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<Dawn> ::When Bienca returns from her day of work at Sylvie's, she finds Dawn ensconced in their room, alone. He is sitting at the vanity, staring almost blankly at the lamp's steady flame in the mirror, not even pretending to be busy. She hasn't seen him so listless since the few days immediately following Dusk's death.:: * Dawn doesn't look up as Bienca enters the room, though he lifts one hand and holds it out to her. * Bienca blinks. "Oyeha?" <Dawn> ::softly:: I am an idiot. * Bienca crosses the room to sit near his feet. "We're all guilty of idiocy from time to time. What's... what's wrong?" * Dawn drops his hand as she sits, and finally looks at her. "Violet was a plant." <Bienca> ::frowns:: I shouldn't be surprised by that, but I am. I thought she was too mousie. <Dawn> ::sighs:: I don't think it's willing, on her part. They got her hooked on some junk... She was one of mine. It never even occurred to me that she'd hurt me, but... ::he sighs again:: She was sleeping it off when I came back, and I dragged it out of her. <Dawn> And I'm an idiot twice, because I didn't throw her to the wolves. ::rubbing his face:: He always said I never knew when to be merciful, and when to be ruthless. <Bienca> ::sighs:: Well, she *didn't* hurt you, at least. What's she on? <Dawn> ::laughs bitterly:: No. No, they didn't try to talk her into hurting *me*... ::he nods to the slender box on the corner of the vanity:: I don't know it offhand. I'll take a bit to Fastian tomorrow and see what he can figure out. <Bienca> ::her face grows slightly gray:: Me? <Dawn> And the boy, aye. Don't tell him. ::he reaches to touch her shoulder, and pulls his hand back at the last moment:: And that's thrice an idiot, I am. ::closing his eyes:: I'm sorry, Bienca. <Bienca> What's done is done. What... what are you going to do about her? <Dawn> ::looks at the lamp's flame again:: She's staying. If she was lying about her choice, then I'd rather have her where I can watch her. If not... ::he shrugs:: I told her she'd have to earn my trust back. <Bienca> ::frowns:: That puts Calis a lot a risk. I think I'll ask Gar to look after him. <Dawn> ::nods slowly:: That's a good idea. And we should all be locking our doors at night. Should probably be doing that anyway, even without this... <Bienca> Gar doesn't like her much, anyway. ::rubs her face:: What a headache. <Dawn> Bienca... ::he holds out his hand to her again:: <Bienca> ::looks up:: Yes? * Dawn curls his empty hand closed and draws it back. His expression is unreadable. "If Calis hadn't noticed that she was acting odd, I wouldn't have pushed her so hard. And I might have woken tomorrow morning to find both of you dead. Killing the boy would have made me... very angry. Killing you, Bienca... it would have destroyed me." <Dawn> I've been sitting here, thinking about what an idiot I've been. And the very worst part of it is that I might have lost you, without... without ever telling you that I love you. ::he breathes these last words, as if he doesn't quite have the strength to force them from his throat:: * Bienca stares at him, her features frozen, as if carved from ebony. After a moment, she starts shaking, her eyes filling with tears. "What? What did... you say?" * Dawn takes a deep breath and tries again. This time, he manages a whisper. "I love you." * Bienca wipes her eyes and manages a weak, trembly smile. "You'll need some practice, Iye Oyeha." She leans forward and kisses him, very lightly. "Thank you. It is a gift you have given me." * Dawn puts his arms around her and holds her very, very tight, pressing his face against her neck. "Your very own thrice-damned fucking idiot. How special." His voice is shaky, and though his hands are steady, the rest of him is trembling like a leaf in a gale. <Bienca> ::fiercely:: Yes, *mine*. And *yes*, special. It is a gift, Oyeha. And not one I would take lightly. <Dawn> Then do with it as you will. ::he sighs and relaxes his hold on her, somewhat reluctantly:: But stay safe. I can't lose you now. <Bienca> ::sighs and leans her head against his shoulder:: Why me, though? I'm only a thief, and not a particularly dangerous one. <Dawn> Why Jewel? Why *Calis*, for fucksake? He's trying to get to *me*, through the people I care about - and he's using rumor as his stalking horse. ::he shudders:: I've never spent much time trying to quash rumors about me. Figured every one of them that was false was just that much cover for the ones that happen to be true... I spent the afternoon 'porting all over. Andrial and Ink had to be warned. <Bienca> ::murmurs:: Ink, too? You are a busy boy. ::she grins at him, taking any possible sting out of her words:: <Dawn> ::snorts:: I hadn't even heard that one until recently... I just hope I haven't missed any other rumors. <Bienca> ::shrugs:: I'll ask the girls. They *always* hear those rumors. ::she sighs:: How's 'Dria taking it? She's so new, to be getting mixed in our troubles. <Dawn> Better than I had feared. She's terrified and furious. But she's probably the safest of them all, as long as she stays at school. She was upset when I told her we'd have to limit her visits with Calis for a while, but she understood the reason for it. <Bienca> ::nods again:: Probably. Oyeha... what are we going to do? I'm... ::she chews her lip a minute:: I'm scared. * Dawn pulls her into his arms again. "We're going to talk to the people we trust, first thing tomorrow. And then we're going to find this bastard and kill him." * Bienca tenses against his embrace for a moment, then starts to cry. * Dawn holds her close, murmuring soothingly. "Shh... It'll be all right, love. Everything will be all right." <Bienca> ::struggles to get herself under control:: I... ::she sighs, then looks up at him:: Dawn... I... started bleeding, after I got to Sylvie's. <Dawn> ::pauses:: Bad? Did you have them bring the midwife? <Bienca> Not too bad, just spotting... and some pain, in my back. ::sighs:: I think I hurt something, climbing up on the building to cover you. The midwife said to give it a few days and it might go away. <Dawn> ::nods:: All right. ::he gives her a mock-stern look:: No more building-climbing for you, then. <Bienca> ::sniffles:: Badly designed city. You think he's actually going to leave us be? <Dawn> No, of course he won't. <Bienca> Ten dots... on a dead man... He broke his neck, in front of a half-dozen noble witnesses. ::sighs:: <Dawn> ::snorts:: Nobles lie almost as much as *we* do. And there are still rumors floating around that he faked it. He certainly seems to rely heavily on rumor, doesn't he? <Bienca> ::nods:: Speaking of rumors... ::she bites her lip:: I don't know if this would... concern you, but... the bouncers have been busier, just recently. <Dawn> ::frowns:: How much busier? And why? <Bienca> I probably wouldn't have paid it any mind, if it hadn't been for this other... but there's been more... hostile marks. Sylvie's always run a clean place, and not allowed anyone to go beating on her girls, you know. <Dawn> ::nods:: How many more? Is this a handful of guys who keep coming back, or a lot of them? <Bienca> A handful or so, this past week... the bouncers catch most of them at the door before they get in, but... well, Ditzy got slapped, and when the mark got thrown out, he said something about the girls "would learn their place". Hard to know if it's just bravado, though. <Dawn> All right. Keep an eye on it for me... ::he scratches at his face:: If things get bad, we might need to transfer in a plant who can milk them for information. Let Sylvie and her manager know to keep a room open, in case we need it. <Bienca> All right. Sylvie was pretty hot... Ditzy's lip's split. She won't be able to work for at least a week. <Dawn> ::smiles fondly:: She's such a mother hen. * Bienca whistles low for Gar, who, after a somewhat loud and overstated grumble, slinks in from the other room. "She not the only one." Gar drops his head into Bie's lap and she growls something softly at the big cat. * Dawn watches her with the panther, almost smiling. "Lucky me." <Bienca> ::after a minute of exchanging a rough, snarling conversation with the cat:: You needn't worry so much that you almost missed it. Gar tells me, too, that Violet was acting odd. After standing outside and talking to someone. <Dawn> ::raises his eyebrows:: Did he get a scent? * Gar growls something and paces around the room a bit, giving the impression of thinking hard. * Gar turns and leaves the room suddenly. * Bienca watches him go, and snickers. "He thinks so, but he's going to go check the scent. Be ready, your mouse might get upset." * Gar comes back into the room a few minutes later, looking like he just ate a... very large bird, since a canary probably wouldn't be cause for such smugness. <Dawn> ::snorts:: You dropped a feather somewhere. <Bienca> He's got the scent. He's not likely to be able to track our visitor, but he'll recognize her, if she drops by again. Or if you can find something of hers, to bring back. <Dawn> Good. Tell him that if he spots her again, he can have her. I'm out of patience with these people. * Gar snarls, then slinks off to Calis's room. <Bienca> And he's on guard. If your mouse so much as sticks her nose in Calis's room, she'll be missing body parts. I'm not taking risks with him, he's a *child*. <Dawn> ::nods:: Thank you. ::he gets up and goes to the door to watch Gar nose his way into the apprentice's room. He closes the door and locks it carefully, then turns back to Bienca, holding out his hand for the third time.:: And that's enough business for one night. Come to bed? * Bienca laughs lightly. "I thought you'd never ask." |
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