Main Page |
<Geremi> ::the small courtyard in the temple of Hanali Celanil is lush with plants, and almost entirely empty of priests. After being firmly escorted there by a matronly priestess for annoying the acolytes, rumor had spread fast enough that the courtyard was cleared:: * Geremi hasn't changed much over the last few years... his salt and pepper beard is more salt than pepper, he's probably bathed at least once in the last week and he's not *entirely* drunk. Indeed, the flask of applejack at his hip has gone untouched since he showed up with a rather battered Angel an hour or so ago, on Dawn's doorstep. <Geremi> ::Having gotten Angel ensconced with priests to heal the worst of his bruises - and a broken arm and shoulder - Geremi stumps around the garden irritably until finding a small bench to sit on:: * Dawn - now that the minor crisis has been placed into hands competent to deal with it - seems to lose his sense of purpose. He stands at the edge of a small pool and watches the fish in it. <Geremi> ::in the closest to gently he can manage, which isn't much, really:: Sorry as fuck t'hear about your partner, me. * Dawn doesn't quite wince. After a moment he nods without looking up. "Aye." <Geremi> ::gets to his feet and stands nearish to Dawn. He hands the younger man the flask of applejack:: For medicinal purposes, that. Even Sylvie'll tell ya that I ain't worth shit f'r bein' a comfort, me. * Dawn snorts, unscrews the flask and takes a short swig, then closes it and hands it back. "It'd only worry me if you tried, Snowman." He glances back toward the temple. "Gonna tell me what that was?" <Geremi> ::laughs harshly:: Make y' a fuckin' bargain, me. I'll tell you the whats, if you tell me th' fuckin' *why*. <Dawn> ::eyes Geremi sharply, then nods:: Deal. Go. <Geremi> ::takes a nip off his flask before replacing it on his belt:: Got Jewel's note day afore yesterday. Says your tall, dark an' silent met his end of the fuckin' path. Got here just this morning, us. Sylvie, she's all broke up. <Dawn> ::closes his eyes and nods:: He liked her, quite a bit. <Geremi> ::grins, just a little:: Aye, she's a fuckin' peach, she is, my Sylvie. Brought her t'the girl's shop, when we gets in. Syl's all needin' hugs and pettin' and comfortin', which when I try it, I just fuck it all up, me. <Dawn> ::snorts:: <Geremi> Was gonna go talk ta th'boy, right after, me. Nicely, says Sylvie, which if ya ask me - and I note that ya didn't - ain't never a good fuckin' plan *anyway*. Sylvie, she ain't stupid, but sometimes she sure is *dumb.* <Dawn> ::nods, almost smiling:: Day you're nice to him is the day we'll start digging your grave. <Geremi> ::laughs again:: Damn straight. Afore that, tho, I saw th'girl's face. ::his own eyes darken dangerously:: <Dawn> ::lips press briefly, and he nods:: I saw it. <Geremi> I didn't wait t' hear what she said 'bout it. She does this ::Geremi takes a deep breath, then averts his eyes and turns his head in a remarkably good imitation of a woman trying to think up a good lie:: <Dawn> Ha. She didn't try it on me. <Geremi> ::indicates the healing chamber with the shrug of one hand:: I ain't got my *entire* brain stashed in m'pants... Know what it looks like, when a man hits his woman, me. <Dawn> Aye, I've seen- ::shrugs:: Aye. <Geremi> I ain't *never* had t'tell the boy... he's hard, y'know, but he ain't a fuckin' menace, like some of us what grew up in the streets. My Tarish ::he draws in a sharp breath:: She'd be *ashamed* of him. I told him so, me. <Dawn> Mm. ::he looks back down into the pond:: Forcefully, I see. There were... circumstances. <Geremi> ::shrugs, not quite innocently:: Lucky, that. Managed t' get behind him, me. Kicked... ::taps Dawn on the back, just below his shoulder blade:: <Dawn> ::winces - more in habit than from real pain, as Iselyn had healed most of the damage of his wound before shooing him away to care for Angel:: <Geremi> Harder than I meant, but... fuck me, I were *pissed*, me. ::shrugs:: An' he's either gettin' fuckin' sloppy as shit, or he thought he deserved it. <Geremi> ::turns to face Dawn:: So. Tell me... what the *fuck* is goin' on around here? <Dawn> ::draws a breath, then turns and slouches on the bench:: From the beginning? Long story, Snowman. <Geremi> ::props one worn boot on the bench and leans on his knee:: Ya got some beshitted pressin' engagement elsewhere? <Dawn> ::mildly:: I think I can wrap it up in time for the funeral. ::sighs:: Name 'Vander' mean anything to you? <Geremi> ::considers a minute:: Weren't he the poor slob what got hisself hanged f'r takin' up with the boy's mum? <Dawn> Aye. Turns out he had a girl, too. She grew up with all proper hate in her heart for the wrong side of the law, and an extra helping of bitter, for her da'. Turned into a Lizard. <Geremi> ::snorts:: Some people ain't got no sense. <Dawn> Somehow, she got it into her head that there was a guild operating here in Marsember, and decided, maybe, if she could bring it down, then it would balance whatever imaginary wrong her da' did, or turn off the rumors about him, or some fucking nonsense like that. <Geremi> Gods preserve us from th' fuckin' crusaders... ::shakes his head:: <Dawn> She wasn't altogether stupid, either. She picked up a few people - small timers, mostly, and we didn't even really register that it was more than the usual activity - and pulled enough from them to get some descriptions. <Dawn> 'Course, way we're set up now, 'most everyone's pretty sure that I'm at the top, and *he's* just... well-positioned, aye? So she laid a trap. And got him. <Geremi> ::blinks:: *Bastian*? <Dawn> Aye. Told you, she's not altogether stupid. <Dawn> ::slants a look at Geremi:: How many times you been arrested? <Geremi> ::considers:: Three times. I reckon. Mighta missed one... for fuckin' drunk'n'disorderly, after... ::waves a hand:: <Dawn> ::nods:: That doesn't count, anyway. Sober up a bit, pay the fine... ::he waves a hand dismissively:: They ever work you over? <Geremi> ::nods, rubbing absently at his ribs:: Ya... over that fuckin' kidnappin'. You... no, I don't reckon you remember that, before your fuckin' time. Remind me, next time we get shitfaced, an' I'll tell ya. <Dawn> ::nods, looking across the courtyard at the greenery:: Vander was hot enough to... break some rules. She hired- There's a new guild in town, for mindbenders. Vander hired a few. On the surface, job was to keep him out of our reach. Don't know if she had word that we have a mindbender on-staff, or if she was just being careful. *Off* the record... <Dawn> ::speaking slowly, as if choosing his words carefully:: She wanted them to strip his mind. One of them walked out on his contract. But one of the others... Vander found a lever. <Geremi> ::raises one eyebrow, but doesn't interrupt. He takes another sip off his flask and offers it to Dawn:: <Dawn> ::takes a swig and hands it back:: Didn't get *quite* what she wanted. The girl isn't fully-trained, and couldn't pull much from him. What she *could* do... She took in the pain, what they did to him, and... made it worse. <Geremi> ::winces:: Bad? * Dawn pauses for a moment, looking faintly startled, as if only just now realizing something. Then he shakes it off and looks at Geremi, grim. "They broke him." * Geremi closes his eyes, knuckling his forehead. "Fuck me." <Dawn> ::looks back at the greenery:: Aye. We got him out not too long after. He hadn't spilled too much, yet, but... ::sighs and closes his eyes:: We didn't realize it at first. Broke isn't always... ::he shudders, then shrugs:: Then, we thought he was getting better. <Dawn> The girl - the mindbender - she'd been coerced. Even tried to help him, just a little. So we recruited her. Jewel wasn't too happy about it - girl has a crush on Angel 'bout as wide as the Morninglord's temple, aye? But she knew better than to fight it. <Geremi> ::snorts:: Don't they fuckin' *all*? Afore th' girl took him off the market, don't reckon there was more'n a handful of women in the whole fuckin' city what didn't end up in his bed. <Dawn> ::smirks briefly:: Aye. Wish the fuck I knew how he did it. Anyhow... We carried on. Vander had to go. We set it up, took her down. He went with her. Stupid fucking accident- ::he pauses for a moment to draw a long breath:: ...You want to know about Angel. Right. <Geremi> ::hands Dawn the flask again, then squeezes his shoulder:: Yeah. <Dawn> ::takes the flask, but doesn't drink:: Jewel didn't give me too many details, but I'm not quite as dumb as I look, so... Way I piece it together is, Jewel went to see Andrial - that's our mindbender. They had a heart-to-heart. And then Jewel went home to spring it on *him*. ::he shudders, then drinks:: I've been broke, Snowman. Coming back- ::he drinks again, then firmly hands the flask back:: <Dawn> It would've had to be her, or you. Anyone else he would've killed inside of three words. And you weren't here. <Geremi> ::hisses:: Fuck. ::he takes the flask and finishes it off:: <Dawn> She told me it was done, and I believe her. Though I'll keep an eye on her, in case it isn't. But that kind of thing... He's never even lifted a hand to *me*, much less *her*. <Geremi> ::nods, then growls:: He let me. He fuckin' *let* me. <Dawn> ::nods:: Aye. I thought he looked too fucking happy when you turned up on my step. |
|
|