Chapter 19: Chapter XIX
Our first mission was unexpectedly going to take part in the Underhive, Cistern City where we had just come from but more importantly, the job was to go make an example of a small gang that ransacked one of the casinos the Coin Guild ran down there.
The hardest part of the task was simply going through the Underhive checkpoint and with the temporary pass they gave as we were mercenary's working for one of the Hive city's most powerful Guilds they didn't bother us with a shakedown or anything.
Once we were back in the Underhive and we checked into the Casino that got robbed we were told our quarry location as the group had gotten entirely too big for their britches and loudly broadcasted their group's location for recruiting after they somehow found a Las Cannon in working condition and used it to great effect melting any group that decided to in turn rob their advertised location.
But I was already immune basically to Las fire even if it came out of a Las cannon so we were able to clean them up and once we turned in proof of their deaths they didn't even question us about any loot we may have acquired after I explained how the Las cannon melted from overuse when I 'lured mutants' into their vicinity.
Frankly as much as being a two-bit enforcer rankled at Elesmere even she couldn't deny the creature comforts were able to buy with simple mission's rewards.
But now with the loot amounting to more than ten thousand credits, I decided to see if that mega Casino's guys got the stones from the center of the moon.
"Let's go see if they got the Moon stuff you are going to need to absorb," I said as we were already heading in the same direction as the mega Casino also acted as a sort of Brothel for the hundreds of Hive Security forces that were supposed to be regularly patrolling the area but in reality, just spent their time fucking and drinking rather than being killed by the Underhives endless criminals.
"You haven't gotten bored of me and are planning on selling me, are you?" Elesmere said dryly earning an eye roll from me but seeing as she couldn't see that with how we were walking side by side I just patted her on her shoulder.
"And where would I be without your oh-so-superior snark? I would be beset by indecision in all my life choices and would likely be still eating spider meat down in our old little home." Hearing me mention our old nutrient cubes she shuddered at the memory.
"Yes... A woman is always needed to keep a man grounded. Whether it be Eldar or Humans you men always see something and think 'I am going to stick my digits in it or Let's see what happens if we light it on fire and watch as it spreads.'" Then she went on to explain in great detail about how arrogant Eldar men in particular were the most virulent in causing problems between humanity and the Eldar while all she had to mention was how much of a control freak the human emperor was.
All of which I couldn't deny really, as all the races were led by batshit insane people, and the more powerful reasonable people literally became hermits in order to not deal with other people's crap.
"So, you are my grounding now? I don't see a ring on your finger lady and what even is the traditions for Eldar marriage?" I asked teasingly at first but as I asked the question, I was honestly curious.
"Well, it's very much different for all the sub-factions of my people by it goes a little something like this." Elesmere began to explain quietly so others couldn't overhear.
For Craftworld: "We get married when love each other as proven by 150 years of complex and infinitely subtle flirting and courtship rituals. Occasionally we get divorced which is a cause for great sorrow. Divorce also is heavily ritualized."
"For Exodites: They just get married. It is Until Death Do Us Part. Which is usually when a dinosaur eats your wife/husband."
"For Dark Eldar: They just get married. Usually when one person blackmails or politically maneuvers someone they hate and are attracted to into marrying them as just one more level of screwing with them. There is lots of hate sex. They do not have divorce but there are suspicious numbers of widows..."
"And lastly for the Corsairs: They just get married but only to stop both of them fighting over which of is going to be the captain and only if they can find a pair of matching power swords so that others can admire their combined aesthetic."
I gave a look at the Craftworlder in front of me as I shook my head. "Spending more than a hundred years just to see if you mesh well with someone seems like a bit much isn't it? Just live with someone for a month, trust me when you see how they keep their bathroom and their counters you can tell a lot about someone."
It took me less than a week when I had a cousin staying over at my apartment for a couple weeks and she eventually took up the whole bathroom counter to the point where I couldn't even lay my towel on the sink and my deodorant got lost under her hair care crap before I wanted to throw her out.
"Perhaps but with a long courting ritual we are well assured as to who our partners will be. Well, normally our situation is obviously far out of the norm." She admitted wryly as we came to casino, and I couldn't press her on that as we entered.
"Hello, I have an order from one of your managers I believe his name was Saband Gilttorch," I asked the scantily clad woman running a sort of greeting position after we got past the bouncers and they gave us a special pass when we showed proof of us being a part of the Coin Guild.
"I see... One moment I need to call his office and let him know you are here. I recommend you check the games and other activities this establishment offers. Lord Saband is likely using his currently favored concubine at the moment so he will be busy." She blandly looked at her terminals clock and then looked back up to us. "He likely will be busy for the next half an hour unless his woman expires during his games."
I nodded and pulled Elesmere along and now that I wasn't being directly pushed to the manager for my deal for the star essence, I saw the complete debauchery that was probably not too far off from a Slaanesh warm-up party as some of the card tables literally used still living people by augmenting them with cybernetics and obviously surgery to act as furniture.
Elesmere at the sight of this froze and her hand that was holding my own tightened to an absurd degree and it was only the fact that my body cultivation was above hers with my star within my body that I didnt loudly hiss in pain.
Seeing a perfect example of the debauchery that birthed the chaos god by her own people I could feel Elesmere's killing internet as she seemed to almost panic at the sight before her.
Honestly, I too was a bit stunned at the sight of some dude walking up to a chair with the limbs locked into position with cybernetics and sticking his manhood into the furniture's mouth, but I quickly pulled Elesmere against me and buried her face into my chest as I subtly pulled us out of the VIP area.
"Don't look. Let's just wait outside." I said not wanting Elesmere to go on a killing spree and we get hunted down for killing off a bunch of debauched individuals.
Despite the Eldar spawning a literal space Satan obsessed with extreme BDSM, humans still had pleasure cults and this little VIP area wasn't anything special in comparison to the insane nonsense the Eldar got into.
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