No rest for a busy girl
Who: Cinderella
What: Cindy sits a fable down for a talk, lays down the law, and meets up with her boss.
When: Backlogged to Last Week if this isn't allowed, give me a heads up and I'll figure something out
Where: Rhineland, Germany and Fabletown, Manhattan
Interactions: Closed
Warnings: Cindy uses bad words.
Monday
Rhineland, Germany
In a fictional land called Germany, in a small town off a river called the Rhine lived a traveling salesman by the name of Geert Jungmann. By all appearances, he was a good neighbor and a bachelor, stocky and slightly rotund, who drove a mini cooper and owned a one story house.
One day, Geert went out to the store and came home to find that something was amiss. His front door was cracked open. However, it was not unusual for him to leave the slightly open when he was at home yet he had a feeling of foreboding. He proceeded with caution to check every room. Upon entering the kitchen, he discovered a woman with blonde hair in a braid and wearing a powder blue business suit and a pair of aviator wrap around sunglasses. She sat in the chair he always sat in with her ankles crossed and scratched the chin of a cat who nestled happily in her lap. Upon seeing him, the cat hissed and ran off.
“Guten tag, Herr Jungmann. You've let yourself go. Cats don’t like you much, do they?”
“Who are you?! What are you doing in my house?!” Geert reached for the phone on the wall nearest him.
“Tut, tut, tut.” The woman and raised a finger to her lips as the corners turned down before she took the glock she had hidden under the cat and put it on the table. Her german was perfect with her American accent barely detectable. “It’s in your best interest to cooperate. Let’s not get the mundane police involved in fable business, no?”
Geert’s mouth went dry as he hung the phone up. His palms grew clammy. He held them up so that the woman could see he was not about to do anything stupid.“You, you’re from the government?”
“You won the toaster! And you have been a very naughty boy, haven’t you.” She grinned.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I have always been loyal to the Homelands.”
“You know what I’m talking about. You peddle insurance yet you have been having dealings on the side with a mundane pharmacist-- a chemist as they’re called here. A miracle cure for insomnia that he’s been selling off-the-books instead of Ambien or Lumanestra or whatever else normal humans take for insomnia.’
‘Now, he’s been dealt with, his stock taken and one of our witches sent in to wipe his mind of ever dealing or meeting you as well as those of his clients. He’s been arrested by mundane authorities for drug-pushing. But you on the other hand...”
Her voice turned cold and quiet. She continued. “You know exactly what a serious crime you committed. You thought you could get away with it because you lived outside Fabletown, outside any of our other communities? Selling any sort of magical item to mundanes is a very serious capital offense. I’ve collected a lot of evidence to condemn you and there are plenty of cats and dogs at The Farm who would love to see you incarcerated or in the well for your crimes, Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was.’
‘ I’ve never liked your story. You’re a serial killer, a psychopath, and a narcissist. You’re shit and I don’t give a shit about you. True, you may have ‘reformed,’ but I don’t by that and neither do your victims’ families or my higher ups. If I was a lesser person, if I let my contempt for you take hold of me and I was given the okay to kill you, I’d be more than happy...'
‘Now, where are the goods?”
A pregnant moment passed before she got her answer out of him. “I...In the pantry...Next to the refrigerator, third on the left, second shelf.”
“Fabulous.” She smiled and rose to fetch the item she was here for and put it in her purse. The faint smell of urine hit her nose. “Not so without fear are you now, tough guy?”
“Fucking bitch.” He gulped.
“That’s a compliment!” She fetched the gun off the table. She headed towards him and patted his cheek before she brushed past. “ Sayonara. We’re letting it slide this time, but we won’t be so forgiving if I have to visit again.”
“...Who the FUCK are you lady?!”
The woman paused at the door, looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Batman. Be good and don’t get in trouble again.”
Thursday
Bullfinch St., Manhattan, New York
I AM THE EGG MAN was a small diner that had been in business since the nineteen seventies with a name the mundane customers thought was inspired by “I am the Walrus” by those mopheads from the U.K. Cinderella sat in a booth in the back away from the windows eating her usual breakfast of two over easy eggs, fruit, sourdough toast and a cup of sugar and cream with a little coffee. Every so often, she looked up at the flat screen to watch The Today Show. She never paid much attention to world news unless there was some big crisis or something that affected her job. Somewhere in Houston, some cape-wearing hero had stopped some big money laundering operation and turned those responsible into authorities. It was something she thought the authorities could have handled on their own, but good for him.
She returned to her breakfast until a intimidating tall man stepped over the threshold, triggering the bell over the door. However, that was just his exterior. Inside, he was a teddy bear. He walked over to her booth and slid in with a grunt. A waitress immediately scrambled over to poor him a cup o’ joe.
“Beast! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Cinderella bequeathed a small smile, feigning surprise.
“Just thought you could use some company. You look like shit.”
Cindy lowered her sunglasses and winced at the light. “Jet lag does that to a person. How’s Beauty?”
“Alright. Same old, though she's complaining more about Charming these days than me. I hear you went traveling again?”
“Yeah. Europe again. I spent a couple of days in England, checking out some new designer. It turned out to be a no go. The soles for their shoes are made in Cambodia or Malaysia and you know how I feel about sweatshops.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Then I headed over Germany to visit some cobblers I’ve done business with before.” She opened her purse and set down a large jar filled with purple powder on the table. “Brought back some of the jam you like so much.”
"What is it? Sleep dust?" Beast said examining the contents, before putting it in one of the cargo pockets of his jeans.
“Bingo. I always get confused between Sandman and pixie dust.”
“Good work.” He glanced over his shoulder and motioned with his head. “Tell me. What do you think about them?”
“Who? Oh, those costume wearing guys?”
“Yeah.”
Cinderella took a minute to think before she responded. “I don’t know. They’ve been popping up like wild flowers for the past century or two… I don’t know how many of them are mutants or aliens or mutant aliens or whatever. I have some empathy for them, but I only really pay attention when some fable is dumb enough to follow their example. And there’s that crazy new theory that Ambrose, Buffkin, and some of the other fables believe that they might be new fables, born on this planet. Which, like, doesn’t make any sense. Wouldn’t that require some sort of altering to the physics or whatever that governs this planet? There probably isn't enough magic here to support that.”
“I want you to investigate it and secretly make contact.”
Cindy’s eyes went wide and she nearly dropped her fork. “Bullshit.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m not a scientist!”
“Doesn’t matter. I think the new fables theory is crap, but if we could find a few mutants or others we could trust-“
“Don’t say any more!” She whispered harshly. “You’re sheriff. I know we’ve bent the rules before, but that…That’s highly illegal. That stands against what we’ve done for centuries to protect our society!”
Beast narrowed his eyes and growled. “That is an order, Cindy. It’s not up for debate. I’ve talked it over with Mayor Charming-“
“Fuck Charming!”
“Cindy! Be quiet until I am done talking!”
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She felt the migraine coming. This was something that she would have to take the fall for if it went sour, something she would conceivably be executed for and there would be nothing anyone could do to help her.
“...I don’t like putting you in danger even though you’ve already faced numerous times. But, think about it. The mutants have faced persecution similar to what we COULD face should we be outed. It might be beneficial to form some sort of alliance or a network in their community. It takes a village to build a bridge, but it can take one idiot to blow it up. We got lucky after The Battle for Fabletown a while back, but we can’t erase the memory of everyone in the world should someone go public.”
Cinderella knew he was right about how easily their society could be destroyed, but this was asking too much.
“Think about it. I’ll give you a couple days.” He put money on the table that was enough for her meal, his coffee, and a hefty tip for the waitress then left.
It didn’t matter. She had lost her appetite.
What: Cindy sits a fable down for a talk, lays down the law, and meets up with her boss.
When: Backlogged to Last Week if this isn't allowed, give me a heads up and I'll figure something out
Where: Rhineland, Germany and Fabletown, Manhattan
Interactions: Closed
Warnings: Cindy uses bad words.
Monday
Rhineland, Germany
In a fictional land called Germany, in a small town off a river called the Rhine lived a traveling salesman by the name of Geert Jungmann. By all appearances, he was a good neighbor and a bachelor, stocky and slightly rotund, who drove a mini cooper and owned a one story house.
One day, Geert went out to the store and came home to find that something was amiss. His front door was cracked open. However, it was not unusual for him to leave the slightly open when he was at home yet he had a feeling of foreboding. He proceeded with caution to check every room. Upon entering the kitchen, he discovered a woman with blonde hair in a braid and wearing a powder blue business suit and a pair of aviator wrap around sunglasses. She sat in the chair he always sat in with her ankles crossed and scratched the chin of a cat who nestled happily in her lap. Upon seeing him, the cat hissed and ran off.
“Guten tag, Herr Jungmann. You've let yourself go. Cats don’t like you much, do they?”
“Who are you?! What are you doing in my house?!” Geert reached for the phone on the wall nearest him.
“Tut, tut, tut.” The woman and raised a finger to her lips as the corners turned down before she took the glock she had hidden under the cat and put it on the table. Her german was perfect with her American accent barely detectable. “It’s in your best interest to cooperate. Let’s not get the mundane police involved in fable business, no?”
Geert’s mouth went dry as he hung the phone up. His palms grew clammy. He held them up so that the woman could see he was not about to do anything stupid.“You, you’re from the government?”
“You won the toaster! And you have been a very naughty boy, haven’t you.” She grinned.
“I don’t know what you are talking about. I have always been loyal to the Homelands.”
“You know what I’m talking about. You peddle insurance yet you have been having dealings on the side with a mundane pharmacist-- a chemist as they’re called here. A miracle cure for insomnia that he’s been selling off-the-books instead of Ambien or Lumanestra or whatever else normal humans take for insomnia.’
‘Now, he’s been dealt with, his stock taken and one of our witches sent in to wipe his mind of ever dealing or meeting you as well as those of his clients. He’s been arrested by mundane authorities for drug-pushing. But you on the other hand...”
Her voice turned cold and quiet. She continued. “You know exactly what a serious crime you committed. You thought you could get away with it because you lived outside Fabletown, outside any of our other communities? Selling any sort of magical item to mundanes is a very serious capital offense. I’ve collected a lot of evidence to condemn you and there are plenty of cats and dogs at The Farm who would love to see you incarcerated or in the well for your crimes, Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was.’
‘ I’ve never liked your story. You’re a serial killer, a psychopath, and a narcissist. You’re shit and I don’t give a shit about you. True, you may have ‘reformed,’ but I don’t by that and neither do your victims’ families or my higher ups. If I was a lesser person, if I let my contempt for you take hold of me and I was given the okay to kill you, I’d be more than happy...'
‘Now, where are the goods?”
A pregnant moment passed before she got her answer out of him. “I...In the pantry...Next to the refrigerator, third on the left, second shelf.”
“Fabulous.” She smiled and rose to fetch the item she was here for and put it in her purse. The faint smell of urine hit her nose. “Not so without fear are you now, tough guy?”
“Fucking bitch.” He gulped.
“That’s a compliment!” She fetched the gun off the table. She headed towards him and patted his cheek before she brushed past. “ Sayonara. We’re letting it slide this time, but we won’t be so forgiving if I have to visit again.”
“...Who the FUCK are you lady?!”
The woman paused at the door, looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Batman. Be good and don’t get in trouble again.”
Thursday
Bullfinch St., Manhattan, New York
I AM THE EGG MAN was a small diner that had been in business since the nineteen seventies with a name the mundane customers thought was inspired by “I am the Walrus” by those mopheads from the U.K. Cinderella sat in a booth in the back away from the windows eating her usual breakfast of two over easy eggs, fruit, sourdough toast and a cup of sugar and cream with a little coffee. Every so often, she looked up at the flat screen to watch The Today Show. She never paid much attention to world news unless there was some big crisis or something that affected her job. Somewhere in Houston, some cape-wearing hero had stopped some big money laundering operation and turned those responsible into authorities. It was something she thought the authorities could have handled on their own, but good for him.
She returned to her breakfast until a intimidating tall man stepped over the threshold, triggering the bell over the door. However, that was just his exterior. Inside, he was a teddy bear. He walked over to her booth and slid in with a grunt. A waitress immediately scrambled over to poor him a cup o’ joe.
“Beast! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Cinderella bequeathed a small smile, feigning surprise.
“Just thought you could use some company. You look like shit.”
Cindy lowered her sunglasses and winced at the light. “Jet lag does that to a person. How’s Beauty?”
“Alright. Same old, though she's complaining more about Charming these days than me. I hear you went traveling again?”
“Yeah. Europe again. I spent a couple of days in England, checking out some new designer. It turned out to be a no go. The soles for their shoes are made in Cambodia or Malaysia and you know how I feel about sweatshops.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Then I headed over Germany to visit some cobblers I’ve done business with before.” She opened her purse and set down a large jar filled with purple powder on the table. “Brought back some of the jam you like so much.”
"What is it? Sleep dust?" Beast said examining the contents, before putting it in one of the cargo pockets of his jeans.
“Bingo. I always get confused between Sandman and pixie dust.”
“Good work.” He glanced over his shoulder and motioned with his head. “Tell me. What do you think about them?”
“Who? Oh, those costume wearing guys?”
“Yeah.”
Cinderella took a minute to think before she responded. “I don’t know. They’ve been popping up like wild flowers for the past century or two… I don’t know how many of them are mutants or aliens or mutant aliens or whatever. I have some empathy for them, but I only really pay attention when some fable is dumb enough to follow their example. And there’s that crazy new theory that Ambrose, Buffkin, and some of the other fables believe that they might be new fables, born on this planet. Which, like, doesn’t make any sense. Wouldn’t that require some sort of altering to the physics or whatever that governs this planet? There probably isn't enough magic here to support that.”
“I want you to investigate it and secretly make contact.”
Cindy’s eyes went wide and she nearly dropped her fork. “Bullshit.”
“I’m serious.”
“I’m not a scientist!”
“Doesn’t matter. I think the new fables theory is crap, but if we could find a few mutants or others we could trust-“
“Don’t say any more!” She whispered harshly. “You’re sheriff. I know we’ve bent the rules before, but that…That’s highly illegal. That stands against what we’ve done for centuries to protect our society!”
Beast narrowed his eyes and growled. “That is an order, Cindy. It’s not up for debate. I’ve talked it over with Mayor Charming-“
“Fuck Charming!”
“Cindy! Be quiet until I am done talking!”
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. She felt the migraine coming. This was something that she would have to take the fall for if it went sour, something she would conceivably be executed for and there would be nothing anyone could do to help her.
“...I don’t like putting you in danger even though you’ve already faced numerous times. But, think about it. The mutants have faced persecution similar to what we COULD face should we be outed. It might be beneficial to form some sort of alliance or a network in their community. It takes a village to build a bridge, but it can take one idiot to blow it up. We got lucky after The Battle for Fabletown a while back, but we can’t erase the memory of everyone in the world should someone go public.”
Cinderella knew he was right about how easily their society could be destroyed, but this was asking too much.
“Think about it. I’ll give you a couple days.” He put money on the table that was enough for her meal, his coffee, and a hefty tip for the waitress then left.
It didn’t matter. She had lost her appetite.