RVA: Shadow of Doubt, the Argument
Oct. 11th, 2015 07:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalNote: I'm not entirely certain this scene works as written. Things seem to go to pieces almost too rapidly. Comments welcome.
* * *
When Ali returned to Darktail Manor, it was just past 0200. Aunt Razi set the air skimmer down by the front portico, and bussed Ali on the cheek briefly before she stepped out.
“It’s going to be all, dear. I’ll talk to Neka tomorrow… well, later this morning,” Aunt Razi soothed.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Ali said glumly. “You can’t make her want to talk to me.”
When she had returned with Fin back to the CP officer’s house, Aunt Razi had been waiting anxiously outside. Fin went inside to talk to their spouse, only to come out with a very troubled expression and the message that Neka was refusing to let Ali in and threaten their children again. The fact that it had come to no surprise to Ali hadn’t made the refusal hurt any less. Razi and she had flown back home immediately, with her normally bubbly aunt uncharacteristically quiet.
“You sure you’re going to all right, Ali?” her aunt asked.
Ali managed to put a wan smile on her face. “I just need to see Salli and I’ll be all right.” Razi nodded and finally let her go. The monitor at the door accepted her palm print and she slipped inside, heading up the stairs in the dim light provided by the night globes in the walls.
When she reached the facing doors of her and Salli's room, she found herself with a dilemma. Ali very much didn't want to sleep alone, but she didn't want to risk waking up Salli either. She settled for slipping inside, intent on curling up in the conversation pit to sleep until Salli awakened in the morning.
To her surprise she found Salli already there, laying on the cushions circling the pit, propped up a couple of pillows. The noblevixen was still in her formal dress, though partly unbuttoned and the sash set aside on the pit's central table. Her good idea blinked open as Ali closed the door softly, and she sat up yawning.
“Milady, why aren't you in bed?” Ali said, sitting down beside her. The tired hug Salli gave her was just what the young bodyguard needed.
Salli rubbed a knuckle against her empty eye socket, and then tugged her eye patch back in place. “I didn't want to sleep until you got home.”
“It would have been okay.” Ali rubbed her nose against Salli's cheek, and the noblevixen responded with a pleased purr. “How was the party?”
“Not… good…” Salli said, her voice growing tentative.
Ali’s ears perked up, and she sat up straighter to look Salli in the eye. “What’s wrong?”
Still sounding uncertain, Salli asked, “Ali, if I told you to kill someone, would you do it?”
“I… er…” Ali stumbled, not expecting the question. “Well, if it wasn’t a cub. I mean, I’d hope you’d have a good reason for wanting them dead. But, yeah, if you really wanted me to, sure.”
“Ah,” was Salli’s only reply. She rubbed her eye socket again, the normally meticulous vixen leaving her eye patch askew now, the gaping, empty cyber socket staring out like a skull’s. “And if you thought someone would hurt me, would you kill them?”
“Well, if they were attacking you, of course,”Ali replied. She furrowed her brow. “Wait, do you mean, like, behind your back?”
“Yes, exactly.” Salli's remaining eye was wide, looking up at her, as if afraid of the answer she'd get.
“No! I'd never make trouble for you like that! How would I ever know if I'd be found out or not?”
Salli relaxed slightly. “Thank you, Ali. You relieve me of a burden.”
Ali looked her carefully. “What happened at the party? Where did this come from?”
Her lover pulled out her palm comp and brought up the Oceanic News news site. Ali read through the article Salli highlighted with increasing dismay, her ears flattening to her head. When she finished she handed the comp back, shrugging sadly. “Well, everything in that is true. I am a criminal and a murderer. I am in love with you. And you can't deny it does make you look bad.”
“You were exonerated of those murders,” Salli said fiercely.
“I still committed them,” Ali pointed out. “Did you think people would magically forget that once my trial was over?”
“No, but...” Salli rubbed her ears in frustration. “Why won't they see you as I see you? The young vixen who deserves some happiness after suffering so much?” She shot up from the cushions, nearly dumping Ali out of her seat as the noblevixen began walking in a frustrated circle around the conversation pit's central table, arms waving. “My mother as much accused you of arranging for Countess Highglider and my ex-husband to be murdered in their cells. Mother Goddess bless me, she makes me so bloody furious.”
Ali pushed herself upright, sitting cross-legged on the cushions. “She's never going to accept us being together, you know that. You should send me back to Greenholme. Zaker can be your bodyguard while you're here, she looks like she knows her job.”
Salli paused in mid-circle. “I thought you hated Zaker?”
“Can't stand her. Doesn't mean she can't serve you.”
“I am not sending you away.”
Now it was Ali's turn to rub her ears, feeling uncharacteristically tired and frustrated at her lover. “Look, do you really think your mother is ever going to give her blessing for us to mated? Salli, be realistic! You need to back off and let things cool down. I'll head back to the colony, you can take care of your eye, and when you come back to Greenholme we can just go on as before. Otherwise if your mother keeps seeing you and me together, she can just order you to end our relationship. Let me get out of her sight and maybe I'll be out of her mind.”
“No!” Salli shouted, making Ali flinch back. “My mother is wrong. You know she is wrong!”
“No, she isn't. If there's one newsnet article about us, there's going to be more. She's a countess now, remember? You think she's going to put up with all that bad publicity and put her position at risk for the sake of us?”
“If she truly loved me, then she would.”
Ali just stood up, shaking her head, feeling bone weary. “What's the matter with you? Why are so stuck on this? I'm grateful to be your lover, but you have to know to can't last.”
Salli actually began pulling her ears, such was her frustration it seemed. “Would you stop?”
“Stop what? Being realistic?” Ali shot back.
“Stop being so bloody passive about this!” Salli shouted. “I can't fight Mother all on my own.”
“Maybe you should just stop then. Mother Goddess know I'm too tired to bother,” Ali said wearily. She turned towards the door. “I'm going to bed.”
“I need you here!” Salli demanded.
Ali turned slowly back towards her. “Is that an order, Milady?” she asked coolly.
The crestfallen look on Salli's face was enough to break Ali's heart. She tried not to give into it. Salli had to know that things could never work out the way the noblevixen wanted. Maybe if Ali could rub her nose hard enough into that fact, Salli might finally listen.
“No,” Salli said hollowly.
“Good night then.” Ali stepped out of the suite, closing the door behind her, pretending not to hear Salli's rising sobs.
* * *
When Ali returned to Darktail Manor, it was just past 0200. Aunt Razi set the air skimmer down by the front portico, and bussed Ali on the cheek briefly before she stepped out.
“It’s going to be all, dear. I’ll talk to Neka tomorrow… well, later this morning,” Aunt Razi soothed.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” Ali said glumly. “You can’t make her want to talk to me.”
When she had returned with Fin back to the CP officer’s house, Aunt Razi had been waiting anxiously outside. Fin went inside to talk to their spouse, only to come out with a very troubled expression and the message that Neka was refusing to let Ali in and threaten their children again. The fact that it had come to no surprise to Ali hadn’t made the refusal hurt any less. Razi and she had flown back home immediately, with her normally bubbly aunt uncharacteristically quiet.
“You sure you’re going to all right, Ali?” her aunt asked.
Ali managed to put a wan smile on her face. “I just need to see Salli and I’ll be all right.” Razi nodded and finally let her go. The monitor at the door accepted her palm print and she slipped inside, heading up the stairs in the dim light provided by the night globes in the walls.
When she reached the facing doors of her and Salli's room, she found herself with a dilemma. Ali very much didn't want to sleep alone, but she didn't want to risk waking up Salli either. She settled for slipping inside, intent on curling up in the conversation pit to sleep until Salli awakened in the morning.
To her surprise she found Salli already there, laying on the cushions circling the pit, propped up a couple of pillows. The noblevixen was still in her formal dress, though partly unbuttoned and the sash set aside on the pit's central table. Her good idea blinked open as Ali closed the door softly, and she sat up yawning.
“Milady, why aren't you in bed?” Ali said, sitting down beside her. The tired hug Salli gave her was just what the young bodyguard needed.
Salli rubbed a knuckle against her empty eye socket, and then tugged her eye patch back in place. “I didn't want to sleep until you got home.”
“It would have been okay.” Ali rubbed her nose against Salli's cheek, and the noblevixen responded with a pleased purr. “How was the party?”
“Not… good…” Salli said, her voice growing tentative.
Ali’s ears perked up, and she sat up straighter to look Salli in the eye. “What’s wrong?”
Still sounding uncertain, Salli asked, “Ali, if I told you to kill someone, would you do it?”
“I… er…” Ali stumbled, not expecting the question. “Well, if it wasn’t a cub. I mean, I’d hope you’d have a good reason for wanting them dead. But, yeah, if you really wanted me to, sure.”
“Ah,” was Salli’s only reply. She rubbed her eye socket again, the normally meticulous vixen leaving her eye patch askew now, the gaping, empty cyber socket staring out like a skull’s. “And if you thought someone would hurt me, would you kill them?”
“Well, if they were attacking you, of course,”Ali replied. She furrowed her brow. “Wait, do you mean, like, behind your back?”
“Yes, exactly.” Salli's remaining eye was wide, looking up at her, as if afraid of the answer she'd get.
“No! I'd never make trouble for you like that! How would I ever know if I'd be found out or not?”
Salli relaxed slightly. “Thank you, Ali. You relieve me of a burden.”
Ali looked her carefully. “What happened at the party? Where did this come from?”
Her lover pulled out her palm comp and brought up the Oceanic News news site. Ali read through the article Salli highlighted with increasing dismay, her ears flattening to her head. When she finished she handed the comp back, shrugging sadly. “Well, everything in that is true. I am a criminal and a murderer. I am in love with you. And you can't deny it does make you look bad.”
“You were exonerated of those murders,” Salli said fiercely.
“I still committed them,” Ali pointed out. “Did you think people would magically forget that once my trial was over?”
“No, but...” Salli rubbed her ears in frustration. “Why won't they see you as I see you? The young vixen who deserves some happiness after suffering so much?” She shot up from the cushions, nearly dumping Ali out of her seat as the noblevixen began walking in a frustrated circle around the conversation pit's central table, arms waving. “My mother as much accused you of arranging for Countess Highglider and my ex-husband to be murdered in their cells. Mother Goddess bless me, she makes me so bloody furious.”
Ali pushed herself upright, sitting cross-legged on the cushions. “She's never going to accept us being together, you know that. You should send me back to Greenholme. Zaker can be your bodyguard while you're here, she looks like she knows her job.”
Salli paused in mid-circle. “I thought you hated Zaker?”
“Can't stand her. Doesn't mean she can't serve you.”
“I am not sending you away.”
Now it was Ali's turn to rub her ears, feeling uncharacteristically tired and frustrated at her lover. “Look, do you really think your mother is ever going to give her blessing for us to mated? Salli, be realistic! You need to back off and let things cool down. I'll head back to the colony, you can take care of your eye, and when you come back to Greenholme we can just go on as before. Otherwise if your mother keeps seeing you and me together, she can just order you to end our relationship. Let me get out of her sight and maybe I'll be out of her mind.”
“No!” Salli shouted, making Ali flinch back. “My mother is wrong. You know she is wrong!”
“No, she isn't. If there's one newsnet article about us, there's going to be more. She's a countess now, remember? You think she's going to put up with all that bad publicity and put her position at risk for the sake of us?”
“If she truly loved me, then she would.”
Ali just stood up, shaking her head, feeling bone weary. “What's the matter with you? Why are so stuck on this? I'm grateful to be your lover, but you have to know to can't last.”
Salli actually began pulling her ears, such was her frustration it seemed. “Would you stop?”
“Stop what? Being realistic?” Ali shot back.
“Stop being so bloody passive about this!” Salli shouted. “I can't fight Mother all on my own.”
“Maybe you should just stop then. Mother Goddess know I'm too tired to bother,” Ali said wearily. She turned towards the door. “I'm going to bed.”
“I need you here!” Salli demanded.
Ali turned slowly back towards her. “Is that an order, Milady?” she asked coolly.
The crestfallen look on Salli's face was enough to break Ali's heart. She tried not to give into it. Salli had to know that things could never work out the way the noblevixen wanted. Maybe if Ali could rub her nose hard enough into that fact, Salli might finally listen.
“No,” Salli said hollowly.
“Good night then.” Ali stepped out of the suite, closing the door behind her, pretending not to hear Salli's rising sobs.
