[h2][color=PaleVioletRed]Katherine Marlo[/color][/h2]
[i]The Legend of One-Eyed Iris[/i]
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[color=f6989d]"King Me!"[/color] A scrawny man called out in victory as he pressed his advantage. He had his opponent in a full rout and there was nothing she could do about it as he excitedly flipped his red checker token to reveal the faded and worn image of a yellow crown. It was his third king while his opponent had none. He was going to win. Again. [color=f6989d]"So, [i]Katherine[/i], did you want to give up now or shall I drag out your punishment?"[/color] He asked snidely with an emphasis on the woman's name, trying to rub in his victory. Much to the disappointment of the clearly skilled checkers player, his opponent did not react his mocking question but rather, he noticed a slight twitch at the mention of the woman's name. For a second, it almost seemed like both parties shrugged off the comment as an awkward silence washed over the room but then the woman spoke.

[color=PaleVioletRed]"Why did you use my real name?"[/color] Katherine asked plainly, sounding almost uninterested in the answer. The scrawny man's head dropped as he averted his gaze from the Katherine's cold stare. [color=f6989d]"Oh, well, I just thought since we weren't... You know. A part of [i]that[/i] anymore. I figured we were over the nicknames."[/color] The man brought his head up when he finished but the moment he caught sight of her 'bad eye' he couldn't look anymore and instead turned to admire the barred view of the outside. A man was being hung today and the man knew that his day with that rope would come soon. 

Maybe it was the silence that had come back or maybe it was the prospect of dying but the man felt the need to ask one last thing despite fearing the reaction of such a heavy question. He figured he was a dead man anyway so why not ask. [color=f6989d]"Why did you do it?"[/color]

Katherine's good eye flickered and it almost went unnoticed but the man always had been good at picking up on subtle things like that. In truth, Katherine had always admired the man for his brain. How the man, who could have been a doctor or teacher, ended up taking the route he did, the woman would never know. 

For the third time, silence seemed like it would be the woman's answer to the man's question but after a minute, finally she responded. [color=PaleVioletRed]"In my position, what would you do?"[/color] She asked, still not betraying her emotionless monotone state. The man sighed with a slight annoyance that he was answered with yet another question, but he would oblige. [color=f6989d]"Honestly, Katherine, [i]Iris[/i], or whatever you want to be called, I probably wouldn't have made the same decision."[/color]

The answer was a surprise to Katherine and she tilted her head, slightly squinting her eyes in question of the man. The man waited for a brief moment to allow Katherine to interject but nothing came so he continued. [color=f6989d]"Higgy, Pint, Bison.. YOU killed them and betrayed ME so I ended up here!"[/color] The man grabbed the black iron bars of his cell and shook his arms as if trying to rip the bars open. [color=f6989d]"You betrayed all of us and out of all of us, you let Lars escape! The worst piece of shit to ever walk this fucked up world!"[/color] The man removed one hand from the iron bar and slammed his arm against the cold iron as he vented his frustration. [color=f6989d]"I mean come on! If you were to let anyone escape it should have been me!"[/color] The man pulled away from the bars of his prison cell and rubbed his skinny arm where it had hit the bar. [color=f6989d]"Ugh. Forget it. It is too late now and I doubt you'd be willing to take my place."[/color] The man said, sounding more tired than angry at this point.

Katherine rose from her seat, remaining quiet as she moved her chair and the checkerboard away from the cell before standing before the man's cell. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Goodbye, [i]Zip[/i]."[/color] The monotone woman finally betrayed her emotionless tone and added a similar sarcastic taunt to the Zip's real name as he did with her just moments ago. Zip threw his hand up, ushering the woman to leave and turned to face his view of the gallows just as in time to witness another man be hung by the [i]Judge[/i] of Thrivenshell. 

---

The Baron was gathering his Elites in the plaza today and as one, Kate was expected to be there. While it may be a compliment to some, it felt like a collar to the ex-convict who hung in a limbo state for her formal pardon. Until the day she could acquire the last remaining member of the Higgy Bottom Boys, she has been bound to serve the Baron and his whims. The man reeked of something but Kate only had a good eye for trouble and never a good nose to sniff it out and the Baron was as careful as could be with his secrets.

Kate had mounted up and proceeded to the plaza just in time to see Sheriff Beauregard complain about losing his 'friend' to the drink. Kate's good eye wandered up to gallows and saw the hooded man gently sway in the wind. Though Kate's brief impression of their relationship told her that she had no reason to believe that Beauregard had actually cared for the man enough to prevent the man's hanging, she had to admit "Judge" sounded very serious in regards to banning alcohol entirely. [color=PaleVioletRed]"Yes, you surely seem to be in grief over your friend, Judge."[/color] Kate said aloud as she rode up alongside Baron and Judge. [color=PaleVioletRed]"I suggest a pint of the drink will ease things for you."[/color] She added with a smirk, hinting at her snide taunt.