dictated | backdated to the 26th

[secondchances]

[Connor]

[As much as she wants to make a journal entry and get this over with, she knows Connor should be told beforehand, in person. The least she can do for him is ease him into it, and be there for whatever his reaction is. It's been rough for him lately, and she's sorry to add to it.

Once she's gathered herself and calmed down as much as she can, she filters to him.]

Where are you? We need to talk.




[public, sometime later]

[She wants to write, but her hands are too unsteady. Once, twice, she tries to hold a pen without even the tiniest of trembles, but she can't. Two weeks. That's all. Two weeks. She's been through this before a number of times. Two weeks. Instead of getting easier, it gets harder, and now she can't even control her hands.

That leaves her voice, but that too shakes.]

Cassandra Cain is dead.

Whatever is--[Her voice cracks, and there's an audible breath as she takes a moment to calm herself.]

Whatever is going on is serious and dangerous. Be alert. If anyone is acting off, stay away. For your own safety. There's at least one guy toting a shotgun and some crude shivs [so much disgust] on the loose.

Comments

Stephanie

[eaglet]

[Connor has been staying in the castle for the past few days; he usually spends his time in the woods but he's felt strange lately. Drowsy and not at all alert, and he worries for his safety climbing trees and stoking fires in this state.]

The second floor. [Oh -- but a sudden thought breaks through the haze, and now he's worried. Did she meet Haytham?]

What has happened?

Connor

[secondchances]

I'll tell you when I get there. Won't be long.

[She was already on her way. And, of course, she knows where his room is, so the moment she's on the second floor she drags herself over to his room and knocks.

She looks a little disheveled, and not just her usual probably-just-rolled-out-of-bed sort.]

action whoa

[eaglet]

[He doesn't bother replying because there doesn't seem to be a need. So when she knocks on the door, he immediately opens it, having been standing there and waiting already.

A person would need to be blind not to see that something's amiss, so again he doesn't say anything, just steps aside and lets her in.]

whooooaaa

[secondchances]

[No greetings, just Steph stepping into the room.]

I have bad news. You'll probably want to sit.

[Not that she thinks he'll fall to the floor or anything, but bad news is always better sitting. Or something.]

[eaglet]

[It's probably extremely apparent by the state of Connor's room that he barely uses it: Much of the furniture is the kind of standard swanky hotel gear that a person gets on arrival, though at least he's shifted some things around. The sofa faces the door, the coffee table pushed up flush against its side. He's rearranged his things in a way where he can easily form a barricade.

Frowning, Connor moves away from the door and takes a seat a little awkwardly on the sofa.] What news?

[secondchances]

[She really hates having to be the one to do this, but Ezio isn't a better option.

She doesn't sit.]

Something happened, and... Cass is dead. I don't really know exactly what happened, but whatever the castle is doing right now isn't... it's bad.

This Kid

[dog_eat_dog]

[Shivs and a shotgun. Joel had run off on her with the latter and returned without, and he always carried the former. Well, that certainly solved one mystery, one she'd been fuming over ever since Joel had returned, delusional as all hell and with broken hands.

Broken hands are a scary thing when you're a survivor. There's not much you can do with broken hands, and while Tess has Joel patched up and resting now, she has no patience or remorse for anyone who fucks with her partner. She's killed people for less, and she'd gladly do it again if it didn't look like Joel had done the job already. How he'd feel about it later was a different matter she could address when the time came –– as far as she's concerned, he killed in self-defense.

Those are the pieces she's put together, anyway.

Tess dictates too, largely because she is having a smoke on the balcony and like fuck she's going to multitask to write. Her voice is clipped, critical:]

You left out that she was killed out of self-defense. [Bitch.]

This Chick

[secondchances]

[Steph had added in that last part hoping someone would bite the bait. Either the person that killed Cass, or someone he knew. Steph knows what the castle can do to people better than most. Hell, how many times had she been stabbed or thrown around because someone was possessed or hallucinating?

She wants to think she would have been calm and civil if not for that fucking attitude.]

Bullshit. She wouldn't fight anyone at all unless it was necessary. Is your friend aware of what he did? Is that what he claimed?

This Kid

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess takes bait all the time, because usually people who throw out bait don't know they're reeling in a shark instead of some fuckin' pond guppy. She sounds like it, too, given the tone of voice.]

You can play victim all you want, kid, but my partner always has a reason for doing things, same as me. The girl took responsibility for her actions, and she died for it. Tough luck.

This Chick

[secondchances]

[Is this for real? It's been a long, long time since Steph's gotten this sort of treatment from a stranger in Paradisa. It just about floors her. For several seconds she can't think of anything to say.

And then, she's angry.]

You think you're a real badass talking like that, don't you? Hiding behind a magical journal in your room somewhere.

This Kid

[dog_eat_dog]

[Just a laugh. Oh, christ. Then, a little sweeter and intentionally so:]

You picked the journal for your little PSA and left yourself wide open. But hey, if you wanted to talk in person, you just needed to ask.

This Chick

[secondchances]

God, if only I remembered to not leave myself open when warning the castle of some murderous man running around.

[She's going to knock out this woman's teeth. She doesn't feel bad about wanting a fight. It's something better to think about than her dead best friend's body.]

But hey, you have a good idea. Let's talk in person.

[You owe her an apology.]

dictated;

[ensorceler]

[ NO. You can tell she's upset, s he's not taking the time to write. ]

How is she dead? Who did this?

dictated;

[secondchances]

[You don't want to know.]

We'll find out.

dictated;

[ensorceler]

Tell me. Tell me as soon as you know.

dictated;

[secondchances]

Yeah, I will. [No, she won't. This isn't a manhunt.]

dictated;

[ensorceler]

[ Anne's not looking to kill anyone yet. She just wants to know what the hell is going on and if she should be fearing for her own life. ]

I am sorry, I know she was dear to you. I will pray for her soul this next fortnight, and continue to seek the source of this calamity.

Steph

[onlyanapple]

[That gets a sigh. Crowley actually likes Cass, she's marginally entertaining as humans go.]

Sorry to hear it.

Crowley

[secondchances]

Yeah, me too. It's been a while since death's paid me a visit.

Steph

[onlyanapple]

And yet, eventually, it always finds a way to come creeping again. [He's lost count of the number of times he's seen it happen to friends here, now.]

Crowley

[secondchances]

Like a bad ex. [Time for bad humor.]

Steph

[onlyanapple]

A bad ex swinging a kitchen knife.

dictated;

[gottaknockhard]

[That's a message he never expected to see on the journal. Maybe he should have, considering some of her company, but he's still surprised.

The response comes late, but he's decent enough to say something.]

I'll keep an eye out.

dictated;

[secondchances]

Thanks, Spike. Let me know if you come across anything.

dictated;

[gottaknockhard]

[He doesn't doubt he will. The castle has really been on a tirade lately.]

Same to you.