Players:
Summary: Tabitha pays a visit to Kalindi's house; and then pays a visit to Kalindi's father.
Date: March 3, 2012
Log Title: Where's My Girlfriend?
Rating: PG
NYC - Midtown Apartments (Kalindi's Apartment)
Kalindi's apartment is quite well taken care of, since at any given time, one or two servants of Umbalificos mill about, taking care of things for her. They look like normal servants, though one might question why someone with servants would choose to live in an apartment. What's even more odd is that there doesn't seem to be much furniture: there is a chair sitting at a computer desk, the computer that sits on it looking to be almost perpetually off. There is also a shelf on which rests many toys that seem more suitable for a child than a teen, some action figures of heroes and villains and some figurines of ponies, but they seem to have never been touched. Otherwise, her livingroom is quite bare.
Her kitchen, however, seems to be quite well stocked with both ingrediants and tools, and it seems likely that Kali spends a lot of time preparing food. It seems that she takes meals pretty seriously.
The door, knocked on; Tabitha stands outside of it, waiting to be let in. She's quite confident she will be, too, even though Kalindi didn't manage to give her a key before being, well, kidnapped. Abducted. Stolen. Tabitha's hands are shoved down in her pockets, and she shifts nervously from foot to foot as she waits the interminable seconds for the door to be opened.
One of Kalindi's servants come to the door, a middle aged woman with kind of tired eyes who is sometimes seen around the apartment doing odd chores. Her eyes fall upon Tabitha and she says, "Oh, it's you. Come in…"
Tabitha slips inside, and waits for the woman to close the door behind her. "Yes, it's me," she replies, hands still thrust in her pockets. "…Any… sign of Kalindi?" One last try; one last question asked, to see if maybe her disappearance has all just been a nightmare or a mistake. The strain in the rat girl's voice is plain, of course, as she rocks back and forth on her feet, waiting for an answer that she knows she doesn't want to hear.
"Did nobody contact you? Many of us thought that she was with you. The mistress mentioned awhile ago that she was going to celebrate your eighteenth birthday with you, and some of us believed that would mean more… overnight visits," says the woman, giving a scrutinizing look towards Tabitha, "She has not returned. The master is concerned for his child."
Tabitha visibly deflates, and a loud sigh escapes her lips. "No, she's not with me," she replies. "There's been some kidnappings. I don't really know many details… I just know that a mutual friend of ours is missing too." She pauses, and arches her back as she screws up her courage. "I want to speak to her father," she says at last. "Directly."
"With her father?" repeats the servant, rather surprised at that, and she adjusts her clothing nervously, "Are you sure that you want to do that? We don't like to disturb the master for everyone… But if he will speak, it will be through one of us or through a portal. You can't see him face to face, not without the mistress."
"Yes, I want to do that," Tabitha replies. "Kalindi fought like mad to protect me just recently, when someone was threatening my life. I owe her the same." She pauses, and shrugs her shoulders. "And even if I didn't, I love her, so I'd be doing it anyway. …I have to ask him if he knows anything… I have to try. Through a portal would be fine, or through one of you… Whatever you have to do."
The servant frowns slightly at what Tabitha says and gestures her further in, walking through the apartment to Kali's room, "Come now… I will call him through the mirror, and he will reply if he wants to."
The rat girl doesn't react to the frown; after all, the woman is a servant, and Tabitha is the loved one of this servant's Mistress. She does keep her hands firmly thrust in her pockets, as she follows into Kalindi's bedroom. "Alright," she replies, trying hard to keep any trace of uncertainty or fear out of her voice. "Anything I need to do? Or just… stand and be quiet?"
The woman just gestures towards the bed for Tabitha to sit down on it, and she starts speaking some words at the mirror, her hair seeming to float up weightlessly for a moment, before she takes a few steps away and stands next to the mirror, facing Tabitha with a blank expression as she uses herself as a conduit for communication. The mirror blackens.
Tabitha sits on the edge of the bed, leaning over to one side and propping herself up with one hand. She watches impassively as the summoning is undertaken, and her breath catches in her throat. …And then the mirror is turning black; Tabitha can't contain herself any longer. She jumps up to her feet and approaches the mirror, reaching out with her fingerst to touch it. She stops just short, and lets her hand fall back to her side. "Hello?" she murmurs, and her ears turn red on the insides as she blushes, feeling akward. How /do/ you talk to the demonic father of your girlfriend, anyway?
Soon enough, a face appears in the mirror. A four eyed creature with dark eyes and jet black skin peers through, irridescent glowing patches seeming to be at the creatures joints, and a long tail that seems to be tipped with an axe light shape covered in the same irridescence. The creatures is kind of beautiful in its own way, and its four arms cross together on its chest, as Umbalificos speaks through the mirror, echoed by the woman servant, "Who is this girl?" The creature's accent is a lot like that implaceable part of Kalindi's. "What does this girl want?"
Tabitha is silent for a long moment, her jaw hanging somehwat slack, as hse actually finds herself face to face with a demon; something for which she certainly is not as prepared as she thought she was. Eventually she realizes that this is the case, and clamps her teeth together audibly; though of course, being a rat as she is, her front teeth still manage ot stick out a bit. "I am Tabitha Jones," she replies at last, sounding timid and a little bit terrified; but she swallows noisily, and when she speaks again her voice sounds stronger, bolder. "I am… Kalindi's girlfriend. I love her, and she loves me. …But she's gone missing. Several girls have been kidnapped, and I think they took her, too. I want to know how I may find her and how I can rescue her from whatever danger she's in."
Umbalificos stares for a moment at Tabitha and says, "This girl has been mentioned. This Tabitha Jones." The demon is seemingly satisfied with that answer and he says, "My Daughter, I fear for the worst. Her connection to me has been severed, but her soul has not returned to me… I do not think that she is dead, but if she is, her very soul has been torn asunder." The creatures bares its teeth, rows of sharp fangs, "That is not something I will abide by. Who took her?"
Tabitha gasps sharply, and clasps her hands over her heart. "What? I—no! That can't be. She can't be dead, you have to be right about that, she isn't dead." She pauses, and nods her head once. "She isn't dead," she affirms once more, gathering her confidence. "I don't know who took her. I really don't know *anything*. That was why I asked to talk to you… I was hoping you would be able to tell me something, or… or /do/ something to help me find her. Because I want her back, too… No, I need her back. Like I said, I love her."
"I do not understand the human love," says Umbalificos, rather indifferently, "It does not mean anything to me. I do not understand the human biology, and the brain chemicals that make such feelings. But my Daughter is my soul, child, and for someone to destroy her so completely… they would only earn my wrath." The demon stares forward for a moment and then says, "It is not within my powers on the Earthworld to find her. She /is/ my power on the Earthworld. My servants, they will seek her. You will lead them, they are at your disposal."
Tabitha pauses, and nods her head quickly. "As you wish," she replies. "Thank you. I will do everything I can, to bring her back. And if she has been hurt, then… then they're going to regret it." Her jaw sets, and she crosses her arms across her chest, beneath her breasts. "Thank you for coming to see me," she adds. "Is there anything else I should know? I know she's keen on gold, so I'll be sure to bring as much as I can carry for her."
"Until she is returned, you will guide my people. Guide them well, child, or I will be very disappointed," says Umbalificos, "They will report to me everything that you have them do. Bring to her gold, and protect her with your life, yes?"
"Yes," Tabitha replies. "Fortunately, I am extremely difficult to kill. …We have proved this." She backs away from the mirror, and nods. "I'll talk to you again in a week, then? Wether or not your servants have managed to find anything by then. So far it seems to be stumping everyone. …But I don't intend to quit."
"Good. Then do not quit. I will be waiting to hear things," says Umbalificos, before the mirror darkens once again, and when it lightens it is just a reflection. The servant next to the mirror falls to her knees and puts her hand up to her head.
Tabitha watches as the servant drops to her knees, and reaches up to scratch the back of her head. "Uhh… right." She pauses, and steps back to sit on the bed once more. "Are you alright? And, how much of all that did you hear?" She waits to see if the woman is alright, or at least paying attention, before saying anything else.
The woman stands back up and says, "I heard it all. I was using myself as a conduit for the master to speak… I understand. And I am quite fine."
Tabitha nods slowly. "Alright," she replies. "You sure? Because, I think we have work to do." She pauses, and taps her fingertips together. "I need a list of all of Kalindi's servants, with information on their skills, positions, and pertinent assets. And I'm going to need it fairly quickly, right?"
The woman nods once and then says, "It will be done, ma'am." She tilts her head slightly and says, "IS there anything else you will need me to prepare?"
Tabitha shakes her head slowly. "Not yet," she replies, as she takes the liberty of sprawling out on Kalindi's bed. "You could get a pot of coffee brewing, though. I have a feeling we're going to need it."
