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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 13:04:40 GMT -8
"All of them, but I started in witches and there are a few witches I have scores to settle with" Portia is not snarling but she is a step off it, she's pretty sure that one day she will make that Cassie and that Diana pay for that incident in teh woods... Probably Adam too.
She doesn't bother to mention that the one vampire she met was actually quite charming and seemed to hate witches just as much as she did... That isn't necessary.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 13:11:29 GMT -8
Portia's omission goes unnoticed. Isobel Vasquez is good, but she's not perfect. Maybe one day it will come back to bite her -- pun not intended. As it is, she glances down at her m&m jar, fishes around until she finds a red one, places it on her tongue in a way that'd have the boys sitting up. The thing about Ms. Vasquez: she doesn't try. She isn't even conscious of it, exactly.
Then she says: "Do you know one surefire way to see whether somebody is or isn't a witch, Miss Bane?"
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 13:34:45 GMT -8
Portia is not a boy thank you very much, she has also faced down one of Suzan's wilder schemes so instead she just glances away briefly, coughs and then looks back.
"Well..." Frown "they tend to be wearing more jewelry, they usually have a few human boys crowding around them and... They just seem to stand out in a crowd more then average, seem to revel in it..." Portia wrinkled her nose "and as for shapeshifters..."
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 13:44:11 GMT -8
Isobel listens to Portia speak. Portia's used to commanding a room. To commanding attention. People fear her. Weaker girls just buckle beneath her. Adults see bright things happening for Portia, although maybe some of them dislike her.
"Mm," Isobel says, last traces of m&m melting on her tongue. The m&ms rattle when she puts the jar on the desk. There's a slim gold bracelet around her wrist, delicate against delicate bones.
"But once you suspect -- surely, you cannot convict based solely on jewelry. That's why in the old days," and Isobel is a History teacher, a teacher of Social Studies, "they devised tests. Do you know what the test of water is?"
"Well, perhaps I should say 'was'."
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 13:51:12 GMT -8
Portia is very used to commanding attention, to the extent that she assumes most people who ignore her are just not thinking straight, she needs to be known to the world.
Portia blinks, and then frowns "would that be dunking or throwing them into the water and seeing if they float?" There is slight scepticism under her voice, people died either way in those tests... And Portia has the sneaking suspicion that even vampires would do a okay job at drowning if tied up with wood based rope.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 13:57:17 GMT -8
"That's the one," Isobel says, seriously. "Of course, it wasn't a very comforting test -- if your target drowned, then you were wrong, and you'd murdered an innocent civilian. To apply the test of water takes a certain courage -- and belief that one is right or righteous."
Beat. Isobel picks up a sheaf of papers that happened to be lying on top of her desk; Portia's last essay, turned in as homework. "But me, I like water. Have you been to the school's swim meets? They're very exciting." Her eyes snap with life.
"That Nike Goodfellow. Is named for a pagan goddess of Victory. She is very well-named."
Nike Goodfellow: a girl only a year younger than Portia, with eyes the color of aquamarine stones and, as a matter of fact, a prediliction for wearing those same stones at her throat and her ears, a silver ring set with the same stone never leaves her ringfinger. Nike is competitive, and very likely the best swimmer the school has ever seen -- possibly that the state has ever seen. She's popular enough, but chooses to separate herself from the ... Normal people.
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 14:18:43 GMT -8
Portia feels herself tense, not the "Touched a nerve" tense but more the "I feel a hunt coming on" tense... It's quite wonderful when that happens... Or at least Portia enjoys it.
So her eyes are narrowing slightly and she is nodding "Yes, I know her... Knew what she was, but Logan and Jordan... Well, Logan is not willing and Jordan is too busy... And so far I have been too busy to... Have words with her."
Interrogate her, have a nice chat about the other witches in the area... The usual.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 14:23:53 GMT -8
Isobel scrunches her nose up. "You should congratulate her; I hear she is moving up in the world. Now there is a girl who might survive the test of water. Of course, in the old days, if you had somebody survive the test of water, they were killed another way... As far as social experiments go, they were interesting."
"And speaking of interesting, Portia, let's discuss your essay, shall we?"
And from there they'll slide into easier, more conventional, student-teacher talk. Portia knows, by now, what Isobel is implying: Take care of this. Show you've got balls. And then ...well. Then Isobel is connected.
All she has to do is set up a meet with Nike.
It would be easiest to do at the school's swimming pool -- it's indoors, and Nike is often there long after everybody else is gone. She's supposed to have somebody else there with her, but ... Well, why would she need somebody else there with her?
Of course, if Portia asked Nike to meet her somewhere, the jock girl probably wouldn't say no.
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 14:27:10 GMT -8
(So, should I continue it here or put it elsewhere?
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 14:27:53 GMT -8
(( Just continue here. It'll be a self-contained story w/ scene changes and all. Consider the scene changed to where ever you set it. =P ))
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 14:48:05 GMT -8
(Okay)
[The day after, In the park nearest Portia's home]
Portia knows very well that Nike's family probably won't protest very much into their middle girls disappearance, not because they don't love her but because a full investigation would reveal some dangerous truths... Besides, if they do decide to let the police probe in a way when they think is deeply they'll just lead themselves to a boy... Who just happens to be a sparrow shapeshifter.
Portia is nothing but neat.
Anyway, so now she is standing in this park, at twilight, with a pistol tucked neatly under her coat, Logan's gloves on and a friendly smile on her face... Waiting for Nike.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 14:54:54 GMT -8
There are a lot of trees. Tall trees, dark trees; trees that are stark against the twilight. Nike, whose hair is red, but carrot-red, except when it's wet -- when it becomes this sleeker color, more like copper wire, darker, lovelier, probably takes Portia by surprise. But witches were in tune with nature. They could move quietly, when they wanted to.
The jock girl's hair is as a matter of fact drying now, so it's in a state between really messed up curls and wet snarls, and she smiles [vibrancy, snapping with it] at Portia. She smells like chlorine. "Hey, Portia. You wanted to talk to me about Jared?" Jared: somebody Nike has a slight crush on.
And yes, she comes upon Portia from behind, gazes imploringly -- her eyes are so blue! -- at the older girl.
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 15:06:32 GMT -8
Portia turns around slowly and smiles, she can have a lovely smile when she really wants to manipulate somebody... Though it is a pity that Nike is a witch, if she hadn't been a witch Portia has the feeling they could have gotten along rather well... but Nike is a witch, and Portia just isn't of the mindset to regret what she has to do soon.
"Hi Nike, Nice night isn't it?" Portia does a good job of making her voice slightly shaky, slightly pitying... She's had practice at it, has only killed two witches so far but both of those she had managed to manipulate into friendship quite happily before murdering them "Well... It's slightly about Jared.... But also about Stacy..."
Stacy, one of Portia's lower down hanger ons... Three words: Dumb, blonde, bimbo... But also unfortunately rather good looking with it, and has the whole Maiden awaiting to be rescued vibe that some boys seem to be drawn to.
Portia takes a step closer, reaches within her coat as if to scratch a slight itch... Her fingers close around the gun.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 6, 2008 15:14:54 GMT -8
Nike is a witch. Right? Right. Right? How certain is Portia? Certain enough? How did Isobel put it: sure of her righteousness?
Nike gives Portia an uneasy look, rubbing the back of her neck as she glances around the park. Some last gleam of day's final edge catches in her hair, and her earrings dangle. Mostly, Nike doesn't seem the kind of girl to wear jewelry, and yet she manages to do so quite well -- this mix of tom boy and girly girl that few can manage. She even has a boys boxers on, visible above her falling shorts... Which are long, too. Skater shorts. She hitches them up.
Then she chuckles. "I hope you're not going to say that he's going to ask her out. Or vice versa. Because, gosh, he's way too good for her -- sorry, I know you're her friend and all, but it's true. He's good enough for me, after all. Damn, did I say that out loud?"
Blink. "Yeah; it is a nice night. See all the crows? One is for sorrow. Two is for mirth. Three for a wedding, four for a birth, five for silver, six for gold, seven -- "
She's counting the crows in a nearby tree.
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Post by doreyg on Aug 6, 2008 15:25:39 GMT -8
Portia smiles in a slightly indulgent way... A slightly mad way from some points of view "Seven for a secret, not to be told... Nike, I'm afraid I have a secret... I don't really like Stacy, she seems to have the impression that she is using me when really... Well, I'm afraid I am rather using her... Do you have any secrets maybe? An, secrets that could get anybody killed say..."
And she draws the pistol, it's a small pistol and looks slightly like a toy (needed, just in case she has got it wrong and she'll only loose a bit of pride)... But unfortunately? In these dark lights it looks extremely like a gun, it is a gun... And it shall be used "By a council of some sorts maybe? Vampires maybe?"
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