She gave a throaty chuckle when Issy looked at her like that. "I know what you are going to say. Probably somewhere around 'you aren't like that' and stuff. When in the truth of the matter is I was, very much a murderer. Why do you think Renna is so fascinated with me? Because we are so much alike. Or were alike. There are differences now but that is because I chose that road. Remember what I said earlier? About mistakes?" She gestured faintly to the side. "If I didn't think you as a friend, Issy, we would not be talking like we are now. You are how you are and I've accepted that a long time ago. That does not make you a bad friend. But I also don't know answers to questions about how you feel about me. I am not asking you to change nor am I telling you so you feel guilty. I don't want you to feel guilty I just want you to understand why I am mildly confused."
She simply nodded slowly, feeling like her head weighed five hundred pounds. "Well, allow me to clear up any...confusion. Yes, I would grieve." The corners of her mouth turned down and she looked to the bottle of water.
"Then I have grown to know you a little more." Though she was admittedly surprised. "I would think you would be at least relieved to have a thorn such as I out." She chuckled quietly. "Do..you remember our conversation in the alley?" Or rather Issy was in the alley!
She wiped at her face once more and then wiped her hands on her pants. "You're not a thorn, Katt."
She grunted quietly, not responding but rather waiting for Issy to recollect.
"Which...which conversation, Katt?" Her brain was an absolute jumble of alcohol-stained half-memories lately.
"When you told me about your daughter and stuff. When you confided in me but you seem to think that you shouldn't of told me anything because of what I told you." Katt's hands settled against the bar.
"Yeah..." Again, the guilt of what she'd done hit her. How she'd pretty much thrown Rose under the proverbial bus for Edward.
"Issy. The things I said was true and honest. I said them because I see a strong woman. Prideful, yes. Stubborn, gods yes. But strong. Willful and Spirited. A good person. Someone I look up to. I didn't baby you. I didn't treat you like glass or give you lies to make you feel better. I felt you deserved better than that. You are strong enough to face the truth and once you dust yourself off and stop with the guilt, you can stand tall and move on. Be it to fix things, move forward to make things better, or something else."
Isuelt pressed her lips lightly together and looked toward the window, recalling the conversation. "I don't know what I'm looking for. I don't know what..." She sighed. "I've only felt this scattered a few times in my life. And each of those times..." She stopped short and gazed out the window.
"When you fall, you need to get back up, dust yourself off, and move forward. You speak so greatly about me but do you know how many times I have crashed, Issy? How many times I've been at the end of my rope?" She chewed her bottom lip. "I tried to kill myself when I was last infected by Renna."
She drew a slow breath and looked from the window to Katt. She knew all about finding the end of a rope. But it was something she didn't speak of to many people.
"Seriously don't think anyone would have blamed me, either. I mean Renna was wanting to use my body to..to...with Edward..." Katt just paled drastically at the thought of it and a few seconds later she shuddered.
"People like us don't get an escape as easy as death, Katt." She glanced down, feeling the full weight of that truth.
"Killing oneself is a cowards way out." Katt said it flatly. "To be unable to face and overcome. Our mistakes do not define us." She repeated. "What we do afterward, that defines us." She saw how Issy reacted to the words. "Whatever is going on with you Issy..You..." she stopped herself suddenly and closed her eyes. She didn't want to upset Issy again with her words so instead...swallowed them. Whatever Issy was going through made her like glass and less of the warrior woman Katt knew her to be.
Katt's intuition was on the money. Isuelt arguably had never been as fragile in her life as she was now.
Katt was chewing on her inner cheek, keeping to her silence for now.
"I've never been so lost. So without. So....useless." She was crumbling before Katt's eyes.
She blinked at Issy. "So..without?" She was still thinking it was about the girl. "Issy...You are anything but useless. Why..would you ever think such a thing." Seriously..she was baffled.
"I'm undone, Katt. I'm finished." She didn't even bother to look around her this time. She was glass, she was shattering.
Okay now she was even more confused. "So you are basically saying you are giving up? On ...everything? Everyone? Even yourself? Whatever is going on, Issy...I may not know what it is but I know damn sure you aren't useless."
"Everything I am....everything I was. It's gone." She was looking at the bar, but she wasn't seeing anything. "I have nothing. No home, no money, no job. Nothing. I've been cast out. It's over, Katt." It was a small miracle that she still had her voice, as weak as it was.
She listened quietly then her brows raised, slowly. "Cast out." Give her a moment. "From...the Sisters?"
Finally, slowly, she looked to Katt. Her hand was holding up her head as it softly nodded.
She stared at her long and hard. Ohhh the questions she had. "I don't know why you were..cast out...but they are saddened for the loss of you. As for you having nothing that is a load of crap. You have life in you Issy. Everything else is material things. Though now a bit of things make sense." She craned her head a bit. "Issy...You can either lay down or stand up. You still have life. You are still something. You are still someone. Being a Scath did not..
does not define YOU!"
"You don't understand, Katt..." She actually physically shuddered. "I...have known nothing else for almost my entire life. And the short spell that I did know something else....I...." She took a moment and actually guffawed at herself. What did it matter now? "I tortured and killed people for money. And I enjoyed it. Being a Scathachian was the only thing in my life that actually stood for something, that was meaningful, that made me not want to slit my wrists every morning when I work up and found that I hadn't been allowed to die in my sleep." After all, Edward knew all of this, why wouldn't Isuelt eventually confess to his sister? "No matter how much alcohol I plowed into my body, no matter how many drugs or abuse I'd done to myself...I always woke up." She was thoroughly disgusted with herself. There was no small part of her that didn't wish she would just keel over dead on the spot right now.
She chuckled deeply. "You think? You honestly think I don't understand? I spent all my life being a murderous puppet. I still struggle with emotions. Being Scath? Was not your life. If anything it was a stepping-stone to advance who you are. You aren't going to die because you are no longer with them. You just need to find something new to fill your life. I can help with a job and a place to sleep. The latter you cannot say no to."
"I have cause an irreparable harm to my Sisterhood. Me. All me. Because I was prideful, stupid, blind and over confident. And ashamed." Isuelt looked like a house of cards collapsing. "I deserve everything that's coming to me. It's my penance." She knew she was speaking with the words that the High Priestess would have admonished her with...if she were still alive. It was killing Isuelt not knowing if her Sisters had survived the surprise attack on their island...or if there had even been one.
"What did you do that is so irreparable? So damning that there is no way to repair? Because as far as I am concerned as long as you are alive you can make things right. Or do you plan on just wallowing in your guilt and killing over? Because I thought you were better than that, Issy." She sighed and scratched at her neck.
"I betrayed those who gave me life. Who gave me myself, gave me purpose, gave me everything." Her eyes rolled back into her head as she shut her eyes, her pain was so near to the surface she wanted to scream, or pull her hair out, or both. "I..." She couldn't go on.
Katt considered it a moment. "Gave yourself? No. They helped mold you, sure, but you are yourself, Issy. They didn't give you everything. You worked for it. You laid your life down for them countless times and if they cast you out for a wrong, after all the good you have done, then there is something wrong. However...now? Now it is time to find a new purpose. They did not give you everything. They did not give you your life here in Rhydin. They just enriched it. They did not give you the respect you have earned from the people and citizens of Rhydin or your friends. Them casting you out is not the end of you and I won't let it be."
Isuelt had been low before in her life: when her husband died, when she came to terms that her assassin's ways were getting the better of herself. But she had never felt this desolate, this alone. And she had let her pride keep her upright for months. She had let her absence keep up the charade that she had left with the Scathachians as they departed Rhydin. She had let her stubbornness root her to the bottom of a bottle of whiskey rather than ask for help. She was hearing Katt's words, but they sounded so far away. All she could hear was the crashing sound of her failure and her own self-hatred.
Her head collapsed into her hands as if the weight of it was simply too much to bear. Her voice peeked from beneath her fingers, just barely. "Please, don't say anything Katt. I'm ruined...I don't want the world to know. Please?"
"You aren't ruined but you are acting like you are, Issy. So pick yourself up if you don't want the world to know." She grunted quietly. "The Scath Sisters aren't who you are, Issy, but what you were. It is like saying that Batten Inc. is who Edward is. If he lost it all he would just pick himself up and rebuild. So stand up and rebuild who you are. Now..as far as for your home..You can stay at my suite at the Toujours le Vert. And if you want a job I can hire you at the Tower for Security. With your conditionals hell you could get a job anywhere!"
"Well, I'm not Edward, am I?" She lifted her head up and looked at Katt. "Do you understand how hard this is for me? How ***** hard this is to admit? To accept?" Isuelt wanted to sweep herself under the carpet. She simply wasn't ready to deal with her predicament, much less gather together a plan B like Katt was so right in saying. There were not enough words in the universe to convey that they were alone in the Inn just now.
"I do but are you just going to roll over? You are not Edward. You are Issy. A strong warrior woman. It will take time to accept but you will be stronger for it. I have faith in you. As a person, not as a Scath. I've never defined you as a Scath. That was your job to me, not who you were."
"But to me, it's who I was." She sat back, feeling utterly exhausted. Her voice was hard and the stains of tear tracks were bright red against her sallow skin. "I don't know how I'm ever going to get over this...Please don't say anything, Katt? Please don't say anything to Ed." She looked to Katt, knowing that she could keep a secret or two, just like her brother.
"I won't say anything to anyone if you promise to stay at Toujours le Vert. It is a big place and nobody will both you. If you promise to stay there then we have a deal."
All Isuelt wanted was a place to hide away from the world for a while. For an instant, she envied Renna's sanctuary off-world and Ed's lab. "Fine." She hung her head, "Deal."
Conflicted (original thread)
Moderators: Edward Batten, Katt Batten
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Conflicted (original thread)
Few Days Later
The evening was one of those nights that people wait the entire year for: calm winds, temperate air, sweet smell of lilacs floating by. Isuelt was relatively sober and was actually enjoying the silence of the market. Lately, it was the little things that she tried to find pleasure in. It was challenging, but what's a challenge to someone like her, right? She sat on a low rock wall that separated some of the stalls from the more established shoppes, her legs dangling. She was wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans, the products of a lost and found, and her sandals. Her dark hair was pulled back into a thick ponytail and her skin was looking like she had had some nutrition and some sleep. Her eyes were shut and her chin was tipped to the sky. Over the past few hours, she'd heard a few familiar far off sounds: yelling, commotion and a few rumblings of what she supposed were trash cans or other objects hitting the ground in a nearby alleyway. And the realization that it was no longer her responsibility nor her charge was both freeing and devastating. She was currently contemplating which hurt worse.
It wasn't like Katt Batten to get so damn tired after paperwork or maybe it was just the overall boredom of being stuck in the Tower for hours on end. Sluggishly Katt made her way through the market, attempting to shake off the feeling of lead in her feet. It was too late for some of the things she normally liked but it was never too late to go to her favorite lurking spot - the fountain. So that is where she headed, stopping briefly when she caught a scent on the wind. "Hmmm.." Katt could have been wicked and scared Issy out of her skin but right now didn't seem like the best of ideas. Instead she craned her head back, "Hey, Issy." Not that she pinpointed the woman by scent but she was nearby enough that given enough time she could have hunted the woman down. Adjusting the strap of her backbag, she waited to either be answered or ignored - one would have her moving along while the other would likely have her going home.
She opened her eyes and looked toward her name. A small smile perked her expression as she exhaled her reverie. Her posture even changed; a kneed coming up to be hugged by her arm, while her other leg continued to dangle. If one didn't know better, it would look as if Isuelt was actually casual and relaxed. "Heya, Katt." She nodded almost sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty for not staying where Katt had suggested for too long. It was difficult to staple herself in one place, it always had been. Especially now when her thoughts and focus were all over the place.
Katt's eyes lowered some at movement near the direction she had been heading and a brow crawled up when she spotted others over there. A little crane of her head was given before she was addressed. Her eyes quickly turned in the direction she heard Issy's voice. "You know I get reports from the complex, right? Was the suite not to your liking?" Her hands slid down into the pockets of her torn jeans.
The Battens were tough. There really was no lying to them. They literally had eyes everywhere. Isuelt learned that with Ed a while back, why should his sister be any different. Her lips shifted to the side and she canted her head as she looked off in the direction of the cityscape. Inhaling, she nodded slowly, "You know about that, huh?"
It was because of her brother that she had eyes everywhere. It wasn't like she wanted to but for some odd reason the man thought she should fill his shoes. "I had a feeling even before the cleaning service told me that the suite had barely been disturbed." Katt rocked on her heels a bit. "You are stubborn...I figured you wouldn't even go there let alone go there for long."
The smirk returned to Isuelt's lips as she looked down to her knee. "Sorry about that, Katt." After a moment, she lifted up her gaze to meet her. "I wanted to thank you."
"Don't sorry me. You promised and you broke it." She huffed quietly but didn't seem to push any further than that - at least not yet.
"Yeah, but you can't tell me you're surprised." She arched a brow and turned to fully face Katt.
"A little. I tend to hold promises in high regards. Not only that but you kinda don't want me telling people things." Not that she would which she suspected that Issy already knew which is why she didn't feel she had to uphold her end of the bargain.
Arching a brow at that. "I sorta feel that I...." She squinted off in the distance, making a note of the others who were enjoying the quiet evening in the market. Continuing her thoughts, she looked back to Katt, "I just have sort of a problem with handouts. Always did. I wanna feel like I'm earning it. Your generosity, that is." She was damn sure that Katt wouldn't say anything to anyone. She was even fairly certain that she wouldn't share the information with her brother. She shrugged. It was bare truth and there was something freeing about it. The fact that she had confessed her catastrophe to Katt had some merit in speaking with her now. Isuelt didn't have to work so hard at being evasive. "I need to earn it, Katt." her eyes flickered to her and beheld a certainty that sharpened her already deep gaze.
"You can earn your keep once you are back on feet, Issy. Besides as many times as you have saved my ass or been there for me? You don't think you haven't in some way earned it? Or my respect?" She grunted up to her almost as if she were threatening to come up there and Gibbs smack Issy.
Isuelt shifted on the wall before she hopped down and looked to Katt; gods be amazed, that smirk was still on her lips. And what was more, Katt's sensitive nose couldn't pick up the scent of whiskey.
She was pretty sure Issy was being a smart ass by sliding off the wall and standing on her feet. Har har har, Issy. A throaty snort came from her and she gestured, "So you want a job or what? I have some positions, private or otherwise, I can throw at you to see if you are interested. Then you can earn your keep and what have you."
She chewed on her tongue for a moment. The offer was very tempting. She kicked at the ground a moment and then blew out a long exhale. "That...would be interesting." Nodding slowly and looking to Katt. "I think..." She took a deep breath and exhaled as if cleansing some internal struggle. "I think I'd like to see about that once I know I'm good enough." She dipped her chin to Katt, trying to convey that she meant something deeper.
"How about something simple for now then? I can hire you privately to take over my patrols. With things busy around the Tower I have not been able to patrol the streets like I use to. The pay will come with some benefits but not as much as if you were Batten Security." Her hands clasped at the small of her back as she fell into a sort of business stance. "It will require you to be able to work with the Watch and various other sources which you should be used to. You would have to report to me." Scary, isn't it Issy. Katt as your boss. Be afraid!
She chuckled at that, though she hung her head a bit. "I guess I could start there..." Though she knew she wasn't supposed to be on the streets doing anything that resembled her Scathachian duties. But what else did she know? Really? She swallowed and wiped a hand over her jaw and chin, while dropping her voice, "I'm just not supposed to--" And who exactly would forbid it? Janie was still here, still doing what she could, but she wouldn't be out patrolling. And what if she was? Would she tell? Would she add incriminating evidence to Isuelt's court martial case?
"Mrm?" The sound questioned from her throat. "Not supposed to what?"
After a blink, Isuelt leveled her gaze at Katt and slowly let a smile cross her lips. "Nothing." After all, what did the rules matter now anyway?
Katt gave a throaty grunt and stared at Issy. She didn't believe that a lick!
"I can stick to the....the rooftops. Keep out of sight. You know that. It'll be fine." And what if something happened that she did have to apprehend? She was operating outside of the law, her Scathachian ties to the Watch were dissolved, save for Lt. Cullen. And she knew that he'd keep quiet.
"Not suppose to what," was repeated as she didn't let up and had no plans on doing so until she got an answer.
"I was ordered to cease all Scathachian duties. And your patrols are....are in the same vein." Adding a dash of insult to injury. "I'm not just gonna..." She paraphrased Katt, "Just curl up and die because of this. Right?"
She made a face at Issy. "First off..I am not Scathachian. They cannot demand you stop any and all activity just because it is in the same vein. They do not have jurisdiction over Rhydin to demand such a thing. If I employ you, you are a Batten employee, not a Sister. They can kiss my ass if they want to argue it is the same vein. That would be like saying that you can't have a job just because it is the same business. If they give you a hard time over it, they have to bring it up to me, not you. That is the most foolish thing I have ever heard." She was quickly losing any kind of faith she had in the Scath faction. "Curl up and die? Only if you decide to give up and you ain't coward enough to do that."
She held out a hand to Katt. "Well then, I guess you got yourself a deal, boss."
Her hand went to clasp Issy's hand firmly. "Good. I will have a schedule planned out for you. Make sure to go to Batten Tower to pick up your gear. I will make sure Kyle has it ready for when you get there. Mind you, you are also a branch of the Batten Inc and my brother...So...Make sure to be yourself."
Shaking Katt's hand, Isuelt marveled at the turn of events in her life over the past few months.
"The suite is yours, Issy. I am sure Edward would insist as well. So please..do use it. You will need rest for your work. If you need clothes and other things, then I will advance you a paycheck so you can buy things you need with the exclusion of booze. That you can buy on your own time." Standards! Katt has them.
The evening was one of those nights that people wait the entire year for: calm winds, temperate air, sweet smell of lilacs floating by. Isuelt was relatively sober and was actually enjoying the silence of the market. Lately, it was the little things that she tried to find pleasure in. It was challenging, but what's a challenge to someone like her, right? She sat on a low rock wall that separated some of the stalls from the more established shoppes, her legs dangling. She was wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans, the products of a lost and found, and her sandals. Her dark hair was pulled back into a thick ponytail and her skin was looking like she had had some nutrition and some sleep. Her eyes were shut and her chin was tipped to the sky. Over the past few hours, she'd heard a few familiar far off sounds: yelling, commotion and a few rumblings of what she supposed were trash cans or other objects hitting the ground in a nearby alleyway. And the realization that it was no longer her responsibility nor her charge was both freeing and devastating. She was currently contemplating which hurt worse.
It wasn't like Katt Batten to get so damn tired after paperwork or maybe it was just the overall boredom of being stuck in the Tower for hours on end. Sluggishly Katt made her way through the market, attempting to shake off the feeling of lead in her feet. It was too late for some of the things she normally liked but it was never too late to go to her favorite lurking spot - the fountain. So that is where she headed, stopping briefly when she caught a scent on the wind. "Hmmm.." Katt could have been wicked and scared Issy out of her skin but right now didn't seem like the best of ideas. Instead she craned her head back, "Hey, Issy." Not that she pinpointed the woman by scent but she was nearby enough that given enough time she could have hunted the woman down. Adjusting the strap of her backbag, she waited to either be answered or ignored - one would have her moving along while the other would likely have her going home.
She opened her eyes and looked toward her name. A small smile perked her expression as she exhaled her reverie. Her posture even changed; a kneed coming up to be hugged by her arm, while her other leg continued to dangle. If one didn't know better, it would look as if Isuelt was actually casual and relaxed. "Heya, Katt." She nodded almost sheepishly, feeling a bit guilty for not staying where Katt had suggested for too long. It was difficult to staple herself in one place, it always had been. Especially now when her thoughts and focus were all over the place.
Katt's eyes lowered some at movement near the direction she had been heading and a brow crawled up when she spotted others over there. A little crane of her head was given before she was addressed. Her eyes quickly turned in the direction she heard Issy's voice. "You know I get reports from the complex, right? Was the suite not to your liking?" Her hands slid down into the pockets of her torn jeans.
The Battens were tough. There really was no lying to them. They literally had eyes everywhere. Isuelt learned that with Ed a while back, why should his sister be any different. Her lips shifted to the side and she canted her head as she looked off in the direction of the cityscape. Inhaling, she nodded slowly, "You know about that, huh?"
It was because of her brother that she had eyes everywhere. It wasn't like she wanted to but for some odd reason the man thought she should fill his shoes. "I had a feeling even before the cleaning service told me that the suite had barely been disturbed." Katt rocked on her heels a bit. "You are stubborn...I figured you wouldn't even go there let alone go there for long."
The smirk returned to Isuelt's lips as she looked down to her knee. "Sorry about that, Katt." After a moment, she lifted up her gaze to meet her. "I wanted to thank you."
"Don't sorry me. You promised and you broke it." She huffed quietly but didn't seem to push any further than that - at least not yet.
"Yeah, but you can't tell me you're surprised." She arched a brow and turned to fully face Katt.
"A little. I tend to hold promises in high regards. Not only that but you kinda don't want me telling people things." Not that she would which she suspected that Issy already knew which is why she didn't feel she had to uphold her end of the bargain.
Arching a brow at that. "I sorta feel that I...." She squinted off in the distance, making a note of the others who were enjoying the quiet evening in the market. Continuing her thoughts, she looked back to Katt, "I just have sort of a problem with handouts. Always did. I wanna feel like I'm earning it. Your generosity, that is." She was damn sure that Katt wouldn't say anything to anyone. She was even fairly certain that she wouldn't share the information with her brother. She shrugged. It was bare truth and there was something freeing about it. The fact that she had confessed her catastrophe to Katt had some merit in speaking with her now. Isuelt didn't have to work so hard at being evasive. "I need to earn it, Katt." her eyes flickered to her and beheld a certainty that sharpened her already deep gaze.
"You can earn your keep once you are back on feet, Issy. Besides as many times as you have saved my ass or been there for me? You don't think you haven't in some way earned it? Or my respect?" She grunted up to her almost as if she were threatening to come up there and Gibbs smack Issy.
Isuelt shifted on the wall before she hopped down and looked to Katt; gods be amazed, that smirk was still on her lips. And what was more, Katt's sensitive nose couldn't pick up the scent of whiskey.
She was pretty sure Issy was being a smart ass by sliding off the wall and standing on her feet. Har har har, Issy. A throaty snort came from her and she gestured, "So you want a job or what? I have some positions, private or otherwise, I can throw at you to see if you are interested. Then you can earn your keep and what have you."
She chewed on her tongue for a moment. The offer was very tempting. She kicked at the ground a moment and then blew out a long exhale. "That...would be interesting." Nodding slowly and looking to Katt. "I think..." She took a deep breath and exhaled as if cleansing some internal struggle. "I think I'd like to see about that once I know I'm good enough." She dipped her chin to Katt, trying to convey that she meant something deeper.
"How about something simple for now then? I can hire you privately to take over my patrols. With things busy around the Tower I have not been able to patrol the streets like I use to. The pay will come with some benefits but not as much as if you were Batten Security." Her hands clasped at the small of her back as she fell into a sort of business stance. "It will require you to be able to work with the Watch and various other sources which you should be used to. You would have to report to me." Scary, isn't it Issy. Katt as your boss. Be afraid!
She chuckled at that, though she hung her head a bit. "I guess I could start there..." Though she knew she wasn't supposed to be on the streets doing anything that resembled her Scathachian duties. But what else did she know? Really? She swallowed and wiped a hand over her jaw and chin, while dropping her voice, "I'm just not supposed to--" And who exactly would forbid it? Janie was still here, still doing what she could, but she wouldn't be out patrolling. And what if she was? Would she tell? Would she add incriminating evidence to Isuelt's court martial case?
"Mrm?" The sound questioned from her throat. "Not supposed to what?"
After a blink, Isuelt leveled her gaze at Katt and slowly let a smile cross her lips. "Nothing." After all, what did the rules matter now anyway?
Katt gave a throaty grunt and stared at Issy. She didn't believe that a lick!
"I can stick to the....the rooftops. Keep out of sight. You know that. It'll be fine." And what if something happened that she did have to apprehend? She was operating outside of the law, her Scathachian ties to the Watch were dissolved, save for Lt. Cullen. And she knew that he'd keep quiet.
"Not suppose to what," was repeated as she didn't let up and had no plans on doing so until she got an answer.
"I was ordered to cease all Scathachian duties. And your patrols are....are in the same vein." Adding a dash of insult to injury. "I'm not just gonna..." She paraphrased Katt, "Just curl up and die because of this. Right?"
She made a face at Issy. "First off..I am not Scathachian. They cannot demand you stop any and all activity just because it is in the same vein. They do not have jurisdiction over Rhydin to demand such a thing. If I employ you, you are a Batten employee, not a Sister. They can kiss my ass if they want to argue it is the same vein. That would be like saying that you can't have a job just because it is the same business. If they give you a hard time over it, they have to bring it up to me, not you. That is the most foolish thing I have ever heard." She was quickly losing any kind of faith she had in the Scath faction. "Curl up and die? Only if you decide to give up and you ain't coward enough to do that."
She held out a hand to Katt. "Well then, I guess you got yourself a deal, boss."
Her hand went to clasp Issy's hand firmly. "Good. I will have a schedule planned out for you. Make sure to go to Batten Tower to pick up your gear. I will make sure Kyle has it ready for when you get there. Mind you, you are also a branch of the Batten Inc and my brother...So...Make sure to be yourself."
Shaking Katt's hand, Isuelt marveled at the turn of events in her life over the past few months.
"The suite is yours, Issy. I am sure Edward would insist as well. So please..do use it. You will need rest for your work. If you need clothes and other things, then I will advance you a paycheck so you can buy things you need with the exclusion of booze. That you can buy on your own time." Standards! Katt has them.
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Katt Batten
- Adventurer
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:15 pm
- Location: She isn't hard to find if one knows where to look.
Re: Conflicted (original thread)
Isuelt nodded to Katt's requirements, finding them fair. "About Kyle..." She shifted her weight slightly as they let go of their handshake. "Don't mention anything to him about...why I'm there? Maybe I wanted a change in direction?" She highly respected Kyle Pontius and wouldn't want him to think less of her.
"I plan on keeping my half of our bargain even if you don't plan on keeping yours. He has no reason to know why you need them and if he asks I will simply tell him they are a gift from me to you. Which is no lie, actually. It was something I had planned on doing for Christmas this year. You are just getting it a bit early. If my brother, or anyone asks, why you are working patrol for Batten Inc, I will tell them that you needed something to fill time. Which again, is no lie."
"Thank you," she nodded deeply to Katt though the Christmas comment caught her off-guard. "Really?" Katt was a pretty good gift-giver. She smiled, marveling at Katt's generosity. She had crumbled before Katt like a house of cards earlier, and now here she was being built up again by the younger Batten.
"You seem surprised." she chuckled quietly, "I gave you a sword, wound ointments, and I thought armor would complete it all." She shrugged slightly as she relaxed her stance some. "However...I will let you know this, Issy. I don't.. normally keep things from my brother and Clayton. In this case I am simply doing so because you asked me. I don't like it but it is also not my place to tell them."
Sighing, she nodded. "Your brother," she stalled. "I'll tell him myself. I promise." She knew the sort of catharsis his confessional had always brought her. In fact, this newest incident was one of the only things she hadn't told him about her life...and that was because he had been MIA. And as he had always been honest with her, she felt she owed him an explanation. Besides, the fact that he wasn't dead or dying was reason enough to celebrate a conversation with him. Especially when she thought she'd never see him again.
"Quite frankly I think you should and I am sure he will feel the same way I do. I mean seriously, Issy. As much as you've done for them. Not only them but for the people of this city. To discard you so easily because of a mistake? To not even give you a chance to redeem yourself? Quite frankly I question them." She didn't want to insult Issy or the Sisters but it was true. She questioned how authentic these sisters cared for each other if one of their own was so quick and easily tossed away. There was even a part of her that was rather inflamed over it but that part was placed on the backburner. For now..
She found the ground strangely interesting suddenly. "It's a bit of a long story, Katt. But...I promise I'll tell you." She glanced up at her new employer. "Don't be so quick to judge them. They acted in the right. They did what they were meant to do. What I would have done." She sighed.
"****, Issy. For people who were supposed to be so close knit and like family, you don't act like that. I don't care if you went bat**** crazy and tried to kill them all." She grunted loudly. "I doubt very little that you could tell me that would change my mind about that. They shouldn't have discarded you. They should have worked with you."
She lowered her voice and said quite matter-of-factly, "I'm awaiting my court martial hearing." She cleared her throat, "Assuming there are any Scathachians left alive after what I did."
She paused for a moment, "Their leaving, I am guessing, is because of you. That also bothers me. That they can so quickly leave and abandon their duties and the people here." She was itching to know, for sure, but still. Leaning a bit she folded her arms and eyed Issy. "Explain? Or do you wish me to wait until you are ready?" Thanks, Issy. Add to the subject of curiosity.
"They did not abandon their duties here. Their duties were fulfilled. They stayed because they wanted to at the time, but..." She swallowed and was not fully ready to tell the whole story. But soon. "They left to go and defend our home against a war that is coming." She looked to Katt. "They left to save what lives they could." She had a knot in the pit of her stomach and it was too painful to continue. Maybe after a few drinks, she'd spill her guts to Katt more than she had already. And tell her the entire story. And after what Katt had just done for her, that night would probably be sooner rather than later.
"Then let me rephrase that. They abandoned a city with people who trusted them with their lives and protection. They just up and left. Not a word to anyone. Even if they went to save lives, Issy, they did abandon their duties here. They withdrew without a single care to anyone in this city. I do understand there is a war coming to them but you do not just go abandoning people without word like that. People who put their lives and trust in you." She exhaled through her nose and shook her head. "And why not ask the people that they have helped for aid against this war? Whatever it is. Rhydin has helped other nations and worlds before. Their methods are questionable, at best."
She nodded to Katt. She understood that it was difficult for outsiders to comprehend the old Scathachian ways, the laws that had stood for millennia. That outsiders could never know the location of their home, much less arrive to aid them in battle. She did not slight Katt one bit. She simply looked up to her friend and smiled softly. "It's okay, Katt. Really."
"Meh." That was her answer to that! "I will await to hear the full story." Just so Issy knew she wanted to hear it. For now she moved on. "Are you able to use electronics? Cell phones and such?"
She bit her bottom lip and wrinkled her nose. "That's all part of the job requirements, huh?" Oh, that learning curve is going to be fun.
"It could be added to the list of equipment but if you aren't able to I surely am not going to force you." She mused quietly as she watched Issy's face. "Unlike my brother I am not completely plugged in."
"I'll learn." She lifted her chin. After all, she loved a challenge.
Well that was unexpected. "Alright then. I will have a cell phone waiting for you with the equipment then. If anything it will allow us to keep in touch with each other in case you need something." She gestured and started to walk. "For now...let's get you to the suite." Because she wasn't going to let Issy go on that front.
And just like that, Isuelt had a roof over her head, the promise of steady income and food, and a purpose. Everything that had been stripped from her for her own foolishness and prideful ways. "And Katt..." For just a moment, words failed her.
She took a few steps but paused and looked over to Issy, "Mrm?"
She blinked and her tongue clicked silently at her teeth. She couldn't find adequate expression for what she felt. She felt as if Katt had just saved her life. She took a deep breath and let it out. "Thank you."
She blinked. Wow Issy was throwing her for loops tonight. Her expression softened and she smiled, something rarely seen. "Don't need to thank me, Issy." She had a feeling Issy might regret thanking her in the future!
"Yes." She quickly answered. "Yes, I do." And quite serious. She swallowed and shuddered, trying to keep her icy-cold exterior intact. However, it faltered for a glistening moment. She sniffed and glanced down, figuring Katt had seen enough of Isuelt's tears to last her a horrified lifetime.
"I am humbled." she offered quietly. "But truly do you think I would be the only one to offer you such a thing? Edward probably would have done the same. Ebon. You have people who care about you, Issy. People who aren't Scath." She didn't want to admit that it killed her seeing Issy like that though. "Now the job is a different story. You are going to be a great help!" She gestured again. "Now come on. It is late and you got a full day tomorrow."
Reaching behind her head, she tightened her ponytail and nodded, following Katt, her new employer. "Yes, ma'am." The smirk was back, by the way.
"Don't call me that!" Was an instant complaint.
"I plan on keeping my half of our bargain even if you don't plan on keeping yours. He has no reason to know why you need them and if he asks I will simply tell him they are a gift from me to you. Which is no lie, actually. It was something I had planned on doing for Christmas this year. You are just getting it a bit early. If my brother, or anyone asks, why you are working patrol for Batten Inc, I will tell them that you needed something to fill time. Which again, is no lie."
"Thank you," she nodded deeply to Katt though the Christmas comment caught her off-guard. "Really?" Katt was a pretty good gift-giver. She smiled, marveling at Katt's generosity. She had crumbled before Katt like a house of cards earlier, and now here she was being built up again by the younger Batten.
"You seem surprised." she chuckled quietly, "I gave you a sword, wound ointments, and I thought armor would complete it all." She shrugged slightly as she relaxed her stance some. "However...I will let you know this, Issy. I don't.. normally keep things from my brother and Clayton. In this case I am simply doing so because you asked me. I don't like it but it is also not my place to tell them."
Sighing, she nodded. "Your brother," she stalled. "I'll tell him myself. I promise." She knew the sort of catharsis his confessional had always brought her. In fact, this newest incident was one of the only things she hadn't told him about her life...and that was because he had been MIA. And as he had always been honest with her, she felt she owed him an explanation. Besides, the fact that he wasn't dead or dying was reason enough to celebrate a conversation with him. Especially when she thought she'd never see him again.
"Quite frankly I think you should and I am sure he will feel the same way I do. I mean seriously, Issy. As much as you've done for them. Not only them but for the people of this city. To discard you so easily because of a mistake? To not even give you a chance to redeem yourself? Quite frankly I question them." She didn't want to insult Issy or the Sisters but it was true. She questioned how authentic these sisters cared for each other if one of their own was so quick and easily tossed away. There was even a part of her that was rather inflamed over it but that part was placed on the backburner. For now..
She found the ground strangely interesting suddenly. "It's a bit of a long story, Katt. But...I promise I'll tell you." She glanced up at her new employer. "Don't be so quick to judge them. They acted in the right. They did what they were meant to do. What I would have done." She sighed.
"****, Issy. For people who were supposed to be so close knit and like family, you don't act like that. I don't care if you went bat**** crazy and tried to kill them all." She grunted loudly. "I doubt very little that you could tell me that would change my mind about that. They shouldn't have discarded you. They should have worked with you."
She lowered her voice and said quite matter-of-factly, "I'm awaiting my court martial hearing." She cleared her throat, "Assuming there are any Scathachians left alive after what I did."
She paused for a moment, "Their leaving, I am guessing, is because of you. That also bothers me. That they can so quickly leave and abandon their duties and the people here." She was itching to know, for sure, but still. Leaning a bit she folded her arms and eyed Issy. "Explain? Or do you wish me to wait until you are ready?" Thanks, Issy. Add to the subject of curiosity.
"They did not abandon their duties here. Their duties were fulfilled. They stayed because they wanted to at the time, but..." She swallowed and was not fully ready to tell the whole story. But soon. "They left to go and defend our home against a war that is coming." She looked to Katt. "They left to save what lives they could." She had a knot in the pit of her stomach and it was too painful to continue. Maybe after a few drinks, she'd spill her guts to Katt more than she had already. And tell her the entire story. And after what Katt had just done for her, that night would probably be sooner rather than later.
"Then let me rephrase that. They abandoned a city with people who trusted them with their lives and protection. They just up and left. Not a word to anyone. Even if they went to save lives, Issy, they did abandon their duties here. They withdrew without a single care to anyone in this city. I do understand there is a war coming to them but you do not just go abandoning people without word like that. People who put their lives and trust in you." She exhaled through her nose and shook her head. "And why not ask the people that they have helped for aid against this war? Whatever it is. Rhydin has helped other nations and worlds before. Their methods are questionable, at best."
She nodded to Katt. She understood that it was difficult for outsiders to comprehend the old Scathachian ways, the laws that had stood for millennia. That outsiders could never know the location of their home, much less arrive to aid them in battle. She did not slight Katt one bit. She simply looked up to her friend and smiled softly. "It's okay, Katt. Really."
"Meh." That was her answer to that! "I will await to hear the full story." Just so Issy knew she wanted to hear it. For now she moved on. "Are you able to use electronics? Cell phones and such?"
She bit her bottom lip and wrinkled her nose. "That's all part of the job requirements, huh?" Oh, that learning curve is going to be fun.
"It could be added to the list of equipment but if you aren't able to I surely am not going to force you." She mused quietly as she watched Issy's face. "Unlike my brother I am not completely plugged in."
"I'll learn." She lifted her chin. After all, she loved a challenge.
Well that was unexpected. "Alright then. I will have a cell phone waiting for you with the equipment then. If anything it will allow us to keep in touch with each other in case you need something." She gestured and started to walk. "For now...let's get you to the suite." Because she wasn't going to let Issy go on that front.
And just like that, Isuelt had a roof over her head, the promise of steady income and food, and a purpose. Everything that had been stripped from her for her own foolishness and prideful ways. "And Katt..." For just a moment, words failed her.
She took a few steps but paused and looked over to Issy, "Mrm?"
She blinked and her tongue clicked silently at her teeth. She couldn't find adequate expression for what she felt. She felt as if Katt had just saved her life. She took a deep breath and let it out. "Thank you."
She blinked. Wow Issy was throwing her for loops tonight. Her expression softened and she smiled, something rarely seen. "Don't need to thank me, Issy." She had a feeling Issy might regret thanking her in the future!
"Yes." She quickly answered. "Yes, I do." And quite serious. She swallowed and shuddered, trying to keep her icy-cold exterior intact. However, it faltered for a glistening moment. She sniffed and glanced down, figuring Katt had seen enough of Isuelt's tears to last her a horrified lifetime.
"I am humbled." she offered quietly. "But truly do you think I would be the only one to offer you such a thing? Edward probably would have done the same. Ebon. You have people who care about you, Issy. People who aren't Scath." She didn't want to admit that it killed her seeing Issy like that though. "Now the job is a different story. You are going to be a great help!" She gestured again. "Now come on. It is late and you got a full day tomorrow."
Reaching behind her head, she tightened her ponytail and nodded, following Katt, her new employer. "Yes, ma'am." The smirk was back, by the way.
"Don't call me that!" Was an instant complaint.
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