TRP: Amethyst, Gabriel, Jasper, and Raef (Aftermath)

Word Count: 3358

**Coyote:**

[SETTING: Evening 178, after rescuing Gabriel from the
Sanguines. Jasper goes to approach Raef and ask for his help talking to her
brother, Gabriel.]

Jasper felt real fucking on edge, but... wasn't quite sure
why. It was probably that fight, she figured. She'd felt useless the whole
time-- even though the battle had almost been impossible, she hadn't gotten to
hit things the way she wanted, hadn't gotten to work off the energy of raging.

Someone needed to go talk to Gabriel.

And it probably had to be her. Amethyst and Gabriel had come
back with them to the castle and were upstairs. She oughta go say something.
Something useful.

She ground her teeth.

She found Raef siting in the dining room. "Hey, uh--
hey Raef. I need your-- I need fuckin'... help with something." She rubbed
her arm.

**Mink:**

 Raef tapped the blade of his dagger against the palm of his
hand in a quick flutter, staring out across the dining room with his feet
propped up on the table.He had come
down there to get something to eat, relax, and mull over the fight along with
the numerous other problems that had cropped up.Fuck, there was always something.

He looked over at Jasper when she walked into the dining
room.He almost smile, he had been
glad to see her at the castle, but she was acting tense.He dropped his feet to the ground and sheathed the dagger.
"With what?"

**Coyote:**

"My, uh, fuckin'... brother. And little sister, I
guess. Y'know, the one we-- rescued." Jasper's eyes shifted aside, not
looking at him. "Gabriel, uh... listen. I haven't seen him in, like,
almost seven years, and I was.... younger, and stupid when I knew him. He
always pushed a little harder than the rest of us. Went to hard. Went to far.
And I just did the shit people told me to because I was stupid, and uh..."

Ugh, this was getting personal. And she was sure she wasn't
making sense. "Listen, I should go talk to my brother. I love him but he's
a fuckin' creep and I haven't seen him in seven years. Will you, uh, come
with?"

**Mink:**

 "Sure fucking thing I'll come," he said as he
stood up, tucking the chair beneath the table.Jasper'swords had been
scattered and tense, and she wouldn't look at him.She was a good kid - woman - and it sounded like Gabriel had done
more than he should have ever done.He
walked past her, clasping her on the shoulder. "They're upstairs,
right?"

**Coyote:**

"Yeah. I mean, maybe he's different now... I haven't
talked to him... I guess, uh, I haven't uh, talked to Amethyst either, who
knows what she's like, Io--" Jasper grimaced. "Let's just go."

**Izzy:**

Gabriel sat on a couch near the fireplace -- still armored,
still with his longswords on his belt and the axe on his back, leaning against
it with his head tilted back a bit, staring at an empty point in space. Amethyst
was beside him, legs curled under her, about as close as she could get, trying
to help him and clearly unsure how.

"I still don't have any healing magic," she said
quietly.

"Fine," he said without looking at her or moving.
"I'm fine. It's fine."

She kept prodding his side and touching the bruises on his
face as if there was something more she could do. He kept not responding.

**Coyote:**

Jasper tensed when she stepped into the room, but made
herself not. Didn't wanna act weird. Gabriel was hurt, still, which she
expected, but... couldn't really do anything about.

That shifty cleric could help, maybe. Man, she loved that
guy. Or... she wished, painfully, that Azriel was here, so she didn't have to
talk. "I think we have a couple people that can heal you," she said,
suddenly. "We've got a shifty little cleric, he's great. I don't know
where they are, though. You okay?"

**Izzy:**

"Fine," he said again, and looked her way
belatedly, studying her blankly. "You said Azriel's safe."

**Coyote:**

There was that odd blank look of his. Gabriel never had much
expression. "Yeah, Az is good. Abel, too. They're together. They're safe.
They've been warned. They're with some group-- I think they're better off
laying low together for now."

**Mink:**

 When was the last time he had to do something like
this...whatever this was?He doubted
that Jasper would be okay with him skinning her brother, even if her brother
was a 'creep'.Which he seemed to be
even if he was dazed at that moment.Raef
glanced over Gabriel and Amethyst as he walked to a couch across from them and
dropped down into it.He crossed an
ankle over his thigh.

"How's the head?" he asked.Gabriel was bruised from where Larkin had hit him and his gaze
wasn't all there, but Raef didn't know how much of it was a lie and how much
was real.

**Izzy:**

Gabriel watched Raef without moving his head, and for a
third time, said, "Fine."

Amethyst looked between Raef and Jasper, fidgeting
nervously, finally settling on Jasper. "We thought Azriel was dead,"
she said, almost whispering. "When we got here and -- the Sanguines were
here already."

**Coyote:**

Something was off, but Jasper wasn't sure what, or how to
ask, or... any of it. Maybe she could walk back to Skyport, find Azriel, toss
him over her shoulder, and walk him back here. And then she could sit
comfortably on the couch while her siblings talked and she just listened.

Azriel wasn't here, though. So Jasper was gonna do things
Jasper's way. She went to Amethyst and dragged her into a hug, then wrapped her
free arm around Gabriel, who paused silently a long moment, then hugged back.

"Yeah, well, nobody's fucking dead, and nobody's going
to be," she said. She thought about saying, Want to stay here? I'll
protect you. Gabe and I will protect you, and I'll protect you and Gabe, like
always, like old times.

But she hadn't seen either of them in seven years; there
were no old times, and she wasn't even sure if they'd be allowed to stay in the
castle. She didn't own it. And that pretty elf guy with the rapier kept
muttering about making an application questionnaire for potential people who
wanted to live in his castle.

**Mink:**

 A smile tugged momentarily at Raef's lips, but it was quick
to disappear.Jasper and her family
were sweet, even with what she had said about Gabriel.There was just business to attend to and half of the people it
involved was out of his mind in some way.'***His answer of fine was enough for him to know that - he saw a lot of things***
in over three centuries.It was
probably that damn spell that Amren had turned on him as well; fuck, that
dragon needed a lesson taught to him, but that was an issue for another time.Right now it was Gabriel.

He waited a moment to see if Jasper would let go, but it
probably didn't matter.Maybe it
would help get Gabriel back a little bit. "How'd you get caught,
Gabriel?" he asked as he uncrossed his legs. "You look like you can
fuck people up." Yet he had gotten caught by the Sanguines.

**Izzy:**

"Outnumbered," he said flatly.

Amethyst filled in, "We were at the cave I sent you
guys to, for the ring?" She twisted it around her finger. "And, what
-- about half a dozen of them showed up?" She looked to Gabriel, and he
nodded.

"Teleported in."

She nodded too, earnestly. "He fought them off so I
could get away."

**Coyote:**

Jasper nodded and stepped back, still tense. Family. Same
side. Right. She looked at Raef for help. Figured she should ask questions, she
just wasn't sure what they were. Why was Gabe acting off? Was his head still
messed up from the mind control? Maybe Goro could help with that, somehow,
clear the fog.

She wondered: did Gabe see Wyn?

**Mink:**

 Raef wondered if Jasper knew just how he usually got his
information.Probably not.This time he couldn't use that and
this was Jasper's family.He also
sounded like he cared about his family.

"Where'd they take you?" he asked, resting an arm
on the couch.He had to be relaxed -
Jasper was a ball of nerves and both of them couldn't be. "Was Wyn there?"

**Izzy:**

He nodded, and then was silent for a moment. Amethyst tapped
his shoulder fretfully, and his attention snapped onto her abruptly, then
shifted to Jasper, then back to Raef.

"Yes," he said, more forcefully. "Wyn was
there. In the warehouse. It's the only place they took me. Her and the little
dragon -- tried to make me give up Amethyst's location, tell them where to find
Abel and Jasper." He shook his head and looked back to Jasper, eyes sharp.
"They want us for leverage against Mom and Dad. They're still fighting,
back home. I thought ..." His gaze went distant again. "Thought Wyn
was still in Moorland. Couldn't believe she came for me personally. They fucked
with my memory, though." He shook his head again, looking off into space, and
muttered, "Think I know what's real."

**Coyote:**

Jasper's jaw clenched so tight that when she breathed, air
hissed through her teeth.

"'They' fucked with your memory?" Jasper said.
"Who's 'they'? Anybody specific? That little blue motherfucker? Or Wyn
herself? Who cast the spells, who did it?"

**Izzy:**

"The dragon. He was always there. Wyn was only there sometimes."

**Mink:**

 That was fucked, all of it, and it all boiled down to Wyn
and Amren.It didn't matter if Wyn
wasn't there - Amren worked for her andshe
gave the orders.Raef's jaw
tightened and his hand held tight to the couch before he had to make himself
relax."Did they say
anything?"About anything, even
if it was just a spell.Any
information would be useful and then, if the cards were dealt right, they could
do something about that damn little dragon locked up.

**Izzy:**

He shook his head. "Just tried to make me talk."
Then a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Tried to compel me. The
little shit. Got so fucking mad when I didn't know anything."

**Coyote:**

Yeah, this was fucked. Jasper didn’t like that her brother
had been hurt—she didn’t like how distressed Amethyst looked right now—and
sure, they were her family, but it wasn’t like her family somehow had the moral
high ground here.

The Melaines ruled Moorland with the same tactics. Jasper
wouldn’t be surprised if her family took hostages and tortured people.

Yeah. This whole situation was fucked.

One step at a time, though. "Alright. Well, Az and Abe
aren't here, so I guess we're doing things my way this time. I think the cleric
is gone right now, but when he comes back and I find him, I'll get him to patch
you up. Then you stay here-- at least overnight. We're gonna interrogate that
little blue fucker. Then we'll... figure out what to do next, I guess."

**Mink:**

 Raef glanced towards Jasper when she spoke, the nickname
startling for a moment; not his Az, her Az.'***That was almost...he didn't fucking know.'*** He looked back to Gabriel and Amethyst. "Probably
longer." Mishka would flip (he would deal) and Goro was great, but there
was no telling when he'd come back. "Anything else you want to tell
us?"

**Izzy:**

He shook his head again, slowly.

**Mink:**

 Raef looked at Jasper, arching an eyebrow:anything else?He didn't think they would get a lot of information from him.He had seen Wyn, learned she wanted to
hold Jasper's family hostage, how Gabriel was caught, and learned that Amren
was more of a dick than previously thought.

**Coyote:**

"That okay with you?" Jasper asked. "Staying
here? Glimmerton's quiet. And there's a Basha here. Larkin Basha." She
asked Amethyst more than Gabriel.

**Izzy:**

Amethyst nodded, fidgeting with her ring. "You're
here," she said quietly. "We'll be okay."

**Coyote:**

Yeah. Okay. Good. Jasper could still do her job.

She wasn't used to being the person who asked questions, and
Raef was helping, but... apparently she needed to do that job today, to. She
could get information and then relay it to the schemers, the people who knew
what they were doing.

What would Azriel do? What would he ask?

"How'd she get so deep in Moorland so fast?"
Jasper asked. "What happened? I mean-- we've had people try to fight Mom
and Dad before. What'd she do? How's she different?"

**Izzy:**

Amethyst prodded Gabriel's shoulder, and he looked up again,
focused. "It took --." He thought for a second. "It took three
months. She showed up -- about five months ago, said she was a freelance spy.
She was alone. Tried to get into Mom's good graces." He shook his head.
"We all thought she was fucking shady. Didn't let her in. Found out later
she was already finding turncoats in the Militia then, talking to people who
didn't like how we fucking ran things.

"Then she moved onto Uncle Joseph. He's fucking --
pathetic," he spat. "Fell for her shit. She got on his good side,
started funneling money into the town guard, getting more people signed into
it. We thought that'd be the threat. Didn't know she was taking my fucking
Militia.

"We sent Azriel out to play spy, act like he was
turning on us. Thought it was working." He shook his head. "Just
fucking fed us bad information, and when he realized what was going on she
fucking attacked him." He glared up at Jasper. "You've seen him.
Broke his horn. Nearly took out his eye. Fucking attacked a Melaine in public,
did it personally. The fucking nerve --."

He hissed through his teeth. "Mom sent him here to keep
him safe. Wasn't long after that Wyn staged a fucking coup, did it in Uncle's
name, had the town guard and the Militia against us. Uncle denounced us,
disowned us, said he was taking his city back, but it's her -- it's all fucking
her," he growled. "She's just letting him pretend like he has any
power. Let Mom keep her station, too, to keep her contacts from knowing
anything.

"Wyn's been keeping a close fucking eye on us, but we
kept trying to figure something out, how we could get our fucking city back,
and she caught on, and she fucking threatened Amethyst, fucking -- sent us
Azriel's horn." Again, he shook his head, more violently this time.
"So I fucking left. Got her out of the city, thought we could come to the
Basha for help, maybe, but she was already fucking here."

**Mink:**

 The Melaines were a lot bigger than he had thought.They probably had their fingers dipped
into many different pools, and that was trouble.Wyn was also trouble, but the Melaines could be just as much.

This could be a problem, but Raef had to remind himself to
take this one step at a time.

"Why didn't you scout out Skyport first?" Gabriel
looked smart and he may have been before his mind was turned to mush, but that
was the first thing he would have done if he was still working for his former
guild.

**Coyote:**

“Mm.” Jasper looked away.

She knew what was expected of her; she was supposed to be
outraged. Sometimes, though, Jasper wondered if her family was good or right.
Like, morally, or some shit. Maybe Mom and Dad kind’ve… deserved to be
overthrown. Maybe not by Wyn, but somebody.

What did they expect? When you played games like this, other
people played them back. One shadowy empire got overthrown by another shadowy
empire.

She knew, though, that it wasn’t her place to think those
things. Gabriel was obviously pissed off about it, and Mom was obviously pissed
off about it, so if Jasper wasn’t angry about it, maybe Jasper was just being
dumb again. Maybe she’d missed something obvious.

(Three months, huh. From a lone spy to a criminal overlord.
That was fucking impressive.)

(She broke Azriel’s horn, Jasper thought.)

This was why she hated thinking. It just gave her a damn
headache. Jasper stayed quiet and let Raef talk instead so she didn't have to
say anything.

**Izzy:**

"With what fucking troops?" Gabriel asked
bitterly. "It's just us. She must have guessed we'd come to Skyport --
knew we were here before we knew she was."

**Mink:**

 "That's not fucking excuse.Jasper's been in the area for months," Raef replied coldly.She might have been there even longer.
"It's beyond fucking stupid to walk into a city without looking.Especially when you have a man there
already."

**Izzy:**

Gabriel sat up straighter, fixing Raef with a look.
"Jasper's been gone for seven years. I didn't know she was in the area. I
didn't know she would help us. I didn't know if she was fucking alive."

Amethyst batted at his shoulder, trying to make him sit
back. He ignored her, staring Raef down unblinkingly.

**Mink:**

 Raef leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs.He met Gabriel's gaze. "You
realize how fucking stupid that sounds, right?" It could be easy to
disappear, but someone who thought highly of his crime family and their
influence could have found some way to secure the information needed or wanted.
"You stepped into a trap you built for yourself."

**Coyote:**

Jasper bit her tongue. She wanted to snap at Gabriel: Yeah,
well, why would you fuckin' care I was gone? But now she also wanted to snap at
Raef: Look, it's not his fuckin' fault he couldn't find me. I was gone.

"Gabriel's good at his job," she said in a low
voice to Raef. "It isn't his fault I was gone." To Gabriel, she said:
"Maybe I didn't want you to know where I was, alright? Maybe it didn't
fucking matter if I was alive."

**Izzy:**

Gabriel started as if he was going to stand up, move towards
Raef, but Amethyst grabbed onto his pauldron tightly and he paused long enough
to look at Jasper with the same flat expression.

He was still for a second, then settled back.

"I'm not holding you responsible," he said lowly,
to Jasper, then cut his eyes back to Raef. "I'm explaining the fucking
situation."

Amethyst shifted her grip to hold onto his actual arm
instead of his armor. "We figured you and Abel were -- I mean, maybe not
dead, but maybe as good as. There wasn't time to get in touch with Azriel
because we knew the Sanguines would be on our tail, and then we got here, and
we thought he would be dead too. We thought we were the only ones left,"
she said softly. "We thought we were alone."

**Mink:**

 When Jasper spoke up, Raef leaned back against the couch.It felt tense, and he hadn't helped
that.He knew better than to rise to
any bait dangled out in front of him.Maybe
it was the situation, maybe it was Gabriel, maybe it was something else.

He kept quiet - he had nothing to add.Anything he did say could escalate things and they were Jasper's
family.If she was fine with this
then he would have to be too.

For now.

**Coyote:**

"Yeah. Well." Jasper shifted, staring at the
floor. "I'm-- sorry I-- put you through that."

**Izzy:**

Amethyst shook her head. "You didn't. I mean -- I think
if you'd been with us, and Azriel had, and Abel too -- I think she just
would've sent more people after us." She curled herself close against
Gabriel's side.

**Coyote:**

Jasper blew out her breath. Yeah, that was a good point. It
was good Amethyst and Gabriel were together now-- Gabe could help keep Amethyst
safe.

"Come on," she said. "I'll show you where you
can stay."

She'd... fucking figure it out, somehow. They all would.

**Coyote:**

[end]