PUPPET MASTER

"Oh, really? I mean I had to ask. Consent is sexy, after all," Caia chuckled and lifted their drink with their other hand to throw it back and finish it. They set the glass back down on the table and shuffled out of their booth, their other hand closing gently around Lian's wrist to help them out after.

"How very well mannered of you," the witch teased. Lian had grown used to people not caring much about consent in their line of work. Patrons ran on the expectation that they would get their time with her instead of asking so politely. There wasn't much need for small talk so as the elf drained their drink, Lian followed suit and finished her glass before they followed after them.

"Oh my," she replied, her hand coming up to cover her mouth at this new scandalous detail. There was a lot of gossip in these circles and Lian was happy to focus on rich socialites than talk about herself. "Ah, but that's only because I appear to be mysterious," they chuckled. Lian was glad to play the mysterious part in any show. "But I like that you're curious. Maybe you'll be able to solve my mystery."

The headache was well set by the last two hours of his shift, not even extra strength Ibuprofen would do anything to fix this. He needed a thick, greasy burger, a glass of scotch and a twenty four hour rest. At this rate he’d be lucky just to get one. The hospital had a policy of zero days off during city wide events so even if he had wanted to he’d be back in twelve hours. He could hear the crowds that still cluttered the ER waiting room as people waited likely impatiently to be seen in order of severity. People didn’t always understand that. They hurt, they ached and like anyone in discomfort they wanted it to go away. Unluckily for the people of Vievecor who directed themselves to the Garond District Hospital they’d find that a slew of emergency vehicles kept their automatic doors busy, bussing in various injured individuals from Vibefest. “Alright let’s get some fluid in Mr. Parker here, check his vitals again and if stable send him on his way.” He nodded to his CEN before heading back to the central desk. The place were chaos was supposedly wrangled, the altar of the ER gods that everyone had to pay tribute to. Quickly he swallowed down the last of his fiber water, having aged out of energy drinks, and grabbed the next clipboard.  Rolling his shoulder, before during back around to the zoo he called home.

“What’s next?”

She admired modern medicine for it's capabilities and what human's had done to ensure their survival. It was quite impressive, even if the waiting times were long and arduous. The witch was patient, sitting in the waiting room with a silk scarf wrapped haphazardly around her arm, when the nurse called their name.

"I think I'm next, doctor," the witch answered. She stood to meet them half way and tried to smile warmly. They would have to explain the cut on their arm away as something simple, not wanting it to appear like she was mentally unwell or worse. "I think I may need some stitches?" they explained.

"Whimsical is one way to put it," Caia chuckled and placed an arm around Lian. "Who knew that deities had so much whimsy in them." They watched as the Lian played with the fingers of their other hand, eyes admiring the witch's beautiful porcelain skin for a moment before their eyes met and Caia leaned in, bringing their faces closer together.

“I know.” He replied. It was difficult to explain, the want to put himself into a dangerous situation when laying-low was the easier, lower-stakes option. Perhaps he just had a death wish and a desire for something to happen rather than being caught somewhere in the middle. “I will.” He promised. “How is everything with your work going?”

"Just be careful," she urged, knowing it wasn't her place. The dark witch was also working in a dangerous place. They knew if they were caught, their boss would likely kill them for the betrayal. The difference between the two was magic, though Lian couldn't bring herself to point that out. She just had to trust that Eiji knew what he was doing and he would stay safe. They had worked so hard to get to this point, she wanted to see it through to the end with him. "It's fine, it's easy work and lets me focus on the important things. Like you," she grinned.

How he'd gotten lucky enough to make friends with the smartest person in the room he couldn't be sure but damn was it nice. Her coaxing that look out of Woodcrest made him chuckle a little. "I appreciate that more than you know. She's been after me since she found I wasn't married to my business partner. Lets see what else I can tell you..."

"Then she certainly won't like that I'm a widower," they chuckled. Lian was knew to the whole charity scene but a few women had already assumed all her money came from her deceased husband so maybe word would get around. If she had to be a distraction or target for the other women's envy, she'd happily shoulder it for such pretty eye candy. Elliot being a gentleman was a bonus.

When Lian’s knee shifted, the dark witch's thigh pressing against her, Jo didn’t hesitate to meet it with a subtle shift of her hips and then another, a quiet moan slipping past her lips. “Don’t stop,” Jo murmured under her breath, more plea than command as her own hand moved, sliding from Lian’s waist, tracing lower with purpose until it reached the fly of their pants, intent on returning the same courtesy she was given.

"Warm up? Why don't you sit closer?" Smooth, Caia. They gestured to the spot right beside them and reached a welcoming hand out to the other. Caia could be a shameless flirt if they wanted to be. "It's been alright. These deity parties tend to be a bit too family-friendly for me, but I make do," they added with a clearly flirtatious grin.

They kept hold of Caia's hand, greedily stealing the warmth from their fingertips for her own. "It's all a bit too whimsical," they agreed. The fake Christmas setting made the witch feel like they were the grinch and they liked Christmas. "I know," she sighed dramatically, playing with the elf's fingers. "I've already finished all my family friendly errands for the night. Now I'm not sure what else there is to do."

Lips pursing, Jo fell quiet for a moment, considering their words before she drew in a slow breath. “I guess,” she conceded at last. “Some more than others.” She’d let go of her grudge the day she drew her final breath—and not a second sooner. There was no undoing abandonment. No fixing years of absence after the fact. She’d already done what needed to be done. There was no going back.

Jo weighed the bauble in her palm before lifting it, letting it dangle from a single finger as she glanced back at Lian. She already knew what the demon whispering in her ear wanted her to do. If the deities weren’t going to help her, then the least their magic could do was give her the means to do it herself. "On the count of three?"

She saw something a kin to her own stubbornness in the detective eyes. Maybe they had different grudges and paths of revenge to follow but they both could relate to the need to complete that goal. Lian gave her vow to her husband's gravestone and she was unable to let go of it now. Patience was her virture for now. The first parts of her plan had worked but there was still a big obstacle in her way before the job was done. The wish might be the missing piece they needed.

The witch gave the bauble one last look before she nodded. "One, two... three." Lian drew out the last number of their count to give them both a chance to back out but she was stepping forward and placing the bauble on a single branch, putting all her hopes and dreams into the bauble in hopes the deities would grant her wish.

“Thanks aunt Lian, I appreciate it.” He added fondly. This probably going to be the closest he would get to spending Christmas Day with family and he appreciated them more than they knew.

"I can't say I understand the appeal," they murmured, her brow furrowing. It seemed like the last place he would want to be but it would give him a first hand view of the atrocities vampire's committed to human's. "Just be careful," she warned. Not that Lian could speak, working at Ware had started to feel more dangerous since the demands were released.