Home Sweet Home

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-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A01: Jail Cells *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

The cells at the Watch are often often full with various people: the usual, returning drunks, the occasional shifty halfling, and then a few Korites who appear to have a rotating door policy. One cell in particular is labeled, 'Sandy.' Visitors may stand outside the cells to speak, while being overseen by an officer.

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For once, Delilah has been entrusted to walk to the jail under her own steam, without handcuffs, under the watchful eye of Norrington. (Maybe it's because he only brought one pair of handcuffs and he had to use those on a lightning-slinging gnome with delusions of grandeur.) Either way, the golden-haired sorceress makes her way into the jail cells, and takes the last bite of the peach she'd been eating. When Norrington isn't looking, she drops the pit somewhere one of the guards will eventually find it. "Alright then," she sighs. "Home sweet home for the next twenty-four hours then. What's on the menu tonight, anyway? Slop with bread? Stale bread with slop? Stale bread with undercooked slop? Goddesses all know you lot can't cook."

The sound of boots worn at a dead run echoes through the jail, and Donna has to grab hold of a doorway to keep from overshooting the corner. Skidding to a halt far enough away that Norrington can't take it for an attack, Donna clenches her fists, willing her anger to settle itself. ".....Oi, D. What happened?"

Not a single glance is spared for Norrington himself. He can take that however he likes.

Delilah is about to answer when she receives a rough shove from behind, thanks to Norrington. "I didn't tell you to stop walking," growls the Knight Captain, as he propels her forwards into a jail cell.

Delilah stumbles forwards, just about ending up on her knees but managing to avoid it, just barely. "Well," she answers to Donna, as she straightens our her *brand new clothes*, "I was buying a present for you, actually, and *someone* figured that because I had something nice, I must've stolen it. So, here I am at the Chateau Prisone."

"Probably the only way he could walk a girl home," Donna mutters, *just* loud enough to thoroughly undermine Norrington's authority as Guard Captain. "Hey, Cap'n my Cap'n, should I knuckle my brow 'fore I ask if it's impossible a girl just came into money cos she's an adventurer, or can I dispense with the formalities, like?"

"Well, that's what I said," Delilah sighs. She's got two necklaces on around her neck, one with a pendant featuring a white stone, the other a black one. Apparently Delilah is under the impression that it's important to buy jewelry for her sister from time to time. She unclasps one of them while Norrington is busy locking her in -- the one with the white pendant -- and holds it out through the bars. "Here, this is--"

"Evidence," Norrington finishes for her, snatching the necklace out of her hand. "And we'll be having the other one as well, missy." Wihle Delilah is busy sighing and unclasping the other necklace, Norrington turns to face Donna once more. "She's a thief and you're a scrapper," he replies, cooly, clenching his fist around two pieces of jewelry. "And the sooner I can make the Adventurer's Guild see that and bar you permanently, the sooner you'll stop having that as an excuse."

"Really?" Donna muses, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorway, "cos it looks to me like you jus' took somethin' what someone else bought legally, an' didn't wanna give it up. Sounds like robbery t'me." Reaching up, she scratches behind an ear.

"An' you got it wrong, Cap'n. She's a *loudmouth* an' I'm a scrapper. But um... Why in the *hell* d'you think the Guild ain't got a use for either of us?"

Norrington arches an eyebrow. "And if she can *prove* that she purchased them, legally, they'll be returned," he replies, dropping the jewelry into a little baggy. "I know crime is all you two seem to understand, but some of us actually make our living honestly." He draws himself up, "The adventurer's guild has no use for scum, and as soon as I can prove that that's what you are, you'll be finished. I'll have you out of my city, and you can go run afoul of bandits." Delilah spfffts loudly. "Or hang," he adds, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Or, you could poke me in the tits one more time when we're not *in the jail* and you could end up with a broken jaw and no teeth," Delilah suggests. "Not that I'd threaten a Knight Captain, Oh no, not me. Just, y'know, I've heard these sorts of things happen and it's really unfortunate. ...And Donna's right, I'm a loudmouth, but I've never stolen anything in my life." (Well, except that one time, but that was different.)

"See? Loudmouth," Donna says, nodding sagely. "So what I wanna know is, what's it about *us* that's got your hose inna halfknot, when the worst we ever done was start a brawl or two, an' crash fancy parties for the canapes. Here *you* are actin' like we're runnin' the Sly after sunup, an' the Syndicate after sundown."

"I said you're scum," Norrington replies, "I didn't say you were good at it. You've been lucky this far, but I am going to get you sooner or later. Or, I'm just going to enjoy taking you out of circulation for a day at a time whenever I get the chance." Her shrugs his shoulders, and twirls his ring of keys around his finger, before he starts heading for the offices. "Of course, if you could convince your sister to just confess, it'd all be a lot easier and probably more lenient."

"He won't say why he hates us because he knows it's ridiculous," Delilah declares. "He lost at cards because he was ooogling my breasts instead of watching his cards and he's been angry that he lost to a girl ever since!" She grabs the bars in front of her with both hands, and glowers. "Isn't there a missus Norrington? Or is she as flat as your personality?"

"Oh, yeah, get right on that, convince her to confess to whatever bullshit your brain blerped up today," Donna says, her voice faint and almost mockingly insincere, as she holds up her hands to either side of her. "My sister..... jackass obsessed Guard. Whiiiiiiich one should I listen to..."

Norrinton, apparently, chooses to ignore Delilah's comments. She's in the jail cell, afterall, so blustering is about all she can do. "Visiting hours are over in forty-five minutes," Norrington points out. "So make sure you're out by then or I'll be back to throw you out. And if you think you can punch one of my guards and keep her company for the night, then I'll put you in that cell over there," he points at the one in the corner, "And move the half-orc who's known for feeling other prisoners up in the night in with your sister." He smiles, insipidly, and finally makes his exit.

Delilah watches Norrington go, and sighs loudly, finally stepping back from the bars and taking a seat on the pallet in her cell. "That man," she grumbles. "Y'know what'd be great? Magic that could make us invisible. Why haven't I figured that one out yet?"

"Wow, fine upstandin' Guard threatenin' a woman like a *real goddamn hero,*" Donna snarls as she steps aside to let Norrington by. "No *wonder* there ain't no Missus Norrington, you'd probably manacle 'em to the kitchen so they can make you sandwiches whenever you want."

Once the Captain leaves, Donna sighs, shaking her head. "So how long you in for this time? I'll get'cha some cards an' breakfast."

"Twenty-four hours," Delilah replies, sighing audibly. She undoes the front of her corset, letting it hang more loosely about herself, and plops her hat down on the pallet beside her. "He can, on suspicion, hold me for twenty-four hours. Then he has to either provide proof that leads to me pleading my innocence in front of a magistrate -- which he won't, because he can't -- or let me go." She shrugs, and sighs heavily. "So yeah, breakfast and cards would be fantastic, sis. Thanks for bookin' it down here."

"Call it payback for when I was dropped in here," the dark twin mutters, holding up a fist to the space between two bars. "An' there's an orc as gets dropped in here now'n again. If he starts keepin' you up bawling, try not t'hold it against him. Means he ain't got his stuffy, an' he can't sleep without it."

Delilah leans back against the wall behind her, and clasps her hands behind her head. "Nah, I'm glad you punched out that clerk and both his wenches," she replies, "But... yeah, well this is not how I'd planned my evening going. I mean seriously, every time we buy something, do we need to make sure we've got signed statements from witnesses that we're legit? I guess I'm just glad he didn't confiscate my clothes, I just bought those recently too." She pauses, then sits up straighter. "Wait, an orc who can't sleep without his stuffie? That's... that's *adorable*."

"I *guess,*" Donna grumbles. "Gonna have to figure out something, Norrington's gonna either screw up an' get people killed, or lose his mind an' get people killed."

Delilah sighs softly, "Yeah, well, figure out what? I mean he's a Knight Captain, what are we supposed to do other than wait for him to come unglued? We don't have the kind of clout to cast suspicion on him or his actions, and he's not a bandit so it's not like we can, y'know, bushwhack 'im." She taps her fingertips together, "I mean, I *agree* with you, I just dunno what to do."

Donna lifts a shoulder, leaning against the bars. "Figure somethin' out. Just... guy willin' to justify the kinda crap he's pullin' ain't far from justifyin' worse, y'know?"

"Right," Delilah mumbles. "And I don't want to be the one who gets on the wrong end of it when he comes unglued. ...And even *more*, I don't want it to be you."

"Either'd be bad enough," Donna says, nodding, "but what if it ain't even us? What if he takes it into his head that someone we like's a fence or a boss or somethin'?"

"...I did accept an offer of legal help from a Sith Makar, named Chay," murmurs the golden haired twin. Her face drains of color. "...I didn't even think about it. Not like that. The offer was presented and I thought, wow, that's an honor, so I said yes. I hope I didn't just put him in harms' way."

"Man if he starts losin' it on a barrister he's goin' for the long drop," Donna says with a low whistle. Then, she glances over her shoulder to check the light from the small window behind the watch desk. "Visitin' hours're almost over, I should get," she mutters. "Whaddayou want for breakfast, an' anything else I can get ya?"

"Well, if you can work a miracle and get hot food in here still somewhat hot, one of those food-cones like we had the other day, just with breakfast instead of lunch? That'd be fantastic. And a deck of cards would be wonderful." She glances down at her knees, then looks back up with an entirely different expression. "I'm scared, Donna," she half-whispers. "What if he gets ideas in the middle of the night? I'm just... stuck here."

Donna's face hardens. "Just don't give him no excuse," she murmurs, "an' if he *does* try anything? You magic him up an ass-whoopin', an I'll find this Chay dude an' get someone from Temples to oversee your questionin'. Can't argue with Temple folk sayin' what you say is gods' honest truth, yeah?"

Delilah shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Yeah, I'll do my best," she murmurs, "Just... hope I win." She sits up a little straighter, "I mean, I'm sure he won't try anything like that, he's a jerk and a... a *man*, in every sense of the word, but he's not an idiot."

"You'll be all right," Donna says, knocking gently on the cell's bars. "An' if you ain't, he'll have to deal with me. Be all right, sis... I'm still lookin' out for ya, ain't gonna stop now."

Delilah stands up, and crosses the short distance to the bars. She sticks her hands through, seeking to clasp hands with Donna. "Thank you," she murmurs. "I'm looking out for you too, just... crappy job on that tonight, stuck in here and all." She cracks a smile, "Love you, sis."

About that moment, the door to the front of the guard station opens and a guard -- thankfully not Norrington -- steps in. "Okay, visiting time is over," he states in an awe-inspiringly bored tone. "Come on. Be on your way."

"Love you, sis," Donna echoes, taking hold of Delilah's hands and squeezing. "You'll be fine, jus' watch." With that, she raps on the bars one more time and manages what for her is a smile, then turns and bobs her head to the guard. "Headin' out, Guard. See ya next I get chucked in, yeah?" And with that, she suits deed to word, and makes her way out of the jail, waving over her shoulder for her sister's sake.

Delilah lifts a hand to wave, not that it does much good since nobody can see it. She waits until the door is shut, and then settles down on her pallet. She taps her fingers on the hard surface, before she lies down; she stares at the ceiling for a while, before rolling onto her side and hugging her arms around herself. She sniffs loudly, once; the rest is choked back; burried deep.