"It's something that a lot of people don't expect but it brings a lot of opportunities to your door. Let's not lie though, this ends one way, you're going to be a partner in this operation and I need to make sure that you're here with us."

He said us, remembering that he had the backing of Newt, as well as the use of his warehouse and shipping company, this was going to be a legitimate operation that introduced a ton of kinks to the game, a lot of people that would have seriously never been involved with one another before, yet here they were now. It certainly held a lot for it currently. 

"I have a supplier out south, going by the name of the Cordelia organization. They're supplying me with A-Grade product, something that can't be found at street level and I don't think it will ever be found. Me being the main source of income and their distribution out here is something that landed in my lap like a Christmas present from Santa himself."

Leaning forward, he heard the excitement in her voice from before, his own lips turned up in return. This was the stuff he really needed, she was something that he wasn't going to be forgetting. Her excitement was intoxicating that he sipped his Oreo milkshake once again, going ahead with the story. 

"I have the support of Newt and his warehouses, along with shipping companies that allows for...easy access coming back and forth with the suppliers and their pure grade stuff. The reason I'm doing this most of all Venus, I'll be keeping the petty dealers out here in Corktown in line. No one deals any outside shit without our say so, the same could go for 12th Street, if I have your support..."

He meant that, the petty dealers had gone far in his time that he had been a civilian, the parties back in the wilder days of the league. A lot of them had been nothing but a bunch of fucks, so he decided to introduce something and here he was, almost ready to distribute, yet he just needed that one person and maybe she was right in front of him. 

"We have an operation ready for the future here, we have something that we can truly build from the ground up. So, vGoddess, I'm willing to give you more time. Yet, I can explain more, and I can give more, plus, it also includes trips to Mexico to meet with suppliers and the occasional dropping by, making sure that we are securing everything on our end....if that's not enough to convince you. It's just business but a lot of this, well, it can be enjoyable."

He meant that much, his eyes holding a genuine softness before he finished the milkshake, with that, he smirked. Yet it was more crooked, as if a smile wished to break through. It was in her hands, what she wished, he couldn't force her to sign the proverbial contract they would be entering here...

Juanita saunters into the frootsy

eh homes? da fuck is frootsy?  bring me dat shit

Juanita does clicky fingers in a 'z' formation and notices Rom

Mi puto! mi pappa and sous pappa were tight homes! how you doin?

"Sounds good to me."

Venus remembered the time when she used to be the supplier herself. But that was a long time ago. Although she enjoyed profits, she suffered a loss too big to keep it going and the degradation in her health did nothing but worsen the situation. During her stay in the hospital, she heard the news of her drug producing properties being raided by the cops and many of the workers being arrested. Although she arranged to get them out of jail, she fell out of touch with them soon after and never thought of going back into the business.

Today, she could see a glimmer of hope in continuing this line of work. And this time she wouldn't be alone. She could already see a promising future with profits and her intuitions never went wrong. Feeling good about the deal, she accepted it.

"I look forward to working with you, Rom. I know it won't be an easy ride but if it works out according to the plans, we can expect some big profits," she said with a smirk.

"Well that's not all but it's one of the better things that will be happening, working with me I mean. After this, Detroit will be one of the many places that I am open to working in. So is there anything else you would like to know before I move forward with this deal? I mean, there's always something that needs to be handled before a drop is made but anything you would like to know right now, eh?"

Rom said this because he knew where he was heading after this, he had to go to Newt and his place to make sure that the things would be handled. Then the drop would happen later in the week, something that he was ready for, well, ever so slightly nervous.

"If you're a bit nervous and the money doesn't convince, though I am sure something like that already has, think about the trips there will be. This is going to be fun, if not a bit of nerve wrecking, we'll find a way to build our trust in one another, cause there will be people that wish to tear our business into pieces. That won't be happening, ever."

With that, he gave her a soft smile. Hoping to calm her down for the moment, yet he felt it, this thing, in its entirety, it was odd for him to go this route with someone who he was recently in business with. He was establishing that they both had something to win and lose here, it was a moment of mutual loss. 

"Not all the plans go the path we wish but I'll make sure that this one does, you have my word on that. vGoddess, just be aware, some of this could come back and bite one of us in the ass. Would you be ready to handle it? I don't mind helping my partners deal with such problems."

He could see the matching smirk that she sent him, she wished to move forward, and he wasn't trying to get her to renege. He was just making sure that this is what she wanted, yet the way she spoke, the way her eyes told a story of another time. So he was letting her know now, that her problems, were his.

"I just want you to be able to know, your problems are mine and the business at hand. We all take care of one another, we may not be in the same families at all, but we do take care of one another..."

It was that which made him smile, the moment of a true family within this moment, he knew he had no backing to even say that, yet he wished too because this is the way he was going. To make sure his people were cared for, regardless of stance on him.

Venus was well aware that everything in her line of work involved risks but that didn't scare her, nor did it ever make her regret her choices. In fact, this could be the start of a new journey in her life that would provide her with some thrill that she had been longing for such a long time.

She has been in the life of crime from a young age and had had all sorts of experiences in her youth. But now, as time went, things started to get less interesting. Although her life gave her all the luxury and pleasure that money can afford, it still lacked some excitement.

Even thinking about it made her feel thrilled. She no longer worried about the negative outcomes that they could possibly face. She knew she couldn't turn down such an amazing offer. At one point, the excitement could be seen in her actions.

Venus almost spilled the milkshake over her plaid dress as she was about to speak. Feeling embarrassed, she gave a sheepish smile to Rom.

"Sorry. Anyway, I accept your partnership offer. I'd like it if you could send me the papers directly to my house so I could understand it better."

"Are you okay there? Want some tissues or something?"

Giving her a calm smile, the way that she was so excited, it was infectious, but he calmed himself knowing that this was no way to go about his business. He needed to put on this front, something like this could come later, when he wasn't trying to prepare for more than a little blowback with the situation at hand. 

"You seem like you've waited for something like this, for a while, I can tell you, it's going to be a time."

Giving her a sly wink, he let her know that he understood the thrill. He always wished for something like that, something to bring him to this level of pure and unadulterated excitement, for a moment he almost lost himself in the intensity before his grinning face came to a slow halt. Calming down as he too sent vGoddess a sheepish smile

"Papers? It's mostly just documents that would be at the warehouse but it would give you a better idea than I could really. I'm going there now but I can have one of my guys give you a few copies, something that can be done within the day though."

Nothing was too much right now, he really needed to go through, and she had accepted. Everything was perfect, now he had just needed a few places of distribution. One of them was already his casino, another could be Draco's place, looking up, he met her eyes and wondered, would this place be suitable for distribution? It seemed okay, it seemed low-key, and Feds definitely wouldn't come snooping around here...

Yet there was a risk, the kids and that was something he was never going to take a chance on. Moving on from that dark thought, he smiled, nodding his head as he knew that this meeting was closing up for now but there would be many more for the future. 

"Do you have any other places in Detroit that could be used as a good means to move the product we'll be selling? It'd be pretty good and low-key, it'd be easy to launder as well."

It was up to Venus, she would continue to reap the benefits and be his second in this matter. Something that he was more than open to exploring, with a tight smile, he wondered if she was up for it, yet that excitement from before. It did not seem like it would leave her, at least, for a while.

Rom knew he could use that and trust him that he would, only if she was okay with it and this was not a simple demand, he was not going for a dictatorship. This was a team and everyone had a say. 

"Don't think that you have to say that it's okay Venus, we all have a say, and if you want to keep some of your places away from what we're doing here...let me know if not, also, let me know. And I can make sure that you get a much bigger cut of what we're making here, I want to make sure that all parties are rewarded due to their assistance and the risks they are partaking in."

With that, he leaned forward, his eyes now boring into hers, making sure that she knew what he was putting down her. His words meant one thing, she could risk it, or she could settle it, and he wished, well, he wanted to make sure that she did what was right for her.

Venus was so engrossed in her thoughts that she barely heard what Rom was saying. The one thing she heard though, was him asking whether she knew any place where they could move the product.

"You know what, I know just the perfect place for it!"

In 12th Street, there wouldn't be a better place for such operation than the Hooligan Horde Headquarters. The Hooligan's Bar would be the perfect place for distribution. She even had plenty of connections in her crew that could help her. But the HQ would not allow outsiders. 

However, just a few blocks away was the building she recently bought where she was about to establish her business in. This place was being refurbished to be a candy shop.

"Do you think a candy shop would be suitable?"

She realised Rom would be weirded out by the idea.

"Not a normal candy shop, though. It wouldn't be a place for kids, but something different."

At this point, she lost words to describe her new business. "It is going to be a bit strange," was the only thing she could come up with. She thought that the best way to describe it would be to show it in person.

"How about this? I will show you the place as soon as it is done renovating."

"Do you now?"

His curiosity had been peaked, and he knew that he had needed a place to begin the stages of where people would get the product. He could leave it to the usual dealers on the streets, but he knew that was something he could not leave to chance. Petty dealers would easily leave him out to dry for the Feds, so that was not an option, he needed loyalists, people that would never try to leave him out. 

"A candy shop? Now lass, I enjoy candy more than the next guy but-"

He stopped himself, noticing that she was still going. What kind of candy was she talking here? Cause this type of thing was not something he even wished to entertain, he knew the rules, and he wasn't crossing that line, ever. There was a respectful line within their organization and life, regardless of how a few bitter coppers wishes to paint them.

"How different? I'm just making sure that the bases are all covered here, I trust you. So I'm saying that you know what you're doing here, it's clear as the sky itself."

There was his grin, it was cheeky and outgoing, yet he decided that was something he could give her. She was clearly raring to go, the excitement from before was something that even got him ready to fly out to Mexico and start up the business that was waiting for him there.

"How's that going to be? How long? I don't mind halting the sales but it's gotta to be soon, not to rush you, lass."

He knew that vGoddess wished to make money as well as him here and that was something neither of them could hide, so he decided that he would let her sales would have to halted until she could provide it. He could find a second front as well but that would take a little time on his end, with a wink, he leaned back now.

"I'm not doing this to make you go faster, I have another place in line to also do what you're doing, I have a third place as well. As I said, covering all the bases, until we have a solid three, it provides customers variety and some fun...most of the time."

With that, he gave her a soft smile, letting her know that she could play to her own time. The sales would go forward but only until a third shopfront was available for all of them involved.

Madhatter walked into Frootsy. He loved this place they had the best milkshakes with every flavour you would want. He was in the mood for his regular milkshake and so he walked up to the bar.

“Just give me a milkshake with every flavour on your map. I’m also in the mood for another flavour and I was wondering if you have that in stock ? the flavours I would like to see on the map are, Rambutan, Horned melon, Mangosteen, Pitaya, Durian, Chayote and kumquat.”

As he sees that the person behind the counter didn’t get his flavour pallet he walked of with his mixed milkshake. The best thing he knew was that the owner of this places would hear these requests and hopefully get these flavours in stock.

Just as he walked outside the shop he noticed rom and vGoddess standing together. He just heard a couple of words: “Candy shop “,  “Kids” . That sounds like a fun place, a candy shop where the sell candy that is made of kids. Madhatter didn’t like kids, they where annoying and small. Why did kids have to be so small and fast. He had problem with kids that wanted to pet his white rabbit. He knew those kids wouldn’t do it anymore after his rabbit hit there finger off.

This was a great lesson for those kids, don’t touch my rabbit. He is busy and always late for something. So he is stressed and that makes him aggressive, but only towards kids. Maybe it was just the training Madhatter had given his rabbit.  He laughed and walked with his milkshake through the streets of Detroit, a lovely city.

"We can go now if you are free. The shop is still new and a part of the building is still under construction so there's not many customers. I believe it would be a good time to make the visit. You could also see if you find anything that interests you there. It will be on me."

Venus smiled. She hoped Rom would like it. The shop itself looked like any normal candy store but the candies sold were far from normal. She felt that nothing could hide a shady business better than another shady business. 

A grin playing at his lips, he wondered how easy that was for her, she said this with confidence, and he knew that no one would be tripping her up in the face of an investigation. She held herself like a true Boss of Bosses, one that he would not forget, shrugging to himself, he stood to his feet and made sure that he kept eye contact for the moment. 

"I'm good, I don't do the product. I'm a man who simply supplies, you get that?"

His eyes gleamed with a pure teasing there before walking forward towards the door, noticing that the shopkeeper had given him a nod. One that had never happened before, it seemed like he had guessed but shrugging, Rom nodded back. 

"So, let's go and make sure that this place is going to be...well, one of the best distro's of Detroit or better to call it a front. Cause that is exactly what it is."

Chuckling, he waited, leaning as he watched VGoddess, if she did this, well she was certainly deserving to be one of his inner circle, though she didn't know that, yet. The way she held herself and at times, she led the conversation, it was charisma mixed with ambition, and he was ready to work with someone like that.

The weather was getting hotter each day. A summer day meant Mel couldn't miss eating something cold. Whether it was ice cream, sorbet or shake, she needed something to keep her body and mind cool. 

Frootsy was a perfect place for that. Mel often came here to quench her thirst and cool herself down. Although not a fancy shop, the roadside stall served drinks and frozen desserts that were enough to make your day better. 

Mel's favorite was their lemon sorbet, but she liked to try new flavors every time. She bought a cranberry snow cone and sat down on a stool to eat it. 

Even though Hera was wearing the lightest dress she owned, she kept sweating as she walked the streets. The sun was shining directly above her head. Hera felt as if she would pass out any moment. Luckily she found a roadside stall selling refreshing drinks. 

She quickly stood in line in front of the stall and waited for her turn to come. She then bought a pineapple smoothie and a mixed fruit sorbet to cool down and avoid a heat stroke.

The weather was still hot and humid and Hera remembered the roadside stall where she once had some refreshing drinks before. She came to check if it was still there and it indeed was. She ran upto the stall like a little kid and waited impatiently in line for her turn. 

When it was finally her turn to order, she chose shaved ice with different flavored syrups. The man at the shop handed her the snowcone and she immediately took a big bite which made her entire mouth go numb and she got a brainfreeze. She learnt to eat it slowly afterwards. 

Venus came back to DT to check how her roadside stall was doing. A new guy was hired to sell now and he didn't recognize her, the owner of the business. She decided not to tell him yet to check whether he was doing his work well. 

She went up to the stall, waited in the line and then ordered blueberry flavored frozen yogurt. He made the dessert quickly and served it. It was definitely different from the old ones, but it still tasted good. The quality was still the best. 

Satisfied, she asked her manager to give him a raise. She now had to visit all her businesses around the country to check them herself.

The weather was getting colder but that didn't stop Ian from looking for icecream. He went to Frootsy which now barely had any customer and asked for a Mango icecream. He saw blueberry flavour and had to avoid it at any cost.

The icecream was served to him very quickly as he was the only customer. He ate it and paid extra for it before leaving.