03-20-2019, 07:31 PM
Carmen nodded about the dog but didn’t mention it again. Her arms folded as she sat back in the chair, her face twisted with a grimace. The weight of it all was down to her own damn failings; for capitulating to Ori’s mad schemes against her better judgement. “To be honest I'm surprised he's still alive at all.”
Probably he would have been stone dead but for yet more of Oriena’s dubious connections. Carmen had never seen that much blood, or someone’s face drain so very grey. Even the memory made her quiet, despite Raffe’s blithe acceptance of the whole situation.
Her gaze perked to attention at the description, the surprise piercing the dark of her thoughts. Little ever took her off guard, but his insight did it. She nodded despite that he didn’t pause for it. “It wasn't feral,” she said firmly. The blame was already heavy enough -- did he really think she’d have let Kas anywhere near the club’s clients and employees if she hadn’t thought it was safe? How wrong she had been bit down deep.
She breathed in, locking the feelings down. Continued ploughing down the path of honesty. “I run the club day to day, and I'm the one you'll answer to. But it's not mine. The owner has a penchant for waifs and strays and second chances -- half the girls here are channelers or something else. She rescued this one from a fight club. That's what she said anyway.” An eyeroll marked her internal thoughts on Oriena’s capability for truth.
“He was learning. Changing. Eventually he started spending time downstairs, and it was fine. He was fine. Strange, sure. I’d even call him timid. Then one night someone got a little handsy with one of the girls. Nothing serious, but he flipped at the guy. Raffe tried to pull him back and got caught up in his teeth instead.” She paused, glancing at the open doorway. “Strange thing is Rafael forgave him after. Wouldn’t let me chuck him out. Even started visiting him in the room upstairs that used to be his. He wasn’t bad, whatever he was. He was just.” But she didn’t finished the sentence.
“My point is that Kallisti is a powder keg, and if we open and it blows, I can’t do a damn thing to help the people I love. So, Nox, are you sure you want any of that on your shoulders?”
Probably he would have been stone dead but for yet more of Oriena’s dubious connections. Carmen had never seen that much blood, or someone’s face drain so very grey. Even the memory made her quiet, despite Raffe’s blithe acceptance of the whole situation.
Her gaze perked to attention at the description, the surprise piercing the dark of her thoughts. Little ever took her off guard, but his insight did it. She nodded despite that he didn’t pause for it. “It wasn't feral,” she said firmly. The blame was already heavy enough -- did he really think she’d have let Kas anywhere near the club’s clients and employees if she hadn’t thought it was safe? How wrong she had been bit down deep.
She breathed in, locking the feelings down. Continued ploughing down the path of honesty. “I run the club day to day, and I'm the one you'll answer to. But it's not mine. The owner has a penchant for waifs and strays and second chances -- half the girls here are channelers or something else. She rescued this one from a fight club. That's what she said anyway.” An eyeroll marked her internal thoughts on Oriena’s capability for truth.
“He was learning. Changing. Eventually he started spending time downstairs, and it was fine. He was fine. Strange, sure. I’d even call him timid. Then one night someone got a little handsy with one of the girls. Nothing serious, but he flipped at the guy. Raffe tried to pull him back and got caught up in his teeth instead.” She paused, glancing at the open doorway. “Strange thing is Rafael forgave him after. Wouldn’t let me chuck him out. Even started visiting him in the room upstairs that used to be his. He wasn’t bad, whatever he was. He was just.” But she didn’t finished the sentence.
“My point is that Kallisti is a powder keg, and if we open and it blows, I can’t do a damn thing to help the people I love. So, Nox, are you sure you want any of that on your shoulders?”