cleopathea:

            throughout the entirety of his performance, cleopatra sat unblinking. artful in poise, unwavering in her gaze – engagements like this were all too familiar.

           wolves are known to growl –
           & how low do they bellow, when the threat of danger is this  h i g h ?    

           he sat back, and she reflected on his duplicity. glaring though it was, cleo was impressed with the way he threw himself into the role. the details of the life of walter white & the rumors of his alter-ego proved a stark contrast. heisenberg had his reputation to protect.
                                                                                     & so did she.

           as the wolves are known to growl so are the lions for their pride. knowing eyes lingered through the silence, the smirk inspired by his song and dance as obvious as ever.

           ❛        i see. you want the control, the money, the infamy, even.
                      …but none of the risk.

                  she clicked her tongue, chiding this silly old man for his hubris.

          ❛        you’ve produced an impeccable product, mister white. for
          this, i do applaud you. but i fear you’ve forgotten who you are
          speaking to. there are seven point three billion people on earth;
          approximately fifteen more will be born before i get to the end of
          this sentence. i am wealthier than ninety-nine point nine nine nine
          percent of them, and that includes you. my influence is
          international. my network and customer base are beyond compare.

          ❛          i do not run a business, mister white.
                     i have created an EMPIRE.
                     if you wish to reap its benefits,
                     you will play by my rules.

            a beat – timed for nothing short of the optimal effect.

           ❛ however, i am not unreasonable. you will be equipped with what you need. the lab will be run to your liking, insofar as it does not negatively affect your output. the same goes for your standards; they will be maintained so long as they do not fall below my own. i will have full knowledge of everyone who works with you and you will update me to any changes made to that roster. i expect full transparency.  if i do not like something you’re doing, i will say something. finally, this arrangement requires complete exclusivity. you are not to distribute your product through anyone but myself. if i even hear of something–-

                                     ❛       …i’ll not spoil the surprise.
                                            suffice it to say, you will find it much less entertaining than i.

                                     ❛      i can give you all you desire, including your precious anonymity,
                                            but i require complete cooperation. now that you’ve had some
                                            time to consider your tone, i’d love to hear your thoughts.

          he’s quiet through out her proposition, eyes matching her own with a testing and combative force spoken with nothing but his irrepressible gaze. if cleopatra believes her name recognition and influence makes her a power to be reckoned with, she wouldn’t dare fulminate the most skillful and unyielding meth cook with equal notoriety in the industry. heisenberg — one threat of his asperity and involvement is enough to elicit reasonable fear amongst those who have learned of the legend.

          certainly she would not like to share a fate with gustavo fring, should she continue this futile intimidation tactic. 

          ❛  no, i don’t think you understand who you are speaking with. you think you can belittle my efforts thus far and gain control of my production? of my product? you are clearly mistaken, so let me clue you in. you do not tell me how to run my lab, and you do not tell me to report back every little change in my procedure like you’re my superior. this empire we’re creating, it must work on mutual trust — and i trust that you’ll render all terms of manufacturing to me.  ❜

          fingers swirl around the edge of the hat sitting in his lap, tension rising with every passing second of silence. he’d dare not admit his discomfort in her presence, only escalating his imperious persona the created moniker has derived out of him. a mixture of confidence and development makes it next to impossible to out-manipulate him in this field; he’s dealt with equitably dynamic partners in the past and has taught them each a very valuable lesson — heisenberg always wins.

          ❛  you worry about building a distribution network for our product to enter and dealing with business partners. i take none of that risk with me. none, whatsoever. remember something, cleopatra; you need me. no other product on the market is even close to what i’m able to offer. while i’m flexible in dealing with the output standards, all else is non-negotiable.  ❜

         ❛  these are my conditions. you can either accept, or sit back and watch as i devour your market without your assistance.  ❜

cleopathea:

              laughter poured from painted lips, eyes crinkled at the corners as
   she assessed the man before her. all work, no play – a fact written
   effortlessly upon an aging face, live now in living color. she had seen it
   before on grayscale prints, manufactured by those she’d hired to tail
   him. when sitting down to negotiate, knowledge rarely failed to afford
   one the better position.

                        ❛   our market, hm? how i crave such enthusiasm.
                 you do not seem keen on wasting time; go on, then –
                        if i did not care to hear them, i would not be here.

          ❛  i control the chemical production. the lab is run my way and to my standards — there will be no exceptions.  ❜  hands just barely slide across the table with pressure, hoisting his body into a more DOMINANT stance with matched vigor in his voice. the branded name heisenberg comes with a certain notoriety ( power, fear, follow-through ) and he promises to substantiate the reputable infamy.  ❛  more-so, i choose who i cook with and conduct internal business with. distribution is your responsibility; you can sell and deal with whomever you goddamn please. however, i will not have face-to-face with potential customers from other organizations, nor will they know of me under any name other than heisenberg.  ❜ 

          eye contact isn’t broken until he shifts back into his seat once more, leaning confidently before another demand.   ❛  if this sounds reasonable to you, shall we discuss figures and percentages?  ❜

cleopathea:

             ❛    dangerknocking

       ❛  mister white, what a pleasure it is to finally meet you.

          ❛  saul has told me a lot about your operation, and i have to say, i’m impressed by the business you’ve been running. with your vast network and the purity of my product at hand, no other producers could even compete in our market.  ❜

          ❛  i do have my own terms if you wish to proceed, of course.  ❜