Do you remember the desert? My grandson and I did some exploring. There were some fistacuffs involved. After, we found ourselves in the palace and were offered rich reward. I already have all I could ask for. I've Regulus to watch over and a wonderful Grandson and a fine employer. I need nothing else. So I asked for a favor.
[ Hiling has been feeling restless often lately. Too much so to be confined to her bed. At times like this she might normally turn to her dominant but tonight she stops at the room of her fellow submissive instead. It may well not be a good time for a social call but that never stopped her before. She knocks and tries the door handle without really waiting for a reply. ]
[It's late enough that he's been asleep for some already, but the knock on the door rouses him slightly, enough to open his eyes and see his bedroom door swing open in the dark. It's probably an oversight to keep the door unlocked, but he liked to leave it that way, for Alfred to come and go as he needed to. Half asleep, he pushes himself on an elbow to try and see who it is, hand straying towards his bedside table where his gun sits]
[ If she can't sleep then it's only fair that he doesn't as well. She approaches with the confidence that she has the run of this whole place. His room included. His movement draws her attention to the gun on the table. ]
[Now that he knows who it is, he sighs in annoyance. His hand redirects to his glasses instead, though the weapon isn't forgotten entirely. Hiling's level of threat has yet to be determined. The sudden invasion in to his space certainly doesn't help matters.]
The condition is sometimes contagious.
[He says this with the most dry tone he can muster, as if it seems fairly obvious to him that he absolutely hadn't been awake but refrains from saying as much.
He flips on the table lamp and squints against the light.]
[ She sighs as she settles in on the edge of the bed next to him. Does she really have to see a reason to want to see him? It was just a whim of hers after all. Though there may be something on her mind. ]
[Wesley shifts minutely away from her weight and sits up, letting silence stretch for a few moments as he takes that in those words. He's still suspicious of her, and he wonders if she's capable of the guile necessary to bait him with one of the few things he might actually care about.]
Well I was thinking. [ As surprising as that may be. ] When I was put into a contract with him, he didn't want it. But now you're here too. He must like you. What do you have that I don't?
[ It hasn't done much to make her feel better about him as a dominant. She looks him over as if she might find answers that way. All this is such a mess and so confusing. ]
[The situation is precarious. She's little more than child, Alfred had told him, and that means he needs to choose his words carefully.
Wesley adjusts his glasses with a slight sigh.]
Alfred is a man of conviction. He wanted to honor his previous contract, but the system as it is does not allow it. It has nothing to do with anything you lack. We simply have an...understanding.
[Skirting around the truth is often his preference, sadly. But he can try. Wesley pauses to think, lips pressed together for a moment]
Alfred and I have similar professions. He is a butler. I am an assistant. We know what it means to work for but also with. And we were contracted once before, but in reverse. The arrangement is...comfortable.
Well I have something in common with him too since we were both in the military.
[ And yet she doesn't have the same connection. Maybe it's because she isn't human. She doesn't understand the first thing about forming healthy connections with other. ]
That's for Alfred to answer, but you have to overcome the debt you've already incurred. Give it time.
[Assuming Alfred will grant it. He'd frankly prefer to have the man to himself, but that was more a matter of his desire to be left alone than it was jealousy]
Why does it concern you? Being contracted doesn't require friendship.
[Just as short. He's no stranger to subtext like this, to know that whatever subject Qi'ra wants to discuss is serious and not a place for the network. Worse, he has a suspicion of what that subject might be, and while he makes sure to finish his paperwork, he hesitates ever so slightly before he goes to her.
Wesley announces himself with a polite knock on her office door before letting himself in, hiding his wariness behind a flat expression. He lets her make the first move.]
[the fact that he doesn't invite himself to sit, but chooses to stand, is enough for qi'ra to know that he knows this is no regular meeting. given the fact that their last encounter didn't go well, she's not surprised. he may not have been in his right mind, but it's been a very long time since she's been caught off guard, much less had someone take advantage of her in any way.
she watches him for a moment before she stands behind the desk and raises an eyebrow, motioning him to the chair in front of it.]
Sit. [she flashes her teeth, but it's not quite a smile.] I'd like to discuss your recent behavior aboard the ship.
[He does as he's told, though there's something anxious in the tension in his legs and ruler-straight spine that Qi'ra knows well enough to detect. He'd hoped that they wouldn't talk about the incident, knowing that it was the effect of Duplicity's manipulations, although he isn't sure if it's because of what he'd done to her or what that had revealed about his past.]
[she steps around the desk and leans against the front of it, inches from his knees. dressed in her usual black jumpsuit, she doesn't fold her arms across her chest like she would if she were merely curious, though she is. the fact that he's gone deeper into her past that even he knows is something she's not sure if she'll share, but first she has questions of her own. her voice is hard when she asks:]
[And there it is. He holds her stare for a moment, and fights back the urge to say 'nobody'. In a way it's a truth, but not the one Qi'ra deserves to hear.]
The woman that murdered me.
[It's a flat and very simple answer to something that's far more complex, but it cuts to the heart of his anger]
[her expression doesn't falter, but she does a mental skip at the idea that he'd mistake her for the woman that killed him. she knows it's the city's fault, but that doesn't make it any easier.]
I'm guessing that Ms Page is still alive then, given your... [she looks at him fully now, her eyes giving up the slightest amount of betrayal she feels.] ... outburst. A shame, really.
[in other words, she'd help take care of whoever karen page is on his behalf should she ever show herself.
clearing her throat, she stands upright and moves back around the desk, sitting once more as she watches him.] I have a gift for you.
I can't account for what happened after that, but yes, as far as I am aware.
[Murdock and Nelson weren't helpful in filling the blanks. Wesley's expression also falters the slightest bit, a shameful momentary glance away from her face. He cannot stand the idea of what he'd done, but it had in no way been personal. He had not been able to see through his own madness, and that in itself makes the acid rise in his throat.]
A gift? [His voice is wary, wondering if she'd go so far as to take revenge]
Then I certainly hope she doesn't make an appearance here.
[the truth is, anyone else and she might very well have taken revenge, no matter how small. but this truly is a gift and she glances down at her desk when he looks away. this, she tells herself, is why we don't waste time on feelings. on caring. on letting our hearts become engaged.]
Regardless of your actions, you are still an important part of the business we have together and I thought it was time we expanded. [she slides a paper across the desk for him to look at.] I bought another business, one that was failing, with the intent of using it as another front for what we do. I'd like you to take control of it as an extension of all of it.
[Which is of course the most flat way of saying he agrees, if only because he'd be horribly tempted to upset the balance of his life in order to hurt her in some way. The wounds she'd left had faded but would never be gone.
Wesley reaches for the paper and slides it gingerly to the edge of the desk so he can glance over it.]
This is nicely placed for distribution. Closer to the docks. Excellent for distribution.
[It's the most he can tell on paper, but the thoughts come with a slight thrill that doesn't entirely cut through the tension]
Thank you.
[The words hold a trace of hesitation but he will not question her a second time.]
[his hesitation is understandable given what he'd done, but she pauses before dismissing him. in any other scenario, she'd let someone think about what they'd done, let them wonder why she'd give them a gift after such a betrayal, but this isn't just anyone. she watches him a moment before speaking.]
You're welcome. There's no one I'd trust with any of this other than you. [she glances down and to the side as if she has something of great importance to look at.] I were to disappear, Crimson and all it holds would go to you. [she raises her eyes to his.] Regardless of any... accidents the city might orchestrate, you are still the man I chose to go into business with, Wesley. The man I trust most.
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branchandroot
Text UN: PennyOne ; private
Date: 2019-07-02 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-07-21 09:00 pm (UTC)How did you obtain his opportunity?
no subject
Date: 2019-07-28 04:01 am (UTC)Do you remember the desert? My grandson and I did some exploring. There were some fistacuffs involved. After, we found ourselves in the palace and were offered rich reward. I already have all I could ask for. I've Regulus to watch over and a wonderful Grandson and a fine employer. I need nothing else. So I asked for a favor.
text;
Date: 2019-09-02 02:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-09-04 04:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-09-08 04:18 am (UTC)hop to action next, or do you have a post?
Date: 2019-09-14 10:19 pm (UTC)Action
Date: 2020-03-15 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 11:21 pm (UTC)[ If she can't sleep then it's only fair that he doesn't as well. She approaches with the confidence that she has the run of this whole place. His room included. His movement draws her attention to the gun on the table. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-17 11:34 pm (UTC)The condition is sometimes contagious.
[He says this with the most dry tone he can muster, as if it seems fairly obvious to him that he absolutely hadn't been awake but refrains from saying as much.
He flips on the table lamp and squints against the light.]
Is something wrong?
[Something had better be wrong]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-18 02:12 am (UTC)It's about Alfred.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-21 12:04 am (UTC)What is it?
no subject
Date: 2020-03-21 02:21 am (UTC)[ It hasn't done much to make her feel better about him as a dominant. She looks him over as if she might find answers that way. All this is such a mess and so confusing. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-21 03:09 am (UTC)Wesley adjusts his glasses with a slight sigh.]
Alfred is a man of conviction. He wanted to honor his previous contract, but the system as it is does not allow it. It has nothing to do with anything you lack. We simply have an...understanding.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-21 03:34 am (UTC)[ Being vague is not enough for her. She wants details. She wants to understand. There must be something she can do. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-24 11:07 pm (UTC)Alfred and I have similar professions. He is a butler. I am an assistant. We know what it means to work for but also with. And we were contracted once before, but in reverse. The arrangement is...comfortable.
no subject
Date: 2020-03-24 11:23 pm (UTC)[ And yet she doesn't have the same connection. Maybe it's because she isn't human. She doesn't understand the first thing about forming healthy connections with other. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-31 08:37 pm (UTC)True. But you are also young, and there is no substitute for experience.
[He pauses, tilting his head at her thoughtfully]
Why does it bother you?
no subject
Date: 2020-03-31 10:25 pm (UTC)[ She doesn't have any complaints about the food and shelter he provides. At least that much is appreciated. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-03-31 10:48 pm (UTC)[And all his half-truths aside, this is something he believes in his soul]
no subject
Date: 2020-04-01 04:08 am (UTC)[ She's making herself comfortable here. It's nice and warm. Her room is lonely. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-04-02 10:35 pm (UTC)[Assuming Alfred will grant it. He'd frankly prefer to have the man to himself, but that was more a matter of his desire to be left alone than it was jealousy]
Why does it concern you? Being contracted doesn't require friendship.
no subject
Date: 2020-04-02 11:02 pm (UTC)[ Anything involving patience is going to be frustrating for her. She just wants it fixed now. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-04-03 01:44 am (UTC)If you're in danger of falling short, I'm sure he'd do what he can to help you.
[Alfred is nothing but not helpful]
no subject
Date: 2020-04-03 02:46 am (UTC)[ She moves in closer. He seems interesting enough. She just wants to bond with him more. ]
text; un: crimson
Date: 2020-04-25 04:59 am (UTC)[short. sweet. to the point. obviously not at his convenience but as soon as possible.]
text to action
Date: 2020-06-08 01:47 am (UTC)[Just as short. He's no stranger to subtext like this, to know that whatever subject Qi'ra wants to discuss is serious and not a place for the network. Worse, he has a suspicion of what that subject might be, and while he makes sure to finish his paperwork, he hesitates ever so slightly before he goes to her.
Wesley announces himself with a polite knock on her office door before letting himself in, hiding his wariness behind a flat expression. He lets her make the first move.]
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 02:05 am (UTC)she watches him for a moment before she stands behind the desk and raises an eyebrow, motioning him to the chair in front of it.]
Sit. [she flashes her teeth, but it's not quite a smile.] I'd like to discuss your recent behavior aboard the ship.
[her lips pop on the 'p'.]
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 02:21 am (UTC)I assure you it was an irregularity.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 02:36 am (UTC)[she steps around the desk and leans against the front of it, inches from his knees. dressed in her usual black jumpsuit, she doesn't fold her arms across her chest like she would if she were merely curious, though she is. the fact that he's gone deeper into her past that even he knows is something she's not sure if she'll share, but first she has questions of her own. her voice is hard when she asks:]
Who is Karen Page?
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 03:02 am (UTC)The woman that murdered me.
[It's a flat and very simple answer to something that's far more complex, but it cuts to the heart of his anger]
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 03:19 am (UTC)I'm guessing that Ms Page is still alive then, given your... [she looks at him fully now, her eyes giving up the slightest amount of betrayal she feels.] ... outburst. A shame, really.
[in other words, she'd help take care of whoever karen page is on his behalf should she ever show herself.
clearing her throat, she stands upright and moves back around the desk, sitting once more as she watches him.] I have a gift for you.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 03:29 am (UTC)[Murdock and Nelson weren't helpful in filling the blanks. Wesley's expression also falters the slightest bit, a shameful momentary glance away from her face. He cannot stand the idea of what he'd done, but it had in no way been personal. He had not been able to see through his own madness, and that in itself makes the acid rise in his throat.]
A gift? [His voice is wary, wondering if she'd go so far as to take revenge]
no subject
Date: 2020-06-08 03:44 am (UTC)[the truth is, anyone else and she might very well have taken revenge, no matter how small. but this truly is a gift and she glances down at her desk when he looks away. this, she tells herself, is why we don't waste time on feelings. on caring. on letting our hearts become engaged.]
Regardless of your actions, you are still an important part of the business we have together and I thought it was time we expanded. [she slides a paper across the desk for him to look at.] I bought another business, one that was failing, with the intent of using it as another front for what we do. I'd like you to take control of it as an extension of all of it.
no subject
Date: 2020-06-27 09:47 pm (UTC)[Which is of course the most flat way of saying he agrees, if only because he'd be horribly tempted to upset the balance of his life in order to hurt her in some way. The wounds she'd left had faded but would never be gone.
Wesley reaches for the paper and slides it gingerly to the edge of the desk so he can glance over it.]
This is nicely placed for distribution. Closer to the docks. Excellent for distribution.
[It's the most he can tell on paper, but the thoughts come with a slight thrill that doesn't entirely cut through the tension]
Thank you.
[The words hold a trace of hesitation but he will not question her a second time.]
no subject
Date: 2020-06-28 04:12 pm (UTC)You're welcome. There's no one I'd trust with any of this other than you. [she glances down and to the side as if she has something of great importance to look at.] I were to disappear, Crimson and all it holds would go to you. [she raises her eyes to his.] Regardless of any... accidents the city might orchestrate, you are still the man I chose to go into business with, Wesley. The man I trust most.
gift!
Date: 2020-12-23 03:49 am (UTC)inside, he'll find a new suit, vest, and tie, along with a note in qi'ra's neat handwriting. ]
At your convenience,
Qi'ra