days dawn and skin's crawling

[quiettotheend]

[Backdated to last Tuesday]

At exactly 7:10 PM, a black Jaguar pulls up to the Gauche. Tabitha helps herself out, and stands on the curb for a few moments, waiting for her father. The stress of the last couple of days has been building up on her, and it's not helping her health. She seems fine enough, though, if not a little tired and wobbly. Mild

Comments

[homoraptor]

Elashte's set Malek to watch for Tabitha and her father - after all, there's a lot of paperwork involved in working out how to set a metropolitan area on the right path, and Elashte's time is as limited as anyone's - and so here Malek stands, looking for a little Pol-lookin' kid an an escort and under stern orders to present the appearance that he works for someone at least a little respectable.

That may or may not happen.

In any case, he's in a shirt which actually does button up, there's no blood on him, and he hops-to and opens the main gate as soon as the sickly demon makes her appearance. "Claypools, eh?" he asks, clearing his throat and... attempting not to mangle English. "Elashte's innis office. Can take you right up there, ja?"

[quiettotheend]

Tabitha's father looks respectable to say the least. Like most well-established lawyers, he dresses to a tee and takes very good care of himself. It is just as important for a lawyer to look good as his client, after all. Of course, Mr. Claypool has a small habit of cheating at the jury, but no one can prove that. He very rarely loses.

"Eric," he says, reaching out to shake Malek's hand. Tabitha doesn't seem to know what to make of Malek, going quiet and scooting a bit closer to her father. That probably has less to do with Malek and more to do with the fact that she's exhausted. "And if you would, please."

[homoraptor]

"Malek Asenath," Malek says, giving Eric a perhaps-a-little-too-enthusiastic handshake. Then again, to anyone who knows about demons, the behemoth vibes coming off him aren't that hard to pick up; maybe Eric will understand. "Of t'Lebanon Asenaths," he says, though he's kinda given up hope that anyone in America will recognize the name. "C'mon; his office is just this way."

He turns, leading them across the courtyard toward one of the buildings.

"Welcome t'th'Main Gauche," he says, tossing a grin back over his shoulder. "Honestly, looks a lot better, most times - got a bit o'plagues all over t'grounds; still cleaning t'at up, ja?"

[quiettotheend]

Eric doesn't entirely recognize the name, but it sounds familiar enough. A good enough lawyer deals with all sorts. It would be a far stretch to say that all of the people that he defends are innocent. The people who need to pay for a lawyer of his caliber usually aren't. And names get tossed around. Usually too many for him to keep track of, unless they're immediately important. Which a name from Lebanon wouldn't be, generally. Not with his cases. But he definitely does pick up on the behemoth vibe. Which brings a smile to his face. He always did have a fondness for behemoths. Good folk in a lot of ways.

"The plagues have made a right mess of everything," Eric says smoothly, nodding at Malek. "From what I know of your employer, I can't imagine you will let it remain a mess for long, though."

Tabitha still stays quiet, although this more is because she feels a bit out of her league. Her father can take care of this.

[homoraptor]

"Yeah. Not th'first time th'place's been torn up." He waves a hand at the fountain. "Got Romana Angelos in 'ere, ja? That's history. An' we survived that. Practice run in, El bein' El, bet we can be out here eatin' pizza before it starts t'snow."

He pushes open the door, holding it for Eric and Tabitha, and then leads them up the stairs to Elashte's office and sticks his head in without knocking. After a brief conversation, he pushes the door open to a very neat (if somewhat full) office - books in neat stacks on the desk, papers organized into files, three or four reference books, a journal, and a planner lying open beside Elashte's computer. Elashte is standing, already stepping around the esk to greet his visitors.

"Mr. Claypool; it's a pleasure to meet you. And Tabitha." He looks at her, very quickly getting a sense of what exactly she's ill with via his old Poludnica sense. "Not feeling too badly, I hope?"

[quiettotheend]

"I heard about that," Eric says, nodding slowly as he and Tabitha cross inside. Of course, it would have been rather difficult for him not to hear about it. Still, Romana Angelos is smalltalk and nothing more at this point. As Malek said-- they survived.

A nasty cold is all that ails Tabitha, but with her suppressed immune system, even that knocks her over far worse than it should.

"Nice to meet you as well, sir," Eric says, reaching out to shake Elashte's hand. He has always been a handshaker. It's a sign of some refinement in his mind.

Sniffling, Tabitha gives El a genuine smile. "Feeling well enough, thanks," she says honestly. No need to dwell on it. When her stress goes down, her immune system should work a little bit better at least. And her power should stop flickering around like it is.

"I can't say how much I appreciate this," Eric adds, pulling up his briefcase and setting it on a chair.

[elashte]

Elashte shakes hands warmly - a good, strong handshake, though not overly forceful, and perhaps a little on the weak side if one were looking for elements of challenge.

"It's no trouble, really," he says. A quick glance at Malek and the behemoth sees himself out, and Elashte continues. "We've got quite a number of independent young folk here, including my Guardian Angel. And if there's anyone in the city who fully appreciates the difficulty of growing up a Poludnica..."

He smiles at Tabitha, and then slips back behind his desk. There are a couple of chairs arranged in front of it, which he motions them to.

"You have all the documents?"

[quiettotheend]

Looking for a challenge would not be what Eric is looking for here. Elashte is doing something for him, and so much be treated with gratitude, not hostility. "Glad to hear it," he says, nodding as he takes a seat, popping open the briefcase. He starts going through the paperwork, placing it in front of him as he finds the breaks he's looking for. "I will of course also set up a trust for her, so she'll have some funding. She technically is an employee of mine, so that will help her emancipation go through faster..." He's mumbling legalese at himself now still going through the papers.

Tabitha sits down as well, and gives Elashte a weak smile, almost as if she's embarrassed to be here. Excited. But embarrassed as well. Things are going to change, and while this change is good, change is always scary.

[elashte]

Elashte nods. "A bit of personal income is always a fine thing to have, growing up," he says, "though money isn't an issue. I have a good deal in property, as well as quite a significant tithe from various Las Vegas businesses. I've arranged transportation for her and whatever other students wish to live here and attend Looney High..."

And into the legalese they go. Elashte isn't a lawyer, but he's 351 years old or so and between working as a doctor, psychologist, and property mogul, he's got a bit of experience with legal documents under his belt. He is taking the time to read through the papers Eric is pulling out, though.

[quiettotheend]

"Whether or not it's not a problem, sir, it would make me feel better," Eric argues. Even if he's having to give up his little girl in order for her to be able to be his little girl, it doesn't mean that he's not going to take care of her.

Tabitha leans back in her chair, closing her eyes as the two of them talk legalese. She understands bits and pieces of it, but not enough to keep her awake through the fatigue. By the time they're finished going through, signing and such, Tabitha's sound asleep, curled up in her chair.

[elashte]

And they've crossed the i's and dotted the t's, and Elashte nods in satisfaction and stands up to shake hands and conclude the deal. Well. He's gained another young girl for the Gauche, and a new Poludnica to train - and isn't that an opportunity? They're not exactly one of the common types, and it used to be that Poludnica who'd make it to Neqa'el were an impossibility. It's like a social experiment in teaching waiting to happen

[quiettotheend]

Eric stands as well, shaking Elashte's hand. "Thank you again," he says. His handshake is still firm, but not commanding. El is doing him a huge favor, and honestly, he can't thank him enough. Tabitha needed to get out of their house, and if she had to spend any more time in it, it would have continued to poison her.

Turning to his daughter, he nudges her, smiling. She curls slightly, making a soft noise before stretching. Her eyes flutter open and she yawns, staring dully at Elashte and then her father. "Done already?" she asks, blinking slowly. She's not entirely awake yet.

"Yeah," Eric says, ruffling her hair. "I'll go get your stuff, and you can go find a room, alright, hun?"