[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me
Taliah Dawson
These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

To say that Taliah was vexed would be a gross understatement. Although the brunette was forced to admit, at least to herself anyway that she was partially to blame for her current state of agitation. Having traveled the path of trying to survive while still under the roof of an incapacitated parent, Liah had perhaps sympathized a little too much with the plight of her best friend's cousin which had led to her agreeing to take him on as a supplier. With him still being quite green, his prices were quite affordable and the first batch that she'd partaken of had been satisfactory. However, the second batch was awful placing her in a precarious situation with her regulars.  

While her business could easily withstand the financial losses that accompanied a decrease in demand, it was the tarnishing of her reputation that angered Liah the most. Still, the petite twenty three year old supposed that she couldn't be but so angry. After all, she did get back the money she paid him for her supply, the young woman thought to herself with a sinister grin. Still, the whole ordeal had left her not only having to rebuild her reputation and re establishing faith with her clientele but also in desperate need of a new supplier. Which was precisely what had drawn Taliah from the comfort of her home on this blustery day.

Of all the places that the pair could have met up, her potential new business partner had chosen above all... a train station. It was certainly inconspicuous enough that they were likely to be left alone to conduct their business, but still an odd location, Taliah thought to herself as she flipped the hood of her north face jacket over her head and trudged on towards the platform that she'd been given. It was then that Taliah  realized that she had no idea whom she was looking for. ""Sh*t", she wore under her breath as her gaze swept the length of the platform.

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[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

While her work for the Queen of Spades certainly kept her busy, Persephone still had plenty of free time in which to indulge in her hobbies. Fortunately, her work tied in nicely with her hobbies anyway, but when she wasn’t working directly on products for the Spades she was free to explore her more recreational developments. She had long ago cultivated her own high-quality marijuana for personal use, but her abilities had opened up a new avenue in drug-making. Whilst Persephone herself stuck to weed, it was still an interesting exercise to develop other natural products with a variety of psychoactive effects.

Dealing and supplying was not something she’d been overly concerned with before - that kind of dirty work was more suited to people like Cory after all - but after one of Yennefer’s lab workers had persuaded Persephone to let him try a sample of her latest drug, she had become convinced to give it a try.

She wasn’t interested in starting an empire or anything like that. She just liked the idea of one of her substances being used by people who were looking for something new. The effects were just as she had expected - a trance-like, gentle euphoria which eventually led the user into a deep and restorative sleep - and she knew that the product had a unique appeal in its brevity and its lack of come-down.

It had seemed most sensible, then, to start with a nobody. Some small-time dealer who still thought there was any money in dealing weed illegally in California, and who could be persuaded to try something new and without the negotiating power of bigger names.

She’d arranged to meet Taliah at a train station - little more than a platform - that served a tiny town. It was perfect in its remoteness and in its lack of watchful eyes.

Persephone had been waiting for a while. The particularly windy weather was concerning; the few staff that actually appeared every now and then had been suggesting that services may be cancelled if the winds picked up any further. Still, she was safe for now to swiftly conduct her negotiations with Taliah and be on her way back to San Francisco.

She spotted the girl far more quickly than the girl recognised her - if at all. They’d only spoken on the phone and it was Persephone who’d used her Spades resources to find out what the dealer looked like. The two women were fairly similar in appearance, even down to height, but Taliah’s West Indian features were evident in contrast to Persephone’s own mixed heritage.

“You looking for the Duchess?” she asked, her tone casual. It was certainly an odd way to be speaking whilst referring to herself as a duchess in the same sentence. No need to intimidate this person however - they were a potential business partner of sorts.

“We can sit round the back of the far building,” Persephone explained, gesturing to the long-disused block that had once served as a toilet facility. “Nobody will disturb us round there, and it might keep us out of this damn wind.”

She grinned at this point, her joviality precise and convincing. Nobody would even begin suspect that the smile was false.

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 543

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me
Taliah Dawson
These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

Taliah struggled to stifle the yawn that was welling up in her throat even as she lifted a perfectly manicured hand to rub her weary ocher orbs. Gods, she was exhausted. These late night shifts would be the death of her, Liah mused to herself as her gaze flitted past a group of passerbys. Tucking her chin into her chest as a piercing wind penetrated her thin North face jacket with ease, Liah shuffled onward. Initially, the brunette had taken the position as a waitress as a means to an end for supporting her family. However, several years in and Taliah had grown discontented with being overworked, underpaid, and daily objectified.

The more that she tried to make a regular nine to five work, the more that Taliah began to realize that she simply wasn't cut out for that kind of lifestyle. Everyone she knew that worked a "regular" job were simply making ends meet and the brunette wanted so much more than that. She wanted to be stable...comfortable even and all that she'd done this far had been in dogged pursuit of that goal. In fact, it was for that very reason that she'd even started dealing in the first place. Selling weed had never been a short term endeavor in the young woman's mind as she'd hope to make a lucrative enough profit that she'd be able to replace her full time income.

Of course there was no way that she could have known then that her state would actually legalize marijuana for recreational use. The announcement had come as quite a shock to her and one hell of a blow to her sales forcing Taliah to expand her offerings in an attempt to mitigate the damage. Nowadays, it seemed that the smoked far more weed than she sold. While she was certain that the bad batch she'd received from her former supplier had certainly played a part in the decline in sales from her regulars, Taliah had also drawn another conclusion. The dispensaries simply possessed more variety than your standard dime bag.

In order to remain competitive Taliah would need a superior product. One that could produce a more substantial high than regular weed. Which was what had prompted Liah to accept this meeting with the one they called "The Dutchess." Although the petite waitress was beginning to suspect that she had in fact been stood up. She had been just about to turn around and leave when a voice piped up from her right inquiring as to whom she was seeking. Had her befuddlement been that obvious, Taliah wondered. Almost immediately her defenses were up as she turned to face the owner of the voice.

The young woman that had spoken to her actually favored her somewhat, which Liah found intriguing. Of course her own West Indian features were much more pronounced. With a casual shrug and a smile that was more friendly in appearance than sincerity, Taliah replied "Depends on whether or not I've found her."Her new potential business partner didn't outright confirm her identity, but something told the twenty three year old that confirmation wasn't really needed as she suggested that they continue their conversation around the back of the building. 

Nodding Taliah shoved her hands into her pocket, wondering how it was that she could have missed the entire block of the platform that seemed completely deserted for the most part. While the declaration that they were unlikely to be disturbed while conducting their business was indeed welcome news, Liah found the location to far more enticing as a destination in which they could escape the brunt of this callous wind. "You may have a point there. It's probably a hell of a lot easier to talk if we aren't being thrown all over the platform by this vicious ass wind."

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[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone noted the shrug and vague, standoffish response, doing well to keep the smile on her face. “Well, she’s found you,” she pointed out.

Taliah had no qualms with Persephone’s choice of location, so the two of them braced themselves against the wind and headed down the platform.

“Right? It feels like it’s only going to get worse, too.” She cast a scathing look at the weather, as though that would somehow improve things. She’d rather it start pouring down with rain or burn them to a crisp in relentless heat. Wind – especially this strong – was inconvenient on so many levels. Particularly when you had as much hair on your head as Persephone did.

She led the dealer around the back, relieved to find that it functioned at least somewhat as a windbreak. There was even a bench tucked into an alcove, littered by discarded cigarettes. Persephone brushed them away and sat down, gesturing for Taliah to follow. The woman was a couple of years older than Persephone, but it was clear that Persephone was leading this exchange for the moment. It was, after all, her product that was to be discussed.

Persephone swung her bag around, pulling it off her shoulder and onto her lap, and opened it slightly so that Taliah could glimpse the contents.

“This is a small sample batch,” she explained. “There’s more where that came from, of course, but I figure you don’t want to throw yourself straight into a huge investment, right?”

You could never be too careful – best not to bring out her entire supply on the off-chance Taliah was here to do her dirty. Persephone had carefully selected the dealer precisely because she hadn’t thought the girl predisposed to such dishonesty and poor business tactics, but better to be safe than sorry.

As Taliah responded, an announcement was made across the station. Its words were lost in the wind to Persephone, but the station manager was informing the seemingly empty platforms that trains had been cancelled until debris could be removed from the tracks.

If Persephone had heard this announcement, she would have sworn profusely, but the howling gale had drowned it out and so she remained blissfully ignorant …for now.

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 369

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me

Taliah Dawson

These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

Taliah wasn't quite sure just what she had expected "The Duchess" to look like, but the girl that had claimed the title was not only a few years her junior but rather unassuming in both appearance and demeanor. She imagined that in her line of business many might instantly regard the brunette as a non threat, particularly her male counterparts. It was a scenario, that the twenty three year old herself was all too familiar with and perhaps it was for that reason that Liah suspected that there was much more to her potential business partner than met the eye. As was always the case with the brash young woman, Taliah realized perhaps a moment too late how snarky her response may have come off. With the duchess's facial expression remaining as amiable as it had been when she'd first been greeted by the dark-haired supplier, there was no true way to know what kind of thoughts were resting behind that friendly smile.

As her cohort predicted a progression of this inclement weather that didn't stand to benefit either of them, Taliah frowned. Just as she had parted her lips to respond, a gust of wind picked up whipping her dark mane into a frenzy.  Agitated, Taliah lifted a hand to her wind blown tresses trying to smooth the unruly strands back into place as she replied "Yeah, it definitely going to get worse before it gets better and that's if it gets better at all." As they reached the alcove, much to Taliah's relief there appeared to be just enough lull in the wind for her hair to settle back down. Liah fell in step with her associate as the younger girl made her way to a littered bench tucked away in the corner of the platform.  It was clear that since this area of the station wasn't frequently utilized that maintenance hadn't even bothered to keep it tidy.

The tip of the waitresses's nose tilted up in disgust as she brushed away a few more cigarette butts and lowered herself onto the bench in the empty space that the duchess had left beside her. Not wasting a moment's time, the brunette tugged a bag from her shoulder and pulled it into her lap. Taliah suspected that this was hardly the brunette's first rodeo as she only partially unzipped the bag making it rather difficult for her to see the whole of the girl's supply.  As this was their first time associating with one another Liah could understand the need to exercise caution, however she did hope that should they do business in the future that there would no longer be a need for such secrecy. The batch that the duchess offered her was much smaller than she had expected which could only mean that it was intended for sampling as opposed to distribution.

For the first time since their introduction, a genuine smile crossed the West Indian's face. Nodding, Taliah responded "No, I've been burned by that before. Nowadays, I prefer to try before I buy. I know alot of dealers don't but I want to be able to stand behind what I sell. If I don't like it, then I know that they will hate it. They don't really like change and..."

Taliah broke off mid sentence as a voice blared through the PA system prompting her to lift her gaze towards the speakers questioningly. Turning back towards the duchess Taliah questioned "Did you catch that? I think he said something about debris..."

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[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

A “try-before-I-buyer”? Interesting. Persephone limited herself strictly to weed, and she knew a fair few involved with the buying, selling and production of drugs who didn’t actually take anything at all. She listened with mild half-interest as Taliah justified her choice – breaking off suddenly at the announcement that Persephone had been unable to decipher herself and turning away to focus on it. When she turned back, she looked more than a little quizzical.

“Debris?”

Persephone frowned, her eyebrows crinkling together in a way that was practically, oddly cute. It was a look she pulled sometimes if she wanted people to think she was some pretty little airhead, lull them into a false sense of security, but this time her expression was entirely genuine.

“Aw hell no,” she said suddenly, jumping to her feet. “If that debris is on the tracks stopping trains…” She didn’t finish the sentence – what exactly could she do about it after all?

She hauled her bag up with her. “Wait here,” she instructed. “I’m going to find out what that announcement said. Maybe it’s just a warning.”

Persephone strode purposefully down the platform, her stormy face quickly fading into a far more pleasant, customer-service-quality smile. She reached the ticket office and leaned over, looking sweetly at the man behind the counter.

“Hi, do you happen to know what that announcement was just now? In all this wind I couldn’t hear it!” She laughed.

He repeated it for her, apologising quickly as though it were his fault that the weather was so messed up. Hey. Maybe it was. Could be some kind of… wind meta. Persephone’s eyes widened as she realised they were trapped here. Maybe for several hours. In this piece of shit middle of nowhere nothing-town.

She was already rolling the joint as she made her way back down the platform. By the time she reached Taliah once more, it was practically complete.

“Seems like we’re stuck here for a while. You want one?”

If she was going to be trapped at some random train station with some random dealer, the least she could do was try and make the most of it.

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 358

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me

Taliah Dawson

These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

Taliah had made peace some time ago with the fact that requesting to partake of the product before committing to the sale would not always go over well with every supplier. While some would simply refuse the request, gather their belongings and storm out in a huff, others still would become quite indignant unleashing a barrage of obscenities in an fruitless attempt to bully her into taking the batch. Neither of these reactions seemed to faze the twenty three year old as they simply provided her with confirmation regarding their lack of professionalism and inferior product quality. Being that the duchess had offered her a sample batch right away as opposed to trying to push her entire stash, Taliah had no reason to suspect that the younger girl would feel slighted.

However, it would seem that her potential new business partner was quite distracted as she broke eye contact with her allowing her gaze to drift to the speakers which it seemed had concluded their message. As her associate's dark orbs finally returned to her face, Taliah notes that the younger woman's expression of bewilderment matched her own. Nodding in response to the duchess's inquiry Liah replied "Yeah. I missed most of what was said, but I am pretty sure that I hear the word debris in there somewhere." Duchess's brows then furrowed in a manner that somehow made Taliah want to go "awww" even though such verbalization was wholly out of character for her.

Before she could say much more, her young cohort leaped from the bench crying out her discontent as she did so. Perhaps her befuddlement was evident on her face as to why the duchess was suddenly so displeased as the supplier took a moment to rationalize her thoughts aloud. It took a moment for the brunette's words to register but once they had Taliah's eyes widened as she exclaimed "Are you kidding me?" An exasperated sigh passed through the dealer's lips as the duchess instructed for her to wait there. Where the hell am I going to go, Taliah thought to herself sourly as she cast an expectant glance to the train tracks which only seemed to confirm what they likely both expected.

"God, I hope so," Taliah replied as the young woman turned away from her and made her way back down the platform. Annoyed, Liah dug her phone out of her pocket uttering a groan of frustration as she noted that the device didn't display any bars. "Of course....Of course, I have no signal," she muttered. Just as she shoved the phone back into her pocket, Duchess returned with joint in hand to confirm that they were indeed stuck her for an undetermined amount of time.

As she offered her a joint, Taliah nodded responded "Might as well. since it looks like I might just be getting fired today."

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[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

“Getting fired, huh?”

It took a couple of attempts due to the wind, partially sheltered though they were, but Persephone eventually got her joint lit. She offered the lighter to Taliah, who had rather ungratefully accepted her offer. The girl clearly didn’t understand the value of Persephone’s product – it was exquisite; her personal supply. She needed to be educated.

“This is something of my own design,” she announced, taking her first drag and closing her eyes with satisfaction as the familiar scent engulfed her. “Hits quick and hard, but it’ll lighten you up without knocking you out. It’s good shit.”

All of Persephone’s personal strains were tailored specifically to her tastes, but she knew that it was still high quality that would be appreciated by any true connoisseur. She watched Taliah carefully for her reaction.

“So, have you been dealing for a while? Gonna go full-time?”

All of Persephone’s research seemed to indicate that Taliah was small fry in the game, but it would be nice to hear it from the dealer herself. Besides, might as well get to know the person she was about to be stuck with for the foreseeable future.

“I gotta tell you, I appreciate you meeting me. It’s not just anybody who would take their chances with an experimental new product from a fresh supplier. Takes guts.”

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 222

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me

Taliah Dawson

These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

Perhaps had things not taken the rather unexpected turn that they had the revelation  that she might be on the brink of becoming unemployed might have found its mark on a more apathetic Taliah. However, as it stood with her side hustle struggling to stay afloat, losing her job was likely to be far more than a minor nuisance to the brunette despite the fact that she wasn't overly fond of the gig to begin with.  An exasperated sigh filtered through the waitress's lips as she replied a bit sourly "Yeah, it's a crap job but it pays the bills. I haven't been the most punctual employee as of late, so if I am not on time today then my boss will totally flip out."

As Taliah retrieved the lighter from the supplier the twenty three year old realized that she had likely oversold the severity of her situation. Would her boss lose his sh*t if she was late one more time? Absolutely. Could she "change" his mind about letting her go? Well, it had worked the last time she had found herself in this predicament so there was no reason to think that it wouldn't again. Liah's thumb rolled along the sparkwheel of the lighter and smashed down on the button invoking a brilliant flame that was instantly extinguished by the wind for the second time prompting Liah to mutter "Oh, for the love of..." 

Taliah's third attempt proved to be successful. Bringing the joint to her lips with one hand, Liah offered the lighter back to its owner with her free hand. As she took a long drag from the joint, the supplier took that moment to explain the uniqueness of her particular strain of marijuana. It would seem that the younger girl had managed to tackle a common complaint of chronic weed smokers which was that dependent upon one's constitution it took far too long to achieve a high. Of course this was an issue that most dealers weren't too bothered with remedying as it translated into additional sales. If it took longer to get high it meant a customer smoked more joints and depleted their supply faster.

There were some particularly shady dealers that deliberately sold weaker strains just for this purpose. An unscrupulous tactic, but very much effective. As a billow of smoke permeated the air around her, Taliah felt a wave of relaxation washing over her. A sigh of contentment escaped her throat as she responded "It's deceptively strong for such a small batch. Most people who try to strengthen it end up lacing it with stuff that will leave you effed up in all the wrong ways, but this seems pretty clean. I'm impressed. What do you call this, anyway?"

Small talk had never been one of Liah's strong suits but as she took another quick hit from the joint to experience yet another wave of tranquility, the young woman was beginning to feel a bit more social as she answered "Off and on for a couple of years. It was mostly just to have a bit of pocket change for a while. I had planned on going full time but then they had to go and legalize my top selling product so I've had to rethink my approach to stay profitable.To be honest, I barely even stock up on it anymore. Opiods are what are really selling these days."

The brunette blew out a ring of smoke before adding "Not gonna lie. I was on the fence about it. Nothing against you of course. I have just had it be a major hassle in the past, but I am glad that my curiosity won out because you may really have something here. So, how long have you been thinking about becoming a supplier? Do you just do weed or have you considered branching out?"

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[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

Persephone pursed her lips sympathetically. “Been there. I used to be a waitress – two different places in San Francisco. Neither worth a visit, by the way, unless you like bad coffee and overcooked pasta. Definitely paid the bills but,” she smiled, “I’ve progressed pretty far in my career since then. Those apron strings feel like a distant memory.”

She watched the smoke disappearing into the wind, taking a long inhale of her joint as the weather continued to spoil her day. She loved watching the smoke curl and twist in the air – but these conditions weren’t exactly ideal.

“Maybe you’ll get lucky and your boss will forgive you. Not your fault the train’s delayed. But hey, a forced career change isn’t always such a bad thing.” If Taliah had a job that was anything like Persephone’s waitressing jobs, then she probably couldn’t wait to see the back of it.

Taliah’s review was glowing – as expected – and Persephone was particularly amused by the contented sigh which escaped the girl’s lips. “I only use natural products that I grow myself. It’s pretty much the cleanest clean can get. No name, this is for my personal use only.” She hoped Taliah would understand now how much of an honour it was for Persephone to be sharing with her. “I’m not planning on producing it on a bigger scale. I guess you could say it would spoil the fun – the exclusivity of it – you know?”

She nodded, trying her best to maintain interest as the girl talked about her dealing history.

“Similar thing happened to somebody I knew. We smoked the last of her supply together when she found out.” To say that she had fond memories of that time with Cory would be a severe overstatement, but it wasn’t exactly a mark on her past. Perfect for a succinct anecdote. It was weird to think, in fact, that that day was so far in the past now. Persephone had only just developed her powers. The Doctor was nothing more than an infuriating mystery – the Event an unpredictable glimmer on the horizon. Weird.

“The product I have for you in that bag isn’t weed – it’s something new. Psychoactive substance – again, all-natural. I figured you can give it whatever name you want and just see how well it sells. There are always customers looking to try new things, right? Like it’s some badge of honour to be on the latest step in illegal pharmaceuticals.”

She rolled her eyes.

“This is just a test run. I like working with plants and creating new products. I get… inspired, and this was just one of those moments. I’d say you should give it a try right now but it kinda knocks you out for a while and I figured you’d be better company if you were conscious.” The grin on her face was hardly genuine, but it was sure to be enough to convince Taliah that Persephone considered her good company. She added a laugh. Far more convincing.

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 500

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me

Taliah Dawson

These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

The revelation that the supplier had worked two waitressing jobs prior to her most recent career change interestingly enough didn't come as much of a surprise to Taliah. Waitressing was hardly a career choice that one made consciously but rather something that a person fell into when all other prospects had dissipated. It wasn't where you started out in life but rather where you ended up after life had chewed you up and spit you back out.

Jamming her free hand into the pocket of her bomber, Taliah withdrew her Samsung Galaxy. Taking note of the time, Taliah responded with minimal interest in the topic at hand "This is my first waitressing job and hopefully my last. The food is great, the customers...not so much. Unless of course you like being oogled, catcalled, and slapped on the ass. On the bright side, if you can complete the whole shift without punching a customer, they usually tip well."

Every now and then as the ring of smoke broke apart and was carried off by the wind, the brunette's reverie was penetrated by the hustle and bustle of the unwitting passengers whom apparently had also failed to comprehend the announcement. A single mother cradling a wailing infant against her shoulder while clinging to the hand of a squirming child seemed particularly vexed with the overly apologetic ticketmaster. God, I hate kids, the young woman thought to herself.

The duchess spoke again forcing the twenty three year old to tear her gaze from the plight of the single mother back to the woman seated next to her. Taliah's lips curled at the corners forming a natural smirk as she replied "Yeah, you're probably right. We just had one girl quit and another one is out on maternity leave, so he pretty much needs me. Not that he'd ever admit it though. Maybe, it's the weed or maybe I'm just over the job, but part of me kind of wishes that he would just fire me, so I can move the hell on."

Had it always been so exhausting and taxing to maintain a conversation, Taliah wondered as the supplier  began to explain how she crafted her product and what her intentions were regarding its distribution. Well, she supposed the last part was of some use to her. Knowing how much was available would be beneficial in deciding how to market it. Nodding partially in agreement and partially to project the illusion of keeping up with the conversation Liah answered "Yeah, I think it hit everyone a bit hard. Most of us didn't really think that it was ever going to happen, but those are the breaks. You learn to roll with the punches or you get KOed."

It was then that the supplier said something that actually drew the waitress's attention. The brunette quirked a brow as the duchess explained that the product she intended for Taliah to distribute wasn't weed. She had just parted her lips to inquire just what it was that the woman had bought for her to test drive when the supplier quickly followed up with a detailed explanation of her product. Taliah grew silent as she considered the younger woman's words.

"A psychoactive substance, huh? Kind of like Molly? Is it in pill form or what? I am pretty sure I can push it and I'd be curious myself to see how it sells. I don't have too many customers that are really all that worried about keeping up to date with the latest in illegal drugs, but those that are truly a lost cause don't care what they take as log as it gets them high."

The duchess's grin compelled Taliah to force her own lips into a aesthetically pleasing smile that somehow felt out of place on the young woman's face. 

"Sounds like a good call there. It's probably not best to mix the effects anything. I'd prefer to come down from one high before launching immediately into another, plus this is hardly the place that I would want to be rendered unconscious in."To be honest, I am likely far more pleasant to be around when asleep then when wide awake but I appreciate the sentiment. nonetheless."

Forced laughter erupted from Taliah's throat at her own joke as she thought to herself that perhaps the conversation would be more enjoyable if she was in fact unconscious. 

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[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

Ooh boy. Persephone took an extremely long drag on her joint, closing her eyes and letting herself imagine – just for a moment – that she was back in her apartment. The one that Yennefer had provided for her; providing that final leap in cutting herself off from her old life. Selling her grandmother’s apartment had been almost bittersweet, but she had steeled herself against those feelings and left them behind as she’d locked the door one final time. She was a Spade now, and that was her purpose.

Yes, she definitely liked her apartment. It was comfortable, stylish and – most importantly – a haven of solitude. Nobody ever bothered Persephone there.

She decided to just make a small noise of agreement, wondering idly why Taliah was giving her the details of her job as though Persephone hadn’t explicitly stated that she herself had been there, done that. Still, she supposed, at least they were both on the same page when it came to the joys of waitressing. She might have had to make excuses and find another corner to hide in if Taliah had expressed any enjoyment of her work.

“Dude, just quit. There’s a load of work in California that doesn’t follow your conventional textbook career choices and trust me, it’s way more rewarding. You just need to know the right places to look.”

You never know, maybe if Taliah began seeming even a little impressive, Persephone could slip her that iconic black spade card that had started her own career change. Taliah would need to start showing a lot more ambition and promise, however, if that were the case.

At least Liah wasn’t whining over having to adjust to the new drug trade climate in California. That was a start, she supposed. “Yeah, no point sitting and complaining while your competition goes out and gets ahead of the game. It’s all about power in this world, and it belongs to those who take it.”


Taliah seemed to light up a little as they discussed Persephone’s new product. Another good sign – the dealer could spot potential when she saw it. Or, when it was thrust directly under her nose.

“This stuff is pressed, comes out like hashish but ridiculously strong so I’ve cut it into smaller, pill-sized pieces. Hey, there’s a small batch here but there’s certainly enough for you to have your own sample.”

The forced laughter was almost believable. Persephone raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? Do tell me, what makes Taliah Dawson so unpleasant?”

Her eyes were alight at this point. Tread carefully, Miss Dawson. Psychoactive drugs weren’t the only substances Persephone carried with her. She was interested to see if Taliah actually had some unpleasant tendencies – it would probably help her case in Persephone’s impromptu assessment of her suitability to low-level Spades work.

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 464

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me

Taliah Dawson

These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

Just quit. How many times had she herself thought of that oversimplified solution to her rather complex predicament? Perhaps if her egg donor wasn't such a effing train wreck that was constantly smoking, drinking or as of late shooting up her mortgage keeping her baby sister teetering on the brink of homelessness, then she could just quit. Or if her rent wasn't so damn high, she could just quit. Hell, if she had any degree of formal post secondary education she'd be able to just quit. People who just up and quit their sh*t jobs usually did so because they'd received a better offer and as of yet, this hadn't happened to Taliah.


The concept of obtaining non traditional employment wasn't exactly a foreign one to the brunette as one would hardly consider the distribution of illegal pharmaceuticals to be a traditional job. It was the second time that the young woman had made a vague reference to her lucrative career and Liah had to admit that her interest was piqued. As the duchess had admitted to being non experienced as a supplier than she certainly couldn't be referring to the manufacture of illegal drugs. However, the twenty three year old knew that when it came to operating outside the confines of the law one just didn't just outright ask about a person's occupation.

With that in mind Liah opted to feign stupidity as she replied "You might have a point there. I suppose if I really find myself in a bind then I could easily get a job at that club a couple of blocks down from my current job. Still getting objectified but at least I'd get paid for it. A couple of those dancers come into the bar from time to time with these fat wads of cash that are just tips."

While she clearly had no intention of ever pursuing a career in the sex industry, the mere thought of becoming a part of that environment was enough to prompt the young woman to take another strong hit from the joint in her hand. As she exhaled sharply, something that the younger girl said struck a cord within Liah. Shifting a gaze towards the supplier that was far more attentive than she had been since the conversation had drifted away from the weed that the duchess had shared with her, Taliah responded "That's for damn sure. The game is always changing and you have to learn to change with it. If you can't then there's no point in playing. To be honest, I don't think that just applies to power. In my experience that's with anything. Nothing was ever handed to me. I had to fight for everything that I have."

As the young woman explained her process for the experimental drug, an amused grin flickered across Taliah's face. Shaking her head she added "I'll take your word on this one. I had a bad batch of molly once that has soured me on the hallucinogenic stuff. Wild night that was. What I can remember of it anyway."

While Taliah was far from ashamed of her ability, the twenty three year old still exercised great caution in whom she shared her metahuman status with. One never knew what type of reaction to expect when divulging this information. Still, the supplier didn't appear to be the type that was easily spooked and she was could always "fix" it if things went wrong... hopefully. With a casual shrug of her shoulders Liah replied "I have a tendency to get into peoples' heads. In something of a literal sense and alot of people find that annoying at best and unpleasant at worse."

Words: 613 || Tagged: calico || Outfit || Notes

Table by Nightwing™

[Persephone Dean]

I MAKE MONEY MOVES

sola dosis facit venenum

When Persephone had first left home, the kind of work Taliah was describing now had certainly appealed for a while. She had developed plenty of skills while waitressing that would have suited the role, and her history of acrobatics would have been a strong point in her application, but serving food to the occasional perverted idiot had been barely tolerable in itself. While she would probably would have done very well for herself, Persephone had decided that the costs outweighed the benefits on that one. Still, she had respect for those who could tolerate such an environment.

“Good dancers in the right clubs can make a killing,” she said in agreement. She watched Taliah’s face as she took a strong hit from her joint – pretty much confirming that her suggestion hadn’t been at all serious. “Although, I’m talking about a different kind of organisation. Going from one form of objectification for another isn’t ideal if that’s what you’re trying to escape.”

She wondered why Taliah had even brought it up if she was so reluctant to consider it as a career. She probably had the same reservations as Persephone about it. It was either a lack of imagination on her part, or some kind of probing to prompt Persephone’s response. The weed was making her feel generous, and Persephone was inclined to believe that Taliah had been digging to find out more.

It was a positive sign, at least, if that were the case.

Persephone’s comments on power seem to have hit home with Taliah who suddenly appeared far more invested in the conversation than she had previously. Her eyes were bright and alert, a sudden passion breaking through the surface.

“That’s why you’re still out here, in the game, picking up new suppliers. That’s the attitude that gets you places, I think.”

There were very few people who had to fight for everything they had – life just didn’t work in absolutes that way – but Persephone appreciated the sentiment. It seemed that Taliah was a passionate soul, who was prepared to do the hard work to get what she wanted. With the right direction and heavy guidance, she could potentially be useful.

“I stay away from that kind of thing. Weed has the monopoly when it comes to my drug intake,” she said with a laugh, only half-forcing it. She had been genuinely amused by the phrasing, after all.

What was really interesting to Persephone was finding out Taliah’s particular strengths. There were plenty that could be moulded to suit the Spades; Persephone was more interested in somebody who had a specialism – some additional value to the organisation. Taliah’s explanation was vague… but intriguing.

“Getting into people’s heads – so, you’re a meta? That must be a fun ability.”

Persephone didn’t have a firm grasp of the power from the little information Taliah had provided, but from what she could figure out, she was a little envious.

TAG: Taliah Dawson
WORDS: 486

THANKS ANNECORDELIA

[Taliah Dawson]

Words can't hurt me

Taliah Dawson

These shades are gucci

Feeling like a ten, the best I've ever been

As a result of working numerous late night shifts at the sports bar, Taliah had become acquainted with quite a few exotic days. A few of which had on more than one occasion offered to' put in a good word' for her with their boss. Not that she had ever indicated a desire to work in the industry, but she could appreciate that they clearly saw potential within her and honestly it likely would take much to charm men out of their hard earned money. However, on the other hand, her short fuse was just as likely to deter men from parting with copious amounts of cash. So, it was a bit of a double edged sword to say the least. While she took offense at what she perceived to be chauvinism and objectification, the dancers that she'd spoken with had actually found a sense of empowerment in their work.

As the supplier agreed that exotic dancing was a lucrative field, Taliah couldn't help but to be amused. Although she didn't really know much about the young woman that sat next to her, one thing that she was fairly sure of was that the brunette likely would respond in a similar way to being in that environment as she herself would.  Liah could only speculate on whether or not her feigned ignorance had been convincing to the duchess.as there were no visual cues to draw from. While she hadn't been quite as forthcoming as the twenty three year old would have liked, the supplier had at the very lest confirmed that she hadn't been referring to the sex industry and quite likely not even the drug trade. Chances were though that she was still referencing some form of illegal activity.

Quirking a brow, Liah replied  "Well, there are so many organizations that it's kind of hard to know which you were referring to. I mean unconventional work is a rather vague. If a make a move at this point it's going to be for the better. There's no way I am moving from a effed up situation to an even more effed up situation."

As the younger woman complimented her perseverance, a smile that was very nearly genuine lit Taliah's face. Shrugging Taliah replied rather simply "Well, a girl's got to eat. bills don't stop and neither does rent for that matter. I really can't afford to bow out. Especially since I've already invested so much time and money into it."

A low chuckle emanated from her throat as the brunette expressed that she had limited experience with drugs outside of weed. Nodding her head in agreement, Taliah continued "Well, after that night so do I. I guess I'm just too damn cynical and way too much of a control freak to let something make me that vulnerable and uninhibited."

With a forced modesty, the young woman added "It has its moments, but not quite appreciated by all. Particularly those that value their privacy. Like for example, I'm pretty such that frazzled mom over there wouldn't like for me to know that her husband has a drinking problem and is currently passed out on the couch for the third day in a row forcing her to take the kids with her to work even though her employer hates when she does it, so now she's scared of losing both her husband and her job. Though the former might not be so bad. He really is a POS."

Words: 577 || Tagged: calico || Outfit || Notes

Table by Nightwing™