[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ovQDg3F.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/ItU46sA.png[/img]         	[img]https://i.imgur.com/AhVmyFc.png[/img]
[h2][color=8877BD]Nessa Mendoza[/color] & [color=0D6793]Elay Motta[/color]  [/h2][/center]
[right][code]St. Alexia’s, North Side.[/code][/right]
Successfully avoiding the toll and making his way back up into the North-eastern section of town, Elay was enjoying the relative peace and quiet of the drive with an empty front seat. Garf had wound up, as usual, sprawled out in the back seat with one set of paws touching one door, and the other at the opposite.

[color=FF8604]”This isn’t the sister I was hoping to see today…”[/color] Garf moaned, having nothing but bad associative memories with the St. Alexia’s underground lot. 

[color=0D6793]”Then stay! Nobody wants a big ass cat in the doctor’s office; you smell like a fucking garlic patch anyway.”[/color] Elay snapped as he pulled into the spot and threw the car in park. 

Not even waiting for Garf to climb out, Elay had already slammed the door shut and made way for the trunk. At least the promise of heading to Chessa’s later to get some food gave the cat enough impetus to not let Nessa’s unfiltered raw hate-telepathy flow into his mind. He knew she was trying constantly, but it was a much different experience than it would’ve been if she’d succeeded… Thank the Lord.

Coming around the back, he made sure to smash his fist off the trunk lid half a dozen times before making his way to the lock and turning the key to pop it open. Now, in all fairness, Elay’s car was fairly large to begin with, leaving her with ample leg room to not be cramped into a fetal position… But it was a [i]trunk.[/i] Utilitarian, bare metal with rivets where it was bolted to the frame. There wasn’t much else but a flashlight and a spare tire sunk into an open well for it covered by the jack and wrench to replace it. 

The trunk opened up into the dim lighting of a North side parking garage, complete with the typical art-deco bronze eavesdroppers set in a neat line along the beams crossing the ceiling. The cars around them were much nicer than Elay’s, but there didn’t seem to be any people to witness Elay pulling a woman out of his trunk.

[color=0D6793]”Alright sunshine, up and at’em! Or, does the leg still hurt?”[/color] he fake pouted at her as he stretched his hand out to help her.

As the trunk opened, a heavy wave of Pink Lux spilled out. It was thick enough it could practically be smelt, a hint of acrid sweetness in the air before it dissipated. Even though there'd been more room than she'd expected, Nessa had still wound up curled up on her side, holding her injured leg close to her chest to stop it hitting off anything. 

She looked terribly pale. Like all the colour had been drained out of her skin from a short period of no sunlight. It was a combination of the wound, deep enough to still be sluggishly bleeding, and being trapped like that. She fucking hated being crammed in dark places against her will… who didn't?! But maybe Elay would assume it was from the constant attempted mental blasting… Which even as it was blocked by Garf had drained very little over her large Lux reserves. 

[color=8877BD]”Oh it’s all better now! Perfectly healed thanks to the [I]magic[/I] of your [I]amazingly[/I] smooth driving! It only got a bit worse when it hit off some shit in here- Yeah, it still fucking hurts, you moron.”[/color] Nessa glared up at him, eyes squinting still as she adjusted to there being any light at all. 

She unfurled, wincing and keeping one hand pressed into the bandages around her wound. The other reached from the offered hand. The moment she clasped it, Blue-Yellow lux subtly sparked off it… Painful and itchy boils sprouting up on Elay's hand and rapidly spreading up his arm.

A sensation that Elay instantly recognized, and became incredibly upset over within the blink of an eye. He felt his skin blister like something was ripping at the surface and causing fissures to erupt from from his muscles. Instinctively, he hurled her onto the ground as he clasped around his arm in frustration. Which, unfortunately, only caused it to spread to the other arm. He angrily slammed the trunk lid back down.

[color=0D6793]”Dirty cunt! What the fuck, Nessa!? Garf!?”[/color]

Garf had magically transferred himself to the boot lid, using the transitioning sightline as his point of convergence in timespace. 

[color=FF8604]”You should’ve taken us to Allebella’s instead. Now suffer.”[/color] Garf replied coldly, tail swinging before he finally hopped off the trunk. 

In the time it took him to get from air to ground, he grew to a large enough stature that Nessa would be able to clamor on his back rather than walk. He made sure to sling himself low so she could get on his back with the least resistance.

[color=FF8604]”Come on, girl. The wound won’t heal itself, and you’re both holding up my dinner.”[/color]

The bleeding had only gotten worse when Elay threw her into the floor, but Nessa didn't give a fuck. The smug satisfaction outweighed any pain she felt. In her mind, if she bled out at least her last act was making him suffer. Her shoulder hurt like hell now too, and she'd have a bunch more scrapes and bruises… but she really didn't care. 

She didn't expect Garf to help her. But it clearly was for his own stomach, rather than out of the kindness of his heart. Good. That was easier to deal with. With a wince, she got up onto her knees before pulling herself into Garf's back as best as she could. The curse wouldn't affect him- though she got rid of the protective spell around her anyway. Dispelling it on herself wouldn't stop the curse on Elay, however… 

[color=8877BD]”All curses can be broken! If you're nice, maybe I'll tell you how.”[/color] She sneered at him. 
[color=8877BD]”Otherwise… Good luck. Have fun for thirty minutes, just like you did after putting me in the fucking trunk!”[/color]

Elay very quickly made it a point to cross both arms and lean back on the hood. Pain was only as intense as one allowed it to be in their mind, after all…
[color=0D6793]”You gonna last thirty more minutes, moron? Go on, go get the doctor yourself then, I’m sure they’ll love you with no I.D. and no proof of insurance! Remember, the hippocratic oath only extends to other humans! You don’t count up here! They don’t [i]have[/i] to treat you!”[/color] he replied hastily.

But Nessa didn’t have much of an opportunity to throw anything back in Elay’s face. There was a massive vibration underneath her as Garf’s sphere of influence burbled out a harsh tone of control. It didn’t make Elay move, but it did wrack him with just about every single pain he’d ever physically felt all at once. As if to combat his theory of pain only being in the mind, Garf quickly sought to remind him that there was no pain like living in the moment, squeezing his nervous system with the flames of Hell until Elay finally yielded mentally. 

By then, he was buckled on the ground in pain, and Garf was walking toward the nearby elevator with Nessa on his back.
[color=FF8604]”He’ll be along. Can you press the button?”[/color] the cat asked softly, nose wrinkling at the scent of Blinds approaching from above.

Nessa's suspicion was pungent in the air as she stared down at the cat, but she reached out to pressed the button like he asked. She almost felt sorry for Elay… would have a bit if he hadn't treated her so badly. None of this would've happened if he just let her sit in the front seat, so it was his own fault. He deserved it. 

[color=8877BD]”You must [I]really[/I] want that dinner.”[/color] She snorted as the elevator doors pinged open. She couldn't see any other reason for Garf choosing to help her over Elay, the man he was literally attached to- an asshole, but someone Garf lent his magic to nonetheless. 

She frowned.
[color=8877BD]”... He'll really come along?”[/color] As much as she pushed him and enjoyed dealing pain back to Elay in equal measure to what he gave her, there was the frequently increasing anxiety that he'd quickly leave just like everyone else. How far did she push- could she push? Not that she could stop herself from crossing the line… It was because she needed him to survive right now, but also the blooming attraction and obsession within her. The part of her that so easily latched onto someone, no matter how bad they were to each other. 

[color=FF8604]”He’ll start walking soon, or things will get worse! I really don’t think you understand our relationship, Nessa… [i]I am the boss.[/i] He gave up his Lux for [i]me.[/i] I can walk away anytime. I can withhold every bit of protection I offer him. I can even pull all the funny little lingering spells that make his body a fitting host [i]out[/i]. I can dance into his mind, sever every string, leave him mindless and drooling, and [i]simply. Walk. Away.[/i]”[/color]

As Garf spoke, there was a pampered relaxation to his voice. Like how one would imagine a cat would sound if they were sprawled out across the back of a comfortable sofa. Looking down, Nessa would even be able to see his massive front paws kneading at the concrete beneath them in pleasure. 

Meanwhile, Elay was slowly getting up in the distance, forced once more to overcome everything that he’d ever felt in a raw test of willpower. It was necessary, from time to time, to renew their vows in such a rotten way. For Garf to know that Elay wasn’t just going to collapse one day from something less than this. He was even starting to shuffle toward them without holding the car!

[color=FF8604]”And, yes… I only recently learned one can fill a lasagna up with a cheesy sauce, rather than [i]just[/i] the standard tomato affair. It’s [i]exquisite.[/i]”[/color]

[color=8877BD]”Oh? Sounds it.”[/color] Nessa intoned. At this point in her life, any food sounded good, regardless of the sauce types. Just the thought of being full each and every day was exciting to her. 

She stared at Elay actually moving with a hint of relief, and a good deal of shock. She was impressed. Most people found the boils she inflicted difficult enough to deal with… She couldn't resist raising a hand from Garf's back to wave at him mockingly. 

[color=0D6793]”Go fuck yourself with a hot iron rod!”[/color] he shouted at her in an immediate reply.

[color=8877BD]”Awww, is that what you're into? That's fucking sick, Elay! Keep your twisted fetishes away from me!”[/color] Nessa shouted back, wave turning into a middle finger before dropping back to Garf's soft fur. 

[color=8877BD]”Fucking impressive stamina too.”[/color] She mumbled under her breath, surprised he still had the energy to be so verbally aggressive. Once again, she almost felt another sliver of sympathy. After all, she knew what it was like to have someone else in your brain causing you pain. But he'd chosen to adjoin with Garf. She hadn't chosen her suffering. 

[color=8877BD]”Are we waiting for him?”[/color] 

The elevator dinged open, and a small cluster of people immediately pushed their way out. Surprisingly, or maybe not so after thinking about who they were with, nobody said a thing about the woman being carried by the giant house cat, nor about the man with leaking blisters hobbling like a cripple toward the elevator.

When it emptied fully, Garf stepped in and left his tail swinging in front of the motion sensor to keep the door open while Elay stumbled in. By now, it was all fading back to [i]just[/i] the boil pain… [i]Easy.[/i]

[color=0D6793]”N-o shit… You’re wa-itng for me-e… Who’s gonna get the d-doc-tor?”[/color] Elay coughed painfully into his arm, then stretching to reach the button for the private clinic at the top floor. Garf could already feel Giovanna’s magic at the top of the building, so there was no doubt she was in, at least.

[color=8877BD]”Assuming they're magical… Garf!”[/color] Nessa smirked, quickly shifting back to looking incredibly smug now that he was in the elevator with them. She tilted her head up towards him, eyes narrowing slightly. 

[color=8877BD]”Ready to beg me for the cure yet?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”You ready to shut the fuck up yet!? [i]God[/i] I didn’t learn my fucking lesson and you [i]will[/i] go back in the trunk.”[/color]

Garf could only laugh, at least knowing that the elevator was unavoidable as a step. They could argue all they wanted here.

[color=FF8604]”I’d be more helpful if we were dealing with Blind doctors. [i]Actually…[/i] Why are we [i]not[/i]-”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”I need money.”[/color] Elay said rather plainly, if not in a bit of distress from the pain in his arms.

[color=8877BD]“Put me back in the trunk and next time it'll be worse."[/color] Nessa's eyes narrowed into a glare. At least if he tried, she'd make sure to stab her fingers in his eyes and knee him in the balls before he got her in there. 

[color=8877BD]”Wow… in what world is a magical doctor cheaper? Oh, I see, you're planning to sell my body to some fucked up Green Adept to use for horrendous magical experiments, aren't you? Typical.”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”She’s my [i]sister[/i], and I did [i]something[/i] for her recently. So, I should at least try to collect while we’re here.”[/color] he grunted, forcing himself back up on wobbly knees.

[color=FF8604]”She [i]paid you already![/i]”[/color] Garf responded, snapping with an annoyed voice.

[color=0D6793]”What? No! No, she- She didn’t. Not for this.”[/color] he replied adamantly, clearing his throat and stuffing his hands into his pockets as he weakly leaned against the wall.


[color=FF8604]”If it’s the Tithe score, she did.”[/color] Garf growled, knowing [i]exactly[/i] what he was talking about.

Elay just shook his head, totally [i]unsure[/i] of his own standpoint. He was drunk enough most times that he frankly believed that she could’ve stopped by with money just for him to spend it before he woke up to full consciousness… Worse if it hit the bank account in a transfer, as bills just automatically sucked any funds away like a hungry leech.

But the door opened before the conversation continued. Inside, a comfortable office space filled with ladies of different colors and sizes, but all of whom gave a glaring shift in demeanor as Elay’s hill-giant figure limped into frame. The immediate receptionist gave a grim look up.


“M-Mister Motta!? Y-you know that Garfield isn-”

[color=0D6793]”Don’t lecture me in my sister’s office, Lenora: Get her out here, tell her there’s a gunshot wound. [b]Now![/b]”[/color]

There was the sound of something loud snapping, like the end of a whip as it cracked through the air. The projectile was so small and thin that, as it came through the wall and whizzed past Elay’s face it barely left an entry or exit hole. A needle of titanium, fired from a bio-organic hydraulic system, embedded itself into the steel of the wall behind him and oozed a terrible blue liquid from its open rear end.

Elay didn’t flinch. Just rubbed his nose with the sleeve of his coat before stepping forward and ushering Garf to follow.

Down a small hallway, Elay opened the door to the exam room, where his sister was waiting on a swiveling stool. Striking in appearance, her long black hair was tied into an incredibly tall updo, glasses adorning her angular features and steely green eyes. The white lab coat she wore covered her austere professional attire, but nothing could cover the smoldering hole in her hand that she now pointed at her brother.

Another needle slowly crept out, letting him know she was more than ready for Elay to fuck around and find out.

[color=55CF61]”Three!-”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”I’m not drunk!-”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”Two!-”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”He’s just helping carry her!-”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”One!-”[/color] the needle shifted [i]ever[/i] so slightly forward.

[color=0D6793]”It’s not me, it’s a girl, she’s been shot, just help!”[/color]

The snapping of half a dozen high-pressure needles flying from Giovanna’s hand breaking the sound barrier reminded Elay of being shot so badly that he probably would’ve pissed himself if he had any in the tank. No matter what, it was hard for him to keep anything in when that loud ass cracking noise started getting closer and closer to you. But, standing for another second, he realized she either purposefully missed, or fucked up real bad.

Taking a deep breath, Gia closed her hand and lifted her hand to usher Garf forward.

[color=55CF61]”Drop her and get the fuck out, Fleabag! You’re not meant for a Temple of Healing, and your feet stain the ground! Shoo!”[/color]

Garf didn’t hesitate to upheave himself in a cloud of smoke, letting Nessa hit the floor with a thud. Gia took a long, deep breath, finally leaning forward.
[color=55CF61]”Well? Must I carry her myself?”[/color] she asked aggressively, sweeping her arms from Elay to Nessa in annoyed gesticulation.

[color=8877BD]”I can walk [I]myself[/I].”[/color] Nessa probably should be polite to her would be healer, but she didn't really have it in her. She pushed herself into a kneeling position with a wince, before unsteadily getting up. Her weight centred on the uninjured leg, blood soaking out of the dressing that had been haphazardly wrapped around the wound. 

She stared at Gia without much emotion, limping forward, but unsure where exactly to go.

Typical of someone who lived steeped in magic, Gia flicked her hand and allowed another stool to simply materialize from materials around her. A true student of Cullan Green Magic, there were few naturally occurring materials that she was unfamiliar with handling in large quantities. It was like stamping a product out of a mold from a solid block; all she had to do was bring the particles together!

The solid metal stool rattled as it hit the tile floor.

[color=55CF61]”Now, sit and settle your Emotional Field so I can fix you and be done with this visit. Like, who the fuck even are you? You weren’t around a few days ago when I had to deal with asshole over there! So, what, were you hiding? Or are you his new beer girl?”[/color] she asked coldly.

[color=8877BD]”What’s it matter to you? You need to know to heal my leg?”[/color] Nessa sneered in response, taking a seat and carefully stretching out the injured leg. It was difficult, as the longer the wound was left the harder she found it to control. As for settling her Emotional Field… It was strong and stable no matter what pain she went through. Trained to be so. 

Even though her Father always hurt her using the thin cursed crack he’d formed.

[color=8877BD]”I’m not lowering my Emotional Field, if you need that. Pretty pathetic Green if you do.”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”Stubborn Yellow-Pink idiot, it’d be for your convenience, not mine.”[/color]

Before Nessa could even think to reconsider, Gia cranked the pain up as high as she could. Of course, that meant everything was passing by at celestial speeds. The bullet still lodged in Nessa’s leg didn’t droop out, but was rather ejected by the force of the wound sealing itself up. This wasn’t a leg cramp, nor was it even like being shot in the first place…

The Cullan method [i]started[/i] with the nervous system no matter what. Meaning that every single damaged nerve ending reformed first, and was exposed entirely to the rest of the process. The grating sensation of veins and muscle fibre forming rubbed and stretched them, sending hot searing pains back into Nessa’s mind.

Elay smirked to himself, having had to perform the exact same procedure on himself more than once. As it turned out, wounds like gunshots were [i]way[/i] easier than, say, full limb amputations. The wound started smoking, little white curls climbing from the rapidly closing hole until none of it even showed.

[color=55CF61]”And what the fuck do you even know about Green magic? Answer my questions, or I reopen the wound! It’s still my flesh for another ten minutes…”[/color] Gia growled, the metal of the chair quickly spreading and forming around Nessa’s thighs to pin her in place.

[color=8877BD]”I know [i]enough[/i].”[/color] Nessa snapped back through gritted teeth. Her eyes were red with reactive tears, but pain was [i]nothing[/i] compared to risking her mind. Her Emotional Field and the Pink-Yellow protection densely layered on top of it was the only thing ensuring her freedom. 

It was agony as her nerves reformed, the pain shot through them something she couldn’t suppress with Pink. It took everything to keep those extra shields on her mind instead of letting them drop. But it was something she’d experienced before. Whenever her Father decided the mental torture wasn’t enough, because she was [i]still[/i] acting out. Growing resistant. [i]Then[/i], it was physical torture, doubled when his assistant healed it.

The healing was excruciating, but she was used to pain. She wasn’t as weak as she looked… 

[color=8877BD]”Which questions? Who I am? Nobody! I’m a nobody that your brother’s [i]fucking[/i].”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”And you get [i]no[/i] red flags? Or are you suicidal?”[/color] she asked very bluntly.

[color=0D6793]”Alright, this is too much now, Gia… What the [i]fuck[/i] ha-”[/color]

From the back seat of his car thirty stories below, Garf felt the wheels of fate turn as Giovanna’s truth welled up in her mouth. She was ready to tell Elay everything, which meant:

[i]Investigation complete![/i]

The event stretched back to almost three weeks ago, when Gia had in fact arrived at his apartment to pay him the money for scoring materials to help the hospital’s tithe to Twin Hill. Money that, in Elay’s blackout drunk state, just didn’t seem like enough to him at the time… Rather than negotiate, things quickly became violent, which Garf allowed due to his own conflict with Gia and her policies. 

She was, of course, an Adept born of the infamous Motta lineage. While she may not have [i]won[/i] the day, she was able to escape relatively unharmed and hadn’t approached their eldest sister over the incident. But she had subsequently put policies in place to prevent him from coming to her in the future… Policies that only worked if he had guilt or shame in his heart, of course… Which neither existed in the context…

But, all of this information came crashing into him at once, leaving him sad and frustrated with himself… 

[color=0D6793]”-aaahhhh… W-well.. Well, why didn’t you just leave and come back!?”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”That’s not the point, Elay! You would’ve [i]killed me[/i] over a few hundred more dollars!”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”And that’s not her problem!”[/color] he shouted, pointing at Nessa.

[color=55CF61]”Why would I ever let another woman be alone with you!?”[/color] Gia shouted back at him.

[color=8877BD]”This [i]woman[/i] can make her own decisions, thanks.”[/color] Nessa intoned, not bothering to shout like the two of them. She stared at them both without much emotion behind it, now that the pain was subsiding. 

Red flags? Suicidal? Yeah, she was just that… But everyone had red flags. The worst people were the ones who hid it. It was all normal, anyway. In fact, Elay treated her better than most people ever had now. At least, anyone who wasn’t after her for the money she used to have. Not that Charles was so open about her being his daughter, but the name had been a dead giveaway… 

She did look more at Elay for a moment. There was a hint of something in her gaze then. It wasn’t fear or disdain… No, it was that light she got when she was about to taunt him. Try to make him uncomfortable. 
[color=8877BD]”But I thought you weren’t a woman beater? I feel lied to.”[/color]

Elay immediately pointed a finger at Gia.
[color=0D6793]”That’s not a woman, that’s my Sister! Way different!”[/color]

Gia’s head snapped backward instinctively like an offended bird of prey. Both brows curled downward, and she looked from Elay back to Nessa. After a moment, the stool completely released Nessa and Gia stood up.

[color=55CF61]”If you ever come back here, leave him in the basement. He’s not allowed on our grounds anymore.”[/color] She spoke to Nessa rather than Elay, lazily throwing her hands up.
[color=55CF61]”And if it’s ever anything he did to you, I don’t want to see you… Because I won’t treat you.”[/color]

Nessa let out a short laugh. What was he going to do to her that’d really require urgent attention? If he tried to kill her and almost succeeded, that just meant it was time. Better dead than alone and hopeless again. 

[color=8877BD]”I can’t afford your services anyway.”[/color] She stood up, carefully testing her newly healed leg. 
[color=8877BD]”I’ll just let a Southern Doctor cut off whatever he hurt, don’t worry.”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”There’s easier ways to kill yourself. I recommend guns, they’re usually anti-emotional field tech. Now, please, if there’s nothing productive happening here, take your free leg and go.”[/color] Gia said coldly.

Elay cleared his throat.
[color=0D6793]”Giovanna, I’m-”[/color]

[color=55CF61]”Elay… Come on. Don’t make it awkward: There’s nothing you can say that-”[/color]
[color=0D6793]”I talked to Moriah!”[/color] he blurted out.

She stopped, paused, and there was a gentle click of her jaw.

[color=55CF61]”When you quit drinking… Maybe I’ll care about what you have to say. Until then, you’re [i]that[/i] guy in my head now. Deadbeat loser; willing to steal from people you love. Everyone else loves making excuses for Mommy’s little boy ‘cuz he got sent away and mentally fucked up by a bunch of poor people. Not my problem anymore, Elay. Now scram, seriously, or [i]I’ll[/i] call Momo and tell her what happened.”[/color] Gia replied with that same coldness, shaking her head and turning.

Elay only looked back at Nessa, a blank expression on his face. He shook his head again, then turned to leave.
[color=0D6793]”Come on…”[/color] he said weakly, still feeling the pain of the boils ripping his arms apart.

Gia could smell the necrotic tissue, but could only muster a smile at her little brother’s suffering.

Nessa listened silently for once, not having much energy to care. She didn’t have full blooded siblings, so she didn’t understand. As for the younger half-brothers… She’d hurt them with her magic before her Mother stopped letting her be around them unattended. If anything, the fact Elay had a Mother that [i]loved[/i] him in any capacity stifled her sympathy. 

But it was a bit unfair that he was still covered in boils after bringing her to a healer. Shitty method of getting her there… But she was smart enough to know without him she’d be in a much worse place. 

[color=8877BD]”Sure, but I’m getting a drink first, or I’ll faint.”[/color] Nessa intoned, moving over to the sink before anyone could stop her. They had some paper cups, thankfully, and she filled one as much as she could without spilling it. 

Then she followed Elay out into the hallway. She didn’t wait, unceremoniously dumping half the cup of water onto one of his arms. The effect wasn’t immediate- it would take a little while for the curse to really recede. Silently, she moved to pour the other half over his other arm.

Elay didn’t have any response besides half-verbalized annoyance, his grunt of dissatisfaction fading as he assumed she wasn’t [i]just[/i] being an asshole at this point. Nobody said a word to the two of them as they got back in the elevator and started for the bottom of the building again.

Still, Elay didn’t say anything. There wasn’t anything [i]to[/i] say. She’d have her own opinion, do what she wanted, and however he wanted her to feel didn’t matter. But, he had to agree with his elder sister for once: If she didn’t leave him, she was either dumb, or suicidal.

[color=0D6793]”So, which one was it?”[/color] he asked quietly, finally breaking the silent whirring of the elevator’s motor with his voice.

[color=8877BD]”Which [i]what[/i]?”[/color] Nessa asked in return. She was still holding the empty paper cup and crumpling it in her hands. She stared at his arms, the water finally and silently taking its effect. Unlike the healing she’d experienced, breaking such a simple curse was easy and painless. 

That’s why it was a basic one with such an easy removal condition. 
[color=8877BD]”What your sister asked?”[/color] 

[color=0D6793]”Yeah… What my sister asked.”[/color] he said coldly, feeling the sensation of the flesh in his arms finally calming down as it returned to normal.

Nessa’s eyes narrowed slightly. Why did he want to know? So he had an excuse to get rid of her? So he could mope for how she wasn’t sticking with him for his [i]brilliant[/i] personality.

Sure, she struggled with having the will to live. But it was more than just that. In the moments she didn’t, she wanted- needed- companionship. But what kind of person did someone like her even deserve? He’d given her more attention than she’d really had in a long time. It wasn’t just restricted to bed, even though so much of it had been fighting. 

He hadn’t even hit her yet. 
[color=8877BD]”Oh, come on. You think a South Sider is scared of a bit of violence? Your sister can ask that question ‘cause she had a privileged upbringing. What red flags do you have that’re worse than whatever I’d find at home?”[/color] 

Elay sighed and shook his head as every time he’d ever placed his fist anywhere close to a female in anger flashed across his mind.

[color=0D6793]”You not answering with suicidal just kind of proves you’re dumb. So, I think you should probably just leave. Tomorrow, we’ll go back to the old lady at the apartments, and I’ll make sure the agreement stays in place. Just live there, don’t worry about your rent. But, I don’t think you should be around.”[/color] he said in a calm, measured voice.

[color=8877BD]”No.”[/color] Nessa’s immediate answer was simple, tone shifting up from flat to irritated. 

She wasn’t doing that again. She wasn’t just going back [i]there[/i]. Sure, she wouldn’t have to worry about rent, great. Then she could just wither away without care. No motivation to keep going. 

Did it even matter? It’d barely been two days? Why’d she let herself feel a spark of hope? Was it because the fucking cat said there was some connection there? She thought he wouldn’t just dump her like everyone else did? But the reason was fucking new. What, because he was some violent asshole? Like the moment she managed to pull herself out of bed she wasn’t just going to run to someone worse? 

She stepped forward so that she was right in front of him, pushing into his personal space and glaring up at him. 
[color=8877BD]”And if I’d answered that I was suicidal you’d think, what, it’s fucking fine? For me to stick around someone so ‘[i]violent[/i]’? You’d still throw me out, wouldn’t you? Because you’ve got it in your fucking head that ‘oh no, I hurt my sister, what about this other poor weak woman in front of me.’ Or do just finally have an excuse you think’ll work to get rid of me?”[/color] She snapped back.

There was no hesitation. Elay’s fist cut enough air to ruffle Nessa’s hair as he swung from a dead standing position. The sound of the metal panel bending behind her wasn’t immediately obvious, so he threw a second one in the exact same spot with the exact same force. The entire elevator rattled, and as he withdrew a bloody fist, there was a new sensation of rushing air next to Nessa’s head.

Turning, it was obvious that he’d put a hole clear through the wall.

[color=0D6793]”Giovanna Motta isn’t a weak woman. [i]That[/i] is my point. [i]You[/i] will die. Yellow Lux, Pink, Blue; if I hit you, you’re [i]not[/i] getting up. And I’m not going to be the one who kills you, no matter how cozy your degenerating brain tissue makes that sound, because I’m not your fucking… Ticket punch to Heaven. Delusional bitch…”[/color]

[color=8877BD]”You’re the fucking delusional one if you think I’m getting anywhere near heaven.”[/color] Nessa hadn’t even flinched. She’d witnessed and experienced so much violence, and instead of developing any fear of it she’d only developed a numbness. Fear didn’t help. Not unless she was using it to fuel her Yellow Lux. 

[color=8877BD]”Are your fists that uncontrollable? You just [i]can’t[/i] resist? You’re that fucking pathetic? Oh, it’s just so [i]hard[/i] for you being so [i]strong[/i] that can’t beat me up like you want to. You have such strong willpower!”[/color] Nessa mocked. If this was really the end, then she was going to do as much damage as she could on the way out. To him, to herself… 

[color=8877BD]”Why wait till tomorrow?! Just chuck me back over the river, why do you even give a fuck?! What, want another fuck before you throw me in the dump?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”[b]I DON’T WANT TO PUT YOU IN THE TRUNK AGAIN![/b]”[/color] he finally shouted, both hands gripping at the shoulders of her coat. 

His face was completely pale and full of confusion. He just couldn’t understand what her obsession was, to the point that the real reason faded into the myriad of alien possibilities that escaped Elay’s logic. It almost felt like stubbornness for the sake, which reminded Elay of Bryn… And that just pissed him off more, because she was another girl who he [i]felt[/i] he actually should’ve hit, but never did. 

[color=1078C7][i]Why?[/i][/color]

 [color=0D6793]”Fucking… For the love of [i]God![/i] Just, fucking…[/color]
Elay threw his hands up as the elevator came to a stop at the bottom of the building and opened up once again into the garage.

[color=8877BD]”Just fucking what, Elay?”[/color] Nessa hissed, arm shooting out to wave in the elevator door and stop it from closing. She didn’t make a move to step out… Not that she could stop him from leaving if he wanted to. 

[color=8877BD]”Leave? Or have you changed your mind? Because if you want me [i]gone[/i] I’m not waiting for your pathetic ass to wait until tomorrow.”[/color] She was shaking slightly- pissed off, upset… She didn’t want to leave at all. But if he was getting rid of her, it was better to rip the bandaid off right away. Then she had a better chance of finding [i]something[/i] to stop her spiralling. Spending another day in a ‘maybe’ state would be even worse.

[color=8877BD]”But you’ll regret it. And it’s [i]not[/i] what I want- but I can’t stop you doing anything!”[/color]

[color=FF8604]”Oh, how delightful! One doesn’t listen, the other doesn’t want to bring it up again because he [i]knows[/i] he’s an asshole. He can’t [i]actually[/i] leave you, girl!”[/color] Garf’s voice echoed about the parking garage like a loudspeaker. 

Ahead, a shifting mass of orange dragged itself between two cars leaving a slick trail of red behind it. Coming from around the other side, Garf sauntered with an infinitely long rear end stretching back behind the car until it managed to jitter through the solid object and realign with his torso.

[color=FF8604]”We need to go now! Before the Sisters above sniff out the gift I’ve left for them.”[/color] Garf practically grinned, sauntering forth toward the car.

Elay gritted his teeth, breaking into a sprint toward the patch of red that Garf had dragged around. However, when he got to the other side of the car, there wasn’t anything there… Then he looked back again, and there was no red whatsoever. He gripped at the bridge of his nose for a moment, then covered his eyes with his palm to press against his forehead.

Garf was already waiting for Nessa by the car.

[color=FF8604]”Did I not tell you before, that you’re linked? Machinations of the most delectable kind are brewing thanks to you, Girl. He’ll never get rid of you now.”[/color]

[color=8877BD]”How comforting. Like I’m a tumour.”[/color]

[color=FF8604]”A sexy tumor. Yes. Malignant, and able to kill him at a moment’s notice.”[/color]

Nessa laughed, before her voice dropped to a quieter tone. 
[color=8877BD]”As if. I couldn’t hurt him unless you let me. And I [i]wouldn’t[/i].” Never again.[/color]

At least she was fairly certain she was safe to stay for now. She shoved her hands into her coat pocket and actually walked over to the car, staring at Garf. 
[color=8877BD]”And I don’t trust any ‘machinations’ or bullshit links. Only what I can [i]see[/i].”[/color]

[color=FF8604]”Then, tell me: Have you [i]seen[/i] Nikita lately?”[/color] the cat’s tail swished about playfully, a wry grin forming on his feline face.

Nessa flinched, hands curling into tight balls in her pockets. Nikita… She knew he’d dragged things out of her head. So he was speaking about the Nikita she knew. Her father’s right hand woman… Someone she’d had a similarly conflicted relationship with. Unlike Charles, Nikita had actually shown her slivers of kindness in some moments.

And been so incredibly terrifying in others. 

[color=8877BD]”Who? I don’t know [i]any[/i] Nikitas.”[/color]

[color=FF8604]”Shut the fuck up… Don’t know… Please. Gods, let that fruit come to bear and you’ll see one fat cat in your lifetime.”[/color] the cat practically hissed, ducking into the car as Elay got a little closer.

[color=0D6793]”I don’t suppose you’re full now, Garf?”[/color] he asked as he shot Nessa a dirty look coming around to the driver’s side.

Nessa rolled her eyes at him in response. 
[color=8877BD]”Please, stop trying to [i]strip[/i] me with your gaze, not [i]here[/i].”[/color] It was easier to go back to completely twisting his irritation after talking to the cat.

[color=0D6793]”Why do you think I have any kind of emotion toward you besides disgust? Do you think your hole makes me like you any more than if I didn’t have free access?”[/color] he spat on the concrete before opening his door and sliding in unceremoniously.

[color=FF8604]”We [i]need[/i] food for the week, Elay. Especially with another mouth.”[/color] Garf groaned, rolled on his back with a paw on his gut.


[color=0D6793]”I already said, she’s gone in the morning.”[/color] he said coldly, waiting for her to get into the passenger seat.

She rolled her eyes at him again, getting in with a huff and slamming the door behind her. Her legs swung up onto the dashboard, and she turned her head to stare at him. 

[color=8877BD]”Then I’m eating a week's worth tonight. If you’re already [i]disgusted[/i] by me, why should I hold back?”[/color] She sneered. He was right to feel disgust anyway. She didn’t really deserve any other emotion directed her way. Didn’t really expect it, apart from lust. But lust kept people with her, even if they only wanted one thing. It was so easy to pretend it wasn’t just that.

[color=8877BD]”Or you lose your final night of free access to [i]anything[/i].”[/color]


[color=0D6793]”Oh [i]my[/i] God! Why the fuck can’t you save yourself!? Why? What the fuck is it!? You’re literally impossible to please, you won’t sit still and shut up long enough to have anything good in your life happen! God, why can’t you just… Fucking not take what I say as everything that is!? I contradict myself; I’m a person. I don’t want to hurt you [i]physically[/i] because that would be a stain on me. Another stain that I don’t need. But you? God, it’s [i]all[/i] about you! Everyone, crowd around and listen to Nessa bitch about what’s happening around her!”[/color] Elay snapped back through clenched teeth.


[color=0D6793]”Hold back like the desperate homeless bimbo you are once and a while! For fuck’s sake, y’know how I can tell you’re some rich girl on the run? You act [i]just[/i] like my sisters. Entitled, spoiled rotten, you think that the sun shines out of your ass don’t you? Like even as a victim, you still run the show… God, go fuck yourself.”[/color] he waved his hand as the car started.

Nessa’s eyes narrowed at him. Pink Lux flickered in her mind, grasping her panic and suppressing it before it surfaced. So he’d guessed that she was a rich girl on the run. But from what? Family, he probably assumed. Hopefully. The only silver lining about the truth was that it would be difficult for anyone to believe.

[color=8877BD]”But you fuck me so much better.”[/color] She put on a mock pout, legs pulling off the dashboard and moving to where they should actually be. 

It was ironic that the rich girl had been the quietly obedient type. At least at home. Forced obedience from spell upon spell layered on her brain… This was the true, free her. The her with nothing else left to lose. 

Nothing good was going to happen in her life, no matter how still or quiet she was. Nothing. She didn’t deserve it anyway. But she would deserve him hurting her. Maybe if he did, she’d be kind enough to spill everything before he died. So she wasn’t another stain. Just a deserved death. 

[color=8877BD]”Oh [i]no[/i], you got me.”[/color] Nessa intoned sarcastically. 
[color=8877BD]”What are you gonna do about it? Call my dead parents? Oh wait, I’m making it about myself again, sorry- Wow, you’re so amazing, Elay! No wonder you’re a detective! I’m [i]so[/i] impressed.”[/color]

She clapped her hands together a couple of times before scoffing. She was pissed off enough by what he said to not just let it go, but not particularly upset. Maybe most of it was true. Maybe she hated herself enough right now that it didn’t matter if it was.
[color=8877BD]”This desperate homeless bimbo can’t and won’t hold back. This is just who I am! An entitled bitch! Because, you know what, I’m also a [i]person.[/i]”[/color]

Her arms folded across her chest, eyes moving up to the ceiling of the car. At least Pink Lux made it easy to fake nonchalance about the reveal. Force it magically, really. 
[color=8877BD]”So what else have you figured out, oh mighty Detective Motta?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”That I don’t really like you. It’s not a big development. But your lack of deflection is making me feel pretty good about myself. And its a little better for your case. If you’ve been up here before, it means you [i]do[/i] have some kind of record. It’ll be a cinch to snag some of your hair and bring it down to a lab to figure out who you are.”[/color] Elay shook his head, backing out and letting the car jerk forward as he started toward the exit.

[color=0D6793]”Dumbass… Just lie more! Why would you confirm something that I’m giving you practically no basis- Y’know what, never mind. Clearly all that’s way over your head.”[/color] 

Nessa stared at him, and let out a short laugh. Maybe he'd gotten her there. But she'd always known the South Side born and bred act would fall through if she spent enough time with someone from up here. Or someone with enough brains…

But the panic dampened now that she knew he really didn't know that much. If anything, she felt smug again. He could go ahead and take her hair to some lab. Sure, she had a record- legal paperwork, a birth certificate and social security and all that. But other records? Painfully lacking. For whatever godforsaken reason, Charles treated her like someone that shouldn't exist. No medical checks from outside his organisation, any trace of her from the internet frequently erased… The only person who might have her DNA was the aforementioned Nikita. She didn't know why her Father had been so paranoid- and was under no illusions it was for her- but it had worked out in her favour the last year and a half. 

[color=8877BD]”Oh you're right, I'm too [I]dumb[/I] to understand! But how do you know I ain't lying about everything? It's every street rat's dream to be treated like a rich girl! Maybe Daddy and Mummy left me loads of money I don't know about!”[/color] 

She laughed again, before shaking her head to let her messy hair cascade around her shoulders. 
[color=8877BD]”Go on! I’ll let you take some! Just let me know what you find out.”[/color]

Too confident. The first thing he noticed was the rapid tonal shift as he played his lack of a hand on the card table. Of course, she bit right down like a good snake always does. Nothing she did overtly could avoid Elay’s deepest scrutiny, and of course he was prone to jumping at conclusions without concern for making a pivot later. This situation could’ve been anything…

But, Garf didn’t mess with people like this. Random discontent and chaos was [i]not[/i] an ample fertilizer for the trees of pain that the Grover cultivated. The barometz of agony yielded the sweetest nectar from true pain and fear… Heartbreak, sorrow, nothing but the worst of the worst. They were presumptions… He presumed all was as such. Bold.

Yet it was the only logic that had held firmly the last few years. The only concrete platforms: Garf’s habits. Elay’s life had molded around them like melted plastic in a form. He was an industrial tool that understood its base mechanisms.

He grinned. [color=0D6793][i]Too confident.[/i][/color]

[color=0D6793]”I’d take it whether you gave permission or not. Don’t act like you’re doing me a favor; you were in my apartment one night. I already found a hair in my asscrack the length of your forearm.”[/color]

[color=8877BD]”Oh, that one? Yeah, I stuffed it up there on purpose. It was a gift, so it's only right you use it for something so exciting!”[/color] Nessa waved a hand dismissively. She really wasn't worried about the hair. 

Well… Not more than she was constantly paranoid about being found out. What could she do to stop this? If somehow checking her hair did return in big blaring letters 'Daughter of Charles Beaumont', well… Maybe she could piss Elay off enough that he'd kill her before the police got her. But she really didn't imagine someone as careful as her Father- right until the end- would have let anything so sensitive as his DNA get anywhere outside of his direct control. 

Hopefully. 

[color=8877BD]”Anything else you want to steal? Body fluids? I can get ‘em all over your apartment too. Or in your asscrack if that's what you'd prefer. It's only fair I make nice to [I]poor Lazarus[/I] to make sure he doesn't accidentally snap my neck.”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”Oh you just keep on. Go ahead.”[/color] Elay grinned, taking in a deep breath through his nose.

[color=FF8604]”Are we, or are we not, going to Allebella’s?”[/color][hr]

The lobby of the New Leopold Building wasn’t a place that Elay wanted to be in. Thus, in the interest of minimizing the chance of seeing someone he didn’t want to, he pulled into the designated spot that he and his younger sister had agreed upon. There was a biological sensor under the concrete that gave a signal whenever it detected Garf’s strong magical signature, giving Venecessa the necessary time to shift her focus from the restaurant, to her special guest.

Unlike the elders, who all had opinions and negative feelings in some way toward him, Elay found consistent affection and genuine concern in his younger sister. Chessa had nothing but fond memories of Elay, occasionally traveling with their mother to visit him in Raven’s Rest. On days like that, their Mother’s joy was well noticeable in contrast to most other days. Quiet care and determination was temporarily placed with goofy love and affection, which had always trickled back to her when she chose to go.

Associative memories are, of course, powerful things. Powerful enough that, to her, they clung about Elay’s neck. Even the dread scowl of his face held vestiges of their mom’s slow, passive smile. The tender care she wielded in one hand, and the cold detached discipline in the other. Chessa missed her. More than their Matriarch, she missed that little woman with short black hair and deep green eyes. She missed getting lectured about how she should spend less time cooking and eating, and more time studying.
[i]If she could only see her now…[/i]

But, as she mentally prepared to feed her dear brother and his hungry tagalong, Elay was mentally preparing for the chance of anyone else showing up. Garf said Momo wasn’t here, but he was also a liar.

[color=0D6793]”Alright… Rules that I doubt you’ll follow, because making a bitch out of yourself seems to be priority one: Speak when spoken to. Fat chance. Don’t engage with anyone that doesn’t have a Chef’s coat on. If [i]strippers[/i] approach you, spit at their feet. If one of them tries to talk to you about how cool millipedes are…-”[/color]

Elay paused for a moment, taking a breath and a thought. 
[color=0D6793]”Well, she’s alright, but you’ll be stuck in that conversation for an hour. Just… Don’t make me look like an asshole, and you get to eat a bunch of free food without me bitching. Be nice to the lady with the tattoos, call her Chessa, tell her the food is the best you’ve ever had and we’ll probably come out of this with enough for a couple extra days.”[/color] he instructed in a business-like fashion, head finally turning to Nessa for visual confirmation.

Nessa's immediate ‘confirmation’ was an eye roll as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, making it look a bit neater. 
[color=8877BD]”I can be nice to people that actually deserve it. You do plenty to make yourself look like an asshole anyway, I don't have to do anything to help you there. You're already doing it by putting in rules like I'm a fucking child! Only speak when spoken to, you think I'm some fucking help?”[/color]

She sneered, waving a hand. She wasn't stupid enough to fuck with the source of their food. She could play nice if she had to… she was incredibly good at faking it. Just, she could only keep it up for a short while before the real her slipped out. It was why relationships always fell apart when she moved past the heavy flirting and pleasing initial stage. 

[color=8877BD]”Are we going [I]inside[/I]? Because if we are, I'm changing. Unless you want me to really look like you just dragged me off the streets.”[/color] Her gaze moved to the large patch of now dried blood on her cargo pants, joining various other much older stains. But it was painfully obvious… and her suitcase was in the car. She did have cleaner clothes. 

Elay paused for a long moment, then looked down at his own clothes. They were covered in other people’s blood.


[color=0D6793]”Do I look [i]less[/i] homeless to you? Do what you want.”[/color]

He hadn’t thought about changing at all. He wasn’t even sure if there was a spare shirt in the bag under the back seat at this point, but after a moment of letting her start to do her thing, he decided it’d be a waste not to check. Shoving her suitcase to the side, he popped the back seat up and pulled a small duffel bag out. Unzipping it released a terribly potent skunky smell, and Elay immediately groaned.

[color=0D6793]”When the [i]fuck[/i] did I get [i]this!?[/i]”[/color]

Inside, wrapped in his clean shirt which was now almost as useless as the one he was wearing, was a tightly sealed kilo brick of marijuana. With no recollection of his own placing its origins, Elay could only speculate as he began to pull the bloody shirt off and replace it with the stinky one.

[color=0D6793]”Well… You know anyone who’ll buy it down south? It’s basically worthless up here, the dispensaries can hand it out so cheaply it’s like buying cigarettes…”[/color]


The odd disparity of many things actually being [i]cheaper[/i] to buy in the North came from the ease of vending. Obvious bias against South clientele meant that businesses were plain unwilling to vend south of the river. That meant that all supply was funneled into the North, which in turn meant that the demand could [i]never[/i] outstrip the supply.
Simply, there weren’t enough people looking to “score” for a bale of street weed to have any kind of appeal. If he thought about it hard enough, he could vaguely remember a conversation with someone in Raven’s Rest about needing pot, but nobody had come looking yet!

Nessa's nose wrinkled a little at the potent smell released. She was an efficient changer, having already managed to swap worn cargo pants for a short denim skirt while still sitting in the car. Her tank top wasn't so bad, but it was still what she classed as her low effort clothes- the kind she wore most days in the South, when she wasn't trying to attract someone or make a decent impression. Elay'd already shown himself to be enough of a slob she didn't have to care around him, but some restaurant in the North Side? Yeah, she'd rather look like a slut than homeless. 

[color=ff7360]"You not gonna smoke it yourself?"[/color] Nessa asked, pulling off her tank top to leave just her bra as she leaned back to rummage in her suitcase again. She pulled the first top her hand found- a dark red low cut crop top with a slight sheen to it. Clean. Nice enough. 

[color=8877BD]"Depends. You willing to beat up another ex? I know a guy who deals all sorts of shit. He'll probably buy anything, or know someone that would."[/color] She shrugged one shoulder, pulling the top over her head before continuing. 
[color=8877BD]"Either, he'll be an absolute dick or he'll have gotten over it and want to fuck me again. Otherwise… You can always just stand on a street corner with it."[/color]

[color=0D6793]”It’s pot… It’s a fuckin’ afterthought, I’m not standing on a corner to push some other asshole’s BOGO dump.”[/color]
Elay’s extortion button was being smashed by every part of his brain.
[color=0D6793]”Who is this guy? Small timer? Know anyone worth knowing?”[/color] he interrogated as he flattened the shirt out as best he could. 

[color=8877BD]”Depends who you thinks worth knowing.”[/color] Nessa replied, struggling between wanting to be needed- useful- and regretting bringing up the guy at all. He'd been a bad boyfriend during an extra rough patch in her life. Five whole weeks before he dropped her because she refused to to become like all the other obedient drug addled girls in his life. 

Not that she didn't do the drugs he offered her- or coerced, more like. There was that desperation to not be abandoned, leading to her doing things she didn't really want to just in an effort to please around all her bitchiness. But it had never been enough to get addicted. Not properly- not something she couldn't solve with her own Pink Lux, which she'd used to carefully track all the effects.

But the want to be useful won. To not be dumped back at that shitty apartment block tomorrow, and start over again. 
[color=8877BD]”Y’know the Fourteenth Ward- not far to get into it from my place? It’s one of the few outta Hollow control. The gang who runs it- never bothered to remember their name- but he's part of it. Small time by city wide standards yeah, but he's one of their main dealers. The kind with a bunch've guys under him. So… Yeah. Knows people worth knowing if you want to know gang members.”[/color]

The fourteenth wasn’t a ward he did a lot of business in. Disorganized, dangerous, listless; it wasn’t a moneymaker. The people there weren’t either… But Elay couldn’t deny his desires. For blood, and for sensation. Carnal pleasure of hitting and being hit, and of danger at the heart of it all.

[color=0D6793]”Set it up then. Worst comes to worst, you’ve got one less ex to worry about.”[/color] he said coldly, pulling his coat back over the half-fresh shirt and closing the back door of the car with a slam. Garf was sat on the roof now, staring up at Elay with a grin.

[color=FF8604][i]Not a kind thing to do.[/i][/color]
[color=0D6793][i]Good, it makes up for being stuck with her.[/i][/color]

[color=8877BD]”Fine.”[/color] Nessa said shortly, pulling her own worn coat back on over her much less weather appropriate clothes. But it was all she’d kept. Her practical clothing had become more worn and dirty, while the rest was there just to attract people. She didn’t have any in betweens. 

With a tight frown, she dug her phone out from her coat pocket. She scrolled down her blocked contacts, finding him later than she expected under ‘Scumbag Kieran.’ Creative. He’d probably blocked her too. So she’d seem useful, but not have to deal with-

The text went through. Great. Whatever, she’d cope. If it made Elay a bit more reluctant to drop her, then it would be worth whatever shittiness was thrown at her. Because it wasn't going to be nice for her even if it didn’t end in a murder.

[color=8877BD]”Done. We’ll see if he replies.”[/color] She shoved her phone back away, pulling her coat around her with a slight shiver. Bare legs and midriff weren’t pleasant in this weather…

[color=8877BD]”So you’d kill him? That not gonna be a stain on you or whatever?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”Scum is scum. Maybe if he was sucking my dick, I’d have to hear him long enough to consider his side of the story, but I’m not exactly looking at the moment.”[/color] Elay admitted freely, now leading Nessa toward a blank door half-set into a gap between structural columns.

Pulling a key out of his ring, he stuffed it into the lock and twisted to get the door open. The strong suction of the air pressure change caused it to stick for a moment, pulling away with a hollow sucking noise until it revealed light beaming out from inside. It was immediately warm, and stepping into the isolated hallway allowed one to hear the sounds of an industrial kitchen from a slight distance. Enough that one wasn’t immediately thrown into the hot mess that was Allebellas’ workroom. 

There was, however, already a figure standing half in the way between the entryway and the exit at the other end.


[color=A1F7DA]”Ayyo, what the fuck? Is that a [i]woman?[/i] Hallelujah; next you’ll tell me Hell’s freezin’ over?”[/color]
With her figure totally covered by her chef’s whites, Chessa Motta’s stature wasn’t exactly clear. While the previous sister had been somewhat demure and reserved, she’d also been built like an armored personnel carrier. This one… Far more ambiguous. But her face was slim, gaunt almost, and she wasn’t nearly as tall as Gia had been.

Her hair was either short, or tied up under the beret she wore, but her side-parted bangs framed her face with one side of black, and the other viridian green to match her eyes. Her hand slipped out, and its equally slender fingers unfurled to meet Nessa’s.


[color=A1F7DA]”Name’s Chessa! Welcome in!”[/color] she finished warmly.

[color=8877BD]”Thank you. I’m Nessa.”[/color] Nessa reached out to shake Chessa’s hand with a polite smile.

It was like she’d completely transformed from the Nessa that Elay had started to know. More similar to what he’d gotten only briefly when she tried to curse him. But that pretense had completely dropped when he’d gotten nasty over it, and there’d never been any point in rebuilding it. 

It’d only fall back down. 

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t be [i]nice[/i]. She’d spent years having her brain zapped just for speaking out of turn… 
[color=8877BD]”It’s nice to meet you. Is it [i]that[/i] surprising for Elay to be with a woman?”[/color] She asked with an innocent arch of an eyebrow, as if it wasn’t incredibly obvious why he wouldn’t be.

[color=A1F7DA]”Oh, either you’re a fresh date or you’re a client!”[/color] Chessa laughed, snorting slightly before squishing herself up against the wall. As she did so, her body actually flattened and got taller, until she was like a wrapping paper pressed against a curbside.

Allowing the two to pass, they came out into the light of the kitchen. Or, Nessa was able to. Garf slipped in behind her, making sure to bat at her leg with his tail in a sly fashion.

[color=FF8604]”Ches’ a good one. Only one totally oriented on her own goals. The rest all hunger for other things; she hungers for a decent Minestrone.”[/color] he explained with confidence, like he was talking about an equal or some respected person.

[color=0D6793]”She’s not a client…”[/color] Elay quietly intoned to Chessa as he started to pass. 

But her elastic body blocked the door in, and she stretched over it until she was fully blocking him before she let her stature shrink back to normal.

[color=A1F7DA]”Then, does she know?”[/color] Chessa asked coldly, arms crossed. 

How Elay imagined she felt was true: Chessa really did love and admire her older brother… But that was the problem. So often she let him off without saying what needed to be said. Not now.

[color=0D6793]”Yep.”[/color] was his only answer, voice unwavering.

Chessa’s head turned a full hundred-eighty degrees to look at Nessa.

[color=A1F7DA]”You know he’s… Not nice? Not a safe man?”[/color] she asked sincerely, her face unbothered by its orientation.

Nessa held back a short laugh. Why was everyone suddenly concerned about her? Why did his sisters even care? She was basically a stranger to them. What did they gain from it? What did they want from [i]her[/i]?

[color=8877BD]”I know. Who [i]is[/i] safe behind closed doors, anyway?”[/color] At least that was her experience. She’d yet to be proven wrong. Everyone had their limit, and she pushed most people to theirs. If her own Father had put mind torture curses on her, why would anyone else ever treat her well? 

She’d learned from a young age that the people who hid it were the worst of all. 

[color=8877BD]”Why? It’s not like you know me.”[/color]

[color=A1F7DA]”I love him. But, we’re both women, as far as I can tell. I wouldn’t let another woman be stepped on by anyone unless it was truly what she wanted. Though, I ain’t a moral busybody like my big sis, so… I ain’t here to fuck your night up. If you know what you’re getting, and you get what you want, then it ain’t harmin’ anyone.”[/color] she finished, raising her hands in a symbolic backing off.

[color=A1F7DA]”You’re welcome at my table anytime.”[/color]

That only made Nessa more suspicious. Why? People weren’t just kind for no reason. It didn’t make sense. Then again, they didn’t know [i]her[/i]. She probably thought Nessa was someone normal. [i]Innocent[/i]. Someone who’d just fallen for Elay’s good looks- messiness aside. 

Not someone who saw the slimmest proof that he was someone who could handle her, and latched. 

[color=8877BD]”Thanks. But I won’t be able to get into the North side without Elay driving me so…”[/color] She trailed off, and shrugged. She then glanced over at Elay. 
[color=8877BD]”He’s manageable. You’d be surprised.”[/color]

Chessa wasn’t the type of person to let one little thing suddenly color her opinion. Elay tried to push around her to get into the doorway, but Chessa’s arms wrapped around Elay and held him tight. At first, he was coiled with frustration, but slowly and surely, he softened.

[color=A1F7DA]”There’s really nothin’ you can say avoidantly to change reality. We ain’t just a family of Green Lux users, you’ll have to forgive. Your feelings toward him-”[/color]


[color=FF8604]”Chessa? It’s covered.”[/color] the Cat spoke up simply, clearing his throat.

She furrowed her brow, then let her head rotate back into the proper place to stare at Elay.

[color=0D6793]”She’s [i]his[/i] guest.”[/color] he quietly explained, leaving out so many details…

Both of Chessa’s hands climbed up to slap either side of her brother’s face.

[color=A1F7DA]”Fine… But if I see her with a bruise-”[/color]
[color=0D6793]”I’m not gonna lie to the woman who feeds me…”[/color] 

Her admiration was in her eyes, and her thumb ran across his upper cheek with a smile.
[color=A1F7DA]”Good. Good. Then-”[/color]
There was a moment where Elay was about to resist her calling of a recollection… But he couldn’t imagine fighting it now. She had to see the truth, and he let her. She took a long breath, then nodded and pulled both hands away.

[color=A1F7DA]”-let’s go.”[/color]

She didn’t turn her body, rather flipping the entire skeleton within and letting the flesh morph back around it in the proper way. Within two or three steps, her entire biology had reset into its proper place. Walking through the kitchen itself smelled like being strangled by a basil plant. There were dozens of stock pots and boiling cauldrons of water waiting for on-order pasta servings, pans with meat and sizzling garlic, olive oil, and all manner of Italian staples in various stages of completion. The sensory feast was one that all people coming in to eat at Chessa’s chef’s table would experience: The windup to an incredible meal.

The setting itself was fairly intimate, a clean booth set into a back wall that had a full view of the entire kitchen. Garf was quick to take his spot in the middle where the table was thickest, and let himself spread out a bit as two paws grew into massive slabs. He pressed them against the tabletop like he was ready to get onto it…

[color=FF8604]”Sit, sit! Hurry, she’ll bring the food faster!”[/color] he stamped one paw, rattling the table in demand.

Nessa had been going to sit down anyway, but she paused, staring at Garf. 

[color=8877BD]”Oh, wait. Maybe I need to use the restroom.”[/color] She intoned.

There was a subtle tension in her body- only noticeable if one knew what to look for. It had happened from when Chessa mentioned not [i]just[/i] being Green Lux. Pink… She’d been reading Nessa. And Nessa hadn’t even noticed. Reactively, the Yellow-Pink shield centred around a specific part of her mind expanded and strengthened until her brain was fully fortified. It took more of her energy, but it was a necessity. 

[color=8877BD]”Can’t you be a bit nicer? You ate a [i]shit ton[/i] this morning.”[/color] After dragging out the pause long enough, she slipped into the booth seat. Right against the wall, body turning slightly so her back was against it.

She glanced at Chessa, slipping back into politeness.
[color=8877BD]”I don’t eat as much as either of them.”[/color]

[color=A1F7DA]”Was saying that a compulsion? Or, just… Small talk?”[/color] Chessa asked with a wry grin.
[color=A1F7DA]”Or, your way of telling me you want a small plate? Because I’m just gonna bring some pans and plates over: You guys feed yourselves here. Bad enough I’ve gotta ask like four commis to stop whatever they’re doing to wrap up his food for the week; if I had to plate for Garf we’d be here a fortnight.”[/color]

The waiter on deck was already bringing drinks: a large carafe of red wine, followed by a similar of white, a few glasses, and at least six beers… Clearly they got Elay’s needs out of the way quickly so they could get back to what they were actually paid to do.


[color=8877BD]”Do I get anything to drink?”[/color] Nessa said with an almost joking tone. She’d seen Elay drink, and even though it had only been about a day she was confident that he’d drink [i]all[/i] of this. 

After a glance at the drinks and Elay, she went back to Chessa. 
[color=8877BD]”It was the third option. Nothing worse than forcing myself to eat more than I can. I’m not [i]that[/i] bad at small talk, nor that desperate to appear polite.”[/color]

The latter was maybe untrue. As much as she revelled in pushing back against Elay, the temptation of free food and remaining in his bed for more nights was enough for her to try to be nice. At least, to wear the mask that had once been second nature. 

[color=8877BD]”I don’t need to worry about it if it's self serving. Well, maybe then I have to worry about getting any.”[/color] She hit both Elay and Garf with a hard stare, practically daring them to deny it.

Chessa stared at Nessa for a moment, barring the similarities in their names. That was something she wanted to joke about instantly, but got a very unfriendly welcoming flourish from her subtle probing. A naturally hostile Emotional Field meant there wasn’t going to be a lot of figuring from the inside… Which put humor off the table almost completely. She didn’t much like that feeling: That she wasn’t genuine. That the person before her was just some kind of hanger-on without any kind of welcoming sensation within. There was no love, even if there was Pink Lux in there…

For a brief moment, she wondered where it all went.

But then she spun her head and caught a passing waiter.

[color=A1F7DA]”Go grab a menu? And double the wine.”[/color] she said, pointing at the table.
When the waiter ran, she looked at Nessa again.
[color=A1F7DA]”Order whatever you want. Because you’re right: Fighting these two over what’s on deck is a nightmare. And enjoy: I’m going to get back to cooking.”[/color]

And then she turned, not-quite-jogging back toward the hotplate where she was supposed to be expediting. Shockingly, Elay was already pouring Nessa a glass of red, sliding it over to her.

[color=0D6793]”At least Garf don’t drink, eh?”[/color] he tried to joke solemnly, his usual attitude totally suppressed.

Nessa did let out a light laugh at it, extra layering over her emotional field lowering slightly. At least, a quick investigation of the surface with her own Pink didn’t find anyone prodding at it anymore. 

[color=8877BD]”You make up for it. I’m surprised you’re letting me have any!”[/color] She shot back, tone more clearly teasing than normal. She took the glass, raising it to her lips to have a sip. 

It was good. She hadn’t had wine this nice since… A party when she was seventeen. Rich highschool ‘friends’. They’d gotten drunk on one of the girl’s parents’ alcohol collection. The subsequent punishment from her Father hadn’t dulled the memory. A rare happiness, even if it was only when drunk. It was what had led her back to alcohol when she escaped Charles’ grasp… 

[color=8877BD]”I understand. I’d be as stingy with it if it took that much to get me drunk.”[/color] She admitted with some honesty, before raising her glass. Her lips curved up into a playful smile. 
[color=8877BD]”You know… This is a pretty nice location for a second date. Or is it a third? Did this morning count?”[/color] 


[color=0D6793]”Everything costs money.”[/color] he replied, not caring to engage her on the topic of dates. After all, he didn’t agree. It wasn’t a nice place. It was stressful, that anyone could walk back here at any time. Rina, Cam, Kiki… [i]Moriah…[/i] There was only one hope. The dark red liquid rolled over itself as it fell from the vessel into his own glass. Elay tilted it, thick rough fingers still daintily holding the stem of it with experienced practice. As it filled, he swirled it a few times, letting air in and pausing a moment before tucking the entire thing back in one go. 
[color=0D6793]”Tomorrow… We’re getting you an I.D.. Fake, real, I don’t care. But it’s gotta be enough to pass the checkpoints. Since you’re so fucking insistent on sucking my wallet dry… And you need clothes. I’m not working with you walking around like some pimp’s runaway.”[/color] He explained quietly as he poured a second glass and set it to rest on the table.

[color=0D6793]”I’m not asking for your opinion, by the way. I’m telling you what’s happening, reasonably, as I feel up until  you’ve been somewhat [i]unreasonable[/i] in your expectations and the treatment of the situation therein.”[/color] his voice continued, calm and collected, rather muted still thanks to the setting. 

Despite being in the kitchen, it still felt tucked away; and that only felt more real by the fact that [i]nobody[/i] was interested in going anywhere near Elay. The last staff member who made issues with him had to go to a healer, after all. His reputation wasn’t good, and the only people who wound up caring were the people practically forced to make his food. After all, if it was shit, you had to hear from him. Maybe. They presumed… In truth, he’d never be able to tell. And every mistake was just a new flavor to Garfield, so there was hardly ever impetus to become food aggressive.

But he’d also had his one and only warning. That, among other behavioral issues, formed the base of his and the Matriarch’s strained relationship…

[color=0D6793]”Do you think that sounds [i]unfair?[/i]”[/color]

[color=8877BD]”You think I'm gonna kick up a fuss cause you’re gonna get me a fake ID and clothes?”[/color] Nessa raised her eyebrows over her wine glass as she drank half of it in one go.

The buzz was nearly instant, when all she'd eaten was that bagel in the morning. It was always something she could reduce and stave off with Pink Lux… but she rarely bothered to. If she was drinking, she wanted the effects. The momentary emptiness… 

[color=8877BD]”I walk around like this cause you get treated a little better looking like a slut than looking homeless. And I ain't got any clothes that don't fit into those categories.”[/color] Not anymore, at least. What she'd been able to take before her Father's place was locked down had been limited, and she was able to get some money for the stuff that wasn't [I]useful[/I] to keep. Nowhere near what it was worth, but that didn't matter. 

[color=8877BD]”No, that [I]doesn't[/I] sound unfair.”[/color] She leaned her body forward slightly, smiling at him. It was still that same teasing, slightly smug smile… But she wasn't jabbing him right now. Teasing, sure, but it wasn't to [I]hurt[/I] him.
[color=8877BD]”Buying me clothes on top of identification? You're acting more and more like a sugar daddy by the minute!”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”I [i]need[/i] you to work. It can’t be… Whatever you think it’s going to be. You’re an Adept, the condition of your Emotional Field tells me you’re experienced. You’ve got a useful combination for an investigatory skillset, and you don’t look like someone tried to roll your head out like pizza dough when you were a baby.”[/color]

But all that sounded too much like he wanted her to begin with. That was certainly not the case…

[color=0D6793]”But as soon as whatever this little fetish Garf has ends? It’s over. You can go do whatever or whoever you want after that. But you’re not gonna be my problem forever.”[/color]

Garf let out a small chuckle.

[color=FF8604]”I don’t know about that, Elay. You know what happens when you start to feed a stray cat.-”[/color]

In his fashion, Garf had been sitting with his head slightly rested on Nessa’s leg. But, like he was never there, suddenly he was draped across the back of Elay’s neck with two front paws on his head.
[color=FF8604]”-They tend to hang around. Get comfy.”[/color]

That was certainly Nessa's plan. The ideal… Somewhere she didn't have to leave. She didn't actually expect it even though she wanted it. No matter how much Garf may seem ‘on her side.’ She couldn't trust it. 

But she could make herself useful. Her whole life, her magic had been the thing people really wanted her for. Over her body, even, when they knew about magic. With Elay she could use both. Eventually, hopefully, he wouldn't be able to live without her. And she had an inkling now about what Garf meant. What ‘connected’ them. Nikkita… it wasn't something she could act on. She had no idea if the woman had survived, or where she was. But if she could carefully make sure whatever she knew wasn't discovered until she'd secured her place… 

Even though [I]finding[/I] her would probably mean the end of Nessa herself. 

[color=8877BD]”He’s right. I'm already [I]super[/I] comfy.”[/color] Her eyes creased slightly, like a smugly content cat. 
[color=8877BD]”And you'll realise I'm too useful to get rid of, anyway. Even after [I]whatever[/I] Garf wants is gone.”[/color]

She smirked, finishing the rest of the wine in her glass. A soft sigh escaped her lips, body going a bit more lax.
[color=8877BD]”Just wait and see. You’ll try and kick me out, go on a case and realise 'oh, Nessa would be really useful here.’ Or even just going back to a cold, empty bed. You'll come crawling back to me then.”[/color]
 
Elay’s head drooped slightly, face turning away. If there was softness, he may’ve felt a slight bit of attraction. There was a time where he wanted a confident woman like that. Well, [i]confident[/i] was a stretch. But she was playing it, so he couldn’t entirely distinguish the difference. All he really knew was that her smile, and the things she said, [i]did[/i] make her attractive. What followed in his head was a burst of frustration before he finally managed to get a response that wasn’t going to feed into her.

[color=0D6793]”Sorry… Not happening. You’re too fucking annoying to let things get that far.”[/color] he finally looked back at her with a blank expression.
[color=0D6793]”Whatever your little bitchswitch flicks for, don’t really matter when you act all cunty. Ain’t an attitude I need in my life. But, setting you up with an ID and some respectable clothes at least gives you a leg up when you are finally out of my life.”[/color]

At the same moment, two more pitchers of wine were brought and placed on the table. Silently, a young woman handed a menu for the restaurant to Nessa before scrambling away like the place was cursed.

Nessa laughed softly, still looking at Elay with the same smile. A hint of self deprecation, maybe. 

She knew. Her personality was always what turned people off. Even the scummiest people she'd dated. Often they were the fastest. They wanted someone to fuck, who just took things silently. Obedient and broken. She'd never be either of those things. Not again, at least. And she wasn't going to change. Changing meant going more towards the person she'd been forced to be. This [I]was[/I] her. 

It wasn't like Elay had a shining personality. He was just as bad as she was, so she wasn't exactly taking his judgement to heart. 

[color=8877BD]”Right, cause there's only room for one cunt in your life- and you're already filling it?”[/color] She shrugged one shoulder, pushing her empty glass towards him with a slight eyebrow raise. She'd pour for herself, but she was a little worried he'd break her wrist for daring to touch his wine. 

[color=8877BD]”I’m so grateful you'll fill my wardrobe back up so I have something to sell again when you kick me out. Maybe I won't starve for a couple of weeks.”[/color] She intoned, casually looking at the menu. She was just going to order whatever seemed easiest to eat… 
[color=8877BD]”But… You already bought my apartment. You're extorting my landlady. Are you just going to abandon that to avoid seeing me? Not that it'll matter, because I still stand by you crawling right back.”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”It's shit like that, see… I’m not sure who you’ve dealt with in your life. I don’t know what’s been done. But, when you talk like that? It makes it [i]really[/i] sound like you’ve got zero goals or aspirations for yourself.”[/color] he started, pausing to pour for her and drink his own glass again. 

[color=0D6793]”Like you don’t see anything besides your garbage situation. No way to make it better on your own. What’s up with that? I say you need clothes so people don’t treat you like shit, you’re automatically thinking of selling them. I contract a safehouse in a shitty ward in case we need the space, you think you’ll be there the rest of your life. How about; you take my work until it's over, and then you [i]find another job![/i] Like, y’know, normal people do!”[/color] 

He was being sarcastic, and maybe a little crass, but for once it didn’t seem like his voice was raising toward anger. Frankly, he didn’t want to be angry. Coming in here was usually the only time he got to feel close to any kind of family, and in spite of the constant danger of being discovered by them, he always hoped someone would show up. But his brain still did its absolute best to keep any of the more aggressive tones to a minimum, knowing that Moriah would be able to hear him yell from her office deep underground.

[color=0D6793]”Like, why sell the clothes? They’re an asset? And, if I’m paying you to work, you should be saving money. Because you’ll be leeching off of me directly. Part of the pay goes to room and board, obviously… But, whatever I hand to you is yours. Do you understand me yet? You may [i]feel[/i] like you need someone like me? But, I’m going to treat you like every bird treats its babies. You get big and strong, let your feathers grow… Then a push. You'll never see me again.”[/color]

[color=8877BD]”How charitable. Why do [I]you[/I] assume I [i]won't[/I] save the money?”[/color] She replied, surprisingly calm. Edging towards emotionless, maybe. It was easier with the wine in her system. She really didn't have any goals or aspirations. How could she, when her whole life had been planned out for her and then torn away.

But she didn't plan to spend any of the money he gave her. What would she spend it on? Every paycheck was more time kept fed later. Maybe enough to leave the city, if he didn't kick her out so quickly. That was the second best option, after finding a person who wouldn't leave her. 

Because he was wrong. She did need someone like him. She needed [I]someone[/I]- and what good person would ever want her? Being alone wasn't an option. Not if she wanted to retain what little will to live she had left. 

[color=8877BD]”Where are those clothes an asset? The North, where they refuse to hire anyone from the South? The nicer parts down there, where there's very few jobs anyway? Have you tried finding a job down there?”[/color] She tilted her head, before shaking it. [I]Technically[/I] there were opportunities. They very ex that Elay had her contact would be [I]thrilled[/I] to pimp her out for a reasonable cut. But she wouldn't do anything like that. In her mind, she was using her looks to get a [I]relationship[/I]- it just happened to help her survival right now. 

She took a big gulp of her newly filled glass, letting the pleasant buzz settle over her brain. The things she really didn't want to reveal would never slip out, so she wasn't too worried.
[color=8877BD]”I’m being realistic. Most jobs won't hire someone like me. Especially since they can't directly kick me out of their bed when I don't want to get out myself.”[/color]

Elay gave her a terribly flat look. His hands rose up, and eyes looked from left, to the ceiling, then down to the right. A broad gesticulation commonly used to express a sentiment of “look around.” Eyebrows raised, he smiled.

[color=0D6793]”New Leopold is roughly eighty-five percent Southie staffed. Restaurant, hotel, club. Like a dick and balls sticking out of the upper left corner of the city. Tuscania’s pride and joy, sticking it to the stuffy fuckers closer to the River.”[/color]

It was often much easier to tell where the lines were between Wards in the North. Tellingly, Ward Four was once the city’s Little Italy. In the old days, it had mill houses of its own, and used to be the place where people went to learn things like engineering and machining. Cloverfield’s own rustbucket, by the time Nyrah had devastated the area, most of it was decrepit and abandoned despite being north of the Nimtake River.
Now it was Tuscania; land of the hedonists. Owned almost entirely by the Twin Hill Coven in one way or another, Tuscania was full of “reasonable” housing meant for the North’s younger population to downsize into either during or after university in order to reestablish themselves as their own people. 

There’d been plenty of initiatives that were talked about when the city was being rebuilt. That had been one of them, along with the unfulfilled promise that more Southies would also have the opportunity to move [i]up[/i] in the world. It’d happened to a certain extent, but most of the residents wound up being those caught between their salary and their debts. The quickly vanishing American Middle Class…
Who also happened to be Moriah’s top Tithe contributors in both money [i]and[/i] material. Elay thought about all the silly little systems in the sewers under Cloverfield, with the local water treatment facility acting as a [i]very[/i] clandestine temple to the Deer’s influence.

[color=0D6793]”Ain’t a job you couldn’t get hired in here for.”[/color] he pushed, ignoring her questions about the clothes being useful. If she couldn’t see it, after all, there was no helping her.

Nessa [i]knew[/i] about the Leopold Building. The old one, at least. Even if it wasn’t a place her Father would ever visit, or even acknowledge, there were plenty in the upper class who did. She remembered boys in school, in the later years, talking about how they’d go as soon as they turned eighteen.

Which was exactly why she could never work there. In [i]any[/i] part of it. The risk was too high. It was too high in anything too people facing, that wasn’t one of the stores in the lower Northern District. 

[color=8877BD]”Oh, really? How was I supposed to know they hired Southies here?”[/color] She played stupid, of course. She wasn’t going to give him more ammunition about her being some rich girl on the run… At least, not where she could avoid it. 

She could even play along, smiling again.
[color=8877BD]”What job d’you think I’d be able to get here- what would I be best suited for?”[/color]


[color=0D6793]”I told you, anything you want. But, what you're best suited for?”[/color]

Elay paused a while, taking a deep breath as if he actually had to think. He had an answer queued up, even if it was the worst one. But, it struck him like a dollar's worth of pennies inside a sock.

[I]Why not an actual suggestion?[/i]

He was the good guy in just about every direction if he got her an actual job that paid well and didn't ask a lot out of her. Otherwise, he still got to gauge her reaction based on hot and cold… Typically, people in her situation would jump at the chance for Northern money. If she didn't, it didn't necessarily mean his theory was true: There was always a chance that she was just uninterested in working honestly. But, then he could more assuredly judge her character overall.

After all, leeching off of random John's was basically one step below escort work.  Living hand to mouth by the grace of whatever Sucker she was sucking that week? At least prostitutes could [i]save a little[/i].

[color=0D6793]”Well… I was [i]gonna[/i] tell you to go down out and across the foyer to Sin Sisters. If you danced, I bet you'd pull a few grand a night. But, then I thought about it… and I can't help but think about my little theory. And about how you ain't gonna run the risk of anyone seein’ your face, so me offering you any kinda job is just a waste of breath.”[/color]

He grinned, tucking his newly filled glass back. He'd done the pouring during his little monologue, letting the sip be a punctuation mark as he tried to find weakness in her face.

[color=0D6793]”So, go work in the accounting office. They're in an office on the fifteenth floor. Go up, and the first door on the right is the office. Talk to a lady named Galina. Tell her you're a Pink Adept, and you're guaranteed sixty thousand a year to start. It ain't Northside money technically, but I bet we can get you something rent-locked. A lot of the buildings here in Tuscania are half-vacant because they're historic buildings. Ordinance says there's only a maximum you can charge for renting them, ‘cuz they're usually a little haywire and you ain't allowed to fix ‘em. Costs the landlords more to keep the place lit and heated than they'd see back in rent, thus you don't see any Southies sliding into ‘em.”[/color]

Offering the perfect solution to the imaginary problem, she'd [i]only[/i] deny if she was [i]spoiled[/i]… or actually afraid of being seen. He waited, leaning in slightly.

[color=FF8604][i]You know the rules… No help on wild speculation, [b]or[/b] guesswork.[/i][/color]

It was a pretty good offer, if she was someone who just wanted to work and live. But she didn't. She wasn't sure if she could… When she came out of survival mode, had no one left, would she be able to keep going? Did she even deserve to? 

And the risk was still too high.

[color=8877BD]”But I already have a job. One that's far more exciting than accounting. And I quite like the bed I'm sleeping in right now.”[/color] Her hand slid forward across the table, fingers curling onto his forearm and running down it gently. Her smile only grew more playful instead of wavering. No indication of how right he was. After all, she knew he was pressing for it… and she wouldn't have made it very far if she showed everything- or anything- on her face.
[color=8877BD]”When you're done with me… [I]If[/I] you ever are… Then I'll take it. We [I]were[/I] talking about the after. You’re not getting rid of me that easily, [I]Elay[/I].”[/color]

His theory was right, after all. The risk of someone seeing her was too great. But it wasn't just that. She needed the thrill of her current situation to live. The pain inflicted on her helped her feel alive… It dampened the guilt for a moment. And she wanted [I]love[/I]. So desperately. How likely was she to get anything like that in an accounting office? 

She'd already latched her claws into Elay, and didn't want to let go. 

[color=8877BD]”I’m glad you didn't suggest dancing!”[/color] Her smile widened, a genuine laugh escaping her lips. Even her next words were completely honest.
[color=8877BD]”I ain't gotta sense of rhythm. The stripping, putting on a show with it, I can do easily. You already saw that. But dancing? Trying to keep time with music? It's a disaster. I'd get fired before the end of the night.”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”You ain’t have a problem keeping rhythm with those drums last night, liar.”[/color] he scrunched his nose. A rare expression while the guard was lowered slightly. 

Of course he didn’t like most of what she had to say, and frankly had no intention of responding to it. But it was the inflection… When she was [i]trying to be something else.[/i] Maybe it was just part of the con. Maybe it worked ten percent of the time. Neither mattered on the occasions where she turned into who he believed she really was. A fucking harpy. A Dirge Singer. Pink and Blue; didn’t matter what the other colors involved were. Those cruellest and most sadistic Adepts who held the power of Truth over the head of the innocent Blind humanity.

They’d classified them all. The Bureau, the Vaticanite, the Singh Dharma: Hundreds of magical institutions over humanity’s creation had come to discover, observe and categorize every little bit of magic that existed in this plane and beyond. And histories were, as far as those lopsided accounts are concerned, distinctly unkind to Adepts like her. It was, in this moment as he found himself terribly attracted, and terribly unbothered by her company, that he could almost imagine why.

[color=0D6793][i]This could be nice, if there was an actual person in there.[/i][/color]

Alas, there simply couldn’t be. She was too much of a nightmare. A walking lovebomb looking for the next moron like the bat on a horse’s neck. She could never be anything far from the explosion, as to bask in the sadness beyond was almost certainly the real treat. Garf knew that feeling too. Almost confirmed it to Elay without even asking. No matter how benevolent the Wampus of Dazzle had been, was all ruined by their endless gluttony. The deep pit, the need for more and more.

Could he give her that? He couldn’t give himself anything better… But, then… Maybe that was perfect. Maybe she needed it. All the sadness you can eat.

Garf sniffed loudly, moaning to himself.
[color=FF8604]”Ohhhh, something’s coming. [i]Prepare for-[/i]”[/color]

Then he stiffened. There was suddenly a great deal of anxiety, and Nessa would be privy to it by the very low growl which vibrated just beside her.

[color=15A663]“Yeah, somethin’s coming alright, you fat slob.”[/color]

Massive pointy-toed heels, three inches but built like the structural beams of a skyscraper, clicked around the corner followed by the white-and-red pinstripe slacks of an outfit Elay recognized. An outfit that [i]wasn’t supposed to be here.[/i] This was a nightmare. This was the worst. They’d only just had a conflict this morning, and he really wasn’t ready for this. Not in front of Nessa… The rest of the pantsuit revealed the massive frame of the Matriarch, Moriah Motta. 

Her mass of hair was tied up in a tight bun, and almost instantly the connections could be made that placed her squarely in line as a Motta sibling. Any stranger could recognize that… But what was far more striking was her relative appearance to someone long ago. Someone who Nessa believed was [i]dead.[/i] But that voice, then the face? The body. The way she walked as she carried the massive tray over her head. The way she made Elay automatically look more nervous.

Even if she didn’t know who Moriah Motta was… She’d know Cadenza. She’d know [i]that face.[/i] The one which, as it approached, didn’t bother looking at either of her dining companions. Only at Nessa, both bright green eyes in full luminescent bloom as she adjusted them to the dimness of the corner.


[color=15A663]“I’ll be damned… Another victim. Y’know this guy’s a deadbeat, right?”[/color] she asked very simply, smiling down at Nessa with [i]almost[/i] a knowing grin.

A subtle thread of pink wrapping around Nessa’s own mind, suppressing the jolt of panic that shot through her so that it never reached her face. Pink Lux was such a blessing sometimes- the ability to manipulate her own emotions temporarily. Dampening the cloudy tipsiness for the moment. 

The surge of guilt and sickness in the pit of her stomach was easy to hide even without magical manipulation. She’d spent so many years hiding it from the man who believed everything he was doing- was making her do- was right. And she’d wanted him to love her. So she couldn’t show it.

But it was difficult, when suddenly faced with a previous victim. No, someone identical to one. 

Because the woman- Cadenza- was dead. She’d seen the body. Felt the lack of life. There was fuzziness to parts of the memory, meaning someone else had tampered with it, but that much was clear. She couldn’t [i]forget[/i]. No matter how much she wished to, it could only be locked away by her own magic… and the lock always slipped open.

She’d been a rare case. Someone important. Nessa didn’t know why- and if she had then, it was all erased by him. But they’d [i]both[/i] worked on her. There’d been someone else there too, a lot of the time- but their appearance was blurred and so many of the conversations turned to static. 

Nessa had been in charge of further weakening a cracked Emotional Field, and layering more and more curses on top of the horrific ones her Father had already cast. Because he had so many other things to attend to. And it was good practice for her. There were few others as strong as that woman, she remembered him telling her. 

What she remembered most was the smile. Cadenza had never stopped smiling. And that voice, reaching out as Nessa cast cruel spells within her mind. Telling her everything would be alright… 

It wasn’t.

[color=8877BD]”Yeah, that’s what everyone’s been telling me.”[/color] Nessa responded calmly, the playful smile fading before being replaced with something more polite. The internal struggle was well hidden. The recognition completely suppressed. The only tell was a hand inching its way towards Garf, fingers seeking slim comfort in his fur. 

He already knew, anyway. As long as Elay didn’t. But did that matter? Maybe he had no relation to that woman. Maybe they were half siblings on the other side. She could only hope so… 

[color=8877BD]”I already got the warning from two other sisters today. I assume you’re… The oldest?”[/color] Based on the anxiety both Elay and Garf reacted with. Oldest, or most powerful. It didn’t particularly matter. Nessa’s mind shield held strong, in case this one had Pink too. 

[color=8877BD]”I’m Nessa.”[/color] The hand not gripping Garf’s fur was held out to Moriah. Her head turned towards Elay to utter a sarcastic comment. 
[color=8877BD]”Y’know, normally I’d save meeting the family for the third day.”[/color]

She appeared so nonchalant, just as she had with the other two sisters. Like her chest wasn’t restricting with horror. [i]Self-hatred[/i]. For a brief moment she’d forgotten just how awful she was. But it all came back. Everything she’d done, could do. She’d used her magic again today. The curse on that poor man, then starting to crack an emotional field. Fuck, it was so easy to slip back into it. Because that’s what she was. A murderer- an abuser- just like her Father. 

There was a momentary temptation to let it all out based on her assumption. To just say, [color=8877BD][i]I killed your Mother![/i][/color] If the woman in front of her now was anything like Elay, maybe she’d kill her immediately. It didn’t matter if it was slow or drawn out either. Just that it was deserved. But she couldn’t. Not when there was a sliver of hope, given to her by a fucking Eldritch Cat. 

[color=8877BD]”You’ve got one thing wrong, though. I ain’t his victim. He’s mine.”[/color]

The two Motta both knew the subtle fluctuation of Luxal energy telling of a Pink Lux spell. Since neither Emotional Field was touched, however, both first could only assume that she'd done something to the opposite. Elay and Momo both waited for a reaction from the other for the briefest of moments, only for it to fade away.

[color=15A663][i]Must be nervous… Fucking Pink garbage, gotta-[/i][/color]

[color=15A663]”Y'know, that's actually funny… Well, I hope whatever heartache and pain you decide to inflict on him, it's all natural. Magical pain is easy to inflict, after all. Right, Garf?”[/color] 

Garf had been running double duty, pacifying the inquisitive nature of his charge who wanted to outright snap at her for using magic in the presence of a Matriarch, while simultaneously pacifying his own ego's feeling of wounding as he realized something far scarier than Nessa's own revelation…

[color=FF8604]”You can camouflage your energy from me, Moriah…”[/color]

[color=15A663]”And you can sit at my dinner table tonight… Because we have a deal. A new case, Gentlemen.”[/color]

Moriah's massive arms swung the huge pan of cheese covered sauce down onto the table. It jiggled as it settled, and Moriah quickly pushed into the booth next to Nessa, taking her hand to shake.

[color=15A663]”So!? What was it?”[/color] the massive woman asked, having to lean herself to the side to look down at Nessa.

Garf, of course, couldn't resist. Momo needed time with the humans at the table, so of course the little worm got his fill first. Keep the bastard distracted.
It was the oddest thing to feel the cat totally shrink away from Nessa's hand… Quite literally, in fact, as his rapidly shrinking form hoisted itself up into the pan of lasagna before literally diving in like a lake of pasta sauce. The finger sized cat dug a hole right through the top layer of cheese, then disappeared like an actual worm beneath the Earth.

[color=8877BD]”What was [i]what[/i]?”[/color] Nessa’s eyes narrowed slightly. The magic she used? Could she tell? When her magic had been so subtle, and self targeted? It would be easy to come up with an excuse if that was the case. She could just say she was anxious, or some shit.

[color=15A663]”What was it you find attractive about my little brother? I can spare you the time, energy and probably a black eye for your troubles…”[/color]

Maybe the Woods siblings still had some kind of love for Elay; they'd been with him longer technically… There was more sentiment between them than there was between the naturally Drowish society of a Cullan household and the only male offspring therein. But Momo certainly didn't have a problem making herself known… Not when it was by her grace alone that Elay wasn't starving. At least, that's how she wanted herself to feel…

The actual question wasn’t actually that much easier for Nessa to answer. Did she go with the surface answer? That he was attractive and actually good in bed? Actually satisfied her where a lot of exes had failed? Hurt her enough to alleviate the guilt and help her feel alive… 

The deeper answer was out of the question. She wasn’t about to spill her guts about her loneliness, or that she hoped he’d be the one to put up with her. That the cat was convinced there was some connection, and she’d use anything she could to stay with someone. Didn’t matter how shitty a person they were. She was just as bad. Worse, maybe. 

[color=8877BD]”His sparkling personality, of course.”[/color] She intoned, forcing herself to not shrink further into the booth and against the wall. 
[color=8877BD]”It’s refreshing to be around someone that actually says what he means, even if half of it’s the most crass shit I’ve heard in my life.”[/color]

Her tone was dry, but it wasn’t all sarcasm. It [i]was[/i] much better in her opinion that someone said what they meant. Then she wasn’t surprised by shit. Though, it wasn’t like she was stupid… She’d known many of her exes were toxic going into the relationships too. But the lies had been so much more frustrating. 

[color=8877BD]”That, and the sex is pretty good. Surprisingly. I assumed he was all false arrogance. Most guy’s that big are. Maybe it helps that I'm enough of a crazy masochist to enjoy it all.”[/color] She shrugged one shoulder, not losing that dry evenness in her voice. 
[color=8877BD]”But I don’t need another speech about how he’s dangerous, or a piece of shit, or whatever, thanks. I’m perfectly fine.”[/color]

[color=15A663]”I mean it should be self evident, so I guess if you’re interested on getting off with sandpaper, grind that box away girlfriend. But the lecture ain’t about that. It’s about you, sitting here, and that you’d been offered something that the check cannot actually cash.”[/color] she cleared her throat, speaking in a rather businesslike fashion.

[color=15A663]”I feed him because, when he’s actually on, he makes for a half-useful man. At the very least, he’s a torso and legs that I own. Now, this may not give you a very good impression of me. That’s fine. If you wanted a better one, you’d have come here seeking employment.”[/color] 

[color=0D6793]”Moriah, ple-”[/color]


A thick burst of Italian arguing came from both sides, automatically translating in Nessa’s head thanks to her hours upon hours of stealing languages for free school credits. 

[color=15A663][i]”-Address me as you should, Cur! The disrespect is incredible, Lazarus! What I put up with!”[/i][/color] she snapped, turning almost instantly to a griping tone that could’ve made anyone cringe. 

Of course, Elay didn’t want to bow the knee… He only hoped Nessa didn’t speak fucking Italian, which… She did.

[color=0D6793][i]”Think for a second! Think! Why would I bring a woman here without business to attend to!? On what planet would I disrespect the Most Holy Sanctum, my Matriarch!?”[/i][/color] he cowed, having to bite his tongue and refrain from using the more colorful and derogatory term for a Cullan Matriarch: Gluttonwomb.

For a moment, Moriah let the gears tick away in her head.

[color=15A663][i]”Then what is this? She said-”[/i][/color]

[color=0D6793][i]”We met on a case, she was on the same mark I was. She was working the angle completely differently; had me rethinking my whole approach when it comes to things like that. She’s an asset in more ways than one, My Matriarch. She’s your new Detective.”[/i][/color]

Moriah’s eyes lit up. Suddenly, all the tension was gone. Suddenly, she could function without the fury of knowing there was a leech in her building eroding the little bit of goodwill she had left. Her grin became real, not something that was painted on her face as she mentally prepared to eject a lesser Adept and a greater Eldritch Abomination all in the same swing. Her head turned back to Nessa, nose scrunched up.

[color=15A663]”You aren’t… You’re… [i]Are you actually my employee?[/i]”[/color] she asked, conspiratorially as she desired to really confirm with Nessa without expecting that she’d understood the conversation.

Nessa didn’t give any indication that she’d understood the entire conversation between the two, head tilting in genuine confusion. She was trying to figure out what Elay’s angle was- but it would look like she was trying to figure out why Moriah was asking the question in the first place. 

Presumably the right answer was yes, if Elay had pushed her towards it. 

One hand came up to point at him. 
[color=8877BD]”Oh, did he say that?”[/color] She smiled politely, like the idea of having to interact with this woman more didn’t make her skin crawl. Like the guilt was eating her from the inside. But to keep the company, and the house and food… 

[color=8877BD]”Well, yes? I’d have to be, if you own him, and I’ve been working with him.”[/color] She decided to play it as safe as she could. Especially since she didn’t want it to be obvious she’d understood everything else they’d said… She’d save that for later. The strange fucking mental bowing from Elay… What the fuck exactly was a Matriarch, anyway? A sex thing? 

Momo slapped the top of the table, causing a crack to rupture across the wooden surface. 

[color=15A663]”Well I’ll be wetter than a jaguar with a cayman in its mouth! Dumb shit, should’ve started off with that Elay!”[/color] Momo hooted, her bullhorn voice causing half the staff to quake with fear. Even Garf shot his head up out of the slowly collapsing lasagna lake to check on things.

Funnily enough, she looked embarrassed. Enough that, when she slid her finger across the crack to send a reconstitution spell into the wood grain, she playfully mouthed the word “oops”.

[color=0D6793]”We both have a tendency to act out, don’t we?”[/color] Elay asked her simply, wanting to point out that she had indeed not left him much of an opportunity to say [i]anything[/i]. 

Of course, he could have interrupted her, but with the way she’d tripped out over his so-called attitude, he had no reason to think she’d have even listened to begin with. And Momo didn’t do much to dissuade that way of thinking either.

[color=15A663]”Ohhhh shut up, you deadbeat blackout fuck. Pointin’ out my tendencies, I’ll point you back toward the door. This woman don’t need your ass: She’s my new Detective! You said so yourself! So, what, Southie? You look like you had it rough; I can see the subtle wrinkles on your face. What kinda lights are flashin’ around in there? I felt a little Pink drag earlier; I’m guessin’ it was you since this idiot gave his away for a housecat with a weight problem.”[/color] she joked, immediately discluding Elay from the conversation as she graciously poured more wine into Nessa’s cup.

Nessa was distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of her being this new Detective [i]without[/i] Elay. The possible job itself was fine, even though she didn’t actually have the skills. But only [i]with[/i] him. At least, she had to stay close. Was this really just another way to get rid of her?! It didn’t matter if she had some financial stability if she was still alone. It would all slip away anyway.

She was smart enough to not react to her inner conflict or any of Momo’s sharper comments. 

[color=8877BD]”Southie, yeah. Pink and Yellow. It was me… just dampening the wine’s effect.”[/color] Nessa smiled, half truthful on both accounts. She decided to leave out the Blue for now. Forever, if she could. Because it was never something seen positively… And then, with all she’d used it for towards the person she presumed was Momo’s mother. Did she know? Probably not. Her father was great at covering things up. 

[color=8877BD]”Better with the Pink, though. My mother died before I kindled, so I didn’t have anyone to teach me the Yellow shit.”[/color] She continued, easily pulling up the story she’d been using the whole time she was in the South. 
[color=8877BD]”Father stuck ‘round long enough to teach me a bit at least.”[/color]

She paused, picking up her glass to take another sip. The resisted the temptation to down it all. She would, later. To drown out all of the thoughts… 
Putting it down, she inclined her head towards Elay. 

[color=8877BD]”You’re right, I don’t [i]need[/i] him, but he gotta lot I don’t. Makes up for my weaknesses, I suppose. I mean…”[/color] She gestured to herself- short stature, borderline unhealthily underweight. 
[color=8877BD]”Makes things easier when I got someone who looks scary, and can back it up, y’know? Two brains are better than one and all the shit, specially when one can beat people up.”[/color]

Momo nodded.
[color=15A663]”Oh, yeah… He’s real scary. Used to be scarier. Used to do things the rest of the Sisters couldn’t. Like make our Denmother weep over his treatment. I was gone by then, but I heard plenty.”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”Garf’s got a lot to offer, Moriah.”[/color] Elay said in simple protest. 

Though, by then, the waiter was coming around with more wine, and was asking after what meals Nessa wanted made for her take-home. Not that it was implied at all, that she’d be ordering food by the catering tray the same way Elay and Garf did, and that the fact that she wasn’t eating like that hadn’t been relayed from chef to staff… They simply asked her what she’d been interested in on the menu, and knew to bring sample plates of each.

Nessa was a little confused when just pointing to one thing on the menu didn’t seem to be enough. Was there something wrong with just ordering a simple Lasagna? Some Italian tradition where they needed something else as well? Well… Whatever. Garf could just eat it, or something. After the waiter stared at her a little longer, she pointed to a couple more dishes just to be done with it.

Temporary distraction aside, Momo was already thinking about all the cases this woman could handle that she really didn’t need anyone like Elay involved in. Things that needed finesse and work ethic, not… [i]Whatever he was.[/i]

[color=15A663]”Nessa, Honey… I ain’t tellin’ you you gotta break up with your boytoy. If you like gettin’ whacked around a bit, or whatever, that’s fine! So long as it don’t affect your ability to work, I’ll never complain! But, and maybe my Omitter here did what he does so well and neglected to mention: But if you’re workin’ in my employ? I expect you to work. That means what [i]I[/i] say it means, or I ain’t the Dutchess of Tuscania.”[/color]

That was a name that Nessa definitely would’ve heard in the news and on television. Madame Motta, the Dutchess of Tuscania. Alderman of the Fourth Ward. Well known for charitable contributions post-Cataclysm, as well as the city’s overall waste treatment facility found in the Sixteenth. Nessa had long escaped that kind of worldly influence by the time Momo rose to power, but local news was local news. Even if her Alderman seat was, like all 18 Aldermen, purely ceremonial, she was still a big deal for Cloverfield.

[color=15A663]”And that, to me, means you’re going to be an asset whether or not Elay’s available. And, pretty soon, there’s going to be some time where that’ll be the case. I’ve got him working on a credible threat to Cloverfield as a city, which is going to be work up in the mountains. I expect that while he’s there, you’ll be able to dive in on some of the cases I know will get us good capitol. Northern cases, stuff that I think a more subtle touch will be necessary for. You may look a little tired, but with your skillset, any Blinds you meet ain’t gonna have any questions for you. Hopefully you ain’t as soft as some of my other girls when it comes to where you’ve been… [i]Deer above, I’ve had a fucking long day…[/i]”[/color] she finished ominously.

Things were just getting better and better. A long stretch of time without Elay? [i]Northern[/i] cases? 

Looked like things weren’t going to work out after all. If these cases were anywhere near the upper echelons of the city, she’d be caught. Even if they weren’t… She probably wouldn’t have the drive to work them. Maybe the first few days, before the loneliness hit. Before she just [i]stopped[/i] and hoped her life finally would too. 

But that didn’t matter. What was the worst that happened? She got fired? Back to where she was, again? The inevitable? Fine. 

[color=8877BD]”I ain’t soft with most things.”[/color] She answered, not entirely sure [i]what[/i] was meant by that. She couldn’t ask, because it might give away that she wasn’t really from the South. 

[color=8877BD]”Elay was pretty clear about there being actual work expectations.”[/color] Which was true, even if she hadn’t expected it to end up like this. 
[color=8877BD]”It ain’t a problem. North’s much safer than the South- so I’ve heard, at least! Only gotta worry ‘bout anyone with magic anyway. So I’m sure they’ll be well within my abilities, don’t worry.”[/color]

She was certainly good enough at talking the talk, and pretending there wasn’t a gaping void inside of her. Slowly moving towards completely shutting down. She could feel it tugging at the edge of her mind, the depressive slump that came whenever the guilt got too bad. Of course seeing that face made it so bad. But, she was good at pretending too. Her whole life had been pretend!

[color=8877BD]”But… I’ll need identification and stuff. All’ve mine got destroyed by acid- y’know, cause’ve the attack. They ain’t been handing out new ones in the South either. It’s made things really difficult.”[/color]

[color=15A663]”Tomorrow morning then. Don’t be late, Elay, getting her into the office down on Sefora. Denine will be there, unless you’d rather your secretary handle it for the Fifth?”[/color] Momo spoke confidently.

[color=0D6793]”Can you get it faked?”[/color] Elay asked in response, calmly mulling over a feeling in his head. His theory.

[color=15A663]”What’s there to fake?”[/color] Moriah asked in a slightly confused fashion.

[color=0D6793]”She… Ain’t got a good face. People remember pretty ladies. They remember striking features.”[/color] he explained vaguely in return.

[color=15A663]”Now’s not the time for flirting…-”[/color]
[color=0D6793]”-The Tazzakin Mask. Just… Imagine she didn’t have to blast every client? Hell, imagine if Kiki did Detective work?”[/color]

Momo considered their Changeling little sister’s prolific ability to be whoever else she wanted whenever she wanted. The Tazzakin Mask wasn’t an artifact that she wanted getting into the wrong hands, but…

[color=15A663]”Hmmm… How about that? Sure, we’ll get your real idents replaced so you can live your life normally… But, why not let your work speak for itself? We’ve got this little mask, a temporary illusory field. Indistinguishable. Pop it on, we’ll make as many fake IDs as necessary to keep your game running. I kinda like it.”[/color]

That helped solve one problem, even if Nessa still wasn't too thrilled about the whole thing. But at least she wouldn't be risking being thrown in jail… 

[color=8877BD]”Wow, does it work on people with magic too? I assume White Adepts'd see through it, but there ain't much getting past them anyway.”[/color] Nessa asked. 
[color=8877BD]”Either way… I'd be stupid to say no to something like that. Magical manipulation isn't always foolproof. There's residue left behind, sometimes…”[/color]

Not by her, though. Not when she was trained by a Pink Lux master. Brute force had never been Charles’ way, anyway… And he needed to leave no traces on those he released from his experiments. Nessa still didn't know why some had been let go.

[color=8877BD]”Then I won't have to worry bout anyone guessing I'm from the South either. Not that [I]I[/I] care, but it makes it easier to get places. Without magic. Like Elay said… Better to not have to blast everyone, right? Ain't exactly subtle.”[/color] She nodded. 
[color=8877BD]”But I'll do whatever you want. You're the boss.”[/color]

Really, she was hoping for this to be over soon. The talk and the meal, which she was going to struggle to stomach. Then she could drink all the wine she wanted. Convince Elay to fuck away all her feelings, maybe. Or curl up and lose herself to it. 

[color=15A663]”Ain’t exactly subtle… Fair. What’s he got you on now?”[/color]

She took a fork from the table, leaning in and jabbing down into the tray to snap up a chunk of gooey cheese from the top before Garf ate all the lasagna from underneath it. 

[color=0D6793]”Westwood, there’s a flop complex, maybe a hundred fifty rooms. Lady who runs it says she ain’t been gettin’ her usuals in. Says there’s been some kinda scheme going on with some magical cards. We’re lookin’ into it, Mo.”[/color] Elay promised.

[color=15A663]”For what? You’re leaning on her?”[/color] Moriah asked.

[color=0D6793]”Place is a fucking maze. A few Orange Adepts would turn it into a fortified nightmare. We could have a strong base of operations to gain control of the Ward should the necessity ever come to it. Otherwise, she’s paying up for my hands, yes. I’m leaning.”[/color]

[color=15A663]”How hard?”[/color]
[color=0D6793]”Close to six grand a month, official once we take care of this case. Five grand up front.”[/color] he said, waving his hand.
[color=0D6793]”Which, you already saw a cut of.”[/color]

[color=15A663]”Ah, so that’s what that was? Right. Well, then fair’s fair. I have [i]nothing[/i] to bitch at you over for once, Elay. Keep it up, there may be hope for this city yet. Nessa?-”[/color]

Moriah slipped her hand into the breast pocket of her pant suit coat, sliding out a bright gold business card.

[color=15A663]”-Keep in touch. Because otherwise, I’ll have to make sure you do. The plan doesn’t change: Report to the registry building here in Tuscania tomorrow morning, my contact will get the paperwork made for you to use inside. We’re pushing the holiday here, so I want it done as soon as possible, no gaps after Thursday. We’re in the hole on the business and I want us to crawl out. Capice?”[/color]

She stood from her seat, and the whole bench relaxed. As if she didn’t much care about the answer, she was already half backing out.

[color=15A663]”Good, glad to hear it. See you on the other side, then.”[/color]
And she was [i]gone[/i]. Elay turned his head to look at her with a dead expression.

[color=0D6793]”And… That’s the woman who feeds me. You were right. My oldest sister, Moriah. Doesn’t leave much room for discussion on things.”[/color] he shook his head, taking a deep breath.

[color=8877BD]”No kidding…”[/color] Nessa intoned, the polite smile melting away from her face to leave very little emotion. She stared at the business card in her hands for a moment, before putting it away in her coat pocket. 

Then she reached for her nearly full wine glass, tipping it back and drinking until it was dry. The Pink spell on her brain to prevent alcohol's effect from really taking hold loosened. She needed it. Fuck, she needed it. But before it could get to bad she carefully tightened her mind shield, locking a section away from herself. Easy to unlock sober, a little harder drunk.

[color=8877BD]”I probably could've just nodded the whole time and it wouldn't have changed shit, would it?”[/color] She asked, already knowing the answer. Wasn't like Moriah had needed anything other than agreement- had expected it. 
[color=8877BD]”Fucking hell. You're lucky I'm quick on my feet… but I ain't looking forward to dealing with that more.”[/color]

She frowned even as her body relaxed slightly as the wine started to circulate her system, though it did nothing for the sickness she felt towards herself. She wanted to press. Find out if that woman was Elay's mother too… To know just how guilty she should feel. But she couldn't just outright ask it. Did she even want to know? Wasn't it better to be left in the dark? To just have one face to feel horrified over. Ignore all the similarities she was now seeing in the others. But it wasn't so bad, for him. Didn't bring up the memories, thank fuck. 

[color=8877BD]”So… how many other sisters you got?”[/color] She asked, reaching to refill her glass. 
[color=8877BD]”Any of them… Normal? I hope there ain't any others as intense as that. And there's only so many times I can go through the 'y'know he's a piece of shit' talk before I snap. At least you don't have to worry about it for me, cause I ain't got any family to warn you ‘bout shit you already know.”[/color]

Elay shook his head.
[color=0D6793]”A few. And no, none of us are normal. My family comes from a hidden place, where we still follow a lot of old rules. It's like a spider colony… the biggest ladies make the rules, all others fall in line to avoid being eaten. For men? We're expendable. Thus, the whole… Owning thing. When Our Lady, the previous Matriarch leading our house disappeared, Momo took things over and ran with it.”[/color]

The case… [i]The[/i] case. She was so willing to drop the ball nowadays, it felt like she had to be involved. How else would she feel [i]nothing?[/i] How could she not force every bit of herself into doing what he couldn't: To physically turn the city upside down in the hunt for the single greatest Cullan Matriarch in their histories? He could only assume she was willfully non-compliant.

But she fed him. What good was he otherwise, if not physically intimidating people she wanted him to while solving rich people's petty matrimonial disputes through court servings? Worthless. Of no good use. She saw him for what the rest of their secret society saw him as: A workhorse.

[color=0D6793]”But, they do get less intense the younger you go. Little Miss Kiki is nineteen, she dances next door. Mo is… Hard to remember how old she is, but I think she was sired like thirty-two years ago? 13 long, happy years to collect ‘em all.”[/color] he explained, just trying to avoid a deeper conversation by giving her what she asked for at the surface.

When Our Lady disappeared… it was a strange thing to call your Mother, but Nessa could only assume that was the case if his oldest sister had taken over. So Matriarch was used in the literal, age old sense? Head of a household, some shit. But it could be someone else. Maybe… Maybe Our Lady wasn't his mother! Maybe the woman she knew was dead wasn't the one who'd gone missing! 

The slim hope made her feel just as sick as the guilt. 

[color=8877BD]”Sired’s a weird fucking way to put it. But that's a lotta years between oldest and youngest.”[/color] Nessa commented, taking long drinks of her wine. Was it part of old rules stuff? Was it why Elay was such an asshole? Suppressed his whole life for being a boy, became the biggest dick around when given some freedom? She could understand that. A bit. 

[color=8877BD]”So… Was your dad completely subservient to your mom, then? Like she [I]owned[/i] him?”[/color] She couldn't hold back her curiosity about the whole thing. It was so different from what she knew… 

Technically, her parents had been equals. Maybe not emotionally, with her Mother actually in love and her Father just wanting an heir. But she wasn't subservient to him at all. Malaya was a successful woman of her own accord. A defence Engineer who now had her own Engineering and Security Company… it was nothing on what Charles had, but from what Nessa knew she'd never used his money. There was no ownership. Not between them. 

Just her. 

[color=8877BD]”And I thought my parents relationship was fucked up. Well, maybe convincing someone to have your kid under false pretenses is just as fucked. But ain't like they lasted anyway.”[/color] She waved a hand, alcohol pleasantly buzzing in her mind now. It didn't make her happy, or anything. Just dampened things a tiny amount. Enough to stop her from falling apart… 
[color=8877BD]”Assuming 'Our Lady' is your Mom, course. It ain't exactly the normal thing to call her…”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”[i]Our Lady[/i] was my genetic sire. Hence, the odd phrasing. Green Lux. Our mother was… Not that. Still subservient, in a way. But, Our Lady never treated her like that. Some Matriarchs were abusive toward their Consorts, but uh… My Ma was a Motta. Our Lady was sure to give her the name, so that she’d have the same kind of rights as my Sisters did within the structure of our greater Coven. Protection under the direct stewardship of the Highest Dame, Esponadia Motta, and the assurance that should Our Lady no longer be able to provide for us, that the family would be able to subsist.”[/color]

He remembered it all like he’d never left it. The structure, the position, his place among it all, had been so tightly crammed into his head that it felt like a cyst ready to burst at all times. Garf had long undone the [i]actual[/i] programming, but the passages that the Pink Lux had intentionally burrowed into his brain had been doing so for so long that it was an unavoidable tick. Probably the same reason he was so willing to put up with Nessa’s crap now.

Why he was so willing to just… [i]Talk.[/i] Even with her gone, he could feel his Ma’s tender magical touch, like the hand through his hair across the surface of his mind. Tingling. He remembered the old Trattoria Culla in the Leopold Building, and eating spaghetti only to scarf down half a basil leaf and start choking. How that face looked down at him and giggled as he hacked it up, then patted his head when she expressed her pride. Pride that he’d handled it himself… [i]A strong boy.[/i]

[color=0D6793]”When I finished up in the service, I was… Supposed to start looking for ‘em. Cadenza and Nikkita Motta: Missing Mom’s Matriarch. That’s the file in my drawer… It’s just about empty. Can’t find a fucking thing. And if I can’t find anything, Garf won’t help. Since he won’t help, I can’t find anything. But that's all I want to do. The only case that interests me is the one that helps me find something that has to do with either of those fucking names… [i]But the fucking city blew up![/i]”[/color] he snapped finally, not knowing what to do with the mounting tension in his own mind.

[color=0D6793]”And so, obviously I’ve got a business to run. She wants me to just [i]be that now.[/i] Even though [i]I’m[/i] the one who got sold off to a cult of hillbilly coal miners!”[/color] he instinctively went for the carafe, guzzling from it like it was a massive stein of booze.

Nessa was struggling to keep calm, half choking down the rest of the wine in her glass. Fuck. Fuck! 

It was the worst case. She’d been so focused on Moriah looking like Cadenza, that she forgot Garf asking her about Nikkita. But she never would have guessed they were [i]Elay’s mothers[/i]. How- How did that work?! Nikkita had been helping her Father. His assistant, perhaps the closest he had to a true equal. And Cadenza had… 

Fuck. She [i]knew[/i]. She knew what had happened to them. One, at least! She had [i]no[/i] idea where Nikkita was now. But she could guess. She’d [i]betrayed[/i] Charles after all, she was probably continuing his work by herself. She was the reason Nessa was in this fucked up mess in the first place. There’d been a warning she hadn’t from the woman before… To come to her place for that night…

So, she probably wanted Nessa too. The controllable Pink-Blue Adept. 

She barely heard what Elay said after the case. Didn’t have the capacity to reflect on how open he was after being so touchy up until now. It certainly wasn’t alcohol loosening his tongue… But it didn’t matter what had caused it. Because now she was stuck. What did she do? 

[color=8877BD][i]Leave. Protect yourself. Being alone is better than-[/i][/color]

[color=8877BD]”I can help.” Why?![/color] 

Alcohol made people say impulsive things. Loneliness, and wanting to be finally judged for what she’d done, sealed her own grave. Whatever happened, it would be something she wanted. He was grateful and stayed, or he hurt and maybe killed her. So long as… She never had to go back to that… To doing that. Hurting people. Not when she’d finally escaped. The state she’d been in was better. 

[color=8877BD]”I ain’t like the cat. There’s no rules… Or any of that shit. I can- I bet my magic’ll help! It ain’t white, but it’s pretty good for finding things. People. Just not b-bodies…”[/color]

Fuck, but she knew. She [i]knew[/i] already. She could just tell him. And what, lose any chance she had at all? It wasn’t just her that had killed Cadenza. In reality, it was all of the curses layered on top of her. But she’d been [i]in[/i] her mind when it happened. When the light was snuffed out. It was [i]her[/i] Pink Lux that was the final blow. Killing the one victim who didn’t blame her… Someone who seemed to genuinely believe she’d get out of it. She’d felt it in the end. All the Joy…

It only made it all feel worse. 

She grabbed a carafe Elay wasn’t holding to refill her glass, taking another long drink. It wasn’t smart. She should stop… but she couldn’t. 
[color=8877BD]”I don’t understand any of the Coven or Matriarch or Dame shit… But we ain’t so different, y’know. Sold, used, abandoned, whatever. But at least I know my parents are dead.” I wish they were. “So I’ll help you find yours. Cause I’m nice like that. I- I know people in the South that went missing. Before the Cataclysm. It almost happened to me! I- Maybe it was the same thing?”[/color]

She needed an excuse to ‘find’ things. Because she didn’t want him knowing who she was, or what she’d done. Not until it wasn’t possible to hide it anymore. But she could drag it out. She would need to figure out where Nikkita had ended up, anyway…


[color=0D6793]”You think it’ll help your fuckin’ case… Whatever. Look all you want. If I ain’t found anything, sure as shit you won’t.”[/color]

Garf breached a near empty pan from the last full corner of lasagna. Blood-colored and distended in this tiny form, he was all sauce and matted fur.

[color=FF8604]”Oh, Lazarus my boy. [i]Why not let her in?-[/i]”[/color] he asked with a somewhat strained voice. 
[color=FF8604]”-What harm could she possibly do? Have you ever sought a fresh scope or perspective since you started?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”Every person questioned was a [i]fresh perspective.[/i]”[/color] Elay snarled.

[color=FF8604]”They weren’t! It was the same story, over and over again. Nobody knows anything. What was the only consistent lead?”[/color]

All memories died after a walk in Cardamom Park. A little park up in the Ninth Ward, where it was almost always empty on the weekends. A Saturday stroll, nobody around, suddenly everyone self-actualized in the same place. The same park bench. The same little Pink spell that just [i]melted away[/i] whenever Garf tried to grab it.

He tucked his head. Garf simply didn’t have the subtlety. That was exactly what Moriah had suggested then, and it was the same now. Finesse of a Pink Lux Adept. Just like Nikkita would’ve done. Like she never taught him to be.

[color=0D6793]”If… You’re serious about this at all? If you really wanna keep your setup how it is? You’ll go to Cardamom Park up in the Ninth District when I leave. I’ve got reason to believe that the people I questioned in my initial investigation were mind-wiped by a Pink Lux Adept. I think you can help. One woman still goes every Saturday. Garf keeps tabs.”[/color] he admitted, knowing exactly where his last lead would be at all times was crucial… For picking up where one left off.

[color=FF8604]”And, you’ll do it, right Nessa? Because it’s certainly something you can handle? A little trip to the park one day?”[/color] he asked her ominously.

Nessa looked at Garf, eyes narrowing slightly, then back to Elay. 
[color=8877BD]”I will. Pink Lux is my speciality, after all. There aren’t many spells I can’t figure out.”[/color]

What choice did she have, anyway? Maybe this was a chance to atone. To prove she wasn’t like them… Even though she knew she was. But she had to help if she was going to stand any chance of not being thrown away the moment Elay found out anything. 

Either, it was Charles magic, it was Nikkita’s, or it was her own- somehow. Charles did have her erase memories sometimes. She could trace all of them… Figure any out. Because both had taught her. But if it was recent, there was only one person it could be. Unless it was [i]unrelated entirely[/i].

[color=8877BD]”Has this been happening [i]since[/i] the Cataclysm? The mind wiping? I assume your Moms didn’t go missing recently?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”No. Six years ago. I was on my first tour of duty, earning my stripes killing for my Government. I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. But, the wiping seems like it [i]stopped[/i] then. Like none of the subjects had been tampered with after a certain date.”[/color] he replied calmly, staring into his glass as his and Nessa’s meals for that evening finally arrived at the table. 

He had four or five plates, which he spread apart from the last of the Lasagna so Garf didn’t breach out and into his minestrone soup.

[color=FF8604]”Ahhhh, you’re already further than you were five minutes ago… See? She’s useful. You want her around, Elay.”[/color] Garf intoned, dragging himself clean with his tongue before inflating back up to a normal sized cat.

He batted the empty pan off the table with his tail, clearing his throat and smiling with his eyes at Nessa.

[color=FF8604][i]’You did great. She’s got no clue. Moriah Motta’s nothing like Cadenza was, honey… Sharp as a river stone, frankly.’[/i][/color] he intoned between their minds.

[color=8877BD][i]’Hah. Most people wouldn’t think their shitty brother’s new girl also killed their Sire, anyway.’[/i][/color] Nessa shot back, not feeling much comfort in his words. 

Temporary safety, maybe. But how long could it last? 

[color=8877BD]”Six years ago… Must be strong if it’s still lingering.”[/color] She commented out loud, looking down at her food with a frown. Multiple plates… Why were there multiple plates? Because the waiter had expected her to order that? Her portions were nowhere near the size of Elay’s, but it was still far too much. 

She not so subtly pushed the Carbonara and [i]Risotto ai funghi[/i] plates towards Garf, leaving just the Lasagna in front of her. She very slowly started to pick at it.
[color=8877BD]”Whoever it was probably moved location. I’ll be able to trace it.”[/color]

If it [i]was[/i] some of their victims, it sounded like a cursed command. [color=8877BD][i]On saturday, go to Cardamom Park.[/i][/color] But what would be the reason for something like that? [i]She[/i] didn’t remember casting it. It was too late to be when she was practicing such rudimentary spells anyway… Maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe it was a non magical habit. 

She knew why the tampering had stopped, at least, even if she’d never been privy how Charles got people. Or why he released them- just that he did. Layered curses, then let them back into the world as if nothing had changed. Memory wiped. Dormantly cursed. 

No, she did know, didn’t she? It was part of his plan to take over the city. The plan that failed because Nikkita betrayed him… 
[color=8877BD]”But it won’t be to the source if it’s been so long. Probably to the next place they got people- assuming they did, and it wasn’t a short lived thing. But all magic has a signature. Pink’s easily traceable with other Pink… But you probably remember that, right?”[/color]

[color=0D6793]”I do.”[/color] he replied very simply, suddenly clamming shut again. Or, maybe it was the fact that there was something he actually wanted to eat in front of him. His fork dug into his plate of alfredo, dragging the noodles into his gullet over and over again.

[color=FF8604]”He knows that if whatever information I find would be too revealing, I won’t give it to him.”[/color] Garf grinned to himself, quickly going to town on Nessa’s order of carbonara. With a mouth half-full, he spoke perfect English still.

[color=FF8604]”So, you’ll have to let him know what you find out there. It’s not a dead lead, you two. I promise.”[/color]

Elay only took a break to pour more wine down his throat. Then it was onto the cutlets, giving Nessa and Garf plenty of time to [i]know[/i] with one another.

[color=8877BD]”Can’t you swallow before you talk?”[/color] Nessa made a face at Garf, gesturing with her fork to Elay. 
[color=8877BD]”Even he knows not to talk with his mouth full…”[/color]

She paused to eat a little bit herself. It was really good. The best food she’d tasted in a long time. It was a shame she felt so sick it was difficult to swallow. It would probably come back up later… 

[color=8877BD]”Good to know it ain’t. Then I’ll trace it, find the source eventually.”[/color] Like she didn’t already know who the source was. But she had to find one. Maybe… Maybe it could all be pinned on Nikkita. 

[color=8877BD]”I won’t even try use anything I find as leverage. I’ll share it with no fuss… Ain’t that nice of me? I don’t seem so bad now, do I?”[/color]

Her head tilted slightly, a mental thread opening with Garf again. 
[color=8877BD][i]’You really won’t reveal anything?’[/i][/color]

[color=FF8604][i]’We’re not so different, you and I… We both want the same simple thing. A willing host, and a little bit of tender love and care. I can share them both knowing that the key is so close to the lock.’[/i][/color] he replied in her head with a smugness that couldn’t be measured on his feline face.

[color=0D6793]”Just quit being so fuckin’ annoying and we’ll be golden.”[/color] Elay commented as he split a roll open to slide a few cutlets onto it, followed by a scoop of the leftover alfredo sauce.

[color=8877BD]”Quit being an asshole and I’ll consider it.”[/color] Nessa shot back, before digging into her own meal. 
[hr][right][code]Elay's Apartment[/code][/right]
While Pink Lux helped control the effects of alcohol on the brain, it had its limits. Especially with the amount Nessa drank by the end of the night. She could still [i]walk[/i]- could absolutely still fuck like she planned to later. But the last thread of Pink holding back all the shit that shouldn’t spill out faded when they got back to Elay’s apartment.

At least she’d locked away everything she really couldn’t let him know. 

[color=8877BD]”[i]Oh nooo[/i], looks like I’ve ended up in the place so many people told me to avoid today.”[/color] She slurred, before giggling. She was able to hold it in long enough to get out of the entrance hall, at least, before she turned to look at Elay with squinted eyes and a playful smile again. Both flirtatious and taunting.

Back to what she’d been like before, only further fueled by the alcohol and lack of outside company. All the things she hadn’t brought up before clamouring in her mind. She wanted to taunt him. Piss him off… Get him to react in some way that might hurt her. Cause she deserved it. Fuck, she did, and she needed it to shut down her fucking self hatred. 

She moved closer to him, whole body leaning toward his. One hand moved towards his chest while the other went to caress his arm.
[color=8877BD]”So… You gonna reward me for all my [i]good behaviour[/i]? [i]Or[/i] did your ‘Matriarch’ rip your dick off earlier along with your balls?”[/color]

He’d been [i]dealing[/i] with Nessa’s usual crap since they managed to get out of Allebella’s with the order. Garf was kind enough to carry the large bundles up, bones poking from his flesh as morbid hangars to keep the bags held on during the ascent. Back to that cold, quiet place. Lifeless furniture, cold lights. But, a warm touch. Perhaps the first time he’d felt like there could be more than [i]whatever[/i] they’d been doing up until now.

Just for her to ruin it. It didn’t matter how warm her skin was, or how much she clung to him after the fact. She just couldn’t help herself, and-

[color=0D6793]”Why the [i]fuck[/i] would you say that?!”[/color] he blurted out, pulling away from her instinctively and stepping a few paces off. 
[color=0D6793]”You… Fuckin’ dumb? What? ‘Sat sp’osed’a turn me on or sum? Explain that shitty dumb logic to me, huh?”[/color]

Nessa pouted when he pulled away. Wasn’t like he was winding up for a strike, or anything. She’d have to push more. Or did she throw it all away and lean into the flirting, the fleeting warmth…?

No, no, no. She didn’t deserve that. She only deserved suffering. Hatred. Especially from him. 

[color=8877BD]”What, I was just checkin’! Don’t wanna get too excited if it ain’t workin’ anymore… You wanted me to wait and see?! Strip first and hope?!”[/color] She snorted, rolling her eyes. She stepped forward back into his space.
[color=8877BD]”It’s s’posed to rile you back up! I ain’t into grovellin’, submissive men.”[/color]

His brain couldn’t quite wrap around what the fuck she was getting at.

[color=0D6793]”So… [i]You think I’m a pussy?[/i] Is that it? What, me cavin’ someone’s head in front of you ain’t enough?”[/color] he gripped his hands into themselves slowly, taking himself out of the sightline so he didn’t keep staring at her.

She was questioning him about his manhood. About how Momo had treated him in front of her. [i]Of course[/i] she was.

[color=0D6793]”Great. Great! Glad I brought you there. So good to know you fit in so well with every other [i]cunt[/i] in my life. You gonna be Moriah’s little spy now? Gonna go blab to her about every time I’m drunk, huh? Get in nice and close? She’ll happily fuck you! Bigger dick than me too, knowing her. She can’t fuckin’ keep the same shape day after day, Big Green Bitch. Go ahead, Nessa. Go, go and get your fucking Matriarch, go and be with the goal.”[/color] he said coldly from behind the wall. 

Garf was busy putting bags into the freezer with his manipulatory hands, leaning his body to one side and listening to the conversation with the other. 

[color=8877BD]”Oh, you think I’m that much of a slut? Why would I let that bitch fuck me?! Just cause she’s some psycho misandrist?!”[/color] And she looked like someone Nessa had killed! But she couldn’t say that. 

Like always happened, her goading turned back on her and she began to get pissed. Until he dropped her she’d be loyal- she wasn’t a fucking cheater, even if whatever they had was mostly just fucking. 
[color=8877BD]”I didn’t even want the fucking job! I just played along to stop you from getting kicked out! I don’t give a fuck about her or whatever the fuck she wants… But yeah, you looked a lot like a pussy in there! The least you could do is prove it ain’t the case. Cause you were the one going all ‘My Matriarch’ this and that- why the fuck would I wanna do that same shit?! It was bad enough seein’ you do it!”[/color]

There was a loud thrashing: the wrenching of a side table and all the things on it flying into the door next to it, snapping it in half with the main bulk continuing on into the wall beyond. As he came around the corner, he had a lamp base in his hand with the chord half-snapped. It was only in his hand for a moment before it was hurdling past Nessa’s head. It wasn’t like he wanted to miss, he just wasn’t exactly sharp. He would’ve happily beamed it off of her head. 

But she ducked, and that only pissed him off more. His body, still contorted from the motion of throwing, twisted back toward the opposite direction to straighten out. His right hand followed the momentum, catching her just beneath the nose across the chin and mouth. It was a [i]deep[/i] backhand, causing the noise of slapping flesh to echo across the half-empty apartment. His left hand automatically moved to grip her by the collar, right hand cocking back.

[color=0D6793][b]”Act like you know any more and I’ll fucking [i]kill you![/i] Do you fucking hear me!? Are you fucking listening!? Shut the [i]fuck[/i] up!”[/b][/color] he screamed down at her, only for the loud thumping of paws to end before abruptly knocking the massive man out of the way.

Garf blocked Nessa’s body as she righted herself, both massive front paws smashing off the floor with a tremendous roar.

As Nessa tilted backward to catch herself on the wall behind her, she let out a short laugh. Her lips pulled up into a smile- a bloodied one, but a smile nonetheless. One foot kicked out as if to knock the massive cat out of the way. 

[color=8877BD]”Let him fucking do it, you fat piece of shit. You [i]know[/i] I can take more. You fuckin’ [i]know.[/i]”[/color] She sneered, smirking at Elay beyond him. 

It was what she’d wanted, after all. Goaded him towards. How fucked up… She wanted him to get violent, then still expected the night to proceed like it should have. But wasn’t it mutually beneficial? He got out all his anger, and she was able to feel like maybe she deserved to live for a moment. 

[color=8877BD]”I know [i]plenty[/i], Elay! I heard it [i]all[/i]... You became subservient so quickly! So go on, prove that ain’t you. Get more violent, keep screaming at me! [i]Non me ne frega una cazzo. (I don’t give a fuck)[/i]”[/color]

She… Spoke Italian? [i]She spoke Italian…[/i] She heard him talk, and lie to keep her there. Lie to keep her fed. Only for it to backfire in his face. And here she was, throwing it all at him. And he had no defense. There was little hesitation as he pushed himself back up onto shaky legs and moved forward.

[color=FF8604]”Elay, Elay, no! No!”[/color]

Garf pushed up on his back legs, and was at a paw’s swipe from Elay’s head when he [i]vanished[/i]. Just as Garf had [i]his[/i] private time, so too did Elay have the opportunity to cash that in. He never usually did, and thus never worried about not having an instance to use when he really needed the peace. Like now, when he was going to do what he wanted right now.

Within a few seconds, he was bent over top of her with both hands around her shirt again. Yanking her close, he pressed his face into hers.

[color=0D6793]”You wanna act like you know shit, Nessa? Know shit somewhere else.”[/color]

He slammed her up against the wall, planting his lips against hers as his free hand swung the door to the apartment open. The hand still gripping her shirt forced her away, tossing her into the hall like a doll as the door slammed shut.

Nessa landed on her ass, before immediately rolling over onto all fours and pushing herself up. But she wasn’t fast enough to stop the door. All at once it came crashing down. 

Of course he had his limits. Of course he was too much of a pussy to actually kill her. The throbbing pain in her back and face was at least a temporary relief. Right back where she belonged. 

A thread of Pink slithered under the door, slamming words across Elay’s Emotional Field. 
[color=8877BD][i]Mangia merde e morte. (Eat shit and die)[/i][/color]

The response wasn’t Elay. It was never his Emotional Field to begin with, after all.
[color=FF8604][i]Nessa, don’t go anywhere! Just, sleep in the hall! It’ll be-[/i][/color]
And then he was [i]gone.[/i] 

It’ll be what? Okay? Even if he’d finished what he was going to say, Nessa wouldn’t have done it. She didn’t believe it. It was over, again. Her fault, again. 

Smart enough to realise it, but never to actually change… 

Mentally projecting a middle finger towards an inaccessible Emotional Field, she pushed herself to her feet. It had been an almost fun two days. She’d felt more alive than she had in a while. How nice. 

Now, she’d go back to the filth where she belonged.