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Cold of Crimson Water (M)

Started by Lion, March 11, 2016, 01:06:05 AM

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Lion

[Tags @pomelo ]

It wasn't his first rodeo.  No, but it was definitely the first one where he didn't have to sweat bullets trying to avoid making eye contact with any guards.  Yeah, he didn't have to sweat them, but they were coming out anyway.  Not that the smoke between his fingers was helping him much, but it would do for now.  What he really needed was a drink, but that, unfortunately, would have to wait.

Quinlan's face was ignited by the light of his cigarette in hand, taking along drag that made the passing guard eye him with a frown.  "You can't smoke that in here," he snapped.  "Besides you're supposed to be inside.  It's what you're paid to do, ain't it?"

Quinlan slowly blew out the smoke, straightening his back against the porch pillar at the rear of the villa just in the walls of Selevea.  It was a nice city, filled with bustle, parties, and money.  That last part was what brought him here obviously.  But instead of hiding out in some greasy dive, he found himself here at the house of some Lord Understone or something or other.  He needed something different, and a man looking for someone to play bodyguard seemed easy enough.  Nobody to hound after him, nobody to gut him in his sleep, and there was steady pay without too much risk.

He finished the puff and dashed the smoke out on a small case he had, a folder of iron that silenced the hiss of the smoke, and he quietly put it away to be enjoyed for later.  "I was just taking a break.  The air is nice out, all right?  Relax."

"Look, I can relax.  I'm not some hired thug.  So get your ass back inside and keep an eye on Master Theiris!  I don't know where Lord Understone found you, but I'd sooner scrap you off my boot and toss you into the river."

"Ha, like you can throw that far with your flab," Quinlan said under his breath.

"WHAT!?"

"I said, I'm going!" Quinlan spat and turned back into the porch, going back into the cacophony of the party currently being held inside.  It was a birthday bash, for the grand Lord Cedric Understone himself, and the guest of honor had certainly made himself comfortable on the arm of a twenty-something that Quinlan had to tilt his head nearly 90 degrees to admire the fullness of that moon.  He sniffed, going back to his post and looking out for Theiris Understone as he enjoyed himself.

He could remain vigilant – hell, he was getting paid for it, why the hell not?  Even if he was a little bored just standing there...watching everyone else have a good time, knowing full one or two of the villa guards would be bumping around the cleaning closets with some of the fine flesh out here.  He gave a smirk, one that stayed plastered on his face all throughout the night.


"All right, Quinlan, I'll relieve you for the night," Rutger muttered as she stepped through Theiris' antechamber door.  Quinlan had been reading for the night, standing up as soon as the other guard entered.  "You look like you need a drink."

"Don't I ever," he sighed.  "Look, the kid's just gone off to uh, well, I'm sure you can handle it.  I'm heading out.  Gotta get away from Sir Flabs-a-lot.  I don't know how you deal with him.  See you in a few hours, all right?"

"Sure," she said with a nod and watched him go.

It was easy avoid the Captain of Understone's men.  The man could barely walk two paces without winding himself.  Quinlan alone had gotten meaner in build in the last few years.  But as soon as Quinlan was out onto the evening streets, he was home free.  At least for the next few hours.  Selevea was a decent place, he thought to himself.  Better than Ketra by a longshot.  And not a bad place to find himself.

There had be a tavern around here where he could spend his gold.  Some place to help him forget that he'd sold much of his freedom away to a mercenary's job.  There was no risk, sure, but there wasn't much thrill either.  But far be it from him to say no to easy money.

Quinlan took out the smoke case, and pulled out the one he'd half-dashed earlier, igniting a match and taking a drag on it, when he saw a familiar shape coming up toward him, or so he thought.  He wasn't drunk yet, so he couldn't be seeing things.  Quinlan saw the pair of people behind it pass under a lantern's light and smiled.

He'd know that hair anywhere.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

"Well, he certainly keeps his hands clean, doesn't he? The biggest fish usually do. Never do anything yourself you can't get a disposal underling to do for you. Come on. Let's get a drink. Might overhear something useful. Still have a few hours before we meet Granny."

The words were spoken by one of the two figures passing under the streetlamp. Spoken in an undertone, to the woman who walked alongside him, but Quinlan might just be able to hear them. The man was unmistakably Serenian. He had the lithe build and fair skin typical of the race. Human, but even more notably, he had tousled hair of bright blue and green and aquamarine eyes spoke of the faerie blood that set Serenians apart from their neighbors to the south and north.

A noncommittal noise was the only response the man got from the woman walking alongside him, who could hardly look less Serenian. Umber brown skin and big, coiled black hair that could only rightly be described as a mane set her clearly apart from the fair Serenians. But in a bustling trading town like Sevelea, neither of the pair stood out significantly. People from all over Serendipity, and some from farther, came to do business in the sprawling old city. Of course, it wasn't only legal traders that dealt here.

Selevea's unique political structure made it a den of illegal trade and activity. Goods ranging from smuggled weapons, dangerous magic, intoxicating botanicals, stolen treasures, to human lives. The latter was what brought the pair passing under the lamplight. Buying and selling human lives (or non-human, for that matter) was, of course, perfectly legal in Serendipity. Foreign lives, not Serenian lives. A facted that rankled a foreigner like Zahi Akello. But that didn't mean there wasn't a market for pretty, young Serenian girls. Of course the poor, forgotten, defenseless children of the street had always gone missing, from time to time, with few taking notice. But a steady stream of respectable young girls, some as young as six, had been disappearing from their homes and families. Sold, it was said, to Essryn and other places abroad for their exotic looks, or even domestically to those who didn't fancy a foreign slave. Girls, and some boys, had disappeared from all over the country, but rumor led them here.

Here in Sevelea is where they hoped to find the orchestrator of the whole dirty business.

Because however much things may or may not have changed for Quinlan in the past years, Zahi Akello found herself in a very different position indeed. No longer a Soot Wolf, no longer a criminal, Zahi Akello was now a detective in the service of the Queen. It had been a strange turn of events that had led her here: After her ascension to Red Jackal, her expulsion from the Soot Wolves had nearly cost her her life. She had ended up in the hands of the city guard, of a junkie detective who'd nearly killed her himself. But in the end it was decided that a skilled scraper like Akello, with deep connections to Arca's underground, might be an asset. So she'd been given the choice - or 'choice' as she liked to think of it - between entering Her Majesty's service, and death. Zahi might have had some lingering loyalty to the Soot Wolves, but none at that point to the current Red Wolf, and quite a bit more to her own skin than to any of them. It had been an easy choice.

A less easy line to walk, however. Her connections did prove useful to detective work, that was true, but anyone who changes sides has to be extra vigilant. Zahi maintained contacts in the Soot Wolves, particularly with Huxley, but did not know what fate Rufus had in mind for her. But she was certain she would find out, eventually.

In Sevelea, at least, she did not have to worry as acutely about him. This wasn't Soot Wolf territory. The Thieves' Guild operated here. They had, in fact, a meeting with a representative of the Guild - 'Granny' - later that night. That doesn't mean she'd let her guard down, however. As they passed under the lamplight, Zahi felt a pair of eyes on her. Her own odd, mismatched eyes glanced sideways at the figure. And for the briefest moment her eyes met Quinlan's, but her expression remained unchanged; as though she'd glanced at a stranger.

Because if there was anything Zahi Akello did not need, it was that asshole Connlaothain bloodmage, Quinlan Duirne.

Lion

It didn't matter if she didn't notice him.  He noticed her and it made him smile.  He intercepted her path casually, walking with a nonchalant lope and blowing the smoke of his cigarette off to the side.  His hand flicked the ashes and he approached with a sidelong glance.

"Zahi Akello," he said aloud, loud enough to capture the attention of the colleague beside her.  The young man turned to look between the stranger and Zahi, clearly confused and making a face at Quinlan.

"Move along stranger," he said.

"Oh, I believe I was addressing my old friend beside you, sir," Quinlan said with a grin.  "Come on, Zahi. Pretending you don't notice me is a bit childish don't you think?"




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

Oh, she had indeed noticed Quinlan. Zahi had recognized him almost instantly, like a kick to the stomach. And she thought she'd sent a quite clear message with her passing glance: Fuck off, Quinlan.

Tallinn, her blue-haired partner, meanwhile bristled slightly. His first assumption was, she guessed, that anyone calling himself an 'old friend' of Zahi's was likely a Wolf. And a confrontational Wolf, especially if one had followed them here outside of Arca, could be a dangerous one. Of course, Quinlan was neither.

Tallinn was about to respond to Quinlan, but Zahi held up a dismissive hand. "He's just a scrappy freelancer," she said to her partner. As in, He's not a Soot Wolf. He's probably not a threat. At least, not directly. The shitstorm of trouble that usually followed around the whiney blood mage could easily prove a threat to their job. That was why Zahi wanted nothing to do with him now.

Mostly.

The former assassin's expression didn't change when she looked at Quinlan, brashly blocking their path. Yes, she was the childish one. Unbidden to her mind came the retort, No more childish than sneaking away while someone else is sleeping. But she'd die before she'd say that aloud. In truth, she'd never really expected to see the man again, and the pragmatic woman she was, she never wasted time thinking of what she'd do if she did.

"Who's pretending?" she asked. "Glad to see you're still on your feet, though" she said curtly. If she had thought about him, she probably would have guessed he'd get himself killed by now.

Lion

Quinlan decided it was probably best to ignore her company.  At least until the man became relevant.  He wore similar clothing to her own, leathers that looked worn but not out of place.  It was easy to spot someone that didn't quite fit in; like Quinlan for example.  No longer quite in the patched vagabond rags in which he'd met Zahi, Quinlan cut himself quite a figure in a clean tan tunic, and brown leather trousers.  His jacket too was brand new, from the looks of it, and cared for better than when she'd last seen him. 

"Thanks," he said with a playful smirk.  He tilted his head, letting his eyes inspect her more closely, and he had no issue with what was presented before him.  Even if her attitude was as abrasive as ever.  "You look like you're not doing so bad for yourself either.  It's good to see you again, Zahi.  You look good.  I mean it."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

For the briefest moment, Zahi also forgot about her partner. Quinlan's genuine - and quite obvious - appraisal of her left her feeling... awkward. In truth, Zahi did look a little worse for the wear from the past few years. A visible scar ran down her jawline that hadn't been there when he'd seen her last. A mark of her ascension to the Red Jackal. Back when she'd still been a Soot Wolf.  But what was she supposed to say to him now? 'Thanks?' That was obviously out of the question. Instead, she bristled a little, her expression just barely tightening.

Tallinn wouldn't need to be a mind-reader to sense the vague tension between the two. Or, at least, the tension from Zahi. He wouldn't smash the 'moment' just yet; but he watched Quinlan carefully.

"Sure," Zahi responded coldly, "my health's taken a big upswing since ridding myself of suicidal Connlaothians." She gave him a curt nod, turning to continue on her way with Tallinn. "Take care of yourself, Quinlan."

Lion

"What that's it?  Not even a proper hello or goodbye?  I shoulda known," Quinlan sighed, watching her turn to leave.  He took another drag from his smoke, blowing it off to the side.  "Where are you headed?  Nevermind, I'll walk with you."  Dashing out the smoke, Quinlan ground it beneath his boots and stuffed his hands in his pockets. 

"You still owe me that drink, you know.  Maybe we can finally get it," he chuckled.

"Is that why you're here?  To get a drink?  You look like a scab," Tallinn scoffed.

"Correction.  To get a drink with Zahi."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

"Yeah, that's it," Zahi answered. There was nothing biting in her tone; it was business-like and maybe very vaguely condescending. She had already began to walk away as she said it. "Take care of yourself," she repeated over her shoulder as Quinlan took the last drag from his cigarette.

"'Old friend'?" Tallinn asked under his breath, eyebrows raised with a hint of skepticism and amusement.

Zahi just gave a dismissive shrug. But before she could steer the conversation away from their unexpected reunion and back to the business at hand, Quinlan was at her side again. What a huge fucking surprise.

"I don't owe you shit," she answered matter-of-factly without breaking stride. I don't remember you being much into a 'proper goodbye', anyway. Again, unbidden thoughts in her mind. The truth, of course, wasn't that Zahi was bitter that Quinlan had left her there. Just that he'd done it first. If he hadn't, she undoubtedly would have. But that was ancient history now. Now Quinlan was just in the way.

Lion

He felt the bitterness of that reply, even if she was just trying to tell him to fuck off.  Really, even those words probably weren't enough to send him scattering away, not after the day he'd had.  She was familiar company, and like a dog after his owner, he followed her as they kept going down the street.  Tallinn obviously wasn't pleased with his presence; not that his opinion mattered in anyway.

"Uh, yeah, you do," Quinlan said with a shrug.  "You can have a drink too Tallinn.  She can be a real handful you know."  He smirked.  "Come on Zahi.  We can call it just having a drink for ole time's sake.  I mean sharing one beer doesn't really count.  We need to do the whole shaboigan."

Tallinn chewed on his lip a bit.  "We're headed over to a tavern now, since you're all ready following us.  You may as well come along."  That chewed lip turned into a curious smirk, looking at Zahi for a response.




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

For a moment, Zahi lost her composure and shot Tallinn an incredulous look. Was he doing this just to spite her? Truth be told, she was sure Tallinn had never really taken to her. The somewhat straight-laced detective didn't seem willing to trust a former criminal. He was the second partner she'd been assigned since joining the Queen's service. It was something of a pattern.

But at this moment, she just hated both men.

Her expression was recomposed, if a little annoyed, when she glanced sidelong at Quinlan. "I don't think Tallinn wants to do 'the whole shebang.' Me neither, for that matter."

But her words, or bristling composure, didn't seem to matter. Because somehow they seemed to be stepping into a grimy, dark little pub, led by a very amused looking Tallinn. She knew he was enjoying seeing Zahi knocked slightly off her guard. Which only annoyed her more. This was going to be one fun drink.

Lion

"I believe the word was 'shaboigan,'" Tallinn corrected, but was quick to step out of Zahi's range once they were actually inside the little pub.  Quinlan wondered if they wouldn't just prefer something that was a little cleaner, but actually seeing the sight made him smile.  This was just the kind of place he'd probably find himself in day in and out if he hadn't found his new gig.

He just followed Zahi to wherever she ended up, sitting beside her and tapping the table as a bar wench came by.  "Beers please.  A pitcher for the table.  We're old friends catching up," Quinlan said with a flashing grin.

The woman smiled and looked over at Zahi.  "Oh, that's so sweet!  I'll see if I can scrounge up two."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

"I'm going to see if I can't pick up anything interesting at the bar." Tallinn glanced between the strange man they'd picked up and Zahi. It might sound like he meant a girl, but Zahi knew he meant rumors or any word on the street that might help them. (After all, he could do that inquiring after a girl. And, in a way, that would be easier for him to do without a woman at his side.)

Anyway, they both knew that Zahi could take care of herself. And if she couldn't? Well, Tallinn was unlikely to miss the former Soot Wolf he suspected, she guessed, of being a double agent, still in the pocket of Canis Rufus.

Tallinn thumped the table once, grinned at the pair, then took his beer off to the bar. Zahi watched him go with a controlled expression. Once the blue-haired Serenian was settled at the bar, Zahi turned back to Quinlan, giving him a proper assessment this time. It was hard to judge whether or not he really looked 'better' than last time she'd seen him; he'd been at death's door then, after all. But she suspected he did. Cleaned up, at least. And with less of a desperate, suicidal glint in his eye. His stupid grin was the same, though.

"All right," she finally drawled, trying - and probably failing - not to look too surly. Zahi always prided herself on having a cool demeanor, and it wasn't entirely lost on her that the people who could ruffle that the most, and easiest, were men that she might actually care about. Or cared about, in this case. "You've got your ten minutes, Quinlan. What do you want?"

Lion

He blinked at her, when the pitcher came around he poured himself a pint.  He was glad the other guy made himself scarce.  This was hardly a kind of night he wanted some third wheel around - not that he was certain he could make more of it than what was all ready there - but if Zahi did rip out his throat, at least she'd have the courtesy to keep it between them.

He tried to hold his smile at bay, then quickly decided against it.  What reason did he have to hold back?  Quinlan brought the glass to his lips, sipping it just a bit to savor the amber flavor of it.  He prefered a harder drink, but he planned to work his way up to that.

"What do I want!?" he murmured, tone astonished.  "You ask like I have some kind of ulterior motive."  This deserved a second longer drink of beer.

"I haven't seen you in years.  I'm surprised to say the least, but not displeased in anyway."  He smiled just a bit, looking her over, admiring what he saw, but moreover keeping his gaze steady on her.  "I want to know how you've been.  This is more than a ten minute beer."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

The look Zahi gave Quinlan was the look you might give someone talking complete nonsense. As though Quinlan was there, telling her all about how he wanted to turn them both into fairies and ride away on butterfly-winged miniature unicorns. In other words: No fucking way did she believe a word of what he was saying. And, of course, that what he was saying seemed both absurd and somewhat foreign to her.

In truth, though Zahi had formed close relationships with several other Blood Wolves during her time there - people she would risk her life for, and vice versa - she couldn't really call any of them friends. And the only person she'd ever really opened up to... Well, where was Bujari now? And where had he been when she'd been nearly beaten to death and left for dead? Not that she would have necessarily expected the Yoreiqi to risk his position and standing in the Wolves for her - a cushy job as Spirit Wolf, all the young thieves to bed he wanted. But it did put things in perspective. He'd been the only man, probably, that Zahi had ever really loved. And a fat lot of good it did her.

So perhaps it wasn't a huge surprise if there was something defiant in the way she looked back at Quinlan now. "I want to know how you've been." Yeah fucking right. He wanted something, sure, she believed that. Hell, she wasn't even entirely certain that he wasn't here to try to use their past to gain her trust and drag her back to Canis Rufus. There would surely be a monetary reward in it for him.

"I've been fine," she answered tersely. "See, less than ten minutes. You can take the rest of the time to finish your beer, though."

Lion

He breathed out cooly, wanting another smoke but refraining from doing so for the moment.  He looked at her and her beer and his expression sobered, the smile vanishing from his face.  Quinlan could tell she wasn't going to budge.  Stupid Zahi and her stupid steeliness.  He had to respect her for it in some way.  She was right to be guarded around people that may or may not have it out for her.

Though he couldn't quite understand why she would think he would be one of them. 

"You don't look fine," he admitted out loud, looking at his beer and her reflection in it after the foam dissipated.  "On the inside I mean.  You look like you'd kill any man that looks at you the wrong way.  And feel perfectly justified in doing so."

Another sip and he took out the cigarette case, and the bag of tobacco he'd once again acquired.  "If I'm going to finish my beer, so are you.  It's the custom when two people like us share drinks.  I won't let you drink alone."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

That elicited a major eye roll from Zahi. "Please. 'You don't look fine... on the inside I mean,'" she repeated in a mock, sappy voice. If she were more of a reactionary, she might mime puking at that line. And, if anything, it gave more weigh to the thought that he was here with some ulterior motive.

Really. 'On the inside.'

Nauseating.

Zahi leaned forward, crossing her arms on the table top, her own beer forgotten for the moment. "Cut the crap, Quinlan," she said, giving him a level look across the table. "What do you want? You have a job you want help on? You're trailing me for someone? You need a stepping stone to get to something else, and I could be that stone? Well you can forget it. I don't have time for your shit, and I'm not interested in being used or dragged into another one of your catastrophes."

Lion

Quinlan tried to keep a straight face, and smirked at her.  "You really think you can see through my bluff?  You got me.  I'm here, in the middle of the most boring fucking city in Serendipity all because I wanted to track you down and drag you into some kind of escapade only an idiot like me could possibly get himself dragged into?"

He slapped the table with a rasp of knuckles and rolled himself a smoke.  "Why is it so hard to believe that I want to have a genuine conversation with you?  Besides I'm off duty at the moment.  I got this gig guarding some hot shot noble's annoying brat.  Babysitting.  You're familiar with the term.  It's easy money, but damn I get bored.  I wanted to a drink.  I bumped into you, and I liked you enough to drag you into sitting here with me having this inane argument.  And I thought maybe you liked me enough even for just a second to endure it with me."

He sighed a the windbag speech and rubbed his face with his hands.  "I don't have...anything to do with whatever nonsense you think I'm really here for."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

"I don't know. Sevelea is full of at least as many criminals and smugglers as Arca. Maybe you just haven't made the right friends yet," she remarked dryly to his response that Sevelea was 'the most boring city in Serendipity.' And, perhaps, to deflect some of the attention away from herself.

Zahi watched Quinlan levelly as he babbled through his 'why can't you believe we're just good friends' monologue. It sounded pretty feeble to her. But maybe they had different memories of their time in Ketra. Because she was thinking, Who ever said I liked you at all? Finally, she gave a little snort and said, "Sure, you 'liked me enough' to steal my fuckign dog."

It was a dry comment, perhaps even meant to have a little humor in it, a little.

Then Zahi leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and regarded Quinlan with her chin raised slightly. Finally she gave a short sigh and shrugged her shoulders slightly. He wanted to have a conversation. Fine. "Fine," she said aloud, tone still defiant, "what do you want to talk about?"

If anything was clear, it was that Zahi was not going to make this easy for him. As though she ever had.

"But," she added quickly, "you don't have all night. I still have business to attend to later."

Lion

Quinlan shook his hand, chuckling at her continued abrasiveness.  It just took him back, to every thing they went though and then some.  He supposed the old adage was right.  The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. 

He twirled the smoke in his fingers thoughtfully.  "Same old Zahi," he murmured.  "That's a relief, at least."

He put away the tobacco and cigarette case and pulled the matches from his other pocket.  "Very well, what happened to you after I left?  Taking our dog with me."




Like to kill mages?  Join the Order!
The Order of St. Agratha

Help Rebuild Connlaoth from the ashes of war!
The Red Legion

Jump in the water's fine!
Desert Valley Nights
Wrong Turn

"Go into battle determined to die and you will survive.  Go into battle hoping to live and surely you shall not." -Bushido proverb
"Life is a series of dogs." -George Carlin
"We must view with profound respect the infinite capacity of the human mind to resist the introduction of useful knowledge." -Thomas R. Lounsbury
"If a cosmic tree falls in the universal forest and nobody is evolved enough to hear it, does it make a sound?" -Unknown

pomelo

Zahi sat across from Quinlan, arms crossed, looking cross. At his question, she rolled her eyes. This whole situation was very uncomfortable for her. In fact, she was a little annoyed by how awkward she felt. She gave a brusque shrug.

"I went back to Arca. Got told off for taking off after a job. What'd you expect?" She paused, then rolled her eyes and asked, obligatorily, "And what about you, Princess?"

Not that she cared.

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