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Author Comment Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1120 (5/8/06 19:54) Reply | Edit Best Laid Plans (no comments, please) Charles and I started working on this fic, and Lex is going to help out, so I'm moving it to the board where we can all get to it. Makes more sense than emailing. Anyway. Story GO. Crime Scene Report: Numius, Tunara 31st, 1316. Cardinal, Senior Officer. I was called in on a murder case in the Allianis district of the city, which most people call the slums, sadly. Upon arriving on the scene, I found an only slightly dingy apartment area , which was surprising given the level of cleanliness which was the mean in Allianis. The officers on the scene were processing the area, as were diviners, as magical energies were detected. The deceased, one Darrik Gilleyin, was in the bedroom area, with visible magical burns and stab wounds. A murder in the slums is usually not an important matter, but, according to the diviner on scene Willin Venn, a magic based on stellar energy (my own school) was used on the body. At the estimated time of death, I was in a meeting with the King himself, so I have been eliminated as a suspect. Who could have possibly used my own school of magic is beyond me, but I will find the answer... Cardinal finished writing, and cast the report in his outbox. His pen tapped on his desk. He sniffed. And then he left his desk to find his sister. Edited by: Kai  at: 6/4/06 1:56 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1121 (5/8/06 19:54) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti Messiah walked down the hall from her bedroom toward the front desk where she knew Jeri would be pulling the room together after the last customers had left. Rather than her usual midnight-blue sari, Shakti was still dressed in a pair of red pajamas covered in a print pattern of small yellow ducks. She slipped on her shoes though, as an addition to the ensemble. She was self-conscious about her feet as they, like much of her body, were still covered in extensive scar tissue. She entered the front room and Jeri was just where she always was... doublechecking last night's profits and expenses. Jeri looked up from her ledger and stared at Shakti for a moment, unable to repress a smirk. "Nice outfit, Shakti. Especially the shoes. You'd better be careful now, or you might start attracting customers away from the girls." Shakti rolled her eyes. "I was up late. Sue me. Not like you aren't awake until dawn every night." "Ah, yes. But I dress myself once I'm up and about again. What kept you out so late?" Shakti made shooing motions with her hands. "Pfffah. I had to do a thing. You know how it goes." Jeri, long-used to Shakti's extraordinarily vague word choice, chose not to question it. "I suppose I do. You plan on getting dressed at all today?" "Oh, sure," Shakti explained. "I'm actually expecting a guest or two in the next couple of days, so it might be a good idea to, like... you know. Be wearing real clothes." "Customers?" Jeri asked, knowing the answer. Shakti got mildly irritated when other people assumed she made her living in this brothel, but she always tolerated it from Jeri and the brothel madame couldn't help but poke fun at her every now and again. Shakti snorted. "Hardly. I promise." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1122 (5/8/06 19:55) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal headed for the stables, and acquired a chocobo. In a hurry, he galloped through the streets of Doma City, weaving through pedestrians and carts. Arriving at the outskirts of the slums, he dismounted and tied up his bird, and headed for the "house of ill repute" where his sister lived. What had happened? he wondered. What possible explanation could there be for his sister casting magic at the scene of a murder? Could it be one- "Highguard Cardinal!" Cardinal spun. It was one of the officers from the scene, apparently still on duty. "Oh... oh yes, hello... soldier. What... what was your name again? Sorry, so many to remember..." "Darryl, sir. Guardsman Ozymandias Darryl." "Yes, yes, um... is there... something you needed?" "Oh. Well, I was just wondering why you were heading back to the scene." "The scene?" He WAS heading in that general direction. "Oh, the SCENE? No no no, I... have some other business in the area." "Oh." Card felt an inquiring gaze. "What sort of business?" "... personal business." "Who do you know in the slums, sir? You live in Nigella, don't you?" There wasn't time for this. Cardinal clapped his hand on Darryl's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Listen. Why don't you go back to the station, and forget all about this?" Darryl blinked a bit, then gazed back, his eyes glassy. "I'll go back to the station and forget all about this." Cardinal patted him happily. "Good. We shall talk later!" "We shall talk later." With that, Darryl turned and walked away. ------ There was a knock on Shakti's door, which then was opened without a response. "So, who's framing you?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1123 (5/8/06 19:55) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti looked across the entryway as her brother entered. "What? I don't know, Sal. I just woke up. You tell me. Who's framing me?" Cardinal shrugged. "Well, if you don't know, I don't know. There was a murder not far from here. Stab wounds and star magic. I have an alibi." He leaned against the doorframe. "Any ideas as to what the hell happened?" "Oh." She scratched the back of her neck. "Well isn't that the damndest thing. I've got nothing, sorry. Is that all you wanted? I have to put on clothes. I have things to do." Cardinal looked at her strangely. "So... you have no idea what happened? None at all?" Shakti threw her hands up in frustration. "I just told you! I can't help you. You can't just come to me with your cases like I can give you answers. Somebody got stabbed and-or blasted. If that's all you know, I don't know what you think I can offer you, Sal." Cardinal spoke slowly. "Es... you and I are the ONLY ones who use star magic in this realm. So when it pops up at a murder scene, I REALLY want to know what's going on." He asked her flat. "Last night. Where were you?" She rolled her eyes and leaned one hand on the desk. She appeared fully unwilling to answer any and all questions. Jeri stood up from her ledger. "Shakti, whatever this is, you go ahead and take care of it. If you need something, I'll be in the parlor." Shakti watched the madame with some surprise as she got up and left. "Well there's a break from routine. She probably assumes I did it and just doesn't want to know. Speaking of assumptions...." She trained her gaze back on her brother. "I was talking to an informant, and then I came back here and went to bed." She pointed a finger at him. "Before you even ask, you don't need to know her name. I promised her confidentiality, and that's more important than your legal beaurocratic bullshit. I can't tell you anything else, so just don't worry about it." "I won't. And I'll see what I can do about keeping the REST of the guard off your ass, alright? There's probably a mimic around or something who was tailing one of us." "What?" She stared at him like he had lollipops sprouting from his head. "Look, just... leave this alone, all right? I don't need you pulling strings or whatever the hell to keep me out of trouble. Keeping me away from the authorities is not your job and it's never been your fucking job." It was a low blow and she knew it, but if Shakti wanted him out of her hair, there were only so many avenues to choose from. She didn't hestitate. "So, yeah. I appreciate you coming all the way down to the disreputable part of town, maybe even risking being seen here by one of the royals, but you're asking me questions I can't answer for you. Go home, everything will be fine." "So you DO know something." "Dammit, Sal.... You know I wouldn't tell you if I did kill him. Just... do your job. Either arrest me or go back to the guard station and let someone else. I've got no information for you. I won't tell you I did it, but I can't tell you I didn't. What happened is not anyone's business but the guy who died and whoever killed him. If you want to make it your business, do so in an official capacity and arrest me. None of this concerned familial bullshit." Cardinal sighed. "I AM going to find out what happens here. And no matter what that finds, I WILL make sure you're safe, whether you want me to or not." "...Yeah, okay. Whatever. You have fun with your little mission. Glad I have you here to keep me out of trouble. Or something. Now if you'll excuse me, the girls are probably eating breakfast without me." She headed to the door and tossed him a wave over her shoulder as she left. Cardinal was left alone in the brothel's foyer. Edited by: Kai  at: 5/8/06 19:56 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1124 (5/8/06 19:56) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The mage stood alone in the foyer. I could search her room. She's left me alone here. ... Breakfast, huh? He headed downstairs, and searched for where the girls were eating. When he found them, he sat down with them. "So, what are we having?" Shakti stared at him, mystified. "Well, what the hell is this? Breaking bread with ladies of ill repute? What's next, Sal? Tax collectors? Lepers?" She smirked at him before her expression turned abruptly serious. "But honestly. Why are you still pestering me? This is actually getting kind of aggravating." "Who said I was pestering YOU?" he said with a bit of a smirk. "It's high time I asked these ladies if they know anything about that murder a little ways away. "Well, girls?" he said as he began to munch on some buttered toast. "Any of you know Darrik Gilleyin?" The ladies looked from one to the other before glancing briefly at Shakti. "Oh, that is IT, Sal." She stood up and glared at him for a moment. "You come into the place where I live and harass me, harass my friends, and for what? Because you want me to help you do your job. No. I don't come barging into your house and asking your wife questions that are none of my business." She looked like she tried to speak again three or four times, before resorting to lifting her middle finger at him. "Just.... Go home, Sal. Get out." Cardinal looked around. The girls seemed to be showing solidarity. He sighed, grabbed one more piece of toast, and tossed his car on the table before heading out. As he walked back to his home, his mind raced. She's in this deep. But how? She... gah. She has to know PLENTY to not toss info at me cavalierly. I've got to find out what the connection is, and get her out of trouble. After Cardinal left the women looked at each other for a few moments, no one daring to speak. Shakti sat down and laid her head on her arms on the table, exhausted. "Shakti, is this about what happened with her?" Jeri asked. Shakti looked up and nodded. "When will the guard be here?" "If Sal knows, they know." She sighed and grabbed a bagel from the table. "Soon." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1125 (5/8/06 19:57) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal returned to his mount, beginning to untie it, when he saw three soldiers heading back into the slums. No one ever did that. The untying ceased. "Hey... hey! At..." how did that go... "Atten-hut!" The soldiers turned, recognized the Highguard, and stood at attention. "Sir, yes sir!" the lead answered. "Um... what are... you up to? What are your orders?" "We are en route to the Villa Pascha to acquire the main suspect in the Gilleyin case. A... a woman only known as Shakti." Cardinal's eyes went wide. "Oh, uh... really... well, I... have... already done that. But, on interview, her alibi seemed solid, so I just sequestered her someplace safe." The three soldiers looked at him in disbelief. "You did, sir?" "Oh, don't worry. She went quietly. Just wanted to prove her innocence." "Really. Well, we'll... inform the captain. Thank you, sir." "No, thank YOU guys for all the consideration." The soldiers saluted, and promptly headed back to base. Once they were out of sight, Cardinal rushed back to the house, and went back to the eating area. "You're officially arrested, Es. Time to go." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1126 (5/8/06 19:58) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti looked up from a mug of coffee. "Not right now, Sal. I'm eating breakfast. I packed last night, so get my bag will you? It's in my room. Has my fieldnotes and a change of clothes." She dipped a pastry into her coffee and looked at him again. She raised an eyebrow. "Well? Go. You can arrest me when my stuff is together. I'll be waiting here." She shook her head. "No one follows orders anymore. On Ibidan my bag would be here already with a bouquet of flowers and a necklace of my enemies' ears to placate me for taking more than a minute and a half." Cardinal grumbled. "I will be RIGHT back. I just lied for you, so it better appear like you're not here. And you'd better hope the General doesn't get chatty about us, because MOST of the castle doesn't realize I have a sister... yet." He headed to the stairs. "Two minutes!" Shakti watched him leave to go get her belongings. "He what? I'll be damned. Maybe our little Salvador's becoming a man after all," she muttered when he disappeared. When Cardinal arrived in her room, he found that Shakti hadn't lied. Everything she owned was packed and stored out of the way in closets. Her bed was made and on top of it was a backpack and one of her trademark saris. The backpack was latched shut and apparently ready to go. She really was ready to go. He thought out loud. "Huh. It's like she WA-... wants this." A sigh slipped from him as he grabbed her things. At least I'll have time to talk to her when she's home. He descended the stairs. "Time's up. Let's go. Preferably through the back." She rolled her eyes and set her mug down. "Great coffee as always." She stood. "So I'll be seeing you guys around. It's been really great working with you, and I'll make sure you get a copy of my dissertation for the house." A couple of the women at the table nodded and Shakti grabbed another pastry, shoving her other hand purposefully in one pocket. "Well. I guess it's time to go." She looked down at herself. "I must look positively fearsome. No time to change, though. I guess I'll have to settle for being a dangerous suspect in her pajamas." She turned and walked through a door at the back of the parlor without another word, assuming her brother would follow her. She walked quickly, passing through the kitchen, the pantry, and then the laundry room where one of the girls was already working on some bedclothes. Shakti nodded her greeting, and her friend nodded in return. Shakti led them out the back and walked out the door ahead of her brother, leaving Cardinal to catch it before it slammed in his face. She was waiting for him behind the house when he emerged. "Well? This is the back. Where to, Officer?" "Uh?" WHACK! The door hit him in the face. "Gah... that's assault, missy..." He rubbed his nose. "My house. You're officially on house arrest, alright? The only thing I could think of. The guard was on their way." Her jaw dropped open. How often does Cardinal get to see his sister speechless? "You're shitting me. Your house? I thought Farida was afraid I'd put the eye on your baby. I'm surprised you're letting me NEAR the place, let alone keeping me there like a damned housecat." "It's the only place I have to stash you. Trust me, even WITH Farida, the place is far more pleasant than a cell in the dungeon, trust me. It is NOT a place you are going to as long as there's breath in my body, alright?" Shakti hit herself in the face in frustration. ".....You clearly misunderstand what you've done. You're going to lock me in a house with Farida. I'd rather be in the dungeon! At least then I know where I stand and what's expected and whose ass to kick on a given day. This? No way. If I have to turn myself in to keep away from your wife, I will. I do not like her and she damn well knows it. You're putting me on--on her territory, and I won't have it." Shakti waved her hands in an emphatic negating gesture and turned around to walk past Cardinal and back through the brothel. Evidently she was determined to face the dungeon rather than an indefinite stay in her brother's house. Edited by: Kai  at: 5/27/06 0:14 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1127 (5/8/06 19:58) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Card clapped his hand on her shoulder solidly. "Listen to me carefully, sis. "I WILL drag your ass to my house if I damn well have to. I will bind and gag you, and wheel you around in a bloody COFFIN if I must. You are going to my house, and I know you don't like it. You're going. For once, I'm pulling "older brother" rank. Comply or I'm knocking your ass out NOW. Comprende?" She turned and glared at him, and her gaze was filled with venom and even hate. Hate for not understanding, hate for...whatever it was he was trying to do. She dropped her eyes and the anger faded into resignation. "You're going to fuck yourself over with this shit, Sal. And you know it." She shook off his hand and walked ahead of him once again, this time in the direction of his home in a slightly better part of town. After a few minutes of walking down back streets in her pajamas, she turned to ask him, "So you really don't think I did it, huh?" She scoffed and shook her head. "Really fucking weird time to grow a sense of solidarity, Sal. What would you say if I told you I did kill him?" She asked, her eyes watching his reaction carefully. "What would you do if I said they were right?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1128 (5/8/06 19:58) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "... then I get you out of here. Off-plane. Back to Ibidan, or wherever you like." He grumbled and sighed, seemingly simultaneously. "You are never going to lose your freedom again." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1129 (5/8/06 19:59) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "I... oh, Sal, this isn't about that. Please don't make it about that because it isn't going to help anyone." She sighed heavily. "This is exactly why you shouldn't be involved in this. You can't be compromising... making exceptions. This is my game, and I'm going to play it my way. I know what I've done and I know what I'm doing now. Can you please just respect that I have my reasons? I'm a grown woman now and I can take care of myself. The DPG doesn't need to bail me out and neither do you." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3648 (5/24/06 1:01) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Farida waddled around the house, black eyes darting over every piece of furniture and floorboard. It STILL wasn't clean enough. Granted owning a goat as a housepet tends to destroy the hopes of cleanliness. But for the moment, her now cumbersome body didn't have enough energy to begin frantically scrubbing again. Nothing felt clean enough for the baby. Everything was uncomfortable, aside from her swollen body, even the air seemed electric and tense the past week, as she waited for the baby to come. Her nerves were extra sensitive and Cardinal had suffered the brunt of it. For such a tiny woman, she contained great amounts of cuss. The cuss of course is multiplied by the fact that Shakti is around. Sufficed to say, the two in laws had never gotten along for more than a sentence before annoyance or temper flaired. Farida felt a tugging on the hem of her skirt. A pair of brown eyes stare up at her from a wooly face. TUG TUG. Rip. The little goat let's out a bleat of joy as it celebrates the victory over the garment. Farida with a good deal of effort, hoists herself onto her feet... and waddles rapidly after the goat, swearing, and trying to grab at the scrap of cloth. "I just made this you-- I will give you to my mother to make stew!" Just as the gypsy manages to grab ahold of the playful animal....an unfamiliar feeling grips her middle.....and she is suddenly quite aware of a terrible dampness. The baby was coming, the water had broke. "CARDIIIIINAAAAAAAAAL!" Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 5/27/06 0:26 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3653 (5/26/06 23:51) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal's eyes lit up. And not in a good way. "Ohhhh dear..." He grabbed Shakti's hand, and tugged at it, pulling her into a run. "We have to hurry! Farida's gone into labour!" "... and the house isn't clean." Even he was confused at that one... Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 5/27/06 0:27 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1143 (5/27/06 0:08) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti's eyes widened. "What? Shi--" she began, but her profanity was sadly cut off by a sudden tug on her arm. She took a few stumbling steps before getting her bearings and jogging next to her brother. "Sal, you can't be dealing with..." she paused in her sentence as the effort of running and speaking became too much. "With all of.... this at once. You..." She kept running, but stopped speaking altogether. Shakti winced as her feet hit the paved road again and again, but tried as hard as she could to keep pace with Cardinal. She gritted her teeth and ran through it, but there was simply no way she could keep up with him. First of all, Shakti wasn't as motivated toward speed as the father-to-be racing at her side. Secondly, in many ways her body had never recovered from the punishment it had taken years ago at the hands of Cardinal's colleagues. Sprinting wasn't her specialty, and likely never would be again. She yanked her hand loose from his, and without her brother's urgent momentum added to hers, she fell even further behind. Edited by: Kai  at: 5/27/06 0:10 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3655 (5/27/06 0:22) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal stopped surprised for a moment, and turned back to his sister. For a second, he saw the girl with bruised legs, tattered clothes, filthy hair, and a look like a rescued, rabid dog... "Oh... oh God... Esperanza... I'm sorry." He then looked hurriedly ahead, at a wife far away that must be in great pain. "Listen. If you think you can handle yourself, I will go on ahead, and... handle things. Take her to a mage, a healer, whatever she needs. You just arrive when you can. And try to avoid the authorities, alright?" Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 5/27/06 0:33 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1144 (5/27/06 0:52) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti stopped running and leaned back against the nearest wall. She'd come a long way since Cardinal had rescued her. She'd come a long way in many respects, though not all. At least this time she was plainly aware he was trying to help her. Last time she just couldn't bring herself to understand that in anything but the vaguest, most distant of terms. His actions had bled through to her mind slowly, past a seething mass of pain, fear, and bitter rage. Last time... She didn't agree to being rescued. That would have required a degree of rational thought she simply had not been capable of, so the choice had been made more or less without her knowledge. She'd submitted to it as ...just one more thing to be accepted because in all likelihood there was no stopping it anyway. This time, she was rational. She was lucid, and despite her criminal status was still plainly in charge of herself. She didn't have to keep information from the authorities. She certainly could have fled before the Guards began to suspect her. No one was really forcing her to go home with her brother. She lifted her chin proudly and, for just a moment, this rail-thin woman standing in an alley in her pajamas seemed to assess her position with a secure and unbending authority. Whatever she did here, it was her choice. "Sal. Go to your wife. Take her to a cleric who'll take care of her. By the time you get home... I'll probably be there waiting for you." Edited by: Kai  at: 5/27/06 0:53 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3656 (5/27/06 0:55) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... A kiss on the forehead? Definitely not. A hug? ... no. Cardinal laid his hand on her shoulder, and sighed, a bit longingly. "I will see you soon." With that he ran off for home. Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 5/28/06 23:08 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1145 (5/27/06 1:35) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti watched her brother run to be with his wife as she prepared to deliver his child. She tilted her head to one side as she waited for him to leave her sight. When he had, she pushed off of her wall and started after him. Her pace was slow after an unexpected exertion, but she made her way steadily enough. The bones in her feet and ankles ached as she walked, so she grabbed a half-rusted length of thin pipe from the ground to use as a walking stick while she was still in alleyways. Once Shakti got out onto more open pathways, she dropped her walking aid and simply tried to walk as purposefully as she could to her brother's house. There was an old saying she'd heard from her gypsy gentleman friend back in Spain. "Don't change color to match the walls. Look like you belong and the walls will change color to match you." So, that's what Shakti did. As far as anyone could tell she was simply too busy and important to be bothered by those who would question her presence. She walked down an open street with a backpack and a change of clothes, avoiding difficult questions by simply striding confidently by in a pair of red pajamas covered in little yellow printed duckies. When she got to Cardinal's house, the door was unlocked. He had probably left it that way so that she could enter, but when she tried the knob and it turned freely with an accomodating click, her expression was one of disappointment. There went her last excuse to stay out of there. With a sigh she opened the door. Unfamiliar as she was with the interior of the house, she could feel that her brother and his wife lived there. Their presence hung in the air, as did the stress and tension of a rapidly-approaching birth. She growled briefly in irritation before shutting the door and locking it behind her. Shakti sat down in the kitchen, and wondered where the only member of this family she got along with could possibly have gone. Seconds later she got her answer. There was a crash from the next room, and as Shakti turned to glance through the kitchen doorway, she saw Apuro with a length of tablecloth in her mouth. The noise had come from a vase of flowers falling to the ground as the goat yanked the cloth down. Apuro dropped the cloth and delicately pulled a flower from the broken glass with her teeth. Apparently satisfied that her prize wouldn't injure her, she promptly closed her jaws on it and began to chew the bloom contentedly. Shakti grinned. Here was someone who understood. She bent and began to pick up the glass, every now and again handing a flower over to the goat. Apuro would probably appreciate them more than Farida had anyway. When the mess was cleaned up, Shakti left the goat to her meal and sat back down in the kitchen, resigning herself to tense boredom until her brother returned. So, she sat. Shakti sat at her brother's table in her brother's kitchen in the house her brother shared with his wife. Soon there would be a child, too. She walked around the kitchen, almost touching a copper pot here, a carving knife there, but always stopping short. She looked like a woman wandering around a museum waiting to be led back to her tour group. She checked the front door. Locked, just as she'd left it. She locked the windows. Found the back door. It was already latched as well. She checked the windows again. They had remained locked in the three minutes since she'd last checked them. She went back to her station in the kitchen and sat back down with a sigh. She pulled her chair back under the table and sat some more. She drummed her fingers on the table. She watched the sun move across the back wall. She folded her arms on the table, and glanced over to confirm that she'd locked the door. Of course she'd locked it. The doors, the windows, she'd checked everything. She rested her chin on her arms and watched the light on the wall to mark the passage of time. Before long she'd simply laid her head down on her forearms and fallen asleep. There was nothing to do but wait. Edited by: Kai  at: 5/28/06 23:03 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3658 (5/28/06 23:04) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... A gentle tap came on Shakti's shoulder. "Esperanza... Esperanza, wake up." He held his son in his arms. "I have someone for you to meet." Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 5/28/06 23:06 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1151 (5/28/06 23:22) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti jumped about three full inches when her brother woke her up. She looked around and a sharp remark died in her mouth as she caught sight of her brother and his son. She stared for a few long moments at her new nephew. "Oh, Sal," she whispered. "Oh my god." He hadn't heard her mention God by name since she'd renounced Salvador for joining the Inquisition years ago. She stared at the baby and tilted her head like she'd never seen one before. "Sal... this is your son." She looked up and met his gaze. She opened her mouth and shook her head, apparently unable to say anything. Unprecedented. Speechless twice in one day. She looked at her nephew for a few more seconds and sighed deeply, never taking her eyes off him. "What's his name?" Edited by: Kai  at: 5/28/06 23:22 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3659 (5/28/06 23:27) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Salvador smiled wide. "Juan." Then quietly added, "Goffredo Ovidio Domingo..." Then declared, "Messiah." He looked down at his son. "I... I could not..." A tear rolled down his cheek. "I could not be happier." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1152 (5/28/06 23:35) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti bit her bottom lip hard, and took a sharp inhale. After a long, shuddering breath, she bit down on her lip again hard enough to make it bleed. Still wasn't good enough. She sniffed back tears and looked up at her brother with a weak smile. "Yeah. He--" She laughed and pulled her palm across her cheek to catch a tear. "Juan Messiah." She nodded. "He'd have liked that." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3660 (5/28/06 23:45) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal nodded too. "I'm... we bought a crib for him. In our room. I'll go set him down, and then I'll get you some blankets and a pillow, alright? The couch is really all we have for guests right now..." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1154 (5/28/06 23:49) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti blinked a few times before apparently coming back to reality. "Yeah, go ahead and... yeah. Do the thing. Then you should come back so we can talk about the other thing. With the people and the stuff." An obvious question interrupted her vaguery. "Where's Farida? She okay?" Was that a note of concern? Couldn't possibly be. Cardinal's lost his mind, that's all. That must be it. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3661 (5/29/06 0:01) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "She's doing just fine. Delivery went smoothly. Uh..." Cardinal dug in his pocket, deep, and produced a silk handkerchief, in a deep purplish blue. "Here. Someone got water all over your face." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1155 (5/29/06 0:04) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She shook her head. "S'okay. I got it." She ran one of her silly red sleeves under her eyes and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear casually. However, Shakti had never been a good liar. She was anything but relaxed for several reasons, some wonderfully good, and some that were somewhat less so. "Well? Shoo. Go put your son in his crib before he gets cranky. Take your time. I'll still be here when you come back." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3662 (5/29/06 0:20) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal nodded, and headed to his room. His wonderful, exhausted wife had already fallen asleep in her bed, somehow. He placed Juan in his crib, and sang an old lullaby to him till he slept. ... and then he just stared. He's so beautiful... He snapped out of it. "Here we are, sis," he said after retrieving the bedding. He began to make a bed for her. "What do you want to do in the morning?" Edited by: KingOfDoma  at: 5/29/06 0:21 Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1156 (5/29/06 0:24) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Whoa. You--stop that. No. Stop it." She pulled the blanket out of his hands. "You can't be doing this." Her voice lowered to a harsh whisper. "You can't be keeping fucking criminals in the house with your wife and your newborn son. The only reason I haven't run off by now is that you put your name on the line and if I leave this house I'm going to make things worse for you than they're already going to be." "Stop making that bed like I'm living here. This isn't a damn game." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3663 (5/29/06 0:28) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The pillow was thrown into place. "You are NOT a criminal. You are yet to break a law not written by a madman. What you are is my sister, my family, and I will NOT abandon you. Understood?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1157 (5/29/06 0:35) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti ground her teeth in frustration and growled to herself. "Sal, I swear if you make this about that... You aren't thinking. You've got some...guilt...thing and this and then the baby thing and you're taking on too much. I'm a grown fucking woman, and I can live my life without you clinging to my back like you're scared I'm going to leave you behind." She picked up the pillow and shoved it back at him. "Stop making this harder for me. I've made my own damn choices, and it's my right to do so. You have. Other. People. To take care of. People like Farida and the baby who need you more than I do." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3664 (5/29/06 0:41) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "So, what then? I'm supposed to just ABANDON you? You KNOW I cannot do that! I'd rather DIE! "My 'name' is already on the line," he said, perturbedly sitting in an easy chair, arms crossed. "We may as well see this through to the end, and then we shall go from there. Is that alright?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1158 (5/29/06 0:45) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She sat across from him and looked at him with an expression of profound frustration. "See this through to the end? How do you think we're going to 'go from there,' as you put it? Do you know what the end is? The end is the Guard finding their murderer and putting her in jail. I don't know how you expect to be involved at all. What do I have to do? You want me to confess? What do I have to tell you to get you to leave me alone?" KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3665 (5/29/06 0:48) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "... not be a bipedal organism." He rose. "And as for the guard 'finding their murderer', I will see that that guard is me, and that murderer is NOT you. I don't believe you did this for a second." And, preemptively, added, "which makes an 'and what if I did' argument moot." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1159 (5/29/06 0:50) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She leaned back in her chair and scoffed at him. "What? You don't think I'm capable of it? Sweet little Esperanza always has her hands clean. Always needs her big brother to protect her from the wide and dangerous world." She shook her head and her lip curled in a sneer. "You're so full of shit sometimes." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3666 (5/29/06 1:11) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "It's not that. I know you to be fully capable." He smirked. "I just don't think you're stupid enough to leave such an obvious trail of evidence." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1160 (5/29/06 1:18) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She gave a brief, self-satisfied smile. "I do a lot of stupid things, but it's nice of you to say that. But here's the thing. I may have left that trail. In fact, I feel comfortable enough telling you I did leave that trail. Whether I wanted to be caught is irrelevant. I will be. You can't stop the wheels of beaurocracy from turning when they realize I can describe the scene. When I tell them I know exactly how he died." She sighed. "Why are you being such a pain in the ass? Is it so inconceivable to you that maybe I'm perfectly in control of what's going on here?" KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3667 (5/29/06 1:28) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "... because..." His eyes opened wide. "I don't like your style of protection. Mine's much better." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1161 (5/29/06 1:35) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She rolled her eyes. "Who said anything about my style of protection? I'm just doing my civic duty and allowing the Guard to investigate a murder." She looked down at her fingernails. "You're the only one here protecting anyone." Shakti has always been a terrible liar. She will probably always be a terrible liar. She may be genuinely annoyed with Cardinal's smothering overprotective instincts, but she didn't sound entirely sincere about that last part. Sure, she was trying to keep her brother out of this, but there was obviously more going on. "So, look. It's been great. But you either need to take me to the Guards' station, or you need to call them to come get me. I have better things to do than sit here and argue with you about who's protecting whom, got it?" KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3668 (5/29/06 1:42) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "... at least sleep for the night. It's late. We can argue some more in the morning." His shoulders slumped. "Besides, I'm too tired to drag you to a guardhouse. You can imagine it being a draining day..." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1162 (5/29/06 1:46) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She tilted her head and looked at him from the corner of her eye. "You go ahead and go to bed, Sal. I'm already in my pajamas, so I'll sleep here for a little while. I'm warning you, though. I won't stay here. You can't keep me here forever." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3669 (5/29/06 1:51) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "I know. Just don't do anything foolish, alright? I beg of you." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1163 (5/29/06 1:58) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Sal. I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to think about it before you answer me. I don't care if you have to think all night, but it's important so don't just spit out an answer." She took a deep breath. "Do you trust me?" KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3670 (5/29/06 2:00) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... He blinked at this. "Yes... say with my child's life, or my own... "It's YOUR life I'm not sure I trust you with." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1164 (5/29/06 2:06) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti blinked, and then couldn't suppress a smile. She chuckled once or twice, but restrained herself. Then, Shakti's usual reaction to anything stressful, confusing, or in this case, absolutely asinine, broke forth unchecked. She laughed. She laughed into her hand before doubling forward into her own lap from the force of her own apparent amusement. At least she still had the presence of mind to keep quiet while Farida and the new baby slept. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3671 (5/29/06 2:11) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Salvador just smirked a sad smirk at his sister. "I am going to bed, Esperanza. I will talk to you then, alright?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1165 (5/29/06 2:12) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She sat up and composed herself a little. "Yeah, whatever." She shoo'd him off with both hands. "If you want to talk later, you'll know where to find me." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3672 (5/29/06 2:17) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... He sighed. "I suppose I will..." He turned to his bedroom, waved, and quietly entered in... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1166 (5/29/06 3:06) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti lay awake on the couch for hours. She'd intended to sleep. At least a little. A token effort at least. No luck. There was a cricket outside the window. Down the street someone had a frog in his garden. A cat walked past the window at towards midnight. She couldn't take it anymore. She changed into clothing more suitable for public wear and refolded the blankets on the couch. She set them next to the pillows so that her brother wouldn't have to deal with a mess the next morning. She went to the door as quietly as she could, carrying her backpack so she could be sure to have her field notes on hand. She walked down the street a ways, searching the surrounding areas for Guards on patrol. Eventually she found one. He was probably in his late twenties, very tall and well-muscled. "Well, you'll do," she said to herself. She waved him down and waited until he was within speaking range. "Hi. Been looking for a Guard and I was hoping you could help me with something. You have a moment? It's about that murder a short while ago. The Gilleyin case?" Shakti had his attention. "Yes, ma'am? Do you know something?" he asked. "You bet I do," she said with a smile. "In fact, I bet I know more than anyone investigating it. I hear you have a few suspects, but top of the list is a horrible old bitch named Shakti." She waved. "That's me. Now here's why I need you, my good representative of the official authorities." He tensed a little, unsure of where she could be going with this, but willing to hear her out for now. "You're aware I'm under obligation to apprehend you, ma'am." "Oh, yes, yes. I'm actually already under arrest. Highguard Cardinal has me under house arrest, and I promise you I've been very good up until now. Haven't left the premises once since he took me there. Here's the tricky thing. I think I should be more arrested than I already am." Now the man was just confused. "So you're turning yourself in, then. Why didn't you just do that from the start?" She waved her hands dismissively, as if his question was so irrelevant as to be utterly beneath her consideration. "The problem is... Highguard Cardinal... isn't thinking. If you were him, would you let a suspected murderer into your home with such a young wife? She is young. And in such a vulnerable position, just having given birth to his baby boy today. Ask yourself if you really think I can be trusted with their safety." At his hesitation she smiled encouragingly. "Go on. If I'm capable of murdering a man in cold blood, imagine what could happen if a murderer were left with a frail, exhausted woman and her newborn baby." Her tone turned icy and cruel. "Think about it. I won't be held responsible for their safety." The Guard scowled. "Are you threatening the Highguard's family?" "I'm not threatening anyone. I'd never dream of it. Merely pointing out possibilities the good-hearted Highguard hadn't considered. But you take me seriously. Don't you." What else could he do? Something was obviously wrong with this situation, but based on the information he had, there was no option but to deal with the suspect as he'd been taught. His scowl deepened. "If you wanted 'more arrested,' you've got it. At least until we can assess the threat, if any, that you pose to Cardinal." Shakti grinned coldly. "Good." She held out her hands so that he could restrain her in whatever way seemed appropriate to him. "Give a lady an escort?" The Guard bound her wrists and walked behind her to the guard station. All the while he was made visibly uncomfortable by the casual chatter his charge continued to toss over her shoulder to him. Most of it he didn't bother to answer. He found her a cell in the Guards' station, but the magic-shielded cells were currently either occupied or having their wards renewed. He settled for a pair of magic-suppressing bracers that often served as a substitute. So, Shakti was left in her prison cell with only her field notes. "Excuse me, sir?" She called out. "A quill, please? I need to write." The guard walked back with a quill and ink, since there was little enough damage she could do to herself or anyone else with those. "Thank you," she said. She set up a corner of her cell for the purposes of writing. Then, she finally managed to fall asleep. Edited by: Kai  at: 5/29/06 3:08 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3674 (6/1/06 0:20) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal awoke, knowing what had happened. He checked the time. The sun had not yet risen, nor had his bride, or child. Perfect. He kissed her lightly on the forehead, and snuck out of his bed. And quickly, he struck out a note letting his wife know where he was, in case she woke before he returned. "So, Highguard, who's the little fellow?" "Juan Goffredo Ovidio Domingo Messiah. My newborn son. And keep your voice down. He's still sleeping..." The child was shown off, and the guard responded in a whisper. "Oh, he's lovely, sir. What does he weigh?" "Just over half stone." "Excellent, just excellent," he grinned. "So, what are you doing here, so early?" "I hear you took in a prisoner late last night... a suspect in the Gilleyin case?" "Ah yes... she was being held at your house, wasn't she? Why'd she turn herself in?" "That's why I'm here. Ask her some questions. Came over as quickly as I could, obviously." "Alright. Well, I... this is unusual, sir. I don't know if I should..." He raised his hand. "I'll take care of anyone coming down on you. Just send your superior to me." The guard shrugged. "Well, alright, sir. Try not to take too long..." Cardinal nodded, and was allowed in the incarceration area. He walked past the cells, most of them empty. Luckily, it was so early that any criminals inside were asleep. He arrived at his sister's, and with a knock on the bars, said, "Hi." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1171 (6/1/06 1:20) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti groaned and rolled over, turning her back to her visitor. "Go away," she mumbled. She looked reproachfully over her shoulder at Cardinal. When he didn't do as ordered, she sighed and sat up. She cracked her fingers and rubbed her wrists where she'd slept on the magic-suppressing bracers. She spared them a short glance. They were vastly less restrictive than the iron shackles she'd known before, and looked a little different. Just the same, anything metal clamped around one's wrists tends to fall rather neatly into that category. Shakti put her hands in her lap underneath the blanket to keep them out of sight. The rest of the cell looked...actually pretty homey. She'd set up her writing corner, she was curled up in bed... ignoring the bars the scene had all the trappings of a private residence being intruded upon by impertinent neighbors. "What? What? I finally get to sleep after walking all the way here in the middle of the night and now you want something. Spit it out." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3677 (6/1/06 1:27) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Shh." That part was quick and decisive. "He's still asleep. And, I was just making sure you were here. No guarantee you'd be HERE, right?" He patted, quieted Juan a bit. "Anyways, that was about it. I'll be around later for more questions, alright? There's something I want to try..." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1173 (6/1/06 1:35) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She shook her head. "No. No questions. Go away. People are going to figure out who I am, and then you'll be fucked. You will be, your family will be, and it won't do anyone any good." She sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this. But go home and don't come back. If you come back here wanting my help with this little mission of yours... If I have to prove to you that you aren't helping me, I will. Don't push me." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3678 (6/1/06 1:38) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal sighed, patting his baby again. "This little fellow will know you, Es. Mark my words." He left without saying anything else, making sure that her cell was on the outskirts of the building. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1174 (6/1/06 2:07) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... With a disdainful groan to herself, Shakti pulled the blanket back over her head and went to sleep. If anyone wanted her for something, the cell basically only had three walls. Let them take the trouble of waking her up. She didn't have to wait up for them. She was tired, and courtesy be damned. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3697 (6/8/06 18:54) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Some hours later, after he had been with his wife and son for a good long while, Cardinal returned to the jailhouse. To its exterior, in particular. Before entering, he grabbed the guard at the front, telling him that "he'd be useful and it'd only be for a moment". He got up to the outside of his sister's cell, and told the guard to stand behind him. "Uh... what for, sir?" the guard inquired. "In advancement of the case, I..." He gulped. "Am about to hurt myself VERY badly..." He breathed deep, and reached out to the walls, slightly feeling out the aura of his sister. "Be sure to catch me, Guardsman..." And try not to think about the potential to fry your brains, Salvador... He invoked his power, and began to peer into the future of his ill-fated sister. But, as the gaze of his vision looked ahead, he forced it to look behind, to the past... And that was something it was not intended to do... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1180 (6/8/06 19:34) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... For a split second his vision simply went dark, quickly returning to normal. As the spell took hold, the image of the attending guardsman was replaced by blurry and indistinct shadows. The world around Cardinal flickered back into place again, but this time a dull ache began to sink into the base of his skull. The pain began to throb in rhythm with Cardinal's heart, growing a little more intense, a little more difficult to ignore, a little bit closer to intolerable... Then, with a feeling like a railroad spike being shoved through his eye socket into the back of his skull, Cardinal made his connection. At first there were no distinct forms. Everything seemed to be moving so fast that the best Cardinal could glimpse was a blurred afterimage, a suggestion of light or movement. The garbled noises of an argument began to filter through. There were two voices, but he couldn't hear either one clearly. At least one was female, but maybe it wasn't Shakti. The images began to overlay, sometimes causing even more abstraction, but more often giving Cardinal a clearer view of what was going on. The yelling continued, but it may as well have been a hundred goblins and harpies murdering each other for all the sense it made to Cardinal. There was a man and a woman, definitely. She also definitely wasn't his sister. For one thing, she was blonde. For another, Cardinal saw the man hitting her across the side of her head with... something. It was hard to tell. The noise continued and the next brief image was of the woman knocking a block of kitchen knives onto the floor. That at least was familiar. He'd seen it on the floor of Darrik Gilleyin's house. Silence. The pain from earlier began to return, bleeding into the edges of Cardinal's awareness as he tried to keep a hold on his magic, on his vision of the past. It felt like a huge black horse was galloping across his brain, pulling up divots in the soft, bloodied flesh. The horse rode past and the sound of its hooves was momentarily muffled as the vision solidified itself once more. There was a light, and for a moment it seemed blindingly intense. The image dimmed and Cardinal could see the woman standing in a doorway covered in blood and tears, shivering in the dark. He saw her step straight into his sister's arms. The image took on an impossible sharpness, a clarity and level of detail that seemed completely unreal. The silence cleared away and he heard his sister's voice. "Sh... Sandy, it's okay. Come on. Come inside. It's going--" Her sentence was interrupted by the return of that dissonant screaming and the image faded, leaving Cardinal looking into darkness as the pain in his head returned to bring him back to his own agony-filled reality. Sandy. Her name was Sandy. And she was involved somehow with Shakti. Odds were ten to one that whoever she was, she was a whore and connected somehow to Jeri's house, the Villa Pascha. Edited by: Kai  at: 6/8/06 20:52 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3699 (6/8/06 19:53) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Dk-dGAAH!" Cardinal fell backwards, hard, into the guardsman. For some reason, the guard had zoned out, and both were caught unawares by the Highguard's sudden rear momentum, and simultaneously landed on the ground, in a painful pile. "Ow... ow, ow, ow..." "Did... oh that's going to hurt in the morning... did you see anything, sir?" Cardinal, painfully, stood up from the wreckage. "No, sadly. A brainsplitting headache for nothing. Oh well. Guess I'll have to do things the old fashioned way." "Argh... alright, sir. Perhaps next time?" "Perhaps. ... and the prisoner doesn't find out I was here, alright?" The guard nodded. Cardinal nodded in turn, and headed home, planning to make a trip later... To the Villa Pascha. (You may want to do a Sandy preview post, as Card's a-comin'.) Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1182 (6/8/06 22:00) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Since arriving at Jeri's house, Cassandra had earned her keep by spending each day washing bedding and clothes for the ladies who worked there. She had nowhere else to go, especially not now. When Shakti had left with her brother it was clear. There really was no turning back. She sighed and pulled an armful of wet sheets from the basin of hot water. Shakti was really going to do this, wasn't she? Sandy still had her doubts about letting it happen. If she respected her friend's wishes, Sandy could move past this whole mess. If she deviated, she would condemn herself but what was condemnation from others if she kept her self-respect? She laughed. A streetwalker hoping for self-respect. Planning on it, even, she thought. I'm an idiot. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3700 (6/9/06 1:03) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "And you're SURE this will work?" Cardinal said warily. "Yes, yes, yes... three hours, at least." The little alchemist was like a normal man if dried in the sun for months. He bounced about his laboratory in the castle, rebounding from shelf to desk to chair and back again. His eyes were wild. "And I won't look OR sound anything like me?" "Mmhm! Guaranteeeeeeeeed. If it wears off early, you can take my last tooth! Heh heh!" "Excellent." He shook the vial. "... and one other thing... "I'll need some clothes. Mine are too distinctive." The little man, paused, and looked over Cardinal a bit more. From behind. From the sides. And finally said, "... kay." --- A tiny man, with one tooth, and some wellpressed red clothes (and is that an annoyed look on his face?) approached the desk of the Villa Pascha. "I'd like Sandy, please." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1184 (6/10/06 2:17) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Jeri looked up from her ledger at the front desk. What the hell did this woman do in her free time? Did she have free time? She exhaled slowly in mild annoyance and tapped her pen on the ledger. "We don't have anyone named Sandy here. The only Sandy I know was a streetwalker, but as far as I know, she's no longer in business." Streetwalkers were generally unlicensed, and therefore didn't have the legal or physical protection of a house. Brothel madames like Jeri provided an extra measure of security in that they were responsible for the safety and health of their employees. Cardinal knew that Sandy had been here, and no one came through these doors that Jeri didn't know about. In fact, there were rumors that Jeri had magical means of knowing everything that took place in her house, down to names of customers, how long they were here and what they did within these walls. She was a damned good liar, but Cardinal knew better. "Can I get someone else for you, sir?" Jeri continued. "I haven't seen you here before, and..." She flipped through a few pages in her appointment book. "Lisa's available. If you've never been here before, she's a lovely young lady, and she might be just what you need to make you feel welcome." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3703 (6/10/06 9:39) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Crap. "... Sandy or nothing, miss. Any idea where she might be?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1187 (6/10/06 11:49) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Jeri sighed. "Sir, I've told you. Sandy is not available. If that is all you want from her, I've already informed you that she is not employed here. If you want something else, I feel it is my responsibility to inform you that coming to this house looking for trouble is absolutely not welcome. I run a safe establishment, and I won't have anyone under my roof endangered, whether they work here or not. I've told you that we're more than happy to see to whatever you may need. We take pride in offering the absolute best services possible, and that includes making sure someone is always available to take care of you." Jeri stood behind her desk. "If you are a customer, I will ensure that your visit is worth your while. If you are here to cause problems for anyone living here... you'll wish that our regular guard hadn't left us this morning. Making trouble usually meant dealing with her, but anyone I believe to be a danger to my house will learn why I have never had a problem in this house and never will." She sat back down. "With that in mind, would it be possible for you to look into one of our other ladies? I assure you we hold to the highest standards here and you would certainly be satisfied with your visit." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3704 (6/10/06 12:07) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Double crap. "Oh th-" A brainstorm emerged from his head. He sent up a small prayer, hoping Farida would NEVER find out. "Who do you recommend?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1189 (6/10/06 12:17) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "As I said, Lisa is available and she's a very open-minded young lady. She'll be supportive no matter what brings you here, and a lot of new customers have found she gave them an excellent introduction to our house." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3705 (6/10/06 12:20) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Alrighty. That would be... excellent." His voice cracked a bit. I'm going to hell, I'm going to hell, I'm going to hell... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1198 (6/13/06 11:40) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Jeri smiled and opened a side-drawer in her desk. She put her hand down in the drawer and said, "Lisa." She looked up again. "Sir, she'll be out in just a moment. Before she arrives, I would like you to know that we do keep records of transactions, but that they are completely confidential. The only people who will know what goes on within these walls are Lisa, you, and ...myself, for the sake of safety and billing purposes. She should be down in a moment." A few seconds later, the door to the dining area opened up and a woman, presumably Lisa, entered the main foyer. She was rather tanned, possibly darker-skinned than Cardinal himself normally was. She also had very long brown hair, flowing freely down her back. She was wearing a burgundy velvet dress, but basically no jewelry. She smiled warmly when she saw Cardinal's --rather unattractive-- form. "My name is Lisa. Come on, I'll show you upstairs." She turned her back and looked at him over her shoulder, tossing him another smile. With that, she led him upstairs... to her room.... to the room of a whore... Cardinal was right. It's probably better that Farida not know about this. Her room was furnished more or less exactly like Shakti's, which meant that it kind of looked like Cardinal and a whore were standing in his sister's room. Lisa gave him another friendly smile and sat down on her bed. She patted the covers next to her, inviting him to sit as well. "Why don't you have a seat, and we can talk about what brings you here today." Edited by: Kai  at: 6/13/06 11:54 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3708 (6/13/06 23:59) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The "ugly old fella" sighed, and pulled a vial out of his pocket. "What brings me..." He drank. "... is a woman..." He sat. "Named Sandy." He was himself. "And Jeri's stonewalling me, Lisa. Know anything?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1200 (6/14/06 11:33) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Lisa stared at him in astonishment and inched away from him before she got hold of herself. Her eyes darted to the door as if she was tempted to leave right there. With a low hiss of frustration she turned to address Cardinal instead. "I don't know where you heard about Sandy, since I know very well Shakti didn't send you after her. What are you doing here? Why can't you just leave her alone!" KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3709 (6/14/06 18:44) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Because I refuse to abandon my sister, alright? She's casting herself on the fire for this woman, and at LEAST I have to know WHY." He looked Lisa right in the eye. "From what I know, I may be able to get BOTH of them off the hook. But I can't do it if I'm so in the dark about the details. "Please. I'm begging you. Help me save her. To save them BOTH." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1201 (6/15/06 3:04) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Lisa's expression moved from completely unconvinced, to mostly unconvinced, and then straight on to indecision. She frowned to herself and her first couple of attempts to speak were unsuccessful. "I don't..." She sighed. "I-I don't know everything. She's here, though. Sandy. She's trying to lay low after what happened with Darrik. The most I can tell you is that he... wanted what she wasn't selling anymore. It... it wasn't pretty." She threw up a hand as if to stop him from commenting just yet. "Don't get me wrong. We've all seen this before. It's just... Shakti... we had no idea it would go this far." Lisa ran a hand through her hair uneasily. "Problems like these... don't usually end up being... solved. That's all she wants, your sister. As far as we know, her way is the only way to do it." She looked over to Cardinal out of the corner of her eye. "Don't get me wrong. I'm sure your intentions are good and all, at least from what I've heard. But... licensed or not, this occupation doesn't come with much legal pull. If something happens, we can't rely on guardsmen--" She spat the word out in disgust. "-- to protect us. All we have is Jeri, and all Sandy has right now... is probably sitting in one of your cells, doing the best she can." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3712 (6/15/06 8:22) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Please. Do me a favour. STOP thinking of me as a 'guardsman'. I could care less if I'm fired for this. I'm doing this because my sister's sacrificing herself for this woman, and while that's incredibly noble, there is another way. A way that's legal, effective, and DOESN'T require an innocent person going to jail. "That INCLUDES Cassandra." He sighed, and started fishing in his pocket. "Listen. I should go." He pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil, and began to write. "I will be at this address tomorrow, at the time on here. Ask her to meet me. I will see if I can help her, if she's willing. "One Messiah can get her off a murder charge. With two of them? She could probably get a medal from the King himself." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1202 (6/15/06 15:10) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Lisa sighed. "I can't speak for her, but I'll let her know." She took the piece of paper and closed it in her fist. She sighed again. "Well, go ahead." Lisa looked up at him and spoke in a remarkable imitation of a classic crowd-control guardsman. "Nothing to see here." She smiled dryly. "No guarantees, but I'll tell her what you said." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3713 (6/15/06 17:55) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. You may have saved my sister." He handed her a pouch. "There. Twice what would be your normal rate, more or less. Don't spend it all in one place." He walked to the second floor window, and opened it. "See you soon." He leapt, rolling once before coming to a stop. He stood, waved one last time to Lisa, and walked away, till he was sure she wasn't watching. Then, he started limping. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1203 (6/15/06 20:44) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Lisa watched him go, and then stared down at the pouch on her bed. Picking it up in one hand, she closed her window with the other. She headed into the front room and laid the money down on Jeri's desk. The madame didn't look up from her ledger. "What did you tell him?" Jeri asked. "It was Cardinal," Lisa said. "What did you tell him?" "Nothing he... didn't already know." Jeri turned to pick up the pouch, pouring the contents onto her desk. She counted through the coins with one finger, sliding the majority back into the pouch. "Here you are. Bonus calculated as usual." "Jeri," Lisa began. "Are you angry with me?" "No. I trust you. He asked you to deliver a message?" "...Yes." Lisa had long ago given up questioning how Jeri knew what went on within these walls. It wasn't generally a subject that was open for clarification. "Then I suggest you get on with it," Jeri instructed. The madame's intense focus on her ledger told Lisa that she was effectively dismissed to continue her obligations. Lisa found Sandy sitting on the edge of the washtub while a load of clothes was soaking. "Hey, Sandy. Something came for you." She held out the note. Sandy took it, flicking a wary glance over to the door. She scanned its contents. "What's this all about?" "Her brother came here." "What's he like?" "Pretty much like she said he was. He wants to talk to you. I think it'll be okay." Lisa answered. "You do, do you. Well... What does Jeri think?" "She won't say anything." "I see," Sandy replied. "I don't like travelling alone. Any chance of Jeri going with me?" "I think she'd be okay with that." Lisa answered with a nod. ... It was a restless night for Sandy--and for Jeri as well, though she'd never admit it. Sandy wasn't supposed to be out by herself, and Jeri had informally taken responsibility for her. There was probably little chance of Cardinal allowing any harm to come to Sandy while she was with him, but there was the problem of getting her there. Lisa temporarily closed the Villa Pascha after Jeri and Sandy left the next morning. Sandy was dressed in plain-looking khakis and a white oversized shirt. Jeri, by contrast, was in a well-tailored impeccably-pressed black business suit, her blonde hair pulled back severely behind her head. Many of the alleys they passed on their way to Cardinal's chosen meeting place were inhabited by people who knew Sandy much more intimately than she might have preferred. One solid, cold look from Jeri was enough to keep them back in the shadows where they belonged. After a short walk, the two women reached what could be called the informal border between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" Doman business areas. Jeri hung back to allow Sandy a respectful degree of privacy. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3714 (6/15/06 21:14) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The red-jacketed man came out from behind a fence on the "respectable" side of things. He expected Sandy, but quirked at the sight of Jeri. He waved nervously, and approached Sandy with caution. "Hello, Cassandra. It's nice to finally meet you." He extended his hand in greeting. "I'm Cardinal." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1204 (6/15/06 21:38) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Jeri nodded from her position far behind Sandy on the "illegitmate" end of the lot. She raised a hand in greeting. Sandy tossed a nervous glance over her shoulder, reassuring herself that Jeri was still there. When it became obvious that Jeri wasn't going anywhere, she turned back to Cardinal. She took his hand. "Hey. You already know me, I guess. You seem to be going to a lot of trouble getting hold of me." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3715 (6/15/06 21:44) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... He shook her hand, not vigorously, but not weakly either. "You're a hard person to get a hold of. Probably thanks to all the people that care about you." He gestured to a nearby bench. "Sit?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1205 (6/15/06 21:53) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Her eyes left his only briefly to glance over to the bench. She was a little jumpy, wasn't she? She started over slowly, watching him the whole time. It wasn't precisely clear what she was suspicious of, if anything, but while she'd agreed to meet him she didn't seem to trust him entirely. "Cut the foreplay," she said with a grim smile as she sat down. "Tell me what you want." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3716 (6/16/06 15:13) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "The whole story," he replied, instantly all business. "From beginning to end. How this situation came to be, the... act, what happened afterwards, everything. Down to the last minute detail." Hopefully this won't require any spin. Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1207 (6/17/06 2:32) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Sandy pulled a pen from behind her ear and tapped in on her palm nervously. As she thought about what she was going to say, it seemed to Cardinal that he'd seen her before. Maybe she had been in Jeri's house before, when he was there looking for his sister. The pen kept tapping. Tap-tap-tap.... tap-tap-tap-tap... until she twitched her hand and the pen fell to the ground. She crouched down to retrieve it and when she looked up at him, Cardinal realized where he'd seen her. On his way out of the Villa Pascha with his sister, they'd passed a few ladies in the dining room, some just relaxing, and one in particular on their way out who was bent over doing laundry. This was the same angle of reference he'd had before, and it was definitely her. She sat back on the bench next to him with her pen in hand. Tap-tap-tap-tap. "I don't know how much of this is actually going to mean anything to you, since I don't get the vibe you're familiar with... well, with the kind of relationship Darrik and I had before he died. He was one of my clients. Not the best one, but then again hardly the worst." Her hand drifted of its own volition up to the side of her head where Darrik had hit her. "Hardly the worst." "I didn't have it so bad, you know. As streetwalkers go... things could have been worse. It's not a life that most of us have the luxury of walking away from the same way you or Darrik or somebody else could just quit. There are... demands placed on you, demands that are... difficult to leave behind." Tap-tap-tap-tap. "It's funny. You know, I always thought that I'd walk away from it all, leave it all behind for the right guy. Someday someone decent would come along and I wouldn't have to rely on the integrity of curb-crawling johns." She shrugged. "Eventually you stop waiting. You realize it just isn't happening, and you deal with what you've got simply because it's what you've decided to do." She laughed, but there was more bitterness in the dry sound than mirth. "You don't want to hear all that. You want to hear about Darrik." Tap-tap-tap. "Darrik knew that I was giving it up. He knew what my other clients knew, and he knew why. He didn't care. The problem with johns is that they're used to being able to buy anything. Stop selling it? Some of them will try to take it anyway, especially when the only other option is to not get what they want." Tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap. "Darrik was one of the latter. I'm sure if you ask his wife she's noticed the same thing, but he didn't like the idea of ...of me quitting. Probably a control thing. It's easy to see us as a commodity for some people, and you should have seen his face. It was like I'd taken away his front door or lost him his job. All he lost was a whore, but he freaked." "He freaked and got violent. Not the first time, but that's an occupational hazard I'd learned to deal with. This time... I have more to consider than my own well-being, and yeah. You could say that I killed him." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3717 (6/17/06 22:55) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal's lips moved in an orbit all their own, pursed and mulling emotion. His forehead hit his hand. "So... you're telling me it was self defense? Like I had always THOUGHT it was? You DO know that's a GREAT defense for murder, right? AND that there's a good chance you'd be BELIEVED on your word?" The eye not concealed by his fingers looked at her. "We could have avoided ALL of this if you'd just come forward. Or at least to ME." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1209 (6/18/06 2:16) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Oh, sure. Sure I could just be open about everything. Sure I could just make a huge public mess of the fact that I'm trying to start over. It's not you I'm afraid of, not the Doman Guard. Do you think I've ever answered to you people? I left behind some heavy obligations. Do you think any of the people trying to find me answer to you?" A rant was coming. Cardinal could smell it on the air. "I'm so tired of being told by everyone else that they have the solution, that they can or could have fixed my life for me, like I can't be trusted with it. You know, maybe that's right. Maybe I can't be trusted. But I'm not just making choices for myself anymore. I'm not just risking myself anymore." She scowled darkly at him. "I'm pregnant, Cardinal. I'll agree that Shakti's plan is extreme and under most circumstances I'd have never let her go through with it because my safety just isn't that important. The fact remains, it's the only option I have to minimize the risk to ...to whoever's child this is that I'm carrying." ...And what an informative rant it was. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3719 (6/19/06 18:25) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Cardinal nearly fell off the bench. "You're PREGNANT... well that IS a wrinkle... Well I DO appreciate the situation... my wife just gave birth YESTERDAY... uh..." He paused. "Wait, two questions... why didn't you think your condition would profit you? I'd think a court would be more lenient on a woman with child. And second, are you CERTAIN you have no clue who the father is? None at all?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1210 (6/21/06 18:37) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... She raised an eyebrow at Cardinal's question. "And how am I supposed to know that? At the risk of being a little bit crass, do you have any idea how many people I slept with in the weeks when I could have conceived?" She shook her head. "First of all, no I don't know. Secondly, I don't think it's as important as you do. No matter who it is, the father is one of my clients. I'll let you imagine for yourself what kinds of fathers you think most of them would be." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3720 (6/21/06 19:05) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Fine, fine..." He sighed. "One other thing... you said you'd have never allowed this under any other circumstances. If I could tell you about, find out about, conceive of SOME WAY to make sure you never see a jail cell that DOESN'T involve my sister being incarcerated for the remainder of her life, would you do it? Would you help me?" Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1211 (6/21/06 19:21) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "It's more than keeping me out of jail. It's keeping me out of sight. There are risks I'm not willing to take anymore. I owe money and favors to people who wouldn't think twice about hurting me or finding a way to get rid of my child to get what they want, especially if they knew that the baby was the reason I skipped out." "...But yeah. If you can do something..." Sandy shook her head. "You know, I don't want to see her go down for this either. You're not the only one who cares about what happens to her. Just because she doesn't care... doesn't mean we don't." KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3724 (6/23/06 1:05) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Thank you. A thousand times thank you. You've given my son an aunt." He gave her a slip of paper. "My card. If you need anything at all, please contact me. And since I assume you'll be going back to the house, WHEN I need you, I shall contact you there." He looked at Jeri, ever so slightly. "Hopefully without much trouble... "I should go. My wife is worried sick." He rose. "I will talk to you soon." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1213 (6/23/06 1:15) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Sandy took the card. "All right. I'll be there." She also glanced over to Jeri. "And don't be too hard on Jeri. She knows you're okay. She was just respecting my wishes. It ought to be easier to get hold of me now." Sandy stood as well and put her hands in her pockets. "So, if nothing changes, you'll be able to find me in the usual place. Also... don't tell her we talked. I'll be in touch with her, so... let me tell her, okay?" KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3725 (6/23/06 1:22) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Of course." He bowed, low. "Till we meet again." And, as he walked away, he thought to himself, Now... I just need to figure out HOW to pull this legal magic off... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1214 (6/23/06 1:50) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... The two sides parted ways as Cardinal went back toward his part of town, and Sandy went back to Jeri. "So," Jeri asked. "Did you figure anything out?" "I don't know what he's planning, but I guess he has something in mind. I just hope he knows what he's doing." Jeri tilted her head. "Do you think he does?" Sandy shrugged. "If they're anything alike...he'll find a way. If he wants it, he'll make it happen." Jeri nodded. With that, the two women headed back to the Villa Pascha, Jeri's stiletto heels clicking on the paved road all the way back. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4625 (6/25/06 13:39) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. "Not now, Precious!" On one end of a long scroll tube was a blue-haired man dressed in dark clothing, and on the other end was a large, black dog. The two were clearly engaged in some sort of impromptu tug-of-war, much to the dog's delight and the master's chagrin. "Believe it or not, I'm trying to do some work here!" The man struggled against the dog's powerful grip for a moment longer before muttering some indistinct words under his breath. At the completion of his mumbling, the dog found himself suddenly impacted by an unseen force, his jaw pried open and his body pitched off his four legs into the air. Moments later, the animal landed safely in a doggy bed shoved into the corner of the room, resulting in a softened thud. More startled than wounded, the dog barked again before curling up on a large pillow. "Thank you. Sorry about that, but I don't have time to play right now." General Hakaril Silvar popped off the end of the scroll tube and dumped its parchment contents onto his desk, shoving aside several layers of other papers, glass tubes, corks, bags of catnip, and other miscellaneous items. An archaelogist could probably conduct a very interesting study by examining the strata on Hakaril's desk; there were at least as many layers of garbage piled up as there were in most historical dig sites, and some of the objects lying around in his office were at least as old. Hakaril unfurled the scrolls and began to skim their contents. Reviewing reports from the city Guard was one of his least favorite duties, and he typically endeavored to finish it quickly so that he could move on to more interesting things. Most of the reports were tragically uninteresting. "Pickpocket arrested on 7th street...slum drunk incarcerated after attempted arson...local mage questioned regarding protection racket...how the hell can the guards stand to do their jobs when even reading about them bores me to tears?" Hakaril sighed. This mundane bullshit was the kind of thing he wished he could pawn off on somebody else. Unfortunately, he had a responsibility to at least review reports, even those outside of his department. "Responsibility" also happened to be one of General Silvar's least favorite words. The General yawned as he came to the bottom of the list. "Oh, a murder. How fascinating. One less taxpayer to throw money into the royal coffers...wait, WHAT!?" Nearly dropping the parchment from shock, Hakaril traced a line under the entry with his finger. "Suspect in custody after cooperation with authorities...currently being investigated by..." The mage blinked, then abruptly cast the parchment to his desk as he stormed out of the room with his face twisted into an expression of disbelief. Precious uttered a confused whimper at his master's sudden change of behavior as the door slammed shut. Minutes later, Hakaril was standing outside Shakti's cell and staring at her as if she had suddenly started spewing pudding out of her ears. The guards had been roughly dismissed, run out of the room by a shouting General who was clearly not in the best of moods. As none of his subordinates were interested in testing the General's bluff about cleaning cell block H, any possible pairs of unwanted ears were long gone. Hakaril stammered momentarily and pointed a finger at Shakti accusatorily. "You...you...what the fuck did you DO?" RPGWW Wiki! Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1219 (6/25/06 22:57) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti, after finally dragging herself out of bed, had rolled straight off onto the floor. She'd twisted her hair up behind her head, pinning it with a pencil and felt no more effort was necessary to prepare for her day. After all, everything was working out more or less as she'd expected. What was there to worry about? By the time Hakaril found his way to her cell, she was paused over a manuscript with her quill pen still in hand. She listened to his question with her head titled attentively. "Huh? Oh. I should have figured you'd eventually hear about it. Sorry. Didn't mean to involve you. Oh!" She tossed her quill down as she remembered something tremendously important. "Silvar! You bastard! You said that I could borrow your notes from that thing! You remember when we went to that place because there was stuff there and then you sent people to that plane to do that mission? You said I could borrow your notes. You do have notes, don't you? If you don't I'm just going to have to interrogate you until I'm satisfied. Otherwise, you'll have to write your own report and I won't get to see it until it's done, which is just boring." Edited by: Kai  at: 6/25/06 23:02 Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4626 (6/25/06 23:08) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Hakaril's jaw nearly scraped the stone floor. "You want to interrogate me? Which one of us is behind bars, Shakti?" The General quickly attempted to regain his composure and smacked himself in the face. "Goddamnit, you're not getting off that easy. I want some sort of explanation as to why you're in here!" The mage rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. "And don't think," he added, "that you think I mean 'what crime did you commit.' I want to know why you got caught. More accurately, why you turned yourself in. You killing someone really doesn't surprise me, but what the fuck compelled you to haul your own ass to prison? And what the hell is Cardinal doing investigating his own sister's involvement in a murder?" Hakaril cleared his throat and scratched at his neck. "Seriously, this is ridiculous." Momentarily distracted, Hakaril appeared to be staring off into the distance, but before Shakti could speak, he snapped his fingers and nodded. "Yeah, I've got those notes. But you're going to answer my questions first. Like I said. Which one of us is in a jail cell, hm?" RPGWW Wiki! Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1220 (6/25/06 23:17) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti rolled her eyes. "I don't know what my brother is doing investigating this. I told him not to, and in fact the only reason I came here was to cover his ass after he pulled the whole "house arrest" thing. I'm glad someone else realizes there's an obvious conflict of interest, because he sure doesn't. He has no idea what he's doing." She curled up on the floor of her cell, still sitting in front of her book. She folded her arms on top of her knees and looked up at Hakaril. "I don't know what he thinks he's doing, Silvar. Being a dumbfuck if you ask me." Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4627 (6/25/06 23:35) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Hakaril shrugged. "You must realize that I got that impression. From what I understand about the relationship you have with your brother, he tends not to know what he's doing, and the whole deal with that wife of his reinforces my information." "I don't know why you want to cool your heels in jail, but you must have a reason, and I'm honestly not sure I want to know what it is. If you decide you need to get out, and you haven't been sentenced yet, I'll arrange a parole for you. On the other hand, if you want to be here for reasons I can't quite comprehend, I'll give you those notes so you can write my report on Regulus...in your cell." The General stepped back and surveyed the woman's current living conditions. "The least I can do is have you transferred to a nicer cell, or something. I can assign a guard to be your personal waiter with regard to food and other necessaries so that you won't have to eat the shit they feed regular prisoners. Whatever you want, the kitchen can send it up to you. Until you're legally convicted, they're likely to be fine with that sort of thing, since you're being...cooperative. Odd as it may be. In any event, I'll get you those notes." As he turned to leave, Hakaril stopped for a moment and placed a hand on the brim of his hat. "Oh, and one more thing. Would you like me to keep an eye on your brother for you? I'm concerned that he's going to try something stupid, like attempting to break you out of prison when you clearly want to be here. I don't believe it's common knowledge that you're related, but if the Guard at large discovers that your brother was investigating your crime, they're going to question the whole deal. I'd hate to see him lose his credibility or his position because he thought he needed to save you. The justice system here is a bit more reasonable than that in some other countries, after all. It's not as though you're going to be burned at the stake tomorrow morning, even if you're convicted." Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1221 (6/25/06 23:49) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti didn't comment on any of Hakaril's offers or statements for a moment. She just... curled up a little more tightly. "That's a weird comment. He didn't tell--- never mind. I don't even want to know what you guys talk about." She shook her head quickly, jolting herself out of the brief emotional jag that had put her better judgement on hold. "Maybe... If you could... keep an eye on him. He has very poor judgement when it comes to these things. I guess I can't force him to keep his distance, but... I would consider it a personal favor if you made sure he didn't fuck himself over trying to help me. Because he will. He isn't thinking." "As for the rest.... I don't need special meals or cells or anything. I figure I might as well get acclimated to the way things actually work, rather than accept all sorts of special treatment for whatever reason." Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4628 (6/26/06 0:02) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Even if you get convicted, I can still see to it that you aren't treated like a common criminal," noted Hakaril offhandedly. "Again, the only reason I'm not bailing you out myself is that I get the impression that you want to be here. The least I can do is make sure you're comfortable instead of miserable. I'll insist that the kitchen send you up some decent food, if nothing else. Trust me, you really don't want to try to live on that awful shit that they feed real convicts." "As for your brother, I'll see what I can do. Knowing him, he thinks he's being heroic and he's actually walking all over your judgment. I'll be honest and say that I didn't really follow his activities until you showed up, but from what I understood, his record was relatively good and he didn't display the level of air-headedness that he does now. I seriously think that gypsy wife of his is poisoning him or something. She struck me as a real con artist." Hakaril turned around and saluted Shakti informally, a limp-wristed gesture that barely involved tapping his own eyebrow. "Stay out of trouble, and I'll try to keep your brother out of trouble." With that, General Silvar departed from the cell block, a thoughtful expression in his eyes as he casually saluted the guards on his way down the hall. The two soldiers on duty saluted back with considerably more discipline in their gesture. This is more than a little weird, mused the General. It's like she knows she's innocent, but doesn't mind being guilty. She's hiding something, but it's none of my business. I just have to make sure her brother doesn't decide to make it my business... Kai  Robo-Kai Posts: 1222 (6/26/06 0:08) Reply | Edit Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Shakti watched Hakaril leave and then closed her book over her pen. It was bad for the quill, but it wasn't in her nature to be careful of the softer, delicate things in life. She sighed, a sound of profound relief. "Thanks, Silvar," she whispered to herself. KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3732 (6/26/06 0:18) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... Today, if you wanted to find Cardinal, he'd be in his office at the castle. When he arrived, he raided the library on law books (especially the ones on the criminal code), and once he hit his office, he began poring through every volume. It was feverish. He, to start, had to FAMILIARIZE himself a lot more with the code of laws in the land, taking notes on everything pertinent. It's not that he was completely ignorant of it before, it's just that for the most part, he never encountered a law that didn't exist, in SOME form, in Spain. He then had to make sure of EVERY law that might, just MIGHT, get you off for murder, and they just seemed to be scattered, throughout every book, between every volume. Esperanza... Cassandra... MYSELF... there's... there MUST be some combination of laws to keep us all out of hot water... His elbow knocked over the bowl of soup that he'd gotten from Farida, and onto one of the last books he hadn't gotten to. "Argh..." It was going to be a looooong day. Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4630 (6/26/06 20:11) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... A voice from Cardinal's office doorway responded suddenly with a disapproving chitter. "Tsk tsk, Cardinal. Those books are expensive, and that soup is probably too good to feed to unappreciative paper. That's a lose-lose situation." The owner of the voice, as if it were not immediately apparent, became more clear as General Silvar came into view out of the corner of Cardinal's eye. He circled around and leaned over the star mage's shoulder, peering down at his current choice of reading material. "Law books? Are you trying to commit boredom-related suicide? I wasn't aware work was so stressful of late that you felt the need to take your own life." Hakaril quickly circled around to the other side of the table, flicking his wrist and snapping his fingers at the soiled book. The spilled soup evaporated almost instantaneously, leaving the legal materials as good as new. "A handy cantrip, that. I taught it to the librarian so that he would have an easier time dealing with ink spills. Unfortunately, it leaves you without soup, but putting it back in the bowl would've been beyond me. Perhaps I should save you the trouble of boring yourself to death and have the goblins send you up another batch, this one with extra arsenic, hmm?" Edited by: Archmage144  at: 6/26/06 20:20 KingOfDoma  Buddy Cole Impersonator Posts: 3733 (6/26/06 20:27) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "... oh. Thank you, General. That's 50 gil saved." He picked up the book, and handed it to Hakaril. Putting his nose back in his own book, he said, "Can you look up the articles on exoneration? I just want to have a back door unless my plan doesn't work..." Archmage144  Hyper-scientific Bishounen Pharmacist Brian Season III! Posts: 4631 (6/26/06 20:36) Reply Re: Some fic that will get a title when we finish... "Plan? If I were you, I'd make your plan 'save yourself the trouble and hire a lawyer.' What'd you do, cheat on your taxes? Planning on going to debtor's prison when Chancellor Vince finds out? Did you steal cookies from the royal cookie jar?" Hakaril smirked and continued to hover over Cardinal's desk. "I've been involved in a legal case or two, but that was just improvisation. I haven't got a license to practice law, but then, I always thought requiring a license to practice something was silly." "That trial," noted Hakaril distantly, as if it had simply been something he'd read about in a book, "was rigged, anyway." "In any event," continued the General as he apparently came back into focus, "the easiest way to get off is to not commit a crime, don't you think? Although my wife might have a different opinion about the easiest method of accomplishing that particular goal..." RPGWW Wiki!

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