Heat of the Moment

[Roni]

((Content warning: threat of harm to infant, blood, and vehicular accident.))

Saturday, December 12th, 2020 - Late Evening

Roni's evening had been uneventful. She had gotten a few messages inviting her out to another ball, and she had politely declined. Simply said she wasn't feeling too hot. She was fine, just not feeling like waddling through crowds of gracefully dancing people. Really, she should have just stayed home, but she had things that she wanted to do. Things to take care of at the Agency, and paperwork to file. Then she could feel fine with settling in, and just kinda focus on nesting, and preparing on welcoming Lily.

So the faerie spent her evening doing just that. She took care of the paperwork that needed to be filed, tidied up, left a plethora of notes for Eoghan for taking care of things during her maternity leave. Like a worried mother. The Agency is one of her babies. It broke her heart to watch the original burn earlier this year.

But it was built back a little better, with all the same charm that Nick had first supplied. It still had that almost 1920's black detective noir flair that he brought. There's a couple more things straightened, and she does one last once-over to make sure that everything was ready for Eoghan to really step in and take over while she was busy being a first time Mommy.

It's with a happy hum that she's finally waddling her way to the door, and out, locking it behind her. She always locks the doors behind her, it was something of an obsessive habit. The sky above was an off color for the night, given the illusion of being brighter, thanks to the overcast sky above.

And from there her steps carried her for that well beloved '67 Firebird she loved, in a metallic flake burnt orange color. It was the first car she ever bought. Her first love. She bought it one day, using her squirrel fund, about a year in with living in Rhy'din. The old man she had bought it from had been in the midst of restoring it for his wife. When she died, he lost the drive.... And finally decided to sell it. He was only asking a couple grand. She had given him five. All it had needed honestly was a solid tune up, and a good paint job. Even still, paying as much as she had, it had been a steal.

Roni froze though when she neared her car, and noticed the pastel pink gift bag left a top her driver's side. She doesn't even need to look inside to know exactly who it was from. Anonymously left. Simple, unassuming, and she knew within, was another unspoken threat. One left when no one else was around to see. With a deep breath to steel herself, she reached to collect the bag, and carefully pried it open.... To find a teddy bear. Soft and fluffy, a cuddle toy for a newborn. Her fingers found the arm of it, and pulled it free from the bag, pink tissue paper swirling to the ground, only to be caught and carried away on the wind.


There's a simple folded note left in the bottom of the bag.

It's when her fingers find the paws of the bear, that there's a sharp sting and a hiss that follows. A beat, and closer inspection reveals the glint of razors sewn into the paw, and blood welling in a thin line across her palm.

"Shit." This hissed, before she moved to drop the thing on her hood. Then she reached into the bag to withdraw the note as well, and flipped it open.

"You can't protect her."

Something about it struck a chord of fear deep in her stomach, and set it churning. The note's crumpled with a snarl, and soon it, and the bear (which she picked up by the ear) were dropped back into the bag, and she's fumbling to find her keys and bleeding everywhere while she's at it.

She couldn't protect her daughter. That was Bullshit and she was more than willing to do anything at all to prove it. Especially once her daughter was there. Her car keys were found, and slid free, finally from her purse. There's a smear of blood left on the handle as she yanked the door open, and threw the bag on the passenger's side. She's careful to slide herself into the driver's seat, and made all the adjustments needed to comfortably and safely drive. It was a routine at this point. Then the engine's roaring to life, and she's popping it into reverse and digging through her purse for her phone.


She's shifting gears and pulling it free from her purse at the same time. A couple taps. She needed to call her brother. He said he'd help her with this, and she's mad. She's tired of the bullshit, and the threat to her, and everyone else around her. As she skidded around the corner and hit the gas again, she hit dial, and waited anxiously as the phone rang.

She's completely unaware of the vehicle that's started tailing her, lights dark, body sleek.


Haru is at Paw-Fee Break when the phone rings, a cat in his arms, red eyes and horns a glow, “Roni? Hey what’s up?” The kitten purrs and nuzzles the young man, a smile on his lips, a cup of coffee in his hands, he had said he’d help, and his phone was always on.


"Hey-Ah shit." There's a beat when she realizes she's still bleeding all over the steering wheel. "I got another gift. This one was fer Lily." He could hear the scowl in her voice. "Where are ya?" That asked, the engine revved as she hit the gas again. She was livid, and rightly so.


“Paw-Fee Break, one of the kittens wouldn’t nurse, Sis drive safely, please,” A pause and a breath, “We’re gonna figure this out, once you get here.” The kitten is placed in a box, the boy moving to unlock the door, Banjo and Snowflake teleporting into the space at his side, out front the black impala sat parked, even as he stepped towards it to get his gear.

"A teddy bear. With fuckin' razor blades sewn in the paws. N'a note sayin' I can't protect her." There's a growl in her voice. Knowing where she was headed now helped... And speaking of driving safe, her tires may have screeched as she took a corner a touch too fast.

"M'gunna fuckin' kill him, n'take pleasure in every part a it, Haru." Vicious mama bear was she.


“Roni I can hear your tires screeching, we can’t kill him if you get hurt, we’ll take him out, calm down, please.” A gun leaves the trunk, tucked into his belt as he speaks, his knives finding their homes, swords finding a home at his hips, staff tucked into the trunk.

Calm down. She wanted nothing more than to be the opposite of calm. He mentioned the screech of her tires, and she hissed softly, and snapped her teeth. "Fine. Fine. M'slowin' down. M'tired of this fucker makin' all these threats." There's another corner taken, before she hit a stretch of road that was a straight away for a hot minute.

“He wins if you get yourself hurt, thank you sis,” a beat, he knew being calm would be hard, even as he prepared for work, a look she had never seen on her little brother, the look of a professional.

"Yeah, I know. Plus I don't need ta do nothin' ta risk Lily. M'just ready ta... Everythin'. I'm so ready ta rid Rhy'din of 'em n'is slimeball operations."

Roni made her approach to a stoplight, foot coming to find the break as it was currently red. Running red lights were those irresponsible things done when angry. And led to accidents. She needed to make it to her brother in one piece.

“We’ll do it, you’ll be an awesome Mom, I’m contacting some of my uh… business associates, to see if they have anything more on his ops, including who else is involved.” Haru smiles a little, typing into his phone, grabbing a duffel to change his outfit once he got in, “Love you Roni.”

"Oh I know I'm gunna be, And Lily's gunna have the best team of kickass aunties n'uncles." A beat as she considered the rest of his statement. "That'd be helpful, thank ya." It was late. Her wait for the light to turn wasn't long. It flashed green, and her foot slid from the break to gas.

"Yeah, ya dork." There's a beat. There's another engine that reves in the background. One that doesn't quite register which direction it's coming from with Roni.

"I love ---"

Whatever else she was going to say died when the revving got louder. She looked up just as her world was thrown sideways. Tires and metal screeched and crunched with impact. There's a strangled startled sound from Roni, before the phone goes flying, and sounds like it hits windshield and thumps then skitters across the floor somewhere to the depths of abyss of her under seats.


“RONI!” Haru’s voice turns to a panic, mage hand instinctively locking the shop door as he turned back to get in the car, the radio kicking in, even as the boy sat numb, trying to figure out where she might be, hands shaking. A part of him knew he needed to call the watch, but the shock had him paralyzed unable to even start his car.

Haru's panic fell on a phone that was no longer close enough for her to hear. But It's enough that Haru can hear her pained and frantic noises. The revving of another engine again. It sounds like there may even be another collision, before the screech of tires speeding away could be heard.

Pulling out his work phone, staying on the line with Roni, his frantic shaky hands typing the numbers, “Hello? My name is Haru Jeong, my sister Roni has been in an accident, I was on the phone with her when it happened.” a pause, “She was on her way to see me, at my cafe, Paw-fee Break, in Dragons Gate, her house isn’t far.”