Out of Line (Open) - Sunflower Beach

"I'll see you then" she said, pausing for a moment before hanging up and looking to Cassiel.

Cass sighed softly, nodding her head. She slowly drifted toward the kitchen and out of sight. She then sent Teddy a text.

Still here, hiding. Will leave if you want.

"Cass" she called out. "don't. I don't want you to leave and I don't want you to hide. You're here. If Estaban wants to speak with me alone, then I might ask you to take the critters outside for a little while. Alright?"

She came back into view, leaning in the doorway. Cass noddes once, but didn't say anything.

What a shit night all around.

Estaban kept his promise and was there promptly. He knocked politely and waited for an answer.

And sure enough, it was only moments later that the Caitiff opened the door and stepped to the side.
"Primogen Fortunato, please, come in" she said with a polite smile.

Cass wasn't hiding. She was in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen, arms crossed. No expression, it was better that way.

he nodded and entered.

"Thank you. Are you.. all right?"

"I'm fine, Sir" she looked a little tired but otherwise alright. She was barefoot, clad for a night at home clearly considering the pj pants and naked feet.

The place was clean, tidy. There was a folded up blanket and pillow on the red couch in the living room though, but otherwise it looked perfectly normal.
"How I can help you tonight?" as if she didn't already know.

"I was hoping we could talk about Areron and this little contest or the position of Harpy. If you.. dont mind."

He did look s little apologetic.

"I expected as much, please" she motioned towards the sitting group with the red couch. "Have a seat"

He smiled and nodded but the smile was apologetic.

"I am really sorry to have to talk to you. i found the article quite amusing myself. But I promised her that i would talk to you about it. Did you find writing it took very long?"

"Depends on how you look at it. Some of it I had already thought of making public. I do not consider her poorly chosen words to be fitting of someone of her status and position" the blond replied. "Oh, would you like a drink? Or a refreshment of some kind? You haven't been to my house before I'm already failing as a host"

He smiled.

"A drink would be nice, whatever you have, tea, coffee, water. I am not picky. Did you find you have to use a thesaurus. And did you use a typewriter or a computer. I am quite taken with my laptop."

He said he would talk to her about the announcements, not that he would saying anything useful.

Cass turned and headed back into the kitchen, putting on the tea kettle. At least she was making herself useful?

Teddy mouthed the words "thank you" to the rose before taking a seat.

"I don't own a type writer. Things like that don't last long around me" she replied, tilting her head slightly to the side. "I write most things by hand and then into a computer" Teddy paused. "But it feels like you're stalling asking these questions"

He laughed.

"Oh am I? I thought i was asking you questions about your report. Like I promised. I promised i would talk to you about your report. I will ask one more thing. Do you plan to repeal anything you have said?"

"No, I don't intend to remove of it, although your whip" she picked up her cellphone and handed it to him. "was very quick to demand that I do"



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Teddy,

I took you for a better person than that.

~Areron

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"Guess I'm not. -T.B"

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"Kindly remove your false harpy report. I have more standing than Serena and the backing of our Primogen and declare these slanderous accusations to be flase."

"Your pathetic attack on me will only look bad for you, since this is clearly a desperate attempt to slander me to hold your position. A large part of being harpy is fact checking, something you have no desire to do apparently."

"Clearly you choose to side with the likes of Serena and not your supposed friends, Estaban and Griselda. It's nice to see where true loyalties lie when your back is against the wall. People may think me a bitch, but at least I stand by my friends.

~Areron"

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"So you mean to say you did not stop Serena from seeing Estaban in a rather rude manner?

You mean to say that you did not receive help to retrieve your kidnapped sister and still, in the presence of his Grace, went and claimed that people of this domain only look after themselves?

You mean to say you did not jokingly claim to be lovers with your Primogen? Which is just in poor taste considering you and your family live with him and Miss McKenzie.

Prove to me that these are false accusations and then we'll speak. I have no need to slander you, you seem to be doing a fairly good job at that yourself.

And in the matter of Harpy business, until any Clans officially remove their support of me, I still hold more Status than you. So until you can give any proof that what I've said is false? The report stays.

-T.B"

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"I was incredibly polite to Serena when I first met her and offered her a place to stay. She asked to see her Primogen, but since he asked for me to handle Serena and did not wish to see her I told her I could handle any clan business she had. As whip it is absolutely within the power of my position to handle any matters my Primogen sees fit to assign me."

"Serena didn't take 'no' for an answer and came to our personal home and demanded to be seen by him personally, I told her no. Estaban was present and well aware of everything that happened. I, of course, asked for his council on these matters."

"Serena appears to be mentally damaged from what Raz0r did to her and is crazy and out of control so whatever she thought I said back at the home was through the filter of a deranged mind."

"As for what I said to the Prince, that was taken very much out of context. You question the wisdom of the Prince who offered me the opportunity to recieve your job after I said it what I said?"

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"No, I do not for a moment question the wisdom of His Grace. He's a fair man, who likes to give people equal oportunities. Despite poorly chosen words that, even in whatever context you're referring to, still leave no doubt as to what they mean.

The simple fact is, if every Harpy out there pulled their reports whenever it upset someone, there wouldn't be any reports to read.

You haven't disproved anything with what you've said so far. What you've stated is that a Clan member, who've been through quite an ordeal, was denied to speak with her Primogen because he didn't want to or because you didn't allow her to. Seemingly not taking into consideration that perhaps it was a matter that needed his attention and not yours. Because she was, and I quote "crazy and out of control" and perceiving things through the filter of a deranged mind.

Very considerate of you then to dismiss her when she was obviously, according to you, in a rather fragile state of mind.

I'd love to continue this conversation. But as it is, I have other things that need tending to and I am sure you have as well.

If nothing else I'm certain we will speak again soon enough.

-T.B"


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"Twist things as you will Harpy. It doesn't make you any more right.

~Areron."

He nodded as he read down the list.

"Very enlightening. You will please note that i am not insisting anything. You are the harpy and I trust you to do your job and do it well. Well let me see, I spoke you about this report and Harpy Blue will not retract her statement. The conversation is over. "

There was a definite smile on his face as he crossed his legs.

"So how are you doing through all of .. this?"

Oh yes, he was playing the game.

She honestly still hated the game, and having to play it. Or well, try to play it.

"Asides from a bit of a headache, I'm doing alright" she said, lifting a hand to brush her fingers through her hair and letting them come to rest on the back of her neck.

Cass re-entered the living room with a tray. on it was a pot of hot water and two tea cups and a small selection of teas and lemon and sugar and milk as might be desired. She then retreated back to the doorway.

He frowned a little and nodded.

"I am sorry for the stress you are having to face. I do what i can to keep her off you but it does not do much. She .. has a strong personality and she is not easily moved. I promise you I did not come here to try and dissuade you. but.. I have to keep up appearances. in fact.."

His suddenly found the floor interesting.

"I have a terrible confession to make and i hope you will forgive me."

The blond smile to her friend and whispered a thank you before looking back to Estaban.
"It's all about appearances, isn't it?" she sighed softly. "Please, speak your mind"

He looked up at Cass and nodded thanks, with only a little pain in his eyes she knew what was coming next

"I..I have been told that I am going to have to support Areron for Harpy or I can be removed from Primogen and have my status removed and then Frederico will take the position and vote for her anyway. so that she gets our clans vote either way."

She should probably have been more surprised than she was. "Might I ask for the reason why?"