After the snow has fallen

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

Wednesday, early evening; after the snow has stopped but the power is still out.

It seems that I missed some excitement last night. When I came through from the apartment to the inn proper in the late morning, I found a note from Adam.

Boss -
There was a bit of a ruckus here last night. Some girl took her clothes off and got offended when Billy Hogan got fresh. A fight broke out - just the usual broken glasses. Will tell you more about it when I'm in next. Don't believe everything any of the regulars tell you - I was the only one who wasn't drunk.
A.

I would, perhaps, have got to hear some of those stories, and I must say I'm terribly curious, but then it started snowing. It has been a long time since I saw snow fall like it did this afternoon; since I lived in New London, I think, for Versailles was warmer. The Whitechapel is quiet enough during the early afternoons anyway, so we locked the front door, Cora and Peter soon settled into a high stakes game of gin rummy, and I went to make sure that Hermia and Alice were alright. Luckily we have plenty of food and firewood, and the apartment is well furnished with candles.

The snow has settled down now, but it is very dark outside and the power is still out. So I come back into the bar and Cora - cheerful for once, having managed to take most of Peter's wages for this week - and I get the fire banked as high as possible and line the windows with candles so that passerby can see that we are open, and I unlock the front door. I imagine that many people's homes will be very cold and very dark this evening, and what better cure for that than company and alcohol?

[OPEN]

Comments

[melania-lowell.livejournal.com]

"Lannie, that's Gaueko. Don't challenge him. We can settle this another way. Stop growling and think about what we should be drinking instead. Let me handle this,"

"Little wolf, unless you want me to rip your skull free of your flesh and turn it into a fucking hand puppet, I'd suggest staying out of my way."

Gaueko? This is Gaueko? I was growling?

Sonofa....

Who the hell is his daughter then?!

Iago steps in front of me, trying to reason with the guy --- god --- whatever. Good going, Lannie, lead Iago right to the worst possible place. My eyes don't move from him even when Zann comes up and tries to help.

I'd smile at how nice she is, but I'm too busy watching, waiting for a muscle twitch. Maybe I can at least pull Iago out of the way and run to the tavern if need be.

I see movement next to the god and feel a small pair of eyes on me. The scent of a young girl. In here? What the hell? "Verdi's trying to fix it," I say, even and low, though my heart is hammering like a drum. "She doesn't want him hurt." She also said she wasn't sure if that would matter to Gaueko or not. Its worth a try.

The door open and I whip my head around just in time to see blonde hair before I'm knocked into Iago. I grab for his waist hoping to keep him from falling into...

"Bloody Hell."

Yeah, that about sums it up.

[iago-excolo.livejournal.com]

Gaueko threatens Lannie, calling her little wolf and with all the growling, I'm beginning to have a notion regarding her. There's no time to consider it further though as I make my apologies. Surprisingly, Zann steps in and I give her a small grin in thanks but Gaueko's not having any of it, puffing himself larger, if possible, before the yelling begins again, this time with the added bonus of close-quarter threats. Why does this seem familiar? Fortunately, I'm able to glean which affronted daughter is his.

Glass.

In the furor, a small form slips close to Gaueko and I recognize the young miss, Alice, from the masquerade. Gaueko and Valmont notice her as well, and the innkeeper's immediately trying to gain her attention.

Lannie, never one to keep silent, softly says, "Verdi's trying to fix it. She doesn't want him hurt." It's in that moment that the door bursts opens, bringing in more of the weather as I catch sight of bright hair and hear a male voice cursing, "Bloody Hell." If only he knew how right he was.

There's a moment of silence and I tense, unsure before another voice rings out, "Why don't we all calm down some." Ah, the butcher and he's calling for peace. I could do with some of that right now but instead I can't let Gaueko's words hang without a response.

Screwing up my courage, I take a deep breath and reply, "Again, I apologize for my part in this and rather than beat me to a pulp, why don't we have a drink instead?" I pull a flask from my coat and offer it to him, adding, "It's Verdi's firewhiskey. I'm sure she'd be pleased to know you shared it with me."

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

This, I think, is why I rarely venture outside of the warm arms of my building. Somehow I always find myself in the midst of a mess.

"Why don't we all calm down some." I nod at the butcher, thinking that's a very good idea, though I don't believe alcohol will be fixing anything. I send a silent prayer up to God that the fighting is over and shift so that the group can press closer to the table.

At least there's no more mention of me sleeping with Zann?

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

Oh good God. "You married his daughter?" I say in slightly strangled tones and oh, whoops, if his daughter's pissed about all this then Iago, you are pretty and you were fun but I think you just got a huge "No Touching" sign stamped across your forehead. Or your ass. Or--

I swallow down the giggle again, and oh, he's talking--really talking, and honey, if you couldn't mix those drinks you could have made a killing on some midway. "Verdi probably would," I say soberly, except not soberly, and I swallow back another giggle at that. "See? Nice calm quiet. And a drink." Drinking seems much better than how quiet it could get, given whose calling for it, but I'm sure he wouldn't and anyway there's no way to say that properly without explaining a whole lot of things. Shake my head and look down to Alice. "Honey, what are you doing here?" I think things are moving a bit too fast, just gotta find the way in, the pattern, the trick...

[shards-of-alice.livejournal.com]

The big man is yelling, all large and loud, to the bird man from the fancy party. I don't know about what, not my business I know, though I worry about the other one for a minute, with those big holes in him. Head and heart and I guess somebody must'a got real sore, to take those pieces away.

"My dear. You know you aren't meant to come into the bar in the evenings." I hear in my ear and I know it's Valmont, know I'm in big trouble, even before I look over at him. He's not angry, even though I'm not supposed to be downstairs, but I could still get punishment. "Did you get lonely upstairs? Hermia's at home if you want to go to the apartment."

Yes, in trouble. Yes, maybe punishment and Valmont being sore at me and Hermia too, just like after the party even though I didn't get whipped or nothing. But I'm still shaking my head, standing there beside the big man and not for the world wanting to leave. "I heard voices," I say, my own very low and almost getting all lost in the noise, the fussing over my head. "Yelling and- It's snowing! I wanted to, to go..." I shouldn't be talking back, not in front of people especially, and I'm doing it anyway. I'm being bad and maybe keeping my words quiet will make it better, because I'm not stopping and I'm not going upstairs and I'm just looking at him with a pout. "Maybe just one time I could stay downstairs? To talk to all the people and watch the snow? Maybe please?"

And then there's not much else, a big great silence of everyone looking each other, before there's another voice, one I don't know at all. "Why don't we all calm down some." I turn and look over and then look up and then I'm moving back, into the darkness and the warm folds of the big man's coat. It's the star, even if I think maybe it is as first. Not bright enough, not the right shade either, with the light making wings and slaughter-house blood dripping from the ends. Fall leaves and grandma going to heaven last year and all of that, wrapped up together even if it doesn't make any sense.

There's a hand in mine, I grabbed the big man's hand sometime, and I squeeze it tight with my back against him and my eyes not wanting to move from the other one even when everybody's talking again and the pieces lady is asking me questions. I finally look up to Gaueko, not as scared as with the star but worried, confused, happy to be touching him. "Is somebody dying?"

[gaueko-erebus.livejournal.com]

Well, at least the idiot wolf girl knows my name. She goes white and starts stammering, "Verdi's trying to fix it. She doesn't want him hurt."

"Verdi's not doing a very good job, is she?!" I snap at her, "And I personally am quite in favour of beating my problems brains in until they quit being problems." It's an approach that has very rarely failed, I must say.

There's a low, ringing noise in the room, like the tolling of a deep bell, loud enough to make me press my hands to the side of my head. Fucking bells. But it cuts all of the noise in the room, from the bellowing voices to the scrapes of chair legs off the floor to the chink of glassware. "Why don't we all calm down some." Say Azrael.

Oh, that's bloody cute. Wonder when he remembered that little trick. I catch sight of the innkeeper, trying to get ahold of my ninia, but the good girl she is, she presses her back against me, almost ducking under my coat. There's my girl. In the meantime, the bartender's making amends, or trying to, "Again, I apologize for my part in this and rather than beat me to a pulp, why don't we have a drink instead?" He pulls a flask from his pocket, "It's Verdi's firewhiskey. I'm sure she'd be pleased to know you shared it with me."

Oh, somehow I doubt that. "If there was any drink in the world that would be worth abandoning this over, it would be that one. However, considering the fact that you married and abandoned my daughter," fifty-fifty chance, anyway, "I'd say we're a bit beyond drinking."

My Ninia's seized my hand, her back still pressed to my side. "Is somebody dying?"

I look up at the bartender and grin, "Not yet."

[simon-klavec.livejournal.com]

There's enough space to take a breath, and then Iago offers the pes od pokopališča a drink. Not surprised, me. Reach over and touch Zann on the shoulder. Getting a bit carried away, between the drink and me and him and all of this.

The dog's hardly fazed. "If there was any drink in the world that would be worth abandoning this over, it would be that one. However, considering the fact that you married and abandoned my daughter, I'd say we're a bit beyond drinking." My mouth draws down into a frown. Didn't think he cared for her so much - wonder why he's blustering.

The little girl looks at me and then hides in the dog's shadow, taking his hand and looking at me in wonder and fear. "Is somebody dying?" she asks him. The pes od vraga makes a flip remark, but I meet her eyes. "No, girl. Didn't know you could see like that." Found himself someone else, after Zann's zoetrope girl died? Don't like that. "Should listen to your father, little one." Laclos looks a bit frantic now, for all I think he's on good terms with the dog.

[melania-lowell.livejournal.com]

My muscles tense and I have to bite my lip to keep from snarling when Gaueko yells about Verdi and continues to threaten Iago. Iago is trying to smooth it over by offering him a drink, personally I think a good swift shot to his head might do him better. Might do us all better. Zann's giggling and drunk and I hope to be there soon. Long as Lassie from hell lays off. People are starting to look uncomfortable and Valmont and another guy come over and talk to the little girl. Thank fuck.

Almost makes me smile when the little girl mentions the snow, I know how she feels. "Is somebody dying?"

"Not yet."

Like hell... Verdi and I need to have a nice long talk about her choice in men ... gods... pigs ... dogs ... fuck it, whatever. Gives me the creeps when the little girl looks at the new guy and leans, LEANS into the god as if for comfort? I'm glad when the new guy suggests that she listen to her dad. She really should.

I move so I'm standing next to Iago and can wrench him back and bolt if we need to. I'm glad Lucien is here in case things get bad. I know I can't take the god down, not sure anyone in here can.

[iago-excolo.livejournal.com]

Lannie invokes Verdi's name but Gaueko's not to be swayed, insulting Verdi while he continuing to threaten me. This is not going well. Fuck me.

The butcher calls for peace and I again respectfully apologize but Gaueko brushes aside my words, "If there was any drink in the world that would be worth abandoning this over, it would be that one. However, considering the fact that you married and abandoned my daughter, I'd say we're a bit beyond drinking."

Ah, so there is some weight for Verdi but will it be enough to help me? How does one soothe past the issue of an abandoned daughter with her enraged father? ...fuck me some more...

I hear Zann ask in surprise, "You married his daughter?" and I'd answer her but my eyes are fixed on Gaueko and I don't dare look elsewhere. Zann's attempting to help Valmont lure the young miss away but she's clinging to Gaueko and I briefly ponder if she'd slow him down any. Likely not and when the young miss asks, "Is somebody dying?", Gaueko's answer of "Not yet," is less than encouraging.

Slipping back a step, I keep an even, respectful tone as I say, "I don't want any trouble as I've enough already to last indefinitely and rather than disturb you further, I'll take my leave." I nod at Gaueko as I continue, "A good night to you, sir," and I gently nudge Lucien and then Lannie while keeping eyes on Gaueko's movements.

"Lannie, let's be off." The flask's tight in my hand and I want a drink intensely but that's my reward, should I survive this encounter. "Lucien, you're welcome to join us, since you're already dressed for it. Likewise, I'd not refuse the company."

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

Okay, well, that's a decent take on it, and he's staying cool through it all. At least Gaueko and Simon seem to be agreeing that nobody's dying, and I guess Simon'd know, so that's good. And Lucien's here, and maybe gone with them. That's really fucking good news, I think.

I do kinda wonder who the hell his daughter is, though. Probably I wanna check on that and see if I can make nice to her before anything gets mentioned to her, though I don't think anyone outside the Tavern knew and why do I get this funny feeling Iago and Lannie at least are gonna keep their mouths shut?

[shards-of-alice.livejournal.com]

Everybody is still fussing, though maybe not as loud before. Mice in the storeroom when the lights come on, that's what it's like now. Still words, all tossed over my head, but with leaving as well, with things calming down. I'm happy for it, because I don't like the way the big man's voice crawls on my skin when he's angry, and sad too. Without all the yelling, there's no reason for me to stay downstairs. Valmont won't be busy with everybody else anymore and then he'll make me go to bed.

I clutch to Gaueko's hand tighter with the thought just as the- the other man, wings and blood and no way to describe it in my head, just as he starts talking again. "No, girl. Didn't know you could see like that." I blink at him, thinking maybe I'm in trouble for that too before I remember what Mr Constantine said about Excolo being different and maybe it being okay. The big man too, he says the same, so maybe even if some people say I should get in trouble they'll say different. "Should listen to your father, little one."

And I don't know what to do to that, except to nod, because he's right. Even if I don't want to listen, I know I should. A nod and a look up to the big man, eyes as sad as I feel at the idea of shuffling back to my room and watching the snow fall from through the window. "I have to go upstairs now. Everybody says so." Then, well, I don't move right away. I nodded and I said it and I'll do it, but maybe I stop a little bit before too. Maybe I stay there, with my hand in Gaueko's and the shadows all around, hoping he'll say I can stay instead.

[docconstantine.livejournal.com]

I have been trying to become a part of the wall during all of this. Between Gaueko bellowing, Simon... more to say, his companion speaking up, and Alice thrown into the mix, I figure I would just slip out again when someone new walked through the door.

People are branching off a bit, trying to get things back to congenial, but Gaeuko is having none of it. I can't say as I blame him in this one instance, but Iago is trying.

"I don't want any trouble as I've enough already to last indefinitely and rather than disturb you further, I'll take my leave. A good night to you, sir," Okay, that sounds like the best idea in the world, but I wonder if Gaueko will let that happen... "Lannie, let's be off. Lucien, you're welcome to join us, since you're already dressed for it. Likewise, I'd not refuse the company." What??? Wait??? How'd I'd get drawn into this? Oh right... Excolo.

"Uhhhh... sure." I say, hoping to hell we can make a clean getaway. "Been wanting to talk to you anyway." Which is not a lie, since I am very curious about the selective memory loss in his case.

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

The room goes very quiet, and I feel a great weight on me for a moment, cold in my chest like when I lay on my back in a field just outside town, Lysander's sword wound in my stomach, pain passing into a great silence.

And then the moment passes, and people are speaking again, slightly more measured than before. Alice has her hand in Gaueko's. I do not like that. I do not like it at all.

"Maybe just one time I could stay downstairs? To talk to all the people and watch the snow? Maybe please?"

Simon chips in with a soft "Should listen to your father, little one." It almost makes me start, hearing myself called father, but it doesn't feel wrong.

I gently pull her away from Gaueko, taking both her hands.

"You can stay downstairs, Alice," I say. "But sit down by the window like a good girl, yes?" I say. "It's easier to watch the snow from there." Even a few feet of distance from Gaueko will make me more comfortable. We have the bell jar at our apartment, but Alice is in and out of there. I wonder if there's a way of making a bell jar that Alice can wear. Something small. I will ask Hermia.

[brotherlaurence.livejournal.com]

It looks like things may be calming down, with people leaving.

"You can stay downstairs, Alice," Valmont says to the little girl. It seems I remember something about he and his fiancee taking in a child. "But sit down by the window like a good girl, yes? It's easier to watch the snow from there."

"It is very pretty out there, Alice," I note with a glance at Valmont. "You really should go see." Please, please get out of the middle of this.

I wish it was as easy to find excuses for adults.

[gaueko-erebus.livejournal.com]

Everyone's getting involved now, but there are only two people I have an eye for; one is my ninia, being drawn away from me (but not back upstairs, that would have earned a snarl), and the other is the bartender, who's now backing away towards the door. "I don't want any trouble as I've enough already to last indefinitely and rather than disturb you further, I'll take my leave. A good night to you, sir. Lannie, let's be off. Lucien, you're welcome to join us, since you're already dressed for it. Likewise, I'd not refuse the company."

Leaving in a group. Vaguely smart. I spare a glance to my ninia, "As far as I'm concerned, little one, you're welcome to stay," and then step

through

the

shadow

the shadow of flickering candleflame and snow-moonlight and when I step out I'm standing in the doorway.

"Now then," I say mildly, towering over the bartender and his little retinue. "Let's talk about my Glass, what do you say?"

[melania-lowell.livejournal.com]

Valmont and another guy try to coax the little girl away and I hope they succeed. That little girl shouldn't be anywhere near this psychotic piece of shit. I don't like the glance he tosses her way either, like she's a nice juicy bone that's all his. Somehow I'm not surprised. Frankly I'm shocked he hasn't pissed all over the place to mark it as his too.

"As far as I'm concerned, little one, you're welcome to stay,"

Oh she has his permission? Isn't that sweet. I have to bite my lip hard to hold that comment back. Keeping Iago alive is my job, not getting him beat to a bloody pulp. He going don that road well enough on his own. Suddenly the god man disappears and I can't help but shove Iago behind me as I spin around and growl a low "What the Fuck?!" when his voice pops up behind us. What the fuck did he just do?

"Now then, Let's talk about my Glass, what do you say?"

His voice is calm but his stance isn't. This does nothing to relax me as I stay where I am and get a better look at this guy. Christ he's tall..and now he's blocking the door... So much for leaving.

[shards-of-alice.livejournal.com]

No, no, no, no, no.

Valmont is pulling me away, saying I can stay, but pulling me away. That's okay, I guess, because he said I could watch the snow and the angel man scares me, makes my skin crawl, but the big man's still right there, still so close so I nod along, trying to tug away to tell Gaueko to come sit with me where I can feel his shadow. Just until people leave, just until the fighting is good and stopped and none of it hurts my head anymore. But then he leaves, he leaves. He says I can stay too, for all that matters, and then he's in the shadows, like where he took me I think, and I can feel the tears well up in my eyes.

I want to do like I'm supposed to. I want to sit at the table and drink my cocoa and watch the snow. And it's not fair, not at all, that I can't. I can't just sit there, not with all the people fighting and the angel man looming tall over for when everybody dies. Somebody growls and I look over that way to see the big man stepping out like he does, with some lady glaring up at him. Except it's not a lady, kinda sorta not, because it's a big wolf like Johnny. Like Johnny and angry. What if she hurts him, what if something bad happens and the angel man has to take him to heaven and- and-

It's too much now, I think. The fight was supposed to be over. It wasn't so bad with the big man with me and was supposed to be over besides, but it's not. Not as much yelling now but all the colors are worse and the angel man is going to have to pick up everybody bit by bit with the way they want to kill at each other. I whimper and jerk away from Valmont at the same time, not wanting to be down here anymore. I don't like it. Too much.

"Gaueko..." I hear my own voice say, a whining sort of whisper that's more a kitten lost all alone than a girl with too many people around, with the wind rattling at the windows louder than before. "Make everybody stop yelling now."

[iago-excolo.livejournal.com]

Lucien amenable to exiting, saying, "Uhhhh... sure. Been wanting to talk to you anyway." I nod, hoping to make my way quickly out before the situation worsens.

The young miss wants to stay and Gaueko agrees, leaving me to wonder if Valmont realizes the difficulties he's going to have if he disagrees. It's not my concern though and I give a longing glance towards the door. It's not to be though as suddenly, Gaueko's blocking the way out as he pleasantly says, "Now then, Let's talk about my Glass, what do you say?"

How the fuck..?

Lannie's between myself and Gaueko, giving me a distinctly uneasy feeling for her safety and she's cursing under her breath as well. The young miss is unhappy with things, asking Gaueko to "Make everybody stop yelling now." Funny that as he was the only one doing so.

Deciding quickly on a course of action, I acquiesce without fuss, moving to the table closest to the door while pulling Lannie along with me. Nudging her into the seat closest to the wall, I stand near her at an empty chair and offer the one across from me to Gaueko as I reply respectfully, "Have a seat. As I'm a captive audience, I say we should talk about whatever you wish."

There's another free chair here and should Lucien want to join us, there's room but I'd not blame him if he chose otherwise. Not in the least. Waving to the bartender, I call out, "A bottle of whiskey please," before turning back to Gaueko and prompting him with, "You mentioned your daughter?"

[tereixa-zann.livejournal.com]

Valmont's got Alice, and I think again that he's a good guy, and not just for a townie. If he's got any idea who's in his bar right now that his kid's cuddling up to and he's managing not to panic and make it worse, he's a really good guy.

And then Gaueko's gone and back again, and oh yeah, I remember that trick, and for a second my fingers reach for smooth hot metal to push against. There was ice everywhere then too.

Alice says his name right as the windows rattle in their frames, and I shoot them a quick look, 'cause that sounded a bit odd. I understand wanting that in principle, I really really do, but I am pretty sure that "I've got one hell of a bone to pick with you, you inbred little fuck!" came out louder than anything else anyone has been saying. "No-one's yelling, hon," I say gently, glancing over to where Iago and Lannie are sitting down with Gaueko. "No-one's hitting each other, no-one's yelling." No-one is hitting each other, and I guess that seems kinda odd given how Gaueko blew up on the midway when Tez went after Anushka--

Okay, actually, that seems maybe more than kinda odd. He was on Tez's throat about three seconds after Tez touched Anushka and saw her, really saw her, and he hasn't even touched this guy (and oh, really, married to his daughter? Fuck me with a chainsaw).

"It's gonna be okay," I say to Alice, sitting down at the table with her and Simon, and wiping my eyes, and yeah they're still leaking but I'm grinning. I'm pretty sure it's true, true enough, all gonna be fine. Lower my voice and sneak another look at the table. "He's got a kid?" I say softly to Simon. "I didn't know gods did-- I don't know." I'm trying to imagine Lugh or Eris babysitting, Tez running around after someone the way I used to need to keep an eye on Sabela and Xay, Verdi even being old enough to have a kid. It's all really weird.

[valmont-vicomte.livejournal.com]

I won't say it doesn't sting a little when Alice pulls away from me and says Gaueko's name. He likes her because he sees the oddity in her, whatever it is that can make lamps flicker and doors shut, and, I think, because her fragility reminds him of Anushka.

We know how well that ended.

There are a few of us at this table now, and although I stay standing I am by Alice's chair, between her and Gaueko - who is any case is now at the door after a little show of power. I have seen neater tricks than that in my time in Excolo.

"You'll be able to build snowmen tomorrow," I say to Alice. "I wonder if the pond at the park has iced up enough to skate on yet."

[simon-klavec.livejournal.com]

He's shouting again, for all the girl's asking him to stop. A flare of power from her. Human sort of thing, all anger and upset and energy. Shoot a glance at the pes but it seems like he's just blustering now.

Zann sits down with us. Wipes at her eyes, and I smile at her. Starting to realize the effect I have on her, for all I don't mean to. "He's got a kid?" She says it soft, and he might not notice. "I didn't know gods did-- I don't know."

I shake my head. "His by blood and nothing more. She's her mother's daughter, not his." Frown at his back. "It happens, between gods and mortals. Usually it's trouble."

[shards-of-alice.livejournal.com]

The big man says there's no yelling anymore and he's right, there isn't, but the colors said different, still flaring up angry and scared as I look around. I don't like it, the words not matching the colors, and there's nothing to do with Valmont setting me at a table and the snow coming down outside to keep us all in.

"You'll be able to build snowmen tomorrow," comes from Valmont, and his words don't match either, with his colors all sorts of worried even though his voice is trying for nice. "I wonder if the pond at the park has iced up enough to skate on yet."

My eyes are on Gaueko, not the window, even if I wanted to look at the snow before. I'm not angry anymore, all that seeping out of me and just leaving worry bubbling up in my throat, wanting to come out my eyes and streak down my cheeks. The wolf lady is mad and she's looking at Gaueko and then he'll get hurt and the angel man will take him to heaven and-

"Why are you here?" I ask the angel man, my face gone serious with the windows still wanting to rattle from the wind and the glasses on the table doing the same. "Nobody's gonna die. Nobody." And that's that.

[docconstantine.livejournal.com]

I just had to leave the office today, didn't I?

Gaueko drags Iago back into the argument, and God bless him (help him?) he tries again, heading for a table. I do note there is one chair left and...
I bet it's for me.

I could go, get out of Dodge, head for higher ground....

fuckFuckFUCK

With a sigh I stuff my hands into my pockets and head over to the empty chair. I shoot a small smile to Lannie, who is also in the middle of this mess, and hope the fact that I have been combing my medical books for a reason or solution to Iago's memory loss may help lessen Gaueko's anger.

Somehow I doubt it.

[gaueko-erebus.livejournal.com]

Just about everyone's fussing over my ninia now, and hardly paying attention to me. Which would be fine, with the bartender staring up at me and all but pissing his pants in terror. He doesn't try to run, which is good. I'm not sure I could restrain myself enough to keep from chasing him if he did. He sits at a table and orders a bottle of whisky, and his hands are barely shaking. He's got some guts to him, but I knew that already.

I'm distracted only when my ninia calls my name, pleading and terrified. Poor little thing. All this is far too much for her. "No more yelling, little one." I say, raising my voice so that she can hear me, but not yelling. "No more yelling. I promise." She has others fussing over her, but if she calls me again I'll go to her. Poor little thing.

"You mentioned your daughter?"

"Indeed I did," I say, pouring myself a double measure. "My daughter who you married and then allowed someone to curse you into forgetting. I'm betting it was your father, considering the man has the dispostion of a worm-riddled wolverine with a toothache. But what I'm trying to figure out is just how we can get your memory back. I'm thinking that opening your skull up and carving her name into the meat of your brain might work. What do you think?"

[iago-excolo.livejournal.com]

Gaueko answers the young miss, saying, "No more yelling, little one. No more yelling. I promise." I suppose that only leaves quiet discussions and random violence then. How fortunate for me. Or not.

Trusting in his promise to Verdi, I offer him a seat and begin an unwilling conservation. The whiskey arrives and Gaueko pours himself a drink. I follow suit and offer the bottle to Lannie and Lucien, giving Lucien a small smile before turning back to Gaueko as he replies to me.

I light a smoke and take a sip of my drink, considering what to say before I respectfully ask, "How does one go about allowing themselves to be cursed? It's not as if I'd received any warning, otherwise, I assure you, I'd have avoided it."

I lean back in my chair as I continue evenly, "And while I appreciate your current offer of a solution, I must respectfully decline. I'd prefer to go with something less... messy to my person and the people around me." I exhale, glancing briefly at my friends, the loyal idiots, before adding, "However, if you'd like to collaborate on a viable solution, I'm more than willing to do so. That's what I think."

I knock back half my drink before quietly asking, "If you believe my father to be the source of the problem, why are you upset with me, the victim in this?"