phone call ☎ to desmond descant || backdated to march 11th

[rationalizes]

[bring bring, mothafucker]

Comments

[nothingsodivine]

Oh good. You didn't forget. [He groans and there's the sound of a creaking mattress in the background as he rolls over.] The girl's fine.

[rationalizes]

I hadn't expected to hear otherwise.

But might I ask, exactly, what 'fine' entails?

[nothingsodivine]

We've got her put up somewhere safe. Can't tell you much more than that, but if things get bad where she's at, she's got my number and she'll call me.

[rationalizes]

I see. [But she does not sound very pleased about said seeing.]

And did you manage to gather any information from her about the nature of this... club of hers?

[nothingsodivine]

I'll give you the benefit of this info, both because I know Wynn and because I don't want the hounds of hell descending on the guy just because he's stuffy and British and has a pigmentation problem. [He exhales on the other end of the line.] Ever heard of something called the Lazarus Talisman?

[rationalizes]

To be equally honest, Mr. Descant: it's precisely why we're here.

[nothingsodivine]

Well, Jade doesn't know anything about it and I believe her. And what I know about it is that it's not something you need to be getting mixed up in. The last time I crossed paths with it, it was a fake and it still cost me.

[rationalizes]

Do you mean to say that you have a history searching for the Talisman? [She sounds a little too excited at the notion, which seems like... the opposite of what Des was aiming for]

[nothingsodivine]

I have a history of being called out on a case, nearly getting myself and a dumb teenage boy killed, and got banned from New Orleans for my trouble.

[rationalizes]

That sounds very... rough and tumble for a treasure hunt, but I suppose in this line, it almost always is, isn't it?

I don't suppose in your investigation you uncovered any information that hasn't been shared in the rumor mill already?

[nothingsodivine]

The Shadowkind don't like people effing with their really old and powerful shit. And that wasn't even the real thing.

[He shrugs] Not a thing. This case was the first I'd heard of it since the 80's.

[rationalizes]

Well, if all goes well, perhaps this will be the last.

[nothingsodivine]

It's so cute you can still be optimistic about anything.

[rationalizes]

In our line of work, the impossible tends to be possible nine times out of ten. It certainly has a tendency to open one's mind to potentialities.

[nothingsodivine]

Spoken like someone who hasn't hit her quota of face-eating monsters yet.

[rationalizes]

While I'll admit no one's attempted to ... eat my face yet, I wouldn't say I'm entirely inexperienced. Though perhaps we could help each other.

[nothingsodivine]

You mean on your little quest, Dr. Jones?

[rationalizes]

Jeanne Gar. I don't recall whether we were properly introduced.

[nothingsodivine]

We weren't. Your blonde friend was too busy threatening to blow out my kneecaps.

[rationalizes]

Ah ... yes. Sometimes her [oh what's the word] enthusiasm gets the best of her. She was merely concerned that you weren't to be trusted.

[nothingsodivine]

Next time tell her that a sure-fire way to make a potential ally into someone who ain't to be trusted is to threaten to cap him.

[rationalizes]

I'll be certain to speak with her on the subject.

So you do consider us potential allies, then?

[nothingsodivine]

I consider Wynn to be a stand-up guy, so that means his people are decent enough. That doesn't mean I think he's always got the right idea.

[rationalizes]

I hope you don't honestly believe that he would abuse this sort of artifact.

[nothingsodivine]

No, but this isn't an artifact- it's a girl. And she doesn't deserve to be treated like anything less than that. You could give her a mansion in Paris and it would still be a prison for her.

[rationalizes]

We certainly have no interest in... in detaining anyone, so to speak. And it's possible she knows nothing at all about the Talisman, in which case we'd simply like to make certain she's safe from those who think that she does.

[nothingsodivine]

Look, lady, as long as the three of us reach a compromise on this, I'm happy.

[rationalizes]

I'm glad we see eye to eye on that at least.

I expect I'll be hearing more from you, to make certain the girl makes it back alright, then.

[nothingsodivine]

Oh, I'm sure you will, whether I want to or not.

[rationalizes]

I'm afraid so, though I do apologize if we've dragged you into something you wished to have no part of again.

[nothingsodivine]

Believe me, I dragged myself into it. Kind of a glutton for punishment. [And a glutton for things going his way.]

[rationalizes]

Some of us are just drawn to adventure, I suppose.