A Contract In Blood (11/13)

[02:17:19]
Asphodel slaps his palms down on the table, sucking in an unnecessary and deep breath.

"...ho'kay. So. Sarah did a thing. It's a thing that, I think, will elicit pissing and shrieking from many of the drooling animals that populate Sarea. That sucks! That sucks a lot. I am going to end up supporting her in doing her thing, no matter what. We love and trust one another. It comes with the territory. The only way I can be stopped from supporting her thing is physical force--detention, or death."

That breath is now exhaled, in one steady stream.

"...that being said. That being said. I do not intend to swap sides. I'll be doing this as a one-time thing. If that means that you mark all of Alicante, Sarah included, as criminals, and that I have to run her down like an animal--that's okay. I will do that. I will do my job. I will obey my orders. She um...she understands! We hashed this out together, before go-time. So um."

A brief, hard silence.

"...yeah."
(Asphodel)
[02:20:10]
"I've heard about this 'thing'," Dura says dryly. "I have feelings on this 'thing'.

I think so far everyone that has spewed out a manifesto of some kind that is thicker than some of the reports I read from the mainland shouldn't have any modicum of power on this soil. And I don't trust anyone of Alicante with any of it.

It sounds very much that, like your mother, you are asking forgiveness and not permission. And before you even do the thing you're asking about." She gives him a level look.

"Is that my understanding here, Asphodel?"
(Dura Levante)
[02:22:11] Asphodel says, "Yeah. I'm expressly not asking permission--one time occurrence."
[02:22:18] Dura Levante says, "Uh huh."
[02:22:26] Dura Levante says, "So you've just become Inquisitor. And you then..."
[02:22:28] Asphodel says, "I'm doing what I think is right, here--"
[02:22:29] Dura Levante says, "Then you decide to do this?"
[02:22:30] Asphodel says, "Which is--"
[02:22:31] Asphodel says, "Yeah."
[02:22:36] Asphodel says, "I get how bad a look it is."
[02:22:40] Dura Levante says, "It is a terrible look."
[02:22:43] Dura Levante says, "It is an awful look."
[02:22:52] Dura Levante says, "I don't think you understand how f**king bad this looks."
[02:22:55] Asphodel says, "...can I give her a one day head start on running."
[02:23:31] Dura Levante says, "I do not want you going, Asphodel. Because - this very much looks like I have given you trust and a title. And that now you are giving me a mandate."
[02:24:15] Dura Levante says, "Do you still want to do this, now knowing my thoughts on the matter?"
[02:24:51] Asphodel says, "...what else do I have to give, then."
[02:25:01] Dura Levante says, "To Sera?"
[02:25:10] Asphodel says, "All I want--all I need is this...one--you even said you'd be fine with me--"
[02:25:12] Asphodel says, "Trying to fix--"
[02:25:25] Asphodel says, "...mother isn't there, any more."
[02:25:37] Dura Levante says, "She isn't there at all?"
[02:25:41] Asphodel says, "You can let go of your grudge. Okay? It's all different--no."
[02:25:45] Asphodel says, "As far as I can tell, no."
[02:25:57] Dura Levante says, "I was aware she hasn't been seen in the public eye. I was not aware she wasn't there at all."
[02:26:26] Asphodel says, "I...haven't seen her, yeah."
[02:26:28] Asphodel says, "Alithea--"
[02:26:44] Asphodel says, "Wasn't...blunt. But she's not there. So far as I can tell."
[02:27:06] Asphodel says, "...I want to have one moment, where I don't have to choose between the people I love."
[02:27:07] Asphodel says, "Just--"
[02:27:08] Asphodel says, "Once."
[02:27:16] Asphodel says, "Just once, Dura."
[02:30:18]
Dura immediately grows stiff. She grows cold and partially distant, staring at Asphodel.

"One. You are going to get.

One.
="

"You are going to put it in writing." Already her mood has considerably soured, not that this is difficult to do, and she reaches down into her boot for a small dagger.

"I'm understood?"
(Dura Levante)
[02:33:10]
Silence meets her, for a hard moment.

There's a squeak, as his fists tighten and tense, leather grinding against itself. The reply comes low, and slow, and sad.

"Yes. You are."
(Asphodel)
[02:41:13]
There's something dark and unpleasant that twists unseen. In her belly, around her, as she holds the knife. An old Kal Azulan field dagger.

It's not raised against him. She drags it against her forearm instead and draws a fresh gout of blood from herself. It draws red, but leaks thin dark whisps of smoke.

It also makes serviceable enough ink for her to draft the contract and present it to Asphodel. Still bleeding slowly, she extends the parchment and quill to him across the desk.

Staring. Waiting.
(Dura Levante)
[02:41:17] Dura Levante has dropped 1 Paper from their inventory.
[02:41:45] Dura Levante has picked up 1 Ichor Of Sheol into their inventory.
[02:42:10] Dura Levante has picked up 1 Paper into their inventory.
[02:43:41]
His eyes drift from the contract, to the knife, to Dura's petty wound.

Lids of fake tissue flutter, once, as he raises his own hand. Fingers deform and melt, twitching into ebon claws--and one of these digs deep into his neck. It draws some awful fluid--thick and violet.

That fluid is rendered an ink, today, used to sign the contract in watery lilac letters.
(Asphodel)
[02:45:42]
Dura takes the parchment back. She hasn't bothered to staunch the bleeding. It's a nuisance more than anything, and drips to stain the carpet. Another minor nuisance in the face of far greater ones.

She adds her signature to the bottom, then turns and sets it aside to allow it to dry. Her back is put to him.

"Will that be all?" Already she's reaching for the one comfort she can always constantly rely on.

The one at the bottom of a shiny new metal flask.
(Dura Levante)
[02:45:57] Asphodel says, "...yeah."
[02:46:03] Asphodel says, "'s anything else you want to talk about?"
[02:46:11] Dura Levante says, "..."
[02:46:13] Dura Levante says, "No."
[02:46:16] Asphodel says, "Oh."
[02:46:19] Asphodel says, "Okay."
[02:46:56] Asphodel says, "Bye."