Way of the law (Woof)

Both Alonne and Jett shared a chuckle at Clair’s nervousness. “well that’s quite the unique name you’ve got there.” the owner would say, flashing a smile at the young girl. His attention would then shift to Jett. “The usual table I presume?”. Seeing as how Clair was struggling a bit with the setting and being around anyone that wasn’t Jett, the lawyer would shake her head. “Let’s change it up for today Alonne.” Jett didn’t have to elaborate much more than that. Alonne could see that Clair was uncomfortable.

With a nod in the girls direction he’d wave them on. “Right this way ladies, I have just the table for you.” He’d then lead them to a booth located towards the back of the restaurant. The nearest table to the booth was about ten feet away and the backs to the seats were high. It made it the perfect little secluded spot for Jett and her friend. “Enjoy!” he said giving the two a bow before rushing off to find a waiter for their table.

Jett eased herself into the seat and sat there quietly for a moment. She was eager to speak with Clair, but knew the waiter would be by any minuet. So, she settled in, and as she was in the process of removing her scarf, the waiter arrived. He greeted them both with a smile and proceeded to ask what they wanted to drink. Not giving Clair an option, Jett’s head snapped roughly in the direction of the waiter. “Two nice hot cups of tea please.” the waiter nodded and went off to fetch their drinks.

Now the two could talk. “This is a much better location to discuss business. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Jett’s left hand would reach up onto the table as it felt around for the sugar holder. Once she found it, she slid it close to the center of the table so it would be easier for the two of them to reach. “On to the matter at hand. The ‘Big Man’. His real name is Nathaniel Powers. He’s quite the character. Thinks he’s untouchable, just because he’s poured so much money and resources into the restoration of the city.” The pause in Jett’s speech was perfect as the waiter had returned with a kettle of tea and two cups. “This will be all for now thank you!”

“You need to eat!”
“In a little bit. I want to get a few things out first.”

Jett’s internal conversation would get carried out in the time it took her to grab several sugar packets out of the tray.

“Truth is, Mr. Powers is a native. Loves this city just as much as he does money. That doesn’t mean he isnt a deplorable individual as you’ve seen first hand. I’ve got a few ‘friends’ who have had run ins with him before. They’ve been doing what they can to help me build a case against him. And now you are to…..Are these pink?” she asked Clair, holding out the packets of sugar.

Clair would shrug, only to remember, once more. That physical communication was not a factor with Jett. Wow. She really needed to get with the program. "Yes. This is... Nice." Clair admitted. It was a nice little place. Certainly pleasant to the eyes during any conversation as painful as the one they were having in the safe, contained, isolated office...

Her thoughts moved from location to the matter at hand, as Jett had called it. After all, it was what the two of them were here for. And while the girl had nothing to offer as of yet, Jett spoke, and spoke, and her words filled Clair's head to the point of breaking. There were so many twists to Mr big. Well, Mr Powers. Why couldn't it have been so simple as, he's a bad man.

Yes he is evil, but why love a city when you're so... Able to kill and... She shook her head in disgust and pain. She hated that man. That was all she needed to know about him right now. "Umm... Yes? Yes... They're pink... Well, lightish red. Pink..." Clair felt herself blushing again and hid her cheeks behind her sleeves. Despite Jett, being blind and the only one watching her, Clair still felt the need to hide when she acted stupid like that.

"Umm... It's just. I don't know how I could help... My word doesn't help. And Mr B- Mr Powers... Showed he is very good at keeping his slate clean. Men at his... Disposal. A smart mind. And as you said. Money, and connections. You'd... You'd need hard evidence and more eye witnesses... And that seems impossible on both fronts." Clair mumbled bits, but the point was across. She thought about it. She really, really did. And every pathway had a wall. A impossibly tall, thick wall. With that mans face on it. Laughing. How do you beat that?

Jett smiled as Clair confirmed the color of the sugar packets. Gently tearing them open, the blind woman would skillfully empty the packets into her cup. She’d stir the sugar into the tea, the scraping of the metal spoon against the ceramic cup released a nice tune and rhythm as the girl spoke. “No one is invincible in this world, especially Mr. Powers.” Jett would place the spoon down on her napkin and then proceeded to take a sip of her tea. It was all done so effortlessly that one would think she most certainly wasn’t blind.

“While most of the things you said were true. The fact that Nathaniel craves power, ironic I know, more than anything, is his greatest flaw. His reach for control leaves many blind spots.” Jett placed her cup down on the table and leaned over the table a little. “While he may seem all powerful, he’s got plenty of people all vying for the seat he holds. As a good lawyer you take advantage of this. You don’t just sit behind a desk all day…..at least I don’t. Gotta put in some leg work.”

Leaning back in the chair, she’d flash the girl a smile. “I like to get out and do a little leg work of my own. Sure that’s what the police and detectives are for, but you cant trust all of them, especially in the world we live in. But that’s why we must do things by the book…..mostly. We have to prove…Show that no one is above the law, even when it may seem impossible.”

Clair slowly nodded. Somehow, Jett made it sound like there was hope the big man could be taken down. Clair had to have some hope. It stopped her from thinking of doing some stupid. It stopped her from possibly shaking at the fear that nothing could be done. Of course, her words still held a hidden sting that one may not have thought more of, but Clair did. A seat of power, that Mr Powers sat on. True to his name, he had power.

But take it away, and someone else steps in. Then the cycle continues... Right? But even then, Clair didn't have the answer she needed. The one thing she required from Jett... What part did the girl play? How did she play that part... And could she even attempt it? Do it... Finish it.

"Jett... Umm... Hmmm... Mmmm... Well... You said... I could help... How can I... Do that." Clair knew it wasn't going to include her mist... No. Jett wouldn't suggest something like that, not after what she said about vigilantism. Whatever it was, wasn't going to use her full use... Some part of Clair felt the pain of the idea of that. Helping in some small part... Not doing what she really could. The other part... The part torn between wanting to help and wanting to hide relished any way to help without being in any danger... But even being a lawyer... Was dangerous.

So what made it different. Being a lawyer and being a vigilante... Not that Clair wanted to be a Vigilante. She wanted to a hero. A person who didn't just stop bad people... But helped the good ones... Like Jett... Any way possible.

It seemed Jett’s hint was probably too subtle for Clair to get. She wasn’t clear enough. Jett smiled again. “I already told you dear. Leg work.” She’d take another sip of her tea before continuing. “You said we’d need a lot of evidence and eye witnesses to bring a guy like Mr. Powers down, well thats how we do it. We go out and look for eye witnesses and evidence.” If it were up to Jett, which technically it was, they’d walk down to Nathaniel’s office building and grill him in person. She’d done it a few times before, one of which was when she was preparing for Clair’s trial.

Still, if Clair was still traumatized about an event that happened a while ago, then a direct confrontation with the man responsible for getting her shot was not a good idea. Still, there were other people they could talk to. Jett sat in deep thought. She had to do something to get Clair in the mood, but it had to be easy. Something clicked in her mind. She hadn’t thought about it till now, and she didn’t know why.

The day Clair was busted, it was because she was trying to stop two of Nathaniel’s henchmen from robbing a pharmacy. This was very peculiar for a number of reasons. Mainly the fact that Nathaniel’s underlings were hardly ever seen around those types of places. Most of them patrolled the docks or spent their time hustling shop owners for ‘protection’ money. Obviously none of the store owners would come forward and the docks were too secure, but the pharmacy….there was an idea.

“I know a place we can start. But first….Lunch. And you are eating! So look over the menu.” Clair wanted to know what she could do to help, how she could bring down someone that seemed unreachable without powers, well Jett was going to show her first hand.

Clair's eyes widened.. Wait. Jett meant that Clair was going to go... With her. That... Wow. Clair hadn't expected that. Out of everything, that was what she expected the least, right alongside her saying. 'Go use your powers.' The girl wasn't sure how to answer. How do you answer to that. To go with the woman that inspires you to do her job that you someday hope to share with her. How do you even... Begin to describe that.

"Oh... Oh! You want me to come with you." She had to say it out loud, have it confirmed. Just to believe it. She couldn't say no to that. She couldn't even think no. Not only could she help... She'd have someone alongside her, knowing exactly what they're doing.

Maybe they could actually do something today. Make a change. But first, Jett said she had to eat... So. Clair was going to eat. Mumbling about a chicken schnitzel, before making herself louder so she could be heard, and hoping Jett would take that to the whoever came by to take their order.

Yea, today was better then any other day Clair has had in the past few weeks... But she wasn't going to just go talk to random people now... Not yet. Not ever. Not really.

“Well duh! I’m not just going to give you a few pointers and then throw you to the wolves. It took me years to get to where I’m at now. Consider this a head start on your studies.” Jett said with a smile. Jett stopped to think for a moment. Was making Clair tag along a good idea? The way Clair seemed so eager to become a lawyer, it was just born from the Jett’s good nature towards the young girl. Was this really what Clair wanted, or was she just gravitating towards the idea because Jett was a lawyer herself.

“Clair. I have to ask you something. You seem kind. You’ve got a big heart and a lot of compassion. Are you sure this is the kind of work you want to be doing?” Hopefully Jett could get a feel for where the girls head was when she answered the question.

“What are you thinking big guy? You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“We thinks she wants to do good but doesn't know where to start.”

“You don’t think she’s cut out for it?”

“She is, but necklace isn’t. We don’t trusts it!”

Jett took a moment to reflect on what Vaedren had said. He seemed to really not like that Necklace of hers. But why did he hate it so much? Rather than get the answer from him, Jett decided to get it from Clair.

Just then the waiter had decided to swing by the table to check on the two ladies. “Are you two ready to order?” Jett nodded her head and then pointed to Clair. “You first kid.”

Clair nodded to the answer she had hoped to be correct. To go with her was something she hadn't expected to be, yet it was true. Only to then be bombarded by a question she hadn't expected. Was this what she wanted.

She opened her mouth to answer. A yes perhaps. But then no words came out, and she closed it in thought. Was this what she wanted. Was it really. To be a lawyer... How did one answer that. She had had enough trouble answering what she wanted to be in school every single time it was asked. When she was finally certain, when she finally had an answer, she was stumped once again.

She remained silent in thought, while Jett seemed the same, till a voice came between them. Causing Clair to look up at him, Jett's voice in her ear... Did she have too... "Chi... Chick... Chicken schnitzel." She answered, looking down to the table and hoping he'd leave soon.

When he did, Clair looked to Jett, thinking that maybe she finally had an answer. "Well... I... I don't know. I have this... Fear. It use to be really bad. I could barely look at people I didn't know. After some time. Lots of people and after I foun.... It just became touch really. Touch, frightens me. Only really bad when it is someone of who I don't know." Clair confessed, a hand trailing to the moon like pendent on her neck, feeling calmer at the touch. She could be calm around Jett. The necklace just helped.

"If I want to help people... This seems like a good way for me. You know. I only have one year... Not even that of school left. After that I have to... I need to choose. And I've already done what study I could in my spare time."

Jett sort of mentally nodded as she heard Vaedren growl in their shared mind. He really didn’t like that pendant she wore around her neck. There didn’t seem to be anything that warranted such a response. Still, Jett trusted his judgement. He was ancient after all, he knew a few things. “Well that’s good to hear. I’m glad you can stick to your guns. It’s a top quality to have as a lawyer.” she’d say with a smile. Her head would tilt up in the waiters direction. He simply smiled and began scribbling down an order. “One Chicken Schnitzel for the young lady. And ‘The Usual’ for You Jett. I’ll go put these into the kitchen right now.”

“Clair, I hope you don’t mind my prying, but think you could tell me more about your necklace? You don’t have to if you don’t want to….Just curious is all.” Jett would take a sip of her tea as she waited to see if Clair would open up about the necklace a bit more. If she didn’t, well then Jett still have Vaedren to fall back on.

Clair smiled when Jett seemed to accept the answer, reassured that the choice she had made for her life seemed like a good one, Clair began to play with her fingers a bit, waiting for their lunch. After all, they were going to need the food if what came next was going to be as horrifying as Clair thought it would be.

Instead, however, Clair was surprised when Jett asked about her necklace, her pendant. Clair almost frowned, almost felt defensive about it. Why did she need to talk about it. It was just hers. Her source of power, her reason to still be alive. It didn't need to be talked...

Clair looked down in shock. Jett could be trusted. She didn't need to think any of those thoughts... Yea. She could trust Jett. She could... Even if for some reason, in the back of her mind, some part of her... Didn't.

"Ye... Yea. I can. Actually. When I said I was a meta... I kinda lied. Really... This necklace... The pendant... It is what allows me to... Do things. I shouldn't... I've never actually told anyone really." The girl felt herself blushing, but didn't bother hiding. After all, Jett was blind, and it seemed she was catching up to that fact. "Anyway... Some kids from my class, friends... Use to be... They got me to go out... We went to a abandoned art building. I got lost inside it..." She paused for a moment, her eyes glazing over, silent.

This stayed that way for nearly a minute, a soft haze began to form near bottom of the table, till she seemed to snap back into reality, a hand combing though her hair as she remembered the rest of the tale. "I ahh.. It'll sound weird but.. These... No. The shadows.. Well. It was like they were moving. Taking shape. Claws and teeth... It's stupid but I ran, found a room.. And inside... It was there... Moonlight... Calling to me... I... I don't... I woke up in bed... And I've worn it since." Clair smiled, a frown mixed with it. She seemed confused, her hands combing though her hair faster, her teeth pinching her lower lip harder, almost to the point she started to break the skin, but a strand of mist curled up near her lip from her shirt, reversing the damage before it really happened, and curling back under her shirt.

Jett did her best to hide her suspicion and unease as Clair retold the story of how she came into possession of the necklace. It sounded more like the charm had come into possession of the young girl instead. She didn’t take it off.…like ever? Of course this all sounded eerily familiar to the lawyer, but her situation was vastly different. At least Vaedren seemed to have a conscience….for whatever good it was. Jett now found herself sharing in Vaedren’s scrutiny of the necklace. “See! We tolds you. That necklace is evil!”

Jett found herself nodding in agreement with Vaedren, which coincidentally looked like she was nodding along to Clair’s story. She reached up, her hand hovering over the table a bit. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t quite find the words. Instead she’d just lower her hand softly onto the table. No sooner did her palm hit the cool wood it partially seized. Almost digging into the table. Luckily Vaedren caught himself before giving away the goose so to speak. Whatever that necklace was he really didn’t like it right now.

This was reinforced by the small layer of haze that began to form as Clair sort of dazed off. He was seconds away from taking control. It was a good thing Clair seemed to snap out of whatever haze it was that she was in. After the small spasm, Jett quickly withdrew her hand from the table. She couldn’t have Clair finding out about her demon passenger. Jett was the only person Clair seemed to trust and feel comfortable around. Imagine how the poor things world would get shattered if she found out that one of the monsters responsible for all her pain and suffering, was just beneath Jett’s skin.

The blind woman would seem to snap back to her own senses as the smell of food filled the air. “That’s quite the find! Have you tried researching it at all? Finding out where it might have come from?”

Clair would shrug, not noticing the mist herself, and it seemed as she thought and as the seconds passed, any sign of it began to seep back to her, vanishing into her clothing. It wasn't that she was just thinking about her pendent, it was that she was thinking about Jett. Not really, Jett... But the feeling around Jett. Clair couldn't describe it, but for a moment, it was like a presence hanged close to the surface of her skin, preparing to lash out, only to back down. It was the strangest thing...

"Umm... Yea... Yea I had. Not much to go on however. I tried to connect it to ying and yang, seeing as one side is dark, the other light, but they don't have the yang within and the ying and so on. But I just couldn't find anything about it. Except that maybe it came from a unique burial site, but the archeologist for that site, whoever she was, would be dead by now." Clair admitted. Looking a little down. She had really tried at first, but had soon given up after that find. Maybe a little too easily. But she didn't think about it.

But soon the weight of footsteps soon approached them and their meals were served, giving Clair something else to focus on, filling her empty stomach with the kind of food she had been depriving herself of as of late. "If she were still alive, maybe we could have the answers... But not a lot of people remain alive over a hundred, even people with a horn." Clair frowned to herself. The only one that could answer her questions, lost to time. It almost ruined her appetite.

Wanting to move away from the depressing thought, Clair looked to Jett with a more thoughtful look. "Umm, you said we'd be doing some leg work... What exactly will we be doing?"

Jett felt like chuckling about Clair’s assumption. Sure not most normal people lived past one hundred, but there were plenty of people cropping up each day that defied that logic. Plus, didn’t she just say the woman had a horn? “WAIT!!! We know someone with a horn!” Vaedren’s revelation and subsequent reminder almost made Jett spit out her tea. He was right. While Jett might not have been able to see her, Vaedren did. The demon was able to share vision and memories with Jett. The only reason he didn’t, was on Jett’s request. Despite having an easy out for her disability she refused the demons help.

This instance was different. Vaedren would flash an image of a red skinned demon girl, who sported a single horn and black hair. Neon blue markings on parts of her body. “So that’s what she looks like. You think she’s the same person Clair’s talking about?”

“We thinks it’s a possibility. dismissed the smell of Arcadian on the amulet as our own.”

Jett lowered her cup and chewed on the inside of her lip softly. It was a habit of hers. Something she always did when thinking about major things. Clair seemed to want answers about the necklace as much as Jett and Vaedren. They knew probably the only being on the planet that could give them that information. The real conundrum was whether to reveal what they knew or not. Jett was sure she could get the feisty Arcadian to play along and not reveal that Jett and Vaedren were a pair. But it was risky. If there was even the smallest slip up, it could ruin Clair.

It really put Jett in a hard spot. She really wanted to help the girl out. It would have to be for another time. “Right! Leg work! It’s actually something I should have done a while ago, but for some reason I didn’t have the thought till now.” Taking a moment to pause, Jett would take a sip of her tea and then cut into the thick juicy steak that was put in front of her. The thing was massive, something a small woman like Jett shouldn’t be able to pack away, but hey, she was eating for two technically.

“Mr. Powers’ men, while all career criminals, only do jobs at his request. Of course the orders are given through cutouts and what not, but they’re his orders none the less. So with that in mind…..Why would those two thugs that reported you, be trying to break into a pharmacy?”

Getting into her meal, Clair attempted to ignore the subtle shifts and movements coming from Jett, from heavy thought to... Something else. She wasn't sure. And she shouldn't be staring anyway, even if the blind woman would have never known.

It had made her want to say something about her fixing that. A lawyer shouldn't be making her thoughts known, but Clair remained silent, eating her meal and thinking about how she should pay the kind woman back for it. It also gave them a brief break from all the serious talk, which Clair didn't mind. It was good to just be... Nothing in her thoughts. Just breathing.

It didn't last of course, it never did. Soon Jett was speaking, giving Clair something to work out. Why did Mr Powers send two goons to that pharmacy. It actually gave the young girl cause, because her initial answer was money. But this was a man that could get money from several other, faster, cleaner ways. Maybe not entirely clean, but as clean as one could get when compared to robbery.

"Umm. Ah. Umm... Not money... Drugs? But why, a pharmacy wouldn't have much, and he'd have faster, less obvious ways to get drugs... Unless." Unless so many things. Maybe trade was down, maybe he wasn't as well connected in the drug... Drug. Powers. Power drugs. He made drugs that gave people enhanced strength. But why a pharmacy. "If he needs drugs for a trade or or his power drug, but is forced to robbery... It could mean he's desperate. Pulling from any source... Could mean someone is blocking his normal source. But not police, police would mean hiding, not being obvious... A rival? Someone blocking his trade or stealing his loot.." Clair began to mumble though her thoughts, loud enough to be heard. So many theories, yet no clear motive. Because she had too many theories. But what, out of all of those, seemed more clearly the motive... She didn't have enough information to know... Which is why ground work was needed. Huh. Being a lawyer must be difficult. Jett, being blind herself... Clair felt almost in awe for the woman. How did she do it?

Jett managed to crack a smirk after chewing on a piece of her steak. There it was. She was finally getting Clair to see what she had meant about leg work. The girl raised valid points. There were a number of reasons why Nathaniel would have his men shake down a pharmacy. The mention of drugs made the blind woman arch a brow. The confusion would fade as Vaedren would flash a memory to her of when Mr. Powers had used that strange inhaler. “So he’s manufacturing some sort of meta drugs! I’ll have to jot that down with all the other nefarious practices Nate’s got his hands in.”

Jett would cut off another piece of steak. After washing it down with a sip of tea she’d address the young girl again. “All of those are very good guesses. It’s important for us as lawyers to gather and go over as much evidence as we can. Never know when we might find something useful.”

Clair’s ideas were a good starting point in to figuring out what Nathaniel could have wanted with the Pharmacy that day. As far as she knew, he hadn’t attempted to go after any others after that day. Did he get what he was after? Did he manage to have his men hit up a different location? It was something for Jett to think about. Instead of wondering about Nathan, she wanted to know more about the place he was after. “Are there any details about the Pharmacy that you could share with me? I’ve never seen the place….for obvious reasons.”

Maybe there was something in the pharmacy’s details that Jett could pick out.

Clair smiled to the praise she was getting for her thoughts, but even still she knew that they were theories with no ground to support them, and she wasn't a licensed lawyer, not like Jett. The only way she could help was to be the woman's eyes wherever they went.. Or to find something and hand it to Jett personally.

She'd shake her head to the question about the pharmacy. What was... She didn't often go to those places anyway, so she couldn't tell... But maybe there was something off about what she saw when it came to the two criminals. Thinking hard about it, she frowned. And frowned. And then remembered that at least one of those criminals met a ghastly fate thanks to the monster. For some reason... She couldn't remember anything about the second ones fate.

"Well... When I was inside... First. Inside that place. They were opening this safe inside a wall. It was weird because it looked as if they had to move a bunch of things to get to it, and the rest of the place had looked trashed too in certain areas. But I spooked them before they got it opened fully..." The more she thought about what she said, the more she realized what had happened.

A hidden stash. Something they didn't know exactly where, but that it existed. If Mr Powers had sent them with the idea of getting this stash, he would have told them the exact location, yet the way they had trashed the place, looks as if they hadn't a clue. Just an idea on where... But who owned the hidden safe... And what was inside it.