Kelly couldn't help but stare. She was tired enough that she honestly wasn't sure if the woman in leather was joking or not. She did cut a striking figure. Janet, at least, seemed to be assuming she was joking, but Kelly would not have been the least bit surprised. This was one of Gabby's friends? Gabby had very interesting friends.
"Er ... sure." With a shake of her head Kelly left to go and find Saffron, who had been all but hiding in her room since Marr's arrest the day before. At least, that's what everyone had been assuming. Not all newcomers got private rooms, but for those who obviously needed the privacy to remain some equilibrium were given them. Saffron was one of those. No one had seen her at dinner or breakfast. Or lunch.
Kelly knocked firmly on the door, stifled a yawn, and said, "Saffron, there are some people here to see you. Um--a woman in leather and her student. Or something." A pause. "Are you okay? You haven't been out in twelve hours. We're getting a little worried. For the record, if I don't get a response I'm going to break down the door. Well, I'm not, because I have a master key, but I'm going to come in and make sure you're okay. I've done it before. I'll do it--"
The door opened. Kelly put a hand to her mouth, stopping a yawn, and waved. Saffron blinked at her. She was wearing an old-fashioned shift, the kind women used to wear instead of panties.
"Hi," Kelly mumbled. "Sorry to interrupt. What did I interrupt?"
"I was trying to meditate," Saffron admitted quietly, one hand gripping the skirt of the shift in a manner Kelly recognised well. She softened her voice.
"Did it work?"
"No."
"Is that a thing you do a lot?"
Saffron shrugged, not looking uncomfortable so much as uncertain. As though she wasn't used to people being interested. "Sometimes. It ... it helps pass the time."
"Until what?"
This time when Saffron shrugged it was with the sidelong-avoidance-gaze of something she really didn't want to talk about. Kelly didn't press. "Well, like I said, there's people to see you. Those two I mentioned and some kind of sketch artist, from Detective Pleasant's work. Janet said you don't have to talk to them if you don't want to."
"Tanith Low," Saffron said. "She's the only one who'd wear leather. At least, the only one who could pull it off. And probably Valkyrie Cain. I don't--I don't know who the sketch artist might be. And I do. Want to. See them, I mean." She reddened slightly and went back inside to find something more suitable to wear. Kelly wondered idly if that meant she was actually naked underneath. What kind of a place had she been living at before now? When she'd arrived she'd been wearing robes. Robes! Like a monk!
It was too soon to talk about, obviously, but Kelly knew it was some kind of cult and even that just made her more curious. Things like that usually only happened in books and crime-shows.
Saffron came out a few moments later in the jeans and dark-blue blouse Kelly had found for her. She wore them self-consciously, as if she wasn't used to them, but since she'd only had the clothes on her back when she came in Kelly had refused to just let her wash her robes and wear them day after day. (The fact that Saffron had been startled at the suggestion she shouldn't was only the topping.)
Within a few minutes they arrived at Janet's office, and walked in on a conversation with Tanith on the phone talking to someone who was apparently having some trouble making it over due to gridlock caused by a crash. The sound was up loud enough that Kelly could hear the tone of the woman on the other end; she didn't sound frantic, so much as ... well, frantic. Something about having to get there so she didn't let Sir someone-or-other down. Tanith was trying to calm her.
"I can sketch," Saffron offered quietly. "I had to all the time for diagrams and things. She doesn't have to come if she can't."
"What kind of a person do you all work for, if the thought of messing up makes people react like that?" Kelly muttered, not exactly quiet enough to be under her breath.
no subject
"Er ... sure." With a shake of her head Kelly left to go and find Saffron, who had been all but hiding in her room since Marr's arrest the day before. At least, that's what everyone had been assuming. Not all newcomers got private rooms, but for those who obviously needed the privacy to remain some equilibrium were given them. Saffron was one of those. No one had seen her at dinner or breakfast. Or lunch.
Kelly knocked firmly on the door, stifled a yawn, and said, "Saffron, there are some people here to see you. Um--a woman in leather and her student. Or something." A pause. "Are you okay? You haven't been out in twelve hours. We're getting a little worried. For the record, if I don't get a response I'm going to break down the door. Well, I'm not, because I have a master key, but I'm going to come in and make sure you're okay. I've done it before. I'll do it--"
The door opened. Kelly put a hand to her mouth, stopping a yawn, and waved. Saffron blinked at her. She was wearing an old-fashioned shift, the kind women used to wear instead of panties.
"Hi," Kelly mumbled. "Sorry to interrupt. What did I interrupt?"
"I was trying to meditate," Saffron admitted quietly, one hand gripping the skirt of the shift in a manner Kelly recognised well. She softened her voice.
"Did it work?"
"No."
"Is that a thing you do a lot?"
Saffron shrugged, not looking uncomfortable so much as uncertain. As though she wasn't used to people being interested. "Sometimes. It ... it helps pass the time."
"Until what?"
This time when Saffron shrugged it was with the sidelong-avoidance-gaze of something she really didn't want to talk about. Kelly didn't press. "Well, like I said, there's people to see you. Those two I mentioned and some kind of sketch artist, from Detective Pleasant's work. Janet said you don't have to talk to them if you don't want to."
"Tanith Low," Saffron said. "She's the only one who'd wear leather. At least, the only one who could pull it off. And probably Valkyrie Cain. I don't--I don't know who the sketch artist might be. And I do. Want to. See them, I mean." She reddened slightly and went back inside to find something more suitable to wear. Kelly wondered idly if that meant she was actually naked underneath. What kind of a place had she been living at before now? When she'd arrived she'd been wearing robes. Robes! Like a monk!
It was too soon to talk about, obviously, but Kelly knew it was some kind of cult and even that just made her more curious. Things like that usually only happened in books and crime-shows.
Saffron came out a few moments later in the jeans and dark-blue blouse Kelly had found for her. She wore them self-consciously, as if she wasn't used to them, but since she'd only had the clothes on her back when she came in Kelly had refused to just let her wash her robes and wear them day after day. (The fact that Saffron had been startled at the suggestion she shouldn't was only the topping.)
Within a few minutes they arrived at Janet's office, and walked in on a conversation with Tanith on the phone talking to someone who was apparently having some trouble making it over due to gridlock caused by a crash. The sound was up loud enough that Kelly could hear the tone of the woman on the other end; she didn't sound frantic, so much as ... well, frantic. Something about having to get there so she didn't let Sir someone-or-other down. Tanith was trying to calm her.
"I can sketch," Saffron offered quietly. "I had to all the time for diagrams and things. She doesn't have to come if she can't."
"What kind of a person do you all work for, if the thought of messing up makes people react like that?" Kelly muttered, not exactly quiet enough to be under her breath.