Dude is a creep but he's a good contact."

Callie sighed slowly and deeply. "So you want us to do shrooms for you?"

Hearing the words thrown back at her without the drug dealer rhetoric (which had clearly crashed to the ground in a splintered and flaming heap) didn't make her feel a hundred percent about the attempt, but at the same time pushing drugs was what paid Mama's bills. Barnes & Noble was just self-issued allowance. She pursed pale red lips, "It's like this. I want you to eat an eighth on my behalf because I have to go run some errands and can't hang out with you and you're my shit, dude; my bitch, my partner in crime and badassary. And of course I got YOU on the goods, but I wouldn't want to leave out..." She stood up and thumbed to the dull white wall and further beyond it, to their friends in the 'livi-dini-kitchen'.

Callie smirked, staring straight through her. She wasn't stupid, she just didn't care. Callie would come out of Ashling's room with her baggie, wake up the sleeping bunch, and they'd all have a good time. She knew it would work out for everyone. They didn't necessarily need to know she didn't pay for the trip.

"Just make it so they think you already bought the bag or whatever," she cracked a sideways grin and threw up her hands as to say 'I dunno,' "you're good at manipulating with that, uhh ye'know, subtly nuanced shit."

"Bye biiiiiitch."

She slipped out the door and walked down the hall, crossing back over the still sleeping party patrons. Not much had changed in the main room. Simple movements were made, sure (for instance Jenna was no longer sleeping half on the couch/half on her boyfriend's chest, and alternatively appeared to have had found solace on the carpet), but everyone's general locale remained the same.

Ashling opted for the stairs and bailed out the bottom door, hitting all thirteen flights. It was certainly not the lazy-man's exit but - compared to where the elevators spat the residents out - it would place her a lot closer to the parking lot.

The Camry rumbled lightly down the road, its purring fell completely under the noise from its speakers.

---

Conor's shop sat across the street from Ana's Taquíera, a grub-hut (and personal favorite of Ashling's) in the heart of KC, it made her dart out like a bat out of hell for Jeff's errands. The door chimed open and immediately she was hit with a mix of varying animal food odors and a symphony of chirps and squawks. Ashling saw Conor sitting by his desk, staring glumly at the floor; it wasn't like him. The sound of the shop door slamming shut caught his attention.

"Hey shining-face, how's the hand?" Conor lifted his head, his bright green eyes looking hollow.

"Oh it's nothin', the doctor said it's an inflammation, but it's been a week since then an-."

"- fine... didn't ask for yar life story, sheesh..."

"What a charming ass you are."

"Oh don't be so sensitive, the mice are over there." Conor gestured with his head towards a cage on Ashling's left.

"So," Ashling turned from the cage and sat on a stool on the opposite side of his counter, she placed a box of tea, "I brought the tea. What was it you wanted to talk about?"

Conor stood from his chair and disappeared through the flowing drapery of the door behind the counter, tea in tow. He shuffled around in the back, clanging and scraping about. He set a teapot on the burner before returning to see Ashling rolling her eyes, keeping herself propped up with an open palm.

"So business?"

"Yeh, business." He spoke gruffly, clearing his throat. "Now it's no surprise to me that ya' either found yaself mixed in with crime at a young age or were born into it. Now I won't dive into the specifics on ya history or anything but what I DO need from ya is yar advice on some... uh... storefront defense."

She looked disappointed but an ardent observer could see the smirk hiding, just thinking of etching itself across her face. "Conor, Conor, Conor," she puffed, "what do you think it is I'm doing here? I'm small time. I came here for school and stayed for the city. You're just looking at a Brooklyn girl that fell in love with the Missouri sunrise."

 The teapot whistled lightly under their words.

"No way in hell ya opened up shop as quick as'ya did without any experience, lass. Don't buy it."

"I'm ambitious."

"Wouldn't ya still be enrolled in college if that were the case?"

 "Fuck you, I'm still ambitious." She groaned, defeated at his very question. There was no reason to keep the pathetic diversion going any longer. "MAYBE I can help. Whattaya got?"
 
 "Name's Cipriano, wants m-
 
She laughed as soon as she heard the name, "I know what he wants. You're fucked!"
 
 Conor didn't look too amused.
 
"Listen man," she shifted on her stool, pointing on the counter for emphasis, "that guy was just the messenger, and you see how big that fuck was? Just wait. You can't make the first move, you're just one dude, and plus you don't have the team to hit 'em before they shake you up."

The teapot's whining had been slowly rising while Ash was advising Conor, it pierced entirely through the shop and stirred the animals even more.

"Ashling."

"Yeah?"

"I think there's someone you need to meet."

She gulped, oh boy. What the blazes had she stumbled into?