PRIVATE ☏ TO VIOLET

[lawofsurvival]

I hope you don't mind - Burt provided me with this number.  I hoped we might talk more about what you mentioned the other night.

Comments

[graveflowers]

[gdi Bertram.]

Okay. Is it going to help Italia's case or is this more of a personal, getting to know the help sort of thing? Because I'm not exactly one to spill my guts, it's very messy and you don't really sell the whole sharing is caring side of life.

[lawofsurvival]

As much as I enjoy heart-to-hearts, I'm afraid this is entirely in regards to Giovanni's ... situation. He's put himself on the radar of the most powerful House in Chicago. The why is likely very, very important.

[graveflowers]

Then go for it. What do you want to know?

[lawofsurvival]

You mentioned that you believe a drow god held some... interest in you. [ it's pretty clear that he's skeptical of that idea, even disdainful, which he's barely bothering to mask. ] Why do you think that?

[graveflowers]

You know, the nightmares where he basically says "come hang out with me, I've got power and I'll give you some, it'll be swell" kind of gave me the impression there was some interest to be had. The fact that it wasn't a one time thing...? Well you can see where a girl would make assumptions. [Her delivery could not be any drier if she tried. She had been all willing to like him and be helpful until he said half-breeds and now everything comes with the subtext of fuck you a lot.]

[lawofsurvival]

But he's never specified why he offers this to you, of all mortals?

The Nightmare Lord is foolish enough to consider his masculinity to grant him superiority over females, and so it's certainly possible that he may have turned an eye on a woman he desires. But to carnal ends, if anything. To force you to couple with him to sate his appetites. [ he speaks of the possibility of vi getting raped with a casual indifference, as if he's doing it more to state a fact than out of any level of concern whatsoever. ] But if he's offering you power of some kind, that seems... unlikely to be his goal.

He wants something from you. Something much more tangible to him than sexual union. And whatever he wants, he should never be allowed to get. If Baenre knows he's targeting you, they may have sought to kill you merely to prevent the possibility of his acquiring it.

[graveflowers]

[Vi is quiet for a minute because she's trying not to vomit from that knowledge.]

Okay. Well you just gave House Baenre a motive for killing Jade -- since she made the deal Keijen is trying to get me to make. That's probably handy.

[lawofsurvival]

Keijen?

And what deal is that, pray?

[graveflowers]

He's the guy I am supposed to go to if I want in on this whole shebang -- which, I'm pretty sure translates to: I team up with them for some reason because they need people like me, and they give me this nifty power I am craving. They're not exactly giving me a wealth of information, okay.

[lawofsurvival]

People like you.

[graveflowers]

Yeah. See, my mom is a goddess.

[lawofsurvival]

[ just the slightest little beat ] ... And what goddess was it who fell so enamored of a... human, I take it? [ look, he at least said 'enamored' instead of suggesting more divine rape. that's a step towards courtesy. he can sound disgusted with anyone finding humans attractive all he wants ]

[graveflowers]

He might not be human, I dunno, I don't remember him. [She sighs, rubbing her forehead, can he tell how aggravated she is with all of this through the phone? It's probably not hard.] Proserpina, Roman goddess of spring and other stuff, also called Persephone, I don't really care what you want to call her.

[lawofsurvival]

A god of this world then. [ wow he says that with all the dismissive air of you saying your mom was santa claus ]

[graveflowers]

[Wow fuck you, Santa Claus rules.]

Sure. And my world. Which isn't this one. She gets around.

[lawofsurvival]

Apparently. [ :) ]

[graveflowers]

Yeah, adorable, you're so very droll. Anything else you want?

[lawofsurvival]

I'm interested to know how his degree of interest in you might be related to my client. And if this has something to do with the part-drow woman that he killed.

[graveflowers]

Accidentally killed. [For the record.] Funnily enough I don't exactly have his number to just call him up and ask or have a nice one on one chat, demigoddess to full god, about feelings and plans and life goals. [Except for that hourglass... which no one is going to let her touch. Well probably no one.] How the hell am I supposed to know what any of this has to do with the rest of this shitstorm?

[lawofsurvival]

You must have your suspicions.

[graveflowers]

Yeah. [SIGH. It's really difficult to decide how much she's allowed to reveal. Not that she knows shit, but they did all just have that talk punctuated with how they shouldn't trust him. But if it'll help Raf... which will help Des and Buffy and Finnick... seriously she needs a list of things she shouldn't say.] Chad wants the Talisman, Chad is on Team Psychogod... the Talisman probably needs an aasimar -- [She still fumbles with that word.] -- from each side to activate it, like a failsafe to keep it out of either side's hands.

[lawofsurvival]

And this... Talisman, what benefit would it grant the Nightmare gods followers?

[graveflowers]

Immortality.

[lawofsurvival]

Well, I can see why it's causing such a stir, then.

What do you mean, an aasimar from either side? I assume you refer to yourself--

[graveflowers]

As neutral, yes. [Snap snap snap.] Spring and death are inevitabilities, they don't have a side. I mean one from the Seldarine side and one from the Dark Seldarine side, maybe they think I am some cheap substitute for Jade.

[lawofsurvival]

[ he's not even going to touch the parts of that that are massively offensive to his life ] The Dark Seldarine side. [ ok, maybe he'll at least repeat that phrase skeptically. he tried. ] Your parent isn't any derivative of Elven. I fail to see what you have to do with the Seldarine whatsoever.

Do you believe they already possess one of these two... aasimars?

[graveflowers]

Sorry. [Violet doesn't bother being defensive about the fact that she tries not to be racist because the fact is that she probably is all the time just because she's human and not from this world and her ignorance is probably rude as fuck.]

I said cheap substitute, did I not? We think Keijen's holding Jade's sister, possibly for this, though why they can't just use him I have no clue. Which, if you hadn't noticed is pretty much my default for everything. I've been on this mission for like... two weeks. It's literally impossible for me to be as helpful as pretty much anyone else you could choose to talk to.

[lawofsurvival]

So I assume this Keijen possesses divine blood as well. Which must be why he was selected as a messenger for the Nightmare Lord on this plane.

In any case, a convergence of this many aasimars, or tieflings, as it were, is most unusual. Your kind are rare creatures, in any mortal plane. Do you know the identity of this sister?

[graveflowers]

Yeah, we're like unicorns. It's some N name, Russian gymnast girl, I don't know. Myri knows, you can try asking her.

[lawofsurvival]

I take it she - and the rest of Giovanni's little entourage - are active in this "mission" of yours as well? The goal of which is to halt the Nightmare Lord's followers and recover the Talisman yourselves?

Is he a member of your group, or merely connected to all this because of Jade?

[graveflowers]

I'm pretty sure he just got stuck with us through Jade. [Seriously though, he is talking to the newbie, and not the smart one that actually retains things.] But yeah. I think that sums up the mission decently.

[lawofsurvival]

And your employer?

[graveflowers]

[Sigh.] Not stuck with us because of Jade.

[lawofsurvival]

I meant who might you be working for, that has such an interest in halting the designs of a minor drow deity?

[graveflowers]

Obama. I mean, thanks, right?

[lawofsurvival]

Someone with impressive resources, I should think, or at least connections, given the way in which your man with the shotgun didn't spend so much as a night in jail.

[graveflowers]

Well, he is the President.

[lawofsurvival]

Somehow I don't expect Mr. Giovanni to be handed down a presidential pardon.

[graveflowers]

Yeah, well that's what you're for, isn't it? So he won't need one.

[lawofsurvival]

Which is why it's important for me to have all these essential little pieces of the puzzle.

[graveflowers]

Why don't you just ask him then?

[lawofsurvival]

One can't expect decent conversation out of a half-elf.

[graveflowers]

Annnnnd this one has come to a close, I think.

[lawofsurvival]

It's been very... enlightening. [ :) ]

[graveflowers]

[Oh balls...] Uh-huh. Please stay in touch, is was super great. Bye.