Damica + Ravindra || TREASON and also that guy who died
Who: Damica and Ravindra
When: After Emi died :(((((
Where: Damica's house
Ratings & Warnings: PG
Ravi couldn't blame Damica for her reaction. To be perfectly fucking honest, he was freaking out, too. He just kept a lid on it until he could pull her out of the barracks and talk to her somewhere private. Unfortunately, the most private place he could think of was her house, which was a fair distance from the barracks, but the need to discuss this was desperate enough that he didn't care.
Once they were inside, with the door safely locked behind them, he turned to her and said, "I don't believe her for a minute that Grey attacked her."
Damica had spent much of the time after the announcement ordering guards away from their ledgers so they wouldn't start shit. With the Duchess. Perhaps she'd been a little paranoid, but with her own head on the line at that particular moment, she was not going to take any risks.
Being dragged away only made her restless, but, it was Ravi, so she relented. She did, however, stare at him after what he said. "I didn't even know he was a goddamned Other." Her expression wasn't angry, more... worried, possibly a bit terrified. "Whether he attacked her or not what the hell was he doing so close to her?"
"I did not either." That had been something of a shock, but it hadn't lasted long. Rasmus was an Other too, after all. It wasn't as if Ravi didn't know any.
And what was he doing so close to the duchess? Grey had to know how she felt about Others--everyone knew. "Maybe he did not think he would be caught." He considered briefly. "Or maybe he thought it was the last place she would look."
She shook her head, a hand rubbing over her face. "I know he's smart enough not to tell her. And if she was the only one around we'll never know what happened." And with Damica's head on the line, she wondered if she could find out who else in the Guard were Others.
She let her hand drop and looked to Ravi. "Do you know anyone else who is?"
Did he--did she? He stared at her a moment, wondering whether or not to mention Rasmus. He'd already promised not to tell her if she didn't already know, but the situation had changed. Ras and Damica and himself were all in danger if they didn't all take steps to keep this from getting found out.
He sighed, settling a hand over his eyes, and paused before answering. Forgive him, Ras. This was more important than keeping your secret. "Rasmus."
"Rasmus," she repeated, thinking about that. She hadn't really expected him. Well, she hadn't really expected anyone. Though Rasmus did make the most sense, considering his size. Did people where he came from even get that tall? "No one else you know of?"
He shook his head. Ras was the only Other in the Guard that he knew of, but he was sure there were more. He let his hand fall, looking to Damica again. "He asked me not to tell you. Don't let on that you know, please."
She shook her own head. "I don't know unless it becomes necessary for me to." She hoped that would never happen, though with everything that goes on in this city, it likely would sooner or later. So she hoped for later.
Damica moved to sit at the small table across from the door. Once there she looked up at Ravi and nodded her head to the other chair. "Unless you'd rather pace or such."
He would rather pace, but he did at least follow to that side of the room. He paused at the table, one hand on it, looking down at it. After everything Grey had done for the royal family, the duchess had still killed him. Probably without even a second thought. Made up an excuse so she wouldn't look like a complete monster, but Ravi was sure it was the other way around, if Grey had really even wounded her at all.
She had called him and Damica out specifically. She already had Ravi set up to suffer public backlash once another murder like Myron's took place, and now she was going to pull Damica into it if Rasmus got found out... Fuck, he shouldn't have told her about Rasmus. That way she could retain plausible deniability.
He frowned, glowering down at the table. "I wish there was anything we could do."
Damica was hardly worried about being pulled into it. Simply by speaking to the Duchess and vowing to ensure no other Others were found out within the ranks, she'd put herself in it. 'For your sake, Lieutenant' were very heavy words for her.
"Make sure they don't find out about anyone else. I don't want to be ordered to kill them if they do." She rubbed her face again, then peered up at Ravi through her fingers. "And there's no way to find out about anyone else without looking foolish, and even if I asked, I doubt any of them would tell me anyway." She could at least be certain to keep Rasmus from making Royal Guard. It would be safer if he stayed as far from the royal family as possible.
"I don't want to be ordered to kill them if they do." The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He was sure the duchess would want to do it herself, but of course she would be cruel enough to test their loyalty in such a way. The idea of being forced to kill Rasmus himself... He sank into the chair across from Damica, the hurt on his face subtle, but clear enough.
He couldn't even give Damica a response. His mind was filled with the image of Rasmus on the chopping block and Katrin handing him a sword.
She realized too late that he hadn't even considered that option, and shut her eyes, letting out a slow sigh. What would she even do if it came down to that? Thinking about any of the guards, she couldn't think of even one she would be able to kill if ordered, not even Anson, as annoying as he could be. She'd probably miss his instigating.
Damica let her hand fall to the table and leaned back in the chair, slouching. "We need to make damned sure no others are found out. Especially him. Talk to him, make sure he has places he can go if he needs to." Hell, any could be accused and hung or worse just to suit the fancy of the time. She worried about it turning into a witch hunt more-so than when the mobs were out.
Yes, he would definitely talk to Rasmus. He nodded, straightening himself out, pulling himself back to reality. He couldn't afford to get mired in maybes.
Katrin's actions were inexcusable, as far as he was concerned. Now more than ever he was convinced she'd set up Myron's death herself to start a witch-hunt. Had declared Rohaly the killer so nobody would find her out. Had put his head on a spike to encourage hatred of Others among the people. Had killed a Guard--somebody as competent and loyal as Emilian Grey--and made up an excuse to make it sound like he had only taken his position as a ploy to hurt the Royal Family. And she was willing to kill anybody who questioned her or got in her way.
"The duchess wants a war," he said. "I am sure of it."
"I was sure of it before this." After the Duchess had declared Rohaly the killer, then had someone else make that declaration public, along with what little was said in conversation over the ordeal... well, that had pretty much put in Damica's mind that Katrin wanted a war. "When she put Tamas' head on a pike. I'm pretty sure she was trying to stir up the Others, if not the Hour, into causing trouble so she could take them out. I worry about what she'll do next. Or if anyone else is involved who could make things worse."
"No, I think she is trying to stir up hate for Others in the people. But, in the end, it is the same result." It wasn't anything to argue about, anyway. Details. He felt stupid for pointing it out.
Ravi pushed himself up from the chair and started pacing. Half to distance himself from the conversation, and half because he was restless and wanted to take it out on her furniture again and didn't think that was really a great idea. He paused on the other side of the room, turning to face her, but his eyes were focused on the middle-distance of the floor instead of on her. His arms folded. "What I want to know is," his eyes lifted, meeting hers, "who told the duchess he was an Other?"
"That's just it. You stir up one side to hate the other, and the other side to hate them back. Eventually one side will snap, and the other side will retaliate. Thus a war. She's playing chess, with Others on one side and humans on the other."
Her eyes watched Ravi's pacing, though she stayed seated. She'd done all her pacing back at the barracks. And no Ravi she would not appreciate you throwing her furniture around. :| Who told? "Did anyone even tell? I can think of a few ways to goad someone into telling themselves, or showing sign of it. If it was someone else who gave her the information, I would like to know who, but I didn't even know, and neither did you, so I don't see how we figure out who did."
No, someone had told, he was sure. Grey hadn't lived beside the duchess as long as he had by being stupid. But Damica was right, it was unlikely they'd ever find out who. He sighed, brows furrowed in frustration. He wished the duchess would just fucking get killed already, but he wasn't going to mention that sentiment aloud.
"Life is not a game of chess," he said. "Does she even know what she is tempting? Does she realize what will happen if humans and Others are at war? It is not as though a god will come down and save us--and if he did, they would call him an Other also."
Damica let out a harsh laugh, despite herself. The idea of Cita coming down and being labelled an Other! And, sadly, it was viable. A groan followed the short laugh, and then a sigh. "I don't know. She may not realize how many Others there are, hell, I don't even know how many there are, but she may be under the impression that if there were a war, it would be a simple matter to dispose of them and the Hour, with the Citadel and Guard on her side, never mind any citizens she can sway against them."
She shook her head. "As far as she's concerned, and humans that die are necessary losses for the greater good."
"She is a fool!" It came out more vehement than he meant it to, but he didn't regret it. "Even if her side wins, there are too many powerful Others for the fight to not leave the kingdom in ruins. She will gain nothing by this. I want to know what she is even thinking, is she really so--" He gestured vaguely, struggling for the right word. Stupid, foolish, full of herself. "--egotistical to think that what she is doing will turn out good for her?"
She shrugged. "When someone in power hates something so strongly that they wish to rid the world of it, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them from trying. I agree, she is a fool. Whether this is what she is striving for or not, it will be the outcome if she isn't stopped. But what can we do? All we can do is try to prevent it from happening, slow it down, and hope that someone stops her before it is too late." That was all they could do, wasn't it?
Damica did consider the idea of trying to take part in stopping the Duchess, but... who would she even talk to about it? Who would she trust? She was just a guard. An Lt, yes, but still just a guard. She let out a heavy sigh.
He sighed. She was right, of course. There really wasn't a single thing they could do, not directly. He paced back over to the chair, sat, and propped his head in his hand as he stared down at the table again.
Emilian was dead. It still hadn't quite hit him, yet. It still felt like a nebulous fact with no emotional impact. He wondered how long it would take to sink in. How long had it taken for Alex's death to sink in? No, he didn't want to think about that. He straightened, letting his hands move to the edge of the table, and turned his eyes up to Damica.
He kept changing the subject on her, he realized, but his thoughts were just so jumbled that he couldn't concentrate on one chain, and couldn't keep track of what he was responding to aloud and what he was responding to only in his thoughts. "I do not think there will be an official funeral for Sergeant Grey," he said. He didn't finish off the rest of the thought, because he assumed she'd understand that he meant they should hold one for him.
Damica was pretty quiet tonight. Tired, mostly, with everything that's been going on, her actions at the barracks, her own role in this whole mess. She just watched his pacing, then nodded as he spoke. Her mouth opened, then closed again, and she looked down at the table for a moment before her gaze rose back to his face. "We could do something. It would have to be small, though, to not call unwanted attention on us for mourning the death of an Other."
Her eyes closed after she said that. 'Mourning the death of an Other' - just the idea that such could get one into trouble in this city was upsetting. The further thought that anyone could be called an Other and then killed, and no one would be able to openly mourn their deaths... Admittedly, she hadn't known Emilian very well, but there were those who did. And what if the next one were someone she were close to? Cita, this was such a mess.
He nodded. "Yes." How cruel it was to not allow a man's friends to mourn him simply because he wasn't human. The idea alone, only suspicion at this point, made him angry. It was a well-known fact that funerals were not for the dead, they were for the living to express and deal with their grief. To refuse them that...
He really hated Katrin Bharquite.
"We can do it at the Coil, and say it is only our usual gathering." It was probably the best they could do without calling any undue attention to themselves.
She nodded, eyes opening again to look to him. "That would work." It wouldn't need much arranging, really. Just word of mouth to get those who'd be interested to attend, then everyone could say what they needed to be at ease. Likely it would lead to drinking, but that was what the locale was for. Hah, and after Emilian's last post on the ledgers, somehow fitting as a send-off.
So that was one thing taken care of. And their other concerns were...to keep Ras from being found out, and to just hope really hard that the two of them didn't end up losing their head over the duchess's whims.
"I will go speak with Rasmus," he told her, pushing himself up from the chair. For now it was better to concentrate on the things he could affect, and not to worry about the ones he couldn't. He'd have plenty of time for that while he was lying awake in bed tonight.
When: After Emi died :(((((
Where: Damica's house
Ratings & Warnings: PG
Ravi couldn't blame Damica for her reaction. To be perfectly fucking honest, he was freaking out, too. He just kept a lid on it until he could pull her out of the barracks and talk to her somewhere private. Unfortunately, the most private place he could think of was her house, which was a fair distance from the barracks, but the need to discuss this was desperate enough that he didn't care.
Once they were inside, with the door safely locked behind them, he turned to her and said, "I don't believe her for a minute that Grey attacked her."
Damica had spent much of the time after the announcement ordering guards away from their ledgers so they wouldn't start shit. With the Duchess. Perhaps she'd been a little paranoid, but with her own head on the line at that particular moment, she was not going to take any risks.
Being dragged away only made her restless, but, it was Ravi, so she relented. She did, however, stare at him after what he said. "I didn't even know he was a goddamned Other." Her expression wasn't angry, more... worried, possibly a bit terrified. "Whether he attacked her or not what the hell was he doing so close to her?"
"I did not either." That had been something of a shock, but it hadn't lasted long. Rasmus was an Other too, after all. It wasn't as if Ravi didn't know any.
And what was he doing so close to the duchess? Grey had to know how she felt about Others--everyone knew. "Maybe he did not think he would be caught." He considered briefly. "Or maybe he thought it was the last place she would look."
She shook her head, a hand rubbing over her face. "I know he's smart enough not to tell her. And if she was the only one around we'll never know what happened." And with Damica's head on the line, she wondered if she could find out who else in the Guard were Others.
She let her hand drop and looked to Ravi. "Do you know anyone else who is?"
Did he--did she? He stared at her a moment, wondering whether or not to mention Rasmus. He'd already promised not to tell her if she didn't already know, but the situation had changed. Ras and Damica and himself were all in danger if they didn't all take steps to keep this from getting found out.
He sighed, settling a hand over his eyes, and paused before answering. Forgive him, Ras. This was more important than keeping your secret. "Rasmus."
"Rasmus," she repeated, thinking about that. She hadn't really expected him. Well, she hadn't really expected anyone. Though Rasmus did make the most sense, considering his size. Did people where he came from even get that tall? "No one else you know of?"
He shook his head. Ras was the only Other in the Guard that he knew of, but he was sure there were more. He let his hand fall, looking to Damica again. "He asked me not to tell you. Don't let on that you know, please."
She shook her own head. "I don't know unless it becomes necessary for me to." She hoped that would never happen, though with everything that goes on in this city, it likely would sooner or later. So she hoped for later.
Damica moved to sit at the small table across from the door. Once there she looked up at Ravi and nodded her head to the other chair. "Unless you'd rather pace or such."
He would rather pace, but he did at least follow to that side of the room. He paused at the table, one hand on it, looking down at it. After everything Grey had done for the royal family, the duchess had still killed him. Probably without even a second thought. Made up an excuse so she wouldn't look like a complete monster, but Ravi was sure it was the other way around, if Grey had really even wounded her at all.
She had called him and Damica out specifically. She already had Ravi set up to suffer public backlash once another murder like Myron's took place, and now she was going to pull Damica into it if Rasmus got found out... Fuck, he shouldn't have told her about Rasmus. That way she could retain plausible deniability.
He frowned, glowering down at the table. "I wish there was anything we could do."
Damica was hardly worried about being pulled into it. Simply by speaking to the Duchess and vowing to ensure no other Others were found out within the ranks, she'd put herself in it. 'For your sake, Lieutenant' were very heavy words for her.
"Make sure they don't find out about anyone else. I don't want to be ordered to kill them if they do." She rubbed her face again, then peered up at Ravi through her fingers. "And there's no way to find out about anyone else without looking foolish, and even if I asked, I doubt any of them would tell me anyway." She could at least be certain to keep Rasmus from making Royal Guard. It would be safer if he stayed as far from the royal family as possible.
"I don't want to be ordered to kill them if they do." The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. He was sure the duchess would want to do it herself, but of course she would be cruel enough to test their loyalty in such a way. The idea of being forced to kill Rasmus himself... He sank into the chair across from Damica, the hurt on his face subtle, but clear enough.
He couldn't even give Damica a response. His mind was filled with the image of Rasmus on the chopping block and Katrin handing him a sword.
She realized too late that he hadn't even considered that option, and shut her eyes, letting out a slow sigh. What would she even do if it came down to that? Thinking about any of the guards, she couldn't think of even one she would be able to kill if ordered, not even Anson, as annoying as he could be. She'd probably miss his instigating.
Damica let her hand fall to the table and leaned back in the chair, slouching. "We need to make damned sure no others are found out. Especially him. Talk to him, make sure he has places he can go if he needs to." Hell, any could be accused and hung or worse just to suit the fancy of the time. She worried about it turning into a witch hunt more-so than when the mobs were out.
Yes, he would definitely talk to Rasmus. He nodded, straightening himself out, pulling himself back to reality. He couldn't afford to get mired in maybes.
Katrin's actions were inexcusable, as far as he was concerned. Now more than ever he was convinced she'd set up Myron's death herself to start a witch-hunt. Had declared Rohaly the killer so nobody would find her out. Had put his head on a spike to encourage hatred of Others among the people. Had killed a Guard--somebody as competent and loyal as Emilian Grey--and made up an excuse to make it sound like he had only taken his position as a ploy to hurt the Royal Family. And she was willing to kill anybody who questioned her or got in her way.
"The duchess wants a war," he said. "I am sure of it."
"I was sure of it before this." After the Duchess had declared Rohaly the killer, then had someone else make that declaration public, along with what little was said in conversation over the ordeal... well, that had pretty much put in Damica's mind that Katrin wanted a war. "When she put Tamas' head on a pike. I'm pretty sure she was trying to stir up the Others, if not the Hour, into causing trouble so she could take them out. I worry about what she'll do next. Or if anyone else is involved who could make things worse."
"No, I think she is trying to stir up hate for Others in the people. But, in the end, it is the same result." It wasn't anything to argue about, anyway. Details. He felt stupid for pointing it out.
Ravi pushed himself up from the chair and started pacing. Half to distance himself from the conversation, and half because he was restless and wanted to take it out on her furniture again and didn't think that was really a great idea. He paused on the other side of the room, turning to face her, but his eyes were focused on the middle-distance of the floor instead of on her. His arms folded. "What I want to know is," his eyes lifted, meeting hers, "who told the duchess he was an Other?"
"That's just it. You stir up one side to hate the other, and the other side to hate them back. Eventually one side will snap, and the other side will retaliate. Thus a war. She's playing chess, with Others on one side and humans on the other."
Her eyes watched Ravi's pacing, though she stayed seated. She'd done all her pacing back at the barracks. And no Ravi she would not appreciate you throwing her furniture around. :| Who told? "Did anyone even tell? I can think of a few ways to goad someone into telling themselves, or showing sign of it. If it was someone else who gave her the information, I would like to know who, but I didn't even know, and neither did you, so I don't see how we figure out who did."
No, someone had told, he was sure. Grey hadn't lived beside the duchess as long as he had by being stupid. But Damica was right, it was unlikely they'd ever find out who. He sighed, brows furrowed in frustration. He wished the duchess would just fucking get killed already, but he wasn't going to mention that sentiment aloud.
"Life is not a game of chess," he said. "Does she even know what she is tempting? Does she realize what will happen if humans and Others are at war? It is not as though a god will come down and save us--and if he did, they would call him an Other also."
Damica let out a harsh laugh, despite herself. The idea of Cita coming down and being labelled an Other! And, sadly, it was viable. A groan followed the short laugh, and then a sigh. "I don't know. She may not realize how many Others there are, hell, I don't even know how many there are, but she may be under the impression that if there were a war, it would be a simple matter to dispose of them and the Hour, with the Citadel and Guard on her side, never mind any citizens she can sway against them."
She shook her head. "As far as she's concerned, and humans that die are necessary losses for the greater good."
"She is a fool!" It came out more vehement than he meant it to, but he didn't regret it. "Even if her side wins, there are too many powerful Others for the fight to not leave the kingdom in ruins. She will gain nothing by this. I want to know what she is even thinking, is she really so--" He gestured vaguely, struggling for the right word. Stupid, foolish, full of herself. "--egotistical to think that what she is doing will turn out good for her?"
She shrugged. "When someone in power hates something so strongly that they wish to rid the world of it, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them from trying. I agree, she is a fool. Whether this is what she is striving for or not, it will be the outcome if she isn't stopped. But what can we do? All we can do is try to prevent it from happening, slow it down, and hope that someone stops her before it is too late." That was all they could do, wasn't it?
Damica did consider the idea of trying to take part in stopping the Duchess, but... who would she even talk to about it? Who would she trust? She was just a guard. An Lt, yes, but still just a guard. She let out a heavy sigh.
He sighed. She was right, of course. There really wasn't a single thing they could do, not directly. He paced back over to the chair, sat, and propped his head in his hand as he stared down at the table again.
Emilian was dead. It still hadn't quite hit him, yet. It still felt like a nebulous fact with no emotional impact. He wondered how long it would take to sink in. How long had it taken for Alex's death to sink in? No, he didn't want to think about that. He straightened, letting his hands move to the edge of the table, and turned his eyes up to Damica.
He kept changing the subject on her, he realized, but his thoughts were just so jumbled that he couldn't concentrate on one chain, and couldn't keep track of what he was responding to aloud and what he was responding to only in his thoughts. "I do not think there will be an official funeral for Sergeant Grey," he said. He didn't finish off the rest of the thought, because he assumed she'd understand that he meant they should hold one for him.
Damica was pretty quiet tonight. Tired, mostly, with everything that's been going on, her actions at the barracks, her own role in this whole mess. She just watched his pacing, then nodded as he spoke. Her mouth opened, then closed again, and she looked down at the table for a moment before her gaze rose back to his face. "We could do something. It would have to be small, though, to not call unwanted attention on us for mourning the death of an Other."
Her eyes closed after she said that. 'Mourning the death of an Other' - just the idea that such could get one into trouble in this city was upsetting. The further thought that anyone could be called an Other and then killed, and no one would be able to openly mourn their deaths... Admittedly, she hadn't known Emilian very well, but there were those who did. And what if the next one were someone she were close to? Cita, this was such a mess.
He nodded. "Yes." How cruel it was to not allow a man's friends to mourn him simply because he wasn't human. The idea alone, only suspicion at this point, made him angry. It was a well-known fact that funerals were not for the dead, they were for the living to express and deal with their grief. To refuse them that...
He really hated Katrin Bharquite.
"We can do it at the Coil, and say it is only our usual gathering." It was probably the best they could do without calling any undue attention to themselves.
She nodded, eyes opening again to look to him. "That would work." It wouldn't need much arranging, really. Just word of mouth to get those who'd be interested to attend, then everyone could say what they needed to be at ease. Likely it would lead to drinking, but that was what the locale was for. Hah, and after Emilian's last post on the ledgers, somehow fitting as a send-off.
So that was one thing taken care of. And their other concerns were...to keep Ras from being found out, and to just hope really hard that the two of them didn't end up losing their head over the duchess's whims.
"I will go speak with Rasmus," he told her, pushing himself up from the chair. For now it was better to concentrate on the things he could affect, and not to worry about the ones he couldn't. He'd have plenty of time for that while he was lying awake in bed tonight.