Aisling Wilde (showmeonce) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-07-12 21:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !narrative, !playerplot: a building of rooks, aisling wilde |
three steps four steps guess this means that I'm a whore uh oh hell no how long til I reach the door
Who: Aisling Wilde
What: Narrative; Ash gets abducted.
Where: Outside the Ruby House.
When: Tonight, 9:07pm
Rating: PG-13 (descriptions of violence)
Status: Complete
The planning session had run late - again - and Ash hadn't had time to change into something less provocative. Usually, she tried to work less hours the week leading up to the fights, but the meeting with Mama Jewel had been scheduled before she'd managed to finalize the date and formalize the set up changes. By the time she'd managed to extricate herself from the regular gossip session that these things always turned in to - which was unfortunate, because, really, there were so many ways to raise their revenue and for fuck's sake, she'd brought graphs and the least they could do was listen - it was already nine. Good thing I told Ci after, she thought to herself, waving at the bartender and slipping out of the side door into the alley.
It was risky, especially with the murders in the District, and Ash wasn't too cocky about her fighting skills. Sure, she could kick ass in the Ring, but first blood - even knockout when certain rules where in place - but in a one-on-one where anything goes? She had no illusions over how the hell she'd fare against those odds. But still, it was the quickest way, and she had her mace and her father's gun on her, just in case. The alley opened up onto the street, and she blended into the crowd, letting it push her forward, careful to keep an eye out for anything that could be suspicious.
Her folder was tucked under her arm, and she thought about the info she had gathered for Cian. It always amazed her how often someone would tell her shit that wasn't any of her business in the heat of the moment or right afterward. She had to admit, it was a pretty smart move, giving her this kind of assignment, and though she resented mixing the two businesses, it wasn't like she hadn't been passing shit she'd heard along from the start. Maybe not to Ci, but definitely to Lea.
Three murders in as many weeks. No fucking clue over who did it or why, except that it was possibly a machinist. She'd learned from one the women - a regular, fairly low on the EKP totem pole, but sweet as sugar with a few interesting kinks - that the leads on the case had found machinery at the last scene. Not much to work on, but Ash figured it would at least lead them to Lea. If they were smart, anyway.
Then there were the walking corpses delivering letters. The white mage who'd told her that had seemed pretty shaken up. Paid good money to just sit there and talk until he'd realized his time was almost up.
Someone jostled her and she looked up. It took a moment to place the face, but when she did, she couldn't help but scowl. Fiore Conti was a second-rate machinist who had a thing for one of the girls at Jade. From what she recalled, Cedrela had ended up quitting and taking up with a sky pirate about a month ago. She'd been madly in love with the woman, who had offered to take her away, and Conti's obsession with her had bordered on stalker. Apparently, he'd been so heartbroken he'd sworn off the District and locked himself in his shop. Which, really, had been good riddance for everyone.
"Ash," he said, smiling. There was something about it that put her on edge and she placed her hand on the butt of her gun. "How've you been?"
There was no one around - somehow, when she hadn't been paying attention, she'd started navigating the alleyways on auto-pilot. "Conti," she replied, brusque. "What're you doing in these parts?" She'd been walking for less than five minutes, so she hadn't gotten far.
"Just missed the scene," he breathed, moving closer to her. She caught a glimpse of something on his belt that looked suspiciously like a bomb.
Those poor girls, flash burned, they say, Cristyl had said. Monaco found pieces of a bombshell at the scene.
You've got to be fucking kidding me, she thought. Willow and Rowan and Leila. Short, petite, blonde. Leila was a casualty. Only one who didn't fit the bill. But Ash fit the bill, and she fit it perfectly fucking well. Motherfucker.
Of all the poor fucks she would have guessed, Fiore Conti was the last fucking one.
And there was no way to let anyone know.
"Look. I've got places to be, so out of my way."
Conti shook his head, hand reaching into his pocket. Before he could pull whatever the fuck he was trying to grab out, Ash drew her gun and fired two shots straight into his chest. He staggered back, clutching at the wounds. Well, clutching at where his fucking wounds should have been.
Armor, she thought in disgust. Of fucking course.
Before she could do anything else, the back of his hand connected with her cheek. The force of the blow split her lip, and metal flooded her mouth. He followed it up with a knee to her gut and she doubled over in time for his laced hands to come down hard on her back. Her knees buckled and she was on the floor. The heel of his boot ground into the small of her back and she grunted, breathing through the pain like she'd been learned during that first year in the Ring.
She rolled out of the way and the toe of his foot connected with her collarbone. Pain laced through her, darkening her vision. She knew if she passed out, it was over. Her mace had come out of its holder and she groped blindly for its grip. Her fingers wrapped around it just as Conti readied another kick to her gut. Before it connected, she swung up, the mace rending the cloth of his trousers and digging into his leg.
Conti screamed, and Ash scrambled up, running towards the alley entrance. Just get to the street, she told herself.
Something clanged behind her, but she didn't look back. Smoke poured around her, and she recognized the stench a second too late. She hit the ground hard.
Before she went under, she thought she heard Conti laughing.