Brittany (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
breezeshadow) wrote2011-06-06 06:29 pm
breezeshadow) wrote2011-06-06 06:29 pm
Abandoned Gardens Snippets
Title: Abandoned Gardens
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: The Gang
Status: In the making
Rating: PG-13, just in case
Summary: These are snippets from the novel, individual scenes sorted into individual cuts. They are what I consider exemplary of the novel and its style.
---
Calling for a telepath without telepathy itself tended to be a puzzle in itself; "shouting" thoughts didn't come naturally for her, and she often had to spend a few moments warming up before she could get to the right volume, in an abstract sense. Sometimes she wished that she could easily slip into another person's mind and share their thoughts and her own; then she realized she would go insane, and banished the wish.
Besides, her housemate was a vampire.
Nur.
She estimated it was about a minute before something pushed its way into her mind, settling around it like a childhood blanket. Blankets tended not to grin and snicker in her head, however.
Calling for me already? I swore you said you'd last at least two days without my assistance. The feminine voice purred with pride and gloating; Rose May groaned.
I wasn't expecting this. And then the tricky part; forming what she saw in her mind, repeating it. Most telepaths figured it out, though, and she felt a prick in her eyes before a whistle passed through her mind.
I didn't know you worked in a cave. And what the hell is that on the desk?
A granite spider. It's harmless. To humans, at least.
That thing could eat a sparrow! I want one! Rose May swore she saw a look of complete confusion on the spider's face before it and its impressive den vanished without a trace. I think I'll keep it in my work closet. Just for the annoying customers.
Rose May chuckled. How kind of you. I need the Invisible Cleaners.
You're right, you do. Let me see who is available from there. The presence grew weak, and Rose May felt she could shove it back out if she chose. She preferred to not be so rude, though, even to her housemate. She learned quickly that "getting back" at a vampire only made them that much more annoying.
The blanket vanished and was replaced with something gritty and smooth-talking. Invisible Cleaners in Rezten, how may I help you? A prick in her eyes, then a deep laugh. Oh, that's how. What needs to be done here?
All of it, if you can. I have asthma and it's already acted up twice today.
Got it. Any particular place you want to send it? It's slow today and we're trying to find ways to amuse ourselves. And the natural way vampires did that was with pranks; she smiled.
Willing to send it the government Palace in Rezten?
A uncertain pause, followed by a loud laugh that made her head ring. Best offer I've gotten yet today. I'll send it to the Foreign Administration as a thank you note.
Great. How much?
Well, you know Nur and have medical liability, so I'm thinking one half-gold.
Rose May stood still, blinking at the room; then she withdrew six silver from her change purse and held them up. They vanished without a trace, and shortly thereafter, so did every inch of grime, dust, and trash in the room. She discovered that there were three windows in the room, all dirty on the outside, and a few lone paintings on the wall that looked older than the building. An old grey couch rested at the back end of the room, with a fraying carpet in front of it. A small chest of cabinets, previously hidden behind the broken desk, rested next to one window.
It had been a lot of dirt, and for far too small a price; yet the telepath refused any tip and bid her farewell. Rubbing her forehead, Rose May glanced around the room; she still needed a desk and table, and perhaps a few pieces of furniture to hide the old wooden floor. Checking her pocket watch, Rose May left the room, closing and locking the door behind her, and walked toward the staircase.
The world heaved, and with a toss of her stomach and a lost breath she found herself outside, a horse and buggy cantering by a few feet in front of her. Shaking her head, Rose May thought, as loudly as she could, a very stern and unhappy complaint about post-teleportation nausea and how useful a little warning could be.
Far in the back of her head, someone snickered, and then disappeared.
~~~
Rose May tended not to count her blessings, but she thought that the new window deserved the attention; however, she couldn't decide whether it counted as one blessing or about twenty. All of the boards and cracks were gone, replaced with a window pane that even had a latch; Rose May immediately tested it, and breathed in the fresh air the wind pulled in. Upon returning to her desk, she discovered her plank of wood was gone and replaced with an actual clipboard; a piece of paper on it stated "This will probably work better. - Duff".
With a smile, Rose May jotted "Probably" onto the note and tucked it underneath a spare piece of charcoal on her desk. She then shrugged off her jacket and pulled her notes about Hafstra out of her desk drawer. At first glance only a few words were clear; then, however, she felt herself slowly going into the paper, and almost all of the phrases and scribbles made sense, flowing through and whispering in her mind.
We're not making sense. And that little translator isn't going to help you.
Frowning, Rose May brushed her hair out of her eyes; she then pulled a few pieces out at a sharp knock. Grumbling, she dropped the strands on the ground and opened the door.
Hafstra towered over the young woman beside him; she had a young face with large green eyes, beneath which lied dark circles. She had a dark brown complexion, dark wiry hair haphazardly in a bun, and did not smile when she curtsied to Rose May.
"Rheanna Jahia. I will translate for Hafstra." The woman had a faint Eramen accent.
"A pleasure to meet you. Did Mr. Acheson give you the proper forms?" At the woman's nod, Rose May backed up to let them enter. Hafstra spoke to Rhenna and motioned to the chair, but she shook her head; with a shrug at Rose May, the demi sat down, leaving Rheanna stiff-legged at his side.
"So... I believe that I may have misled you, and I apologize." The woman's translations were precise and polite; Rose May sensed that Hafstra was not being so eloquent. She said nothing, however, instead smiling at the demi. "It was more than an argument. It was... Are you aware of Mr. Tadhg Algren?"
Rose May stiffened, snapping her charcoal. Hastra chuckled, though it sounded forced.
"Yes... I fought with him."
"I heard that he had not been released yet... Not for a few weeks." Rose May lifted an eyebrow at the demi.
"That is due to different circumstances. Mr. Algren initiated the protest, and planned it. I was interrupting the process. Between that and better behavior, I was let out sooner." Hafstra smiled weakly, brushing at his hair. Rose May blinked; she could have sworn that Hafstra's feathers were much darker the day before.
"I'm sorry, but... Your hair. It's changing colour?" As the demi's eyes widened at her question, she realized at they were newly flecked with silver.
Immediately the Demi started stuttering, picking feathers out of his head until he had a tiny, neat pile on his leg. Rose May opened her mouth to speak, reaching out a hand, but then Rheanna held a hand up.
"Yes... That is part of my bird species. It... Ah..." Rheanna slowly turned red. "It happens during breeding season for the birds. So when I am near an... Uh... Attractive woman, my feathers and eyes turn silver."
Rose May glanced between the two, before hiding a smile and a smothered snicker behind her papers. After all, Hafstra's feathers and eyes had not changed colours when she was the only one in the room. She quickly regained composure, however, as Hafstra continued to pluck out feathers and Rheanna fridgeted, staring at her feet.
~~~
She stepped onto the train platform and straight into her memories. She could not hear the whine of the factory machines or the shouts of the merchants in Antelon; just the creaking of windmills turning and the occasional low of cattle. She could smell the manure and hay already, and sighed as she swung her bag over her shoulder. One or two ostrich-drawn carriages stood at the edge of the platform; she approached one, stated her location, and with a gruff nod the driver held open the carriage door and let her settle inside before he set off down the packed dirt road.
The farm they came upon was quite large, and Rose May immediately noticed the four horses grazing out in the pasture. A group of massive-horned cattle close to the fence watched her approach, and after Rose May had tipped the the driver and bid him farewell, she took out a salt block and held it out to the animals. They were still eagerly licking it when the door to the house opened.
"You go for the cattle first. You must be a good person." The woman smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling. Her greying hair was tied up in a tight bun, with no strands falling in front of her brown eyes. The apron around her waist was filthy, but the tunic and breaches underneath it looked spotless and fresh. "Can I help you?"
"Yes. Is Jacob Haeden available?" Rose May tossed the salt block over the fence and turned to face the woman.
"He is. You must be Rose May Pursa. Duff is fast as usual I see. Please come in." The woman motioned for Rose May to follow, and together they entered the house.
The first room was airy and bright, with many large windows and a fireplace crackling in the center of the leftmost wall. A smaller area opened up to the kitchen, where a large pot sat on the stove. A massive rug rested in front of the fireplace, and in front of that was a large wooden dining room table; in one of the chairs sat a man in his thirties, smiling and rising from his spot as Rose May approached. He was tall but perhaps a bit too thin, and his grip when Rose May shook his hand was not as strong as she felt it should be.
"Rose May Pursa? Great. I'm Jacob Haeden. Duff warned me that you would be coming."
"He didn't so much as warn me; I found out I would be arriving here just an hour ago." Rose May smiled, shedding her coat; the woman quietly took it and hung it on a coatrack near the front door.
"Well then I apologize on his behalf. Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?" Already Jacob was taking out two mugs.
"Tea is fine, thank you. What did Duff tell you?" Rose May hovered near table.
"Please, sit down." Jacob gestured at the chairs; as Rose May sat down, he searched the cabinets. "Just that he had a possible illegal immigrant who needed representation in court. Well, eventual representation. I figured that meant that the law hadn't found your fellow, yet." Jacob brought over two steaming mugs and set the tea in front of Rose May; he sat across from her with the coffee. "I guessed I'd learn more eventually."
"I think that's what I'm here for. I know Duff wants us to have a more... Official meeting eventually but here I am supposed to 'introduce myself'. I guess that means I should get going then." Rose May smiled and sipped at her tea.
Jacob chuckled. "That's right, I know your name, so get out now. But before you go, I have a few questions about your client. Why is he here?"
~~~
The man came out almost out of thin air, it seemed; one second Nur was okay, the next screaming, a high-pitched noise that left Rose May's ears buzzing. The vampire whirled around, forcefully pulling her tail out of the man's clumsy grasp; then, in an instant, the laughing drunk was sent flying across the room, plowing into a table of people before crashing into the wall, making the whole building shudder. Beer spilled onto the floor and the group of people rose, shouting, a few charging at the stunned man on the floor while the others rushed toward Rose May and Nur. Another man came from Nur's right, bellowing something about how she had overreacted to a joke; his punch went wild, sending him falling to the ground from his own momentum.
Someone grabbed Rose May and pushed her forcefully out of the way; she fell on her hands and knees, quickly crawling out of the way of people who staggered and tripped over or around her. The therapist heard an angry bark, followed by a series of chutters; then a group of people soared over her head and fell in a heap around the bar. Rose May fell onto the ground, covering her head and clenching her eyes shut to the sounds of heavy falling and shattering glass.
Then she was hauled forcefully to her feet; instinctively she pulled back and whirled around, readying a fist. However, the person she was faced with was a guard, who glared at her sternly before pushing her aside and wading into the fray. Rose May skuttled backward, looking around for anyone charging at her, and then was knocked onto the floor again; when she dared look up, a mob of guards had rushed into the bar and were dragging people away from each other. Wincing, the therapist dragged herself up against a chair, sucking at blood leaking from her palm.
"All right, everyone settle down!" The guard repeated himself a few times before finally giving up; one by one, the participants in the fight were hauled out of the bar. Rose May looked at the remnants of the unexpected arena; broken glass littered the floor, and one chair was missing a leg while another appeared to be missing entirely. A man lay unconscious near one of the tables, and the bartender was no where to be found.
"What the fuck was that?" Rose May looked up to see a young man surveying the damage; he offered Rose May a hand, which she gratefully took. "Did you see it?"
"My, uh, friend. Someone pulled her tail. She didn't react well." Rose May looked down and swore softly at the tears in the knees of her pants, blood staining the edges.
"You know what, can't say I blame her. Supposedly pulling the tail of a cat hurts like a bitch. Can't imagine it's any different for vampires." The man shrugged. "Well, if you're okay, I'm going to go back to my drink and wait for the bartender to return. You may want to go rescue your friend."
Rose May blinked, then nodded and walked out of the bar; outside, she found the missing chair, along with a group of guards interviewing the individual participants. Finally, she noticed Nur, huddled against the wall while she bared her fangs at a guard, who kept a farther distance than Rose May imagined was preferred for interrogations.
"I'm just saying that I don't see how you didn't expect this to escalate. You can't just throw idiots across a bar. Not without the police showing up." The guard held up his hands as Nur bristled. "Look, I'm not going to arrest you. Just give you a warning and have you help pay for damages to the bar. As long as I have proof you acted on impulse and in self-defense."
"I can vouch for that." Rose May walked over, suppressing a wince at the pain in her knees. "I was next to her when the man came over and yanked on her tail. After she threw him aside, the fight started."
"I concur." Rose May jumped at the voice; she and Nur both turned to stare as Mahli walked up to them. He was spotless, and Rose May wondered how he could know what had occurred in the bar fight, since he didn't appear to have been anywhere near the place. "The vampire was reacting on instinct. Predators will often drag a vampire by its tail; she was not trying to initiate a brawl but instead defend herself. Unfortunately, she threw the guy into a group whose first response was to fight back."
"I see." The guard narrowed his eyes, then frowned at Nur, who had withdrawn her fangs and, ears back, focused on Mahli. "I think it would be best if everyone was just taken to the station so the stories can all be sorted out. If you, Mr. Bachman, would like to go there as well..."
"Of course." Mahli glanced over at Rose May and smiled; her skin crawled. "Rose, will you come as well?"
'I, ah, if wanted." At the guard's nod, Rose May shrugged. "Then sure."
"Then you will want this." Out of mid-air, Rose May's bag appeared next to Mahli; Rose May's eyes widened as she snatched it back. Mahli simply smirked. "Shall we all go?"
Yep. I write a strange novel.
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: The Gang
Status: In the making
Rating: PG-13, just in case
Summary: These are snippets from the novel, individual scenes sorted into individual cuts. They are what I consider exemplary of the novel and its style.
---
Calling for a telepath without telepathy itself tended to be a puzzle in itself; "shouting" thoughts didn't come naturally for her, and she often had to spend a few moments warming up before she could get to the right volume, in an abstract sense. Sometimes she wished that she could easily slip into another person's mind and share their thoughts and her own; then she realized she would go insane, and banished the wish.
Besides, her housemate was a vampire.
Nur.
She estimated it was about a minute before something pushed its way into her mind, settling around it like a childhood blanket. Blankets tended not to grin and snicker in her head, however.
Calling for me already? I swore you said you'd last at least two days without my assistance. The feminine voice purred with pride and gloating; Rose May groaned.
I wasn't expecting this. And then the tricky part; forming what she saw in her mind, repeating it. Most telepaths figured it out, though, and she felt a prick in her eyes before a whistle passed through her mind.
I didn't know you worked in a cave. And what the hell is that on the desk?
A granite spider. It's harmless. To humans, at least.
That thing could eat a sparrow! I want one! Rose May swore she saw a look of complete confusion on the spider's face before it and its impressive den vanished without a trace. I think I'll keep it in my work closet. Just for the annoying customers.
Rose May chuckled. How kind of you. I need the Invisible Cleaners.
You're right, you do. Let me see who is available from there. The presence grew weak, and Rose May felt she could shove it back out if she chose. She preferred to not be so rude, though, even to her housemate. She learned quickly that "getting back" at a vampire only made them that much more annoying.
The blanket vanished and was replaced with something gritty and smooth-talking. Invisible Cleaners in Rezten, how may I help you? A prick in her eyes, then a deep laugh. Oh, that's how. What needs to be done here?
All of it, if you can. I have asthma and it's already acted up twice today.
Got it. Any particular place you want to send it? It's slow today and we're trying to find ways to amuse ourselves. And the natural way vampires did that was with pranks; she smiled.
Willing to send it the government Palace in Rezten?
A uncertain pause, followed by a loud laugh that made her head ring. Best offer I've gotten yet today. I'll send it to the Foreign Administration as a thank you note.
Great. How much?
Well, you know Nur and have medical liability, so I'm thinking one half-gold.
Rose May stood still, blinking at the room; then she withdrew six silver from her change purse and held them up. They vanished without a trace, and shortly thereafter, so did every inch of grime, dust, and trash in the room. She discovered that there were three windows in the room, all dirty on the outside, and a few lone paintings on the wall that looked older than the building. An old grey couch rested at the back end of the room, with a fraying carpet in front of it. A small chest of cabinets, previously hidden behind the broken desk, rested next to one window.
It had been a lot of dirt, and for far too small a price; yet the telepath refused any tip and bid her farewell. Rubbing her forehead, Rose May glanced around the room; she still needed a desk and table, and perhaps a few pieces of furniture to hide the old wooden floor. Checking her pocket watch, Rose May left the room, closing and locking the door behind her, and walked toward the staircase.
The world heaved, and with a toss of her stomach and a lost breath she found herself outside, a horse and buggy cantering by a few feet in front of her. Shaking her head, Rose May thought, as loudly as she could, a very stern and unhappy complaint about post-teleportation nausea and how useful a little warning could be.
Far in the back of her head, someone snickered, and then disappeared.
~~~
Rose May tended not to count her blessings, but she thought that the new window deserved the attention; however, she couldn't decide whether it counted as one blessing or about twenty. All of the boards and cracks were gone, replaced with a window pane that even had a latch; Rose May immediately tested it, and breathed in the fresh air the wind pulled in. Upon returning to her desk, she discovered her plank of wood was gone and replaced with an actual clipboard; a piece of paper on it stated "This will probably work better. - Duff".
With a smile, Rose May jotted "Probably" onto the note and tucked it underneath a spare piece of charcoal on her desk. She then shrugged off her jacket and pulled her notes about Hafstra out of her desk drawer. At first glance only a few words were clear; then, however, she felt herself slowly going into the paper, and almost all of the phrases and scribbles made sense, flowing through and whispering in her mind.
We're not making sense. And that little translator isn't going to help you.
Frowning, Rose May brushed her hair out of her eyes; she then pulled a few pieces out at a sharp knock. Grumbling, she dropped the strands on the ground and opened the door.
Hafstra towered over the young woman beside him; she had a young face with large green eyes, beneath which lied dark circles. She had a dark brown complexion, dark wiry hair haphazardly in a bun, and did not smile when she curtsied to Rose May.
"Rheanna Jahia. I will translate for Hafstra." The woman had a faint Eramen accent.
"A pleasure to meet you. Did Mr. Acheson give you the proper forms?" At the woman's nod, Rose May backed up to let them enter. Hafstra spoke to Rhenna and motioned to the chair, but she shook her head; with a shrug at Rose May, the demi sat down, leaving Rheanna stiff-legged at his side.
"So... I believe that I may have misled you, and I apologize." The woman's translations were precise and polite; Rose May sensed that Hafstra was not being so eloquent. She said nothing, however, instead smiling at the demi. "It was more than an argument. It was... Are you aware of Mr. Tadhg Algren?"
Rose May stiffened, snapping her charcoal. Hastra chuckled, though it sounded forced.
"Yes... I fought with him."
"I heard that he had not been released yet... Not for a few weeks." Rose May lifted an eyebrow at the demi.
"That is due to different circumstances. Mr. Algren initiated the protest, and planned it. I was interrupting the process. Between that and better behavior, I was let out sooner." Hafstra smiled weakly, brushing at his hair. Rose May blinked; she could have sworn that Hafstra's feathers were much darker the day before.
"I'm sorry, but... Your hair. It's changing colour?" As the demi's eyes widened at her question, she realized at they were newly flecked with silver.
Immediately the Demi started stuttering, picking feathers out of his head until he had a tiny, neat pile on his leg. Rose May opened her mouth to speak, reaching out a hand, but then Rheanna held a hand up.
"Yes... That is part of my bird species. It... Ah..." Rheanna slowly turned red. "It happens during breeding season for the birds. So when I am near an... Uh... Attractive woman, my feathers and eyes turn silver."
Rose May glanced between the two, before hiding a smile and a smothered snicker behind her papers. After all, Hafstra's feathers and eyes had not changed colours when she was the only one in the room. She quickly regained composure, however, as Hafstra continued to pluck out feathers and Rheanna fridgeted, staring at her feet.
~~~
She stepped onto the train platform and straight into her memories. She could not hear the whine of the factory machines or the shouts of the merchants in Antelon; just the creaking of windmills turning and the occasional low of cattle. She could smell the manure and hay already, and sighed as she swung her bag over her shoulder. One or two ostrich-drawn carriages stood at the edge of the platform; she approached one, stated her location, and with a gruff nod the driver held open the carriage door and let her settle inside before he set off down the packed dirt road.
The farm they came upon was quite large, and Rose May immediately noticed the four horses grazing out in the pasture. A group of massive-horned cattle close to the fence watched her approach, and after Rose May had tipped the the driver and bid him farewell, she took out a salt block and held it out to the animals. They were still eagerly licking it when the door to the house opened.
"You go for the cattle first. You must be a good person." The woman smiled, the wrinkles around her eyes crinkling. Her greying hair was tied up in a tight bun, with no strands falling in front of her brown eyes. The apron around her waist was filthy, but the tunic and breaches underneath it looked spotless and fresh. "Can I help you?"
"Yes. Is Jacob Haeden available?" Rose May tossed the salt block over the fence and turned to face the woman.
"He is. You must be Rose May Pursa. Duff is fast as usual I see. Please come in." The woman motioned for Rose May to follow, and together they entered the house.
The first room was airy and bright, with many large windows and a fireplace crackling in the center of the leftmost wall. A smaller area opened up to the kitchen, where a large pot sat on the stove. A massive rug rested in front of the fireplace, and in front of that was a large wooden dining room table; in one of the chairs sat a man in his thirties, smiling and rising from his spot as Rose May approached. He was tall but perhaps a bit too thin, and his grip when Rose May shook his hand was not as strong as she felt it should be.
"Rose May Pursa? Great. I'm Jacob Haeden. Duff warned me that you would be coming."
"He didn't so much as warn me; I found out I would be arriving here just an hour ago." Rose May smiled, shedding her coat; the woman quietly took it and hung it on a coatrack near the front door.
"Well then I apologize on his behalf. Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea?" Already Jacob was taking out two mugs.
"Tea is fine, thank you. What did Duff tell you?" Rose May hovered near table.
"Please, sit down." Jacob gestured at the chairs; as Rose May sat down, he searched the cabinets. "Just that he had a possible illegal immigrant who needed representation in court. Well, eventual representation. I figured that meant that the law hadn't found your fellow, yet." Jacob brought over two steaming mugs and set the tea in front of Rose May; he sat across from her with the coffee. "I guessed I'd learn more eventually."
"I think that's what I'm here for. I know Duff wants us to have a more... Official meeting eventually but here I am supposed to 'introduce myself'. I guess that means I should get going then." Rose May smiled and sipped at her tea.
Jacob chuckled. "That's right, I know your name, so get out now. But before you go, I have a few questions about your client. Why is he here?"
~~~
The man came out almost out of thin air, it seemed; one second Nur was okay, the next screaming, a high-pitched noise that left Rose May's ears buzzing. The vampire whirled around, forcefully pulling her tail out of the man's clumsy grasp; then, in an instant, the laughing drunk was sent flying across the room, plowing into a table of people before crashing into the wall, making the whole building shudder. Beer spilled onto the floor and the group of people rose, shouting, a few charging at the stunned man on the floor while the others rushed toward Rose May and Nur. Another man came from Nur's right, bellowing something about how she had overreacted to a joke; his punch went wild, sending him falling to the ground from his own momentum.
Someone grabbed Rose May and pushed her forcefully out of the way; she fell on her hands and knees, quickly crawling out of the way of people who staggered and tripped over or around her. The therapist heard an angry bark, followed by a series of chutters; then a group of people soared over her head and fell in a heap around the bar. Rose May fell onto the ground, covering her head and clenching her eyes shut to the sounds of heavy falling and shattering glass.
Then she was hauled forcefully to her feet; instinctively she pulled back and whirled around, readying a fist. However, the person she was faced with was a guard, who glared at her sternly before pushing her aside and wading into the fray. Rose May skuttled backward, looking around for anyone charging at her, and then was knocked onto the floor again; when she dared look up, a mob of guards had rushed into the bar and were dragging people away from each other. Wincing, the therapist dragged herself up against a chair, sucking at blood leaking from her palm.
"All right, everyone settle down!" The guard repeated himself a few times before finally giving up; one by one, the participants in the fight were hauled out of the bar. Rose May looked at the remnants of the unexpected arena; broken glass littered the floor, and one chair was missing a leg while another appeared to be missing entirely. A man lay unconscious near one of the tables, and the bartender was no where to be found.
"What the fuck was that?" Rose May looked up to see a young man surveying the damage; he offered Rose May a hand, which she gratefully took. "Did you see it?"
"My, uh, friend. Someone pulled her tail. She didn't react well." Rose May looked down and swore softly at the tears in the knees of her pants, blood staining the edges.
"You know what, can't say I blame her. Supposedly pulling the tail of a cat hurts like a bitch. Can't imagine it's any different for vampires." The man shrugged. "Well, if you're okay, I'm going to go back to my drink and wait for the bartender to return. You may want to go rescue your friend."
Rose May blinked, then nodded and walked out of the bar; outside, she found the missing chair, along with a group of guards interviewing the individual participants. Finally, she noticed Nur, huddled against the wall while she bared her fangs at a guard, who kept a farther distance than Rose May imagined was preferred for interrogations.
"I'm just saying that I don't see how you didn't expect this to escalate. You can't just throw idiots across a bar. Not without the police showing up." The guard held up his hands as Nur bristled. "Look, I'm not going to arrest you. Just give you a warning and have you help pay for damages to the bar. As long as I have proof you acted on impulse and in self-defense."
"I can vouch for that." Rose May walked over, suppressing a wince at the pain in her knees. "I was next to her when the man came over and yanked on her tail. After she threw him aside, the fight started."
"I concur." Rose May jumped at the voice; she and Nur both turned to stare as Mahli walked up to them. He was spotless, and Rose May wondered how he could know what had occurred in the bar fight, since he didn't appear to have been anywhere near the place. "The vampire was reacting on instinct. Predators will often drag a vampire by its tail; she was not trying to initiate a brawl but instead defend herself. Unfortunately, she threw the guy into a group whose first response was to fight back."
"I see." The guard narrowed his eyes, then frowned at Nur, who had withdrawn her fangs and, ears back, focused on Mahli. "I think it would be best if everyone was just taken to the station so the stories can all be sorted out. If you, Mr. Bachman, would like to go there as well..."
"Of course." Mahli glanced over at Rose May and smiled; her skin crawled. "Rose, will you come as well?"
'I, ah, if wanted." At the guard's nod, Rose May shrugged. "Then sure."
"Then you will want this." Out of mid-air, Rose May's bag appeared next to Mahli; Rose May's eyes widened as she snatched it back. Mahli simply smirked. "Shall we all go?"
Yep. I write a strange novel.