Gallows

From RPGnet
Jump to: navigation, search

(Many thanks to Jay for RPing this with me. Thanks, Jay!--Maer)


Saturday, 18 May 2520,
Cellar of Camden Mansion
Malmo, Aesir
Sometime after midnight, local time



It was cold in the cell, made a shade colder by the night air coming through the broken window. Enough light seeped in from the town down slope to give them enough light to see by, but only just. Christian sat with his back against the wall, Rina sat beside him and together they held Lem across their laps.

“When we escape,” Christian started. “Not if but when, we’ll need to decide what to do with Lem.” He looked down at the little boy huddled asleep. It had taken hours to lull the him into dreamland. “I don’t know how many times he can be given away and/or kidnapped before the emotional scarring becomes permanent and we have to buy him his own cell in juvie.”

Christ, and you call me dark,” Rina said, keeping her voice low so as not to wake Lem. She hugged her arms across her chest and tried not to shiver but being in a stone cell in nothing but her boots and skivvies made it difficult. “So are you asking me to run away with you and settle down in the proverbial house in the suburbs with the white picket fence?”

“Do you want me to ask you to marry me?” Christian asked, somewhat amused. Despite the amusement, he reached out and slipped Rina’s hand into his. “You could keep Mike on the side. I’m not the jealous type.”

“Stop trying to cheer me up.” Rina shook her head and quirked a grin at him, and squeezed his hand.

Christian smiled and looked up to the window where hints of bright orange could be seen, flapping in the wind outside. “I am serious, though. Maybe we need to find Lem a safe place. On the other hand... taking him away from family, again...”

“I know,” Rina sighed and gently shifting Lem completely into her lap, she huddled against Christian for warmth. And, she had to admit, for comfort. Christian was selflessly spending his energy bolstering the both of them and though she hadn’t witnessed firsthand what Camden had done to him, the evidence of his flesh had told her enough. Christian been beaten, possibly tortured, was likely injured internally as well as externally, was sitting practically naked on a cold stone floor, and had little better than more of the same to look forward to in the morning. And here he was, thinking things through and cracking jokes. Taking command of the situation, little control over it though he had.

It was moments like this that made her respect and admire Christian for himself, without his profession getting in the way of things.

“I hate to mention it,” Rina continued. “But given the situation dirtside, perhaps Nala could take him in for the time being? What if we went to Boros for some extended downtime, got him acclimated again? He’s from the next ranch over, the place and the people will be familiar to him. It’s more like home than anything we could give him.” Rina stroked Lem’s hair, running it through her fingers. He needs a trim. “But it’s the leaving part that bothers me. No matter how long we stay, we’re going to leave in the end and that’s going to hurt him. Mind, he’ll run the risk of hurt if he stays shipside with us, too, but it won’t be the left-behind kind of hurt. It’s more the death-by-enemy-fire kind of hurt. All this...,” and she waved a hand at the cell, the mansion, Camden. “This is just a taste of it. I hate to think what a full-blown helping will do to him. We’re his parents, for better or worse, and we have to make the decision for the long run, for his ultimate well-being. I get that, Christian. You don’t have to explain it. I just don’t know what the solution to it is.” She sighed again and wished desperately for a blanket. Lem was too cool to the touch for her liking. “If you’ve got any ideas, I’d love to hear them,” she added. “I’m fresh out.”

Christian looked down at Lem, then up at Rina. He smiled.

“Motherhood suits you,” he said before closing his eyes. Well, his eye. The other was already swollen more or less shut. “Not Boros. Too much of a chance someone will recognize him and take him away like they did the rest of his family. I thought about my parents but... they deserve their peace and quiet and his being in the Core would make it hard to visit.” He let out a long breath. “I can’t think of a good solution. On the other hand, I think maybe the solution will come. I’m beginning to trust our luck.”

“Trust our luck?” Rina looked at him askance. “Seriously? I think they hit you in the head one too many times.”

She sobered, however, as she thought on what he said.

“You’re right in your assessment of Boros, though. It’s too soon to go back. And your parents deserve their retirement. As much as they’ve done for us as a crew and for me personally, I want to spare them as much trouble as I can. Not that Lem’s all that much trouble these days. No more than any other little boy would be, anyway.” She looked down at Lem and back at Christian. “You really mean that about motherhood? I never pegged myself as being particularly suited for it.”

Christian leaned in and briefly pressed his bruised lips against Rina’s temple. “I mean it. It makes me wish we were in love, a little. Just so I could see what you would be like pregnant. I’ve had a few pregnant clients and they honestly do glow.”

They were locked up in a room she couldn’t escape from. She and Lem were likely going to be shot or tortured in front of Christian as part of Camden’s revenge. Mike was completely out of the picture and it would be highly unlikely she’d ever become pregnant as a result. And STILL, here they were, discussing the future as if they still had one.

Totally absurd.

Rina struggled not to laugh. She didn’t want to hurt Christian’s feelings or wake Lem, but the urge wouldn’t be denied. She managed to release it as a fit of insane giggling and it took a few minutes before she could stop and speak again.

“If I could fall in love with anyone else,” she said, clearing her throat and getting a grip. “It would be you. You’re the only one I know who wouldn’t try to own me in some way or other. I don’t think that even Mike can make that claim. But you could...and have already.”

“The difference between a Companion and a whore...,” Christian said, growing quite serious, “... isn’t the training or the techniques or even the Guild backing. The difference is that a whore is owned by his or her client, even if only for a little while. A Companion graces a client with her or his presence. I have no interest in being owned. Why would I want to own anyone else? No, I want someone to share life with.”

“I’m sure a whore has no interest in being owned, either. But the main difference I can see between a whore and a Companion is the power they have through the money they make and the status society accords them as a result. For most of the ‘Verse, money is power and power grants respect. To say nothing of a greater degree of control over your fate, even if it’s only the ability to mitigate the consequences of your actions. To say that it isn’t a factor is to ignore reality. Trust me, Christian. If a whore could charge the rates the Guild requires of you, she wouldn’t be a whore for long."

Rina shook her head and sighed.

“Dammit, I’m not trying to argue. I’m agreeing with you," she said and squeezed his hand. "And if I were free to do it, I’d be happy to spend my life with you if you’d take me. But it wouldn’t be love that made me do it and in all honesty, I can’t settle for anything less. I need it to be something more than a... friendly transaction.”

Christian mmm’ed. “I agree,” he said. “And I wouldn’t want you to settle for less. For now, let’s just.... focus on getting out of here. I have to admit, I’m a little tired. Is it okay if I close my eyes for a few minutes while you keep guard? I promise as soon as it is time to escape I’ll be up and ready to blink prettily at people.”

Rina smoothed her hand across Christian’s uninjured cheek, gently to spare him pain, and pushed his hair back behind his ear. She shifted to accommodate Christian and drew him against her shoulder to give him something softer than stone to lean on.

“C’mere, you. Get your beauty sleep. I promise not to let you snore through anything interesting.”



I swear, it's rare Jay doesn't have Christian throw Rina for a loop by saying something unexpected and this RP was no exception. See more of Jay's work using the timeline links below.

Go Back to Comfort | Go to Truth Is A Double-Edged Sword
Go to Peripatetica - Rina's Journal entry and RP log
Go to Rina's Russian Glossary
Go to Rina's Crew Page
Go to EPISODES or TIMELINE