Charcuterie Nostra

7. Arch-Nemeswiss

The dust settled, but Mingi and Yeosang didn't need to thread the rubble to investigate. Through the settling smoke came silhouettes of people, two in front and two more following at a distance.

Yeosang ducked, squinting into the itching chaos. Crew members? Or an attack? Unless a different ship approached them that no radar picked up on, no one should be able to board them.

How ironic if those were other professional smugglers sent to finish Yeosang's work.

But the man who came strutting through the smoke didn't look like a smuggler. He wore tight (tight) black leather pants that hugged every shape of his legs and thick boots that could stomp a human skull to dust. A tight top pinched around his torso, one sleeve long, the other short to give a sight of a lean arm covered in the sturdy skin of some lizard creature. His clawed hands cradled an elegant glass of wine, decorated with poison ivy that matched the deep red colour of the liquid.

His head was oval, matching the snout of his reptilian race. Dark blue to faint green skin formed a snout and a horned frill in the place of ears. Long black hair was tied together in an elegant braid. When he walked, a crocodile's tail swayed behind him.

By his side hurried another of his kin, only that this one was a striking red. He carried a wine bottle poised on his arm and his narrow yellow eyes studied Mingi's and Yeosang's defensive stance.

As the other two stayed behind, Wooyoung assumed they were guards to this personality.

"Wooyoung," Mingi hissed by Yeosang's side before the need for introductions arose. He earned a mocking smile from rows of sharp teeth.

"Sì," Wooyoung purred, hissing the syllable with his split tongue. He sipped some wine before he cradled it again with his wrist poised outward at his shoulder. He looked every bit as dramatic as Mingi and Yeosang had a sneaking suspicion who this might be.

"Miss me?" With his free hand propped on his hip, the maenad looked them up and down with twinkling eyes. His gaze kept getting stuck on Yeosang. "You're new. I didn't see you around last time."

"Brie gone! No one missed you," Mingi exclaimed. He straightened his shoulders to point a vindictive hand at Wooyoung. Behind him, the crew got to their feet to shut off the alarms and fix the damage the incoming crew had caused.

"How did you get in here this time?" The cheese overlord added. He stood with one shoulder before Yeosang's body, shielding him away. Confused, Yeosang peeked between the two males. They didn't look as if they were about to fight. But neither was this a friendly visit.

"The door to your docking bay is still ruined. Didn't you say you would find some money to fix it? Any random smuggler could attack you. We just walked in. Though I must say, Hongjoong made some adorable new carpets. I like the one in the bathroom downstairs." Wooyoung rolled his eyes. His tut was that of a disapproving mother. When he beckoned his wineglass at his lackey, he got poured more wine. He grinned.

"Thank you, Garnacha," he purred.

No way.

Yeosang crossed his arms. He stared at Mingi challengingly as the man gasped in indignation.

"What?! Who didn't fix that?! But also, I agree. Isn't that bumble bee just lovely?" His roar went to a mutual snicker as the two gushed over the rug together. When Yeosang got another curious glance, he lifted his chin, ready to answer all questions.

"Are you Mingi's comare? After all, you seem to have been on the way to his room together..." Sly eyes flicked to the door at the end of the hall.

"And how do you know the layout of this ship?" Yeosang shot back coolly. Not intimidated by the burly wine servant by Wooyoung's side, he crossed his own arms. Mingi still grumbled to himself about the door.