[Scene] Dee and von Karma in "When Two Frigid Perfectionists Walk Into a Library..."
Manfred von Karma: *it's mid-afternoon, free time at Bloodspill Valley Maximum Security Prison. Though most inmates have opted to entertain themselves in the exercise room or the pool, or outside in the yard, Manfred von Karma is not one of them. He, instead, is seated in a corner of the prison library, at a desk in the far back where it is most likely he will not be disturbed (cont*
He's hunched over the desk slightly, writing a document in perfect, flowing cursive upon plain white paper with a fountain pen. There is a pot of tea and scones--both untouched-- at his side, evidence that the special treatment he has previously recieved is still very much in place*
Dee Vasquez: *In the far corner of the library, Dee steps into the chamber with a perfunctory click of her elevated heels, finishing off the remainder of the tobacco smoldering in her kiseru pipe. Inclining her head to the side so she can breathe a trail of smoke away from any occupants, or where it could disturb the fire alarm, she lowers the pipe and ambles deeper into the book-laden room, offhandedly examining some of the shelves as she strides.
A few of the bookshelves look unnaturally dilapidated, even in the generally aging conditions of the library, she notices, and have been angled at a way they don’t reveal any dents or cracks in the wood. Dee raises her eyebrow at this, and as she starts to peruse the section she wants, she sees Von Karma out of the corner of her eye, obsessively hunched over whatever to which he is attending. The second thing which catches her attention is the meticulously arranged and conspicuously out of place tea and scones.*
You must be quite busy. You’ve barely touched your food.
Von Karma: *glances up with a frown of irritation at having his concentration broken-but it fades as he sets aside his pen and looks to the former producer* Madam. *gesturing to the tray* I have not eaten or drank at all; if you care for either, you may have it.
Dee: *Dee glances at the tea and scones organized on the tray and hmm’s softly, her fingers twirling around the slender, wooden neck of the kiseru. After a moment of indecision, she approaches the tea tray and laces the fingers of her free hand through the teacup’s handle, lifting it carefully.
Realizing the tea’s at a safely lukewarm temperature, she sips from it, deciding to leave the scones alone. She already ate, after all, but she can rarely turn tea down in good conscience* Thank you, Mr. Von Karma.
Von Karma: *nods curtly, and is about to turn back to his papers when he realizes that the woman is not moving away. And, as he is (for once) in no hurry to finish his writing, he beckons to the chair directly across from him* Do be seated, if you are staying.
Dee: *Dee finishes off the remainder of the tea, resting the cup atop its saucer before she goes to retrieve the indicated chair. Since the former legendary prosecutor isn't disapproving of her presence, apparently, she sees no reason to leave. After all, there is something she needs to get, and she isn’t going to leave until she has it in her possession. It has been a while since she’s last talked to von Karma, after all, and she considers him to be one of the more tolerable people in the prison.* Thank you. I’ll make myself comfortable. *Dee draws the chair over to an appropriate location, then seats herself.*
*Finally, thanks to her angle, Dee notices what Von Karma was working on - some sort of document, but the writing is indistinguishable given her distance* Has the literature in the library inspired you, Mr. Von Karma? *she asks, canting her head toward the overweight bookshelves*
Von Karma: Hardly. It is a sparse library, with little I am interested in perusing. *glances down at his papers for just a moment before looking back up to Dee* It is a letter to my eldest daughter. She is out of the country for the moment, but has asked that I continue to write.
Dee: *Dee laughs curtly as well* You would think that if this prison has enough money to build a pool, they could certainly afford to cleanse the selection of books here with some Poe. Or Faulkner, perhaps. He isn’t an easy read, but his use of third-person perspective and characterization is admirable… *Dee lifts her pipe again, folding one leg over the other and leaning forward, looking characteristically flat, in contrast to her earlier period of cynical, dare we describe it as such, mirth* I digress. I was unaware you had two daughters, Mr. Von Karma.
Von Karma: *though he does not speak of the authors addressed, he nods approvingly at their names as the former producer speaks. At mention of his daughters, he sets aside the papers in front of him in earnest--now it is a proper conversation* I do. I am sure you are more acquainted with my youngest, the prosecutor. My other... Josefine, did not have the bearing, nor the strength to become a prosecutor. But she has become a dedicated wife and mother, and has remained a dutiful daughter. Unfortunately, it is all I can ask of her.
Dee: *Dee nods throughout von Karma’s explanation, taking another sip from her pipe and respectfully turning her head away so she can exude a somewhat condensed gout of smoke into the air. She drums the bronze mouthpiece against her purple-red lower lip, “hmm”-ing again, as though attentively ruminating over her answer, before she responds* The life of a mother and devoted wife is an admirable one, if comparably mundane to larger possibilities. But a dutiful daughter… I am glad to know her duties haven’t interfered with her relationship with you.
*Purposefully, she avoids the subject of Franziska, believing it to be a potential sour topic. Because she feels it tugging at the back of her mind, she adds, obliging that impulse,* Do you mind if I do some searching while we speak? There is something I need to find. I will not stray from this section.
Von Karma: *with a wave of his hand* Do not hinder yourself for my sake. *he himself, though, does not turn back to the letter, although the multitasking is not beyond him* What is it that you are looking for, Madam?
Dee: *Dee nods her appreciation, climbing to her feet and approaching the nearest shelf. She rakes her gaze a few times along the selections of books packed within the first row of shelves* Hm. *her finger drifts down the spine of one of the books as she analytically ruminates over the title, using her fingertip to trace the first, mildewed letter imprinted onto the spine* I’m looking for a collection of Oscar Wilde’s poetry. I had a copy a long time ago, but I lost it. I want a copy of “Ballad of Reading Gaol” in particular before I’m released on parole.
Von Karma: *isolates two questions from Dee's statement, and asks the more trivial one first* Hmph. Are you sure that they carry that book here? They seem to frown on relevant reading material.
Dee: I'm not hopeful. *Dee answers, already onto the next bookshelf after rejecting everything in the last one* If there's something worthwhile, though...
Von Karma: I will have them deliver it to your quarters by tomorrow afternoon.
Dee: *Dee looks startled by this, but then she seems to smile genuinely* What a generous offer. Thank you, Mr. Von Karma.
Von Karma: *waves a hand dismissively* Think nothing of it. *and there is no pause to indicate he is holding it over her head, either* Now Madam, you stated that you would be leaving on parole, and I recall reading as much. When are you scheduled for your release?
Dee: *Dee almost instantly recalls the exact date. She had pestered the correctional officer quite insistently for a direct answer... she loathed conjecture. The officer caved in, and provided her with a whole response* July 12th. The weekend.
Von Karma: Hmm. And do you have any plans for when you leave? You were a--- *he pauses-- as impeccable as his memory is for certain things, it is most definitely not for others* film producer?
Dee: Yes. *Dee nods, returning to her seat so she can address the former prosecutor more appropriately* I was the producer for Global Studios. They seem to be doing fine, at the very least surviving in my absence, but if they want me back I'll take them up on their offer. After spending years devoting time and effort to the Steel Samurai project, I feel almost... obligated to remain.
Von Karma: Mm. Then I wish the best of luck in your endevours. *and it seems like he has deemed the conversation nearly at an end; he shifts, bringing his papers back in front of him--there is no further interest in conversing there*
Dee: Hm. Indeed. *Dee lifts the pipe to her lips and gently sips from it, breathing another serpentine mist-trail of smoke off to the side, away from von Karma. Dee is certainly aware that von Karma has unofficially declared the conversation to be over, and decides to leave it at that. Standing up, she nods to him, toying with her pipe, the vestigial scent of smoke lingering around her* Thank you, Mr. von Karma, for your time and your well-wishes. It's good to talk to someone here who actually possesses some degree of intellect. *she smirks cynically, which somehow underlines the surprising sincerity in her last statement*
Von Karma: *dips his head just a bit lower than would be for a nod, but not so much as it would for a bow* Good day, Madam Vasquez. *and he picks up his fountain pen, turning back to his letter and commences writing again*
Dee: And good day to you as well, Mr. von Karma. *Dee says, returning the gesture with a small, yet attentive, nod of her head. Feeling everything necessary has already been spoken, she walks by, leaving von Karma to his devices - along the way she is finally able to spot the header of the document, scrawled in neat, meticulous cursive, and it is indeed addressed to Josefine. Again and again her heels click against the floor in relative monotony as Dee walks out of the library, feeling more refreshed than when she arrived.
After all, there’s so much to look forward to.*