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Reality Fault

Realms: Taps Logs

The Lady IS the Tiger

It's been several years since Sulochana Jyotsana Suraksha Sesha of San Francisco and King Roy of Baton Rouge first made their business agreement. Roy had not been thrilled with two of his personal guard leaving with her that time, but she'd given him some very useful information already, and she cheerfully pointed out the two guardsmen would surely keep her safe so she'd return to him with more info! Over the years she's also brought in new folks to Roy and his city -- people with the caravan who've realized the cross-continent trip is too much for them, as well as those seeking their fortune in the City that Never Sleeps.

Over the years Suraksha has also fed quite a bit of wise and useful information to the self-made king, helping him keep both his personal power and the peace in his rowdy, aggressive, growing city. He's helped her with maps and astute advice on the locals, and she's helped him with appearances, so both he and his court "show" a bit more confidently and assuredly, as if they truly belong there. Suraksha had been relieved at being able to help with that, in fact -- the chamberlain playing petty tricks on visitors had been rather pointlessly annoying.

Roy has also learned to trust Sulochana's assessments of certain people, to the point that he's quietly made sure certain balls and festivities occur on those two dates a year when her caravan usually comes wending through. He has learned from her to be generous to those who serve him, and consequently she and the caravan are ordinarily happy to spend a week (or sometimes two) instead of just a weekend in Baton Rouge: dealing and trading, recovering and mending, partying, re-stocking, and just generally having a good time between the hardships of long, dangerous travel.

It is very early morning on one of those visits. The sky is still showing false dawn and the heat of the day has not yet started. Within Roy's apartments no one stirs; the candles gutter, almost all burned down, and his bedroom is suffused with musky, contented blissfulness. The sheer mosquito-netting bed curtains are looped back on one side and the sheets have been mostly kicked off. Sulochana is bonelessly relaxed, half-asleep and sprawled across Roy's chest the way he so enjoys, with her head tucked under his chin. He's gently stroking her dark, silky hair, still in that almost mindlessly sensual post-coital pleasure... and the door opens.

Both people glance over alertly, and then Roy relaxes a bit: it's his Master of the Guard and another of the king's personal guard. Sulochana remains utterly still but has not yet relaxed -- with her better night-sight she can see the head guardsman is carrying a pistol!

Things move swiftly from worrisome to unpleasant: Roy rises to greet them and is sneeringly informed he is no longer needed. It looks like the two men intend to kill Roy and frame Sulochana for the murder. Roy is furious -- both at the men's betrayal, and that he cares what happens to Sulochana. In an effort to distract and separate the two armed men, Sulochana begs prettily for her life: do what they want with Roy -- but she'll give them a tumble they'll never forget if they'll just spare her! The pain that flashes across Roy's face for an instant causes her to look away.

The two men laugh unpleasantly, sneering at Roy for how bad he is at picking trustworthy people. The older man could care less about a bit of tail, but the younger one has never been with a Hetaera before -- he wants to try! Sulochana holds out an arm for him, letting the curtains down behind them for, she claims, some sexual privacy. Her eyes are bright, her body smooth, and her mouth is inviting -- the young man goes swiftly to her.

The curtains are sheer, but it's hard to see through them when the few remaining candles are in the room outside the bed. There's some rustling and murmuring, some low laughter, a bit of thumping and bumping -- and the head Guardsman impatiently snarls at Roy to sit in one of the chairs. Soon thereafter Roy has been bound to the chair, and the head guardsman turns towards the bed -- then pauses suspiciously. It's... quiet now. Very quiet!

The guardsman snaps at his young companion to speak up -- open the curtain! It's still silent, and a quick glance shows the traitor that Roy is as confused as he. In the cool, absolute silence of the dim morning the sheer eeriness of the moment grows, causing hair to prickle on the back of the neck. An errant breeze tugs petulantly at the sheer curtains, causing them to billow slightly, but whatever is there on the bed is as still as the grave.

The guardsman shouts again: open the curtains or he'll shoot Roy! There's a still, chilly moment of silence... then, slowly, the curtains are drawn back. Sulochana is there on the bed, in a wide-eyed crouch and with her hair in a mad tangle. Her voice catches as she explains: the young guardsman seems to have fainted! Come help him, please?

The head guardsman is no fool; something is seriously wrong here. He studies the slight, nude woman for a few heartbeats -- then comes to a quick decision. She may have killed his accomplice, but that's all right. He'll just make sure they're all dead, then claim he was too late to save Roy, but he was able to avenge his former lord! He points the pistol at Roy's head, pulling back the hammer and sneering: if Roy has any last words he should say them now!

Roy's eyes narrow in a reflexive flinch away from the pistol, and he happens to be looking directly at Sulochana. In the dim, musky room lit by one remaining candle he sees her: eyes flaring wide, lambent gold with the realization that Roy's time is up. Sulochana crouches -- she's going to jump the guy -- too far, she's going to get killed! -he draws breath sharply to shout 'no!' -too late, she's already leaping with astonishing grace! -splash of warm coffee-and-cream arcing through the air in a long, smooth curve with ebony hair liquid shadow flowing behind her -- the guardsman snarling, pistol swinging around toward her and there's nothing Roy can do to save her, dammit! -- brilliant slitted golden-green eyes flashing suddenly scarlet in the candlelight with a blur of colors -- so many colors! -red-orange pelt scarlet mouth gaping wide -- teeth! -jet stripes and huge claws coming fast, way too fast! -landing powerfully, smashing down the former guardsman, nasty crunch of bone and choked scream cut off... under a simply enormous, splendidly striped tiger!

Roy gasps, huffing for air in the aftermath of the shock of expecting death. Tiger?! He s-saw a ti- a tiger-! -no, wait, it's Sulochana again, crouched on the man's caved-in chest, her feral eyes glittering at him through the dark tangle of her silky hair. She straightens, yanking a knife from the traitor's belt and coming swiftly to him, scarlet blood wetly gleaming on her lips teeth fingernails, worry on her face, shock on his. He is swiftly cut free, staggering and stumbling a bit as he lurches away from her, swearing in shock at her to keep away, keep back!

Eyes wide, he whispers, "Holy shit... no wonder you weren't worried that night you stole Chanticleer from me!" He warily faces her, rubbing his wrists, and sees the hurt flare in her eyes, bloom for an instant on her face, before she looks quickly away from him.

She turns towards the bed, dropping the dagger and self-consciously rubbing her mouth with the back of her arm, then reaches for her robe. Her voice is low, "I did not steal him; he came of his own free will. I'll go now. I will not bother you again."

He watches her silent movements, her lowered face; she does not look at him. The man is still rubbing his rope-marked wrists as she swiftly gathers her clothes in preparation to go. "Now, hold on just a damned minute." He's obviously off-balance, and he has never liked being off-balance. Roy moves so he's between Sulochana and the door, "You just saved my skin."

She won't meet his eyes; her voice is low, "You... pulled away. As if I disgust you." Her voice catches slightly, "As if you fear me."

"Well, hell, Sulochana. Half an hour ago I was makin' love to a gorgeous woman." Roy's voice is irritated, but he's not moving from his place in front of the door, "Then I damn near got shot by my own fuckin' bodyguards. And then that beautiful woman I'd been layin' with turns into a giant goddamned cat." His smirk is sardonic, "Guy's gotta have a chance to get used to that. Bit o' advance knowledge coulda helped."

Roy can just see the side of Suraksha's turned-away face, and the smooth curve of her cheek moves slightly, as if she's struggling with a smile. She's silent for a moment before she speaks, and her voice is starting to have less of that flat, dead tone to it, "I... confess I've yet to figure out how to... creditably inform my clients in advance of that, er... personal quirk." She sighs softly, rubbing her face unselfconsciously against the silky robe she has yet to pull on, and adds tiredly, but with her more normal tones, "Having that be a secret has been... well, a life-saver on more than one occasion. I would appreciate it if you kept my ability, um... just between the two of us, please."

Suraksha knows Roy's calculating expression by now. He reaches behind him and opens the outer door, swearing under his breath. Of course there's no one there. "Why in hell would I want to show my ace-in-the-hole? If those assholes had known it, we'd both be dog meat." His lips purse as he considers the options, "You got Alg with you this trip?"

Sulochana nods once. She had done her best to make sure the often surly man had been able to do what he enjoyed and did well, by putting him in charge of the small pack of hunting dogs and wolf-crosses that ran with the caravan as guards and food-providers. She'd also made it clear no teasing of the goblin-man would be tolerated. Her calm, steady kindness over the years to the often mistrusted goblin has resulted in a silent and unspoken, almost dog-like devotion from him. "Shall I call him? He's in the barn with my camel, but he can hear subsonic whistles."

Roy nods slowly, "See, if we're gonna keep the fact that you're... whatever it is you are, we're gonna have to explain how these two came to look like they were attacked by a big fuckin' animal."

Sulochana's dimples flash shyly for a heartbeat, "Well, the one on the bed was strangled -- I figured you didn't want his throat bitten out in your bed." She glances at the other man and sighs, "That one, though... I had to bite his hand almost off to keep him from firing. I landed on his chest, too -- it's rather caved in." She smiles a bit uncertainly at Roy, "I'll call Alg. He knows. All right?"

Roy nods again. "Once he gets here we'll explain to him what's up, let him tear the two of them up a little if he wants. And then we'll make a ruckus, so more of the guards show up." He smirks wryly, "Goddammit. I though he was one of the good ones." He aims a kick at the downed man and stops, remembering he's not wearing shoes, "Go ahead and call Alg."

Sulochana nods once, her large eyes glowing golden-green in the growing dawn light. She doesn't immediately move to do so, however... she just watches Roy for a few thoughtful moments. Finally, making sure he sees her, she takes a slow step forward... then another, as she paces silently toward him, closing the small distance between them. She carefully reaches out one hand -- there's still a little blood on it -- towards Roy, as if she's not certain of how he'll react to her touching him.

The man can't help tensing a little bit, but he doesn't back away or flinch. Instead, he just smirks his cocky little grin. He's still bare as the day he was born. Sulochana hesitates, but when he holds his ground she glides forward the one step more for them both to be within each other's personal space. She's watching his chest as she very lightly, carefully lays her palm against his warm skin.

When he doesn't flinch -- when he even carefully places one large hand on her bare hip, then slides his arm about her slender waist the way he usually likes to do -- she glances thoughtfully up at his face. Reassured at no sign of fear or withdrawal, she sighs in soft relief and relaxes a bit. She understands the potential fear or alarm which causes his bravado, but she also knows he's clearly willing to try again -- even with this new (and possibly disturbing) knowledge about her. She leans her still nude body against his front: smooth warm skin against adrenaline-heated skin -- and rests her cheek against his chest, next to her palm. She's always been best at speaking with her body.

It takes a moment, but there are a lot of physical factors going on here. Adrenaline is still surging. There's a lovely, if bloody, nude woman leaning against him -- and he's alive. Using one crooked finger, Roy reaches down and tips Suraksha's chin up, giving her his most roguish grin before bending down to kiss her. Her eyes are still that smoky, promising golden-green, and she rises on tiptoes to meet him. He's tentative with it at first, as if trying to see if it feels or tastes any different. Her lips are as warm and full and welcoming as he remembers, although there is the faintest hint of blood when her tongue lightly brushes his lips.

Something about the taste of the blood and the warm, musky scent of her skin, and just the relief of being alive, mixes together -- his hands slide down, moving to cup her behind and pick her up as he sometimes does when he's feeling particularly eager for her. When her arms and legs twine warmly around him, Roy moves with more confidence and starts toward the bed with her, kisses growing ever hungrier as they approach his draped bed. Her fingers are tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, and her lithe legs are snug against his sides -- and then she makes a small, frustrated noise, leaning back in his arms and tossing her head back for a gasp of air. Her dark-shadowed hair billows lazily around them as she whispers, "Alg -- must call Alg first!" Her soft laugh is breathless as she adds, "Better put me down -- you're being very nicely distracting, Roy!"

Roy isn't too happy about her breaking the kiss, but then she speaks, and he snorts. He nuzzles in to kiss the hollow of her shoulder before setting her back on her feet, "Probably right. Besides, there's a goddamn corpse in the way."

Sulochana laughs ruefully at that, leaning against his very pleasant solidity for a moment before she sighs and straightens, stepping away. She pushes her hair back with both hands, and Roy can almost see her pulling her business face on. She smiles at him, then turns and gets her small overnight bag. Pulling a small whistle, she blows it silently. Outside, dogs start barking, but she just tucks the whistle away and pulls on her robe. "Let me get the door. He'll be alarmed at the scent of blood, and I don't want him to bite someone in worry." She's casually belting the thin robe over her sleekly curved body as she heads for the door, peeking cautiously outside as she waits.

Roy watches her walking away with a thoughtful look on his face. She's still lovely. Still lithe. Still enough to stir his blood... and a lot of things start making sense. He snorts, muttering, "Explains that..." as he remembers the way the big cats he keeps in his menagerie all seem to get agitated when she's around -- not to mention the dogs and the more skittish of the horses. He shakes his head and recalls she's just called Alg, so he grabs his own dressing gown, wrapping it around his body while they wait for the arrival of the goblin.

Only a few heartbeats later Roy can hear hasty panting, running feet, and a worried voice, "Pretty lady? All okay? Alg bite?" Sulochana puts a finger to her lips, opening the door to let Alg in. He glances around alertly, his lips pulled back in a snarl as she closes the door and then crouches next to him to give him a hug, "Dear Alg. Don't worry, I'm fine -- but we need your help, please."

Sulochana explains to Alg what happened, asking Roy to pull the body from the bed so Alg can savage it without messing the bed up. They decide to have Roy shoot the pistol into a wall once, and be holding it when others arrive. Sulochana murmurs quietly to Alg, "I need you to especially take your treats this time, Alg, all right? That way no one will think anyone but you bit them."

The small, quadrupedal goblin-man looks both pleased and excited, and he casually rubs himself against Sulochana like a cat as he lisps through more teeth, "Lady no worry -- Alg fix!"

Roy takes the gun and waits for Alg to get started on his work before he turns to fire the pistol into the wall. Besides, that takes his attention off the rather... wet and visceral sounds of the goblin taking care of the bodies. Sulochana climbs into the bed -- she should be completely out of this apparent bit of battle. She blinks slowly, and Roy can see what looks like fear widen her eyes as she clutches the sheets to her. She glances at Roy, winks once, then goes back to staring with lips parted at the door.

Roy snorts at the wink and says, "Take the robe back off." He's stripping his own off as he says that, then crouches, smearing his hand through one of the puddles of blood to splash it over his skin. It wouldn't do, after all, for him to look completely untouched. Suraksha rolls her eyes at herself and wriggles out of the robe, hurriedly tossing it onto a bedside table and half-draping herself in the sheets. Her face assumes that poor-frightened-woman expression again, making the king have to choke down a laugh.

The gunshot brings more guards running and the door is slammed open to find a bloodied, bare, and pistol-wielding Roy standing over the bodies of the two guards and the gleefully ravaging Alg. There are several moments of confusion when the cadre of arriving guards try to attack Alg, only to have Roy shout them down, "Goddammit! Leave him be! The little bastard saved our lives."

Suraksha knows Roy means the term as a strange sort of term of respect: it denotes someone tough, rough-edged, and fearless. The king uses his foot to nudge the body Alg isn't currently ripping at, sneering contemptuously down at it, "Traitorous sonsabitches made an assassination attempt." He snaps a few orders, starting with the clearing away of the bodies and ending with a demand to have someone find out who was paying the two turncoats. It's in these sorts of moments that it's easy to see how a lowly grifter made himself king.

Sulochana shakily calls Alg over to safety close to her as the king barks out his orders. When Roy finally turns towards her again she's huge-eyed and pale. She's got one hand resting on the contentedly nibbling Alg's shoulder, where he sits on the floor by the bed, while her other fist is pressed against her mouth, as if she's struggling not to burst into tears.

The guards that arrive are familiar with Alg and his predilection for taking the eyes of his enemies and prey; they're very careful not to look too closely at the bodies they're dragging out. The king looks down at himself, lip curling back from his teeth as he says, "And get my tub filled with hot water. I wanna get this stinkin' blood off me and the lady. Ruined a perfectly good fuck." The guards expect Roy to be coarse, and they don't want to get on the bad side of his anger, so they're out of the room as quickly as they can, leaving just one of their number outside the door, which the king slams behind them.

Once the door is closed, Roy quirks a wry smile at Suraksha, "Sorry 'bout that last. It's good to keep up the image of a man led by his gonads sometimes." Alg snorts, while Suraksha has both hands over her mouth now, clearly struggling not to burst into laughter as she rolls back on the bed! She giggles muffledly for several minutes before she can pull herself together again. At that point, however, she sits up, eyes sparkling, and thanks Alg for a masterful job! To Roy she adds with a wry grin, "Can we, um... maybe go to the room across the way? The one you loan me on long weekends? Alg likes blood, but I'm not that fond of puddles of it in my rooms, you know?"

Roy chuckles and says, "Of course." He grabs his dressing gown again and holds Suraksha's robe for her to slip into. She looks first a bit surprised, then touched as she smiles and slips gracefully into the robe. She smiles again with lazy pleasure as Roy gently pulls her soft mane of hair free from the robe, running his fingers through it in silent appreciation. Once she's belted the robe she murmurs, "I should still be distraught. Can you ask for some tea as well? Also, I think you have some serious thinking to do before we enjoy ourselves again, mm?"

The king snorts laughter and says, "Yeah. We'll have some tea sent." He holds his arm out, inviting her to tuck herself under it for the walk across the hall. She does so, concentrating for a moment -- and tears start rolling down her face. She's clinging to him, whimpering into a hankie as he guides her out. On the way to the rooms Suraksha sometimes uses, Roy pauses and tells the guard there to redirect the bathwater to the other suite and to have tea sent in as well. He thinks a moment and says, "Also, have somebody bring my whiskey over." Roy has his face set into an expression of thunderous irritation, but he's gentle with the apparently distraught woman. Alg follows them and settles comfortably in the hall outside the other room.

Once they're in the other room with the door closed, Sulochana straightens and tucks the hankie into a pocket of her robe. She glances around swiftly, nods once, then smiles almost impishly up at Roy. Standing on her toes and holding onto the lapels of his robe, she gives him a peck on the cheek, "I think we did good! You and Alg were champs. Thank you!" She's quite aware of how easy it would have been for Roy to allow Alg -- or her, even -- to "accidentally" die, after all. She's glad Roy keeps his promises.

Roy returns the kiss and sighs, "Yeah. You don't get to be king without learning how to cover shit up sometimes." He pushes her hair back off her face, "You were a quick thinker yourself. I owe you my sorry skin."

Sulochana smiles, her expression warming at the caress and her voice almost gentle, "Couldn't let them take you out like that. Not only was it despicable and likely to get us both killed... but I'd miss you." She pats his chest lightly, careful not to let it become a caress -- much though she might enjoy a quick tumble just then -- and adds more seriously, "However, though it pains me to be the one to bring bad news, I feel I should point out: this is the sort of insurrection which I believe occurs due to a puppet-master -- someone subtly encouraging the dissatisfied or the self-righteous to revolt. Your head guardsman was a loyal man, last I looked."

She sighs softly, glancing around and then heading over to the little table and two chairs. She settles in one and adds, "That's why I suggested tea as well as a bath. I'd like to encourage you to take a moment to mentally review your people, think of who might be responsible for this, and perhaps how you intend to handle them. I think you'll believe me when I say we've worked together enough now that I don't want to have to, um... get to know a new king -- and I certainly don't want you dead." She watches him thoughtfully as she absently combs through her hair with her fingers, and for perhaps the first time she wonders: what's his story? What made him decide to become king of Baton Rouge? -and... does he ever wonder the same about her?

Roy's chuckle is sardonic, "I've already started thinking about who might be pulling those strings -- and there's only one name that really springs to mind." Before he can go on much further, there's a discreet knock on the door and the maids come in with bathwater and tea. There are small, shocked gasps as the girls catch sight of Suraksha's and Roy's bloodied state. The king lets the fussing of the women fill a small time as he pours himself a large whiskey and sips at it. What he needs is one of the Taps that can pick up on lies while he does a thorough questioning of his guard.

Suraksha pulls on her horrified and frightened mask, letting the girls fuss over her as much as they'd like. The tiger-woman does a wonderful pretense of pushing nobly past her own fear to reassure the other women -- at least until the maids have withdrawn. After the door is closed behind them, Suraksha takes a long, slow breath, then smiles at Roy and pushes her hair back out of her face again. "Do go on, please?" She rises and heads for the bathtub, letting her silky robe slide elegantly down her back and to the floor before she steps, with a sigh of relief and pleasure, into the gently steaming bath. "Aaah... much better!"

Roy follows her and settles on the edge of the tub, reaching across her for a sponge that's sitting on the little ledge and dipping it into the sudsy, hot water, "Moynahan, of course. I've been cracking down on some of his little enterprises lately, and that's got him mad as a bear that's just shat in a nettle patch. Lean forward, please, sugar." His face is thoughtful as he starts to sponge the tacky blood off her back, "He's nuttier'n squirrel shit if he thinks he'd be able to do what I do."

Sulochana's eyes light up with pleasure before she closes them and sighs comfortably as Roy washes her. She leans her head against his thigh, where he's sitting on the side of the tub, and murmurs relaxedly, "Is he still around? Hm... do you have any way to subvert him? Offer him a job or something? What's he good at, aside from surviving and convincing others to do his dirty work?"

"Figurin' out smugglin' routes. He's got a damned good eye for what's going to sell on the black market, too. You know I got no beef with a little bit of free-tradin', but Moynahan deals in some unsavory stuff." His voice and eyes are distant as he thinks and speaks, but his callused hands are careful with the sponge. It's not an erotic thing he's doing, though it could easily become so. Roy washes her as if he knows just how hard it is to get oneself clean after an ugly and messy fight. Sulochana makes a small inquiring sound, not wanting to interrupt this extremely pleasant moment; she's curious as to just how unsavory Moynahan is. There's unsavory that's subvertable, as she's suggested... but there's also unsavory that she considers being like a mad dog, and needing to be put down permanently.

Roy shrugs and continues with the careful bathing, still sounding thoughtful, "Kidnappin'. Slave-tradin'." She stiffens slightly, and he hurries on, "It's illegal here -- I won't have no truck with slavin'. Drugs, too. Now, I cain't say I'm iron-fisted about drugs. Little locoweed. Maybe some mushrooms or mescaline. That's all well an' good. But he does some trade with the shit comin' up over the border from all those little countries south of Mexico. Cocaine. Morphine."

Sulochana is quiet for a long moment, thinking. Finally she murmurs softly, "Why isn't he dead, Roy? Is he hard to find?" Her breath catches for a moment before she adds, "Is that... is that why you have so many non-humans in your service -- they're freed slaves?" She's relieved Roy said he had no truck with slaving; she'd be appalled if she thought he'd bought the non-humans for enslaved guards.

"One or two, but mostly I like havin' exotic things 'round me. Makes quite the impression if you stroll into a room with a sidhe and a goblin at your back. Or it used to." There's a little teasing in Roy's tone. "He is hard to find, yeah -- and better the evil you know than the evil you don't. I find out about his less-palatable business and I step on it. Been havin' to do it more lately."

Sulochana's laugh is almost affectionate, "Oh, stop that, you! I'm quite aware you've found other exotic replacements in the years since then." She grins wickedly as she adds, "Besides, even if you didn't know it at the time, you were quite surrounded by an exotic whenever I was here!" Her grin is more relaxed as she adds, "All right, if you're comfortable having Moynahan out there, I won't nose in where I'm not wanted. Now you know what he's up to, you should be able to root it out, right? Do you have any Taps working for you?"

Roy grins roguishly, "Besides myself, you mean? Yeah, there's two or three. Don't have the sort I need right now, though. Need someone that can pick up on lies." He has moved around to her front with the bathing, and his hands are being a little less detached now. He's not overly sensual about it, but he's always been fond of her breasts. "And it may be time for me to step on Moynahan's neck for good and all."

Sulochana's eyes light up with interest again, although she's careful to remain stretched out for him to continue bathing her. It feels wonderfully decadent to her, especially since usually it's she doing the washing, "Oooh, you're a Tap? What do you do?" Her grin gets roguish in turn as she adds thoughtfully, "A Tap that can detect lies. Hmm... I might be able to find something similar to that, even though I don't have an actual lie detector?"

Roy smirks and considers her for a long moment, "I'll have your word that this don't go past your most trusted people, little lady."

Sulochana's expression softens a bit, and her smile is gently reassuring as she brushes damp fingertips along Roy's cheek. "Dear Roy. You know my secret, and you promised not to tell. Of course I will not tell yours."

Roy nods, taking her at her word. He pauses in his washing and holds his right hand over the surface of the bathwater, a look of concentration on his face. She watches with intent fascination. As she watches, the surface of the water compresses slightly beneath his hand, forming a distinct trough across the width of the tub. His voice, as he speaks, is far-off, "Had someone explain t'me once that ever'thin's got a l'il bit of an electric charge to it. Even water... an' I jes' unnerstan' water."

Sulochana's face lights up with delight; she loves the myriad wondrous expressions of Tapping she's seen and met. "Oh, a water-worker -- you're a male undine! How marvelous! Is that part of why you decided to become king of Baton Rouge? Can you actually work the Big Muddy herself?"

Roy relaxes, his eyes clear up, and the little trough disappears. He grins at her and says, "It's part of how I became king, yeah. I could feel when things were gettin' ready to go real bad on the river. As for workin' the river, you've seen my sceptre, right?"

Sulochana nods in silent interest, her golden-eyed gaze fascinated, "Does it somehow help you? Oh! Is it one of those... what are they called -- Tap matrices or something?" Her face suddenly crinkles up with laughter, and she adds in a 'gosh, wow!' tone of voice, "Gee, mister! Can I touch your magic staff?!"

Roy laughs at the ribald joke, waggling his eyebrows, "Only if I get to stroke your kitty." He winks at her delighted laughter, and moves on to washing her legs, "It's an amplifier, actually. Lets me soothe the Big Muddy long enough for people to get across. She's a tempestuous one, is my lady. Paid a Tap-engineer from back east a shitload of gold to get it made."

Sulochana's delighted grin softens into a fond smile; she always loves seeing emotional depth in her clients. "You must feel very close to her then, yes?" She raises her leg to run the toes of one small foot in a light caress along his leg, smiling, "That's sweet... although I'm distracting you; my apologies. You were mentioning you needed a Tap who could detect lies. I know someone who can not so much detect liars, as tell when they are exerting themselves emotionally in an unfamiliar manner. Does that make sense? Would that help you when you question the guards?" She pauses, then grins roguishly as she adds, "And I think you might be able to persuade me to let you stroke my little kitty!" Teasingly she does not clarify whether she means the big stripey one -- or not!

Roy laughs and strokes the soapy sponge along the lifted leg, "Lived on the river my whole life, lovely. I know 'er better than I know any flesh-and-blood person. As for this person you know that might help with the questioning, that'd come in right handy, actually. What sorta compensation would this friend of yours need?" He's quite casual about letting the sponge-hand slip below the water level.

Sulochana flutters her eyelashes at Roy, her mischievous grin trying for -- and failing to reach -- demure, "Well, since it's me, I'd have to think about that, hmm? What did you have in mind? You have a generally good idea of what a lady likes, after all." She purrs lazily at his continued gentle stroking, idly continuing to stroke her small toes along his skin. Her toenails are painted a sparkly emerald green that brings out the green in her golden eyes.

Roy laughs, "Oh, no. I ain't negotiating while you're naked and soapy. We're gonna table that discussion." Sulochana laughs aloud at that! He drops the sponge in the water and takes the small foot that's been stroking along his thigh in both hands, using his thumbs to massage along the sole. "And I still need to get washed up myself."

The relaxed tiger-woman smiles at Roy, enjoying herself. "Well, you certainly made me feel both very nicely clean, and deliciously appreciated. Shall we switch? I'd be happy to return the favor, my dear." She rises to her feet, the soapy water surging about her, and with a few dipperfuls of clean water she rinses off. She holds her arms out to Roy, her eyes twinkling, in a silent request to be lifted out of the tub. As he's well aware, she's not above using her lovely body to encourage the results she wants! She does not say it, but she is lazily willing to not argue too much about price for this. She's also genuinely curious as to what he will offer for her detection services; it will give her some idea of how much he values the answers he'll get.

Roy grins and lifts her out of the tub, not seeming to mind when his silk dressing gown gets soaked in the process. She wraps her arms and legs about him with languid pleasure, and with a little smirk he slides his hands down along her waist and hips, concentrating as he does so. The water clinging to her skin sluices off to puddle around his feet, leaving her skin dry but her hair damp. "I would certainly appreciate a hand gettin' to those hard-to-scrub spots."

Sulochana looks down with a startled blink -- then laughs! "What a clever way to use your ability!" She grins cheerfully, bussing him affectionately on the cheek before swinging easily down to her own feet. She winks as she picks up the sponge, then pats the water surface lightly, "Hop in -- my turn!" She enjoys herself just as much as Roy did with her, taking her time and making sure he's quite clean all over -- perhaps a bit more assiduously than is absolutely necessary, although neither of them seem to mind.

Much later they are in bed together, with Sulochana astride Roy, the two of them laughing together like old friends. Sulochana is swaying in slow pleasure on Roy's hips, simultaneously feeding him little nibbles of the tea sandwiches and teasing him as she occasionally tightens around him. The small gasps and occasional little happy noises they make are a good indication of both their comfort with each other, and their pleasure in each other's company. Sulochana's eyes are sparkling with mischief as she enjoys teasing Roy.

Roy is more than willing to be teased, and does his fair share of teasing in return. There's not as much room to sprawl in the bed here as in his private apartments, but he does a creditable job of it anyway. When Suraksha's head is once again cradled on his chest, he says, "Now, about securing your other services, beautiful..." He takes a deep breath, "Ain't gonna lie. This is important to me. This is the kinda shit could lose a man his throne, not to mention his life. So..." He takes another deep breath, like a man bracing for a painful medical procedure, then names a price. It's well above her normal rates for services as a Hetaera.

Sulochana blinks at the number. She's unmoving for a moment, still comfortably relaxed across Roy as she thinks... then she rolls a bit so she can fold her hands on Roy's chest, and rest her chin on them. "That's... extraordinarily generous, Roy. I must ask, though: won't that bite into your reserves for the city?"

Roy smirks, "A bit. But if this shit keeps up, I won't have a city to have reserves for."

Sulochana is silent again, her heavily-lashed eyes thoughtful as she considers. Finally she murmurs, "Well... would you like to deliver some of that recompense in some other format, instead of just cash? I confess I am interested in the continuing health of you and your city, after all. Also..." her eyes sparkle golden as she grins, "sometimes letting my clients be imaginative is more fun than simply cold cash!" Her grin gets delighted as she adds, "Do you have anything interesting to barter, mmm?"

Roy chuckles and runs his fingers through Suraksha's hair, "I got all sorts of interestin' things to barter. But since you seemed to like my meager Tapping ability, how about I work up a little demonstration of it for you?" Roy doesn't refer to anything of his as 'meager,' so it's likely he's being playful about the extent of his talents.

Sulochana laughs delightedly, then wriggles in lazy enjoyment, "That sounds like fun! You're teasing me, though -- what are those 'all sorts of interesting things' you speak of, mmm?" Her golden eyes are almost slitted in the dim light as she grins mischievously, "Everyone knows, after all, what happens when you tease a cat -- they tend to pounce!" She rolls her eyes amusedly, adding, "Don't even bother with that old saw about curiosity killing the cat, either -- this kitty has plenty of lives yet!" She giggles and uses the end of her hair to tickle Roy's chin... she likes not having to hide her more cat-like side.

The man laughs and pats her hip, "You know I like exotic things. I've got a collection of curiosities that might be interesting. People bring things through here and I get my hands on a lot of them."

Sulochana raises an eyebrow, then giggles at his comment -- especially since his hands are currently on her! She rolls lazily over onto her back, still sprawled with feline grace over him, and purrs teasingly, "Sounds lovely, dear man! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, don't you?"

Roy chuckles, rubbing his chin against the top of her head, "The beginning? I thought we'd got over bein' adversaries a long time ago."

Suraksha laughs again, rolling back over and contentedly snuggling against him. She not only knows he likes it, and it makes him feel strong and possessive, but she herself enjoys how nice cuddling feels too. Her voice is lazily throaty, "You've never seen Casablanca? I heard it was a movie first, although when my family saw it I was too small to really understand it. I remember it mostly from the play."

Roy closes his eyes and chuckles, wrapping his arms comfortably around Suraksha. In the larger part of his mind he knows she's strong and powerful (and a tiger... what a strange thing to contemplate...) but he does enjoy the way she feels small and warm in his arms. "I saw it once. But I was young, too. Something about one of the wars before the disaster, right?"

Suraksha chuckles and murmurs a quick synopsis of the story: the war-torn lovers, the slow and romantic ballad they share, the earlier marriage with the idolized man believed dead, how out of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world She walked into His -- and how the man's nobility was recovered through love for both her and the cause. Suraksha concludes by explaining her comment, "And that's what he said to the Captain who didn't let on to their shared enemy that he'd shot and killed the military man who was going to stop his beloved from flying to safety with her husband -- which would aid the cause of defeating the enemy military." She smiles, her cheek resting against Roy's chest as she adds contentedly, "It's... rather romantical and sweet, I always thought. Did you enjoy it too?"

Roy is smiling, though she can't really see it. It's audible in his voice, "I like that story. Though I gotta say that I'm probably not as noble as that gentleman. Reminds me some of 'A Tale of Two Cities.'" He takes a deep breath and intones in a resonant voice that makes his chest vibrate, "It was the best of times. It was the worst of times." He chuckles to himself and rubs his chin against the top of her head again, arms still snug around her, "I think we make damned good allies, too. Even if one of us is a tiger somma the time." There's another pause as he considers, "So... I don't know a lot about shapeshifters. That wa'n't glamour, was it?" One hand slides over her stomach and the front of one hip, making sure she feels the same as always.

Suraksha laughs with soft pleasure at the quote, then grins and sings the tune from Casablanca,

"Well, it's still the same old story,
A fight for love and glory, a case of do or die!
The world will always welcome lovers...
as time goes by...!"
She grins and nuzzles lazily against Roy's chest, her voice teasing, "'Even if'? Hmf, you make it sound like I'm not helpful at all at those times!" She smiles as she adds, "No. Not glamour." Her murmur is dry, "I certainly would have had trouble overpowering those men were I simply glamoured."

The king says, "Well, truth be told, you were pretty goddamn useful with four legs. I've always liked big cats." That's not exactly a secret; she's seen his menagerie. "Were you born like that? Or is it like the old stories about werewolves and such. You get attacked and bitten and then you go all furry and bloodthirsty at the full moon?" There's a hesitation, "You... ain't gonna go all man-eater on me, are ya?"

Suraksha giggles impishly, her eyes sparkling as she murmurs demurely, "I've had no complaints from you before when I've been-" she coughs with amusement, then continues, "a man-eater!"

Roy snorts and taps her hip with his palm in a completely toothless parody of a spanking, "That's entirely different. Quit tryin' to change the subject."

Suraksha laughs delightedly, rolling upright astride his stomach, then trailing her fingers ticklishly up and down his front. Her eyes are still bright and teasing as she shakes back her shadowy mane of hair and grins at him, "Oh? What's the subject then?"

The man isn't stupid. He grins at her and takes her wrists in his hands, "The subject is about you bein' a tiger sometimes. Hell, I know you probably ain't about to lose control an' go on a rampage or nothin', but I'm curious. It don't seem to tire ya out much. Is it painful?"

Suraksha laughs and wriggles relaxedly against him, tugging playfully at his hands -- although it's clear it's just play to her, and not any real concern. "No, it's not painful, and I wasn't bitten or otherwise traumatized. It does require me to refill on energy at some point -- I'll likely want either a very rare steak tonight, or a great deal of sex, to recharge my batteries, especially since I flipped size several times very quickly." She thinks a bit, then adds, "For my lineage it is not moon linked, although I will ask you to swear to tell no one it is a lineage -- my family would come hunting both me for punishment, and whomever I'd told for silencing, were that information to get out." She goes still, smiling with quiet expectancy for his reply. It's clear she trusts him enough to tell him that; she's not worried he'll betray her confidence.

Roy considers boasting for a moment, then says, "How about we divide that down the middle an' give you some sex and some steak? I ain't as young as I used to be." He grins and keeps a solid hold on her wrists, holding them against the center of his chest, "Ain't we already talked about me not wantin' to show my ace in the hole? I got enough of a shitstorm headed my way without that."

Suraksha's expression gets more rueful at that, and she nods, "Yes, you are going to have some unpleasantness until you've cleared out the traitors and stopped Moynahan." Her wrists are held, so she lets her hands go limp, then trails her fingers lightly along whatever parts of Roy's skin she can reach. She smiles, "A steak and more sex tonight would be lovely, and thank you!" Curiously she adds, "So why do you like big cats so?" Then Roy's words register; she raises a very teasing eyebrow and grins so mischievously that she dimples, as she adds, "Your ace in the hole?"

Roy smirks and shifts her hands so her fingers are along his ribcage, "I like the big cats because they're powerful. And ruthless. And beautiful. And rare. And mostly self-sufficient. All traits I admire." He laughs at the teasing and says, "Maybe I could say that a little differently. Lemme see... why would I wanna give away a piece of information that saved my ass tonight especially because no one knew it?"

Suraksha smiles slowly, her golden eyes almost glowing in the shadowy room. She doesn't know if Roy knows all his descriptives work for her also, but she sees no reason to try and insist on that -- and potentially spook a very pleasant and lucrative client. She purrs with lazy pleasure at his very nice correction of himself, letting her fingers trail lightly along his ribs, and considers. Finally she murmurs, "Well, if I remember correctly, you have a soiree tonight you wished me to attend as your escort. When do you wish to check the guards? Also, might we manage a bit of dinner before the party, perhaps?" She grins as she adds, "Do you know what my name means, just out of curiosity?"

Roy says, "I didn't plan to go into the lion's den unfed." Suraksha tosses her head back and laughs aloud at that! "We'll get you your steak before we go wheel an' deal. I dunno how many of the guards we can check out before then, but I'd sorta prefer not wonderin' if I'm gonna get shot in th' back all night. So I figger we'll check out the ones that'll be at the party, at least." He finally lets go of her wrists and rests his hands on her hips, "When you feel up to it, o' course."

Sulochana smiles down at Roy, leaning gently on her hands resting on his chest, and murmurs, "Well, give me a place to sit where I can watch them and take notes while you interrogate them, all right? No time like the present -- you've been quite lovely this morning, and I appreciate it." She strokes her hands lazily along his chest as she adds almost dreamily, "Very nice..." She's quietly relieved Roy's not pressed her at all about her family. She has no idea how rank would compare, and she doesn't want anyone thinking of her as, say, a princess for whom ransom could be demanded.

Roy smirks and gives her hips a little squeeze, "Lemme get cleaned up again an' get some clothes on an' we go have a little cat with 'em."

Suraksha raises an eyebrow, giggling, "Is that a Freudian slip, dear?" She slides smoothly off Roy, laughing as she darts lightly across the room for her robe.

The king snorts and shies a pillow at her fleeing form, "Very funny." He stretches and slides out of the bed himself, belting on his dressing gown before heading across the hallway, "What does your name mean, anyway?"

Suraksha laughs, sliding up next to him and under his arm as they approach the door, "Which one? The one you use, Sulochana, means 'woman with beautiful eyes.'" Her tilted golden eyes are sparkling as she grins up at him, adding, "The name my fellow caravaneers use for me is Suraksha. That one means 'protection.'" Amusedly she adds, "My family is into long explicative names."

Roy chuckles and says, "Well, seems like they're both pretty damn descriptive. What language is that anyway?"

Suraksha glances out and makes sure Alg is there and well, smiling warmly at him as they cross the hallway. When they're in the other room she adds, "A raksha is a dangerous wild spirit -- some call them demons -- that can be appeased with the appropriate sacrifices. I think when they're friendly they're called surakshas. It's the language my family speaks. I'm not sure what it is... Malayalam, maybe?"

Roy shakes his head, chuckling, "You lost me there. I speak three languages. English, Louisianan, and French."

Suraksha looks up curiously as she sorts through her bags for clothing and toiletries, "Really? What's Louisianan? I wasn't aware it had its own native tongue."

Roy chuckles, "Bad joke, darlin'. Folks down the rivers and bayous, they got a patois. Little bitta French, little bitta English, little bitta Spanish, little bitta 'What the fuck did he just say?' 'Swhat I grew up speakin'." Come to that, his accent had gotten a lot thicker and harder to understand when he was concentrating on the water earlier.

Suraksha considers thoughtfully for a moment, checking her memory... then grins at Roy, "Oh, it's that charming accent you get sometimes when you're berating someone local -- I've heard that!" She laughs, then smiles and shrugs a bit, "Fearsome Grandmother speaks more languages than I can shake a stick at, so I never bothered counting. Hmm..." She studies her clothes, then adds thoughtfully, "We're going to have some down time before the party, yes? I don't need to dress for it immediately?"

Roy notes with satisfaction that the floor to his bedroom has been scrubbed and the bedclothes changed, as he strides over to his wardrobe, "Hell, naw. Dress comfortable for now. Talkin' to the guards is gonna be an ass-numbin' chore."

Suraksha chuckles in quiet rue, murmuring, "Only if they're all innocent," as she pulls out some nice casual clothing. She's shrugging into her embroidered silk tunic and flipping her hair out of the collar as she thinks a bit... then she says softly, "Roy? Where's your family?"

Roy is looking through his clothes as she gets dressed. There's a beat before he says, "Dead, mostly. Think I still gotta brother out prowlin' th' swamps. Ain't seen 'im in probably ten years or more."

Suraksha's reaction is utterly sincere -- the shock and dismay of someone with a large family who can't even conceive of being completely alone in the world: she steps over next to Roy and slides her arm about his waist. Her voice is soft, "I'm so sorry, Roy."

The look on Roy's face is familiar: a wry half-smirk. He pats her hand and says, "They been gone a long time, beautiful. Got all my mournin' done years ago." Still, he's unusually quiet as he contemplates what to wear.

Suraksha nods silently, although she gets the feeling there's still some pain there -- even if all the mourning was done. She says encouragingly a moment later, "No one should be alone in the world. Why don't you send people out to find your brother?" She adds softly as he shifts through shirts in the closet, pausing at a pale blue, "Not that one -- you want to look strong for an interrogation. Wear a darker color, like red."

Roy snorts, "Because Rene ain't the city type. He prefers the swamps -- and he prefers not to see me. So we let each other be." The king pulls out a pair of black slacks and one of his loose 'poet' shirts, "I prefer a little civilization 'round me. Whiskey's a lot nicer when you ain't havin' to run the still."

Suraksha says puzzledly, "He... but why would brothers not wish to see each other?" She adds gently, "I do not wish to pry, though." She studies the shirt, then smiles at Roy, "Perhaps a vest, or a shirt with a touch more color? You look quite elegant in strong, dark colors, after all." This is as pushy as Suraksha will get, in order to help the king look more impressive... unless he asks her advice.

Roy puts the shirt back and gets one that's a dark blue. After a moment of thought he gets a vest as well. "We just never did get along. Fought like blazes all the time." He drops the dressing gown and starts pulling on the pants, pausing to point out a scar low on his ribs, "That's from where he whacked me with a piece o' rebar once when we were kids. He's a goddamn lunatic."

Suraksha's eyes widen and she gives a short, startled laugh, "Surely not?! Oh my goodness! What a trial you both must have been to your mother!" She grins, pulling on the comfortable loose silken trousers, then starts braiding her hair, "Well, you will just have to find family of choice, of the heart, then, instead of family of blood, yes?" She adds cheerfully, "That is what I did, when I left home to go walkabout for a few years -- the caravan is my family of choice."

Roy chuckles and sits on the edge of his bed to pull on his boots, shirt and vest sitting to the side. "We had a talk about that whole target-on-my-back thing, I thought."

Suraksha smiles relaxedly at Roy, "And yet you choose to keep it. Perhaps you will meet someone else equally addicted to adrenaline, yes?"

Roy chuckles, "Hell, you knew that about me already."

She chuckles also, then considers a bit, "Now, regarding the guards, could you have me seated somewhere relatively near to you, please, while you interrogate them? If anyone asks, we can say I'm afraid to be too distant from you, and I want the protection." She smiles as she adds, "I'll keep Alg close too, and I would like a writing table or a lap table to write on as well, yes?"

Roy shrugs into the shirt and vest and stands up, "Let's get this started." With a few orders, he gets the arrangements made for the interrogations. It takes him a little thought to choose the bodyguards he wants actually standing by while he does the questioning. Eventually he chooses two he knows have no love for Moynahan. One is a scar-faced man with a complexion the color of strong coffee. The other would best be called wiry. He looks as if he's made out of rubber hoses strapped to a skeleton and wrapped in skin.

Suraksha asks Roy to be sure to appear dangerously angry; the more emphatic he is, the stronger the emotional reactions he's likely to get from the guilty. She also quietly and simply explains to Alg that she'd like him to stick close to her and be very alert, as Moynahan may have men in Roy's court. After that she's ready, looking cool and comfortable in light silks despite the smothering Louisiana heat. She's got her little leather-bound notebook in one hand, and the other is tucked into Roy's arm. She murmurs softly to Roy as they walk, "Tell me please: do those two have no love for Moynahan because he's put a price on their heads or something?" The unpleasant thought has occurred to her: a promise to forgive all debts if Roy is killed is just the sort of thing it sounds like Moynahan might try.

Roy smiles tightly, "Remember that whole slavery thing we talked about?" Suraksha nods, her expression a bit worried as she looks up into his face as they walk. She's playing the nervous lady sticking close, but she suspects from his reactions that Roy doesn't mind her doing so at all! Roy slides his arm around her shoulder as they walk. The two guards are behind them, "Jacko was one of 'em. Alan wa'n't a slave, but Moynahan's other goods caused his family a lotta grief."

Suraksha leans slightly against Roy, her swaying hip brushing lightly against his thigh as they walk. Her voice is still soft, "Oh... those poor people. I'm so sorry, Roy. All right, I won't worry about them." As she continues to appear worried and needy, she lets her gaze drift around the room they enter, analyzing thoughtfully what protections -- if any -- she and he will have.

Suraksha also studies the livery Roy's guards wear. It's partially armor, but not too heavy or all-encompassing, so the enervating heat of Louisiana doesn't do them in. The lithe woman hmms thoughtfully to herself... a guard who was also an addict would have the inner crook of his elbow covered by the livery... and where one family member has drug issues, there's often others. That would certainly explain the man's gauntness too. Still, she says nothing; he could be perfectly legit. She'll take a glance at the chakras of both men later, once she's seated and has a nice cool drink and some snacks next to her.

Roy uses the walk to the conference room he's going to use for the questioning to put on his mask. The smugness and the cockiness are part of his normal persona. Towering anger is not; the king usually prefers to be laconic. The rarity of it, however, just makes anger all the more disturbing when he displays it. By the time they come to the right room, he seems to be seething -- he slams the big double doors open hard enough for them to boom back against the walls.

Suraksha flinches slightly at the noise, stifling a startled squeak; to observers, timidity will help accentuate Roy's anger. She'll sit quickly and meekly in the chair he points her at, and quietly whisper to a nervous page for the cool drink and some fruit to be brought to her. She suspects the page appreciates the chance to escape the room! Alg lopes along with them and stays close by Suraksha. The guards mostly know him -- and those that do, know to stay the hell out of his way, especially after this morning's display.

Roy snarls, "Let's get this over with." He flings himself into the chair set aside for him and gestures at Jacko and Alan, "You two. You have any idea what that bullshit this morning was about?" Suraksha takes the opportunity of Roy's snarling at the guards to check the two he has with him, her gaze as quietly wide-eyed as someone awed by the depth of the king's anger.

Jacko glowers at the terse question, and Alan scowls. The two of them are respectively insulted and indignant. The gaunt man tells Roy at length just what the king can do with his livery, his job, and his questions if he's going to treat Alan like a traitor. Most of it is anatomically impossible, not to mention painful. Suraksha's eyes widen again, and she has to cover a grin at the imaginativeness of Alan's foul language!

Jacko is calmer about it, but does say he can't believe Roy would consider him capable of aiding Moynahan. His chakras are surprisingly lovely. The root and crown are both strong and the others are well-balanced. The heart, however, looks wrapped in dark threads of pain. Sulochana gets the feeling the scar-faced guard is far more than he appears at a glance. Alan is another story: his root chakra is flickering and his crown is almost inactive. His will chakra, however, is very strong and his throat is gleaming... most likely because of his current expressiveness. Neither of them seems to be prevaricating.

Roy has situated Suraksha so he can see her face as he questions the guards. The king's anger has put everyone in the room slightly off-balance, and their expressions range from nervous caution to worry to flat-eyed anger. The reaction of the first two has caused a ripple through the eight or ten others, amping up their emotions in a way that's going to be quite useful to Suraksha.

Suraksha is reassured by the chakras, although she blinks in some perplexity at Jacko's comment regarding Moynahan. His comment is a query too, not a statement. Could... could the poor man be being somehow blackmailed? That would explain his wounded heart, if a loved one is being held hostage. She scribbles a short note for Roy, tilting the notebook subtly so he can see it if he glances her way:

Does Jacko have family? Are they all safe?
She suddenly hopes Roy can actually read, too! She is a bit worried, though: who told Jacko that Moynahan was believed to be the likely cause of the attack?! As far as she knew, Roy had mentioned him only to her!

Roy glances over at her and nods a bit to both questions. He, however, has not missed the implication of Jacko's words either, "Who mentioned that piece of gator shit?" Jacko's nostrils flare and he snaps, "Who else would be so stupid and arrogant?" Suraksha has to cover a grin, again. She thinks she likes Jacko! She'll have to tell Roy he's a real keeper -- and if Roy doesn't take good care of him, she'll gladly hire him away! She smiles, letting her face show she has no concerns with these two.

Roy seems grudging as he says, "Guess you're right." To Alan he adds, "I know you hate him, man, but I though I could trust the other two as well. Sometimes you gotta ask uncomfortable questions of the wrong people." He motions for them to stand down and proceeds with the questioning of the others.

Suraksha looks with the Sight at the next batch of men, making sure she gives herself plenty of time. She doesn't want to wear herself out, so she's careful to stay hydrated and nibble the sweet fruit periodically. She also writes notes on those she scans before they come up before Roy -- she's checking for anyone who's really glowing anywhere. The reactions range from obsequious to indignant. One, however, is scared to death even though he's covering it up with attestations of his loyalty, and his dislike for Moynahan. The energy running along his chakras is uneven and weak, making his words seem to clash: this is an act. The guard is ruddy-skinned and dark-haired... and worried.

Suraksha glances sideways at Roy to get his attention, then looks at the worried man. Slowly she lets concern and disbelief wash across her face. After that she lets her scan of the crowd cover everyone; she knows it's not just guards who have a chance to get close to Roy. The king's eyes narrow and he leans forward, elbows on his knees. He looks very much like a man that could order someone killed without a second thought... which is exactly what he wants to look like for the moment, "Hold on just a second there, Jer. You keep sayin' how loyal you are to me, but somethin' just don' ring true there. Maybe it just smells like shit 'cause you're talkin' out yer ass, but I think me 'n you're gonna have a little longer talk." He nods to Jacko and the big, dark man moves to grab Jer.

Suraksha gives the faintest of nods in agreement, then turns her gaze to the rest of the room. Who is getting spooked at potential traitors being caught? The other, non-guard people in the room are doing their very best to stay as far away from Roy as possible. He is not pleasant when he's angry and they don't want to accidentally catch the edge of it. There's no one looking spooked by Jer getting caught, but one man that hasn't been questioned yet looks relieved. Shoulders that had been tight relax and eyes that had been a little too wide blink and open back up to a more normal expression. Suraksha huhs internally -- why would someone be suddenly relieved at a traitor getting caught? She frowns thoughtfully, considering... could it be he knew, but felt he couldn't 'out' his fellow guard? But... why would he feel that way unless... hm... unless someone had something held over him? She frowns down at her notebook, scribbling notes for later.

Jacko moves toward Jer and the nervous man takes a half-step back, still protesting that he's loyal to Roy. His hand moves toward his belt and the knife sheathed there, belying his babblings. Suraksha leans and whispers to Alg, "Can you sneak up behind that man real fast and swipe his knife?" The goblin grins at Suraksha with too many teeth and slithers over behind Jer. He manages not only to get the knife, but to be in just the right position for the man to trip over the goblin and go sprawling on his ass. Suraksha laughs, clapping her hands in delight, "Oh, well done, Alg!" She smiles prettily at Roy, "May Alg keep the knife?" She abruptly remembers not everyone can see what she sees, and adds, "Er, if your man turns out to be a traitor?"

Roy is smirking in amusement at the sprawled guard, "Sure. If Jer here turns out to be a turncoat, Alg might get more than that from him." The words are cool and they send a chill down several spines. The man that seemed relieved before tenses up again, looking nervously at the grinning goblin. Jer is disarmed completely and Jacko ropes his hands together in the small of his back. Jer is scowling at the floor, face hectic with angry, embarrassed color. Suraksha knows this wide, toothy grin is Alg's happy face; to everyone else it looks positively demonic. Suraksha pats Alg's shoulder, very pleased at how well things are going so far. She hms thoughtfully, though, at the once-more worried man. He's perplexing her, and she lets her gaze sweep over him several times as she studies the room.

The next group of men is easy to read, and none of them are particularly remarkable in any way. It's the last group, consisting of three men, that has the one whose emotions are such a roller coaster. Suraksha is faintly relieved at how few are traitors; over the years she's come to genuinely like the brash, cocky -- but also occasionally very considerate and thoughtful -- King of Baton Rouge. She wants to see Roy and his city do well. She quietly hopes Roy finds family some time soon, in fact. She'd like to see him surrounded by trusted loved ones some day.

The man who can't seem to keep his emotions under control also can't quite seem to get his tone right when Roy questions him. His eyes, a sort of muddy greenish brown, keep slipping off the king's face to look at the floor, the ceiling; anywhere but into Roy's eyes. He answers the questions quickly and decisively -- just a little too quickly, actually. When it comes down to the flat question: "Did you have anything to do with the attack this morning?" he says "No!" and Suraksha sees the flare of energy she has come to recognize as a lie.

Suraksha sighs and shakes her head slightly, her face falling a bit. It would seem the man was a facilitator or something... well, more questioning will clear up her confusion. She looks down at her notebook, scribbling a few more notes. She keeps half an eye out, though, for sudden swift movement from the man. He strikes her as the type who plans ahead.

Roy catches the shaking of Suraksha's head and says, "Alan, can you relieve Jake here of his weapons? I think he needs to go think things over with Jer." The gaunt man nods and starts to step forward. Jake, seeing he's not about to get away with whatever it was he thought he was getting away with, flicks his hand down toward his belt.

Suraksha already has her hand resting on Alg's shoulder, and she simply murmurs, "Alg? Get his weapon fast?" She picks up her sweating glass of iced drink, slightly worried.

Alg nods and darts toward the man. Jake, however, already has something in his hand -- he swings it toward the goblin. There's a sense of desperation as he aims, but the goblin is too unpredictable. The jolt of electricity meant to hit him skitters across the marble floor toward Suraksha's feet. Alan and two of the other guards hit Jake almost simultaneously, taking him to the floor under several hundred pounds of armored bodyguard. Suraksha already has her arm canting back to fling the drink in the man's face, ready to defend her friend. She drops the glass with a startled yelp and darts sideways, though, when something comes hissing and skittering towards her.

Suraksha's anticipation of something bad happening, and her more-than-human reflexes, save her from a nasty shock: she gets herself out of the way just in time for the bolt to ground itself on the metal legs of the chair she has just vacated. She gasps, "What the hell was that?!" and puts an arm about Alg as he shoots back to her side, leaning hard against her as if to reassure himself she's still there and fine.

Roy's voice is angry for real now, "Tap weapon." There's an unpleasant sound of breaking bone as Jake is relieved of the nasty little thing, as well as his other weapons.

Suraksha just stands there staring at the scorched, slightly mangled chair for a few deep breaths, one hand resting on her heart as she waits for her heartbeat to calm. Finally her golden eyes rise to Roy, and she almost squeaks, "Too close!" She takes a few more deep breaths, clenching her fists once or twice to be sure her hands aren't shaking, then gives Roy a slightly tremulous smile, "Sorry about that."

Roy's voice has gone quiet and cool; this is the real face of his anger, "I agree." He rises from his chair and walks over to where Alan and another guard are holding the struggling Jake. He stops toe-to-toe with the traitorous guard and says with absolute sincerity, "You are going to regret that."

Suraksha takes another deep breath, then turns to a page and shakily murmurs, "Could I trouble you for another chair, please?"

Jake's eyes widen, pupils dilating slightly, and Roy smiles flatly. "Put 'em in cells -- separate cells. Make sure they ain't got any more little surprises on 'em." He steps back from the erstwhile guard and snaps, "Get the lady another chair and a new glass of tea. Now!" Every page in the room goes scurrying. The bodyguards exit as well, leaving Jacko and Alan behind -- and even those two slip out discreetly to stand outside the door. Only when they've left does Roy turn to Suraksha, face thunderous, "Did he get you with that?" He takes her by the shoulders and looks her over carefully for burns or scorch-marks.

Suraksha takes a breath and smiles a bit more assuredly at Roy, shaking her head, "No, no; I'm fine. Really." She adds softly to Alg, who has dropped back a bit behind her, "Thank you, Alg, dear -- I'm sorry he shot at you." Her small hands rest lightly on Roy's arms, and her voice is back to normal as she adds gently, "Truly, dear, I'm unharmed -- just shaken up a bit." She tilts her head thoughtfully, then grins a bit, "Um... but could I take a look at the Tap weapon? I've heard of them, but never actually seen one?" She is quietly interested in Roy's reaction, now she has breath to wonder. She'd guess from his words and behavior that he's not in love with her. That's all right, though; it was never her goal to do that to him.

Roy scowls and looks at her skeptically for a moment, "Yer sure?" He lets her go and picks the weapon up from where it got knocked to the floor. "They're pretty damn expensive. I know that shit-heel didn't buy it himself." The weapon looks like a cross between a pistol and a wand. Iron rods, copper wire, and quartz crystals are the main component. The pistol-grip handle has two small, sharp spikes on it, positioned so they will bite into the skin of the wielder.

Suraksha grins at Roy, her eyes dancing. She's a little punchy and adrenaline-high still, as she murmurs, "Am I sure? What, you want to check every inch of me personally?" She giggles as she moves over to stand next to Roy and look interestedly down at the weapon. She touches it cautiously with a fingertip, hmm'ing softly to herself. "You have to harm yourself to wield it, then?"

Roy smirks and says, "If yer offerin'..." He nods and shows her the blood on the spikes, "Somebody that ain't a natural Tap, they gotta connect with the weapon somehow. Blood's a good conductor fer ley-energy. Hold it, squeeze it till ya bleed... wham. Instant lightning."

Suraksha wrinkles her nose cutely and grins, "Eww." Her sideways glance up at Roy is amused, and she murmurs softly, "That's the most diffident 'yes' I've gotten in a long time!" She laughs and adds, "So, did I deliver the goods for you as promised here?"

Roy lays an arm across her shoulders in a gesture that seems casual... except for the fact that his hand is gripping her bicep awfully tightly. "It's a good one, too. Somethin' like this'll cost ya a pretty penny. Several ounces of gold if you're goin' in for hard cash."

Suraksha leans a bit tiredly against Roy and murmurs, "Guess you win then, hmm?" She stifles a yawn, then gently pats Roy's hand on her arm and murmurs, "Ow, sweetie. Easy, please?" She doesn't even realize what happens next: she shifts slightly to look around her -- and her eyes abruptly roll up in her head as she gracefully collapses in an exhausted faint.

Roy opens his mouth to say something -- and finds himself having to step lively to keep her from cracking her head open on the marble floor. "Shit," he mutters and crouches, scooping the diminutive woman up in both arms. He has to bounce her just a little to get her shifted to a balanced position, and then he looks down at Alg with a brow raised, "I know she ain't this fragile usually." He snorts, "Back to bed it is, then." Alg snarls worriedly at Roy, bounding anxiously after him and snapping at anyone that gets near. The king strides over to the door and shoulders it open, heading back for his apartments. Jacko and Alan blink after him as he gives orders for water, brandy, and his private surgeon to be sent to his apartments.

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Last modified: 2010-Aug-28 20:29:49

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