hadriel | Video 1

[the video opens on a slightly off-kilter Laura standing in the middle of the Sewing Shop]

Hey. Does anyone know if the Sewing Shop lady had any enemies, people who might wanna go after her? 'Cause I stopped by to get a dress altered and there wasn't anybody here. I did find this. [she turns the camera so it captures the view of little specks of what's clearly relatively fresh blood on the fabric draped across a table] here. So either she stuck herself real bad with a needle or something's going on. And if something's going on, I think I know who to blame.

[the camera turns back to face an unsmiling Laura who is now leaving the Shop and headed somewhere purposefully. those with sharp eyes will notice that she's walking towards the armory]

I probably shoulda said something about this earlier. I don't know how many other worlds even have demons. But mine does. And now, so does this world.

She's about my height, she's got a medium complexion and black hair. The thing you'll really notice is her black eyes. I don't mean black eyes as in someone hit her in the face black eyes, but actually black eyes. She already tried to kill me once. What's gonna stop her from killing someone else? Like maybe the Sewing Shop lady?

Demons are evil. Pure evil. They like to have their fun with us mortals, but don't mistake that for friendship. Demons don't even know what the word means. The best we can hope for is that they'll be amused by us long enough for us to get away.

[Laura arrives at the armory and yanks the door open. the camera veers off of her face and towards the ground as she enters, obviously searching for something. she lifts her hand with the camera as she reaches a shortbow, her other hand taking it off of the wall, shrugging it onto her shoulder. then the camera veers again and raises again as she finds a quiver of arrows, lifting that off of the wall, too. she lifts the camera up to her face again, catching a determined expression]

I don't know what I'm doing. I don't even know if she can be killed. But I guess we'll find out?

((OOC: This post takes place just before the contents of this incident))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Do others at home not value your opinion?

[It had not yet dawned on Kelson yet that other worlds and cultures had different societal standards than his own, and while Kelson might honor and admire certain women's views, they were not the mainstay on his council. Still, not knowing much about her or her background, that was the only thought he had as to why others might not value her.]

They don't know any better. I hope to break some of that, slowly.

[It was just hard when you were fighting the tide. If Kelson knew what had been done to her, he would have been furious. There were things that tainted the soul beyond repair, he believed, those however, were not one of them. Being the victim of circumstance was not a mortal sin.]

[she shrugs. it's a gesture meant to seem casual, like she doesn't care that people don't actually listen to her. she's lying. she does care]

No, not really. I'm just expected to smile and look pretty.

[some women are listened to and respected in her world. most of them are old and grey and not very pretty]

I hope you can do it. You seem pretty determined. That'll help.

[maybe someday, she'll tell him her whole story. it seems more of a possibility every day that she'll let someone know the entire truth about Laura Palmer]

Don't underestimate the power in being able to smile and look pretty, at the very least.

[Kelson knows that shrug. That's the shrug he tries to give when he tries to convince people that he doesn't care if people hate him because he's part Deryni. He cares. A lot. You weren't fooling him Laura. But he knew enough to let her keep her pride.]

It's a good start at least. Thank you.

[Maybe one day they'd both share. One day.]

Oh, I know there's power in it. A lot of men--and more than a few women--will do anything when you flash just the right look and smile.

[that's good. she may feel tainted beyond saving most of the time, but she's still managed to hold onto some of her pride and she guards it protectively]

Hey, it's no problem.

[these things take time]

[Hey if she wanted to talk about feeling tainted she might as well talk to someone who was excommunicated and whose mother prayed for his soul on a daily basis. He'd get it. Or try too. He wouldn't stand to let her actually think she's tainted, but feeling it is another thing altogether.]

People have done a lot more for less.

[The implications of what she implied probably haven't registered with Kelson. He's still quite naive about some things. A lot of things. Some things are best spelled out if she wants to make it known.]

[yeah, it seems as though he would have his own reasons to feel that he was tainted. Laura would consider the idea bullshit and would want to cuss out his mother for being crazy. feeling tainted is hard to let go of, though]

Yeah, they have. People have started wars over the fact that one guy has a woman and another guy wants her for himself. At least in stories.

[yeah, she's kind of getting that. that's okay. she's not going to mess with his innocence]

Video 1

Re: Audio, he hasn't quite mastered frame work yet (cw: prostitution, drug use, rape, abortion)

Re: Audio, he hasn't quite mastered frame work yet (cw: prostitution, drug use, rape, abortion)

Re: Audio, he hasn't quite mastered frame work yet (cw: prostitution, drug use, rape, abortion)

Re: Audio, he hasn't quite mastered frame work yet (cw: prostitution, drug use, rape, abortion)

Re: Audio, he hasn't quite mastered frame work yet (cw: prostitution, drug use, rape, abortion)

Re: Audio, he hasn't quite mastered frame work yet (cw: prostitution, drug use, rape, abortion)