[PRP] two steps, three steps (shiloh & jeremiah)

[Melancholies]

"Whenever." He said with a shrug, "I left Beel back in my domain. He says he doesn't like Fell that much, but he also keeps trying to talk with her, apparently. He won't tell me what about though." Shiloh made a face. Beel didn't seem like the gossip type, except then again, he totally did.

"Hopefully taking it out of the Otherworld doesn't like, mess anything up." It shouldn't, right?

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Fell doesn't say much about Beel but that likely says everything." Though now he was imagining that somehow the fetches were comparing notes about patrons and other things. Gossip, Jeremiah was thinking they were gossiping. "Nor do I think bringing it over should hurt it."

Once Shiloh was close enough, Jeremiah nodded at him. It was only a blink of eyes - it was always a blink of eyes; the magic seemed to make one blink - and they appeared in Jeremiah's office at home. It was obviously his home because Hellbine was dozing in a sunny window seat, a low rumble of his purr faintly heard.

"Let me turn the PC on," he gestured to a low wooden table with one of those printer/scanner/fax machine combos, "the scanner is right over there. I'll take the pictures afterward of thumbprints up close."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Bastards..." Shiloh mumbled, but it didn't sound very angry or threatening. It was the friendly sort of tone he took when he was poking fun at Jamie or Oliver; the hey dipshit, you're my friend sort of acerbic banter.

The depressing outfit that the Court had garbed him in seemed to melt away like shadows, his clothes underneath a completely ordinary blend of hoodie, jeans, Jesus is my Homeboy t-shirt, of which was tattered and obviously picked up at a second hand store. "Sure, sure..." He walked over to the scanner, hand wavering over the folio, The lip opened up and the charter was retrieved shortly there after. "You just... lift this top part up, right?"

He was already doing so without Jeremiah's guidance. "Hey Helly." He smiled at the cat in the window seat, "You sleepy, bud?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah's clothing had shifted back down into familiar layers (a jacket over a vest with a button up and tie) but he paid it no attention. The computer was powering up, Jeremiah pressing a finger to turn on the monitor. "Yes, just raise the top and lay it on there. You'll have to flip it to get the other side once it scans that one."

Hellbine's ears flicked and immediately perked once he heard Shiloh's voice. The small cat was stretching before he hopped off his perch, to Jeremiah's desk, and let out a mew to Shiloh. Mostly because he absolutely wanted his plant-sibling's attention.

"Also have a camera to take pictures for the ones that I wasn't able to get information about."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Hey bud!" Shiloh got immensely distracted from the scanner predicament, mostly because there was a cat to pet, and it was a cat he loved dearly. He wouldn't tell Ollie, but Hellbine was definitely within the top tier of cats, probably moreso than Chai or Nosey were. The obviously bias came from the flowers. He was very quick to scoop the tiny perma-kitten sized creature into his arms. "Just lemme know when it needs to be flipped..."

He said this, even though he wasn't even by the scanner anymore. Who's a cute kitten? "Who's a cute kitten? Oh my god, who am I kitten, it's you!" He proceeded to shower Hellbine in affectionate scratches.

Good going there Beaumont. Sorry Mercer, it looks like you're on your own for a little bit.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah did not say a word. Mostly because Shiloh definitely needed moments like this and he knew better than get between Hellbine and affection. The small cat was soaking it up, the rumble of a purr louder than normal, and pressing himself into Shiloh's hands. Today it was little blooms of valerian that grew when he touched. Mostly because Hellbine could sense stress.

(Looking at you people-dad. Stop hiding it, Hellbine knows. Also don't tell said people-dad that Shiloh was definitely better in some ways because plant-sibling.)

Chuckling, Jeremiah was opening up the scanner utility on the PC and starting it. When it finished, he looked over to Shiloh. "Mind flipping it?" Not that he wouldn't have done it himself but blood would absolutely slow down the process.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh was immensely distracted, but Jeremiah's voice brought him back to reality, "Can't you just--oh... right..." the blood. Well, nevermind. He gave Hellbine a hearty pat before going to flip the document over like he'd been instructed.

Something about Hellbine--perhaps (purrrhaps) because of their plant affiliations--was also invigorating to his own flowers, and the backs of his hands were dotted with little green buds. One of them flourished outward with a sudden intensity, producing a tiny pink peony.

"Aaaand... it's good." Shiloh gave Jeremiah a thumbs up, then the kitten cuddles commenced once again.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

If Jeremiah could catch a picture of this moment, he would have. It would have been sent to Jamie, of course, but mostly because while Hellbine was friendly he was never this friendly. No one that he could think of, aside from Pax, had the small cat growing things.

Though it was cute to watch as Hellbine rubbed his oh so gently against the blossoming peony. Tiny paws then rested against the Shiloh's hand, his nose touching the back of it, as if to give the hand a small bise (though he couldn't actually reach Shiloh's face, so this would have to do).

"Thanks," said Jeremiah, checking over the image and then waiting for the next scan to finish. While that was working, he was pulling out the camera he had mentioned and clearing a space on small table in the office for it to be set on (it was a surface that was kept ridiculously clean).

"... hopefully should be able to clear up more things about the fingerprints with this ..." Though that was mostly to himself and not necessarily an attempt to interrupt the bonding time.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh was delighted.

"O-Oh uh, no problem." The stutter was likely from lack of foresight, as Shiloh startled slightly at the sound of Jeremiah's voice (despite being present in his house, idiot). It was obvious he had a lot on his mind, a lot of thoughts dragging him down, a lot of notions crowding his headspace and clogging up his ability to really think. For a moment, it seemed like he had just walked into the office versus being there for some time; he was really surveying the study for the first time since being there.

But Hellbine's paws were on his hand and it was hard to stay too focused on any one thing. He went back to scratching the kitten's ears.

"Ready for the camera?" He asked without looking over, his thumb and forefinger gingerly kneading the softest cat ears known to man. When he did finally look over, he took Jeremiah's clearing of his desk as an affirmative yes. "One second bud," He told Hellbine as he went to stand, train of thought back on the charter.

It really was a shame that he couldn't rip it there and then and solve everything.

Instead he took it from the scanner to transplant to the desk. "There were only a few fingerprints that weren't identified, right?" One of which looked smudged even to the naked eye; surely it was the one detailed in the email as such. "I still wonder..." Sigh, "Well, it doesn't matter. Here." He set the parchment down after a moment of musing.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

The study looked like it might have been pulled from a different time period. It was all dark wood and earth tones. Each wall contained bookshelves that were full of books and then, in spaces on the shelves themselves, were the degrees he had gotten from college (one did not get higher in the force or become a Police Chief without a serious education). Behind the desk was a bay window, the very place Hellbine had been dozing on the cushioned seat of, and it had a small collection of flowering plants.

Except that one was a particularly bright, vivid pink that was not unlike the vines on Hellbine's head. Said small cat was practically mush in Shiloh's hands, his purr reverberating and never ending. The young man got a mew to the affirmative about waiting (because he understood).

Once Shiloh was setting down the charter, Jeremiah was taking the pictures of the thumbprints. His focus was on the smudged one.

"Yes, though I am most interested in the smudged one." He paused in taking photographs, looking back over to him. "What are you wondering?" Even if it didn't matter, it was still a thought.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh was fidgeting a little, but then his shoulders melted into a droop and he shrugged. "It's just..." His lips pursed, "Why the hell are all of you on the charter?!"

He looked surprised at his own outburst.

"A-And I'm not! I don't get it... like, what the ******** was I doing? Where the ******** was I? Oliver was there, and Jamie was there, and if Ollie was there then I must've existed, unless I was like, dead or something."

He folded his arms grumpily.

"Not that I wanna be on it, I just... I don't get it. I can't help it, 'cause ******** it if I'm not curious."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Jeremiah looked up at Shiloh, pausing in taking photographs and quiet. The outburst was not taken poorly and, if anything, it was likely a long time coming from the young blonde.

"... there's likely some reason." He was frowning and then sighed. "It may very well be that you did die or that something occurred. I mean, I find it odd that Wil is on it but Nasir is not?" A breath was let out as he returned to taking pictures. "We gave our permission to have our magic changed in perpetuity but I still don't know why. So the spirit-bond needed to be split, so the dead were rising, but what were the real reasons? Why did we decide that the Charter was something we needed? Why did we consent and there are others who did not?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"That's what I mean." He huffed, "Everyone who signed it is differentiated. They're wargs, or weres, or nobles..." His gaze fell slightly.

"I guess I feel kinda guilty. I shouldn't." He was rolling his shoulder, "I wanna believe people signed the charter without...without knowing what it was about. Like, sure, separate the spirit bond, but would anyone sign this knowing it was anchored on Melany? I guess those ******** bastards sliced her open, so anything's possible..." Now his gaze looked dark.

He sighed again. "I guess it doesn't really matter. The actions everyone made before weren't the same people." Still, Shiloh seemed sullen about it.

"Are you done taking pictures?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Go ahead and take it back up. I've gotten more than enough pictures of it." Jeremiah took a step back before glancing at the Charter once last time. The fact of the matter was that this was a document that controlled their lives in ways he had never imagined being controlled.

"I have not gotten a straight answer but as I understand it: they knew what the Charter was meant to do, not necessarily what was being done to create it. Though I cannot say this is even true and-" he stopped, went quiet and watched as Hellbine was stretching.

"It does not matter, as you said. Those people are not us and I do not know that finding more out would help us or blind us- make us angry that they even consented in the first place." A heavy breath escaped. "Not that there isn't already anger about that."

For a beat he was quiet and then he spoke again. "If it was just breaking the spirit-bond in two, that might have been achieved in another manner but this was ... this was them taking control." Jeremiah was frowning, lips turned down at the corners. "Imposing our will over other ashdown and the magic." There was a subtle widening of his eyes, as if he just realized this and should have come to the conclusion sooner. "Essentially we were caging the magic." Perhaps he had known it subconsciously but now he was acknowledging it.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

As Jeremiah talked, Shiloh went to work. The charter was dusted off delicately and slipped back into the folio, the lock reenacted. The symbol made a soft hum sound as the magic bound it back together, glowing brightly, and then fading into a soft minty green.

"It sounds so..." He took a deep breath, "The thing that really bugs me about all of this... is how... manipulated I feel. Like a puppet or some s**t." He gave Hellbine a look like he was trying to distract himself, "The Enemy is evil! Or whatever the ********. And it'd be one thing if they did this just 'cause of Renard, he's strong, it could've been damaging, who knows. I don't know enough about magic to say. But like? Why did this come up? How did they go from stopped some 'great evil' to torturing an innocent girl? How ******** up do you have to be to think that's okay?" His eyes were worried, big and blue and bright.

"It feels like it just got more and more skewed. Like, it's bad enough we had the first cage, and it's bad enough we have the second, but I feel like... controlling the magic like this is sort of just... dangerous. Like playing god. Like doing s**t you really shouldn't be doing, and it scares the ******** out of me Mercer. Magic isn't governed by laws I don't think—shouldn't be."

Shiloh was quiet again.

"It makes me torn on if we should rebuild the Court or tear it down completely. I feel like it should've never existed at all, but it's so integrated now that I feel like we can't just burn it."

azuredreams