[Day 4 - LE] Dead to Me

[Jenna Karath]

"Ah," she vocalized, shifting uncomfortably. "Was it a job, or a debt?" her tone was even, direct, not quite sure what to make of it yet.

[Ru'ni Wayne]

Ru'ni lets out an ironic laugh.

"I'm not exactly an expert in this arena, but I think it's a bit of both. Blackmailed into to a hit, I believe is the terminology." Ru'ni's calmed breathing is starting to increase again.

[Jenna Karath]

It was funny, almost, how much she had to hold herself back in that moment. How when you heard someone was being blackmailed you felt an urge to know how, in which way, what is the thing they know that holds such power over you?

But that's kind of the point, isn't it? Blackmail. It's not something you just talk about, that would mean it held no power, or at the very least telling another only gives them control over you too. At least, in most cases.

"Ah," she said, she understood, "ever since the Enclave you've taken a bit of a dive then, I understand how that feels. I was younger, when my brother left, I was alone and separated and I made choices that weren't the most noble but, well, I figured my way out, eventually."

[Ru'ni Wayne]

For some reason, hearing that Jenna had come out the other side of a similar situation, apparently intact as well, bolstered Ru'ni's mood and he looked up with hope in his eyes.

"I made some bad choices out of emotions of loss and anger, it seems that snowball is still rolling. It is a comfort to know that there may be a light at the end of the road though. Thank you Jenna."

[Jenna Karath]

"Hey," she chuckled, leaning off from the wall and turning about to face him. "I wouldn't say I'm a good person, but I still do what I can. You'll figure your way out eventually, you'll find something to cling to," she said, smiled and then began to walk off down the road.

Without being stopped, she'd just leave like that, at a casual pace back to home.

[Ru'ni Wayne]

As he watched Jenna leave, offering her a farewell wave, he let out a sigh.

"I have found something Jenna, that's the problem." He whispered into the night air. "The only question is how much of my soul will it cost me to keep it."

With a calming meditative breathing exercise, Ru'ni prepared himself for the bloody work he was about to undertake.

/exit

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Oh, I wasn't being generous, I was just checking to see if you are as moral less as you said you were." Astin replied easily. "And let's just say I'd be careful before serving anyone any of your homemade booze if I were you."

He pondered shifting the levels so her playing turned into a unholy racket, but decided against it. No reason to piss off the others, and it'd get the job done faster to boot.

Vaya tried to puzzle that one out. "So... did I fail, because I took your charity? Or pass, because I was honest?" She unslung the guitar. "That just leaves the percussion, which I think is all analog, so it's probably set." She gave Vuxia a thumbs up. When it didn't have live performers, the Nerf didn't always have music, but the sound system was in working order, at least. Maybe management would want to play something recorded for the punters who had expected to see Lizard Monkey Blues.

[Astin Denive]

"Pass or fail it doesn't particularly matter does it?" Astin asked as they finished putting the rest of the instruments in order. "As ya said we're about done, and after that we're likely going to part ways."

"Our purposes for being here aren't the same, so our brief acquaintance will likely end with the work that caused our paths to cross."

He glanced towards the small crowd that had returned to the venue. "Add to that I'll likely be leaving here shortly anyways."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya sat down on the drummer’s stool without touching the instrument, and toasted the surprisingly philosophical Astin again. “Well, on behalf of thought criminals everywhere, thanks for taking care of the instruments.” She thumped the foot petal on the infrabass drum twice, something that most sapients felt more in their chest than heard in their ears. “Good luck out there.”

[Astin Denive]

"It was nothing special." He offered with a casual wave, as he collected his shirt and threw it over his shoulder before hopping off the stage.

Seemed like the crowd was getting even thinner. So the night was more likely then not almost over.