(no subject)
Who: Patricia Goldberg (CAPTAIN HOOK) and Delilah Rousseau (LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD)
Where: Patricia's office, the Pentamerone
When: A few days after Anser crosses the line. Again. [Backdated]
Summary: Delilah seeks out Patricia for some sane counsel. An interesting deal is cut.
Rating: PG
Delilah: Anser and Delilah's relationship had always been founded on a sort of mutual tolerance. It was quite upsetting, therefore, that Anser would ruin that equilibrium - first seemingly doing nothing, and letting her do nothing, and not even acting like he cared about the Ripper case, and then the whole umbrella assault with Nate, and really it had just kept snowballing since. Delilah knew the man was a jerk, but not so far as to not only not care about the safety of his charges but outright try to hurt them. It's a little disillusioning. But then maybe that's her fault, assuming he was a better man than he ever claimed to be.
But mercifully there are other Librarians, two of whom are not under Anser's thumb, and at least one who seems perfectly rational. Not that many would agree with her. Delilah always had her own way of looking at things, though, and that's what brings her to Patricia's door now, having given the woman only the briefest warning over the Compendium before she came. She knocks, loudly. "Patricia, it's Delilah!"
Patricia: Now, it could never be said that Patricia was a people person. And she certainly wasn't fond of children, or of teenagers, with their noise and pranks and general idiocy. But Delilah was different, and Patricia could sense it. She had always gone out of her way to favor the young girl - largely because of how she knew it silently irked Jacob Anser, and partly because she saw something of her young self in Delilah. Ambitious, head-strong, determined. No time for childish games and naive behavior. No, this was a girl who could be something if mentored properly.
So it was without hesitation that she had agreed to talk to the obviously disturbed teen. She certainly wasn't a problem-solver, but even cold-hearted bitches had ways of finding a solution to bad days. "Come in!" She called out as she gathered together her belongings and got up from the desk.
Delilah: Really, Patricia didn't need to be a reservoir of sage advice - she just needed to have the power to bitchslap Anser where Delilah didn't. She steps in, shutting the door behind her. "Um, hey," says Delilah, lifting her hand in a half-wave. Where she had been urgent and downright insistent that they meet on the Compendium, she's a little sheepish now. But she gets over it. Taking the chair opposite Patricia's desk, she falls into a seat, and pinches the bridge of her nose in clear irritation.
"So. Here's the deal. You know the whole Ripper thing, right? I don't know. I think it's a big deal. I think it's a fucking huge deal. But Anser - all he does is make fun of the people who're getting, like, stalked, by some guy who murdered them in a past life. He says he handled it, but I mean I don't see any difference, the people who're scared out of their minds don't see any difference, and I've got this pretty strong suspicion he didn't do jack shit to actually solve the problem because he doesn't care about them or anyone else it's supposed to be his job to protect. I don't know. Maybe it's my fault because I got this idea that he did care, and actually would protect us, maybe not because he really wanted to but at least because it's his job - but you've known him longer, and you know all this super secret Librarian stuff that's going on, can you just, like - tell me if he's actually doing anything, or does my naive teenage hope of some inner responsibility if not goodness in him need to get crushed like a bug?"
There's a pause, then, "He also tried to maim - I mean actually assault with an umbrella that despite not being intended for those purposes could cause some damage - this other Tale but that's a whooole 'nother flaming bag of shit. One thing at a time."
Patricia: Patricia's eyes were wide as she listened to the teenager's rant. She wasn't exactly good at this sort of thing, but luckily it was on one of her favorite subjects - the absolute uselessness and idiocy that was Jacob Anser. Besides, a long-standing friendship with Marie had given her some experience with hot tempers and fits of rage.
When she was sure that Delilah was done, she spoke calmly. "I couldn't agree with you more. I've been thinking for quite a while now that Anser has been woefully hands-off on the entire Ripper situation." This was a lie, of course. She knew that he was probably handling it as well as he could, but these were insignificant details. She sighed, somewhat dramatically for the normally stoic Head Librarian. "But unfortunately, there isn't much that I can do - after all, the Tales in question aren't under my jursidiction."
She paused, wondering what to say next. Her eyes searched the room, as if a hidden message was hidden in the walls. They landed on her alcohol cabinet. "Would you care for a drink, Delilah? I find that it helps calm me down on the days when the Professor is being particularly difficult."
Delilah: Delilah looks crestfallen. "Don't you guys have checks and balances or something? You can't even make sure he's doing his job, even if you're not allowed to step in and do it for him?" But that note of hopefulness is gone from her voice. She's had enough experience with the public school administration to know any sufficiently a) old or b) large bureaucracy is naturally incompetent.
But then comes the offer of alcohol. "Oh God, please. Whatever you've got would be great." Taking whatever Patricia brings her, and gladly, she takes a fortifying sip before adding, "But I mean, not even physical assault? You've got to be able to step in if another Librarian is totes out of line."
Patricia: "Well, I can certainly work a bit harder to make his life more difficult, but as you know I don't have much authority when it comes to the European Tales." Patricia said these words as she walked over to the cabinet and took out some club soda and a bottle of Grey Goose. Mixing the two together, she went to the mini fridge (a necessary asset which she had insisted upon in her office) and grabbed a pre-cut lime and a few ice cubes. Handing the glass to Delilah, she went back to pour herself a drink.
"Unfortunately," she continued, "all I can do is promise to keep on him about the Ripper issue. But as for physical assault on your friends - let's discuss that little topic a bit more. There might be something I can do there, if he's attacking Tales. That sounds more than a little extreme."
Delilah: For someone who is still a few years under the legal drinking age, Delilah does not balk at the taste of vodka. She does take small sips, but it seems at least comforting. She pokes the ice cubes about with the slice of lime. "Okay. I guess that's better than nothing. Can you at least ask him what he's actually doing? Because he won't tell me anything. Which, you know, is sort of annoying, I've only been working for him since I was fourteen and I'm only a million times smarter than most of the so-called adults around here, but - whatever. If he's gonna be like that I don't have to stick around after I hit eighteen." Her mouth a drawn line, she drops the lime into her glass and takes another sip.
"Well - I grabbed the umbrella away from him so there aren't any hospital reports or anything. But yeah. Nate and I were hanging out, totally kosher, working on, like, a wood-building project, Anser comes into the apartment and just flips a shit. I'm pretty sure flailing an umbrella at him was not an idle threat. Super weird. Like, my other friends have been over before, but no massive freakout." She pauses, thinking a moment as to whether or not Anser was actually present for those visits - but can't recall. "Anyway I don't know what the difference was. But still, totally weird."
Patricia: "Of course I will." She might. She might not. She preferred to avoid speaking to Anser as much as possible, but if it meant ensuring the loyalty of his personal minion, Patricia would certainly grin and bear it.
As she listened to the story of Umbrella threats, her eyebrows raised. "My, my. Sounds like our dear Professor hasn't been taking his meds, doesn't it?" Patricia was being funny, or at least she was trying. This was something that most people rarely got to experience, so she hoped that Delilah appreciated the rare viewing. "I think that you should probably keep an eye on his behavior and let me know if anything else comes up. We can't allow him to be a danger to himself and others." Vague visions of committing the man to a mental institution flashed through her mind, and Patricia smiled. It was genuine.
Delilah: "Okay. I mean - I don't know what else to do. It's really frustrating. Maybe he's just being an asshole and not letting me in on what's going on, but he still might be an asshole who's not actually doing his job, you know? I don't want to get the guy fired or anything, but if he's not actually being a Librarian, it seems kind of dumb to have him sitting in the Librarian chair." Delilah thumbs over her shoulder, in the general direction of Anser's office. "But... yeah. I kind of figure the umbrella thing is an isolated incident, since my yelling was enough to make him quit, but, you know. Still not a real fun thing to see."
There's a pause, so she can nurse her vodka a bit more, the little sips adding up to where her glass is nearing empty. "Anyway, thanks I guess. Even if you can't do anything it's good to know somebody with some power at least know's what going on. I've kind of been wallowing alone in my impotence until now and it's mad frustrating."
Patricia: She nodded her head. "Yes, sometimes people need a wake-up call to make them realize that they've become a little too comfortable in their current position." She took a rather large sip of her own drink. "And you do know that you can always come and sit in my outside office, if you need to get away from him. I can understand if his angry ways become too much from time to time. You're always welcome here, and I promise not to threaten your guests with any sort of bodily harm." Unless you bring Theodore into the office, she thought quietly to herself. But she figured that Delilah was intelligent not to ever try such a move. In fact, perhaps in the future the girl would be helpful in Patricia's desire to keep an eye on the troublesome young Neverlanders. After all, spies came in handy no matter their age.
Delilah: "Yeah. That's more what I thought. Like he got too used to twiddling his thumbs or something. But - thanks. I've been keeping myself busy outside the Pen so I think I'm in good shape, it's just frustrating when I do have to be here, you know? I mean I'm friends with a lot of the people you've got to deal with but I'm sure if I wanted them to, uh, behave, or do something, it'd be a total pain in the ass." She punctuates this with a shrug.
"And - I guess that's it, really. If you can just keep an eye on him and keep me posted that'd be great. Otherwise I've got nuthin'." A beat. "Oh wait! But I did use your tazer like, last month. It was so awesome. I never leave home without it."
Patricia: Patricia grinned. "Excellent. I thought that it might come in handy." She sensed in Delilah something she couldn't quite place - a hard demeanor with a soft underside, simply looking for an adult to show her the proper path. It was like recruiting the Darling children all over again, only instead of handing them pirate swords, she was giving out tazers. Ah, well - a new weapon for the new millennium.
She realized that now, if ever, was the perfect time to go in for the proverbial kill. "I'll tell you what, Delilah. I'll make you a deal. I'll keep an eye on Anser - and on the Ripper situation - if you'll be so kind as to keep an eye out for me among your friends. Just let me know if they're up to anything suspicious. I don't want you to be a snitch, of course - " Patricia tried to head off any alarms that might be going off in Delilah's head. "I wouldn't want to ruin any of your relationships. But I'm having some difficulty making sure that they stay out of trouble, and I'm still on the lookout for a few of the more important magical items that have gone missing. Some of them are very dangerous - it's for their own protection, really."
She paused now, watching the girl, waiting for an answer.
Delilah: Delilah was no stranger to The Man, to authority using her for their own purposes under the guise of her own betterment or, worse, some intangible idea of her "future." So when Patricia begins on this deal business, she does tense, and doesn't try to hide it, a slight frown coming across her face. But the woman has a vast advantage over various school and custodial authorities Delilah has encountered in the past - she actually wants something from Patricia, and doesn't have any reason to think she won't get it. What she asked for - keeping an eye on Anser - was, after all, in both their interests. Right?
She pauses after the request, still frowning a little, but not hostile, not to her or even the idea - just sort of thinking it through. "Well," she says at last, "if they've got magical stuff they haven't told me. But I mean sure, I'll keep an eye out." She shrugs a little, then pauses. "Er - actually, about the magical stuff. I guess I did have another question. I can do some more hardcore snooping, like not just wait for people to be like 'oh hey look at this magic thing' but go out and find them - but in exchange, you've got to let me ask the chalkboard some questions."
Patricia: Not thinking fast enough to hide her reaction, Patricia's eyebrows raised in surprise. It was a good sort of surprise - if she were capable of truly caring about anyone other than herself, one might even call it a feeling of pride. The girl was obviously a force to be reckoned with, and Patricia approved. She paused a moment, surveying the teenager with a slight smile upon her face. "Tell you what. For every item you track down for me - you don't have to get them here, you just have to find out who has them - you can ask the chalkboard two questions." She was enjoying this all too much - there were few things in life which brought Patricia Goldberg so much pleasure as making deals.
"How does that sound?"
Delilah: For her part, Delilah has found enough footing in the situation to keep her expression level. There's still that hint of a frown, but it leans much more towards 'thinking' rather than 'concerned'. She is liberal with her pauses, too, and when Patricia modifies the deal, she doesn't answer right away. But in a few seconds, "Okay. And you keep an eye on Anser and the Ripper thing, regardless."
Patricia: "Certainly. That goes without saying - you came to me as a friend, and I wouldn't ask for anything in return for doing the right thing." Though her expression remained serious, she was internally smirking. Oh, how Anser might wish that he had been a fly on the wall for this conversation. No doubt he would likely have some choice words on what the "right thing" was to do.
Where: Patricia's office, the Pentamerone
When: A few days after Anser crosses the line. Again. [Backdated]
Summary: Delilah seeks out Patricia for some sane counsel. An interesting deal is cut.
Rating: PG
Delilah: Anser and Delilah's relationship had always been founded on a sort of mutual tolerance. It was quite upsetting, therefore, that Anser would ruin that equilibrium - first seemingly doing nothing, and letting her do nothing, and not even acting like he cared about the Ripper case, and then the whole umbrella assault with Nate, and really it had just kept snowballing since. Delilah knew the man was a jerk, but not so far as to not only not care about the safety of his charges but outright try to hurt them. It's a little disillusioning. But then maybe that's her fault, assuming he was a better man than he ever claimed to be.
But mercifully there are other Librarians, two of whom are not under Anser's thumb, and at least one who seems perfectly rational. Not that many would agree with her. Delilah always had her own way of looking at things, though, and that's what brings her to Patricia's door now, having given the woman only the briefest warning over the Compendium before she came. She knocks, loudly. "Patricia, it's Delilah!"
Patricia: Now, it could never be said that Patricia was a people person. And she certainly wasn't fond of children, or of teenagers, with their noise and pranks and general idiocy. But Delilah was different, and Patricia could sense it. She had always gone out of her way to favor the young girl - largely because of how she knew it silently irked Jacob Anser, and partly because she saw something of her young self in Delilah. Ambitious, head-strong, determined. No time for childish games and naive behavior. No, this was a girl who could be something if mentored properly.
So it was without hesitation that she had agreed to talk to the obviously disturbed teen. She certainly wasn't a problem-solver, but even cold-hearted bitches had ways of finding a solution to bad days. "Come in!" She called out as she gathered together her belongings and got up from the desk.
Delilah: Really, Patricia didn't need to be a reservoir of sage advice - she just needed to have the power to bitchslap Anser where Delilah didn't. She steps in, shutting the door behind her. "Um, hey," says Delilah, lifting her hand in a half-wave. Where she had been urgent and downright insistent that they meet on the Compendium, she's a little sheepish now. But she gets over it. Taking the chair opposite Patricia's desk, she falls into a seat, and pinches the bridge of her nose in clear irritation.
"So. Here's the deal. You know the whole Ripper thing, right? I don't know. I think it's a big deal. I think it's a fucking huge deal. But Anser - all he does is make fun of the people who're getting, like, stalked, by some guy who murdered them in a past life. He says he handled it, but I mean I don't see any difference, the people who're scared out of their minds don't see any difference, and I've got this pretty strong suspicion he didn't do jack shit to actually solve the problem because he doesn't care about them or anyone else it's supposed to be his job to protect. I don't know. Maybe it's my fault because I got this idea that he did care, and actually would protect us, maybe not because he really wanted to but at least because it's his job - but you've known him longer, and you know all this super secret Librarian stuff that's going on, can you just, like - tell me if he's actually doing anything, or does my naive teenage hope of some inner responsibility if not goodness in him need to get crushed like a bug?"
There's a pause, then, "He also tried to maim - I mean actually assault with an umbrella that despite not being intended for those purposes could cause some damage - this other Tale but that's a whooole 'nother flaming bag of shit. One thing at a time."
Patricia: Patricia's eyes were wide as she listened to the teenager's rant. She wasn't exactly good at this sort of thing, but luckily it was on one of her favorite subjects - the absolute uselessness and idiocy that was Jacob Anser. Besides, a long-standing friendship with Marie had given her some experience with hot tempers and fits of rage.
When she was sure that Delilah was done, she spoke calmly. "I couldn't agree with you more. I've been thinking for quite a while now that Anser has been woefully hands-off on the entire Ripper situation." This was a lie, of course. She knew that he was probably handling it as well as he could, but these were insignificant details. She sighed, somewhat dramatically for the normally stoic Head Librarian. "But unfortunately, there isn't much that I can do - after all, the Tales in question aren't under my jursidiction."
She paused, wondering what to say next. Her eyes searched the room, as if a hidden message was hidden in the walls. They landed on her alcohol cabinet. "Would you care for a drink, Delilah? I find that it helps calm me down on the days when the Professor is being particularly difficult."
Delilah: Delilah looks crestfallen. "Don't you guys have checks and balances or something? You can't even make sure he's doing his job, even if you're not allowed to step in and do it for him?" But that note of hopefulness is gone from her voice. She's had enough experience with the public school administration to know any sufficiently a) old or b) large bureaucracy is naturally incompetent.
But then comes the offer of alcohol. "Oh God, please. Whatever you've got would be great." Taking whatever Patricia brings her, and gladly, she takes a fortifying sip before adding, "But I mean, not even physical assault? You've got to be able to step in if another Librarian is totes out of line."
Patricia: "Well, I can certainly work a bit harder to make his life more difficult, but as you know I don't have much authority when it comes to the European Tales." Patricia said these words as she walked over to the cabinet and took out some club soda and a bottle of Grey Goose. Mixing the two together, she went to the mini fridge (a necessary asset which she had insisted upon in her office) and grabbed a pre-cut lime and a few ice cubes. Handing the glass to Delilah, she went back to pour herself a drink.
"Unfortunately," she continued, "all I can do is promise to keep on him about the Ripper issue. But as for physical assault on your friends - let's discuss that little topic a bit more. There might be something I can do there, if he's attacking Tales. That sounds more than a little extreme."
Delilah: For someone who is still a few years under the legal drinking age, Delilah does not balk at the taste of vodka. She does take small sips, but it seems at least comforting. She pokes the ice cubes about with the slice of lime. "Okay. I guess that's better than nothing. Can you at least ask him what he's actually doing? Because he won't tell me anything. Which, you know, is sort of annoying, I've only been working for him since I was fourteen and I'm only a million times smarter than most of the so-called adults around here, but - whatever. If he's gonna be like that I don't have to stick around after I hit eighteen." Her mouth a drawn line, she drops the lime into her glass and takes another sip.
"Well - I grabbed the umbrella away from him so there aren't any hospital reports or anything. But yeah. Nate and I were hanging out, totally kosher, working on, like, a wood-building project, Anser comes into the apartment and just flips a shit. I'm pretty sure flailing an umbrella at him was not an idle threat. Super weird. Like, my other friends have been over before, but no massive freakout." She pauses, thinking a moment as to whether or not Anser was actually present for those visits - but can't recall. "Anyway I don't know what the difference was. But still, totally weird."
Patricia: "Of course I will." She might. She might not. She preferred to avoid speaking to Anser as much as possible, but if it meant ensuring the loyalty of his personal minion, Patricia would certainly grin and bear it.
As she listened to the story of Umbrella threats, her eyebrows raised. "My, my. Sounds like our dear Professor hasn't been taking his meds, doesn't it?" Patricia was being funny, or at least she was trying. This was something that most people rarely got to experience, so she hoped that Delilah appreciated the rare viewing. "I think that you should probably keep an eye on his behavior and let me know if anything else comes up. We can't allow him to be a danger to himself and others." Vague visions of committing the man to a mental institution flashed through her mind, and Patricia smiled. It was genuine.
Delilah: "Okay. I mean - I don't know what else to do. It's really frustrating. Maybe he's just being an asshole and not letting me in on what's going on, but he still might be an asshole who's not actually doing his job, you know? I don't want to get the guy fired or anything, but if he's not actually being a Librarian, it seems kind of dumb to have him sitting in the Librarian chair." Delilah thumbs over her shoulder, in the general direction of Anser's office. "But... yeah. I kind of figure the umbrella thing is an isolated incident, since my yelling was enough to make him quit, but, you know. Still not a real fun thing to see."
There's a pause, so she can nurse her vodka a bit more, the little sips adding up to where her glass is nearing empty. "Anyway, thanks I guess. Even if you can't do anything it's good to know somebody with some power at least know's what going on. I've kind of been wallowing alone in my impotence until now and it's mad frustrating."
Patricia: She nodded her head. "Yes, sometimes people need a wake-up call to make them realize that they've become a little too comfortable in their current position." She took a rather large sip of her own drink. "And you do know that you can always come and sit in my outside office, if you need to get away from him. I can understand if his angry ways become too much from time to time. You're always welcome here, and I promise not to threaten your guests with any sort of bodily harm." Unless you bring Theodore into the office, she thought quietly to herself. But she figured that Delilah was intelligent not to ever try such a move. In fact, perhaps in the future the girl would be helpful in Patricia's desire to keep an eye on the troublesome young Neverlanders. After all, spies came in handy no matter their age.
Delilah: "Yeah. That's more what I thought. Like he got too used to twiddling his thumbs or something. But - thanks. I've been keeping myself busy outside the Pen so I think I'm in good shape, it's just frustrating when I do have to be here, you know? I mean I'm friends with a lot of the people you've got to deal with but I'm sure if I wanted them to, uh, behave, or do something, it'd be a total pain in the ass." She punctuates this with a shrug.
"And - I guess that's it, really. If you can just keep an eye on him and keep me posted that'd be great. Otherwise I've got nuthin'." A beat. "Oh wait! But I did use your tazer like, last month. It was so awesome. I never leave home without it."
Patricia: Patricia grinned. "Excellent. I thought that it might come in handy." She sensed in Delilah something she couldn't quite place - a hard demeanor with a soft underside, simply looking for an adult to show her the proper path. It was like recruiting the Darling children all over again, only instead of handing them pirate swords, she was giving out tazers. Ah, well - a new weapon for the new millennium.
She realized that now, if ever, was the perfect time to go in for the proverbial kill. "I'll tell you what, Delilah. I'll make you a deal. I'll keep an eye on Anser - and on the Ripper situation - if you'll be so kind as to keep an eye out for me among your friends. Just let me know if they're up to anything suspicious. I don't want you to be a snitch, of course - " Patricia tried to head off any alarms that might be going off in Delilah's head. "I wouldn't want to ruin any of your relationships. But I'm having some difficulty making sure that they stay out of trouble, and I'm still on the lookout for a few of the more important magical items that have gone missing. Some of them are very dangerous - it's for their own protection, really."
She paused now, watching the girl, waiting for an answer.
Delilah: Delilah was no stranger to The Man, to authority using her for their own purposes under the guise of her own betterment or, worse, some intangible idea of her "future." So when Patricia begins on this deal business, she does tense, and doesn't try to hide it, a slight frown coming across her face. But the woman has a vast advantage over various school and custodial authorities Delilah has encountered in the past - she actually wants something from Patricia, and doesn't have any reason to think she won't get it. What she asked for - keeping an eye on Anser - was, after all, in both their interests. Right?
She pauses after the request, still frowning a little, but not hostile, not to her or even the idea - just sort of thinking it through. "Well," she says at last, "if they've got magical stuff they haven't told me. But I mean sure, I'll keep an eye out." She shrugs a little, then pauses. "Er - actually, about the magical stuff. I guess I did have another question. I can do some more hardcore snooping, like not just wait for people to be like 'oh hey look at this magic thing' but go out and find them - but in exchange, you've got to let me ask the chalkboard some questions."
Patricia: Not thinking fast enough to hide her reaction, Patricia's eyebrows raised in surprise. It was a good sort of surprise - if she were capable of truly caring about anyone other than herself, one might even call it a feeling of pride. The girl was obviously a force to be reckoned with, and Patricia approved. She paused a moment, surveying the teenager with a slight smile upon her face. "Tell you what. For every item you track down for me - you don't have to get them here, you just have to find out who has them - you can ask the chalkboard two questions." She was enjoying this all too much - there were few things in life which brought Patricia Goldberg so much pleasure as making deals.
"How does that sound?"
Delilah: For her part, Delilah has found enough footing in the situation to keep her expression level. There's still that hint of a frown, but it leans much more towards 'thinking' rather than 'concerned'. She is liberal with her pauses, too, and when Patricia modifies the deal, she doesn't answer right away. But in a few seconds, "Okay. And you keep an eye on Anser and the Ripper thing, regardless."
Patricia: "Certainly. That goes without saying - you came to me as a friend, and I wouldn't ask for anything in return for doing the right thing." Though her expression remained serious, she was internally smirking. Oh, how Anser might wish that he had been a fly on the wall for this conversation. No doubt he would likely have some choice words on what the "right thing" was to do.