It had been a long morning...and an even longer night before." Isuelt had run along the stretch of beach, back and forth, until her legs could no longer hold her up." She had punched the heavy bag at the Sanctuary until it had fallen from the ceiling and her knuckles bled." She had tried everything she could think of to exhaust herself, to tire out the rage and the wrath that was pulsing through her body." Yet, she still felt as if she were spinning down the rabbit hole." She was ashamed and desperate." And that is what led her to bang her open palm on the heavy door of Asile-aux-Falaises, with five heavy thuds."
And where was Ed" What had he been doing" Well, that was a long story in and of itself. Suffice it to say, he had been checking out his latest acquisition. From home. Well, his temporary home, at any rate. Until he could get the Tower rebuilt, this was where he was going to be staying. However, it wasn't Ed that answered the knock at the door, but the cool, calm voice of DIANA, a nearly perfect match of the one that had been eliminated. "Miss DeRomiano, please come in. Mr. Batten will be with you shortly...you can wait in the foyer.?"
Surprised to say the least, Isuelt's jaw slackened at the voice of Diana." In fact, she tried to formulate a sentence, but simply came up with a few words here and there incoherently strung together." She settled for a stiff sniff and a nod as she wandered into the foyer." Her hand reached to push back a few locks of dark hair, and she was careful to look around and avoid any mirrors after her little incident this morning." "Thank....thank you, Diana.?" Still, the grateful reply had more of a question behind it than a statement."
It was if the AI had detected the unspoken question in her voice. "Indeed - Mr. Batten decided to take Miss Isabella Batten's offer to have me replace is lost ancillary, to her surprise." It was only a few more moments before Ed himself walked in, dressed in a pair of jeans and a "wifebeater" style tank top, wiping his hands off on a rag as he eyed Issy for a moment before he spoke. "Well, now, Issy, what brings ya t"my humble li"l escape here?""
Her lips were parted as she stood in awe of Diana and how she came to be speaking." That same expression in all of its exhausted, furious glory was turned toward Batten." Her mouth opened a slight fraction more, but no sound came." Isuelt was proud, that much was known." But stubborn, and just how stubborn was about to be seen." She couldn't bring herself to say it." To ask it." But she needed it, that much even she understood." "I...I need to talk to you." Pri-" Privately.?" "
He arched an eyebrow at that, regarding Issy curiously for a moment. Finally he nodded. "Di, excuse us fed a moment, will ya" An" cut de monitors in study, please." He tilted his head towards the hallway and started that way, heading for the study and motioning Issy inwards before he shut the door behind them, moving towards the couch to take a seat. "Hope dis is private "nuff for ya.?"
Into the study she went, a few quick paces and she paused, glancing down." It took a few heartbeats, during which her eyes were shut." After a deep breath that was sucked in and blown out, she turned around and trained those deep espresso eyes on him." "Let's cut the sh*t, Batten." We both know that you know why I'm here.?" Her jaw twitched and she fought the urge to scream at him, or worse." Her nostrils flared as she stared him down."
Both eyebrows went up as he sat back on the couch, one arm going up to rest along the back of it, the other resting on his knee as he brought an ankle up to rest on his knee, looking back at her with a mild expression. "Well, Ah can guess, Ah"m sure." The blue-grey eyes looked from her face to scan over the rest of her with a casual sort of expression before he looked back up again. "Yer here t"ask if Ah can get it outta ya.?"
She was visibly fighting her anger." She hated when he was right." Her teeth tightly clenched, had her cheek been between them, she would have drawn blood." Just looking at his face, for some reason was making her angrier." Isuelt turned her face from his, dark hair spilling over one shoulder." Knuckles were popping as her strong fingers clenched into fists."
He managed not to chuckle, though only just. That wouldn't be the wisest move right now, he was sure. "Ya should try t"keep dat in check, chere. Renna's viruses tend t"feed offa strong emotions." He gestured to the seat on the couch next to him, as well as a nearby chair. "Have a seat, an' try t'relax.?"
"F*ck you," she muttered under her breath and moved toward the couch." She sat down, then looked at him for a long moment." "You're really getting a damned kick out of this, aren't you?" You sick bastard.?"
He frowned, just a touch, at that, shaking his head. "Not outta de fact dat ya been infected. Sure's hell not happy "bout ya trying" t"kill my sister, even if we ain't on speaking" terms at de moment." Oh yes - he knew about that. "But watching" ya try t"contain yer temper...Ah don' "think Ah've ever witnessed ya on edge quite dis way b"fore. It's rat"er int'restin"." He regarded her, again rather casually, not seeming to feel threatened by her barely contained rage at the moment. "So far, Ah've only managed t"cure someone o"infection once...m'self. But dat wasn" "exactly de mos" pleasant experience, an' Ah don' even know if it'd work dis time.?""
Her brow wrinkled, she looked as if she were in pain." Though it was far from physical pain, at least at the moment." She was sharply ashamed of what she'd done to Katt, and for an instant, Isuelt worried that Ed had heard about the rest of what had happened that evening, namely that Isuelt had died." Her lashes shut as she turned her chin from him and struggled to keep her focus." It perhaps was interesting that her focus aided her in reigning back to that rage; her anger that he wouldn't be able to help her." Who else could?" She couldn't go through life like this...and what was worse, what if she again attempted suicide?" She was almost certain that she'd be brought back." A small growl erupted from her lips as she kicked off of the couch and took to pacing the room, her fingers tightening and loosening over and over." "
He sighed as he watched her pace, thinking as his eyes followed her progress around the room. Along with managing to salvage his own DIANA's knowledge banks, this new one had brought with her a vast store of knowledge of her own, much of it identical, but many things different in some very startling ways. "Look, Iss...Ah ain't saying" Ah can't do it. Ah"m saying" dat what Ah used on m'self probably won't work now, fed...whatever Renna stuck in ya." His voice fell, just a touch softer, almost gentle. "But Ah"m gonna do what Ah can t"fix dis...if ya want me to, dat is.?"
"Why the f*ck do you think I'm here, Batten"!?" There was a flash of crimson in her eyes, trying to edge out her usual chocolate brown." "Hera, but you can be so thick headed sometimes!?" She came at him, nearly punching with both fists, landing her corded hands on either side of the couch back." She was leaning forward, nearly nose to nose." It was obvious, especially at this close distance that she was pressing down the urge to ring his neck." Her voice sunk into something of a defeated whisper, "I've got nowhere else to go." I...I can't tell my Sisters." And I certainly can't put an add in the damned Post." I....I need help.?" She could probably count on one hand the number of times she's said those last three words in her life."
You had to give the man credit. Not only did he not budge, he didn't so much as flinch or lean away as she came at him and leaned in close, the calm expression never leaving his features, his eyes remaining focused on hers. He waited until she was done talking before he poke, his hand moving from their casual resting positions to come up and encircle her wrists, though his grip was as gentle as his voice as he spoke, not moving to push her back. "All right, den. All ya had t'do was say so." He held her gaze for perhaps a handful of seconds before he spoke again. "Ah"m gonna need t'start wit' a few samples o"yer blood t"analyze an' work wit".?"
She swallowed and at last nodded her head." Though his hands had her wrists encircled, she didn't move to pull away as much as ease up." She didn't try to pull herself way from him as she took her seat once more on the couch next to him." Those eyes of hers, which she was scared to death to see in a mirror, simply focused on the ground." "How did you know?"" It was a whisper that barely got past her tongue." He had been the first one to mention the word 'infection' and Isuelt was still reeling from the realization."
He let her move, releasing her wrists as she took her seat again, though his eyes didn't leave her. Her question got a rather humble little shrug, and that was when he took a moment to look elsewhere. "You an' Katt were...actin" a li"l weird de other night when Ah saw ya at de Inn...so Ah took a moment t'see if Ah could digger out why, seeing where ya were, what ya might been talking" bout...my network's still up, yanno, jus" didm' have Di watching" o"er it t"keep things orderly. Saw ya ran ints Renna, an' figggered Ah'd do a scan...dat's when Ah picked up on it." There was another shrug. "Dis ain't "exactly like da Renna we useta know, but her tech has certain...markers dat make it stand out like a piss hole in de snow, if ya get my meaning".?"
The Scathachian sat still as she listened to everything the Playboy said." Words like 'scan' and 'network' made her sigh lightly." Isuelt leaned back and let her head tip back to rest on the couch, her gaze looking up at the ceiling." "After all these years...she finally got me.?" Her tongue rolled in her mouth then stilled." "If you can't...can't help me, Ed, I really don't know what I'm going to do.?" Wait." Yes she did." It was the same thing she always did." And so far, it had been working fairly well." "Leave.?"
He had to fight to keep the dismayed expression from his features, and didn't succeed entirely. He didn't want Issy to leave - she was one of the few people he could really call a friend here, and that fact aside...well, he liked having her around. It was nice to have someone who could relate to your situation. "Well, we would" want dat t"happen. Guess Ah"m jus" gonna hafta find a way t"make it work, right??"
Standing up then, she walked to the well-stocked bookshelf on the opposite wall." It was warm with the scent of leather-bound novels and she inhaled deeply." "Yeah, we wouldn't want that to happen.?" A surge of anger shivered through her body, though it was aimed at herself." She hated certain aspects of her character, and her inability to cope with certain situations was front and center at the moment." It took a long few moments for her to suppress the rage building." Batten could see her shoulders rising and falling and hear her deep breaths." Finally, the Judge turned around and thrust her arms out, ready to give what blood he needed." "When do we start?"
And where was Ed" What had he been doing" Well, that was a long story in and of itself. Suffice it to say, he had been checking out his latest acquisition. From home. Well, his temporary home, at any rate. Until he could get the Tower rebuilt, this was where he was going to be staying. However, it wasn't Ed that answered the knock at the door, but the cool, calm voice of DIANA, a nearly perfect match of the one that had been eliminated. "Miss DeRomiano, please come in. Mr. Batten will be with you shortly...you can wait in the foyer.?"
Surprised to say the least, Isuelt's jaw slackened at the voice of Diana." In fact, she tried to formulate a sentence, but simply came up with a few words here and there incoherently strung together." She settled for a stiff sniff and a nod as she wandered into the foyer." Her hand reached to push back a few locks of dark hair, and she was careful to look around and avoid any mirrors after her little incident this morning." "Thank....thank you, Diana.?" Still, the grateful reply had more of a question behind it than a statement."
It was if the AI had detected the unspoken question in her voice. "Indeed - Mr. Batten decided to take Miss Isabella Batten's offer to have me replace is lost ancillary, to her surprise." It was only a few more moments before Ed himself walked in, dressed in a pair of jeans and a "wifebeater" style tank top, wiping his hands off on a rag as he eyed Issy for a moment before he spoke. "Well, now, Issy, what brings ya t"my humble li"l escape here?""
Her lips were parted as she stood in awe of Diana and how she came to be speaking." That same expression in all of its exhausted, furious glory was turned toward Batten." Her mouth opened a slight fraction more, but no sound came." Isuelt was proud, that much was known." But stubborn, and just how stubborn was about to be seen." She couldn't bring herself to say it." To ask it." But she needed it, that much even she understood." "I...I need to talk to you." Pri-" Privately.?" "
He arched an eyebrow at that, regarding Issy curiously for a moment. Finally he nodded. "Di, excuse us fed a moment, will ya" An" cut de monitors in study, please." He tilted his head towards the hallway and started that way, heading for the study and motioning Issy inwards before he shut the door behind them, moving towards the couch to take a seat. "Hope dis is private "nuff for ya.?"
Into the study she went, a few quick paces and she paused, glancing down." It took a few heartbeats, during which her eyes were shut." After a deep breath that was sucked in and blown out, she turned around and trained those deep espresso eyes on him." "Let's cut the sh*t, Batten." We both know that you know why I'm here.?" Her jaw twitched and she fought the urge to scream at him, or worse." Her nostrils flared as she stared him down."
Both eyebrows went up as he sat back on the couch, one arm going up to rest along the back of it, the other resting on his knee as he brought an ankle up to rest on his knee, looking back at her with a mild expression. "Well, Ah can guess, Ah"m sure." The blue-grey eyes looked from her face to scan over the rest of her with a casual sort of expression before he looked back up again. "Yer here t"ask if Ah can get it outta ya.?"
She was visibly fighting her anger." She hated when he was right." Her teeth tightly clenched, had her cheek been between them, she would have drawn blood." Just looking at his face, for some reason was making her angrier." Isuelt turned her face from his, dark hair spilling over one shoulder." Knuckles were popping as her strong fingers clenched into fists."
He managed not to chuckle, though only just. That wouldn't be the wisest move right now, he was sure. "Ya should try t"keep dat in check, chere. Renna's viruses tend t"feed offa strong emotions." He gestured to the seat on the couch next to him, as well as a nearby chair. "Have a seat, an' try t'relax.?"
"F*ck you," she muttered under her breath and moved toward the couch." She sat down, then looked at him for a long moment." "You're really getting a damned kick out of this, aren't you?" You sick bastard.?"
He frowned, just a touch, at that, shaking his head. "Not outta de fact dat ya been infected. Sure's hell not happy "bout ya trying" t"kill my sister, even if we ain't on speaking" terms at de moment." Oh yes - he knew about that. "But watching" ya try t"contain yer temper...Ah don' "think Ah've ever witnessed ya on edge quite dis way b"fore. It's rat"er int'restin"." He regarded her, again rather casually, not seeming to feel threatened by her barely contained rage at the moment. "So far, Ah've only managed t"cure someone o"infection once...m'self. But dat wasn" "exactly de mos" pleasant experience, an' Ah don' even know if it'd work dis time.?""
Her brow wrinkled, she looked as if she were in pain." Though it was far from physical pain, at least at the moment." She was sharply ashamed of what she'd done to Katt, and for an instant, Isuelt worried that Ed had heard about the rest of what had happened that evening, namely that Isuelt had died." Her lashes shut as she turned her chin from him and struggled to keep her focus." It perhaps was interesting that her focus aided her in reigning back to that rage; her anger that he wouldn't be able to help her." Who else could?" She couldn't go through life like this...and what was worse, what if she again attempted suicide?" She was almost certain that she'd be brought back." A small growl erupted from her lips as she kicked off of the couch and took to pacing the room, her fingers tightening and loosening over and over." "
He sighed as he watched her pace, thinking as his eyes followed her progress around the room. Along with managing to salvage his own DIANA's knowledge banks, this new one had brought with her a vast store of knowledge of her own, much of it identical, but many things different in some very startling ways. "Look, Iss...Ah ain't saying" Ah can't do it. Ah"m saying" dat what Ah used on m'self probably won't work now, fed...whatever Renna stuck in ya." His voice fell, just a touch softer, almost gentle. "But Ah"m gonna do what Ah can t"fix dis...if ya want me to, dat is.?"
"Why the f*ck do you think I'm here, Batten"!?" There was a flash of crimson in her eyes, trying to edge out her usual chocolate brown." "Hera, but you can be so thick headed sometimes!?" She came at him, nearly punching with both fists, landing her corded hands on either side of the couch back." She was leaning forward, nearly nose to nose." It was obvious, especially at this close distance that she was pressing down the urge to ring his neck." Her voice sunk into something of a defeated whisper, "I've got nowhere else to go." I...I can't tell my Sisters." And I certainly can't put an add in the damned Post." I....I need help.?" She could probably count on one hand the number of times she's said those last three words in her life."
You had to give the man credit. Not only did he not budge, he didn't so much as flinch or lean away as she came at him and leaned in close, the calm expression never leaving his features, his eyes remaining focused on hers. He waited until she was done talking before he poke, his hand moving from their casual resting positions to come up and encircle her wrists, though his grip was as gentle as his voice as he spoke, not moving to push her back. "All right, den. All ya had t'do was say so." He held her gaze for perhaps a handful of seconds before he spoke again. "Ah"m gonna need t'start wit' a few samples o"yer blood t"analyze an' work wit".?"
She swallowed and at last nodded her head." Though his hands had her wrists encircled, she didn't move to pull away as much as ease up." She didn't try to pull herself way from him as she took her seat once more on the couch next to him." Those eyes of hers, which she was scared to death to see in a mirror, simply focused on the ground." "How did you know?"" It was a whisper that barely got past her tongue." He had been the first one to mention the word 'infection' and Isuelt was still reeling from the realization."
He let her move, releasing her wrists as she took her seat again, though his eyes didn't leave her. Her question got a rather humble little shrug, and that was when he took a moment to look elsewhere. "You an' Katt were...actin" a li"l weird de other night when Ah saw ya at de Inn...so Ah took a moment t'see if Ah could digger out why, seeing where ya were, what ya might been talking" bout...my network's still up, yanno, jus" didm' have Di watching" o"er it t"keep things orderly. Saw ya ran ints Renna, an' figggered Ah'd do a scan...dat's when Ah picked up on it." There was another shrug. "Dis ain't "exactly like da Renna we useta know, but her tech has certain...markers dat make it stand out like a piss hole in de snow, if ya get my meaning".?"
The Scathachian sat still as she listened to everything the Playboy said." Words like 'scan' and 'network' made her sigh lightly." Isuelt leaned back and let her head tip back to rest on the couch, her gaze looking up at the ceiling." "After all these years...she finally got me.?" Her tongue rolled in her mouth then stilled." "If you can't...can't help me, Ed, I really don't know what I'm going to do.?" Wait." Yes she did." It was the same thing she always did." And so far, it had been working fairly well." "Leave.?"
He had to fight to keep the dismayed expression from his features, and didn't succeed entirely. He didn't want Issy to leave - she was one of the few people he could really call a friend here, and that fact aside...well, he liked having her around. It was nice to have someone who could relate to your situation. "Well, we would" want dat t"happen. Guess Ah"m jus" gonna hafta find a way t"make it work, right??"
Standing up then, she walked to the well-stocked bookshelf on the opposite wall." It was warm with the scent of leather-bound novels and she inhaled deeply." "Yeah, we wouldn't want that to happen.?" A surge of anger shivered through her body, though it was aimed at herself." She hated certain aspects of her character, and her inability to cope with certain situations was front and center at the moment." It took a long few moments for her to suppress the rage building." Batten could see her shoulders rising and falling and hear her deep breaths." Finally, the Judge turned around and thrust her arms out, ready to give what blood he needed." "When do we start?"