"...And that's how I inherited the whole thing." Minerva explains, sipping her ice water in a fancy place Cullette had chosen, (well, roughly pointed to and bluntly told her they could talk there instead of near the entrance of the hive).
"Abner doesn't have it together enough to run anything, and Charlie says weirdly enough that he doesn't want to be associated with Hans' crappy business. Meaning I am the undertaker here, if that makes sense. Chance doesn't know much about Hans' business either, and I don't think, even if she is good at this sort of thing, she's in the right mindset to be working like that."
"Chance is your mother, correct?" Cullette tipped her head to the side, antennae reading informational currents through the air carefully, almost hesitantly.
"Yeah. She was good to me and Ab back when were kids."
Cullette watches her quietly, and Minerva can see she's starting to grow curious. It had been just like when they left off.
"What had you been doing before all this happened?" She leans across the table, and Minerva feels the childish need to tug on one of her antennae, like a baby presented with someone's jangly car keys. What would happen if she did, anyway? Would she recoil in shock? Be outraged? Minerva had always thought the wasp girl looked cute when she was mad about something.
"Oh, y'know. Freelance." She says it casually, and Cullette gives her a knowing, cynical glance. Minerva blinks, and then grins in response. Sometime's she's like that. Ashamed of it some days, proud that she could pull it off other days.
"Hey, it pays the bills."
"It's also a dangerous occupation," Cullette reminds her, says it nearly protectively. The arachnid feels their bond rekindle, feels something in the slightly scary, highly trained girl suddenly give way. "You never know what kind of clients you're going to get."
Minerva shrugs, getting ready to say something like, maybe I like to live dangerously, but stops herself. The girl's got a point, even if it is raised mostly by stigma.
"Look, all the clients I ever have had were horny, pathetic guys and others who chickened out of it. Plus, I make sure I'm never put in a dangerous position so don't get so concerned. Also, Vince is looking out for me at all times."
Cullette remembers visiting Minerva once, years ago, and seeing who the spider had described as 'Vince' in the corner of the room, murmuring with business associates. He was a loud, uncouth Hyena who Cullette had instantly disliked.
"He doesn't like it, but he's got my back if everything goes bad." Minerva explains.
"Anyways, what have you been up to then, in my absence darling?"
Cullette considers the question, and responds blankly. "Training, and tracking down a breach in the security perimeter. City wise."
"What kind of breach?" Minerva asks, but already knows the answer before the other girl says it.
"A human child."