[Elegante | 016] Heeeeeeeeere's Karis!

[teethofneedles]

[Click. The communicator flips on automatically and for a moment there's silence, which is then broken by the sound of displaced air and a high, agonized shriek, which trails off and dies a moment later. Silence again and then claws scrabbling and clicking over the wood surface of the night-stand. The communicator is picked up and there is the sound of sheets rustling as Karis shifts her body on the bed. Her voice is a bit raspier then usual, a bit strained.]

...what the Hell?

[She lets out a dry, hacking cough, then growls, muttering to herself. The listener can only catch a few of the words.]

Fel-damned... of-a bitch priest... kill... tricky bastard...

[She talks directly into the communicator now.]

Nice trick. 

...Celeste, you OK?

And who the fuck has my armor? I want that shit back.

Comments

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

It's not just him, it's the whole gaggle of baby ducks that follow him around, too.

[Celeste looks afraid, but it's not really of them. It's of the priest. And explaining her policy of inconspicuousness sounds like it would be as successful as trying to explain it to Erol.]

...I'm just trying to look out for us, okay?

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Karis laughs and slings an arm around Celeste's shoulders in a comradely fashion.]}

Just relax, Celeste. We don't have to be scared. We shouldn't be scared. This shit... we can take them. We're Forsaken. Fear is our weapon.

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

....

Y-Yeah.

[Leans against her, full of annoyance and shame and confusion. There's no way she could say no to her, not after what happened.]

Alright. Yeah. I'm in.

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

Good.

_{[Karis gives her one last squeeze and then heads over to her nightstand.]}

Want a drink?

_{[She starts rummaging for her bottle of booze.]}

Might not have to kill him ourselves anyway. My friend Ter is good at this kinda thing. He's going to see what he can do. Quietly.

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

[That's a HUGE weight off her shoulders, but the distant desire for Glaukir not to get hurt is there, too.

She shivers and sits down on Karis' bed.]

Yeah. Booze. I could use some.

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Karis pours them both drinks and passes a glass to Celeste.]}

It'll be OK.

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

[She takes the glass and stares down at the brownish liquid.]

The Scarlets exist where you're from, right?

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Karis scowls and nods.]}

Yeah. They do. But we're dealing with them.

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

Scarlets chased me for ten years. They caught me an' ripped my face in half but I escaped.

[Downs the drink and winces from the bite.]

I'm scared of priests. I'm sorry, I'm a coward, aren't I.

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Karis winces and growls at unseen Scarlets.]}

That doesn't make you a coward. As long as you don't let your fear control you, anyway.

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

N-No...

[She holds out her glass for more, practically begging, and thinks for a moment.]

...

[No, that's right. She doesn't let it do that. She didn't. It wasn't fear at all that kept her from killing him, at least.]

.....no, I guess you're right.

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Karis pours her another glass and knocks back her own.]}

It's alright to be afraid. Fear keeps you in control. Just don't your fear control you.

_{[She pokes Celeste in the chest.]}

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

[Looks down at her finger. Not in a playful mood right now, okay.

Sips.]

...

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Sighs and settles next to Celeste.]}

Talk to me.

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

I didn't kill him. I'm sorry.

[Finishes the drink.]

...that's all. I wish I had.

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Drains her drink and sits silently for a moment.]}

Why didn't you?

_{[It's not hostile. Just a question.]}

[thiefshonor.livejournal.com]

[Ugh, don't ask that. It's too... embarrassing, and Celeste doesn't even know how to answer it.]

He did something unexpected. Like, I was right there. I was ready to eat him alive, and he didn't kill me.

[Wrinkles her nose.]

...that sort of thing. I don't get it. Maybe he just has a death wish...

[teethofneedles.livejournal.com]

_{[Makes a deep "hmmm" noise.]}

...alright.