The Initial Push (Kevala)

[everynothing]

It was almost too easy, but what do you expect when someone can blend in so well? One death was needed, just one, to set things in motion. That single domino that would cause a cascade of falling identicals, each with their own number, but in the end it didn't matter. They would collapse all the same, no matter how many others stood behind them. It was the way of the world, as he saw it, and there's no changing the mind of a killer.

-= Two Days Earlier =-

It was a night like any other, the silence of the near empty PHS 8011 being accompanied by the slight creaking of crickets in the distance. Not many people walked the grounds at night, especially on a saturday, but there was always the ever present security. Most of the time they only had to deal with the random riff-raff that liked to try and vandalize school property on their free time, which had happened the night before.

Because of this, one of Kevala Katashi's personal security guards was stationed as the head of the watch this fateful night. The regular security had made the faculty lounge their personal hangout for the night, playing a friendly game of Texas hold'em to pass the time, while their temporary superior made the rounds. His frustration was evident by his furrowed brow, but he knew there was no one to bitch at about his situation at the moment.

Coming to the end of the eastern outer wall, he could hear the sound of spray paint and laughter coming from around the corner. His frustration turned to excitement, as he knew he'd get to punish some delinquents, and so as soon as he turned the corner he yelled out. "Don't you little shits ever learn?" Once his booming voice echoed across the backyard of the school, two of the three kids dropped their spray cans and made a dash for safety.

The third kid, a small blonde boy, continue spraying the wall without even a shutter at the securities warning. When he saw what they were writing, his jaw clenched in anger. [glow=red,2,300]Die Rent-A-Pig Die[/glow]. Simple enough, and more than enough to send him off the edge. He rushed blindly at the young troublemaker, letting out a deep and angry growl as he raised he clenched fist to smash it into the back of the boys skull, but it wasn't meant to be.

In a flash he was halted, the sound of a slow trickle against the grass being heard as a he had only a moment or two to realize what had happened. He tried to clench his throat, but collapsed before he could do so, his blood pooling around his head and torso as it poured from the large gash in his neck. His vision blurred, but the blonde boy had time to bend over and give him a few parting words. "Thank you, for following instructions." As his eyes closed, he couldn't help but glance at the graffiti one more time, before fading to black.

-= Present Day =-

It was a slow day at Mortemere Morticians, but when you're in the business of the dead there's never a dry spell. The young owner of the establishment, Graham Mortemere, was expecting a visitor for a consultation on funeral arrangements for a security officer of a nearby high school. The cause of death was stated as "suicide" over the phone, but that didn't change anything when it came to preparing for a guest. Death, no matter how it was achieved, was a tragedy, and Graham was there to make the mourning as comfortable as possible.

[Kevala Katashi]

Everyone was so upset that it was really starting to wear on her nerves. Honestly, what was she supposed to do? Cry for the guy. He was the one that had gone and offed himself, leaving Kevala to have to fill in his spot on the security detail with another person....and for Kevala it was never easy to hire new people, especially since she did not trust them all that much. Well, she really didn't trust anyone, but that was beside the point.

Shaking her head she would sit back in the passenger seat of the SUV and stared through her shades out the window. "You know, I could have handled this." Carmine's words being heard as she would lift her hand and wave it rather dismissively. She did not mind doing it, though to be honest she saw it more as a chore than anything.

"Remind me again why I must make these arrangements. I mean, yes, the man has no family, but why can we not just stick him in a box and bury him away without so much fuss?" She never would understand the need for actual services and what have you. Why did families need to say goodbye in such a manner? Why did people need to see a dead guy laying in a box to feel better about their being gone? It made absolutely no sense what so ever.

"Because, it is the right thing to do." His words rather soothing and calm, even though the response he got was a little scoff and a growl as she shifted within her seat. "I am so sick of this right and wrong bullshit. I don't do the right thing. I do everything opposite of the right thing....That is who I am."

A little pout given, not really caring if Carmine saw her this way as he had been around long enough to know how she was. No, it was just everyone else that she kept her true self hidden from. "Perhaps that is who you were but this is who you are now?" A little grin cast her way, knowing all too well how much that would piss her off.

"I don't like change. I like being how I am, I like my life the way it has always been. It is hard enough with the kids growing and having lives of their own, but now I have to worry about being good? Its ridiculous." A little nod given as the SUV would pull into the parking lot, her icy hues scanning over the sign in the front of the place, a little sigh once more passing her lips.

"Do you wish for me to go in with you?" She would cut him a glare, her brow raising slightly as her fingers pushed her sunglasses up onto her nose. "Nah, you should stay out here and hope I don't get murdered inside this creepy ass place." She was rather indignant about the whole thing, and Carmine would chuckle. He had been joking but Kev never did seem to get his jokes. Well, she never seemed to get anyone's jokes. It was just how she was.

Eventually he would climb out of the SUV, making his way around to open the door for her. Dressed, as always in his black suit while Kev herself was dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top. Yeah, probably not appropriate for this, but honestly, she didn't care. "Come on...Lets make this fast. I want to get home and relax, it is my day off after all."

The big man going silent behind her as he followed along, knowing that the time for joking and picking on her was over with. Something that Kevala herself was thankful for.

As the neared the entrance, she would reach up to push her hair back out of her face, before extending a hand to open up the door, pausing just in the doorway. There was something in this place that just gave her the creeps, though she wasn't sure what it was. Something just felt....off. Though, instead of heeding the warnings of her feelings...she would push them aside, as she so often did, and venture inside, making sure that Carmine kept close to her.

Nothing would please her more than to find a way to get out of doing this, but until she did, she was going to have to play the part of concerned employer. Or at least....try to. Concern was not an easy emotion to fake it seemed, though after all these years, she was doing well enough she thought. Her hand coming up to pull her sunglasses away, icy hues scanning the area as she came to a stop and waited. Somebody had to show up to greet them eventually...right. "Where on earth did you find this place?"

Carmine would shrug slightly. "Found an add for it a couple days ago, oddly enough." His words making Kev's brow furrow...finding that very odd...though she tried to chalk it up to coincidence and just let it go. For now.

[everynothing]

Waiting on a customer was never a fun time, especially when it wasn't known if the wanted party would show up. All of the pieces had been set for success, but there was always that tiny margin of unpredictability that accompanied all plans. Did they find all the pieces? Was it enough to convince them that their presence was necessary, and if so would they come alone? These questions would flutter through Graham's mind as he set the meeting room up for his guests.

On the table he had placed all of the different catalogs for arranging the funeral, from the types of coffins to what sort of theme they may want to have for the reception. Everything needed to be perfect, pristine, like always. Nothing but the best from him, and he would show them just that. He had also placed a couple of vases on symmetrical parts of the table, each containing different flowers for the customers to sample first hand.

As he came close to finish wiping the table of any fingerprints or smudges, the bell of the front door rang lightly through the building to let him know that someone had arrived. He could hear some chatter between a man and a woman about how they came to find his establishment, but the answer ran through his mind before it was even spoken. 'Of course there'd be a bodyguard.' It was predictable, but never-the-less an unwanted addition to his meeting. Still, things were falling into place as expected.

Placing the handkerchief he had been wiping the table with in his suit pocket, he would slick his short black hair back gently and make his way to the main lobby. It wasn't far, just out the door and down the stairs. He loved being able to make a memorable entrance for his customers, and walking down a red carpeted staircase leading directly to the front door usually did just that.

As he slowly turned to walk down the stairs, his eyes would gaze between the two arrivals. A large man in a suit, the security detail, and a gorgeous raven haired beauty who wasnt exactly dressed for the occasion. Graham, however, was suited up with a dark purple tuxedo and matching dress pants, a pair of black swade dress shoes and some stylish reading glasses to finish it off. He would smile at Kevala once he was halfway down, his arms lightly swaying with every stride.

"I'm going to assume you're Mrs. Badoer, and this must be your husband. You two make quite the couple." Making it to the main floor, Graham would grab Kevala by the right hand and lightly clasp is between both of his own. "I'm sorry about your loss. An employee dying that way, and on your schools property... I can only imagine how difficult this all is for you."

Yes, he was consoling her in her time of need, or at least doing a damn fine job of acting like he gave a damn. In truth his words were all a mockery of her, especially the married couple comment. He knew the truth, but everyone had a part to play in his plan and this was his. "My name is Graham Mortemere, and I'll be your funeral director this evening." He would let go of her hand and take a step back, once again looking at the two of them with a welcoming, yet compassionate smile. "So, did you have any questions before we got started?"

[Kevala Katashi]

This was taking too long, or at least that is what Kevala kept telling herself. She was a rather impatient person, and something about this place felt very off. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she would fidget with the earpiece of her sunglasses as she brought it to her lips and nibbled upon it softly. Then, sounds could be heard from the top of the staircase, the one that, in her personal opinion was a bit gaudy. Honestly, red? Yes, nothing better than a staircase that screamed "blood"....especially in a place where you were entrusting your dead loved one to. Yeah, great business planning right there.

Though, just as she was about to roll her eyes, the male would emerge from the top of the stairs, slowly making his way down, and for a moment, Kevala was more than certain she was losing her mind. Well, becoming more insane than she already was. But whatever. Point was, she had thought she had lost it completely. Enough so that she took a step back, her back colliding with Carmine's chest.

Of course, she recovered fast enough, glancing back over her shoulder toward him to note the furrowed brow and the look of concern. Kevala was never one to lose her footing so easily, nor was she one to be startled, so something was clearly up. However she would shake her head slightly and then turn her attention back toward the staircase, sure that she was going to see a completely different person than she had before. Though, to be honest, it was more of a wish than a real certainty, seeing as how she knew, deep down, that she was not that fucked in the head......yet.

Sure enough, as soon as those icy hues fell upon Graham once more, she would notice that indeed she had not been wrong. She knew that face as surely as she knew the face of any other person from her past, the only difference being that this was a face she did NOT want to be seeing. His first few words lost on her as she narrowed her eyes upon him. Every bit of will power she had to fight back a growl as she folded her arms across her chest lightly.

In fact, it was Carmine who stepped up and spoke in her stead, a very uncommon occurrence but one that was warranted in this situation. "No, I am a family friend, nothing more." He nodded slightly, his hand coming forth and touching Kev's lower back, just to try and nudge her back into the moment from where ever she currently was. It worked too, causing Kevala to jump slightly as she seemed to refocus on the here and now instead of whatever her mind was currently lost on. Then, as if she needed another reason to snap out of it, Graham would reach out and grasp her hand. An act that was met with a little growl as she jerked her hand back, eyes locking upon his own as she grinned, almost wickedly.

"Imagine that, the dead caring for the dead. How entertaining." She would take a step away from him, her hands tucking away inside her pockets to prevent him from touching her again. She didn't need any further reminders of her past, his face was more than enough. More than she was really willing to accept.

Then he asked if they had any questions and she would arch her brow slightly. Was he really going to stand there and pretend that he didn't know her? Well, not like it was really unexpected, he probably didn't even remember her...Would not have been surprising really. "What are you doing here?" She, on the other hand, was not afraid to confess her knowledge of him. But then, Kevala didn't forget her past quite as easily as normal people seemed to do.

His being here was going to cause problems. There were no two ways about that. Mischa was going to have a fit and the twins....Just the thought of it made her head hurt. She could already imagine Kazumi would be an issue....Aiden, probably just as bad, though in a completely different way. She could already hear the arguing that was going to take place inside her house and with the baby on the way, this was the last thing any of them needed. Once again, she found herself wishing they had just stayed in Venice. Life had been so much more simple there. That was for sure.

[everynothing]

Her stunned disbelief was enough to cause a celebration in the back of Graham's mind, though his face showed nothing of the sort. He knew that seeing him was going to be a trying experience, but never expected the great Kevala Katashi to just about fall on her ass when she realized just who was standing in front of her. If it wasn't for her security detail she probably would have, which he'd have paid to see, but alas she didn't come alone on this fateful day. What a shame.

Graham's attention shifted to Carmine as he stated that he was nothing more than a family friend, causing his mouth to go agape with disbelief in his rude assumption of them, to which he covered lightly with his left hand. "I'm sorry, I only assumed... My apologizes" Sometimes even he was surprised by how well he played things off. It almost sent a chill down his spine, but that was only due to the fact of who he was currently dealing with. It'd been too long since he'd had someone truly worthy of playing with.

Kevala regained her composure quite quickly, which came as no surprise to Graham, as she gave a little growl his way. This caught his attention, his amber gold eyes turning to catch her own as she finally spoke for herself. The dead caring for the dead? She really must have had a low opinion of him to refer to him as deceased, but he didn't expect a warm welcome at all, so he took it with a grain of salt. After all, when you do what he did to her, that would leave animosity in anyone, and this was Kevala. She was on a whole other level.

"And here I Thought I had gotten the smell out of this suit. I really need to fire that maid of mine." A simple reaction to her dead comment, playing it off as a joke with one in return, making a motion to dust off the front and sides of his suit with a casual grin. He took into account her keeping her hands from him after his initial attempt to comfort her, as she continued to stare at him in a combination of disbelieve and disdain.

He half expected a slap, or even a swift kick to the boys, but instead she asked him one simple question, which was exactly what he had wanted. That hating recognition was as sweet as candy to him, but her words only caused him to gain a look of confusion for a moment. A false one, but confusion none-the-less. "Well I'm here to help you with the funeral a...rrang...me-" And cue the fellow recognition.

His eyes widened as he acted out the realization that the woman in front of him was indeed Kevala Katashi, someone he had a complicated past with, to say the least. In truth, she had no idea just how complicated their relationship truly was, but there was no need to rush something that was so meticulously planned. "Kevala?! Kevala Katashi?!" He stumbled backwards in shock, reaching for the railing of the staircase to keep him falling over. Yeah, he was that good.

Hunched over in disbelief, he would gaze up at her with a look of worry and pain in his eyes. "I never thought... I mean, the registration was under Badoer so..." He stumbled over his own words as he faked the regaining of his composure, finally pushing himself to a more appropriate position as he shook his head in shame. It was, of course, the rational thing to do after how he had left things with her. "I'm so sorry... for leaving... If you don't mind... Can I ask if you went through with it?"

She would know what he meant, even if it was a vague question. They had only spent a small amount of their lives together, as far as she knew, and that resulted in the reason for his disappearance. Well, that was how he set it up to look, at least, and she seemed to have taken it that way. There was a good chance her family friend was about to hear something new about Kevala's life, which Graham figured wasn't a very common thing for the big man to experience.

[Kevala Katashi]

That joke he made only proved to irritate her all the more. But lets be honest here, him opening his mouth....no, his breathing....proved to annoy her at this point. "Or perhaps you should just crawl back into whatever hole you drug yourself out of." Her brow arching slightly as she would hook her sunglasses into the front of her tank top.

But then of course he had to go ahead and act like he didn't know her, and to be honest, he over did it. Well, at least she thought he did, but then she usually thought people over played their emotions on a regular basis. "Oh please. Don't you think you are playing it a little too hard? I mean honestly, its like something out of a bad movie." She scoffed slightly and would shake her head. She honestly didn't want anything to do with him and a part of her wanted nothing more than to turn around and leave, but she knew that walking away wasn't going to solve anything. Not this time at least.

"Though you did always have a flare for the dramatic so I can't really be that surprised." She shrugged, not about to let his lack of recognition, be it real or false, phase her in the least little bit. No, the man had already done a big enough number on her life, she wasn't about to let that happen again. Or at least, she was going to try and fight against it as much as possible.

Carmine on the other hand was tense....He didn't like where this was going, and he knew that people from her past typically did not have this kind of affect on her. That alone made his eyes narrow as he folded his hands together behind his back. He would let her handle it, and he would stay quiet, but if this got too out of hand he would suggest they leave. It was the most logical reaction he thought. Those eyes of his staying fixed upon the man who was currently conversing with her.

Yet he insisted on continuing on and she would roll her eyes, the mention of her last name getting a dismissive wave of her hand. "Yes, that is my wife's name. I took it when we married." Yes, no point in lying about that. She wanted it made perfectly clear that she had married, because she had a family and he was so not a part of it. He had his chance and he had made it perfectly clear that was not what he wanted, so she had moved on, she had erased all evidence of him from her past and she had built a life for herself.

But apparently she had missed a spot. A BIG spot. Her tongue slowly tracing over her lower lip as she shifted her foot forward, hip jutting out just a bit as she spread her balance out. Old habits, nothing more. Then he went ahead and asked the one question that she honestly felt he had no right to ask, her icy hues narrowing slightly as the corner of her lips curled into a soft of half ass grin. "What do you care Graham? You made it perfectly clear back then that you wanted nothing to do with me or them. So explain to me what relevance this could have in your life now?"

She was not entirely sure if he knew the truth or not, nor did she really care. He had walked away and never called or wrote. Never tried to see the twins, never tried to see if she or the kids were alright. Yet eighteen years later he decided to show up and ask about them? The nerve of some people was astounding.

As for Carmine, there was not much the man did not know about Kevala. He was by far her most trusted confidant and she told him absolutely everything. Hell, he had been with her since she had Ezekial, they had a history together to say the least.

[everynothing]

Kevala went unphased by his attempt to act as though he was shocked to see her, but he had committed to this so there was no turning back. She obviously wanted nothing to do with him, her words making that abundantly clear, but he couldn't have had an opposite feeling toward her. Knowing that she had given birth to twins was enough to peek his interest, whether or not he already knew that or not.

She told him with pride that she had married a woman, leaving out the name but he didn't care about that. Mischa had been on his radar for some time, like many others in her life, but their uses would remain veiled behind his stampede of lies and deceit. He looked at Carmine for a second when the large man shifted, making sure he wasn't reaching for a weapon or anything like that. The man knew Kev well, no doubt, and Graham was sure that her reaction to him was enough to make her friend worry.

Her answer to his question gave him all the information he needed, though she once again neglected to give him any names. The word them would cause him to go wide eyed, if only for a moment, letting him know that she had more than a single child. Sure, she may have seen things in light of his disappearance, but he knew she was smart. They were still his children, and now that they were eighteen there was nothing she could do to keep them from him.

"Twins?... You actually had twins?" All of her other words fell on deft ears, or so he made it seem. He closed his eyes with a sigh, turning his back to Kevala and her friend as he started making his way slowly upstairs. "Have it your way, Kev... Lets get on with the arrangements, since we obviously have nothing else to talk about." He would stop at the top of the stairs, turning to his right and looking down at them through the corner of his eye, a single tear falling from his amber gold iris.

"I'm sure you'll love the selection. I take pride in making things as perfect as possible to honor lost love ones." With that, he'd make his way into the meeting room and take a seat on his side of the table, his elbows resting on the hard wood as his forehead rested on the palms of his hands. It was a gutsy move, since there was always the chance that they would just leave after everything, but even if they did the plan was already in motion. Everything else would just be a bonus.

[Kevala Katashi]

She honestly didn't give a shit if he picked up on the small slip ups in her speech or not. She had kept the twins pretty well hidden for the majority of their lives. Not because she thought that he had any interest in them, but for her own personal reasons. Namely her family. Though, she did have to admit that his reactions to her words were priceless, even if they were so full of bullshit that she felt the urge to pick her feet up off the ground for fear of getting her shoes dirty.

Yet, she would let him have his moment, let him play his little game, and try and make her feel something. Though honestly, he was barking up the wrong tree on that one. Perhaps back when they had been together she might have fallen for this little game of his, perhaps she would have been happy to believe his lies, but that all had fallen apart when he walked out and never looked back.

"Of course twins. You sure as hell didn't knock me up twice." Rolling her eyes slightly. No, actually, she was missing the fights with Nathaniel now when faced with...this monstrosity of a man. Though his turning away, his defeated tone, it would get a small chuckle from her as she shook her head.

"Wow. You really are committed to this aren't you. I have to give you props, any other woman would think you gave a damn." A little roll of her eyes as he went about explaining how he was so good at arranging dead loved ones or whatever. She wasn't really paying that much attention.

"Tell me Graham. Do you choose to spend all your time around other people's dead loved ones due to the fact that you have burned all bridges in connection with those that could have been yours? Or is it just that you are a twisted mother fucker who likes dead things?" A little hint of amusement in her tone as she ran her tongue along her lips, a nod of her head to signal for Carmine to go and take a look at what Graham was going to show them.

She wasn't going to get that close. She knew better. She had gotten too close once before and that had resulted in the twins and a ton of heartbreak. Not her ideal situation and definitely not something she wished to repeat. Ever.

Though she would give a glance around the room, now more interest in the decor of the place since she knew exactly who was running the joint. It was hard not to be. Honestly, she could have guessed as to the red carpeting had she known it would have been him. He was always a bit........odd.

Carmine would move forward, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks as he stood a few feet behind the guy. He didnt know him personally, but if he was enough to irritate her in this manner then he must be trouble. A little sigh given as he looked over anything that he had to show him, all the while keeping his attention divided between the guy in front of him and Kevala who was moving around behind him now. Last thing he needed was her killing a mortician in his own building.....though that would be funny.

[everynothing]

Graham sat in his chair, listening to Kevala's venomous words with a smile, which of course shifted to sadness when her and Carmine made it up to the second floor. He had planted the seeds of hatred in her long ago, but they had obviously been watered over the years by others in her life. So much pain and loneliness in her heart, and yet he was sure that if he brought it up she would say she was happily married.

Something kept her cold and reserved, and he intended to poke and prod until he knew exactly what it was. At the moment it was him, but there was more to it than just her disdain for a deadbeat dad. He had a feeling that Carmine could she some much needed light on her darkness, but that would require some delicate work to gain his trust. Graham figured trying to do it as himself was a lost cause, but that didn't mean it wasn't one of his plans.

Graham wanted so much to laugh at Kevala's comment about him and dealing with dead people. She had no idea how much satisfaction he got from dealing with the dead, and causing it as well, and he didn't plan on showing her that side of her any time soon. He simply waited patiently in his chair, wiping the moisture from his eyes with his handkerchief as Carmine looked over some of the material he had layed out for them.

"The mahogany casket is a popular choice for companies paying for an employees funeral, but if you're looking for something a little more personal I'd suggest the red wood. You can get designs or wording carved on the side for no extra cost on that one." Finally, Kevala made her move into the room, making sure to keep her distance from Graham as she moved around Carmine. "Please, take a seat. Make yourselves comfortable."

He motioned to the two chairs across from him, nearly right next to each other, before laced his fingers together and resting his chin on his knuckles. "Did you want an open casket viewing, or is a closed viewing more appropriate? If the shape of the body is a concern, don't worry about that. I'm quite skilled at the embalming process, and I can guarantee your employee will look as good as he did when he was alive. It's up to you." He tried his best to blow the tension over, directing most of his words at Carmine, with his gaze moving to Kevala a couple of times.

[Kevala Katashi]

Carmine would move to take a seat once it was offered, keeping his focus on the words spoken to him, though he was trying his best to make sure Kevala did not lose her cool. Well, more so than she already had. The last thing he needed was to have to try and explain to Mischa why her wife was currently trying to buy her way out of jail.

But then, what was he thinking? He had been around for almost 17 years now and he knew damn well that Kevala put a lot of meticulous thought and planning into her little games. A little shake of his head, scolding himself for such thoughts before turning to look at her as the decision seemed to be upon him. He honestly didn't know what to do here, because she did something different every time this sort of thing came up. "Kevala. What would you like to have done with him?"

An annoyed little sigh escaping her as she glance at one of the pictures on the wall, not bothering to turn her attention toward them. "If I had my way his dick would be cut off and shoved down his throat....." She paused and quickly clamped her hand down over her mouth, eyes turning to the pair with a look of shock, dismay and utter humiliation held within them. "Oh my. I am sorry, I was thinking out loud and clearly about the wrong person."

Then, just as quickly as she had put on her little act, she would straighten up, her hand falling away as she chuckled softly and allowed her lips to curl into a wicked little grin. "I do not care. Pick out a casket that you think he would have liked, stick him in it. Closed, seeing as how it will be a short ceremony and only other security personnel will be there."

A little wave of her hand, not all too broken up about the guys death apparently, but then Kevala tended to see most people as toys, pawns in the chess game of life.......Insignificant. This death being one of the main reasons why. Well that and her utter lack of emotions. "Will the twins and Mischa be attending?"

His words, though they made her cringe inwardly at the fact that he had just given away her wife's name, would be met with a calm, casual little shake of her head. "I suppose Mischa might, seeing as how I am not very good at these type of things. The twins will not though." No, she may not be able to keep them from seeing their father if they wanted to, but she could damn well keep from putting them in a situation where he would know how to find them.

Her hand coming up and lightly twirling a bit of hair about her finger as she ran her tongue slowly along her lips. This was the point where Carmine would turn back around, eyes scanning over the material that was laid out for them, knowing that she was not going to be sitting down anytime soon. For the most part, the woman was as unpredictable as all hell, but some things could be written in stone.

When she was unsettled, she would not sit. At least not unless she was playing one of her games and something told him this guy had thrown her off, at least for now. So no, she was probably as close to the table as she was going to get. "Cost limit?" Figuring he should ask before he went ahead and picked something.

"Hmm..." Her hand rose, fingers curling under her chin as her index lightly tapped her lips which were pursed just slightly. She really didn't care, seeing as her and Mischa had pretty much decided not to spare expenses on those that died while choosing to work for them. But still, she was debating if she should, since apparently the man had killed himself....which in her head translated to "I hate my life, I must die." and therefore meant that he hated his job. So yeah, Kev logic at work to say the least.

"Ten at the most." She shrugged and would turn to look at something else. A little bored sigh passing her lips as Carmine turned back to look over the material once more, scanning through the prices and trying to find something that would work for what they were planning. Something nice, yet not overly fancy. Something that could be buried without Kevala sitting there the whole time going "You know, it would be easier just to wrap them in money and bury them....Same thing.".....It would save Mischa having to once again explain the importance of funerals....Since apparently Kev had only held one that she didn't complain about.

"I think we will go with oak. Seems like it would be a good match for him as well as for her wishes for him." A little motion toward Kev to clarify who "her" was....tapping his finger upon the picture of the casket and casting a glance toward this Graham fellow.

[everynothing]

The tension between Kevala and Graham was so thick it was like a fog, a haze that blurred any sort of attempt at connection that he may have wanted to establish. Though his attention appeared to be on the funeral and Mr. Carmine, that couldn't have been further from the truth. When she responded to Carmine's question with such hostility he knew without a doubt she was speaking of him. At least they could both agree that they couldn't get one another off of their minds, even if their thoughts differed.

At least Carmine seemed to be holding the middleground in the situation, probably trying to keep her from achieving her desire to shove Graham's own man meat down his throat, but for whatever reason it was appreciated. She obviously didn't care for any of her security, save maybe the man sitting across from him, as she left all of the planning in his capable hands. But when he mentioned the twins and her wife, Mischa, possibly attending she snapped right back into focus.

She didn't seem to like that he'd mention them in front of Graham, but what's done was done. Mischa would more than likely attend to make up for the lack of empathy of her wife, but to Graham's dismay the twins would be kept from meeting him. He never expected any less after seeing her reaction to him, but that didn't mean he didn't get a glimmer of hope when Carmine had mentioned them.

With a cost limit of ten thousand, and no need to embalm for an open casket viewing, Graham knew that he would be taking in quite the sum from this transaction. "Oak's a fine choice, sir. I'll figure out the best flower arrangement setup to go with the casket, and we'll give it an ocean theme to signify his journey to a new plain. I'll procure a reverend to do the eulogy, and we can have the funeral on the same day as the viewing." Graham would be writing all of this down as he said it aloud, looking up periodically at Carmine to make sure it was all to their liking.

"Was there anything else that you wanted to discuss? Otherwise I have the date of the funeral a week from now. That should give everyone enough time to clear their schedule and be ready to attend." As he finished writing down the last of the information in his books, he would close the and fold his hands over them. He had finished his job for the day, but was always willing to go into more depth on things if needed.

[Kevala Katashi]

How was she supposed to get him off her mind? He was sitting right there and he would not shut the fuck up with this pathetic, sissy ass bullshit about making the funeral so special and wonderful. Gods, she swore if she had to sit through another one of these meetings and listen to these people trying to sell death like it was some beautiful and magical thing, she was going to puke.

She had seen death first hand. She had caused death. Hell, she had died for that matter! There was nothing beautiful or wonderful about the "journey". It was an ugly, nasty, terrifying journey that's only reprieve was the fact that it finally gave you relief from the pain that you were suffering from. That was about it. So yeah, as Graham began his little speech about using an ocean theme and all that other bullshit (which was exactly what she believed it to be) she could not help but roll her eyes along with a slight shake of her head.

Though, it was not just because of what he said, but because she was having a hard, hard time believing that this asshole gave a shit about such trivialities. No, she was betting he was up to something, he had to be. Hell, just his over dramatized reaction to her had been proof enough that he was a lying, manipulative bastard with a twisted, sick sense of humor. Of course, she could have been thinking such things because the asshole just decided to up and walk out on her when she was pregnant like she had never meant anything to him.

Gah! Just the thought made a growl reverberate through the darker recesses of her mind. Her demon once more clawing at the corners of her every thought. She wanted out, and honestly, Kevala could not blame her. It was not often in her life that Kevala felt genuinely hurt, but back then, when the two of them had been together, was a point in her life where she was not so closed off to the possibility of actually feeling something for somebody.

Sure, she had never really understood emotions that normal people had, and she likely never would, but she had tried and she had opened herself up, and her repayment for such had been for him to abandon her when she quite honestly needed him the most. So yes, the hatred she had for the man currently flapping his gums at Carmine was so deeply seated within her mind, that she didn't think she would even need her demon to be able to slit his throat and not feel a fucking thing.

A frustrated little sigh passing her lips as her hand came up to rub two fingers against her right temple, eyes closing for a moment as she would allow them to have their little talk, more than ready to strangle Carmine if he drug this out any longer than it had to be. She didn't know how long she could remain in the same room with him without acting upon her desires to kill him.

"That sounds good to me." Carmine was more than willing to agree with whatever the guy suggested because he knew that he needed to get her out of here. He watched over her for far too many years and knew that there were just some times that it was better to separate her from a situation before it got too out of hand. So, with that said, he would stand, adjusting his attire and giving a little appreciative nod toward Graham. Though the curious, suspicious look in his eyes did not falter, not even for a second. "I trust that you still have our contact information. Once you have everything set up, call with the final price and it will be seen to that you are paid appropriately.

He would then turn back toward Kevala. "Is there anything else Kevala or shall we be going?" A step taken toward her, though he kept most of his focus on the man behind him. He was not stupid enough to turn his back on the guy and not focus on the sounds of his movements in order to ensure that he did not try and attack. One could never be too careful with a person from her past....especially one that put her this on edge.

"No, that will be all." The heel of her combat boot pressing into the floor, pressure applied to swivel her around toward the two of them, icy hues still present, though the slightest hint of crimson had begun to fracture the cool icy color that so many had found hypnotic and alluring in the past. "Go and start the car, I shall be there in a moment. I wish to discuss a matter in private with ......him...." A slight nod of her head to motion toward Graham.

Of course, this got a somewhat hesitant look from Carmine as he would glance over his shoulder in the direction she had motioned and then back at her with a look that asked "Are you sure?", he just knew better than to speak the words aloud in the presence of another. Her response, quite simply a nod to assure him she knew what she was doing and with that he would reluctantly head out of the room and from there out of the building.

Now alone with Graham, full attention would turn toward him as she finally bridged that distance between her current position and his desk, coming to a stop in front of it and pressing her hands down upon the edge, fingers curling about it to grip it as tightly as she could manage. The slightest sound of her nails digging in to the underside could be heard, clearly her way of keeping from lashing out at him. "I do not know why you are here Graham. I do not know why you have any interest in the children that you so easily walked out on. I mean, you didn't even stick around long enough to find out that I was carrying twins."

She cleared her throat, her shoulders squaring away as she tried not to think about that time in her life, though it was hard given she was being forced to relive it in her mind just by looking at his face. "But do not think I am unaware of the fact that I cannot ban you from seeing them. They are eighteen, and free to make their own decision on the matter, as much as I may hate that fact."

She would draw in a deep breath, trying to keep her cool, though as she spoke, the crimson in her eyes became more and more evident. "I do not know what you were expecting from me when you saw my name on that listing...And you can say all you want that you did not know it was me, but honestly, Kevala is not exactly a popular name. Whatever the case though, if you expected me to be happy to see you, or to have found peace over what you did to me over the past eighteen years, you are sorely mistaken." She would give another pause, this time mostly due to the fact that she was touching upon a rather sensitive subject, at least for herself, and she did not want to lose herself to the anger that she so strongly felt.

"Perhaps, the girl that you knew back then would have tried to forgive you, would have tried to understand and would have just been happy to see that you were okay. Because that girl loved you despite what you might have thought. But, you killed that girl the day you chose to walk out and never look back. The girl left in her place, who turned into the woman that stands here today, will never forgive you and will not hesitate to hunt you down and put a bullet in your skull if you hurt my children." That Southern accent thickening just a bit as her temper rose, especially as she emphasized the fact that they were her children, not his.

Now, done with everything she had to say, she would push herself away from the desk, adjusting the leather cuffs about her wrists as they had slid up just a bit, revealing the tail ends of the scars that littered her wrists. Once done though, she would cast him one last glance before turning on her heels and heading toward the exit, not once looking back at him because to be honest, she had spent far too many years doing just that very thing.

No, unless he spoke something that would be enough to bring her to a stop, she would keep going until she got out of the building and into her SUV, wanting nothing more than to put distance between herself and Graham.

[everynothing]

It was beyond hilarious for Graham to watch Kevala squirm within her own skin, Bottling up that anger she held for him like a diet coke and mentos concoction. The fact that it made Carmine so worried sweetened it that much more, since the man seemed to be reading her body movements as well as Graham was himself. It was touching, and sickening, to see someone not in love with Kev that seemed to genuinely get and care about her. He would be a problem that needed to be dealt with, but for now they would be civil.

With the finishing touches put on the funeral arrangements, Carmine let him know that everything seemed to be satisfactory. Even if there was something that he would have liked changed, his ticking time bomb of an employer wouldn't give him the time to ask for the changes he wanted. So, without any time to lose, Graham was told to contac them with the price before Carmine asked Kevala if they should leave.

"I'm sure it will be a little below your desired price range, so no need to fret there." Graham's attention turned to Kevala as she told Carmine to go ahead, since she obviously had something important to discuss. An excited chill would run up his spine a he looked to the worried Carmine, who was assured with a simple nod that everything would be fine. "It was a pleasure meeting you, sir. I hope we get another opportunity in the future." Oh, they would. Some things in life were predictable, and a second encounter was one such thing.

Carmine made it out of Graham's humble building quick enough, leaving the quarreling ex-lovers to themselves for a moment. Kevala would leave her mark on the underside of his table, relieving a bit of tension before staring him down with crimson highlighted eyes. She went on and on about how he had changed her into the woman he saw that day, how she couldn't stop him from seeing the children and of course putting emphasis on the fact that they were her children. Or at least, that was her opinion on the matter.

When she was finally done spitting out her pointless words, she would turn away from him and start making her way to the exit of the room. Graham's lips would spread with a satisfied smile as a single, deep chuckle escaped his throat. "You're sexy when you're mad, you know that?" He would push his chair back and get to his feet, pressing the wrinkles out of his suit as he made his way next to Kevala. "Let me walk you out, Mrs Badoer."

Every step they took seemed to be in slow motion, as Graham wanted to see just how crimson he could get her eyes to become. "I'm glad we at least understand each other on one thing." He would grab her by the arm to stop her right as they reached the main floor, his amber gold eyes mimicking the slight crimson that Kevala had gaine in her own. "You will not stop me from seeing my children." His tone had changed significantly, from the kind businessman to that of a cold-hearted killer.

He would move close to her, his lips barely keeping from touching her ear as his warm breath blew into them. "If you don't change soon, and stop blaming others for the psycho you are, you will lose everything you hold dear. I'll make sure of that." With those parting words being said, his face would shift back to the kind facade that he had when they first arrived, losing the crimson tint he had shown her briefly. He would open the front door for her, waving out to Carmine before turning back to Kevala. "I'll add the damage of my property to your bill. Other than that, have a pleasant day, Mrs. Badoer."

[Kevala Katashi]

She didn't care if what she had to say was pointless to him, it was something she knew she had to say for herself and for the sake of being able to tell her wife, who was going to flip her shit when Kevala told her about Graham, that she had told him something. Besides, she could honestly care less if anything she said affected him because deep down she knew that it wouldn't. He wasn't fooling anyone, at least not her.

Though, as she turned to walk away, he insisted upon irritating her all the more, though ultimately she would just grin and shrug rather casually. "You just think that because we always had the best sex when I was pissed off." A statement of fact and not something she was trying to make sound better than it had been. Angry sex was always the best, (as Mischa had apparently figured out what with her constant trickery to get Kev angry.....sneaky woman) and despite how much she may hate him now, she had to admit that it had been one of her better relationships, at least sex wise.

But then, of course, he insisted upon walking her out, and though she thought to protest, she would not, instead opting to just make her way toward the front exit as quietly and calmly as possible. But then he had to go and pull the whole "mine" thing when it came to the twins, a little growl escaping her, though she fought to keep her mind elsewhere instead of with her teeth buried into the side of his neck, ripping it apart to watch him slowly bleed to death.

Yes please...

"Shut up right now..."

Her hand balling into a fist as her nails sank into the base of her palm, keeping her cool as she felt the tiniest hint of blood pooling under her nails. "You can believe what you wish. Do not be expecting a warm welcome though." Another casual little shrug, confident that at least Aiden would see death before siding with his Father. That boy had spent too many years looking after his sister and having to play the father figure role to ever really forgive the man, or so she hoped. Kazumi on the other hand, well that was a whole other story.

Then, as if to try and push her buttons all the more, his hand snatched up her arm, jerking her small frame toward his own so that he could whisper against her ear, that tone changing to something she was a bit more used to and causing her to shiver softly, though ultimately a soft chuckle would be given in response to his words, her head tilting just a bit to mimic his own actions, her lips softly grazing against his ear as she purred the words forth in a dark, sultry little whisper. "All these years and I still know how to bring out that naughty side in you. Nice to see I haven't lost my touch."

Pulling back with a wicked little grin plastered upon her lips, those eyes once more their usual cool, icy blue color. "I was a psychopath long before I met you and I will be one long past the day you are gone from my life for good. But it is oh so much fun to get a rile out of you." Jerking her arm free from his grasp as her free hand came up and tapped the end of his nose just slightly.

"Lovely seeing you again Graham. I look forward to what this little game has in store." She would then turn and head out of the building, his final words getting a dismissive little wave of her hand over her shoulder. "Oh you big baby...There are much worse things I could have done to that desk...Or on it for that matter." A fiery little grin cast back over her shoulder before she would simply move to climb into the SUV, shutting the door behind her.

"What was that all about?" His concern evident as Carmine started up th engine and pulled out of the parking lot. "Oh nothing, just an old friend wanting to play around with me." Speaking of it so dismissively, even though Carmine knew all too well what kind of "games" Kevala usually played.

"Should I be worried?"

Her lips pursing at the question as though debating upon the right answer to be had here. "Add a bit of extra security to Kazumi at both school and home. Also, clear my schedule for tomorrow evening. I think its time Patrick and I had a little chat." Nodding as she slid down into her seat and pressed her sunglasses over her eyes. Now, the tricky part.....telling her wife that the biological Father of their kids was back and wanting to see them. Oh this was not going to go well at all.