![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
naughty-bangles.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tamingthemuseTitle: Crank Call
Author: naughty_bangles
Rating: PG13 (language)
Word Count: 858
Prompt #471 Crank Call
“I’m in trouble, and you’re the only one you can help me.”
I hate it when people say that. I’m not special, just good at what I do. They could always find someone else to help. Or they could at least quote Star Wars to me. It always puts me in a good mood.
“I’m sure I’m not, but go ahead, tell me what’s going on.” I drew a chair from under the breakfast table and sat, one knee above the other.
“I got this on my phone yesterday.”
She drew a smartphone from her purse, an expensive-looking model. Trust Joanna to get the best of the best, from shoes to phone. To people. I guess it was flattering to have her choose me to help. The best of the best.
She slided and pressed her finger on the screen of few times, and a voice came humming through the speakers. I didn’t recognize the voice per se, but I knew only one person who would leave a muttered rendition of the Masquerade waltz on an answerphone. And she was bad news. Bad, bad news.
“Shit, Jo, what have you done to piss Harmony off?”
There was the faintest of wince on Joanna’s face, and I didn’t know if it was my language or having to explain her screw-up to me. Probably both.
“It is all some petty misunderstanding, really. Some intendant thought I was the Hidden Queen, and I didn’t correct him. That’s all.”
She shrugged delicately, like it was nothing. It wasn’t.
“You impersonated Harmony?”, I said, disbelief ramping in my voice. I couldn’t believe Joanna would be so careless, and yet, if the opportunity presented itself the way she told me, I could picture her straightening her figure and giving that poor intendant the kind of mysterious smile that confirmed something without claiming it out loud.
“I wouldn’t say that”, she responded stubbornly.
“But you did. And now Harmony is crank calling you. That’s bad, Jo, really bad.”
“This is all a misunderstanding”, she repeated. “If I could explain it to her, I’m sure she would get it, and we could put this regrettable story behind us.”
“Than why coming to me?”
“You know how Harmony can be. I may need help to be able to talk to her.”
“That’s exactly it, Jo. I know how Harmony is. It will take violence to talk to her, and that is if we don’t die from said violence.” I sighed and put my hand through my hair. “Even if we succeed, she will want payback. You took her person, she will take yours. You’ll be lucky if you only discover yourself in some gonzo porn you don’t remember shooting.”
Joanna pulled a disgusted face. She was so easy to disturbed sometimes. She was one of the most powerful enchantresses I knew, but speak about hardcore porn and she will cower in a corner of the room. Most of the time, it was endearing, but right now, it made her sense of priorities questionable at best.
“She wouldn’t dare”, she said dryly.
“She could do worse.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Then you seriously lack imagination.”
She shook her head. “Whatever you are thinking about, I don’t think it will come to this. If I speak to Harmony, she will see that all this isn’t worth it. Beside, by the time we meet, I’ll have an ace up my sleeve, so to speak.”
She turned her face toward me, and I saw a flick of mischief sparkling in her green eyes. That gleam in her eyes brought back memories of days long gone, a past that was about to repeat itself. It also explained why I was “the only one who could help her”.
I smiled, amused. “You have a plan, then.” She nodded, nearly childlike. “And it is…?”
“Why, Mona, we are going to steal something, of course. Why would I have come to you otherwise?”
“I don’t know, for the old days’ sake.” My voice came out a tad more bitter than I would have wished. Emotional control had never been my forte.
“Would you have helped me if I had brandished the past as an argument?” I should have been glad to hear regret crawling in her voice, but I wasn’t. Years and years past, and it was still a mess. A million answers crossed my mind, from residual anger to unlimited forgiveness.
“I haven’t said I’m going to help you”, I said instead.
“But you haven’t said no either”, she replied, a smile coming back on her delicate features. “I’m staying at the Grand Hotel. Give me a call when you have made your choice.”
She left a card on the breakfast table, brushing past me, on her way to the door. She opened it, and before she exited, she turned toward me one last time. “It was good to see you again, Mona.”
And with that, she was gone. I stayed sitting on my chair, looking at the card. Her trademark business card, a queen of diamonds symbol on the upper right corner. From where I was, I could smell the faint perfume of sandalwood she favored.
I was going to help her, of course.
Damn.
Author: naughty_bangles
Rating: PG13 (language)
Word Count: 858
Prompt #471 Crank Call
“I’m in trouble, and you’re the only one you can help me.”
I hate it when people say that. I’m not special, just good at what I do. They could always find someone else to help. Or they could at least quote Star Wars to me. It always puts me in a good mood.
“I’m sure I’m not, but go ahead, tell me what’s going on.” I drew a chair from under the breakfast table and sat, one knee above the other.
“I got this on my phone yesterday.”
She drew a smartphone from her purse, an expensive-looking model. Trust Joanna to get the best of the best, from shoes to phone. To people. I guess it was flattering to have her choose me to help. The best of the best.
She slided and pressed her finger on the screen of few times, and a voice came humming through the speakers. I didn’t recognize the voice per se, but I knew only one person who would leave a muttered rendition of the Masquerade waltz on an answerphone. And she was bad news. Bad, bad news.
“Shit, Jo, what have you done to piss Harmony off?”
There was the faintest of wince on Joanna’s face, and I didn’t know if it was my language or having to explain her screw-up to me. Probably both.
“It is all some petty misunderstanding, really. Some intendant thought I was the Hidden Queen, and I didn’t correct him. That’s all.”
She shrugged delicately, like it was nothing. It wasn’t.
“You impersonated Harmony?”, I said, disbelief ramping in my voice. I couldn’t believe Joanna would be so careless, and yet, if the opportunity presented itself the way she told me, I could picture her straightening her figure and giving that poor intendant the kind of mysterious smile that confirmed something without claiming it out loud.
“I wouldn’t say that”, she responded stubbornly.
“But you did. And now Harmony is crank calling you. That’s bad, Jo, really bad.”
“This is all a misunderstanding”, she repeated. “If I could explain it to her, I’m sure she would get it, and we could put this regrettable story behind us.”
“Than why coming to me?”
“You know how Harmony can be. I may need help to be able to talk to her.”
“That’s exactly it, Jo. I know how Harmony is. It will take violence to talk to her, and that is if we don’t die from said violence.” I sighed and put my hand through my hair. “Even if we succeed, she will want payback. You took her person, she will take yours. You’ll be lucky if you only discover yourself in some gonzo porn you don’t remember shooting.”
Joanna pulled a disgusted face. She was so easy to disturbed sometimes. She was one of the most powerful enchantresses I knew, but speak about hardcore porn and she will cower in a corner of the room. Most of the time, it was endearing, but right now, it made her sense of priorities questionable at best.
“She wouldn’t dare”, she said dryly.
“She could do worse.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Then you seriously lack imagination.”
She shook her head. “Whatever you are thinking about, I don’t think it will come to this. If I speak to Harmony, she will see that all this isn’t worth it. Beside, by the time we meet, I’ll have an ace up my sleeve, so to speak.”
She turned her face toward me, and I saw a flick of mischief sparkling in her green eyes. That gleam in her eyes brought back memories of days long gone, a past that was about to repeat itself. It also explained why I was “the only one who could help her”.
I smiled, amused. “You have a plan, then.” She nodded, nearly childlike. “And it is…?”
“Why, Mona, we are going to steal something, of course. Why would I have come to you otherwise?”
“I don’t know, for the old days’ sake.” My voice came out a tad more bitter than I would have wished. Emotional control had never been my forte.
“Would you have helped me if I had brandished the past as an argument?” I should have been glad to hear regret crawling in her voice, but I wasn’t. Years and years past, and it was still a mess. A million answers crossed my mind, from residual anger to unlimited forgiveness.
“I haven’t said I’m going to help you”, I said instead.
“But you haven’t said no either”, she replied, a smile coming back on her delicate features. “I’m staying at the Grand Hotel. Give me a call when you have made your choice.”
She left a card on the breakfast table, brushing past me, on her way to the door. She opened it, and before she exited, she turned toward me one last time. “It was good to see you again, Mona.”
And with that, she was gone. I stayed sitting on my chair, looking at the card. Her trademark business card, a queen of diamonds symbol on the upper right corner. From where I was, I could smell the faint perfume of sandalwood she favored.
I was going to help her, of course.
Damn.
