Fantasy FTK: Black Rose Detective Agency

[Jodyguru]

“Well we are not in the temple, technically. Hehehe. Ta ta, friends” he stepped into the temple and started to fix the altar.
It was also a crime to deface a holy temple like Toby had. The slap was his punishment.
Toby realized this and his eyes welled up with water. “Let’s go, Rhi. I think he let me off easy.”
The pain went away, and in its place came clarity. The sun was shining a little brighter.
Toby and Rheitz headed down the street towards Black Rose.
“I don’t know, the slap kinda did the trick. I can feel Mitra’s light again. So, do you think it’s true what he said? Did Lautrec... get caught eating blood?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz gave Tobias a surprised look.
"You would believe him?! After the scars you saw on my Boss's back, you'd believe him?"
Rheitz felt...betrayed. No, that wasn't it. She was disappointed. How could he even consider believing that sadistic cleric?
He had seen the scars on Lautrec's back so why would he even start to believe a word that man said?!

 

[Jodyguru]

Toby looked at her and wished to explain.
“Well, he knows I’m going to fact check him. Why lie? You’ve fed Leore snakes, rats, and birds before. Is it such a stretch to imagine he might try human blood if nobody was looking? Lautrec is a good guy, but nobody’s perfect.”

“My body screams for it so often, it’s hard to contain the blood lust.” Lautrec’s voice was in her mind.
He had been open about his desires in the past, but he never said anything about that night with Aida, not until it was forced out of him.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Was it possible? No, she couldn't think that. Never. Her Boss would never do such a thing. He was stronger than that!
Rheitz shook her head, "Even if he does eat rats and things, I don't think he would do that. Plus, he's occasionally been to blood brothels, though he doesn't advertise it. He wouldn't kill illegally to sate his need."

 

[Jodyguru]

Toby put a hand up. “Ah, but Meimar said nothing of a corpse. If the man survived the assault, and his bloody knife was in Aida’s possession... well, you’ve let me lick the spoon when you cook dinner.”
The crime scene was clear in his mind. He could see how it all went down. Even if Lautrec gave in for a second, he’d have no case.
“Look, I’m sure Lautrec will confirm or deny it for us. Even if it was true, he’s not that person anymore.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz turned to glare at the pavement, though she still felt that she would be winning this argument.
"Fine. I'm right anyway." She stuck a finger at Tobias, "I'm not letting you lick the spoon anymore."
She walked quickly to the car and slid into the passenger seat, crossing her arms in stubborn opposition.

...

Delilah studied the file she had collected on the blood dealer's history, pulling the cigarette from her mouth to drop the ash in the tray beside the papers.
She had managed, with some help from Lautrec (which she would never admit), to walk herself into his office.
Her foot was propped awkwardly on the floor, the bandages wrapped tightly around it. She didn't wear shoes and she rather enjoyed it. Thought it was rather freeing.

"Huh. Apparently this fella liked to gamble. A lot."
She slid the file over to Lautrec.
"He's hit up almost all the big casinos in the city and even some of the trashy ones. Maybe we should check that out. He might have owed money so he was doing the blood job."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec looked up at her and smirked. “I’m up for a few hands of poker... we should check the west district. I’m known as a gambler and pool hustler in that part of town. They’ll think nothing of me.”

The office door opened, and a black haired girl walked in, hands in her pockets.
“Hey Brother, I’m sleeping at your place tonight” Aida said. She saw Delilah in the office, and casually nodded in her direction.
Lautrec looked up from his notes. He could sense a fight brewing, so he stood up.
“Aida... stay there, don’t come into the office.”
He looked at Delilah who was sitting across from his desk, and walked out of the office into the lobby.
“Where have you been” Lautrec asked.
“Around”
“Where are we?”
“Black Rose” Aida said with boredom in her eyes.
“Are you taking your lithium?”
“Yes”
“You owe my partner an apology.”
“What for?”
“You started a fight in my office”
“That’s who broke my nose?”
“Yes”
“Fine. I’m as lucid as ever.”

Aida stepped into the office and looked at Delilah.
“You’re a good fighter if you took me on full crazy. I’m surprised you have limbs attached to your body.”

“That isn’t an apology” Lautrec said.

“I’m getting there” she glanced his way.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah grinned, "Don't apologize. I was being an ass. Kind of deserved it, honestly. Plus, I haven't gotten a good fight in a while. Maybe we can try it again sometime?"
She swiveled in her chair, chin resting on the back of the furniture, cigarette dangling from her lips. She gave her a cocky, but respectful, grin.
"I mean if your big brother was okay with it. Also, I'm not a pig. I'm a person. Let's get that straight, alright?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Aida let out a small gasp. “Oh, I’m sorry about that pig stuff.” She looked down.
“I used to say that to Lautrec when he was an officer to get his goat. I haven’t been myself in awhile.”
She seemed embarrassed and unwilling to discuss the matter further.

Lautrec entered the office behind Aida.
“Sister, I have to know if you’ve been casting spells. There have been night beasts in the streets at night.”
Aida folded her arms at her brother.
“I’m not allowed to cast. A certain elder of mine took my bloodstone away”
Lautrec had a serious look on his face. “If you’ve crafted a new bloodstone, you have to tell me now. It could impact our case”
Aida was quiet, holding firm against her older brother’s questioning.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah watched quietly, tapping the ash out of her cigarette.
"You keeping quiet makes you look guilty. You better speak up before we assume something. Don't force us to wrongly assume."
She adjusted herself once more in her chair, "I'm up for round 2, if that's what'll get you to open up."
She pushed herself up, wincing when she put weight on her injured foot.
"Come on. I won't break. Though you might piss off your brother."

 

[Jodyguru]

Aida didn’t seem to have fighting spirit today. The lithium made her lethargic.
“No fighting please... I didn’t make a stone, I found your hiding spot while you were out doing detective stuff.”
Lautrec scowled at her.
“I haven’t used it though. I’ve been sleeping a lot after the last fight. The meds do it to me that way.”
“How can I trust you telling the truth?”
“Well, we shared blood. That accounts for something, right?”
“Get out of my sight, right now.” Lautrec said firmly and folded his arms.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah quirked her eyebrow.
"Shared blood? Did you participate in some blood drinking beside the occasional blood brothel visits?"
She shrugged when Lautrec gave her a look, "What? Rheitz told me 'bout it. Got a problem?"
She leaned against the desk, gesturing with the hand that clutched the cigarette.
"I've only been inside one once. They're....interesting places."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec’s face blushed. “Huh, why would she tell you something like that?”
Lautrec remembered his last visit, laying on the floor of some dirty nightclub back room with red in his mouth, coughing and reeling. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for him.
“I haven’t gone in quite some time. I hate those places... actually, I think I know exactly where we’ll find Stradler.”

Aida folded her arms and bit her lower lip. She stepped out of the office as Lautrec ordered, leaving the detectives.

The office door opened again, and this time Rheitz entered. Toby had to go back to the station, but the days events were still fresh in her mind. She found Aida standing in the lobby.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz stormed into the building, giving Aida a quick hello. She assumed that the dhampiress had come to stay at her brother's house once again and didn't bother asking her any questions.
She had to ask Lautrec. She had to prove Toby wrong.


"Boss! Meimer said that he caught you drinking blood from a dead man. He's lying right?" She burst through the doors, rushing into Lautrec's office.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec was surprised and dumbfounded by her sudden appearance and line of questioning.
“What? When did you speak to Meimar” he asked.
Aida overheard the loud conversation. She grasped her head and felt a twitch of pain.
“I take offense to being confronted like this. What’s gotten into you?” Lautrec asked her. It was fairly inappropriate of Rheitz to barge in here and start asking questions about something very personal.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz frowned. "Meimer met Toby and I at the church and he said he caught you drinking blood with Aida and that's why he punished you! He's lying isn't he?"
Why was he so unwilling to speak? Had he actually done it?

Delilah watched the two, face drawn in confusion.
"I'm curious too now. Did you Leore?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec looked between the two of them. He didn’t know how to respond to this line of questioning. He knew he couldn’t lie, but telling the truth was just as bad.

“He’s not dead” Aida said from the doorway. “Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear. It was my ex-boyfriend. Still my ex, obviously.” She chuckled nervously. Lautrec put a hand up.
“Stop. We already discussed the matter with the High Order. We were never meant to discuss the case with anyone. That’s why I stole the record from the hospital. All records of the incident were supposed to be wiped out. The Order wanted to save themselves from the embarrassment we brought to them.”
Lautrec and Aida were both looking towards the floor.
“But, if Meimar told you, then I suppose they no longer care to keep it secret... yes, I tasted human blood.” Lautrec admitted, looking dead into Rheitz’s soul.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"I knew it! I knew you wouldn't-what?!" Rheitz stared at him in shock, "S-so Meimer...he was telling the truth?"
Delilah studied Lautrec, a frown appearing on her face, "So you lied? It wasn't because you held a gun to him but because you drank as well?"
She crossed her arms over her chest, studying him with cold eyes.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec couldn’t look at either of them. “I-I didn’t lie about the gun. I was worried they’d kill us right there.”

“It was my fault, Detective Waters!” Aida put herself between Lautrec and Delilah. She held her hands like she was pleading.
”I was messed up on drugs. He came at me with the knife and I... I just went nuts. His blood was everywhere. I called my big brother for help, since he was a cop. I could trust him. When he got there, I had the knife. I started putting it in his face. I dared him, made him smell it, I didn’t think he’d actually have a taste.”

“I was starving, Aida” Lautrec said. “I should have done a better job protecting you. It was my fault for giving in to temptation. It’s a mistake we’ve long been punished for, as it has been nearly a decade since it happened.”

Aida had tears welling in her eyes, and she looked to be hanging on Delilah’s reaction.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"I don't care if it was nearly a decade ago. You lied. Again. Trying to hide these things just makes you look worse," Delilah said coldly.
Rheitz looked mortified like she had been stabbed in the back. She said nothing, leaning against the wall. "Oh."
Delilah shifted, moving to grab her heels. She let out a grunt, nearly falling over herself. "Excuse me. I'm going to go clean up before we head out to the casinos."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec growled. “I didn’t lie! I was doing what the Order said to do. What, I should reveal all the horrible things I’ve done in my life to you, regardless of the consequences? I’ve never, not once, barged into your life the way you do to me!” He was furious with both Waters and Rheitz.
“As for you, what could’ve possessed you to come to me demanding answers? I pay you to operate the phones, that’s it. I didn’t give you a fake inspector title so you could dig into my personal life.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah turned, eyes flashing with anger. "Barge?! Just because people ask questions you think we're trying to barge into your life?! We're not stealing files and sneaking around to cover things up, so of course, we'll have questions for you. Stop trying to blame others for the mistakes you've made." She limped forward, jabbing a finger at him, "So don't pull that 'stop barging into my life' business."

Rheitz bit her lip, "I didn't...I wasn't....I didn't try to do that!"
Her voice shook, the truth of her title and his opinion on her position was like a slap in the face.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec waved off Delilah. “Yeah sure. Go talk to your friends at Central and let me know when you’re ready to apologize.”
He had done everything right in his eyes. When the Order laid things down for him, he had no choice but to follow.
He looked at Aida and Rheitz, who were still here for some reason.
“Aida, take Rheitz and get out of here. I want to be alone.”
“A please wouldn’t kill you.” Aida took Rheitz by the hand and closed the office door behind them.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah limped outside, swearing at the realization that she didn't have a car anymore. She'd probably have to pay some sort of fine too. She bit the inside of her cheek, turning around and marching into the office. Opening the door, she put her hands on Laturec's desk. "I don't have a car. Please, take me home, would you?" There was a bite in her voice, her unwillingness to ask for help, evident.

Rheitz tugged her hand from Aida.
"I...I'm sorry for barging into Detective Leore's life. I didn't mean too."

 

[Jodyguru]

Aida sized her up, shifting her shoulder out and stood in a boxer’s pose with her footwork.
“You’re lying. It’s what you wanted to do, but you timed it very poorly. You’re just sad because he’s mad at you.”

“Enough” Detective St. Leore barked from his desk.” He was done with everything.
“It’s going to bite me in the ass hard because all of you know my secrets now. Do any of you even know about the Masquerade?”

Aida let out a noise of disgust.
“Fucking hell. I was having a fun time. Can I still punch the goat girl?”
“No, Come here sister.”
....
“Basically; if people know about vampires they’re privy to the masquerade. Revealing secrets to mortals is considered a violation. We both have a violation because of The Order fiasco. The families have shunned us.”
“If this gets out, I’ll have a bounty on my head,” Lautrec slumped down in his chair.