Comments | tabula___rasa: Getting Our Feet Wet

da_lilah in tabula___rasa

Getting Our Feet Wet

Jan 17, 2005 21:52

Continued from hereWhen it was all over we clung to each other, our ragged breaths finally slowing. Lindsey was grinning like a cheshire cat, and I buried my face in his shoulder rather than try to return a smile that might look forced. I don't know why the hell I was having trouble with this. t's not like I hadn't done this sort of thing before. ( Read more... )

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lindsey_lives January 18 2005, 18:24:55 UTC

I let Lilah climb out before I did, so I could watch the way her body moved. That little swagger she added to her step was very nice. She started to get dressed in her dry clothing and I stood there for a moment, looking at my own things.

My clothes still weren't dry. Shit. I was not going to get on a horse in wet clothing, that would not only rub me raw, but I'd be highly uncomfortable. Couldn't ride naked either. "Fuck." I bent down and wrung out my boxers again, making a face as I felt how damp the fabric was. "No, nothing's wrong." I pulled them on anyway, muttering something rude under my breath.

The rest I just picked up. "Looks like I'll be riding in my boxers. Or at least eating in them. Maybe my jeans will dry off some more while we eat." And maybe I'll end up with ants in my underwear. Boy, that would be just oodles of fun. I twisted the clothing, watching as still more water came out. Damn it.

da_lilah January 22 2005, 22:33:09 UTC

Lindsey was looking all disgruntled about his clothes and I was having a tough time not laughing about it. It was actually pretty cute the way he was cursing under his breath as he got back into them. We trudged back up the hill, not racing this time and finally made it back to our horses ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 22 2005, 23:47:19 UTC

Who else would have turned it off? So I didn't say anything. As soon as Lilah picked that phone up, I knew that whatever fun we could have had was now gone like a cool breeze. I frowned at how she sounded talking to Linwood, almost as if she could be afraid of him ( ... )

da_lilah January 25 2005, 00:36:52 UTC

Lindsey looked mad as hell at having to change our plans. The way he was cussing and shoving things back in the saddlebags was almost farcical, except part of me felt the same way. It'd actually felt good to not talk or think about the firm too much for a brief time. It loomed so large in our lives already. I'd had fun, and now it was ruined.

"Pay in any way we see fit, correct? After what they did to you, I'm seriously going to enjoy myself. Don't worry, I'll leave a couple alive for you to play with."

I nodded, smiling at the wicked gleam in his eye. It was sweet, and I appreciated the sentiment. But Linwood had made it clear to me that we had to do what we could to get the Brotherhood of Tesk back on board first, and only if that failed were we to take more punitive action. They were, after all, still the best and most available practitioners of Hell-Raisings. Considering how pissed Lindsey was right now, I decided to pick a better time to inform him of that fact.

"I want to change into something less damp before we go find out ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 25 2005, 01:02:47 UTC

We'd been enjoying ourselves, and now it was spoiled. The firm never let you forget who owened your ass. Shame on us for having fun! Now go play nice with the evil Brotherhood. I wanted to kill something. Whole day of planning went right into the toilet ( ... )

da_lilah January 28 2005, 19:44:36 UTC

I watched Lindsey pull a fresh shirt on, and marvelled once again at what a nice chest he had. Pity I hadn't won the bet, I would have made him go shirtless all day.

"I haven't been worried about my health since I got to this damn place."

I wondered if there was ever a time when he did worry about his health. He was never the type to be over cautious or let the fear of death get in the way of his goals. And right now I think he cared more about dealing out some pay-back than whether or not we were going to endanger ourselves in the process.

"Who would you suggest for backup? If these talks don't work out, and I'm really hoping they don't, do you want witnesses for what I plan on doing?" He was right about the witnesses, and it wasn't good to get the reputation of hiring and then 'firing' the help ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 28 2005, 20:50:21 UTC

Maybe I was being an ass, but I was pissed off. I froze for a second when her hand touched my shoulder. Then I let myself relax, leaning back against her. "I'm a guy, we always think with our testicles." Chuckling, I reached out and closed the guitar case ( ... )

da_lilah January 30 2005, 03:16:12 UTC

"I'm a guy, we always think with our testicles."

Didn't I know it. I'd gambled on that fact many a time and come out on top. But this time I had a vested interest in keeping said testicles intact.

"You're sure you can get this artifact? I'll need to know exactly how much time we'll get to work with."

I nodded, wondering for a second if he was casting my abilities to produce the artifact in a timely manner, but he didn't seem to be, so I let it slide.

"I can get it here in an hour and a half max. That good enough for you?" Okay, so I didn't totally let it slide.

"You've been there before and I haven't. Can you sketch out how the place is set up? I don't want any surprises. They aren't going to hurt you again, I'll make damn sure of that." He was so vehement about it, so determined to kick some ass, that I actually entertained the thought of capitulating totally to his plan. I wanted revenge and he wanted to dish it out. But the problem was that was not what the firm wanted. Our first priority was to find out the specifics of why ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 30 2005, 06:44:26 UTC

That hadn't been what I meant, and I could hear in her voice that I'd pissed her off. No point in fighting about that right now. So I just nodded and let her continue. What she said made something inside of me start to snap, and if I didn't move away from her, something bad was going to happen ( ... )

da_lilah January 30 2005, 15:43:20 UTC

"Fuck Linwood. He's the one who ordered my brother to be tortured. The man thinks he's as good as Holland was, but he's not even fucking close. I take it this negotiation is one of those 'do whatever it takes' kind of processes like usual?"

Of course it was. But there was a limit to how far the firm was willing to go. If I could convince them that backing out would be more potentially dangerous for them than going ahead with the deal, then we'd be back in business, and with no messy bloodshed or other body parts to deal with. Before I was able to answer him though, Lindsey barreled on through with his rant.

"What are you willing to do this time around? Obviously your personal sacrifice didn't mean jack shit to them before. Will you go another round with the dirty old men? Because I bet they'll ask for that and more." That fucking asshole, if he'd been close enough, I would have hit him without hesitation ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 30 2005, 16:18:45 UTC

What she said threw me for a momentary loop, replacing the rage with confussion. What us? How did I even know she meant that when she said it? We were both excellent lawyers, lies flow from our lips even better than the truth does. The tone however, that's what made me pause. It sounded like she was speaking from the heart ( ... )

da_lilah January 31 2005, 06:49:44 UTC

"If you think I'm just doing this for you, you're wrong. I don't care about myself. After what I've had to deal with and go through, I've had enough. But as long as I'm still alive and kicking, they can hurt people I love and care about. And I won't let that happen again."

I'd never seen him like this. Not even when we'd been fighting before, or at the demon brawl. I tried not to flinch when he skewered the wall with one of his knives. I didn't know what to say or do to calm him down.

"If I die, they'll be left alone. It's in my contract. I made sure to add that clause before I signed it. Maybe I want to see how many warlocks it'll take to bring me down."

Shit. I knew it. That look in his eyes. He was flirting with the idea of finally ending it, escaping from this life. Of course he wouldn't be escaping, the firm would still have him beyond death, but his family would finally be safe from any threat, protected.

I knew that Linwood would never let that happen if he could help it.

"I don't want you to get hurt. If someone else I ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 31 2005, 07:11:37 UTC

"Just say the word, Lindsey, and it will all be over."Boy oh boy, she certainly sounded like she meant that. Lilah Morgan actually seemed a little... frightened. I'd put that fear there. She knew how to use that gun, I was was willing to bet she not only had taken a course, but probably went to the shooting range once a week ( ... )

da_lilah January 31 2005, 07:37:26 UTC

Before I could react Lindsey lunged closer, so close that now he had the muzzle of my pistol butted right up against his chest. He was calling me on my bluff. I didn't want to kill him, I'd wanted to shock some sense into him. Well, that had backfired spectacularly, hadn't it?

"Go ahead. I'd rather you do it than Linwood. Pull the trigger. It's just a tiny bit of pressure and bang!"

He was scaring me, like he had when he'd just got his evil hand, and had quit his promotion. I blinked at him, at the crazed look in his eyes.

"I'll try not to bleed on those expensive clothes of yours, but this close... that might be a problem. Come on darlin', I know its something you've always thought about doing. Kill me. Fucking do it, Lilah!"He was egging me on, pushing at the gun with his body, laughing and looking at me like he was going insane ( ... )

lindsey_lives January 31 2005, 08:04:59 UTC

Shot me! She fucking shot me! I had to say that it hurt quite a bit, and I could already feel my boot filling up with blood. Great idea there, let's wound the guy who is going to do the majority of the fighting. And then she slapped me. Adding insult to injury ( ... )

da_lilah February 1 2005, 01:07:33 UTC

One minute I'd had the gun, the next Lindsey'd grabbed it forcibly from me and was pointing the muzzle at my head. My heart was racing and I just stood there, trying not to lose it while he snapped at me, gun still pressing into my temple. For a moment I flashed back to that day, when Lindsey had been promoted. I'd known in my gut I'd be the one destined for the cut. And suddenly I felt that helpless again. Unable to do anything but wait for the inevitable. Okay, pulling the gun on him was a obviously a bad idea, and shooting his foot possibly an even worse one. Was he mad enough to pull the trigger?

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get blood out of leather? I liked those fucking boots."

Luckily, gravity was on my side, and Lindsey lost his footing and staggered backwards onto the bed, dropping the gun.

I let out a breath of relief and watched as he began to inspect the damage.

"Only you would shoot a guy in the foot right before he was going to go into battle. Thanks a heap. Nice shot. I can see you."He laughed, and it ( ... )

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