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[rathercommon]

crystal | letter | cease and desist notices slipped under her door | action

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[shri]

[ She smiles, despite herself. Before Kitty can go squirming away, she cups her hands either side of her face and leans over, to kiss her once on the forehead firmly. More affectionate than she had been with anyone in quite some time.

But it was undoubtedly worth it for the way Kitty was going to wrinkle her nose up. ]

Thank-you, Mulagī.

[rathercommon]

[ A flush comes into her cheeks, and it's only through some inner strength that she resists the desire to scrub at that spot with the back of her wrist. ]

What was that for?

[shri]

For being kind to an old woman.

[ With Kitty relinquished, she smoothes her hands over the pleats of her saree. ]

And I won't have any more of your excuses. You are coming to dinner this Thursday and everyone following, duties permitting. I will be by at dawn and you will commence your training. You won't run away, again, never again, as long as I have strength to teach you.

[rathercommon]

I - I guess.

[ The color in her cheeks darkens, and she fidgets - but she doesn't fight. ]

I guess it'd be nice to eat something home-cooked.

[dissono]

KATHLEEN J

Regrettably, I am not best placed to answer. I had long been within the White Spire when my niece was born, and I would not describe our relationship as one of keeping confidences, but I am glad to know there are many closer to her than I or indeed her father were to whom she might turn, my wife among them.

( both gwenaëlle and his wife might dispute that, but he calls it as he sees it. )

Her husband's convalescence has preoccupied her, but I believe her to be well.

It would please Em no end to be so warmly remembered by you. Charming, to the last.

GERVAIS V.

[shri]

[The sun is just starting to rise when Lakshmi knocks on the door. A sickly light that brings no warmth and stains the world inspidily pale.

But Lakshmi is unashamedly waiting, knocking crisply, and horrifically a morning person. Dressed in her training leathers, tugging at the straps under her lower arm to make sure they're secure as she waits for Kitty to respond. ]

Kitty, rise and shine.

[shri]

Tell me what is your favourite taste? I might not be able to make your favourite food but I might see what I can make similar.

[ Please, not potatoes, she has so much pity on the poor of having that mush yet again. ]

[rathercommon]

[ Certain habits die hard, especially when you're sleep-fogged and half-dreaming still. When Kitty answers the door, she opens it only a crack; and there's hard suspicion - even fear - in her eyes and a knife in her hand, concealed behind the door...and then she sees who it is, and the fear melts into exasperation, and she opens the door wider and drops the knife on the bedside table and goes and slumps back into bed. ]

[shri]

[ Lakshmi breezes into the room in a way that is all business. The one heavy bag on her shoulder that is slung low against her hip that she drops onto the floor by Kitty's bed. ]

None of that. Wash your face and hands, put on light clothes. I've got food in here for you as well.

[ She drags out the pieces of leather armour as she speaks from the bag. A leather vest, greaves and braces. One set of shoes, and below that a small bowl that she had sealed as best she could shut with cloth and tied off with twine.] Aha. There it is.

[rathercommon]

I was up awfully late last night, Lakshmi.

[ Kitty rolls over slightly, narrowing her eyes unhappily at the woman. ]

Can't we do this tomorrow?

[shri]

[ Completely unmerciful, she carries on. Setting the jar of food down. It smells good, there is that, as on top of it she places a spoon to eat with. It isn't fancy, just a hard strong meal of millet and cheese. ]

You should have thought of that last night.

[ which is to say, no. She is not going anywhere. ]

[rathercommon]

I was reading.

[ No question what Kitty considers more important.

She turns her glare on the bowl. ]

Did you bring tea, at least?

[shri]

Typical Englishman. [ She mutters, as she digs around in her bag, ] You can have tea when you're dressed.

[rathercommon]

[ Ugh. ]

I'm not an Englishman.

[shri]

Of course, you're not.

[ A lengthy pause. ]

English girl. Better now? [ But she's smiling, a sharp little twitch in the corner of her mouth. ]

[rathercommon]

Slightly.

[ Finally, she sits up, shivering as the blankets fall off her. Oh, she hates this. ]

Really, though, I'm a Londoner. If you insist upon labeling me.

[shri]

[ She raises an eyebrow, pinching her mouth into a smile, that perhaps, oh another woman, might be a fit of laughter.

Perish the thought, of course.

Instead, when Lakshmi goes to speak, it isn't her proper, carved out words in English - Trade, whatever they called it here, that came from the best tutors her husband could afford and conversations only with commissioned Officers of the Crown.

No, no when she speaks it comes out a thick cockney accent, half dragged through the mud for how the letters drop.

She hoped Finley and the Muses' girls were proud. ]

Well, aren't you the Guv'ner. Then why don't you get your bloody arse out of bed and stop crying like a dodder just because I'm putting you in the pan for half a morning? Up, up, up, girl, this ain't a flummet job, stop acting like it or I'll light the damn davis' dust under your sheets, then we'll see you run like a thom-tug after his tackle.

[rathercommon]

[ That stops Kitty in her tracks. She stares at Lakshmi, mouth slightly agape. ]

How'd - how'd you learn to talk like that?

[ Like Stan, like Fred - not really like Kitty herself, her parents having scolded those improper vowels out of her. But like people she knows. ]

[shri]

Haven't you learned, Kitty? I do all sorts of things.

[ And she has the gall to wink as she straightens up, and with it, out of the bag comes the jar of tea to go with the breakfast. Setting it down on the container. ]

I have spent the last ten years living in Whitechapel. It's been an... educational experience.

[rathercommon]

[ Ugh, that wink was so smug. Kitty goes for the tea, far more interested in that than she is in the food. ]

Why?

[shri]

[ And oh she knows it too, but she's too busy readying the items for Kitty to wear, a balanced plan, get everything straightened out, then see if Kitty was finally out of bed. If she wasn't, steal the blankets. ]

Because England was where the Vampires and Lycans were being amassed and sent from, no good destroying their shipments when they reached the places. But my name has been a crime for many years throughout the Empire and many would never seek to breath it for fear of imprisonment or execution. So I went to a place where they never trusted the government to begin with and were happy to welcome someone as well abused as they were.

[rathercommon]

[ She can't ever fully suppress the automatic suspicion. You can, after all, take the girl out of Whitechapel, but you can't fully take Whitechapel out of the girl. ]

That sounds like it could be exploitative.

[shri]

[ She pinches her mouth. Eyebrow raising up as she looks her over. ]

Yes, Kitty, the people who could turn me over to the police at any moment and get me killed simply by telling anyone, anyone at all, who I am. I was most certainly exploiting them and they could do nothing against me if they didn't like what I was doing.

[ her head tilts, a flat line, really, Kitty? ]

[rathercommon]

[ She purses her lips. ]

Yeah, 'cause I'm supposed to believe you were all alone, and didn't have a great lot of armed guards?

[shri]

[ That, that is the strike too far. She drops the armour in her hands with a heavy thump. But it isn't rage on her face, it's hurt. A flicker of pain too pronounced to be hidden as quickly as she'd like. ]

Believe what you will, I cannot change your mind if you're determined to think that despite everything else I told you.