[open] far from my mother's home

[altusimperius]

WHO: Benedict and you
WHAT: October catch-all
WHEN: throughout Harvestmere
WHERE: Kirkwall dungeon/gay baby jail
NOTES: will add if necessary

For Riftwatch members in good standing, there's a built-in captive audience residing in a cell below the Kirkwall mage tower. One barred window peeks out onto the dreary courtyard, and on the opposite wall an interior door opens onto a dark, torchlit hallway, a bench placed on the wall facing in for the comfort of guests and interrogators.

Inside the cell, every day is the same. Sometimes Benedict is sleeping on the little bed supported by chains from the wall, sometimes he's pacing, sometimes he's standing on his toes to rest his chin on the windowsill, hands gripping the bars to keep himself upright, starved for any form of stimulation whatsoever.

Increasingly, he can be found sitting or lying on the floor of his cell, staring at the ceiling or fiddling with the straw scattered on the floor, bending and twisting it in such a way that, on closer inspection, he might be trying to figure out how to weave it.

Visitors will find him quite receptive, even excited to see them. Unless they're Flint.

Comments

[sulahnan]

A frown draws a furrow between her brows. "What he is?"

[keenly]

"A spoiled, bratty, entitled little nob who betrayed his only friends? Not that that's the only thing he is. Or was."

[sulahnan]

"Oh, right, that. I thought maybe you meant something else," she waves it off. "Yeah he doesn't seem like...evil or whatever, just...kind of a dumbass."

[keenly]

"He's not evil. He's not even bad. And he's definitely a dumbass." He can't resist a small smile. "But he tries, and he learns. And underneath all the bits that drive you mad, he's thoughtful and kind. Gentle, even. And now that he's back, suddenly, he's not asking for anything. The first night he was back, he thought he'd be executed in the morning, and all he wanted was for someone to sit with him. He doesn't beg to be an exception. He's just...doing his time. Proving himself. No shortcuts. And that's the kind of person that should be given a second chance, I think, even after what he did."

[sulahnan]

Athessa nods, a new appreciation for Colin, if not for Benedict himself. The caliber of one's friends tends to say something about a person, even if their good qualities are hidden beneath the surface.

"I think so, too," she says. "There's hope for him, for sure."

[keenly]

A slow grin spreads over Colin's face. Anders' wish for him not to be Benedict's only friend right now came true after all. He glances at the door, then leans in conspiratorily.

"There's one thing I know would help him, but I'm stuck trying to work out how to get it. Interested?"

[sulahnan]

She leans in too, automatically. Yes, she wants in, whatever it is, her expression says as much. Intrigued.

"Definitely, but if it's a joke book or art supplies I already got those for his Satinalia gifts."

[keenly]

Colin holds up a finger, trots to the door, and shuts it before coming back to the counter.

"When he left, his effects were auctioned off. Lots of crap, lots of expensive crap, but there's only one thing he really wants back: a cigarette case a friend carved for him. Since the friend passed some time ago, it means a lot to him. I went through the sales records and found who bought it, and he's with Riftwatch right now and has it. Unfortunately, he won't sell it at any price because he knows someone wants it, and that's left me stuck. I can't think of anything he might want more than he wants to mess with peoples' heads."

He tightens the drawstring on the bag and passes it to her.

[sulahnan]

She nods understanding as he explains, because she knows about the auction. She got Benedict's hookah, though she's already promised to give it back.

"Who has it?" She takes the bag,and reaches for her coin purse.

[keenly]

“Leander. Know him?”

[sulahnan]

"Ah, yeah I know him. Not very well, but I know him." Well enough to know that her tactic won't involve seducing anyone to get the cigarette box. She counts out the coins and weighs them in her palm, an idle motion while she thinks. "How likely d'you figure he'd be to carry it around with him instead of leaving it in his quarters?"

Finding out where Leander's room is will be simple enough; she already knows he's not in group quarters or she'd have seen him.

[keenly]

There's a second's pause before Colin's eyes widen briefly.

"No idea at all, but he does know I'm after it. If it disappears, he'll come straight for me. And it'll look that much worse for Benedict if someone steals something for him."

He leans on his elbows, fingers interlacing. "That being said, I'm not above a few dirty tricks. Especially since he's a complete arsehole who deserves it. This box is like some kind of trophy for him now. If we could come up with a bigger trophy, it might work, but I've no idea what that would be."

[sulahnan]

"Hmm...that's a bit trickier. And kinda stupid. Not the...coming up with a bigger score thing, but that he's keeping something he bought as a trophy. It's not like he won it or something."

She narrows her eyes, and rolls a coin over her knuckles. "Forgery would probably be too easily spotted, with something like that. No chance to study it to get it just right...What would Leander value enough to wager or trade the box? Think that's an angle we can use?"

[keenly]

"It's...it's Benedict's, and he helped bring him in in...ways." Colin's brows knit. He goes quiet for several seconds, then lifts a triumphant finger.

"If you can get it off him long enough to take a rubbing of it," he says, "we can make a copy. There's a couple places to go with that--either we switch it for the real one, or we let slip to him that his prize is no longer unique. Maybe we make a hundred copies and sell them to a merchant on his route or something."

[sulahnan]

Her face brightens, echoing the triumphant gesture with a little emphatic waggle.

"Hey now that's a great idea! Easy-peasy if he keeps it in his room, too. If he carries it with him..." Shrug. "We'll need a distraction, but it's doable. We should probably do the second option, seems like he'd be less likely to suss out that there's only one fake that way if he finds out that Benedict has the real one later."

[keenly]

A wicked smile spreads over Colin's face, then turns into a thoughtful look.

"Then the question is how to get the original, though. Leander seems more likely to chuck it in the ocean than surrender it, just to prove a point."

[sulahnan]

"Maybe we do a bit of both, then? Swap the original out for a fake first, then let slip that it's not unique? That way we have the original from the start, but he thinks he has it the whole time."

[keenly]

"And if he complains to someone higher, he looks like an idiot because he demonstrably has the box. We just say we bought the replacement for Benedict, and give them the shop."

Colin holds out a hand for a shake.

[sulahnan]

She pumps his hand once, up-down, to seal the deal, and grins.

"This is gonna be fun. And of course, a nice thing to do for a...friend," Weird. That was almost automatic. Almost. "But also fun."

Her other hand bears the coins for her purchase, and she uncurls her fingers, holding them out for Colin to take.

[keenly]

Colin grins broadly and receives the coins.

"You get me the rubbing, and I can take care of the copies. If you need paper and charcoal, I have it."

He tells her the address of the de la Fontaine apartments in Hightown slightly sheepishly. "It's where I live. You'd best deliver it there. The rubbing and, in time, the original box. Unless you think of a better place."

[sulahnan]

She recognizes the address, not by whose apartments they are but purely the fact that it's in Hightown, and gives an appreciative whistle. No wonder she doesn't see him around much; she's never in Hightown.

"That should be fine. Probably better than any dive in Lowtown I could suggest," though not many would think to find anything of value, sentimental or otherwise, in her usual haunts. "And I've got paper and charcoal. I wasn't kidding about the art supplies."

[keenly]

He suspects he would only make it worse if he explained he is not actually Lady Alexandrie's boytoy.

"It's the de la Fontaine apartments. Anyone trying to get in would have to be better at infiltration than the lady herself, which is...not Leander."

[sulahnan]

"Or a friend of Lexie's, of course," she almost throws in she threw a knife at me once, ya know. It was great. but deems it not worth mentioning. After all, it was accidental. She hefts the bag of herbs with a nod and starts towards the door.

"Thanks for this. I'll see what I can do to get those rubbings."

[keenly]

Colin grins broadly again. Only Lexie's friends call her that. It seems the lady has continued her collection of lower-class trash, and he definitely likes that.

"Glad to help. Come by anytime."