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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 18:02:39 GMT -5
Jasper had to clench his fists not to retaliate when Diaspro smacked Camilla. Usually, he let Diaspro be herself. Maybe she got a little overzealous about some things, but she was just passionate about her cause. Rarely did he talk at all, let alone voice an objection. Between his tactiturn nature and James' devotion, Diaspro rarely met with opposition. This was different. He liked Camilla, despite the odds.
He stepped calmly between Diaspro and Camilla, drawing himself up to his full 6'7", crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Knock it off," he growled. "That was entirely unnecessary." He turned slightly, glaring at Camilla over his shoulder. "Would it have killed you to listen to me?" he muttered.
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 18:10:47 GMT -5
"You? Accomplice to psycho over here? Probably."
It was that comment that saved Jasper from getting smacked himself. If Camilla thought Jasper was her accomplice, then at the very least they weren't planning a double cross. And since now she knew Jasper was still on her side, she nodded, pandering to him just a little.
"You're right. But clearly you see we can't let her go if she's going to report us. I won't hurt her again if you make sure she doesn't leave. I know where she works now." She reminded Jasper with a small smile. "She leaves and I'll know where to find her."
James had tried to slink away but Diaspro clumsily snapped her fingers. "Put her downstairs." Since the basement had the only door that locked from the outside.
Camilla, who did not want to go rot away in a basement, yanked her arm free of James' rather pathetic hold. Although her stupid pride wouldn't allow her to grovel, she couldn't help but look a little panicked.
"People will noticed I'm missing." She warned instead. "Name two."
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 18:15:01 GMT -5
Jasper hesitated, almost wishing she would name two, and save herself the trouble. He shifted himself in front of the door, blocking her exit. See, Diaspro? Still on your side.
Of course, if Diaspro continued to insist, and Camilla continued to resist, he'd have to take her downstairs. She'd tear poor James to pieces.
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 18:23:36 GMT -5
James grabbed Camilla's arm again and pulled, but she broke free again. Her cheek, she could feel, was already beginning to swell. She must look like a chipmunk. Or, one half of a chipmunk. Diaspro rolled her eyes and since Jasper was now out of the way, grabbed Camilla by herself. There was no breaking free of that stone grip.
"Do I have to do everything?" She muttered and dragged the woman effortlessly to the door. Camilla had put up a fight, tugging, yanking and scrabbling at Diaspro's hand. But it seemed like the statue had barely noticed, and all she got was a broken nail.
Diaspro nearly flung Camilla down the stairs, but the fairy Godmother caught herself and just ended up stumbling down them really fast and slightly out of control. By the time she turned around and started to climb them again, Diaspro had slammed the door and latched it locked.
From the other side, Camilla's pounding could be heard. Diaspro and James stood and listened for a while until a sob came.
"Bring her something to eat later, okay James? I'm going to take a nap." Pulling herself around all day was actually not an easy task, and it wasn't rare that Diaspro took four to five naps on a day when they weren't doing anything important (most days).
She lumbered down a hallway into her bedroom and the sound of a slammed door (Diaspro couldn't not slam a door) echoed back to them. James sighed and looked at Jasper. "I'm sorry, okay? But you know what she's like. She would've killed me. I'm sorry."
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 18:29:29 GMT -5
"It's alright," Jasper said, sending a forlorn look at the door Camilla was banging on. "Camilla would have turned us in anyway, and then we'd all be sent to Rissa."
Of course, all of it could have been avoided if Diaspro hadn't overreacted, but it was too late now. Camilla was a woman angered, and she'd kill them both just as easily as Diaspro would.
"And don't worry about it. I'll make sure she's fed."
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 18:38:07 GMT -5
She was sitting at the top the stairs, legs spread across the step. For a few hours she'd been ready to spring up and barrel past whoever next opened the door, but now she'd dozed off. Tears had given her raccoon eyes, and her nails where chipped and knuckles bruised from abusing the door.
James had taken up Jasper on his offer to feed the Godmother instead. He'd been slightly terrified he'd mess even that up somehow and had gone off to tinker with things in his lab/bedroom. Diaspro had awoken from her nap but had withdrawn into her study like she did every evening to look over 'strategy.'
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 18:48:02 GMT -5
Grilled chicken and rice stir-fry made up Camilla's maybe-last-meal. Jasper had gotten pretty handy with a frying pan since he did all the cooking around here, and it took his mind off things, so he'd spent a little longer than usual preparing it.
He opened the door without warning. She was going to plow through him? Right. He was surprised to find her asleep on the top step. He stepped over her and shut the door behind him (he had a key in his pocket). Balancing the plate, he nudged her gently with his foot.
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 18:51:58 GMT -5
Camilla jumped awake and looked at the door, which was already closed. She sighed and her glare swung over to Jasper, who was by far not her favorite person at the moment, possibly second only to Diaspro.
She looked up at him, then the plate in his hands. She was starved. "That for me?" She muttered, trying not to sound hopeful and feeling quite pathetic.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 18:55:03 GMT -5
He winced. Wow. If looks could kill, he'd be halfway to the coroner.
"Yeah," he said and bent, placing the plate, and the glass of ice water, at her side. He waited a beat and then sauntered down to the basement, where he knew there would be chairs. "Tell me if you need anything else."
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 19:00:35 GMT -5
Camilla glared at him, but left him to his own devices as she ate her dinner. When she was done, it didn't take her long to start hacking at the lock with her knife, but then was possessed by a better idea. She went down the stairs to where Jasper was sitting, and held the sharp thing to his neck.
"You must have a key." She said calmly, even though her hand was shaking. It wasn't in her to be this cruel. She'd never killed anyone, never actually hurt someone that badly. It was in her nature to help, not maim.
"Please?"
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 19:05:03 GMT -5
He glanced down at the knife, then up to her face, perfectly cool. "Isn't it against the rules to kill your own ward?" he asked.
In a movement far too fast for the average eye to see, the cool barrel of his pistol pressed to her stomach. He cocked it slowly with his thumb, met her eyes, and said, "No."
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 19:10:07 GMT -5
Camilla gasped and dropped the knife. She didn't want to be shot. She couldn't believe it though. Usually she was good at reading people, and she had not been expecting Jasper to turn out to be this cold.
"Your right. But my wards don't usually kidnap me and lock me in a basement." Her eyes trailed down to the gun pressed at her stomach. "Or point guns at me. Especially after I've saved their lives."
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 19:16:23 GMT -5
"I wasn't going to shoot you," he said, flipping the gun easily into its holster, "Anymore than you were going to slit my throat." His eyes flicked to the dinner knife she'd dropped on the ground.
"And I'm sorry, but it's not like I have a choice. You're the one that got yourself into this mess."
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Post by Jules on Aug 17, 2008 19:24:12 GMT -5
"Whatever helps you sleep at night." She muttered and took a chair across from him, resting her head on her crossed arms. This was such a mess. At first she'd thought Jasper would be an ally in all this, but he was being a damned good jail keeper instead.
"What is all this, Jasper? Why do you hate Nightmares so much that you hang out with her?" She wasn't looking at him, her head was facing the wall. Camilla was desperately angry and looking at him wasn't going to help her keep her cool and keep that gun away from her, even if he said he hadn't been about to shoot her.
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Post by Miss Jack on Aug 17, 2008 19:29:43 GMT -5
He snorted. "Survival instinct. I keep you locked up, I stay free. I let you go, I get locked up."
He watched her and felt a twinge of guilt. He sighed. "I already told you. I don't hate Nightmares, I hate cohabitating with Nightmares."
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