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 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 11:06 am
West Side Clinic was not Paris's ideal place of employment, but then much of the city—indeed, all of the city—no longer maintained a state Paris could call ideal. Gone were the years of standing ovations and elaborate costumes, of bouquets and after parties and those last few moments of anticipation, waiting in the wings to take to the spotlight. The Destiny City Ballet was still running productions, but Paris no longer had a place among them.
Her work at the clinic was perhaps the next best thing. Not one to remain inactive, Paris was instead the type to crave long days and busy schedules. The injuries which brought an end to her short career with the Ballet had by no means stamped that out of her. She needed work to keep her going. At least here she felt as if she were making somewhat of a difference.
Naturally, that “difference” would not go unnoticed for long.
Try as she might to be careful, her current activities likely bore some evidence. Oh, she doubted anyone knew she was the cause, or had yet to acquire any proof that some of their patient files contained a few carefully placed white lies, but the numbers would soon speak for themselves. With energy draining increased from every three weeks to every two, there were bound to be some discrepancies in the imposed quotas.
Paris, presently unaware that the clinic had fallen under suspicion, hummed to herself as she went about organizing patient files behind the reception desk.
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 6:56 am
Tapping his fingers across the semi-precious stone that adored his cane he waited for the energy-board rookie to update him on the last week’s energy percentage. Although there were others that followed this line of work on a more official basis Lamorinite never passed up the opportunity to check his numbers against those presented to the Mayor and there was always, always, inconsistencies. He made sure to grab one of the underlings from Energy management to inform him of the results whether they liked too or not.
His black hair had been slicked back with so much gel that it caught the ever swinging light from the florescent bulbs hanging down, his lt or "boys" stood to attention lining the walls. Although made up of every type of human or youma hybrid - the latter a particular source of pride, he called them his boys regardless of gender or species. After 3 years of doing this job he had forgotten why the name ever came into life, but it remained the same while so much else had changed. Like the increasing torturous methods of collection they administered.
The young rookie finished his reading, standing straight and silent as Lamorinite considered his words. No body spoke while the General King continued to tap along his cane, the patting echoing in the room as everyone unconsciously held their breath. This was either going to be a night of rest for the bailiffs or a night where they earned their reputation.
And when the tapping stopped they would know their answer.
"The West Side Clinic...read me their numbers again Lt..." His voice was soft, almost too much considering his outward appearance. He radiated superiority and power and yet his words were almost caressing as he spoke. The boy before him swallowed loudly before starting to read the report he held.
"W-west Side Clinic....62% sir."
"West Side...residential area C though D falls under that catchment grid does it not?" The Lt nodded a little too quickly to retain the calm exterior Lamorinite like his own boys to display. He would let it pass for now, this one would never make it in his ranks.
"Then the energy donations should be well into its 80's wouldn’t you say? I think we need to pay this clinic a little visit…I do hope they have a good reason for calling us out at such a late hour, don’t you boys.”
In unison they bailiffs answered their General King with a resounding “YES” as he gathered himself up and swept past the petrified Lt and out of the room.
~*~
At this time of night the curfew was quickly coming into place, the last few stragglers would be racing home before the reinforced patrols were let loose and the citizens knew all too well that it was best for their health not to be on those streets when that happened. General-King Lamorinite had none of those worries though as he parked the huge army van outside the clinic, his boys filling out from the back to line up in orderly fashion. He held his hand up in an unspoken command and they responded by stamping their right foot against the floor, saluting and then running off into the streets to find and monitor their locations around the building. He wouldn’t have them coming in to the building with him, oh no, he liked to speak to those that caught his attention first.
Pushing the door open he was awarded with seeing a beautiful blonde his eyes roving down over her body before coming back up to meet her eyes. He knew that she would know who he was; they all did even though his mere existence was dismissed. But they knew. Still he would play this little game for the woman’s benefit, it was after all a simple pleasure of his.
“Mrs Gallo I presume?” He took a clip board out from under his long leather jacket before acknowledging an answer, his finger tracing down until he tapped on the one he sought. “Ahh yes, clinic assistant number 6932. I am General-Knight Lamorinite, I am an acquaintance of the energy board and I have…some questions to ask you.”Sunshine Alouette Here is your huge a** post XD
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 8:34 am
Paris did a commendable job concealing her surprise and maintaining a passive expression. A couple of patients remained in the lobby, the last of that evening's late appointments. The calm she projected was as much to allay their fears as it was to hide her own sudden concern.
Of course she knew who this man was. Normal civilians might like to ignore his presence in the city until such a time as he paid them a personal visit, but his activities and those of his thugs had come to the attention of the White Moon on more than one occasion. Unfortunately his elusiveness and the government's purported ignorance made him rather a difficult target. Paris herself was particularly interested in his activities and whereabouts, if only to avoid this very confrontation.
It rattled her that he knew her name before even consulting his clipboard. She made a concerted effort to settle her nerves before approaching him. She wasn't an entirely unrecognizable figure, she reminded herself. It was well known that her mother's identity had been exposed; Paris and what was left of her family remained under suspicion for that alone. It was only her work here and her apparent willingness to comply to the energy draining procedures that kept them from imprisonment.
With deliberate slowness Paris set aside her files and circled out from behind the reception counter, smiling the welcoming smile she showed all of their patients as she greeted the General King.
“Of course,” she said, effecting a friendly tone. “How can I help you?”
She was well aware of her powerlessness before him and the incredible danger she was currently in, yet the hapless, helpful civilian was a role she'd played for so long it came like second nature. Certainly she didn't enjoy the things she was made to do to prove her loyalty, but she thought three years and left her with a clean enough record to face up to this man without fear that her own identity had been exposed.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 9:09 am
It took a moment for the General-King to even consider the other occupants of the clinic, his eyes so focused on the blonde that he failed to give the others a passing glance. They hardly matter. His status alone allowed him to interrogate any that fell under his jurisdiction with out fear of reprimand but there was no need for these people to hear what he had to say to her. No the other assistants could help them or indeed they could just get out. Yes, that seemed a far better idea.
“Attention residents, the time for curfew is nearly upon us and since this is a fairly new law I can only imagine it has slipped you minds in the rush to donate your energy for the Nagaverse. Well, I admire your dedication to our cause, but please, I beg you, leave now.” His tone broached no retort as he swept a hand towards the clinic doors, giving each an every person a long pointed glare as he watched them stand up uncertain before walking hurriedly towards the exit. When everyone had left he walked up to the door in question and slowly turned the bolt closed, locking them both in. “Just in case we get disturbed you see…” He turned slightly smiling as if he knew she saw right though him and didn’t care as he approached her again, his cane hitting the floor as he walked.
"I do apologize for that but my work is much better uninterrupted, I am sure you can understand why Mrs Gallo…” He said her name slowly like he was testing each syllable and letter with his teeth, watching her for any hint of nervousness. Yet she composed herself markedly well for one approached by a General-King. Why if he wasn’t one who possessed a suspicious mind he may have consider this visit a waste.
“I am here Mrs Gallo, because projections for this Clinic are currently down. This in itself is not a problem, why illness, death they can all have effect on the numbers you see. But I, I dont see that effect this area too much, so it gets me thinking...”
He started flicking though his clipboard as he said this, his eyes searching down the pages as he circled the percentages in red. “I started to think that last month you reported this clinic taking in 75% of your energy donations, the month before it was 92%, an astounding amount for any clinic to uphold, you should be rewarded for that feat alone, but then this month…we drop down to 62%? An unrealistic number to fall too compared with your previous months …..when that starts to happen Mrs Gallo, I start to question those previous numbers set before me, can you see the problem I have?” Sunshine Alouette I am trying to eliminate the mistake I made in the first post since you are docking numbers not just not getting enough XD
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:20 am
“The only problem I see is the utter lack of regard shown to the city's civilian population,” Paris said.
Naturally it concerned her more that anyone who might have served as a witness had been dismissed; she liked the idea of being alone with this man even less than she liked the fact that he'd seen fit to make a visit in the first place. She watched the remaining patients leave with an increasing sense of trepidation—a fear she forced down with her usual reckless stubbornness. The expression she donned was one of mild anger rather than the terror others might have felt in her position.
Paris lifted her arms and folded them beneath her chest, standing with one hip thrown to the side and staring up at the General-King with an unimpressed frown. She looked even less intimidating in pink scrubs than she did decked out in Senshi fuku, but she hardly let any lack of a proper physical defense deter her.
“Those people weren't here just to donate energy,” she said. “Our main focus is primary health care. Outpatient care. I know energy collection is important to the elimination of the terrorist threat, and I'm pleased to say most of our patients are happy to do their part when it's required of them, but the overall health and the needs of our patients will always come first.”
She met him eye to eye, not so much defiant as she was respectfully challenging.
“Increasing mandatory energy donations from three weeks to two weeks is bound to have an impact on the general population,” she continued. “There's never been any unbiased scientific research conducted to determine what effects, if any, regular energy draining has on people, just continuous reassurances without any viable proof behind them. To you energy donation is a series of numbers. To the people its still strange and new. People are exhausted, Sir, and they're fearful. I don't know if you've noticed, but the elderly and the impoverished make up a large portion of the population in this area of the city. We'd have to drain them dry to keep our numbers as high as 92%.”
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 9:47 am
The slide remark about regarding the city's population didn't go amiss and neither did the comment about the people's health care both bringing a small but silent chuckle to the General-Kings lips. He couldn't care less about their health. While some theorists in the Negaverse had argued that keeping a person healthy for longer would result in greater energy gathering over all, Lamorinite was firmly placed in the "suck them dry" division of the Negaverse. There had been too many close calls for him to see the prospects of keeping people around a good idea, especially on mass like that. He saw them more as cattle, those that did not excel could breed as much as they like and then die for all he cared. There was no point in keeping the elderly or injured around taking in valuable resources. Plus he firmly believed that the older a person became anyway the ratio of energy they gave didn't satisfy demands to keep them alive. It was simple maths. Those that could not contribute to anything other than sitting there getting fat were little more than glorified meat bags. They were better of dead in his books. Amusingly he had never thought himself as a cruel man before the war but it so happened that it suited him quite nicely.
It was on the other hand a negative fact for Paris.
"Mrs Gallo I am not here to discuss the health needs of the populace. For one that isn't my department and ergo it is not my problem. I assure you, put your concerns in writing and am I certain someone will respond in a timely manner. But as you can see I am here now. I am the one that has taken time out of my busy schedule to follow up on what is something of a growing concern to my department and I am the one that will get to the bottom of this."
He punctuated every "I" with the clipboard falling into his outstretched palm, a slapping sound echoing in the room as it hit against his leather gloves. He had up until this point remained a distance away from the woman, but now as he viewed her again he saw the overly confident attitude, the unwavering stare. Anyone else would have consider it a defensive and protective act for her patients. Lamorinite saw it as a challenge.
"Mrs Gallo, if I may be so bold. I do not care if you strap these pathetic excuses for human flesh down with your heels and suck every last drop of energy out yourself. As long as your percentages remain up you do not have to worry yourself with a visit from myself. I don't have to worry myself in having to visit you. I do not wish to remind you that as a higher level clinician of this practice you are responsible for this areas results. This clinic set a precedent when it reached 92%, a standard which we monitor all future results by. If you continue to fail in reaching this -" He slammed his hand down on the counter, loud enough to make it hurt but without a flinch of pain moving across his face. "I will get MY energy from you MYSELF!"
The moment of rage shaded his pale skin a dark red from the neck up and it was only seeing his knuckles turning white from gripping the edge of the counter did he relax, a gloved hand raking back his greased hair from his face.
"Ahem....so, Mrs Gallo. Do you understand my problem here? You have either been allowing you patients to leave with out donating, or...you have some how been fixing your percentages. Tell me, Mrs Gallo, which one is it?"
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 8:27 am
The tirade was certainly concerning, as were Lamorinite's threats, but Paris made sure her feelings on the matter remained clear of her face. The look in her eyes might have hardened somewhat at Lamorinite's lack of consideration and obvious loathing of the very people who supplied the Negaverse with their energy (and thus gave him the very opportunity for such employment), yet her expression remained totally impassive. Just a minor arch to her brow to show a shred of curiosity and intrigue, and nothing more.
“Of course I understand. But it is, as you say, your problem,” she said in response. Her mildly challenging posture did not change.
Naturally she was aware of how terribly this could end. She was alone but for the employees that remained, but they were unlikely to offer their assistance and make themselves targets when Lamorinite seemed just fine directing his verbal abuse toward Paris. And she had nothing with which to defend herself should he choose a more physical approach, short of transforming and compromising her own identity. Considering his power level, she wasn't confident that such an action wouldn't do more harm than good.
A part of her thought the only safe way out of this would be to agree to his demands and play the part of the simpering civilian, make a show of loyalty and sing his praises as if the very sight of him didn't make her sick to her stomach. But, though Paris was an experienced actress of a sort, her pride would not allow her to rely on such methods. She may be forced to do the Negaverse's bidding out of concern for her family, but she would not become their little civilian sheep.
And if she died because of it, so be it. Better dead than one of them. She'd decided that years ago.
“Unfortunately, your department isn't responsible for my employment, nor does it maintain and control the policies of this clinic,” she continued, perhaps foolishly. “If you're concerned by our numbers, I advise you to... what was it you suggested? File a report? I'm sure someone with the authority to modify the clinic's policies will take it into consideration. Until then, Sir, we will continue to operate in the best interests of our patients, and if that means a visit from you when our numbers don't quite meet your ridiculous standards, then we'll simply have to bear it.”
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:00 am
If Lamorinite had the presence of a lesser man he may have blanched in shock at the woman’s retort. Her pure confidence was alarming, it radiated from her as she held her ground and his eye with every word that she uttered. She was either impossibly brave or a complete buffoon and Lamonrinite had a good idea which one it may be.
His leather gloves creaked as he gritted his palm into a fist, the only sign of anger flitting across his composed body, he may have raised his voice before but he was much worse when calm. Much worse. With rumors and stories aplenty just refusing to feel the fear the General King expected from the lesser people was disconcerting. It would never, never do to have someone like this be allowed free reign and with that thought a simple, crystal clarity fell over his mind and he smiled gentle, friendly towards his victim.
“Mrs Gallo, I dare say your humor about this matter is…quiet quaint although completely unnecessary. You see I am a very busy man and to save time I will use my words first to coax those less…willing into compliance. It is a method I have perfected over the years and found it to suit my needs best. I really have to use this method long before a person reveals their deepest darkest secret to me.”
Instead of using his clipboard to punctuate anymore sentences he instead pulled forth his cane, beautiful ebony with a crystal skull the size of a woman’s fist sitting on top. The wicked grin of the skull seemed to move with the light and if Paris was to stare at it too long she wouldn’t be mistaken to see green mist swirling inside it.
“Rarely do I fail in this but sometimes, there is always one who seems impenetrable to break. That is when I move on to threats Mrs Gallo and right now I am indeed doing that. Am not only going to threaten your livelihood but am also threatening you family members and any loved ones in this little game we are playing. I play for keeps Mrs Gallo, I don’t expect you to win, I don’t expect you to even gain a point. You will do as I say, you will not answer me back and you will follow orders am I clear?”
He stared at her though slitted eyes, a slight grimace pulled at his lips as he spat the next words out.
“Or I will begin to think you have the means to defend yourself and that…is the worst crime you could commit before me.”
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:47 pm
The threats phased her no more than the demands had.
Threats against her family weren't anything she hadn't heard before, and though they were certainly a concern, she'd gotten used to filing them away to fret over at some later time, when it wasn't so imperative for her to keep her cool. She'd faced them since the moment her mother's identity had been compromised; she'd heard every one of them.
Tell us the truth and no harm will come to your family.
Have a care for your sister's safety.
You find yourself in a precarious situation, but do as we say and all may be mended.
She let herself be talked into it because it was beneficial to her to remain in the city, because she couldn't protect her sister as well as she did now if they were all on the run. So she played along, did what she needed to not to arouse further suspicion, took the threats at face value but hardly let them deter her, because she knew her enemies lacked any proof. They played off of her words and actions and drew at straws. Lamorinite could make whatever assumptions he wanted of her. Though she showed defiance, she never let it go beyond what one might expect from the average civilian.
“If I'm not to say anything how should I demonstrate my compliance?” she countered.
Regardless, she lowered her head obediently. Her retort had been made more to show that she was not one to be silenced, that she was not the sort to react on fear, than it was to deny him her submission.
She'd submit, but on her own terms.
“I will do my best to see that our numbers improve,” Paris continued. Her mouth curved into a sweet smile even as her eyes locked onto his challengingly. “I'd hate for you to waste your time concerning yourself with us again over something like this when there's the terrorist threat to consider. I apologize if our failure to consistently meet such an exceptional standard has concerned you so much. It's a shame, really. Your efforts could best be used elsewhere. Eliminating an actual threat to our society, for example.”
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Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:04 am
The throbbing vein in Lamorinite's temple skipped up a notch at Paris comment, her every word a scratch on his nerves. Never had anyone been so blase in his presence, never had anyone stood there with nerves of steel and come back at him again and again. Not anyone at least who didnt have the power to stand up to him. With great control he lowered his head, gently shaking it as if admitted defeat a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
"My my...I should congratulate you on your impressive performance here Mrs Gallo, I dare say you have me at a loss for words, have you ever considered a role in politics you would be a worthy adversary."
His smile never wavered as he looked up again his hand coming to take the clip board of the table, his cane still held firmly in the other. With an act that would have given any Oscar winning actor a pause he approached the confident woman and grasped her hand, neither giving her the chance to react or pull away before lowering his lips to her perfect skin and planting a kiss on the back of her knuckles. Letting go he simply nodded before stepping back his demeanor one of friendship and acceptance.
"I do hope you continue to improve those numbers as much as I will see to those terrorist that threaten our safety, it surprising where they hide you know? Sometimes under our very noses hmm...anyway I shall take my leave, I am sure you will be eager to get back to work as am I. Farewell Mrs Gallo, I hope to see you again very soon." He smiled again, saying no more as he turned his back to her and began to walk away his face falling into its natural scowl before he left the building. Although he had no proof he knew, he felt, this woman was hiding something and either it be as a supporter of the opposition or one of their very members he would find out.
He would find out.
Pulling the walkie-talkie from his coat pocket he called out to his "boys", the specially trained group seemingly emerging from the shadows around him as he waited in the streetlights outside the clinic his face a mask of utter contempt and hatred.
"I want round the clock surveillance on this clinic starting now, no one enters or leaves without my knowledge and I especially want a close eye kept on our lovely clinician Mrs Gallo. If she so much as sniffs in the wrong direction I want to be informed right away, if she leaves any of the sectors I want her tailed and caught before she gets too far. I will take it personally if she escape our notice for even a second understand? I want results within the week, do not disappoint me."
With a resounding cry of YES shouted back at him his boys turned around and fled back into the night, his eyes watching them as they climbed up fire escapes and around corners to set up the surveillance he had asked for. Only two people remained, his left and right hand captains who he had every shred of faith in. He knew they would do what he wished and what needed to be asked.
"Sir, if we do find anything more substantial, what do you wish us to do?"
"I want you to capture her captain and I want her brought in alive, she...she was interesting, fun almost. I look forward to breaking her."
"And if we find nothing General King?"
Lamorinite turned around to stare back though the window of the building, his smile returning to his face.
"Why Captain, with or without proof, this clinic should suffer an incident it can not recover from and if her friends or family had just happened to come and visit on that fateful day...well...mores the pity"
The two Captains nodded once before running to join the others, the unspoken orders clear in their minds. They had one week to confirm the General Kings suspicions at the end of which they would burn the clinic to the ground with anyone sealed inside. There had already been a few of these "fires" in Destiny City, unfortunately a running theme with these clinics. Some people had said the energy gathered was too much to contain in one space and the result being it escaped and burnt the building to cinders. The Mayor though was always opening up new clinics, the demand for energy ever raising that one terrible incident such as this didn't stop the production line for too long. There would be a day of mourning for the loss of the brave staff at the clinic and then life would continue on. It always did.
Placing his fingers to his lips her kissed the leather fabric before swinging his arm out towards the building, his hope that Mrs Gallo saw the gesture and wouldn't forget about him too soon.
He knew that he wouldnt forget about her.
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 8:11 am
Paris allowed the kiss to her hand even as her insides twisted up into knots of disgust. Even so, she kept a smile on her face and never once broke eye contact. Fear was a very real emotion, and she felt it strongly, but she'd learned to conquer it years ago.
Look it in the face. Let it see you can't be defeated.
Instinct compelled her to wipe the foulness from her hand once Lamorinite dropped it, but she resisted. She remained in place as he turned to make his way out of the clinic. She knew well that this encounter would not be the end of it. Surely she'd done nothing to give herself away, but the suspicions of the paranoid weren't so easily assuaged. If he didn't come back to check up on their progress, he'd have something else in store for her eventually—and her bet was that it would be sooner rather than later.
But she'd been at the clinic for almost a year now, and she knew this routine well. Perhaps they'd not earned a visit from Lamorinite before, but others had, and she and the rest of the staff were all well aware of their fates. It wasn't over just because he'd walked away. If anything, his departure marked the beginning.
Paris wasn't a fool. Three years of keeping her head down after her mother's “treason” had taught her many lessons about remaining in the city with the war creeping towards its disastrous conclusion. She would be followed, she would be questioned again, the threats against her family would increase, at some point she may even be captured, and then what would be in store for her but torture and death?
She should have been afraid. She should have felt more concern for her sister, her mother-in-law... Chris. Certainly she knew what brutality the Negaverse was capable of. It'd only grown worse over the years, as Chaos festered and paranoia grew. Yet oddly she felt in complete control.
They could do nothing to her that she wasn't already prepared to face.Matisha FIN! Thank you for the delightful RP!!! emotion_awesome
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