push pull [r]

"a gift?" sophia's finely waxed eyebrow goes up in amusement. she looks him in the eye to affirm that this is indeed a debt that has finally been paid in full. "thank you"

she frowns slightly when she looks at primo's men. "not in a partying mood, are they?"

by which she means, 'does nobody in this entourage know how to fit in?'

sophia very pointedly takes a rose out of a slender vase and tucks it into the breast pocket of one of primo's men. then she walks over to one of the serving staff and takes the cologne bottle. she returns to his men and gives them a couple of quick sprays. one of the men coughs at the scent. it's better than what he was before, sophia thinks. a guard that isn't able to imitate normality is not a guard that she is interested in.

"do loosen up, boys."

by which she means, step up their professionalism before she writes to the bank to cut their pay. irkalla's finest are watching. there will be no missteps.

PRIMO