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jeriendhalJumping ahead a bit in the story, since the current chronological scene is leaving me stuck.
CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of drug abuse, child soldiers,and Melanie being a perv
The comm chimed for a full fifteen second before the CONNECTION ESTABLISHED, AUDIO ONLY indicator came on. Which was followed shortly thereafter by Melanie answering grumpily, “Salli, do you have any idea what time is on this planet?”
“I need to speak to you and Rolas immediately,” Salli told her.
“I’m sorry, Rolas is a bit tied up with something at the moment,” Melanie answered with false sweetness.
“Melanie, I honestly do not care what perverted bedroom games I just interrupted. Get Rolas to the com right now,” Salli snapped.
There was a brief pause, then Melanie said, “Give me a half-minute.”
To her credit, it was actually less than that before the vid activated, to reveal Melanie very much dishabille in a loose red silk robe not quite hiding the black rubber bustier she was wearing, while beside her Rolas sat barechested and fur ruffled, rubbing his wrists discreetly below the level of the camera’s range. “Alright Salli, I’m here. What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Ali is in the hospital. Someone switched out her medication and she injected several cc’s of bleach into her veins,” Salli said flatly. She gave a summary of the medical team’s evaluation of the damage, as both Melanie and Rolas’ ears turned back in shock, concluding with, “She’s on full life support now, I don’t know if she’s going to die in pain or live a cripple, and if my mother breathes one word about how this will oh so neatly fix the problem Ali represents to her House I will rip out her throat.” She closed her eyes briefly, composing herself. “So please tell me, Melanie. Did you know she was a drug addict?”
“Yes,” Melanie said flatly, while beside her Rolas let out a startled, “What?”
“And you didn’t see fit to tell me this?”
“I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t your business.” She held a restraining paw, as Salli opened her mouth to object. “Let me explain.”
Salli closed her jaw with a snap. “I’m listening.”
“Ali has spent her entire life since the age of six under the thumb of one mistress or another. First as Margo’s slave and soldier, then as my bodyguard and pet, and now you as prisoner and leigesworn both. She’s had no privacy at all. Save for this secret, which she begged me not to tell you. So this once I did as she bid.”
“I don’t understand. Why would she keep this a secret from me? I could have helped her.”
Melanie’s expression turned mournful. “Because she was ashamed, Salli. She wanted you to respect her.”
“But I do!” Salli exclaimed. Her stomach knotted up. “How could she think I didn’t? Did she think I would abandon her?”
“You wouldn’t do that, Salli. That’s one the reasons I tried to hook you two together in the first place,” Melanie said. “But she was ashamed of her weakness. Ali didn’t want you to think she’d ever falter in protecting you.”
“Mother Goddess bless.” Salli rubbed her ears, still trying to comprehend it all. “But how did she even get started in the first place? She takes such pride in her athletic ability.” Her forehead wrinkled briefly in thought. “Surely she wasn’t into steroid enhancement.”
“No, it started a lot earlier, when she was eight, still serving under Bloody Margo.”
Rolas, who had been listening quietly, muttered, “Surely not. Why would they give an eight year-old cubling drugs?”
Melanie shook her head, turning to look at him. “Dear husband, despite my best efforts you’re a clean minded soul. Think it through. How do you get a child of eight or ten to kill other children? First you start injecting them with drugs to get their adrenaline cranked up into a combat high. Then you do it again, and again, and again, until they’re hooked tight and the idea of refusing, of getting their drug supply cut off, is more horrible than the murders they’re asked to commit. That’s how Bloody Margo got Alinadar to damn herself again, and again. That’s why she was taking the opoid antagonist.”
“I never saw her take it, and we were living in close quarters for weeks when I was on my Grand Tour,” Salli said.
“It’s a long acting drug. She only needs to take it every few days, sometimes as a little as every two weeks, depending on how stressed she was,” Melanie told her.
“She’d…. been under a lot of stress recently,” Salli said hollowly.
“Do you need us to come home?” Rolas asked.
Salli shook her head reluctantly. “Even if a ship was there to run you home, the average freighter would take a couple of weeks minimum. I need you both there to administer the colony. I”m going to have to take care of this myself.”
“Then at least keep us informed, please Salli,” Melanie asked. “I know you have no love for me, but we both love Ali, if in different ways. Watch out for her.”
“I will,” Salli said, and cut the com.
CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of drug abuse, child soldiers,
The comm chimed for a full fifteen second before the CONNECTION ESTABLISHED, AUDIO ONLY indicator came on. Which was followed shortly thereafter by Melanie answering grumpily, “Salli, do you have any idea what time is on this planet?”
“I need to speak to you and Rolas immediately,” Salli told her.
“I’m sorry, Rolas is a bit tied up with something at the moment,” Melanie answered with false sweetness.
“Melanie, I honestly do not care what perverted bedroom games I just interrupted. Get Rolas to the com right now,” Salli snapped.
There was a brief pause, then Melanie said, “Give me a half-minute.”
To her credit, it was actually less than that before the vid activated, to reveal Melanie very much dishabille in a loose red silk robe not quite hiding the black rubber bustier she was wearing, while beside her Rolas sat barechested and fur ruffled, rubbing his wrists discreetly below the level of the camera’s range. “Alright Salli, I’m here. What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Ali is in the hospital. Someone switched out her medication and she injected several cc’s of bleach into her veins,” Salli said flatly. She gave a summary of the medical team’s evaluation of the damage, as both Melanie and Rolas’ ears turned back in shock, concluding with, “She’s on full life support now, I don’t know if she’s going to die in pain or live a cripple, and if my mother breathes one word about how this will oh so neatly fix the problem Ali represents to her House I will rip out her throat.” She closed her eyes briefly, composing herself. “So please tell me, Melanie. Did you know she was a drug addict?”
“Yes,” Melanie said flatly, while beside her Rolas let out a startled, “What?”
“And you didn’t see fit to tell me this?”
“I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t your business.” She held a restraining paw, as Salli opened her mouth to object. “Let me explain.”
Salli closed her jaw with a snap. “I’m listening.”
“Ali has spent her entire life since the age of six under the thumb of one mistress or another. First as Margo’s slave and soldier, then as my bodyguard and pet, and now you as prisoner and leigesworn both. She’s had no privacy at all. Save for this secret, which she begged me not to tell you. So this once I did as she bid.”
“I don’t understand. Why would she keep this a secret from me? I could have helped her.”
Melanie’s expression turned mournful. “Because she was ashamed, Salli. She wanted you to respect her.”
“But I do!” Salli exclaimed. Her stomach knotted up. “How could she think I didn’t? Did she think I would abandon her?”
“You wouldn’t do that, Salli. That’s one the reasons I tried to hook you two together in the first place,” Melanie said. “But she was ashamed of her weakness. Ali didn’t want you to think she’d ever falter in protecting you.”
“Mother Goddess bless.” Salli rubbed her ears, still trying to comprehend it all. “But how did she even get started in the first place? She takes such pride in her athletic ability.” Her forehead wrinkled briefly in thought. “Surely she wasn’t into steroid enhancement.”
“No, it started a lot earlier, when she was eight, still serving under Bloody Margo.”
Rolas, who had been listening quietly, muttered, “Surely not. Why would they give an eight year-old cubling drugs?”
Melanie shook her head, turning to look at him. “Dear husband, despite my best efforts you’re a clean minded soul. Think it through. How do you get a child of eight or ten to kill other children? First you start injecting them with drugs to get their adrenaline cranked up into a combat high. Then you do it again, and again, and again, until they’re hooked tight and the idea of refusing, of getting their drug supply cut off, is more horrible than the murders they’re asked to commit. That’s how Bloody Margo got Alinadar to damn herself again, and again. That’s why she was taking the opoid antagonist.”
“I never saw her take it, and we were living in close quarters for weeks when I was on my Grand Tour,” Salli said.
“It’s a long acting drug. She only needs to take it every few days, sometimes as a little as every two weeks, depending on how stressed she was,” Melanie told her.
“She’d…. been under a lot of stress recently,” Salli said hollowly.
“Do you need us to come home?” Rolas asked.
Salli shook her head reluctantly. “Even if a ship was there to run you home, the average freighter would take a couple of weeks minimum. I need you both there to administer the colony. I”m going to have to take care of this myself.”
“Then at least keep us informed, please Salli,” Melanie asked. “I know you have no love for me, but we both love Ali, if in different ways. Watch out for her.”
“I will,” Salli said, and cut the com.
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no subject
Date: 2016-03-12 11:03 pm (UTC)"opoid" -> "opioid"
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 12:54 am (UTC)Aside from that, what did you think of it?
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 01:13 am (UTC)I have no idea the applications of opioids on Foxen, but you wouldn't use it on a Terran to get them hyped up/aggressive – are you confusing opioids with cocaine or meth? – but to make them fearless/painless. Opioids make humans happy and stoned and sleepy. Think "opium den", Dorothy crossing the field of poppies which make her sleepy, and the name of the plant it all comes from: Papaver somniferum.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 01:51 am (UTC)Which doesn't preclude her getting addicted to downers later to try and sleep at night, but that's another matter.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 02:03 am (UTC)(Also, PRN dose fluctuations are a Big No No.)
ETA: Also, on Ali's behalf, I'm slightly offended at Salli's use of the term "addict". If Ali is on an agonist tx, and not abusing opioids, that would be "in recovery from addiction". Maybe Melanie could point that out.
ETA2: Just pointing out, you may want to reflect on the assumptions of making Ali's substance dependence a Big Dark Secret. Her suboxone/methadone getting poisoned is no different than, say, her insulin getting poisoned. It's a medication that treats an illness, is all.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-13 10:56 am (UTC)Plotwise I have to make it an injection. Swallowed liquid would mean it'd be really hard for Ali to miss she's ingesting Drano, and I need her badly disabled for Plot Reasons.
Also, on Ali's behalf, I'm slightly offended at Salli's use of the term "addict".
If it isn't obvious at this point, Foxen are lacking a certain amount of... er... sensitivity when it comes to dealing with illness. Note Salli mentioning Ali might crippled for life, instead of "disabled". Melanie should definitely call her out on her shit though.
you may want to reflect on the assumptions of making Ali's substance dependence a Big Dark Secret.
Point. More communication would mean less problems. In Ali's defense she's not exactly thinking straight on the matter, and has nearly Sgt. Bothari levels of ego destruction, even if she is better socialized. The idea of Salli thinking less about her is absolutely terrifying.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-14 05:46 am (UTC)I wasn't thinking more communication. If Foxen are ableist, that right there is reason Ali might keep it secret. But it seems a more compelling reason is that it's a scar – just like her PTSD hair-trigger responses, of which she has also demonstrated high levels of shame. It's evidence that she's been damaged/tainted by Margo; every injection is a reminder that Margo neurologically maimed her, possibly for life. The drug dependence was Margo's biochemical leash, and as such Ali having to cope with how it's still attached to her brain is humiliating.
In this scenario, Ali isn't hiding it because she fears Salli's rejection. She's hiding it because she doesn't want Salli to witness her humiliation, because she doesn't want Salli to know there's this sense in which she still "belongs to" Margo, because she wants Salli to think of her as strong and independent and transcendent of her past, because Ali is trying to impress Salli.
The difference I'm suggesting is the one between it's a Big Dark Secret because it's an addiction and it's a Big Dark Secret because it has to do with Margo.
It would be awesome if Salli just doesn't get why Ali wouldn't have told her, what with, from Salli's perspective, maintenance tx being just some medication Ali needs to take to keep herself in fighting trim.
I think this is some incredibly rich narrative ground to till.
no subject
Date: 2016-03-14 12:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-03-16 01:27 am (UTC)