#* drops this back in ur lap like an extra soggy tennis ball * :-)

[mortul]

Man, this dame (was that inappropriate to say, actually?) really doesn't like jokes, huh? Not that he could necessarily blame her, per se, but he couldn't help but have some bit of expectation one way or another. Anyone would've felt the same as him, surely! But, alas, she appeared to be an outlier; it's one of many things that made her stick out like a sore thumb from Christoph's perspective.

Ironic, too, wasn't it? Here he was... the most stereotypical city slicker (and trust him... he was very aware of that-- the townsfolk staring at him clued him in real fast.) wandering-- well, let's say meandering, actually, all throughout a humdrum town like Scarlet Hollow. He'll admit it: it was one of the most typical, and boring, setups imaginable.

So, maybe... juuuust maybe, he shouldn't have been as hard as he was on her. Would that stop him, though? Fat fuckin' chance.

"Tsk... there's alwa~aaaays a critic," he sneaked out in response, taking her snub as well as he possibly could. There's no real way he's coming out of this particular scene better, was there... right? Best to take the path of least resistance.

Rolling his lips together, Christoph gave a deep duck of his head before proceeding after her. In spite of her... honesty (he'll give her that-- she's incredibly straightforward, which was a breath of fresh air comparatively.) and anti-fun approach, he was open in displaying his gratitude for her brief explanation. This town wasn't what he was expected -- but then again, what was he was expecting from the dossier? -- so any little bit of "help"... er, helped.

"Used t'work somewhere like that," he piped up, eyebrows raising as he waved a hand close to his face. Gaze averted, panning off to the right with a brief but contemplative bite of bottom lip. "Wasn't as, ehh... cozy as a diner, but it was th'same idea." Moving the same hand to scratch at the back of his neck, he focused his attention back forward. "... Was jussa, uhh... pizza joint, s'all. Heh."

As they approached the aforementioned location (this town was deceptively tiny. that's what most "small towns" were like, though, weren't they?), the assassin "contractor" gave himself a few moments to find his bearings. Since stepping foot inside this little "hollow", it became quite clear to him that he was one thing and one thing only: an outsider. So, with that in mind... would it be fair of him to be a smidgen curious? Maybe it'd have him come off as nosey, but he figured he might as well get used to the scenery.

"--Oooh, that's you? Yer th'big boss lady?"

Bingo.

"Shit! Haha," he guffawed, hunching over a bit to emphasize his revelation. Lips tugged back, peeling away to reveal a grin before he threw his head back and let out a small laugh. "Oh... man! Here I was, makin' such an ass outta myself, too! Damn... You got th'patience of a saint, I'm not gonna lie!"

Was this buttering her up-- or worse... was he kissing her ass? Who cares. It's not like it would've made much of a difference (nikolaj never halfasses these things. he's one of the best brokers in the business for a reason.) anyway, but the scene must be set. He's already gotten this far presenting as a dude bumbling around, so he might as well just keep committing.

"Ah... uh, heh. Alright," Christoph quickly recovered, coming to a pause a few paces before the diner. Turning his head up towards its sign (this is something you'd see in the comics... it's so obviously a diner. does that make sense? like, it can't be anything but a diner.) and bobbing his head in appreciation, he then looked back to her and smirked. "Mind if I make my, err, proposition now? I don't wanna waste yer time sittin' down wit'me if yer just gonna say no, y'know?"

Things were starting to get good... he'd be a dumbass if he were to lose momentum now.

Straightening his back, a moment was taken for him to compose himself-- eyes shut and lips neutralizing into a straight line all led into an expression that paved the way to sheer professionalism.

"M'boss, y'see... wanted to collaborate, sorta kinda--" opening his eyes, Christoph tilted his head and offered a thin grin to highlight his sincerity, "--he's interested in one of two things: either he buys th'mine offa you... orrr...?"

Sauntering up to the door, he pressed his hand flat to its surface before pushing it open. Gesturing for her to proceed (ladies first, heh.) with his free arm, he continued.

"He gives ya more resources... in exchange for some of th'profits... or something else. Yer workers comin' over t'his mine or something, for instance. Hell-- if you wanna sit, eat, and chill fer a while... might be able to get somethin' we can all agree on, right?"

tabitha raised a brow at the mention of business vdntures. the jokes this man made, however, may as well have fallen on deaf ears. he had an energy about him that was charismatic—but things like charisma didn't exactly rub tabitha the right way. she furrowed her thin eyebrows, perplexed as can be.

"bridal-style...? what do you– ugh. never mind that. there's a diner this way. follow me." cue a dismissive wave of her hand, followed by a point in the direction of the diner.

she started walking in its direction, ensuring that the stranger was in close enough proximity to follow along. perhaps she should get to know a bit more about him, in the process. as she walked, one hand fit comfortably in the coat of her jacket that was a bit too large for her while the other gestured to the surrounding area.

"the town doesn't have a lot to do, if that wasn't obvious by all the boarded up windows. even if many of the buildings have historic significance, the diner is one of the few open businesses around here. it'll be hard to miss."

& on that topic, pertaining to business... tabitha takes a deep breath, looking back at the man with a sober expression. "i am someone to ask about the town's resources, though. i run the mine." in spite of the position of power that granted her over the town of scarlet hollow, tabitha stated her role with about as much enthusiasm as she talked about boarded up buildings. clearly, she didn't love it.

even so, talking about the mines was far easier than small talk. "what exactly do you have interest in—or your boss, for that matter?"