GM: Kassandra
Players: Kassandra, Aladriel, Lilith
Synopsis: Lilith approaches Kass and Ally about the recent problems with the Ministry of Self Determination and the Apple and Snake.
Date: January 19 2070
Sitting quietly, Kassandra is going over some information on a datapad. The elf has a cup of something steaming off to the right of her position, thin streams of heated air rising up. She has her brow furrowed and seems perplexed by whatever she is reading.
Lilith enters with a quiet jangle of the door, taking off her long cloak and hanging it up nearby. She is also frowning a little, fine creases lining her forehead as she unwinds her scarf and rather absentmindedly, notes Kassandra's posistion and makes her way towards the elf.
A footstep or perhaps just a second sense has Kassandra looking up as Lilith moves towards her. She'll clear the datapad and smile, waving the other over as well as a waitress. "Be a dear and get Mrs. DeWinter whatever she'd like."
Lilith smiles briefly and bobs her head to Kassandra, her voice soft as ever. "Thank you very much, ma'am." She swishes closer ,pulling out a chair, glancing at the waittress, still smiling. "The largest cup you can legally serve espresso in and add a good deal of real cocoa to it, if you could?" She looks back to Kass as she takes a seat. "It's good to see you again, Mrs. Cindel. How are things?"
The server nods with a little laugh and heads off for the drink. Kassandra shrugs a little and says, "Things are .. interesting. It is an interesting time, which is what brings you to my table I am sure. I could not but hear the rumours and murmuring, and that was without the girls calling at all hours. The real question is how are things with you?"
Lilith shrugs easily, neatly folding her legs under the chair, quietly brushing her skirts into place. "The girls are upset and worried, and I've had my hands full trying to calm them down. It goes without saying that the business is closed, seeing as my Ute landlords have decided to evict me in…ah, 7 days." Her face is calm, blank, just little lines of tightness around her eyes and mouth. "I am a little upset, all told, but making plans. Lawyers are apparently in short supply for this kind of case."
Clarence enters Pentabucks.
Clarence has arrived.
"Indeed. The Nation has its own concerns and lawyers know better than to buck the current tide of events." Kass reaches for her drink as the server brings in Liliths, waiting till the girl is gone to start again.
Clarence flips his credstick out, an employee grabs and swipes it: "Coffee," says Clarence. He leans over and takes a look around.
In the circle of chairs: Lilith nods again. She takes her cup , blows across the scalding liquid and takes a sip without apparent discomfort. "Mmm. As I've been made aware of." She murmurs. "I'm making contingency plans if, gods forbid, the worst should happen, but I don't suppose there's any advice you may be able to offer? I've exhausted my contacts in trying to find someone able to handle my case, I'll probably have to post to the 'trix next."
Crossing her legs, Kassandra leans back and listens to Lilith, nodding slowly and commenting softly to her between sips of coffee.
In the circle of chairs: Kassandra hmms and sips her coffee. "Have you looked into moving to a new home?" She extends a hand to ward off the obvious comment, "A last ditch thing, sure, but some battles you cannot win. If the Ute stays the course with rousting the Anglos, even if you find a lawyer to take this you'll run back into this same problem in a week, or a month."
Clarence grabs the coffee, has a sip, takes a drag from his cigarette and leans the coffee mug on the bartop, folding up a serviette then scooping up the mug and putting the coffee back down on the paper.
In the circle of chairs: Lilith nods again. "I could, yes. For now I'm renting a section at the Bastille to at least give the girls some place warm and safe to live till…something. Otherwise…" She shrugs again, seemingly being very restrained under the circumstances. "It's my home. I paid for it legally, I paid my taxes on it, I even expended the effort to fully restore and modernize the historic building. I'm not letting it go so easily, even if that means waging a bitter bureaucratic guerrilla war for years with the Ute Nation."
In the circle of chairs: Kassandra wrinkles her nose. "The Bastille. Really." She shakes her head and sighs a little. "Well, that is one way to do things, I suppose. You may well spend more than the house and even the fight is worth .. or perhaps things will blow over. I have some doubt about that, however. This is a long-term problem. That said, the Ministry has relatively little power in the sector, you understand. They can cause you problems, but the sector councilor has the final word. Perhaps you could appeal to him?"
Clarence grabs the mug and takes a gulp, has another drag and leans backward on the bar, eyeing the coffee shop and the people sitting around the bar and the area nearby.
Kassandra continues her quiet conversation with Lilith, looking somewhat sympathetic but resigned.
Aladriel enters Pentabucks.
Clarence is sitting at the bar, his hands around a cup of coffee, steam rising from the top, a cigarette dangling in his lips. He's eyeing the area.
In the circle of chairs: Lilith nods. "I'm planning on it. But I still need to get a lawyer to make sure I don't make any serious mistakes and that everything is covered." She sighs. "I could look into purchasing another home, but I don't know how much my finances can stretch. Which is why I'm considering the Bastille in the meantime, it's the only place I know of that can comfortably fit some 30 plus girls."
Lilith is sipping a very large mug and looking calm, but stressed around the edges as she talks.
In the circle of chairs: Kassandra says, "The Bastille, while an adequate place, is also in the Warrens." Kassandra shakes her head and shrugs, as if letting that part go. "I know Aladriel knows some lawyers from her days dealing with law enforcement, perhaps they can help. Of course, if they aren't able to practice law in the sector…." The elf trails off and shrugs again. "As far as finances, you could sell the house to the Sector and take whatever profits and invest in someplace friendlier. Say, hell.""
A ghost!?! Well, sortof. At least kinda looks like it. Because a vaguely ghostly apparition that looks a whole lot like Aladriel appears in a padded chair next to Kassandra and Lilith. And she certainly didn't come in the door!
In the circle of chairs: Aladriel's astral self appears out of nowhere and goes: "Boo!"
In the circle of chairs: Lilith eyes Kassie for a moment, eyebrow arched. "Or it could freeze over first." She says dryly. "I've been trying to get ahold of Aladriel, but unfortunately I had to spend two days in a queue to simply get the permit to travel to appeal." Again, a very quiet voice, a very calm face. "Gods, I…" Her voice trails off as something mysterious appears. "Oh."
Kassandra looks up as Aladriel appears ghostly and settles in. She raises an eyebrow and laughs quietly, blowing steam from her coffee at the semi-transparent form, one hand raising to forestall the server freaking.
Clarence sucks down the rest of the smoke, chugs down the remaining coffee, and stands up.
In the circle of chairs: Kassandra gestures to the apparition. "You ask and you shall receive. She might be able to help." Kass sinks back in her seat, blowing steam and scent from her coffee at Ghost Ally.
Clarence heads out the exit, leaving his coffee where it is.
Lilith snorts under her breath and sips her coffee, glancing over the Ghost girly. "Hullo, Mrs. Cindel the First. How's the babe, and yes, what your lovely wife said." She wraps her long fingers around her cup, still inspecting the ghostly form. "I need some legal advice."
Aladriel smiles hugely at the pair and 'leans' on Kassandra. Though she can't actually touch her so it's really just a neat little illusion. "There's some serious faces over where, whats up you two?" She talks pretty freely because she can't be recorded, after all. Her eyes come to settle on Lilith, studying her a moment. "Maya is doing wonderful! She's a little speedster. She's taking after Kassie and being all quick-quick-quick. The dogs love it though."
Kassandra loses a great deal of her seriousness in the light of Aladriel being here. She'll defer to the ghostly redhead, sipping her drink and considering the situation quietly, letting Lilith pitch her story.
Lilith smiles a bit. "I'm very glad to hear that." She says to Ally. "As to the current discussion… I take it you've heard something of the troubles out in the Ute sector? Long story short, they're evicting me and the girls for being white, and I am in sore need of a lawyer."
Ally lazily pokes through Kassandra's nose while Lili explains the short version of the problem to her. And from what she hears she seems to become very thoughtful, the faint aura around her darkening a tiny little bit. "I see," she murmurs, pursing her lips. She doesn't so much move as she just shifts to the side, *through* Kassandra and out the other side, mirroring the posture she just had. "What'd they say? I mean….was it a lawyer who came by? The police? Um…did they trash up the place?"
Kassandra shudders as Ally slips through her, giving the other a look and a smile, a faint shake of her head. She hmms softly and glances to Lilith, ignoring the few looks they get from other patrons wondering about the magical woman.
Lilith shakes her head. "A couple of their agents, they were very polite. Pleasant, even. They just kindly and briskly informed me that, basically, because I was white and ran the kind of business I did, they were running me out of town. Also something about spreading vice and sin amidst their people." A brief, hard smile. "But. Since then I've spent a long time trying to get a travel permit just to be able to travel to Provo and appeal, and lawyers seem understandably hesitant to take my case. The only thing I think I may have going for me is that the Apple is still within the Denver Sector of the Ute Nation, so I may, may have some legal leeway there."
Ally giggles at the reaction she causes in the beautiful elf beside her but then her attention quickly refocuses on Lilith. "Hrm. I see. That's…kinda interesting. I do know a lawyer, he helped me out a bunch when I was younger and wilder. Believe it or not I used to get into trouble a lot," she tells the two women with a brilliant smile. "But…I've heard people at the hospital talking about all this shakeup lately. Lot of ruffled feathers. Trying to remember something I heard. Did they…erm, identify who they were with? Or just say they were with the government? They produce an eviction order and give you a copy or just threaten?"
Smirking at Aladriel's revelation about getting into trouble when she was younger, Kassandra murmurs, "I cannot ever understand why that would happen." She'll look to Lilith in regard to Ally's questions.
Aladriel blows a raspberry at Silk.
"Promises, promises," the elf retorts.
Lilith eyes seems distant for a moment as she ruffles through her memory, murmuring to herself, then blinking and looking back at the two ladies. "They said they were with the Ministry of Self Determination, they handed me the paperwork. So I assumed that I was in quite a lot of trouble." Her eyes flicker between the two for a moment, then she sips her coffee and is silent.
"Hmmm." Ally murmurs. She thinks, think-think-thinks, clicking her tongue for a second. "I'm not a political mage, but something you said rang a bell. Something about what you said…actually being in the Denver sector of the Ute. There *is* I think a technicality there. I think its governed a bit differently….mmmm. Oh!"
Kassandra listens but does not interject, her eyes shuttered, her thoughts her own. She'll glance between the two as things play out.
Lilith nods to Ally. "I did some research. There is a bit of a loophole there, I think, and yes, if you could put me in touch with your lawyer friend I'd be very grateful." Another smile quirks her lips. "Otherwise, I'm afraid I'd have to ask if you could babysit Nerissa at your place."
"Yep, yep, this is right! I think…" Ally's eyes seem distant for a second too, but then she snaps back to attention! "The Denver sector has its own Governor. Don't ask me his name! But he's like….President. He runs the show in the Denver sector, not Provo. But he has to listen to Provo. But only if he says he has to listen to them! So its not just the Ministry who has to say so, this fellow has got to say it too." She peers at Lilith then, making a sour face at the thought of babysitting. "I really don't wanna babysit that slimy snake. Do y'know if that other guy said so too?"
"William Huhuseca." Kassandra has the name on the tip of her tongue. "He does have some of his own problems, rather major at the moment. And he doesn't have to do what the Ministry says, that much is true. However, openly defying them carries its own price for him, so he needs to be sure that what he is going to expend his political capital on matters."
Lilith shakes her head. "No. Like I said, I've been so busy just getting the permits and dealing with the girls…" She rubs the bridge of her nose, rambling a bit. "And Nerissa isn't slimy. She's rather dry and warm and a excellent guard animal and garbage disposal into one…erm. Ah, yes." She straightens. "I think he may have visited on opening night…would it be possible to make a personal appeal to him at all? I know the Apple does bring in a very substantial income to that region, and I've got enough high end punter…, ah, clients, that there might be a reason there to keep the place open."
Ally looks at Silk. "That's a silly name," she murmurs, before she snickers a bit and looks towards Lili once more. "I don't know anything about that much, I'm afraid. But…from what Kassie just said, he might be a bit busy to have a chit-chat with you. But you could try, I suppose? But yeah…maybe you can dig and see whats what. If he didn't give the thumbs up…might not mean anything that order you got. But I'll give you Frank's number."
"It'd be political suicide, frankly." Kassandra shakes her head and taps a nail on the tabletop. "He says, "Hey, no, leave the nice whores alone." The word across the Ute is 'Denver Councilman approves of whores, destroys culture'" The elf shakes her head again. "You need to be able to come to him .. assuming you can get a meeting with him .. with more than a smile and a profit margin. Supporting an Anglo sex trade operation is a landmine he may not want to step on."
Lilith nods. "I didn't have much hope of speaking with him directly. However…as much as I'm trying to come up with more reasons, some other development, I think until I can speak with a lawyer it really is just me and the girls." She sighs. "Smile and a profit margin, as you say. "
"You'll figure it out, Lili," Ally says encouragingly as she tries to play with Kassandra's hair and it takes her a good few minutes to realize she's not actually able to do so…at which point she stops. "Dig into it, you'll find something!"
"The lawyer can advise. Bringing a white man's lawyer into this could do harm as well." Kassandra glances at Ally and then back to Lilith. "I apologize if I am a downer. Just looking at this logically and from a distance, there are not a lot of options. You may be able to beat the wolves back for a time, but if this goes on or if, Heavens forbid, Huhuseca is removed from his position and someone more mailable is put into place, your chances go into the gutter. While you may not want to hear it, sometimes it is better to cut bait and try elsewhere."
Lilith nods, distantly. "Mmm." She plays with her mug a little, staring off into the distance. "I'll certainly dig something. Very deep and as much as I can." She looks over at the women. "It just makes me feel very tired, and for once in my life ready to just wash my hands of the problem, burn it to the ground, salt the earth, and make sure the bodies are well disposed of." Perhaps some of that underlying temper snuck out there. Just a little.
Ally tsks a little bit at Lilith and reaches over to poke through the woman's nose, which will send a chill of course. "Don't talk like that. First see if its salvageable. Then, if not, you can look for salt and fire and all that." She grins a bit and then tilts her head. "Mmm. Maya waking up! Got to run back there! See you at home," she tells Kassie, giving her a phantom kiss before disappearing from sight!
Kassandra watches Aladriel vanish from sight and glances to Lilith. "Burning it might be a bit rash. Sell it, even at a loss, and start over again. Someplace a little more stable, a little less likely to just boot you out over skin colour."
Lilith snorts under her breath. "Just an idea." She smiles, though her tone still has a touch of darkness to it. "But, the wheels are turning. If I must, if the only option really is to leave the home, then perhaps I can use those politics to help get that money back out of it. Someway of appealing to Huhuesca by appearing to willingly leave the area."
Kassandra nods, "Maybe so. At the very least, you may be able to leave on your own terms instead of being run out of town on a rail. Maybe try for some nice high rise place that the girls can come and go from via limos?" She dangles a last carrot, "And you get to redecorate!"
Lilith eyes Kass, and then can't help a soft, genuine smile. "Naughty woman." She chuckles a bit, polishing off the last bit of her cocoa espresso. "I know for some of my girls the old fashioned thing doesn't appeal as much as some modernist bit of fashionable wealth. You think it would be possible to purchase several flats in the Mooreland building and redo them together into a new establishment?"
"Anything is possible and it cannot hurt to ask. They may be willing to overlook certain things if the price is right. You may be able to negotiate a nice little cut in prices if you do the work and give them a cut of the profits." Kassandra shrugs and draws idly on the table with a fingernail. "May want to get some accountants and that lawyer Aladriel was talking about to give you some idea of what it would cost you."
Lilith nods, idly fidgeting with her skirts. "Mmm. I can figure out the accounting on my own, perhaps, but everything is still tied into this blasted business with the Utes. But…yes, yes, I will speak with Ally's lawyer and I'll make some preliminary questions with the Mooreland management. I know some of the punters will appreciate the convenience of being able to just hop up the elevator then raising questions by driving all the way out of town."
"True. Being in the Downtown core will be a lot more convenient than having people have to slog all the way into the Ute Sector, even with the relative tax breaks. More coming and going, more air and ground traffic so that discreet affairs can be had .. there are a lot of good points to this." Kass smiles and says, "Don't think of it as a bad thing, but as a chance for new opportunities."
Lilith nods, and smiles again. "Thank you for this talk, Kassandra. It's…done wonders for clearing my head." She raises her hand to a waitress, making a quiet request for some tea now. "Of course, standing in queue for so long probably didn't help my temper either, but enough of me. How are things in your world? It doesn't appear you are suffering quite so much as I am, I hope."
"Suffering?" Kassandra chuckles faintly and shakes her head. "You are only being mildly inconvenienced. The real suffering is taking place in a variety of areas here and out West." The elf shrugs and says, "We've had a better time of it, but I planned for things like this, made a few contingencies. If all else fails, I burn an identity and move elsewhere. There is an old saying .. "Never have anything you cannot walk away from in 30 seconds flat."
Lilith nods. "So it is. As long as you, your wife and daughter are ok." She smiles a bit. "Things are still nice and cozy up at the house then?"
"Oh yes. We had some nice government men come by and ask to see our rental papers, but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. Just another lovely day in Denver." Kassandra chuckles faintly. "We stay busy and don't bother anyone, and we get mostly left alone."
Lilith chuckles. "Lucky you. I should come by and visit once this business is done with, I've not been in far too long." She sips her tea with a pleased sigh once it comes by, and then murmurs casually. "Mmmm. That reminds me, how were your holidays? I'm sorry I couldn't be around but I hope you got my package."
"Quiet. Very quiet. We stayed in and watched the snow, I made a few calls to make sure things went smoothly for other people, that sort of thing." Kassandra considers and nods, "I believe we did. Aladriel was in charge of packages, so she stacked them all up and made a castle out of them."
Lilith can't help herself and has to raise a gloved hand to her lips to hide her soft giggle. "Glad to hear it. Did Maya enjoy the toy castle her mum made?" Her eyes brighten a bit with repressed humour.
"Of course." Kassandra smiles at that, adding, "Well, in fairness Maya also enjoys watching light play on the wall, balls of fluff pass by, and the sound of wind against the trees. She is relatively easy to please."
Lilith chuckles softly. "I do hope she liked the unicorn. I was afraid it might be too old for her, but I'm sure the colours keep her happy." She sighs, shifts a little, and checks her pocsec as it buzzes. "Damn. More bloody business to deal with, but I really should get home and explain the new developments with the girls. It'll reassure them." She puts a generous tip down for the waitress, and leans over to peck Kass politely on each cheek. "Thank you again for your time, company, and words, Kassie."
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