Choose

Correction

Jul 2, 2010 Leave a comment

I have been informed that I made a mistake – the white “tiger” dresl should actually be a white leopard! If you read the “tiger” and got confused, that was my fault. I’ll be referring to her coat pattern correctly from here on out. =]

New Poll : A Shinra’ere in Trouble

Jul 1, 2010 6 Comments

Naturally, while Remora’s getting herself in trouble, Jinn’s …

…well, he’s also getting himself in trouble.

What flavor of trouble shall we dip him in for the next installment?

16. Mack

Jul 1, 2010 5 Comments

Two figures rounded the doorway. First was a female dresl with thick white fur overlayed with vivid black leopard rosettes. A black-haired human with an eyepatch followed.

The dresl girl moved immediately to the furthest corner of the room and crouched low, making herself as small as possible. Notch gave her no more than a half-lidded, disinterested once-over before returning to his previous facade of laziness.

“Excuse me,” Remora said, pulling herself to her full height. “Pardon me, but I demand to know why I have been detained.”

The human’s one remaining eye flickered to her with the same look of irritation one might grant a small, annoying dog.

Remora tossed her head, crossing her arms over her chest. She would not be treated this way.

“What’s this?” His hand shot forward, quick as a striking snake, and gripped her chin firmly.

Startled, she gasped and tried to pull away. “Stop that,” he said crossly, turning her face to expose her still-burningcheek.

“You. Guard,” he said sharply.

Notch opened one eye fully to look at the man. “Did you damage the girl?”

Notch nodded, then pointed at her, two padded fingers making a running gesture.

“How dare you!” she cried. “You set me up. Tricked me into that escape attempt. I’ll not have you pinning the blame on me!”

“Quiet, girl. You’ll speak only when spoken to. Consider that your first warning.”

“I beg your pardon?” she said.

His eye narrowed. “That’s two.” Dropping her chin, he turned to Notch. “The damage will be deducted from your pay, but at a reduced rate as it happened during an escape attempt.”

He released her chin. “Simply having Jinn on the streets was enough to flush the leopard from her hiding place. With her in custody, we no longer need the human as a bargaining chip. The red-haired girl has the look of frail youth that sells well, but most prefer to leave their own marks on their merchandise. Best take more care with her in the future.”

He waited for Notch to nod before continuing. Remora found herself speechless. He intended to sell her? As a slave? Was he touched in the head?

The man removed and examined a pocketwatch briefly. “We will remain in berth another day or so before heading to Bespin to meet with my employer. I expect your team to keep both girls undamaged until my return.”

Remora stomped her foot. “Excuse me, but I shall not tolerate being treated in this rude fashion! I demand to know what is happening here. Why am I being held? Has there been a ransom demand? Furthermore, I have a complaint to be levied against these kidnapping arrangements. They’re shoddy at best, the guards are rude and antagonistic, I have neither been fed nor offered a proper chamberpot, and I have truly had enough of your overly familiar behavior. Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?”

“No.” His eye gleamed, and Remora realized just how precarious her position was. His hand shot out again, gripping the long drape of red hair at the nape of her neck and pulling it sharply downward, forcing her face upward. She gasped, the motion sending sharp prickles of pain through her scalp.

“You do look familiar…” he mused, turning her face from side to side, examining her thoroughly. Finally, he shook his head and released her with force, thrusting her back. “No. With that red hair, you’re likely some Price bastard, but it’s not the hair that seemed familiar. Something in the eyes, or perhaps the cheekbones.”

“Tell me, little girl,” he said as she rubbed gently at the base of her head, where the scalp still burned from his grip. “Who am I dealing with?”

She had no idea who this man was or what he wanted. He’d objected to her being manhandled, but also made it clear he considered her to be damagable merchandise rather than leverage. He had no idea who she was, who he’d kidnapped, and how much she could be ransomed for.

She remembered the cunning look in his eye as he’d examined the cut on her face, and suddenly decided she very much did not want this man to know who she was. As far as he was concerned, she was just some girl who happened to be with Jinn in town.

“You…you’re dealing with a friend of Jinn! He will find me, you know. He’ll come after you.”

The slow, dangerous smile that spread across the man’s face sent fingers of frost clucthing at her heart. “Oh, I’m counting on it. I very much hope he does find you. That will save me a great deal of trouble in capturing him. My employer wants him found more than you can possibly imagine.”

With that, he flicked his pocketwatch closed and turned to leave. Remora panicked. He couldn’t leave, not like this. Not without giving her something to use, some piece of information or help that would change her situation. With a growl of frustration, she bent down and slipped a boot from her foot. They’d removed the laces before locking her away. At the time, she’d been irritated by the gesture. She wasn’t likely to commit suicide, if that was their concern. Now, however, it allowed her to slip off the heavy shoe in a single easy motion.

Barely time enough to take aim before he left the room, Remora launched the shoe at the back of his head. It hit him considerably south of her target, between his shoulder blades.

The captured Shonfra on the wall seemed to take in a collective breath and step back, away from the front of their cages. Even Notch abandoned all his feigned disinterest and watched her with startled green eyes.

The human froze, then spun slowly on his heels. Remora took in a deep breath and began berating him immediately. “You, sir, are a cad and a bounder! Never in my life have I been treated with such disrespect. I’ve no doubt that you lost your eye in a fair match, and you now pick battles only against the weak and small. You, sir, disgust me! I hope Jinn does find me. Or, rather, finds YOU. Even if I shall be lost, he is a trained Shinra’ere warrior, and he shall wreak my vengeance upon your pathetic, sniveling self. I curse you, one-eyed coward. I curse your fortune, your family, and your … “ Remora paused, trying to remember the word Hank continually used when he was cursing something. “ … Roith’delat’en name!”

She paused for breath, then noticed the look on the man’s face. He wasn’t angry, or frightened, or even irritated.

If anything, he looked … pleased. She felt the urge to step back and quashed it. She was a Price. She would not bow before this insignificant slug.

The man smiled and turned to Notch. “You, cat.” Notch straightened. “Get me a collar.”

Notch disappeared briefly, then reappeared almost immediately with a thick, bronzed metal band. A cube about the size of her hand was on one end. If it truly was a collar, as he had said, then that would be the lock.

The man took the thing from Notch and advanced on her. She stared up at him with all the disgust she could muster. When he was less than a foot away, she brought her knee up sharply to his groin, but he was too quick.

“Tsk, tsk,” he clucked, hand gripping her slender knee firmly. “Very naughty. Do not take liberties, girl. You may be worth more undamaged, but I don’t need to sell you. I could just as easily kill you now and be done with the whole mess. Remember, with the white leopard in custody, you are no longer necessary.”

He pushed her leg back until her stockinged foot touched the floor, then released her. She considered trying again, but gave up when she caught the gleaming eyes of Notch. He clearly wanted her to keep trying.

Even if she managed to somehow incapacitate this human, she would never get past Notch.

Eyes burning, she clenched her teeth and stood still as the man clasped the ring around her neck. Immediately, she felt a low vibration from the collar.

“Ah,” he said, stepping back and smiling at her as though she’d done something amusing. “Much better. You, young lady, are entirely too loud. If I had the time, I’d be tempted to buy you myself, just to teach you some manners.”

Her nostrils flared and she opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind. “Manners? From you! Laughable!”

At least, that’s what she’d intended to say. Her lips moved, but no sound escaped her mouth. She felt like she was talking, but she might as well have been pantomiming. Startled, she stepped back. What should have been a sharp clatter from her one remaining boot was also quieted.

She’d been silenced. Utterly silenced. The realization caused her eyes to widen.

“Ah, you understand. That is good.”

He turned to leave, then paused, one hand on the door frame as he looked back. “My family name, by the way, is Craft. Mack Craft, to be precise. I would hate for you to waste such a passionate curse without knowing who to bestow it upon.”

And then he was gone.

Silently, Remora fumed. She paced up and down the tiny room, and if there had been any justice on this world, Notch would have been severely injured by the murderous glances she tossed in his direction.

When the new guard replaced him, Notch actually had the audacity to return her boot to her. She snatched it from his paws and he gave that odd coughing laugh before taking his leave. The new guard closed the door and stood outside. The sound of the lock catching hold stilled her pacing and wiped the scowl from her face.

Hesitantly, she lifted a hand to finger the coppery collar around her neck, paying special attention to the little cogsmithing box that powered it.

Alone at last, or nearly so, she allowed herself the smile of hope she’d been suppressing ever since Mack Craft latched the equipment around her neck.

The white leopard cocked her head at Remora, clearly puzzled. The Shonfra chittered quizzically at her. She ignored them all, laughing as her fingernail found the catch on the bottom of the box. Her throat expanded and contracted, but not a single sound of her joy escaped to warn her guards.

Her fingers traced the cogsmithing device. Now, at last, she had something she could work with.

She set about unlacing her dress so that she could get at the cogsmithing tools hidden in her corset. She would not wait for Jinn to rescue her. If she had any say in it, she would rescue him.