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<Angel> ::Jewel's flat seems quiet and abandoned when she returns from ... wherever she's been all day. Placed exactly, so as to be in the street-lamp's faint glow when the door opens is a single, blood-red rose laying on the table.:: * Jewel freezes in the doorway, smelling the rose's faint scent before seeing it. Her bodyguard's shadow blocks the light from the street as Isa comes up behind her. "Isa... go ahead and call it a night. I think you've been relieved." <Angel> ::from the darkest corner of the room:: My lady. Good evening. * Isa lingers with a small frown, scanning the room over Jewel's head. Her expression lightens when Angel speaks, but whatever she had been about to say is cut off by Jewel firmly closing the door in her face. She shrugs and heads back down the steps. <Angel> ::the shadow stirs slightly:: It is good to see you've been careful. * Jewel locks the door and ventures into the darkness, picking up the rose from the table and tapping it gently against her lips, trying for a casual pose. "My lord. Good evening." She smiles, and the smile splits into a grin as she rushes to the chair in the corner. "I'm so glad you're back!" <Jewel> Of course. ::wrinkles her nose:: I didn't want to give you *more* to worry about. But Isa's still not *you.* <Angel> ::gently, puts one arm around her waist and draws her into his lap:: That's good. I think I should be quite worried if she'd replaced me. ::tilts one eyebrow at her:: <Jewel> ::grins and kisses him soundly, drawing back to mock-scowl at him:: Not that *you* have any compunctions against worrying *me.* I never had a chance-- I wanted to talk with you, before you left. ::sighs:: But business is business, I know. ::studies him:: You're... better? <Angel> ::shrugs:: It took longer than expected. My apologies, my lady. What news? ::he pushes a few locks of her hair out of her face with one finger:: <Jewel> ::sighs and settles herself more comfortably in his lap, curling an arm around his neck:: A great deal, actually. I met with my friend Prin-- you remember Prinda? There's a new guild in town-- the psionics. Infinity Incorporated, they're calling themselves. And Tanmin, and the... ::her voice catches a little:: the girl who hurt you, Andrial, they're in it. They hired out to the Dragons. * Angel nods slowly. <Jewel> She... ::takes a deep breath, her fingers gripping his arm instinctively tighter:: ...she left a message for me. In here. ::she kisses his forehead lightly, her lips trembling a little:: <Angel> ::raises his eyebrows:: Did she? <Jewel> ::nods:: She... she wanted to apologize. She... ::covers her face with her hands, her voice anguished:: gods, I so wanted to hate her! * Angel moves some more of Jewel's copious hair around, rather tactfully getting it out of *his* face. He seems distracted for a moment, running one finger along the shell of her ear. <Jewel> ::takes a deep breath and recovers herself:: I thought she was... trying to play on my sympathies. ::subdued:: I know I'm still a sheep, that way. But she was telling the truth. She... *didn't* have any choice. Vander was holding a boy she cared for, against her... "good" behavior. ::voice thick with venom:: <Angel> ::blinks:: Why... why should she do *that*? Play for your sympathies? <Jewel> Because she would have known, as soon as she set foot inside your head, that someone else had been there. ::outrage creeping into her voice as she holds Angel a little more tightly:: Someone else who would have been *very very angry* with what she did to you. And I was. Gods, I wanted to... ::breaks off, breathing hard through her nose, her jaw tight:: You're *mine*, dammit, and *no one* deserves what she was forced to do to you. * Jewel adds thoughtfully, after a moment. "Except perhaps our Captain Vander." <Angel> Mmm. ::his voice seems oddly non-committal:: I'd wondered. <Jewel> She... she blames herself for your death. ::snorts:: Not that Vander was helping that, any. She told the girl we'd be coming after her for revenge. ::shakes her head:: But... I'm not surprised she believed her, really. She... ::bites her lip:: she was... magnifying your pain, love. If they had only... ::she presses her finger in with her thumb, and flicks the finger against his arm, lightly:: ...it would have felt like they'd broken your arm. <Jewel> ::darkly:: And I imagine they were *not* giving you love taps. How you ever lasted against that... oh, love... ::buries her face against his shoulder, holding him tight:: <Angel> ::raises an eyebrow, then strokes her hair again, gently:: I'll mend, my lady. Although ::his voice forces itself to a lighter tone, quite an effort, really, considering:: I'll be just as happy not to see the inside of any more prisons. <Jewel> I... ::bites her lip:: I don't know what to do for you. It didn't *look* like she did any permanent damage, but... I'm no surgeon. And... well, I was going to ask you if I might look again, when you were awake. I was just... I couldn't. I was too angry, and I didn't want to hurt you worse. ::sounds miserable:: <Angel> ::shakes his head:: Not to worry, my lady. ::casually:: So, what happened to her? I assume you... spoke? <Jewel> ::wry smile:: No, actually, I was Dusk for that encounter. She and Dawn *spoke.* She... ::shakes her head:: As soon as I saw her, I knew she wasn't "playing" anything. She was near-suicidal, I think. But she has her friend back, now, and Dawn convinced her to go report the incident to Tarri's Dragon, and now he's got the two of them tucked away in a safehouse... somewhere. ::strokes his hair:: She believed you dead. <Jewel> Dawn put the doubt in her, but I don't know if he's actually told her differently, yet. ::smiles at him a little:: Perhaps he was waiting to make sure. <Jewel> I pity her, I really do... ::with granite in her voice, as she continues:: ...but if she ever ventures so much as a finger into your head again, she'll answer to me for it. <Angel> ::shakes his head, somewhat amused:: I'm *supposed* to be dead. Twice even. This whole dead-not-dead thing is enough to make my head spin. <Jewel> ::tsks:: Let me clarify matters for you, then. ::tips up his chin with her finger and claims his lips, kissing him breathless:: * Angel returns her kiss with surprising heat, then releases her reluctantly. "I'm not certain that does anything for 'clarity of mind.' Which is not exactly the same thing as objecting, you understand." <Jewel> ::grins wickedly:: Well... I'm fairly sure a dead man can't kiss like *that.* <Angel> ::snorts:: I'm sure I don't want to know. |
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